Aralas Oneshots

Rejection

Elrond sat at the table in his big dining hall and enjoyed his company. It was spring and the birds were chirping in the trees outside, the crocuses sprouting happily. His fosterson Aragorn had, unlike many other years, spent the whole winter in Rivendell, and the elven lord was very glad to have him around. Hope, that was Aragorns name translated to english, and hope he spread where ever he came. The darkness of winter had been banished from the halls of Imladris under his dwelling there.

Elrond had another visitor, who, just like his fosterson, had spent the winter in his valley. His name was Legolas Greenleaf and he was the son and prince of King Thranduil from the Woodland Realm in Mirkwood Forest. The king had sent him here with a message to lord Elrond, and when he had finally arrived, after months of travelling, he had been deprived the chance to return, because winter had arrived early this year, and every travel route was covered in deep snow and deadly winds. 

Elrond liked Legolas. He was a fine elf and a good companion and he had had the chance to speak to him of old elven lore that nobody else was interested in. The elven prince had a certain love of poetry, and together they had browsed Elronds old study and library for elvish lore and songs. Aragorn had joined them sometimes, as he, too, liked elvish poetry, and him and Legolas had made contests in telling the most beautiful poems to each other. That had made Elrond smile and his heart to warm, and he had never been able to choose a winner between the two of them. 

Now that spring had come, both Legolas and Aragorn were getting restless, eager to leave the safety of the valley and travel to other lands. The elf wished to return home and Aragorn, well, one could never know where he wanted to go. But he wasn't as eager to leave as usually, and he spent long days and evenings on the balcony with Legolas, talking about every- and nothing. Elrond sighed. Soon he would be alone again, just his daughter for company, which he of course enjoyed, but it was always great to have some male company once in a while. Maybe he should take Arwen to see her grandmother, lady Galadriel in Lórien. It would do her good to come out of the house.

He turned his head and looked out of the window, enjoying the fresh breath of the wind on his face. Below the palace was the river, with its beautiful gardens and flowers. The bridge there, over the water, was one of his favorite spots in Imladris, and he knew it was Aragorn's too. Which was why he wasn't surprised at all to find him exactly there, talking to Legolas and pointing at something in the distance. 

A bird mistakingly found the way into the hall and desperately tried to get out again. Elrond smiled and opened another window, letting it fly into freedom. The bird made a looping and chirped, then it flew away, towards the river and the two men on the bridge. Legolas watched it with his eyes and his heart filled with love. Animals were very dear to him, and he loved to see happy birds sing in the sky. 

"Can you understand the language of birds?", Aragorn asked him silently, watching the bird with him. 

"They talk to me not through language, but through their eyes", Legolas replied. "I can see their wants and needs without them needing to tell me."

Silence fell upon them again. The bird had left and entered the nearby forest. 

"Where will you go now that winter is over?", the elf asked and looked at Aragorn. Unconsciously, he tugged a strand of hair behind his ear, that had loosened from his braids. 

"I do not know", Aragorn answered. "I have the whole world ahead of me, and there is always something you haven't seen before."

"That is true", was the elf's answer. "But I believe you have seen more of the world than I have. Before I came here, I almost never left the forest, and all that was beyond it was far far away."

"Did you like your father's lands?"

"I love the forest, but unluckily, my father has changed these latter years", Legolas said, and had a sad look on his face. "He was often in a bad mood, and he turned against us, letting us guard his palace while he was locked up somewhere in a room. Not even me, he wished to see. I believe, grief for my mother has captured him again, and it made life not very pleasant with him."

Aragorn looked into the elf's eyes and tried to read his emotions. But Legolas had locked them up somewhere in the back of his heart and didn't show him any. Grief was nothing he liked to think about, he'd had enough of it already.

"Then why did you stay?", the man questioned. "What kept you? Was there someone dear to you, whom you didn't wish to leave?"

Another door to Legolas soul was shut at these words, and he simply replied:

"No, no one was keeping me. I just didn't know I could go."

 The sun played with the water of the little river, leaving rainbow coloured patterns on it that mixed in circles and circles and were lovely to watch. 

"Now I wish to see the world. But I do not want to go alone. Can I not follow you to whatever lands you break up to?", the elven prince added.

Aragorn looked at him. He had never travelled together with someone else, but Legolas was good company, and he was a useful bowman, so therefore he considered he'd make an exception for once.

"I cannot deny a prince a wish, can I?", he chuckled, and Legolas smiled. 

"On the subject of denying wishes", Legolas spoke. "Are you not son of an elven lord? Can you not deny wishes as much as I can?"

"Son of an elven lord, even if it is someone as great and kind as lord Elrond, I am still not as mighty as an elven prince. I will do whatever you wish me to do, as so my honor tells me", Aragorn replied. 

Legolas smiled and took a step forward, towards the man standing next to him. He indeed had a wish, which he would find very cruel if it was denied. 

"You will?", he asked, and took another step. 

"If it is in my power...", the man said quietly.

The elf took another step forwards and then leaned forwards. He closed his eyes, and very gently placed a kiss on Aragorn's lips. The latter could not move, he could simply stand there, his body not doing what he told it to do. It was a moment that lasted forever, Legolas' lips on his on the little bridge, with birds chirping all around. 

Suddenly a dog barked in the distance and the spell was broken. Aragorn gently pushed Legolas away from him and took a step back. 

"You ... you cannot", he got out, while racing his mind with what he should say. 

Legolas stood on the bridge, his face an expression of deep hurt, his eyes dark and sad. 

"You cannot kiss me!", Aragorn exclaimed. "I love Arwen, and only her, and you cannot kiss me!"

And then he stormed away. If he had turned around one last time he would have seen the wound he left on Legolas heart. But he didn't, and he left without another goodbye. The elf did not follow him on his journeys that year, and not another year either, for this was the last Aragorn would see of him for a very long time. In the shadow of night, the elven prince left Rivendell on his horse and returned to the darkness of his forest, his heart never healing from the wound the man had inflicted on it. 

Elves don't die, but a man had long since left this world, if he had suffered from the same pain Legolas suffered from. Inside, he was already dead.

Ok, sorry for this really sad short story. Today my crush invited me to her birthday party, and I really wanted to go, but, typical for me, my family is away over the holidays, so I won't be able to go. I am just really mad right now, and sad, so therefore this one-shot is kind of depressing. Aaahhh why does this always happen to me??