Last Act of Love (Sequel to The Last One)

Chapter 26

Ruive wandered down the white halls of Minas Tirith, her mind as ease somewhat knowing that both Sam and Frodo were alive and recovering. Only Frodo had yet to wake from his coma-like state. Sam however, had fully recovered spending his time now glued to Frodo's bedside waiting impatiently for him to wake. 

As Ruive glided through the halls, her fingers absent mindedly touched the newly formed scar above her left eye. The wound had healed over nicely, no being all that deep, with time the scar would fade, but would still be noticeable. Not that the scar would bother her, she carried her scars with a form of pride, as though they were a sign that she'd survived so much and made her who she was. Though some scars hurt more than others, it was the invisible scars that hurt the most. But after all that she'd been through, and to come out the other side wounded, but not dead, she took it as a sign to do something right by her heart. To live the remainder of her life with as little regret as she could.

Ruive rounded a corner and found herself facing the back of Legolas. The Elf peacefully gazed out the large window that overlooked the city. His shoulders were relaxed and his hands were lightly clasped behind his back. Ruive paused, this was it, her chance to do right by her heart and to live without this one regret.

"Someone wise once told me something I did not fully understand, until now." She began taking small steps towards Legolas, the Elf seemed to shake himself from a trance and slowly turn and face her.  

"And what did this wise person say?" Legolas wondered softly.

Ruive sighed as the soft rumble of his voice. Gentle words from him could always lull her into a peaceful sleep.

"He told me; 'If you love someone, let them go, and if they love you in return, they will come back to you."

Ruive watched as the realisation flickered in Legolas' eyes, for he was the one to tell her those words 60 years ago. Ruive did not wait for Legolas to reply, only continuing to walk towards him slowly.

"I know I have let you go, too many times I pushed you away, trying to spare you the pain. But every time, you came back. After everything I put you through, still, you came back."

By now, small, crystalline tears had formed in the corner of Ruive's eyes, threatening to spill over at any given moment.

"And I know you let me go, so many times, even though you still loved me, you let me go. Because no matter what, you wanted me to be happy, even if it meant you were not." Ruive's voice grew more and more unsteady as she tried to hold back the wave of emotions.

"But I realised something; the more I pushed you away, the more every inch of me wanted you, needed you. That was when I finally understood."

By now Ruive was barely a foot away from Legolas, who she could have almost swore she saw a single tear shimmering in the corner of his eye.

"You let me go, Legolas, and all I wanted was to come back to you. This is me coming back to you. I love you."

For the first time in what felt like forever, Legolas pulled Ruive flush against him and collided his lips against her's in a fury of passion and need. Ruive did not hesitate to tangle her arms around his neck and weave her fingers into his soft hair. Legolas tightened his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground spinning them both in a circle. Ruive giggle like a child into the kiss, feeling Legolas smile against her.

Legolas pulled back ever so slightly and whispered to her sweetly, "I love you, more than words can describe."

Ruive pressed her forehead against his as he gently lowered her to the ground again.

"I was a fool," Ruive admitted. "A fool for waiting so long to realise something I already knew. And to love another while my heart has always belonged to you."

Legolas softly shook his head.

"Your love for Kili was as real as ours, you were right, you were not the same Ruive. But I loved you all the same. Kili was the love you needed, to show you that you could still love another, that your heart was no longer made of stone. A love I could not show you."

Ruive closed her eyes, thinking back to the words Kili told her.

"You could never have loved me, the way you loved him."

And he was right, she would never love another, the way she loves Legolas.

"Make me this promise." Ruive pleaded.

"Anything."

"Promise me, we will never part, that we will not stray too far from each other, and you will be with me as long as I live."

Legolas took Ruive's face softly in his warm hands, tilting her head to look into her rare and beautiful eyes.

"I swear by the Valinor; no matter what the future may bring, that there will be not a moment in your life that you are without me. I will love you and stay with you long after my last breath leaves my body. I have faced Orcs, Goblins, Urukai, Oliphaunts and other enemies alike across the battle field. And every moment was with you by my side. My love, not even death, could take me away from you. "

The sincerity in his bright blue eyes gave Ruive all the confirmation she needed to be sure not a day would pass that she was without the Elf that held her heart and soul. Together they sealed their promise in with a kiss composed entirely of raw love and passion that not even all the darkness and evil in the world could ever break. 

EEEEEEEHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I am having so many emotions with this chapter it's not funny!!! I know it's a little shorter than usual but I felt like this had to be one chapter by itself so I could focus entirely on this scene, plus the last chapter was hella long so yay. I know I ask you to comment every chapter and some of you do but please I am on my knees begging here... Please tell me what you think????? The feedback does wonders for my motivation you have no idea. Thank you so much for reading, next chapter will be up ASAP.

P.S. Shout out to my Beta (she's really my co-author) who helped me tweak a few things in this chapter she is amazeballs!!!