Within Dreams [A Legolas love story]

The Prince of the Greenwood

We walked towards him again, and I took the time to study him closely. 

He did look noble, the same pale skin, high cheekbones and...maybe it was something about how he walked? as his father. 

They did look similar, I reflected. 

Both had long blond hair, though the King's was more silvery. He had blue eyes, too, deep blue like the reflective pool of water that is a still pond. Immediately, my mind panicked. 

Dang, I probably disrespected him and now he wanted to cart me away to the dungeons and I would die a horrible death at the hands of the guards....But I was overreacting, wasn't I? Thranduil was just as intimidating, and he turned out to be not an evil sorcerer.

"Ai! daer ernil, Thranduilion. (Hail, great prince, son of Thranduil)" I said, upon approaching him anew. "I beg you to forgive my rudeness." He smiled, and I saw slight amusement in his features.

"Estnin Legolas (Call me Legolas,)" he answered.

Faewyn spoke. "Hail all the same, Prince Legolas," she said. "It is an honor."

At any rate, since we had spent so much time with introductions/Legolas explaining where he was for the longest time (He was "finishing business with the Fellowship of the Ring," apparently, and this was his first time home since he left for the meeting in Imladris with Elrond), Legolas offered to take us the rest of the way on horseback.

I was about to decline, but Faewyn shot me a look and said, "Of course, we thank you for your kindness."

With no further ado, he motioned to two of whom I now supposed must be his "entourage" of guards. In a low voice, he told them something, and both dismounted and handed us the reins.

"You mustn't trouble yourself," I felt an inclination to say. "If they do not need to leave here, then perhaps.." I trailed off.

Legolas looked at me, and assured me "They have business elsewhere anyway, do not worry."

I nodded and mounted my horse, a curious dapple mare who the Prince informed me was named Gwinloth, or "pale blue blossom". Faewyn had a white stallion who looked bored, he had flecks of black on his flanks and was named Nornithil, which I think meant something along the lines of "twisted moon." 

We galloped after the Prince, which I daresay was much faster than running. Actually, we were there in a little under ten minutes. We neared the gates and the guards bowed respectfully. Dismounting, the Prince strode forward and received and exchanged greetings with the guards. He looked back to make sure we were still there, then motioned for us to follow him. Entering the dimly lit interior of the palace for the second time, a small panic-animal raised its head inside me. 

What if the King was mad at us for interrupting his son's homecoming? 

What if the Prince thought we were...weird or something? Faewyn reached over and squeezed my hand reassuringly.

"Do not be worried," she murmured. I smiled at her and focused on the back of Legolas's head. All elves hair, I noticed, was braided, although the women's more so than the mens. His long blond hair had a single braid in it. Smiling faintly at my thoughts on elven hairstyles, I ventured to ask the Prince a question. Hey, I mean, if we had a meeting with his father, we should get to know him too, right? 

"Legolas....?" I began. What tried to come out confidently ended up a whisper. For a moment, I though he wouldn't hear me, but my mind dismissed it instantly. Impossible, he's an elf. 

"Yes?" He replied, turning to me with a warm smile. 

I might have blushed again before answering. No, actually, I definitely blushed. Probably the color of ripe plums. Why all this blood rushing to my face lately? No idea. Anyway, luckily it was dark, so he couldn't (or, you know what, he probably could, with his magical, cat-like elf eyes) see me when I asked, "Do you braid your own hair?"

He laughed, a musical sound that made my own voice sound like sandpaper rubbing a porcupine backwards in the middle of the desert while said porcupine was gasping for water. I silently admonished myself for asking him such a ludicrous question, didn't the Prince of Greenwood have better things to do than answer the weird and stalker-y questions of some odd little girl?

"My Ada used to do it when I was an elfling," he said thoughtfully. "Interesting that you should ask. But, now, yes, I do braid my own hair."

"Oh. Thank you..." I said, not really knowing how to respond. He laughed softly again, and continued leading us down the polished stone path towards the Elvenking.