Lord of the Rings/Hobbit Oneshots (Requests Closed!)

Not Mere Coincidence (Part 1)

       Wow guys, it's been way too long since I posted.  I'm so sorry I haven't been sticking to my schedule!  Hopefully things will be getting better... Anyway, I hope you like this story (which will have more parts to come if you like it), and please PLEASE let me know what you thought!  It was fun to write!
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      Legolas dismounted his horse gracefully, taking in the view of Imladris.  As a servant came to lead his horse to the stables, he noted the time.  The sun was still high in the sky today- he had plenty of time to wander before the meeting his father had scheduled with Lord Elrond. 
      His father, Thranduil, had traveled to meet with the ruler of Rivendell in order to discuss the unrest that had been spreading through Middle Earth in recent years.  Even though Legolas was still only a prince, these changes in the world would affect him as well and so Thranduil had brought him along for the meeting.
      With his father's permission, Legolas started off on a stroll through the gardens.  He had to admit that, as much as he loved Mirkwood, Rivendell's landscape was beautiful.  Everything had an ethereal glow, from the flowers to the waterfalls, even the air itself.  Life was everywhere, with endless gardens and vines growing up the architecture.  He could hear the distant sound of Elvish singing, which completed the atmosphere perfectly. 
      Legolas wandered aimlessly through the gardens, stopping and admiring the landscape every once in a while.  He was totally lost in thought, only being brought back to the present moment by a hard knock in the shoulder and a mumbled Elvish curse.
      "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," exclaimed the elleth who had run into him.  She stooped down, grabbing a pair of fighting knives that had evidently dropped after their collision.
      As she straightened back up and swept her h/c hair over her shoulder, Legolas's breath caught in his throat.  He was surprised to see that she was not wearing an elegant gown, but a guard's uniform.  And what was more,  she was dirty.  Her forehead glistened with sweat, like she had been out riding all day.  But, despite all of these peculiarities, there was something about her that intrigued Legolas.  Her sparkling, h/c eyes, the way her cheeks flushed from embarrassment...
      "You had better watch where you're walking, hadn't you?" She interrupted his thoughts with a snide remark.  As she passed him, she winked in an almost playful manner before disappearing. 
       Legolas was dumbfounded.  This was no way for an elleth to behave, especially towards someone of his status.  Who was this woman?  Didn't she know who he was?  Shaking his head, Legolas strolled around for a bit longer before heading back to meet his father and Lord Elrond for dinner.
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      You were walking briskly from the stables to your chambers after a long shift in Rivendell's guard.  You had run later than you expected, and now you only had two hours to clean up for your father's meeting with the king of the Woodland Realm.  You were Lord Elrond's other daughter- 200 years older than Arwen, and not often spoken of. 
      You were very different from your sister: you could hardly ever be found in the palace, preferring to be out working.  You insisted that you be allowed to join the city guard, and although your father loved you dearly it had caused a rather large argument.  However, your stubborn persistence won eventually, and so here you were. 
      You rushed by several large trees and turned down a smaller path.  You had found this shortcut long ago, but it was especially useful now because it led right to the entrance of the palace and was rarely used.  Clearly, then, it was a big surprise when you ran straight into an unfamiliar elf going down your path.
      You tripped as you stumbled into him, dropping the knives that had been hanging from your belt.  A hiss of curses left your mouth as you crouched down to pick them up- you had just sharpened them.  After a moment, you realized that the elf was still standing there- you apologized profusely for running into him and stood back up to face him.  For a moment, you lost your breath- his blue eyes and platinum blonde hair were, you had to admit, shockingly attractive. 
      Snapping back to reality, you smirked at the dumbfounded expression on his face.  Had he never seen an elleth before?
      "You had better watch where you're going, hadn't you?" you quipped, winking at him before strolling past to continue on your way. 
      An hour and a half later, you had bathed and changed your clothes.  You were now wearing a navy blue dress with silver trim and your hair was washed and put in half braids down your back.  When you were completely ready,  you went to fetch Arwen and the two of you made your way to dinner together.
      When you arrived, there was already quiet conversation coming from around the corner.  Arwen peeked out at the table before turning back to you-
      "The king must have brought his son!" she whispered before straightening up and walking through the archway into the dining hall.  You heard your father stand up.
      "Ah, Thranduil, this is my youngest daughter, Arwen.  Her older sister should be along in just a moment-"
      Deciding now would be a good time to make your entrance, you stepped into view as regally as possible (which was hard because you were slightly uncomfortable with your outfit choice). You stumbled a bit over your hemline and straightened up again, looking at your father apologetically before greeting your guests.
      Your eyes instantly locked with two bright blue ones.  For a moment you were confused- then reality crashed down on you.  You had sassed the prince of Mirkwood.  Oh dear.  Your cheeks heated up and his did the same as you held eye contact for a moment longer than normal. 
      Coming suddenly out of your trance, you pulled out a chair and sat down, preparing yourself for an evening of political talk and such.  It wasn't that such discussion didn't interest you; you just knew that it would be very difficult to concentrate on conversation when there was such an attractive elf sitting across from you.  This frustrated you- you were never so susceptible to this type of emotion before.  Your sister had always been more the romantic type and, though you loved her dearly, it had been difficult for you to relate to her feelings.  Until now. 
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      Legolas sat down in the chair that Lord Elrond offered him, staring at his surroundings as his father began to talk.  His mind drifted to many places as the two older men talked, but finally came to rest on the elleth he had met- or run into- earlier that day.  Who was she?  Though her manners startled him, he had to admit that she seemed very charming...
      Just at that moment, there was a soft shuffling sound and a young elf came around the corner.  Lord Elrond introduced her as Arwen- Legolas thought he remembered meeting her before- and then mentioned his other daughter. Wait, there was another?  Legolas couldn't remember ever meeting Arwen's sister.
      Then another elleth rounded the corner and Legolas froze.  Her h/c hair flowed down her back beautifully and her deep blue dress shimmered in the light.  It took a moment for him to realize that this was the same woman he had met earlier.  He had knocked into the Princess of Rivendell? Oh dear. Legolas's cheeks flared with embarrassment at his clumsiness as he stood out of respect.  The princess seemed to trip, but regained her balance and looked right at him.  He saw recognition in her eyes as she blushed also- surely she was thinking of their awkward encounter earlier that day. 
      As they sat back down and began their meal, Legolas found himself stealing glances at Y/N across the table.  To his surprise, more than once she was looking right back.  He had figured from looking at her that she must be at least a few centuries older than him, and it was very clear that she was not an average elleth in Rivendell.  She could fit in very well in Mirkwood, Legolas thought before shaking the idea from his mind.  What in Middle Earth was he saying?  Surely she was either in a courtship already or uninterested altogether...
      After dinner, Legolas and Thranduil were shown to their chambers, where they would be staying until their departure the next day.  Legolas had been sitting at a desk, reading, for hours when he heard footsteps going past his room.  Curious, he opened his door a crack to see who it was.  There, at the end of a hallway, he saw the silhouette of Y/N standing on a balcony.  Gathering his courage, he stepped out of his room and closed the door as quietly as he could.  He was thankful that Y/N seemed so lost in thought that she didn't hear him until he got very close.
      Just as he stepped onto the balcony, she turned to face him. 
      "What troubles you?" she asked in a whisper, leaning against the railing.
"You seem tense."
      Legolas stayed silent, not knowing how to respond to such a blunt statement.  After a few moments, though, Y/N struck up a quiet conversation, and before they knew it the sun had begun to rise.  Y/N turned to Legolas and he looked at her expectantly, his heart pounding from their close proximity.
      "I've enjoyed speaking with you, Legolas, I really have," she said softly, taking his hand in hers.  "I do hope you will return someday.  I don't expect I will see you for a while after this," she said, stopping him as he opened his mouth to speak.  "I have a shift with the guard this morning and I'll still be out when you leave."
      Legolas's heart sank.  He had been hoping to see her one last time before he left...
      "Of course I'll return," he heard himself saying, "One way or another, we will meet again.  I can feel it." 
      Y/N turned away, going back down the hallway and disappearing out of sight.  She was right; Legolas didn't see her again that day.  But he had a feeling that he was also right. That they would meet again, somehow.
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      Okay.  That was really long!  Please let me know if I had a typo, it's really late as I'm writing this and I'm not cognizant enough to proofread.  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and remember requests are always open!!!