Fan Fiction ❯ Wild Blue Yonder ❯ Uncomfortable Surroundings ( Chapter 31 )

Disclaimer: All characters that belong to Tolkien, belong to him. . .All the other's belong to me and my friend.

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Chapter 31 - Uncomfortable Surroundings

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"Father, how did you know who Rain was last night?" Legolas asked as leaned in the doorway to his father's den. Thranduil sighed lightly as he looked up at his youngest son, he knew the questions were bound to happen after he had addressed Lady Rain directly without being introduced. But there was no way he was going to tell Legolas the whole truth about the current situation.

"Lord Elrond forwarded a message informing me of your desire to accompany Lady Rain on her quest. I naturally assumed since she was the only female in your group that she would have been her." Thranduil said as he watched his son walk gracefully into the office and settle himself in the chair on the other side of his desk.

"He did, I hadn't realized that he would." Legolas said softly, a frown marring his forehead.

"Yes my son, he sent it the night before you left Rivendell. He wanted to assure me that you were safe and would be gone longer than you had planned."

"He didn't mention the purpose of Rain's quest to you." Legolas asked carefully, wondering if he could wheedle some more information out of his father about what was going on.

Thranduil sat back in his chair, looking shrewdly at his son. 'So, Rain hasn't said anything yet. But then, even she doesn't know the full story.' he thought as he answered his son noncommittally.

"No, he did not say anything on the message about the reason of the quest, only that you were assisting her in the completion." 'It was the truth in part, just not the part that his son wanted to hear.'

"Oh, well I should go see if our guest is awake. I am sure she will be quite hungry after our long journey last night." Legolas said, standing up from the chair. "Will you be joining us for breakfast, father?"

"I am sorry, Legolas. But I have a few important matters to deal with this morning. Why don't you show Lady Rain about our kingdom and I will join you both for dinner."

"As you wish, till this evening." Legolas said as he bow lightly and quickly left the room. Thranduil pushed back the chair from his desk and strode across the room to look out the long thin windows cut into the mountain.

"You can come out now, Gandalf." he said quietly.

"I never could fool you for long could I, Thranduil." Gandalf said as he slid out of the shadows from the back of the room.

"No, you never could, old friend. What can I do for you?" he said as he turned to face the aged wizard in front of him.

"I was wondering why you decided to lie to Legolas about Rain." Gandalf queried lightly, a slight grin tugging on his lips.

"I did no such thing. I just did not voluntarily offer information that he would have liked to hear. And don't give me that look, even you don't know the whole story." Thranduil said testily as he turned his back on the chuckling wizard.

"Well then, why don't you enlighten me." Gandalf said as he took a seat and prepared himself for an interesting tale.

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A soft whisper of sound tugged at her awareness, rousing her from her restless sleep. She vaguely felt the bed shift beneath her and the light touch of fingers ghosting over her shoulder. Squirming slightly at the tickling sensation, she shifted away from the touch, her eyes parting slowly. In the dim light filtering through the long thin window, his hair glowed molten gold and eyes deepened a dark passionate blue, burning with an inner light.

She stared transfixed as he lowered his face closer to hers, her eyelids fluttering closed as his lips gently traced over hers, leaving a trail of fire in their wake as they began to slide down across her cheek to the soft skin beneath her ear.

A husky moan slipped from her lips as his hand softly pushed the covers down past her hips, his lips exploring the tender skin of her throat. The silken texture of her gown, warmed by the close contact with her skin, slid softly beneath his fingertips, drawing another moan from her. Unable to stop himself, his hands drifted slowly up from her hips, skimming lightly over her skin one stopping beneath her full breasts and the other moving farther up to tangle in her long black hair.

The hand resting beneath her breast moved higher and his thumb lazily brushed lightly across her nipple pulled another gasp from her. His mouth moved up from his explorations of her throat to cover her lips again, swallowing her pleasure-filled gasp. Taking advantage of her open mouth, his tongue slipped between her parted lips to gently caress hers, as his thumb tortured her peak into a hard knot.

Her back arched off the bed as flames shot through her body at his touch heating her blood. Her hands that had been lingering in the bedcovers came up to tangle in his hair. He pulled back from her, staring into her beautiful face, her lips lightly bruised from his kisses. Just as he was leaning forward to kiss her again, a noise of footsteps and laughter rang through the hallway outside of her room. Like cold water having been dashed over him, he sat back suddenly and stood up away from the tempting sight.

Rain watched him back away from her, suddenly bereft of his warmth. A frown creased her brow as she watched him run a shaky hand through his hair. Sitting up, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and walked towards him.

"Rain, I came to see if you would like to go to breakfast?" he said, his voice husky with his frustration.

"Legolas, why did you stop?" she asked quietly as she placed a hand on the center of his chest, feeling his heart beating rapidly beneath his tunic.

"This isn't the time for us to do this. We need to focus our attention on your mission," he replied, grasping desperately for the control he cloaked himself in. The scent of lavender and just pure Rain, made it hard for him not to sweep her back into his embrace. "I promised you a tour of my home, didn't I. Why don't you get dressed and I will show you around after we have breakfast."

Rain frowned as she watched the myriad of emotions play over his face, but she had to agree with his logic. Now was not the time for them to get involved with the horizontal mambo, no matter how much she would have liked it several minutes ago.

She smiled gently up at him before she answered. "Just as well, I was getting a bit hungry."

"Wonderful, I will wait for you in the hallway." he replied as he turned quickly and left. She grinned at his hasty retreat as she turned to pull clean clothing from her bag.

~*~

Legolas leaned heavily against the wall next to Rain's door, silently berating himself for giving into the temptation of touching her. His memory flashed back to the evening at Rivendell when he had teased her awake with a lock of her hair. He had then wanted to do more, but had been able to forestall himself. But for some reason, he was unable to do so today. She had looked incredible in that silver gown, one of the straps falling off her creamy shoulder, her hair spread wildly about her. All he could do now was pray. Pray that he could control the need to claim her, a need that grew stronger every day.

'I need to stop torturing myself.' his mind cried as his hands came up to cover his face. Hearing a soft click, he turned and found Rain standing next to him in the hallway. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes caressed her slowly. She was dressed in same elvin clothing that Galadriel had provided her before they had left Lothlórien. Her foreign clothing had not been saved from attack she had suffered from the Uruk-hai, save her boots which she refused to be parted with.

"Legolas, are you all right?" she asked softly as she stopped next to him, looking concerned.

"I'm fine, let's get something to eat." he replied, trying to ignore the thundering pulse racing through his body. He pushed off the wall and smiled hesitantly down at her before holding out his hand to her. He was unsure of why he suddenly had a foreboding feeling sweep over him.

Taking her hand, she let him lead her down the hall and the golden staircase. She cast uncomfortable glances at the richly decorated halls and was acutely aware of the splendor that lay before her. A sharp contrast to the modest home she had grown up in, a two bedroom trailer with green shag carpet and furniture that was at least twenty years old when she was little. The only redeeming quality that she remembered of her home was that it sat in the country and she spent a majority of her time in the woods surrounding her home. Somehow she couldn't imagine Legolas there with his silken tunic, and pure silver blades, sitting on the threadbare sofa amidst her mother's collection of cheap ceramic figurines.

A gasp past her lips as Legolas led her into a magnificent dining room. Never before had Rain seen such opulence. The massive vaulted ceiling was made of the purest glass, allowing the bright rays of the morning sun to cascade down onto the golden chandeliers, its myriad of crystals sending a rainbow of color about the room.

The walls were broken into a series of portraits, each woven of the purest silk and surrounded by a golden frame. Floor to ceiling windows, gilded with silver and gold, stood between the portraits, allowing an unobstructed view of the gardens beyond.

The table itself was unlike anything Rain had ever seen. Made of the finest oak, it stood in the center of the room. The curved legs were each sculpted into the likeness of a woodland creature, while along the edge, a never ending trail of leaves was carved with the utmost detail.

The chairs, molded into the same likeness as the table, were so numerous, Rain didn't even bother to count them. Each seat was covered with the plushest velvet in a blue to match Legolas' crystalline eyes. From her viewpoint in the doorway, Rain could see the many elaborate candlesticks squatting in the center of the table. Molded to favor the chandeliers, their crystals sparkled in the morning light. As her eyes slowly roamed around the room, Rain could feel her mouth go dry. 'You don't belong here!,' a voice screamed in her head, making her heart beat painfully and her palms moist.

Legolas looked down into her stunned expression, unsure of why she looked that way. He looked over the room and tried to see it from her eyes. To him, it looked quite ordinary. Hearing a voice call out, he turned to see Elrohir, sitting with his father and Gandalf, waving to them from across the room. Dragging Rain reluctantly behind him, he crossed the room.

"Good morning Father, Gandalf, Elrohir." he said with forced cheerfulness, as if he hadn't already spent time with his father this morning.

"Ah, Legolas. Rain. Please join us, the cooks have out done themselves this morning in honor of your return and that of our special guests." Thranduil boomed heartily across the convening space.

Just then, the far door opened and the most beautiful creature Rain had ever seen glided into the room.

Her long, golden hair cascaded down her back in a myriad of curls. Startling crystal blue, almond shaped eyes peered through long ebony lashes. A narrow nose, high cheekbones, and rose tinted lips gave her an exotic beauty. A hint of blush on her cheeks glowed softly against the creamy, almost ethereal paleness of her delicate skin.

Framing her slender body was a dress in the deepest forest green velvet, contrasting with the delicate gold chains draping the garment. The tight fitting bodice hugged her alabaster breasts, the waist narrowing dramatically before flaring into a full skirt that swirled around her, sweeping the marble floor.

Jewels of the purest sapphire sparkled in her blond hair, hung from her lobes, and shone against her long throat and slender wrists. As she smiled and extended her delicate hand, diamonds and more sapphires twinkled on her long fingers.

"Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?" she asked, her voice as soft and smooth as satin.

"Yes, thank you," Rain mumbled, surprised at once by the strength in the woman's grasp.

"Your manners are slipping, Legolas," the woman said with quiet amusement.

"I'm sorry," Legolas stammered, his sculpted cheeks flushing. "Rain, this is Lady Tiapyvain, Queen of Mirkwood, my mother. Mother, this is Rain Clearwater."

At once Rain saw the striking similarities between mother and son. Both shared the pale golden hair, the high cheekbones and grace of style.

The queen's smile broadened as she led Rain toward the elaborate table, before joining her husband.

Rain and Legolas sat next to each other on the right side of Thranduil, the table overflowing with food. Rain was looked at the dinnerware and was astonished to find that it was gold, with silver etching laced along the handles and rims. Without sound, elvin servants appeared, setting plates before each guest. Rain clamped her jaw shut to keep it from falling as she realized the plates were solid gold. Gingerly, she picked up the fork and took a small bit of the food on her plate. It was exquisite, the flavors delicate yet bold at the same time. She felt so overwhelmed by her surroundings that she was barely conscious of the conversation around her until Thranduil's booming voice caught her attention.

"Those bloody Uruk-hai raided another of my convoys to Nim Selaira! Lost many good warriors and the cargo."

"Nim Selaira?" Rain asked, not familiar with the name.

"Translated loosely, it means Deep Mountain Home," Gandalf replied, his eyes peering over his crystal chalice. "Of course, Thranduil uses it more as a storage facility."

Rain frowned. "A storage facility for what?" It was the queen who answered in her soft voice.

"My husband is an avid collector of precious ... items."

At Rain's nonplussed expression, Elrohir elaborated with eagerness. "Metals. Gold, silver, mythril. Gems such as diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. And the finest silks and spices from all over Middle Earth. The entire palace is full of them."

'An entire palace full?' Rain's mind shrieked. Once again Rain's mouth dried and her appetite fled as she thought of the tiny pittance she'd squirreled away over the years as a nest egg. Her entire life's savings probably wouldn't even come close to the cost of the plate she was now eating from. Carefully placing her fork on the table, she pushed her almost full plate away before settling her hands in her lap. Rivendell and Lothlórien both had their own charm and beauty, but this was unbelievable.

She glanced out the corner of her eye at Legolas and saw that he was relaxed and open. To him this was all natural, but to her. . .

Legolas caught her glance and saw that she was finished eating. "Are you ready for your tour, Rain?"

"Yes." she replied, before quickly pushing back from the table, eager to be away from the opulence of the room.

"If you all will excuse us, I promised Rain I would show her around." Legolas said the remaining group.

"I'll come too." Elrohir said, seeing the imploring look Rain shot in his direction.

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A/N: My co-author and I took the liberty of creating Legolas's mother (my co-author came up with the idea, name and description - pretty much all of her). We looked everywhere and could not find anything about Legolas's mom, so she made him one. She is going to play a crucial role in the story, so be on the lookout for her again. Her name stands for "Magic Sapphire Spirit".

Let us know what do you think?