The Forgotten One

Putting on a Mask

she gasped at the sight. the blonde elf lay sprawled on the floor, his face red and irritated from crying, dampened with his salty tears.

she gagged slightly at the vomit in the corner of the barn, but quickly pushed that aside and rushed to legolas's side.

"legolas?" she violently shook his shoulders, trying to wake him up. eowyn couldn't imagine what had happened to him.

legolas slowly regained consciousness, but as he noticed her presence he quickly gathered himself up and shuddered away from her touch.

he felt exposed, bare, all his cards layed out in front of him. nothing to hide now that she'd seen him like this.

"legolas? are you all right? what happened?" she gawked at him, her right hand slightly reaching out towards him.

"nothing, my friend. i just felt sick that's all. but i feel find now. i swear." he gave the lady a tight lipped smile, which he hoped was convincing.

"are you sure? you seem on edge, i-" she started before he cut her off.

"do not worry eowyn, i can assure you that i am fine. we should get back to the coronation. we wouldn't want to miss the party." legolas was putting on the best mask he could.

just for a couple hours, he promised himself. then he could let himself go.

"are you sure? we could go to the house of healing-" eowyn suggested.

"eowyn. i am fine. leave it be." legolas snapped, harsher than he meant to sound.

"alright." eowyn muttered, casting her head down and walking out of the barn.

legolas got up to follow her but swayed as he stood up, after he regained his balance he sighed with wariness and followed in stride with eowyn.

aragorn smiled down blissfully at arwen, when he suddenly remembered- legolas. now that aragorn knew how he felt, and that night they shared... he suddenly felt absolutely horrible for his beloved friend.

and then he realized, legolas was no where in sight, and hadn't been for awhile. he'd been here in the beginning of the coronation but aragorn hadn't noticed him leave.

he scanned the crowd, looking. all of a sudden he saw that all too familiar streak of blonde prance through the crowd.

he also noticed that eowyn was walking with legolas, he wondered where they had been.

then aragorn took in legolas's face, and he couldn't help but be suprised. the glowing creature of pure starlight he'd seen earlier had seemed to diminish into a solemn, dying light.

legolas has done the best he could do to cover up the fact that he'd been crying but when he saw the look on aragorn's face he knew it was far too noticeable.

"congratulations, mellon nin." legolas grinded out, plastering on the most convincing smile he could muster.

"thank you, legolas." aragorn responded. their conversation was so forced, so awkward. nothing like the intimate talks they would have pondering the purpose of life while staring at the stars.

after a few moments of awkward silence aragorn said, "legolas, i don't believe you and arwen have talked."

arwen stepped out from behind aragorn and legolas immediately stiffened, and he silently cursed, guessing that aragorn noticed him tense. and he had.

"i'm so glad you have decided to stay." legolas crooned sweetly. but aragorn could see the pain in his never ending crystal blue eyes. he could feel it bouncing off him into his own soul. it anguished him to see legolas this way. and yet he didn't even know the worst of it.

"hanta hantanyel." (i thank you) arwen said politely, bowing her head in respect for the mirkwood prince.

"i am terribly sorry mellon nin, but i need to go." legolas announced, and without another word he started to briskly walk away.

but aragorn quickly grabbed his wrist, "please stay legolas, why must you leave?"

legolas turned and stared into those grey eyes. an endless abyss. and couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like if they truly could have been together.

people tend to subconsciously convince themselves that something will happen, but the realistic part of our brain, the one that can decipher dream from reality, knows that it's simply impossible.

but legolas wouldn't give up, not yet.

after a few strange moments of silence when the world seemed to pause for the two, legolas gave in, "alright aragorn." he would be willing to stay together for a little longer. if it was what the person he loved wanted.

at this point arwen had gone off to mingle with other beings, and luckily had not witnessed their moment.

legolas realized the upbeat music playing in the distance. most people had begun to dance, and due to the fact that there were so many people, aragorn and legolas dared a dance together.

they were both suddenly swept off in the beat of the music, and thoughts that constantly pummeled their brains were forgotten for that moment.

"how did it come to this, aragorn?" legolas mused. a simple question that they both usually pondered with one another.

"who will ever know," aragorn responded, grinning wickedly in the rays of the slowly setting sun. "one insignificant decision could have changed the future of the world."

"mhhmm." was legolas's only response. he hadn't really been listening to what aragorn was saying. rather he was staring at his elegant features.

but at that moment legolas saw arwen approaching aragorn from behind him, and he quickly moved away from him.

and without another word, he dashed away. leaving aragorn to entertain arwen and a feeling of cold creeping into his heart.

authors note: i'm so so so sorry that i'm unintentionally incriminating arwen. it's hard not toooooo.😩