Betrothed(ON HOLD)

Chapter Nine

After the bandit incident, Legolas felt somewhat protective of Lady Arwen. He wasn't quite sure what had aroused this feeling inside of him, but he had the faintest idea as to what it could be.

Though he didn't want to admit it to himself, or anybody else for that matter, he was finding himself attracted to her. Though the logical side of his brain denied this—saying that feeling protective over someone didn't mean anything—the feeling he had in his gut said otherwise.

Sure, he had felt protective over people before, but this was different somehow. The feeling felt so strange that it was difficult to put into words to explain exactly what he felt.

He shoved the thoughts out of his mind as he heard Arwen stirring in the grass behind him. He had stood guard all night, getting no rest but for the few times he had drifted off.

It was early in the morning with a cloudless gray sky. It was at the point of day where you could see, but the sun wasn't quite up yet. Using the faint light, Legolas turned to look over his shoulder at the sleeping figure of Arwen. She looked so peaceful when she slept that it was hard not to stare.

Legolas turned back towards the glowing fire, focusing on the warmth and light in front of him. Maybe if he changed his point of focus, the weird thoughts and feeling would leave him be.

More stirring behind him made it difficult to focus on the fire. At this point he was glaring at the fire as if it had done something wrong. He willed himself not to turn and see if she was alright, which he knew that she was. But it was still hard not to check to be sure.

A yawn was heard from behind him, indicating that Arwen had woken. He silently hoped the she had not caught him glaring at the fire.

"Good morning." Arwen yawned again.

Legolas straightened his back and put on a straight face. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you. But you did not wake me for my turn on watch."

"I thought that you needed the extra sleep."

"You also said that we would be leaving while it was still dark."

Legolas turned around to face her. "I know. But it looked like you needed extra sleep."

When his eyes met her face, he attempted to hold back a laugh and failed.

"What?" Arwen questioned. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No. It is nothing."

"Then why are you looking at me like that?"

Legolas let a laugh out. "Your hair. It is a mess."

Arwen put a hand on top of her head, feeling her hair. It was tangled from sleep and not being brushed out for two days. "Does it look bad?"

Legolas froze for a split second. It didn't look bad, though it was a mess. She looked quite adorable but he would never say that to her. "No. I have a comb if you need one though."

"Oh, thank you. I already have one in my saddle bag though."

Legolas slightly inclined his head in a polite nod then turned back to the fire, giving Arwen the privacy she needed.

Once Arwen was ready, they ate a quick meal and started back on their long journey.

***

As they rode along, Arwen took in the beautiful scenery. It was so different from what she was used to back at home. Everything here was wild and natural. In the gardens, it was all tamed and controlled.

Although it was nice to have a change in scenery, Arwen missed her mother's gardens. She missed walking through them to clear her mind. And if she needed anything right now, it would be to clear her mind.

"If we keep riding at this pace, how long until we reach Mirkwood?" Arwen asked, trying to break the ongoing silence between them.

"About four weeks."

Arwen raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had never realized how far away they lived, even if she had traveled this way once before. But back then, she had been cooped up inside a small carriage, hardly seeing anything they passed by. That alone caused her sense of time to be distorted.

"I never realized how far the journey was," she told him.

"I am quite used to long journeys. I take them all the time."

Arwen nodded, falling back into her thoughts of future travels.

"Perhaps we should let the horses rest," Legolas said after awhile of riding. "I know a place ahead that has water for them."

When they rounded the corner of the hills, a lake came into view. Around it were trees that provided a sufficient amount of shade while also being close enough to the water. Arwen and Legolas climbed off of their horses and walked them towards the edge of the water.

"It feels nice to walk again," Arwen commented as she stretched out her arms.

Legolas voiced his agreement, then once the horses had enough water, he brought them over to the nearest tree and tied them there to graze.

Arwen sat on the soft grass, removing her shoes so she could feel the earth under her feet. Legolas soon sat next to her after he was finished with the horses.

As she stared out at the lake, she felt Legolas watching her. She did nothing about it as she just sat there looking out at the surface of the water, the gentle ripples mesmerizing her.

"Have you seen a lake before?" Legolas asked her.

"Not really. I have seen ponds and smaller bodies of water, but I am afraid that is all." She replied. "Well I guess besides the waterfalls in Rivendell."

Legolas hummed in reply, turning his attention to the water. His eyes brightened and he abruptly stood up. Holding a hand out to Arwen, he helped her up and dragged her towards the water.

"Come. Let us enjoy this warm day while having some fun!"

Still holding on to her hand, he pulled her into the water, splashing her in the face.

***

I did it again! I updated on time! (Even if it's late in the day lol)

If you couldn't tell, I was having major writers block here and I tried my best to push through it while also keeping the plot moving forward which is hard enough when you don't have writers block.

And yes, I know this chapter is short but I blame writers block for that.

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