The Forgotten Princess

A Fine Host

Legolas found the man with the bruised neck and bulging eyes and tongue laying on Lessien's bed in the morning.

He continued to search the house and found no signs of Lessien or Tom so he rushed outside and found his blood-stained corpse with Lessien beside him on the ground. He rushed to her side and shook her, terrified that perhaps she was dead too.

Everything around him froze and his heart started to shatter in his chest.

The groaning coming from her told him that she was still very much alive. "Legolas?" she inquired groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"Lessien! What happened? Are you alright?"

She sat up and rubbed her eyes, grimacing and pressing a palm to her head. She had a head-splitting migraine. "Nothing," she managed shortly.

"That answer isn't going to suffice this time."

Lessien grimaced.  "Listen, Tom and his friend were going to hurt us."

Legolas stared at her. "How? And how did you end up here?"

She pursed her lips. "Tom and that man, Gregor, were slave traders. They intended to take me and sell me for my body. He drugged me. And yet I managed to kill his friend and proceeded to kill him. Then, I lost consciousness because my body could only resist the poison for no long."

Legolas glanced over at the slave cart that was parked near the cottage, which was still hooked up to two tired horses. He hadn't noticed it before.    

Now, he offered her a hand and she took it, pulling her up.

He licked his lips. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just have a headache is all." She picked at dirt underneath her fingernails.

"You sure?"

She just nodded and started walking away.

"Lessien, look at me."

"What?" she snapped and looked him in the eyes.

Legolas didn't know what overtook him. He grabbed her hand and quickly pulled her towards him, and then kissed her hard on the lips.

She was surprised but for a moment, she kissed him back. For a long moment. She closed eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his.

His hands combed through her hair.

His lips were so soft.

And then she pushed him away before she could start thinking too much about how soft his lips really were. She stepped back, swiping her sleeve across from her mouth as if it would erase the kiss. Her brows were furrowed.

The only thing connected now were their eyes.

Silence.

"What was that?" she managed hoarsely.

"I don't know."

Another long pause.

"Why did you do that?" Lessien asked, staring at him.

"Because. Because I thought you were dead and my heart stopped and I've wanted to kiss you since I saw you again in Rivendell. I won't waste the opportunity to show you that I have feelings for you, especially in such a time of war. Life isn't something to be taken for granted.

"And you seem like you needed it."

The last sentence set her off. "I don't need anything from you, Legolas Greenleaf. And I told you, feelings don't matter right now."

"They do to me."

Lessien shook her head, finally tearing her gaze from him. "And they don't to me," she lied. "By the Valar, I can't believe you."

"Lessien, please."

"No. I'm done with this right now. Can you just help me with the bodies? I'll do it myself if I have to."

Legolas just nodded his head, his expression solemn.

With that, they headed inside where all of their companions were still fast asleep.

Legolas grabbed the arms of the dead Gregor as Lessien grabbed his legs and they lugged the fat bastard outside where they stowed him behind the cottage. There the tall unkempt grass concealed his corpse. They did the same with Tom.

Legolas rode the horses and their slave cart about half a mile away, so that it was at a distance where it looked to be only a piece of wreckage from the cottage. He guided the mares back to the cottage and tended to them.

No ceremony, no words said.

When he got back, Lessien was sitting on the steps, resting her injured knee and staring at the blood stain on the grass.

"I guess there's not much we can do about that," she said softly, gesturing to the spot.

Legolas just shook his head, a lump of dread in his throat.

And with that, the door behind them opened. Out came Gimli, stretching and yawning. "Where did our grand host run off to?"

"He had errands to tend to. He said to say goodbye to you all and that he was overjoyed to have us as guests and we were fine company," Legolas lied, glancing at Lessien.

"Ah, 'tis unfortunate we didn't see him off ourselves. He was a kind man."

Lessien cleared her throat.

Some host, she thought to herself.