Greenleaf (Legolas x Aragorn)

Chapter XIV

When Arwen entered the room, the quietness could have brought her heart to peace but the atmosphere was nothing but calm. She instantly laid eyes on the untouched meal she had brought a few hours ago. The low light had not changed either. Most of all, she sadly witnessed how Legolas had not moved either. He was there, laying motionless under the careful watch of Aragorn.

It had been three long weeks since Rivora's bloody fields had been emptied of its dead bodies. Middle-Earth's great enemy had not been heard and Aragorn had quickly become a worse menace to himself. It had been expected that he would not attend other business than hoping for Legolas' unsure awakening. Yet, Arwen had done everything she could to not let him get consumed by it and not once it had worked.

Once again, she discreetly entered the dark room and found the king she cherished in an even worse state than he had been the previous day. His mind was dominated by his concern to a point where he had lost the time to eat and embrace fresh air. As Legolas' skin had never been so pale, his was even paler. Despite the elf's appearance, the king next to him still seemed to be the one whose health was endangered.

It did not take long for Arwen to be noticed by Aragorn's tense mind. When his eyes stopped focusing on Legolas, he instantly stood up. With this gesture, Arwen could see more clearly the misery the king was in. He had struggled to find the energy to simply get on his feet and now, it was only simpler to see how much weight he had lost in such a short time.

Each day was the same for him. Arwen would visit and ask him if had eaten and slept. She would try to make him talk, go outside or anywhere he could find the benefits that he wanted to deny. Despite the poor results she always had out of it, she kept doing it over and over with the hope that one day either him or Legolas would come back to life. So, once more, she did it.

"You have not eaten what I have brought you, Aragorn." She walked closer to the plate and took it so she could bring it closer to where the king had sat back. But the king did not move the slightest. "The sun is shining outside, you should see it or your body is going to lack its power." Silence did not go away despite how much she tried and the king was lost in the sight of Legolas. "How was your sleep last night?" Suddenly, Arwen stopped gesturing around the room. Aragorn was not gonna be talkative and she believed it was time to take away his right to choose. "Aragorn." Her voice was firm and she violently stared at him.

The sudden change in her attitude made Aragorn look at her for a split instant. "I did not sleep."

Arwen could not be less surprised. She fully understood the king's reasons but she knew he deeply needed her to keep fighting. Maybe someday he would go back to what he was.

Elrond's daughter had the same graciousness as her father and with it she slowly walked closer to the king. She carefully sat on Legolas' bed in a way to face the king. When their eyes met, the sorrow she witnessed brought her on the verge of crying. "Please Aragorn." She leaned towards him and placed a gentle hand on his knee. "I beg you to eat something. If you do not want to do it for me then do it for him. Do not let me see him wake up to find you in that state. Please..." Her last words were almost inaudible but Aragorn had heard their meaning clearly. She was right and he knew it.

Silently he grabbed the plate his friend had brought closer and ate what he could not even taste. Strangely, Arwen's kind smile did not bring the warmth it used to offer. Nothing actually made Aragorn feel something anymore and even if he tried he could not find the strength for it to come back. Everything had lost its meaning. He could not even understand why everything had started anymore.

As she could read Aragorn's concern, Arwen decided to occupy his mind to something else. She stood up and looked down at her elvish friend. "We should not have let those clothes on him. There still is his blood haunting his appearance, it is not right."