A Promise- a LOTR Fanfiction (Legolas) ❤︎ ✓

Chapter 1: Prologue

EDITED 01/06/16

I can't remember.

What happened to me? Where am I? Why does my head feel like there are a dozen miniature dwarves having a party inside it?

There is a deafening, suffocating darkness surrounding me, slightly muffling the throbbing ache that has wrapped itself around my head. I open my right eye just a tiny, tiny bit, and a small bit of light- a bit too bright for my taste- floods my senses, making my pounding headache worse. I groan, and shut my eyes tightly closed.

I'm lying on my back, in a bed. It's surprisingly soft and comfortable, but I do not know where I am, or how I got here. I should investigate my surroundings- but at the moment, I don't exactly feel like moving.

I take a deep breath and move my legs around, shifting my weight into a more comfortable position, making the bed squeak in protest. I grumble at it, eyes still shut tight.

I fall silent as my ears pick up murmurs, very quiet murmurs that wouldn't be perceivable by mortal senses, and then light footsteps that gradually get louder as they approach.

The footsteps stop.

A hand gently brushes a lock of hair off of my sweaty forehead, and a male voice says,

"You are awake, child."

I open my eyes fully and squint, light searing painfully through my mind, to see a white, domed ceiling and an elf leaning over me with a faint smile on his lips. He wears long brown and gold robes and his brown hair is braided neatly, held back by a silver circlet. He radiates authority and I sit up immediately, the bed creaking loudly.

The sudden movement jabs pain into a specific spot on the back of my head, making me wince in pain. I reach my slender hand up to feel the area right above my neck to find a good sized lump that radiates pain throughout my skull. There are neat, sturdy stitches running from the lump to just below my ear. I knit my eyebrows together in confusion. What happened?

"Do you remember anything?" He asks, voice soothing and gentle. His eyes are full with concern, watching me carefully as I probe the tender area with my fingertips.

"My name is Vivienne... I live in Mirkwood. My father is dead and my mother disappeared when I was younger, and I am half elf, half human, so I am twelve years old. My best friend is Legolas, son of Thranduil, prince of Mirkwood."

My voice is scratchy from disuse and I sound scared. The elf nods at me, frowning slightly.

I clear my throat nervously.

"Where am I?"

"We found you on the outskirts of Rivendell, on the banks of the Ford River."

Ford? The river west of Rivendell?! What was I doing at Ford? I've never gone away from Mirkwood my whole life! My mind races and I can feel my heartbeat accelerating in a panic.

"You were lying unconscious by the waters edge, and your head was bleeding badly." He continues. My eyes widen. "You had a major concussion. Memory loss is common, as well."

I scrunch up my face in confusion. Major concussion? How in the world did that ever happen to me?

"You don't remember, do you?" The elf murmurs, tilting his head slightly.

"No..." I trail off, my heart still pounding in my chest. He stands, thinking, for a few moments. I realize I do not know who he is, although he seems to have helped me. I should be able to thank him properly

"You know my name, yet I do not know yours?" I say as politely as I can. He looks up and gazes at me.

"I am Lord Elrond, and I healed the worst of your injury, though memory loss is something I cannot fix."

Lord Elrond! One of the greatest elves in history, the elf who fought the battle with Sauron, one of the three elves to receive a ring of power? Lord Elrond?! Elrond chuckles at my astonished look and I blush, embarrassed to not have recognized him. I look at the white sheets in humiliation. I should have recognized him!

In Mirkwood, King Thranduil does not talk often about the outside world, only about Orcs and spiders. I've only heard about Elrond from tales my mother told me when I was little, but my mother is gone and I haven't heard that story in three years.

I miss Mirkwood. Although my parents are gone, I still have a great home and loyal friends. King Thranduil has even stepped in to play the role of my guardian, even though I'm old and mature enough to take care of myself. He's the king and my best friend's father.

"It's alright, child, you need not recognize me. You are weary- rest. There are elves outside ready to serve to your needs, and you are free to do what you please." He gestures to the white door behind him and smiles. "I must leave. Please, make yourself at home."

"Thank you, Lord Elrond."

He then leaves, shutting the door softly with a click. For a moment, I stare after him, wishing someone would come and save me from the solitude, but nobody arrives. I look around my room, painted white with silver trim. It's beautiful here. The room is simple and elegant, small but comforting all the same. A light green curtain sways gently in the breeze, covering most of the wall to my left. On the right, a smaller green curtain next to a tall, gold mirror.

I stand up and walk towards the mirror. My hair is coppery red and curly, my eyes light brown. My skin looks smooth and I'm wearing a plain white gown. One would mistake me for a common elf-child, but little do they know that I am one of the few beings born from an elf and a human.

I reach out and gently touch the mirror where my face reflects. Bruises shadow the left side of my face above my eye, making me seem slightly older and more mature than I actually am. If I dressed in more rugged clothing and covered my ears, I would look like a twelve year old human, but in terms of maturity I am almost an adult. I age like a mortal, so I will die eventually, but luckily I have a few elven abilities, including sharp senses and 'natural beauty', as my mortal mother used to say. I turn away from the mirror, not wanting to dwell on myself.

I tread lightly, making my way over to the smaller curtain, separating the fabric and revealing a stone, white basin and a tub. White towels stacked on a shelf, and a light green gown sits on top. I smile and turn away to the other side of the room, where the other curtain awaits me.

I pull it to the side, expecting a window, but a patio presents itself proudly to me. I grin and walk into the midday sun, enjoying the warmth. In Mirkwood, the dense forest blocks most of the sun, so it's not something I see everyday, especially since I live indoors.

The patio is dome shaped, brass railings preventing me from leaping into the garden below. A pretty little courtyard is a story below, filled with stone arches covered in ivy, cute, round bushes and colourful flowers. I run to the railing and lean my elbows on the edge, a sigh escaping me and a grin painting itself onto my face. I know I have to go back to Mirkwood eventually, but would it hurt to stay here a little longer?

A/N: Yay or nay on my first fanfiction?

Haha, I'll update whenever I can, but there's no promises, kay? :)

Thank you for reading,

Shay xx

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the characters in this book apart from Vivienne, Eleanor, Nostariel and Thalion. Legolas, Aragorn, or anyone else from the original trilogy are not mine (although that would be nice, wouldn't it?)