Starlight

chapter sixteen

Tauriel POV
My run in with Legolas had almost revealed my secret, I had to be more careful from now on. I knew that he would come and ask questions and he derserved to know the answers but I knew that if I did tell him, he would suffer just as the orc captain had wanted. I needed to clear my head, so I headed down to the gardens, when I was younger I would always come down here whenever I was upset or angry. It was my sanctuary when my parents died. I always came down here when I was younger, but as I got older I came down less and less until I stopped coming all together. I sat underneath the willow tree and smiled. I always sat underneath this tree. It was nice being here again, it gave me a sense of security. For once I was content and I felt safe.

Araniel POV
I was wondering around the halls with nothing to do. I usually spent the day with Legolas but today he had to go patrol the borders. He had taken me to the healing halls and showed me around which I did find quite interesting. I then thought back to when my mother told me about I was to marry the Prince of Mirkwood. I was heartbroken. Ofcoarse I had not told my mother this because this would reveal a secret I had kept for years. The reason why I did not want to marry Legolas was because I was in love with someone else. I loved the march warden Haldir. I had been in a secret relationship with him for years and when my mother told him he was to acompany us to Mirkwood I felt terrible. He had to watch me pretend to be in love with another ellon. I couldn't imagine what it would be like if I was in his place. But everyday his emotionless facade never wavered. Legolas was nice but I didn't love him and I did not know if I could marry him. I had taken my anger out on Haldir I had ignored him the whole time we had been in Mirkwood. I froze I Haldir didn't deserve this at all, he was suffering enough already. I started running towards his chambers, not caring that people would see me running through the halls. When I reached his door I knocked loudly, I was about to knock again when the door swung open. Haldir was standing there with a bored expression. His eyes widened when he saw it was me. I wrapped my arms around his neck. He pulled me inside and shut the door, "Araniel," he was cut off by me "I'm sorry Haldir, I'm sorry." I said I let out a sob into his chest and he pulled me closer. "Its okay." he said rubbing soothing circles into my back. I looked up at him and pulled him down to kiss me. The kiss lasted until we had to part so we could breathe. "Lets go somewhere," I said breathless. "Where?" he asked, I smiled as an idea came to my head, "Lets go to the gardens, no one ever goes there." I said he nodded and we ran hand in hand towards the gardens. Luckily no one saw us. We where walking through the gardens together when I saw a flash of red through one of the bushes. I walked over to the bush and Haldir followed. I peered through it and saw Tauriel. Legolas and I had encounted her today at the healers. She was sitting underneath a willow tree. She didn't look well that must have been why she was at the healers. I was about to walk away when I heard a voice "How long have you been watching?" it was Tauriel. I was sure that Haldir and I had been caught together and spying as well. "Long enough to realise that there is something wrong with you Tauriel." Another voice said, I then realised Tauriel had never been speaking to us but to someone else. Legolas soon came into view "What were you doing in the healers today?" he said. Her eyes widened "Nothing..." she said hestitantly he shot her a look. He walked closer to her. I knew that I shouldn't have been spying but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene because I had never seen Legolas being this stern with someone before. Legolas was only a meter away from her from when all of a sudden she coughed, which was quite unusal for an elf. She coughed another three times when Legolas gasped. "Tauriel.." he trailed of he pulled her closer to him and wiped something off the corner of her mouth. Blood. "This is why you were at the healers today," a single tear ran down her face. He pulled her into an embrace, "Why didn't you tell me Tauriel, how long has this been happening?" he asked she looked at him tears in her eyes and did the one thing I least expected. She kissed him and he kissed back. She pulled away and buried her head into the crook of his neck. "You should have told me Tauriel, I would have wanted to be there for you, amin mella lle" He said to her "And I love you too" she said. I turned to Haldir with a shocked face, maybe, just maybe there was chance for us.