Forgiveness Kiss: A Legolas and Aragorn Fanfic

The Banquet

 Legolas stepped out into the empty hallway. Dusk was approaching, and the lamps were beginning to glow. He recalled Lindir mentioning that the evening meal was to be taken just after night had fallen, so Legolas began to make his way to the banquet hall. 

 By the time he arrived, Elves were just beginning to bring out covered dishes of food. The banquet hall was quite large, and yet it was almost full. Legolas wondered if all these people were here for the Council. He finally found an empty seat and quickly sat down. Once he took up some food he began to look more closely at the other guests.

 Many of the tables, including the one Legolas sat at, were occupied by Elves. Most he recognized from Rivendell, but a few were unknown to him. He assumed they were from Lothlorien. There were several groups of Men, one for every major kingdom in Middle Earth. And then of course there were the Dwarves, far too many for Legolas' liking. 

 As his gaze swept the room, Legolas noticed five small figures up at the head table with Elrond. They weren't nearly rowdy enough to be more Dwarves.... Were they Hobbits? Legolas was surprised. He hadn't heard of Hobbits being invited to any sort of Council before. From what he knew of Shirefolk, they were never too concerned about what lay beyond their borders. And yet these five were considered important enough to sit with the Lord of Rivendell. Very strange. 

 Legolas noted that Gandalf was also present, sitting at Elrond's side. Perhaps he was the one who invited the Hobbits...? Legolas made a mental note to speak with him later. It had been quite a few years since he and Gandalf last saw each other. It would be nice to catch up. 

 Legolas continued to survey the head table until he spotted Aragorn and Arwen. His chest tightened. Of course they were here together. They were betrothed. There was no reason to expect otherwise. And yet Legolas couldn't take his eyes off the couple, willing one of them to show some sort of sign that they were no longer together. Just then, Aragorn looked up, and locked eyes with Legolas from across the room.

 Time seemed to stop. Legolas felt like he was sitting directly under the sun. His cheeks burned, and he wrenched his gaze away from Aragorn's face, turning instead to his still-full plate. His food was cold, but Legolas ate anyway, willing the colour in his cheeks to disappear. He wished he could escape to his room, but leaving before Elrond dismissed the guests would be a massive faux pas that Thranduil would never forgive him for. 

 For the rest of the meal, Legolas kept his eyes on his plate. He engaged in small talk with the other people seated at his table, all the while acutely aware that he was in the same room as Aragorn for the first time since the kiss. By the time Elrond stood, Legolas was flushed and felt as though he had sweated through his tunic. He decided that if anyone asked, he would blame it on the wine. 

 "I hope you all enjoyed the meal, and feel properly welcomed to Rivendell," Elrond said. His voice echoed through the room, now silent at last.

 "There will be songs and merriment once the dishes are cleared. You are more than welcome to return to your rooms if you wish to rest, but for those who stay, we will be moving into the room just off the hall, as it is a bit more comfortable."

 Elrond continued speaking, but Legolas heard none of it. He could see Aragorn out of the corner of his eye, and was once again overcome with thoughts he knew he shouldn't have. 

 Suddenly the hall was full of the sounds of people talking and chairs scraping as they got up from their seats. Legolas looked around, startled. He was so focused on Aragorn that he had missed Elrond's dismissal. Legolas rose quickly from the table and made his way to the smaller room, following the crowd. He sighed, wanting nothing more than to go back to his room and sleep. However, as the sole representative of Mirkwood, it was expected that he would stay and socialize for awhile after the meal. 

 As he walked past the last table, Legolas noticed that the former occupants had left a bottle of wine, half full. He grabbed it and an unused glass as he passed by. It took a lot of alcohol for an Elf to get drunk, but Legolas would be damned if he didn't at least get tipsy enough to enjoy the party.