Out of Reality: Part X
by Alexandra
-----
Adalia was surprised when she did not see Legolas at dinner that
night.
She wondered if somehow she had done something wrong. It troubled her
all through the night and when she blew out the candles near her bed
and
tried to go to sleep, none came.
She stared at the ceiling. Her mind was consumed with thoughts,
thoughts that chased each other around her head. Why something so
small
as his brief disappearance made such an impact on her, she did not
know.
A soft knock came at her door and she willingly stood up, welcoming
the
interruption. She opened the door and found Legolas standing there,
obviously not sure if he was in the right place.
“Legolas?” Adalia asked, concerned. Though she couldn’t help but
wonder
if her relief filtered into her voice. “Is something wrong?”
He shook his head in denial. “Nothing is wrong. It is just- may I
speak with you for a moment?”
She nodded and stepped aside, admitting him to her room. “What can I
do
for you?”
“We need to talk about what happened,” he said resolutely. She nodded
and they both sat on the bed, turning to look at the other. Legolas
sighed and met her eyes. “I do not know what to do.”
Adalia was slightly caught off guard by the statement. “What do you
mean?”
“I mean I do not know if it is within me to love you.”
Each word seemed to cut into Adalia’s heart. She admitted that she
was
confused as well, but nothing would make her stop loving someone. Her
temper rose within her, but she quelled it, hoping for a better
explanation. “Why?”
He sighed and closed his eyes. “We are too different lindor. You
shall
grow old and die, I shall live on. I do not know if I could endure the
pain of losing you. Maybe time will tell if something should be done.
We are too different Adalia, simply too different.”
Adalia didn’t know whether to scream or cry. She admitted that he
brought something to life in her that she didn’t really know existed.
And he was going to throw it all away? Before she truly knew what she
was doing, she lashed out at him with her words.
“You obviously do not know what love is. Neither do I, but I was at
least willing to give it a shot. There’s a phrase where I come from,
better to have loved and lost than never loved at all. If you are so
well versed with men then you would know we cherish life. We realize
that our death could come at any moment and so we live life to the
fullest. Which means we can be foolish at times, taking risks. A risk
we take every day is love. Love surpasses everything. Even difference
of race. You know nothing of the mortal heart. I can’t believe you
are
so weak as to give up something so pure. I hear that elves are wise.
But you, elfo de mentiras, are no scholar.”
She turned and left the room. Her blood was boiling and she set off
to
find something to occupy her mind with in the dead of night. Something
to keep her from shedding the tears that threatened.
Legolas had sat prone during her small speech. She was right though.
He did not know of the mortal heart and he was beginning to regret
every
word he said. He wanted to go after Adalia and stood up to do so. But
he knew it was better to sort out his own thoughts before doing
anything
else. He walked to his room resignedly.
---
Adalia avoided Legolas as best she could in the passing days. Each
morning she woke up, she would find the goblet on her dresser, filled
with her medicine. As to whether he had left it there was unknown to
her.
She felt detached since her fight with Legolas. She was still a
relative stranger in Gondor. Adalia knew few people, most of them
spending their time in the palace. She had taken to wandering the city
and found herself at the Houses of Healing.
“Is something wrong?” asked Hyrothas as she caught sight of the woman.
“No,” answered Adalia quickly. “It’s just I have nothing to do and I
feel so out of place.” She paused for a second and glanced at a few of
those that were around her, those that needed help. “Do you think I
could help you?”
Hyrothas regarded her thoughtfully. She nodded slowly and beckoned to
her. “Who am I to turn away a willing person? Follow me and I’ll show
you how to get started.”
---
Legolas sighed with frustration when he did not find Adalia to be in
her
room, or anywhere within the palace for that matter. He had pushed off
speaking with her for far too long. He did not even have the courage
to
bring her her medicine in the morning; he had enlisted a servant to do
that.
He had been foolish to say anything that night. When he had thought
about her words as he lie in bed, he realized how much the pain in her
eyes hurt. A mortal took things straight to heart, and he knew she
felt
crushed.
Yet, Legolas had done nothing. He did not seek her out, till nearly
two
weeks had passed. A message had come from his father, requesting the
elven prince’s presence. Legolas was to leave in the morning, and he
knew he must speak with Adalia before he left.
The only problem was, the human was nowhere to be found. He soon left
the palace, searching through the streets. He did not know anything of
her doings in the past weeks. He cursed himself before pulling up in
front of the Houses of Healing.
Legolas opened the door to the main area and stopped in his tracks.
Adalia was kneeling next to an elderly man, bandaging an open arm
wound.
She looked content, though she was a bit pale. She smiled and finished
the job, saying something to the man who nodded.
Adalia stood up and looked around her, her eyes landing on the elf.
She
did not know how to react, whether she was still furious with him or
had
calmed down. She gave him a look of indifference and then turned away.
Her response hurt Legolas. Without a second thought he walked up to
her
and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from Hyrothas and outside. She
yanked her arm away from him and then glared at him, her gray eyes
piercing him like daggers.
“What do you want?” she spat.
“I wish to speak with you lindor,” he responded evenly.
“Don’t call me that!” she shouted at him, not caring if she drew a
crowd. “I am no longer your lindor; I am nothing to you. You made
that
clear enough several weeks ago.”
“Adalia, you twist my words!” he responded.
“I repeat what I hear and see. You said you could not love me. So
what
am I to do, lost and alone when the only one I could truly trust
abandons
me? You are, after all, the fair elven prince of Mirkwood! Surely you
have an answer for the humble human who is not worthy of you!”
Legolas tried to control his anger and ignore the gathering people,
watching the fight between mortal and immortal. “I never said you were
not worthy of me! Adalia, I did not know if I had the strength to give
you my love that is all.”
“No, that isn’t all dammit! If you love someone, then you don’t care
about anything anymore. Do you understand that? So if you did love
me,
you could care less about what will happen later, after we are apart.”
“You do not understand how we firstborn die of grief. I have seen it
happen and I do not want to end up like that.”
“Then what the hell are you doing here?” she growled, her eyes
narrowing. “If it would be too painful for you, then go ride back to
your trees. Go to the cursed place that brought me out of my own world
and life so that I can be here. Go drink your sour wine and eat your
wretched food. And by all means, enjoy life as you have it. I will
not
think of intruding on you again.”
She turned to leave and he grabbed her arm again, the one that had
only
recently healed. She winced, but tried to keep her face straight. “Do
not leave like this Adalia,” he pleaded. “Do not walked out as if we
are
enemies.”
She gave him a steely glare in return. “What difference will it make?
Things were obviously a lot less complex when we were such. Now let go
of me, I need to attend to those who actually wish for my presence.”
She pulled out of his grasp and disappeared inside the house. The
humans that had been watching left slowly, gossip quickly spreading
throughout the city. Legolas stood and watched the empty doorway,
hoping
she would come back out. He soon realized that nothing more would
happen. He turned and walked back to the palace, trying to understand
what it was he had just done.
| Part XI |
| Index |