Part Eleven

Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood, wondered if he had pressed matters too far. While he had flirted outrageously with Silindë and Saelbeth, making his desire to have them in his bed well-known, he had never asked for either of them, or anyone else for that matter, quite as directly as he had just demanded Haldir of Lórien. Legolas knew he had put Haldir on the spot. Did he want to become the Marchwarden of the Golden Wood badly enough to lie with someone he obviously despised?

Legolas believed he did. He had gambled on this.

The past week had been strange for the Prince. He had been angry and mortified at first that Thranduil had assigned Haldir to Silindë's place, but relieved when his father had explained that Silindë would not be made to suffer for the incident with the spider -- this indignity aside. To calm Legolas, Thranduil had told him that Silindë would serve as his own personal guard for the season instead.

Haldir was generally insufferable, but Legolas had found himself brought to a grudging admiration of the elf of the Galadhrim. When they wandered in the wood, he was always alert and had proved himself an excellent marksman. Legolas felt safe with him. He also hated to admit that he enjoyed the wit of the barbed remarks they traded. No one else would ever have dared speak to him the way Haldir did -- and Haldir was supposed to be trying to get into his good graces.

Saelbeth liked him. Elrond liked him. Thranduil liked him. None of that was lost on Legolas, and he admitted to himself that he might have been harsh in his judgement of the older elf. He had been trying to be fair in his evaluation, but it was difficult when Haldir was just so bloody irritating…

But, he was beautiful. Legolas found himself watching Haldir when he thought the elf of Lórien was not looking. He was tall and well-built, his features handsome and sensuous. His lips were so full and lush that Legolas found himself thinking about them far too often. Knowing that tomorrow they would all be going out to hunt spiders and that he might not have another opportunity again soon, Legolas had decided to act on impulse.

He confessed his desire.

Was it a mistake? Haldir sat there looking at him with shock and bemusement in his blue eyes, arching one of those black eyebrows. Legolas felt a blush stain his cheeks and heat up the tips of his pointed ears. He was being too bold. He was traveling down the wrong avenue. He should have instead offered himself to Elladan or Elrohir or even one of Haldir's brothers. They had all been watching him this week. It had made him nervous, kept him away from them even when he knew he should have been more sociable.

"What jest is this?" Haldir asked, sounding cold. Legolas' cheeks flamed even further and he felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"I meant it not in jest," he said, his pride forcing him to look Haldir in the eye and speak his words boldly.

"Have you given up on Saelbeth, then?" Haldir asked sardonically.

"Saelbeth does not want me."

"Yes he does."

"Then why has he always turned me away?" Legolas demanded.

"He is afraid of your father."

"And you? Are you afraid of my father as well, Haldir?"

"No," Haldir said shortly.

"Then why will you not--"

"Legolas," Haldir said, holding up a hand and cutting him off. "I will not barter myself for a reference, and you should not sell yourself short either."

"Is that what I am doing?" Legolas asked bitterly.

"Yes," Haldir said. "You deserve something better, something far more fine that what you are asking of me."

Legolas drew in a deep, shuddering breath. The kind words were almost more than he could bear. "Do you mean that?"

"I am not one for idle flattery."

"No," Legolas agreed.

Haldir lifted a hand to the Prince's face and the heat of his palm against Legolas' cheek made him sigh. "They are all fools -- Saelbeth and Silindë for turning you down, and the others who pursue you without knowing you. None of them deserve you, and I deserve you less than any of them."

"I do not believe that," Legolas breathed.

"Are you simply looking for a tutor in the ways of love? Or do you ask more of me?" Haldir asked. His hand slipped down, his fingers whispering over Legolas' throat to his shoulder, then to his arm, which Haldir began rubbing lightly. Legolas felt his whole body begin to tremble.

He wanted more. He wanted so much more. He wanted Haldir to bring him to life, to show him what it really meant to be alive, adored, touched and worshipped. He wanted to do those things to Haldir in return. He wanted to lose himself. He wanted to forget that he was the Prince of Mirkwood. He just wanted to be loved, and in that moment he knew that Haldir of Lórien was the only one who would serve properly.

"I…" he said, unable to put his thoughts into words that would not seem commanding or frightening in their intensity. "Please…"

Haldir nodded slightly. "I will tell you frankly that I have come to desire you as all the others do."

"Then will you do as I have asked? Take me…make me your own."

"If I do that, you will never belong to any other," Haldir said.

"You are boastful."

"I am truthful."

"We shall see."

"Shall we? Very well, Prince Legolas."

Haldir bent forward and kissed him. Kissed him, right in front of all of their guests and the entire population of Mirkwood! Legolas felt his heart begin to reverberate in his chest, beating double time as the soft press of lips against his own quickly became a sensual onslaught. He wrapped his arms around Haldir and hung on tightly, too quickly finding himself on his back on the rock, with the body of the other elf pinning him down, his mouth seeming to steal his breath completely.

Legolas was dizzy with the pleasure of it. No one had ever kissed him this way. It was everything he had ever desired. Somehow he knew that even had Saelbeth or Silindë given in to him, it would still not have felt like this. The kiss broke and Haldir smiled at him, his eyes heavy-lidded.

"Is this what you want?" Haldir said in a low voice.

Before Legolas could reply, a cough came from somewhere behind them. Slowly Haldir let him up so he could sit up and find the source of the sound. Legolas' eyes widened as he saw his father standing there beside the rock, with Lord Elrond behind him. Elrond looked vastly irritated, as he had done pretty much since he arrived. Thranduil looked slightly amused, but thoughtful.

"Are you taking advantage of my hospitality, Haldir?" he asked in a light tone.

Haldir lifted his chin, and Legolas wondered shamefully if the elf of the Galadhrim would tell his father how he had begged for that kiss, for more than that kiss. Haldir showed no fear, nor did he try to excuse his actions.

"That was not my intention, sir," he replied.

"I am glad to hear it. Still, I do not think it is appropriate that you kiss my son in view of all our people."

Legolas looked over at the waterfall. Not only was no one paying any attention to them, but many of the elves in the water seemed to be doing a great deal more than kissing. He wondered what Thranduil would say if he pointed this out.

"Father, do not blame Haldir," he said instead.

"I am not blaming anyone, Legolas," Thranduil said gently. "However, I think it would be best if Haldir went back to the palace now." The King turned his gaze to the other elf appraisingly. "Wait for me in the throne room."

"Yes, your majesty." Haldir slipped off of the rock and disappeared into the trees without a backward glance. This seemed to satisfy Lord Elrond, as he turned and went back to the wine barrel, leaving Legolas alone with his father.

"Why did you do that?" Legolas asked, deeply disappointed.

"If you mean to take Haldir as a lover, do not do it in front of so many," Thranduil said, shaking his head. "As a Prince you must learn to be a little bit more circumspect, Legolas."

Thranduil patted his shoulder and turned away to join Elrond again, leaving Legolas more confused than ever. He looked around at the rest of the gathering, sitting alone on the rock for a very long time. Finally, when he thought no one was paying him attention any longer, he turned and headed into the wood back towards the palace where Haldir had gone.