Legolas and Tauriel: What I Did For Love

33: Resolution

[Tauriel POV]

"Legolas!!" I screamed.

Peering over the edge, I could see nothing in the darkness but I heard crashing in the branches below. As fast as I could, I scrambled over the edge and dropped from branch to branch. Struggling to catch up to him, I didn't have time to think about how it had happened. Legolas didn't just fall out of a tree for no reason.

Halfway down the tree, I found him, dangling from a rather thin branch.

"Legolas!" I called.

He grunted and tried to pull himself up but the branch groaned and cracked. A quick glance showed me that it was attached to the tree only by a thin strip of bark. Edging out farther on my sturdier branch, I reached out my hand to him, my heart pounding in my chest. I had already lost him in one sense. I didn't need to lose him in another.

With an effort, he swung his body like a pendulum and reached out to grab my outstretched hand. I wrapped my legs around the bough and heaved backwards. Slowly, every so slowly, I pulled him onto the branch.

Breathing hard, I felt him all over, checking for injuries.

He grabbed my hands. "Tauriel."

At his tone, my head snapped up. He hadn't spoken like that in so long and it caused tears to fill my eyes. Could it be?

Then all of the sudden I was being kissed. So hard that I almost fell out of the tree. But he wrapped his arms around me and I knew I wasn't going anywhere.

How I reacted to all of this, I will keep to myself but let it suffice to say that it involved a lot of kissing, buckets of tears, and a whole lot more babbling, mainly of his name. He responded relatively well to all of it and only responded with kissing back, crying almost as much as me, and speaking my name coherently.

It was some time before I could calm down enough to say anything that could be understood. But when that happened, I was too busy being hugged within an inch of my life to utilize the skill.

It was very late when we made it back to the palace. The front gates had been shut long ago and we climbed a tree and jumped to a balcony to get inside. After doing some rather unobtrusive sneaking, we slipped through the archway that led to the royal quarters. A light shone underneath the doorway that led to Thranduil's personal study and Legolas poked his head in the door.

"Ada, do you have a minute?" he said, his voice quivering with excitement.

Thranduil stood up and held out a hand to his son. "Ah, Legolas... and Tauriel?" he continued when he saw me.

We entered and he froze when he saw our faces covered in smiles.

"Can it be?" he whispered.

Our expressions must have answered him for he rushed forward and enveloped us both in a giant embrace. 

Our engagement was announced the very next day, much to the astonishment of the people. I told the news to Neniel privately, before the big announcement. Needless to say, she was overjoyed and she showed that joy by squeezing me as hard as she possibly could, which, let me tell you, is hard.

I lived in a constant cloud of giddy joy. I kept finding myself needing to touch Legolas to make sure he was real. He seemed to understand the need and engulfed my hand in his quite often. But I didn't want to be known as the couple who couldn't keep their hands off each other and so we kept most of our shows of affection private. Besides, it was more fun that way. We didn't need to be reserved when we were alone.

We wanted to be married as soon as possible but, due to the fact that Legolas was a prince, the wedding date was set for three months later to allow for the moutain of details that needed to be arranged. It would have been much later but few people that were invited lived beyond the borders of Mirkwood. And of course, it was a public event so all of Mirkwood's citizens would be there. Messengers were sent out carrying invitations to Taurwe, and Lord Elrond. Both had to decline, however. Elrond couldn't leave Rivendell at the time because of a problem they were having with orc raids. Melain was expecting again and between her and Fealin, who was over a year old, Taurwe didn't see how he could leave.

I was saddened that my only family member would not be able to attend the most important event of my life, but I understood. The journey to Rivendell was long and arduous and he was needed by his own family. Then I smiled. Soon, I would have my own family, apart from my brother.

Legolas found me one night, strolling down a long stone path in the garden, surrounded by goldenrod and tiger lilies.

"You look like a princess," he told me.

I smiled as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. "I'm not princess material. I'll never be a princess."

"You will be in a few weeks."

"In title, perhaps, but not in heart." I played with his fingers.

"You're my princess, whether you like it or not. Nothing can change that," he said, planting a kiss on my jaw.

With a grin, I leaned into his chest and smiled up at him. "I'd rather be your wife."

He laughed and kissed me lightly on the lips. "I mean to make that happen fairly soon."

We rocked gently back and forth in the moonlight.

"If you could have one wish granted," I said, staring at the moon, which was particularly bright that night, "what would it be?"

"My one wish will be granted as soon as we're married."

"Besides that."

"That we didn't have to wait quite so long."

I smacked him. "Something not pertaining to our wedding."

He chuckled and then sobered. "I guess, that I can be the best husband I can. That I'll be able to protect and take care of you like you deserve. You'll never have to worry about me purposely mistreating you, but I can't help but think, 'What if I do, and I just don't realize it?'"

"Small chance of that," I said, clasping his hand. My heart swelled at the concern in his voice. It was wonderful to have someone care about me that much.

His eyes became thoughtful. "I hope so. I'm just glad I don't have to worry about the same thing with you."

I snorted. "No, you just have to worry about me dying all the time. And you will, too."

"That's what I do best."

I turned to face him and slid my arms up around his neck. "I have to disagree. You love way better."

A slow smile spread across his face. "Of course," he whispered. And he leaned down to kiss me.

[A/N:] So, it is done.

Seriously, though, I never meant for it to end like that. It was gonna have this heartrending cliff-hanger ending, a sequel, and go waaayyyy past their wedding before Thranduil ever forgave them. But as I was writing, I got new ideas and changed my mind. I also didn't want to drag it on too long like a multiple-season TV show or something (does anyone else get annoyed with those unresolved TV show romances that go on and on and on and on... and well, you get the idea). So I ended it like this.

In fact, originally, Legolas never lost his memory or even got captured by orcs. Tauriel did. She almost died (after having a daughter) and through a long series of events, she and Legolas were separated for hundreds of years (no, they didn't break up or anything like that) and Tauriel went to the Grey Havens and sailed across the sea, never seeing Mirkwood again.

But anyhow, how do you like the ending?