Involuntary Princess (Legolas X reader)

Part Seven

Mirkwood gave me more power and support than I had ever experienced. As a woman, my country had given me limited everything. I had never publicly worn anything that didn't cover nearly my entire body. I had never used any sort of weapon. I had never known or interacted with my people. I had never had any say in anything.

Now, I was here. I wore a sleeveless sundress, which made me slightly uncomfortable. Few people had ever seen my arms or legs. Legolas was going over the basics of a bow, telling me how it was designed and how it works.

"Do you want to try it?" he asked, gesturing to the bow.

I still wasn't comfortable with this change. "I-I-I-uh," I stammered, not sure how to answer him.

He raised his head to look at me, analyzing my face. "Of course, you don't have to," he offered.

I shook my head. "No, I-I want to. I'm just not sure how," I admitted.

He chuckled softly. "Come here," he said. I walked closer to him. He took my hand and lined it up on the wooden part of the bow. He moved to my side and took my other hand to pull it back and align an arrow. "Okay, try to hit the target."

I moved slightly and released an arrow, but it landed about two feet in front of me. I bit my lip, and Legolas stifled a laugh. "Try again," he said, handing me an arrow and moving my arms.

I released it without moving, hoping Legolas aimed it correctly. The arrow fell about three feet in front of the target.

Legolas came up behind me and took my hand in his, tightening his grip on the wooden part of the bow. He took my fingers and we held an arrow. My back was pressed against his front, like an awkward hug. "Look down your arm when you aim," he whispered. I did as he said, looking down my arm. I focused in on the target. He let go of me, stepping back. I let go of the arrow, and hit the outer edge of the target.

I smiled, proud of myself. "I did it!" I squealed in excitement.

Legolas looked at me with a grin. "That's better, but we're aiming right for the center," he said. "You could slow an enemy, but you need to be able to stop it."

I sighed. "Can you show me?"

I handed him the bow. He took it and easily shot three arrows, one after another, right to the center. Each arrow split the one before it. I sighed, defeated.

Legolas frowned at me. "I've had almost three hundred years to practice."

I nodded. This concept was new to me entirely. Legolas came up behind me once more. He was warm and gentle. I could feel his chest rise and fall, and his breath tickled my ear. He guided my arms again, perfecting my form. This time he didn't step back. "Okay," he muttered. "Now let go."

I released the arrow with his guidance and hit the center of the target. It wasn't the direct center, but it was much better than I'd done before. The arrow bad found its mark, but Legolas and I stood in our close position for half a moment more. I felt his eyes on me, but I couldn't bring myself to look back at him. I lowered the bow and Legolas tensed, stepping back quickly.

*****

A/N: I'M SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE LAST WEEK! Finals stress me out. I'll double update today and Tuesday, though. Plus, it's summer now, so I might be able to write more and surprise you on Thursdays or something! I would like to thank you all for the amazing support I've gotten! I LOVE YOU ALL!! ~Lily