Unforgiven

The Lake

A century. That was how long it had been since the death of Atar and the end of the war. Anodien still had not spoken a word, not even when Minaethiel had become pregnant by Gili. Her health had been on the line, but a recovery was on the way. Even without speech, Anodien's anger towards the Dwarf was blatantly obvious. Still, she doted upon her nephew Balglas.

Anodien could walk on her own now. Despite that, she much preferred to be in Legolas' presence. Neither appeared bothered by it, and it was clear by how much Anodien's face lit up when she saw him that she cared. Still, her mouth remained closed. Nanuet said she might never speak again, and it was possible that her soul itself had been damaged by the amount of magic that Anodien had expelled. Even so, Legolas never lost hope that he would one day hear her voice again.

...

Legolas and his princess took a worn path into the forest, heading towards one of Anodien's favorite places to rest. The winding road led to a calm lake, blue waves splashing quietly onto the shore. Anodien bent down, glancing back when Legolas sat behind her. She crossed her arms and leaned back, closing her eyes as Legolas began to stroke her hair.

The white lace of her dress waved slightly in the soft breeze. Since the day in Faellond, she'd hated wearing armor. Instead, she preferred to wear things unrestricted and soft. Legolas did not question the change. He knew that it was difficult for her. She'd been so close to death that it was sometimes hard to believe she'd survived.

Swan wings curled around her midriff, maroon silk elsewhere with more white at the sleeves. She crossed her ankles, listening to the faint noises of the forest. Birdsong surrounded her, and a few ducks paddled around the water. The waves gurgled, and the breeze ruffled the leaves around her. The few hanging strands of her chocolate-brown hair wisped around her cheeks, stilling when the wind died down.

Legolas started trailing his finger down her cheek. Her eyes opened, silver-green irises watching him carefully. "Thank you." It was a daily grace from him. He would thank her at least once a day for hanging on and allowing herself to be healed.

She dipped her head with a faint smile. He sat up straighter, making her do the same with a raised eyebrow. Legolas held a playful look on his face. His fine lips were curled up, and his light blue eyes twinkled. "Are you happy, dear Anodien?" Anodien rolled her eyes. The teasing happened quite a bit, but it did not bother her as it once did.

"I think you are," he chuckled, tapping her shoulder. "I think... you're excited that I'm here." Anodien shook her head, a smile contradicting the movement. Legolas threw back his head and laughed heartily. "No need to deny it, princess!"

Anodien responded by reaching down into the lake and scooping up water to splash him with. He held up his arms to defend himself from the watery attack. The white of his sleeves showed through to the peach skin beneath. Legolas huffed, his chest shivering with delight. "Oh, a challenge?" He returned the wet shot, earning a gasp from his friend. "A taste of your own medicine, mellon."

Anodien growled and bent down, splashing him multiple times. Legolas was quick to retaliate, and their game continued. The Elf grabbed his tunic's top layer and submerged it into the water, squeezing it out onto Anodien's head. She huffed in indignation, shooting him daggers. He smirked at her with self-pride.

Anodien hissed and lunged at the prince, bowling him over. As he fumbled to catch his balance, the Elleth took the chance to shove him into the water. Legolas let out a yell as he plunged into the deep blue lake, the impact sending waves out from where he'd sunk. The Elven prince quickly jumped back into the air, taking in a breath.

His friend was sitting on the shoreline, looking immensely pleased with herself. He shook out his silver-blonde hair, spitting water out of his mouth. "Anodien!" Legolas immediately returned the favor by grasping her forearm and yanking her into the lake with him. She dipped in headfirst, her carefully arranged hair coming undone.

She was still underwater when she launched her next attack, dragging him down with her. When she surfaced, she took a large breath of air before diving back under. Her eyes adjusted to the reduced light of the water, and as they did, she became aware of the lack of Legolas. Anodien's cheeks were puffed up with oxygen as she scanned the dark water.

A strong hand gripped her stomach and pulled upwards, and bubbles burst from her mouth as she released her breath. The noise quickly turned into a cough, and the Elleth rubbed her eyes. Her legs treaded the water, and they hit a sturdy form. She cracked open her right eyelid, spotting the Elf prince grinning jovially. She growled and smacked the surface of the water, soaking him once again.

Legolas merely wiped off his skin, still smiling. "It's not like I can get any wetter than I already am!" Laughter broke his words into fragments. "Come on, Ani!" He splashed the Faeling, who turned up her nose and started squeezing out her sopping wet hair. "You started it!" Anodien smiled. "Oh, come on!" He splashed her again, which the Faeling quickly returned.

There in the lake, the first noise came from Anodien in a century. At first her voice was hoarse, but became clear as a bell.

She began to laugh.

Legolas' eyes were wide, the giggling music to his ears. She continued on, her green eyes gleaming with happiness. Without thought, Legolas swam over to her and grasped her by the middle, joining in her laughter. He lifted her up in the water and spun around, but unable to stay afloat with her sudden weight, sunk below briefly. Anodien wiped the water out of her eyes and smiled at him, throwing her arms around his neck. Legolas didn't hesitate to return the embrace.

So the two remained there in the middle of the pond, bobbing up and down. They held each other tightly, and neither could have been happier in that moment.