Having your feelings for Legolas out in the open was relieving - like a crushing weight off your back. But then again, you worried about him every second you were separated, even if he was only collecting firewood.

However, you didn't want to spend your time with him fixating on the bad things. You wanted to focus on the good things, like cuddling or the gentle kisses he'd drop on your forehead, or how warm he always felt when you curled up next to him to sleep.

Little things, really.

"Gondor," Legolas said suddenly.

"What?"

"Gondor," he repeated, shaking his head and pointing up to the river ahead from the boat you again shared. "Don't you see it?"

For a moment you didn't - it was very far downstream, and Legolas's eyesight was incredibly powerful.

After a few seconds, though, you could abruptly see two massive statues on either side of the river, and knew this must be the borders of Gondor.

"What the fuck?" you whispered. "I shouldn't be able to, but I do."

Legolas looked again, and paled. "I agree - those gates are very far away, melleth, the fact you can see them is ... strange."

You pulled on a strand of your h/c hair, then grinned, having come up with an idea to take your mind off the abnormal events that had just happened.

"Hey, Leggy-"

"Leggy?"

"-give me the oars!"

"Why?"

You gently pulled them out of his hands, dipping them in and out of the water smoothly. "Braid my hair, will you?"

Even though you couldn't see him, you could tell that Legolas would be adorably flustered at that moment in time. "Oh. You do realise the importance of hair in Elvish customs, right?"

"Yes," you laughed. "But it's hard to fight when my hair's in my face. Please?"

This time, it was his turn to chuckle. "Of course, Y/N."

The way his fingers softly combed through your hair, removing knots with a gentle ease, made you sigh happily, as he weaved the strands together into something.

"There," he declared, sitting back. "Wait, no, one last touch."

He reached up into the branches of a low-hanging tree they were passing, and plucked a f/c flower, gently tucking it into your hair, just above your ear. "Okay, done. Take a look."

You leaned over the edge of the boat, staring at your hair in the crystal-clear water.

"A crown for a Queen," Legolas explained, watching you with a smile as big as your own as you ran your fingers along the braids crowning your head, careful not to dislodge the beautiful flowers now scattered in it (Legolas had absolutely no self-control. There were now more than a dozen f/c flowers).

"It's beautiful," you smiled. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, melleth nin," he promised.

You leaned towards him, knowing this was the perfect moment to show your love for him again, but a yell interrupted the moment. Rolling your eyes, you turned to look and see where the yell was coming from.

"Y/N! Legolas! Come on!"

You realised that the boat had floated a great way whilst you had only felt the warm strokes of Legolas's hands, and you were now floating in the looming shadow of the statues of Isildur and Anarion. Aragorn stared up at the likenesses of his ancestors with imperceptible emotion, but he eventually turned in your direction, beckoning.

You jumped over the side of the boat, pulling it back to shore and then offering him a hand out.

"Cund nin," you grinned as he did, in fact, take your hand in assistance. My Prince.

"Ni 'lassui, bereth nin," he played along, with his trademark adorably goofy smile. Thank you, my Queen.

You flushed. "Uh, Legolas, you do remember the alternate word for bereth, right?"

Legolas, too, turned an adorable shade pink. "Oh. Oh. Sorry."

Bereth, whilst meaning Queen, also meant 'spouse'.

"Nah, don't take it back," you said. "One day." After this mess of a quest. If there's an after.

"One day," Legolas repeated, pulling you towards him for a quick kiss. You savoured the brief seconds and pulled away reluctantly to rejoin the Fellowship. Who were ... arguing. Loudly.

"Do you wish to lose your lives?" Boromir snarled. "Do you wish to die?"

"What I wish," Aragorn spat back through gritted teeth, the last of his patience with Boromir truely gone. "Is to prevent Middle-Earth from being massacred by Sauron."

"Why'd you come on this journey if you have no intention of standing by your honour?" Gimli asked. You smirked. Maybe the Dwarf wasn't so bad after all.

Boromir just huffed, folding his arms.

"We must go to Mordor!" you pointed out, unable to stop your total annoyance from leaking into your voice. "If you will go to Gondor, you go alone, and without aid nor provisions. You had your chance to turn back, Boromir. You did not take it."

You glanced around you, glad to see that everyone stood with you. Your brother, Legolas, Gimli, the three hobbits ...

"Wait, where's Frodo?" you panicked. "The Ringbearer - he's gone!"

Aragorn turned, and muttered several curses. "I told him to take some time to decide whilst we waited for you and Legolas to finish making out."

"Oh, shut up," you rolled your eyes. "Where did he go?"

"I don't know," Aragorn admitted. "Fuck."

But there was still more bad news - when you turned back to berate Boromir again, the Gondorian was gone.

"He is overrun my the Power of the Ring," Legolas guessed. "He will go to find Frodo. The Ringbearer is in danger."

"There's more," Aragorn interrupted, sniffing the air and unsheathing his sword. "An Orc Party."

"Not my type of party," you joked, pulling Lady Galadriel's swords out and giving them a quick spin. "Okay, I'll go after Frodo, you guys need to defend the other hobbits."

"You will not go alone," Legolas said, nocking an arrow into his bow. "I'm going with you."

"Legolas," you said as gently as you could. "They need you here. You're a better fighter than me."

An Orc screamed somewhere in the distance, and you knew you had no time to argue. You stood on the tips of your boots, giving him a gentle, terrified kiss, and running off.

On your way to go and find Frodo, though you had no idea which way to go, you ran into something and almost tumbled to the floor. Balancing yourself quickly, you shoved whatever it was against a tree, pushing one of your swords to its throat and your other was ready in your other hand.

"Y/N!" the thing spoke. You looked at it for the first time, and sighed, releasing your hold on it.

"Boromir. Where is Frodo?"

He winced, and for the first time you noticed the dark corruption in his eyes. "He is frightened of me. He's at Amon Hen."

You narrowed your eyes. His breath had quickened, and he looked away from your e/c eyes. "You tried to take the ring, didn't you?"

He nodded, and you growled, slamming him back against the tree. "Go back to the others. Defend them from the Orc party, if you can do nothing else, you useless piece of-"

"-I'm genuinely sorry, I don't know what came over me," he interrupted. He turned to run, but not before finally making eye contact and whispering, "I am so sorry, Y/N."

You dipped your head. "I forgive you, Boromir. Now, go!"

He disappeared, and you ran in the vague direction of Amon Hen, feet pounding as loudly as your heart was.

If the Ringbearer is killed, all is lost. I cannot allow that to happen.

You finally reached the stone ruins, and froze, seeing an Orc scout sniffing for something you couldn't see.

The Ring has many powers, you remembered. He must be invisible.

You abandoned all pretence of stealth, running up the stairs and leaping towards the scout. As it turned whilst you were mid-leap, you ran your swords across its throat.

Suddenly, Frodo appeared out of nowhere, gasping. "Y/N!"

You whirled around, running towards him. "Frodo! Are you alright?"

He assured that he was fine, but you saw that a great fright had been dealt to him. You turned, hearing the sounds of arrows flying and Orcs grunting.

"You must go," you urged him. "Do whatever you must, but get out of here. I will cover you. Go!"

He ran away, and the last you saw of him was his concern and resolution. You took comfort in that - he would get the Ring to Mordor.

But you had no time to celebrate, as multiple Orcs burst into the clearing. You flipped your swords around your hands with a grin.

Oh, this'll be such fun.

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