My Warriors, My Beloveds

Chapter 4: Burning Passions



Silvan Woodland Realm of Northern Mirkwood: 27th of March, 2969

Late Morning



“Good morning,” a musical voice awoke Harry as light filtered in through the open window.



“Ugh, Thorongil. It’s too early,” Harry whispered as he pulled the covers over his head.



“Too early! Why, it’s nearly lunch time. I need to change the bedding,” the voice responded.



“You are not Thorongil!” Harry claimed as he sat up in bed.



“Certainly not! I am Thenidiel,” a pretty Elf with dark hair answered.



“Oh,” was Harry’s eloquent response. “Is it really so late?”



“Yes,” Thenidiel answered. “Your Man said to let you sleep in because it is your last day of rest before you again depart for Rohan.”

Harry blushed deeply.



“He is not my Man,” he protested.



“But he wishes to be,” the other Elf answered with a smile. “Now up you go, I need to change the bedding, and you need to get dressed for the day.”



Harry followed her directions bemusedly. He was pretty sure that most servants did not act like this.



“Are you supposed to be ordering me about?” he asked curiously.



“Oh, no. I would never dare with most of our Elven guests. They are much too stuffy,” Thenidiel replied. “But you do not seem the type to complain to the king.”



Harry just smiled and shook his head as he readied himself for the day. Then he headed down for lunch.



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“I see you have finally arisen,” King Thranduil said with a smile as Harry entered the dining hall.



“Yes, my lord,” the younger Elf whispered with a blush. “You should not have given me so comfortable a bed if you did not wish me to languish about.”



“Oh, it is no trouble. It is not like there is much for you to do as a guest,” the king replied. “And if you were to move into the castle, you could sleep in whenever you wished. Then you would not have to rise with the dawn for a full day of travel every morning.”



“That is very tempting, my lord,” Harry laughed.



He had learned to just roll with the flow of King Thranduil’s conversation. The king could not force him to marry Legolas, so there was no use getting aggravated about his meddling.



“Perhaps I could offer more temptations,” Legolas whispered in his delicately pointed ear.

Harry shot him a wry look.



“I doubt you could compete with the luxury of sleeping in,” the brunette challenged.



“Spend the night with me, and we shall see,” Legolas challenged back.



Harry looked at him, shocked.



“You would be so bold?” he questioned.



“I just wished to stargaze with you tonight,” Legolas said with a smirk. “But if you would rather share my bed, that can be arranged.”



The younger Elf just shook his head at the prince.



“It is my last night. I suppose stargazing would not be amiss. I do have a long journey ahead of me, so I must get my relaxation in where I must,” Harry conceded.



*******************************************************************************************************



Harry found Thorongil on the training grounds that afternoon.



“Thank you for allowing me to sleep in,” he told his friend.



“It was no problem,” Thorongil responded. “We are leaving at dawn tomorrow, so best to let you get your laziness out of the way this morning.”

Harry laughed at his friend’s teasing.



“You remember the first morning of our trip? I thought I would fall asleep upon my horse,” the Elf giggled.



“Yes, you accused Gandalf of keeping you up late. I trusted your word that morning. Fourteen cranky awakenings later, I finally realized that it was best not to tickle the sleeping dragon,” the Man teased.



“I am not that bad,” Harry protested.

Thorongil just smirked.



“I’m not!” the Elf repeated defensively.



“Castle life would suit you,” Thorongil admitted. “I only wish you to be happy, little one.”



Harry looked at him seriously.



“Do you…are you saying that you think I should give the prince a chance?” the Elf asked hesitantly.



“I have been letting my jealousy blind me,” Thorongil confessed. “I care for you deeply, and wish you to stay by my side. But Glorfindel reminded me just why relations between Elves and Men rarely work. I do not wish for you to give up immortality for me. You have a long life ahead of you.”



“A Man’s life is long enough, if I were to spend it with one I love,” Harry replied.



“But you do not love me,” Thorongil said sadly.



“I could, eventually,” Harry pleaded. “And I do not love the prince, either. He sees me as a possession.”



“He cares for you more than you know,” the Man said cryptically. “Just choose what you believe will make you happiest. Do not worry about either of our feelings. Do not worry about the fates of Elf or Man. Just…promise me you will be selfish.”



“I promise,” Harry pledged seriously.



“And if you choose him, and he hurts you…know that I will be waiting with open arms,” Thorongil promised as he hugged the petite Elf.



And if there were a few droplets of water on Thorongil’s cheeks, let us blame it on the rain, though there was not a cloud in sight on that clear blue morning.



********************************************************************************************************



“You love him truly,” Glorfindel commented to Aragorn after Harry returned to the castle.



“I do,” the heir of Isildur admitted.



“Then why do you not fight for him?” the Elf questioned.



“He is not a maiden, as he loves to remind me. He knows his mind and his heart, and it is his choice to make,” Aragorn whispered, pained by the depths of his emotion. “I do not wish to be a selfish love, and take his immortality from him. I want him to live happily forever, if not with Legolas than perhaps with another in the future.”



“And if he decides that he wants to be with you?” Glorfindel questioned.



“Then I will gladly accept him with open arms and spend every day attempting to make him happy until death finally claims us both. And I would thank the Valar every morning and every night for blessing me with such love,” the Man stated passionately.



“Legolas does love him, though he may not realize it yet. From the moment Harry granted him a second chance,” Glorfindel declared. “The prince can make him happy.”



Aragorn’s serious blue eyes locked with Glorfindel’s grey.



“He will have to deal with me if he does not,” Aragorn threatened.



“You speak as though Harry has already made his decision. He little cares for the prince,” Glorfindel admitted.



“I am simply planning for all possibilities,” Aragorn explained. “And Legolas is more charming than any one being has the right to be.”



“We shall see,” Glorfindel claimed.



*******************************************************************************************************



Legolas stole Harry away from dinner to gaze upon the stars. The clearing he chose was empty but for the two of them, the grass was soft and sweet-smelling at their backs.



“The moon is full and the stars shine bright,” the prince commented.



“You could not have chosen a more romantic night,” the brunette stated with a small smile.



“You find me romantic, my lovely?” Legolas asked slyly. “We are already at my castle, so I cannot steal you away on my white stallion, I am afraid.”



Harry let out a little laugh.



“I am not a princess!” he protested with mirth. “I do not know why you always confuse me for a woman. I can ride my own horse, thank you.”



Legolas smirked.



“That is what got us off on the wrong foot in the first place,” the prince teased.



“No, your father sending me to your private baths was what really caused the problem,” Harry pointed out with a roll of his eyes.



They both laughed.



“That was only two nights ago,” Legolas uttered, disbelieving.



“And we are leaving early on the morrow,” Harry whispered as they looked up at the night sky together.



“Stay,” Legolas said suddenly.



Emerald eyes turned to look at him in shock.



“E-excuse me?” he questioned.



“Stay here. In Mirkwood…with me. We do not have to bond immediately, but do not leave my side. Give us time,” Legolas pleaded.



Harry shook his head, lost and uncertain.



“I…we barely know each other,” Harry responded, sitting up.



“All the more reason to stay and give us a chance. If I find myself falling for you in just three nights, think of what will be in three years, three centuries, three millenia,” Legolas beseeched pursuasively. “Think of what a life with me would be like.”



“Your head is empty,” Harry snarled back. “You cannot have fallen in love with me so quickly.”



“Do not be so defensive. I know what I feel,” the prince countered as he too knelt. “Do you believe Thorongil to be in love with you after little over a fortnight?”



“Do not bring him into this,” Harry requested. “Thorongil is a much different Man than you.”



“Exactly,” the blonde nodded. “He is a Man. You would have to give up your immortality to accept the Gift of Men and grow old at his side. You are an Elf.”



“Only one-fourth,” Harry responded sadly. “And with no family to speak of. I would accept death for a life of love at his side.”



“But you do not love him,” Legolas pointed out.



“Not yet,” the brunette admitted. “But I believe I could, with time. Thorongil is good to me. He would take care of me, and never hurt me.”



“He would never hurt you because you would not love him like you could love me!” Legolas claimed. “And what of your independence? Do you need him to ‘take care of you’?”



“Do not accuse him of attempting to stifle my independence,” Harry shot back. “If it were up to you, I

would single-handedly repopulate the elves, locked up in this castle of yours!”



“Not single-handedly,” Legolas responded slyly.



“I am being serious. All you see is a pretty face and a body to bear your children,” Harry said sadly. “You do not love me.”



“You fascinate me,” Legolas countered. “We could build a family together. And is it so wrong that I find you beautiful?”



Harry stood up and turned his back on the elf-prince.



“It is so wrong that the beauty is all that you can see. I will Fade if I am trapped here for eternity, Legolas. I need my freedom. If I stay with you now, I may never leave,” Harry admitted. “I might as well sail to Valinor on the morrow.”



“Then we do not need to stay in Mirkwood. Let us travel to Imladris or Lothlórien,” Legolas attempted to compromise.



“Anywhere away from the realm of Man. Are you so afraid of a little competition, my prince? Thorongil could very well be the better choice,” Harry whispered, face aglow in the pale starlight. “Yes, you are handsomer than he. But he makes me smile and laugh, and I can trust his feelings are true.”



“And you cannot trust the same of mine?” Legolas questioned, insulted.



“I know of your reputation,” Harry responded. “Libertine. Philanderer. Every Elf from here to Imladris knows of your exploits. How can I trust you to be true to me when you have not been to any other?”



“I made them no promises,” the prince responded. “I would promise you the world.”



“But why? Why am I so special? Because I am pretty and can bear your children?” Harry asked in disgust.



“Because you are kind and sweet and all that is good in this world,” Legolas replied passionately. “Your outer beauty is merely a reflection of the bright star that burns within you.”



“You barely know me,” Harry accused again.



“I have ears that hear and eyes that can see,” Legolas countered. “I have been watching you. With Thorongil, with Glorfindel. You are passionate and true to your beliefs. You smile and laugh with them –why not with me?”



“There is no pressure for me to conform to their wishes. To carry the future of the Elves within my womb,” Harry answered.



“Thorongil would gladly gift you with his seed,” the prince stated.



“But there is no pressure to gift him with the next son of his line,” Harry defended. “He is not a prince. He would wait for my love before taking my hand.”



“You know nothing of Thorongil! Nothing!” Legolas snarled. “He is not the Man he appears to be. You trust him whole-heartedly, while I could speak nothing but the truth and be painted a liar in your eyes!”



“You are a charmer with the tongue of a snake, my prince,” the Elf replied. “Perhaps if you did not have nearly three thousand years of conquests trailing behind you…”



“The past is the past,” the blonde stated. “I could not change that, even if I wished to do so. I can only make new decisions to determine my future.”



“I allow that you cannot change the past,” Harry conceded. “But what of the future? If I were to stay in Mirkwood, would you promise me fidelity? Would I be your one and only?”



“If that is what it would take to keep you,” Legolas maintained.



“I am not a possession!” Harry cried. “You wish to ‘keep me’ as if I am a porcelain doll to grace your shelf. I am a living, breathing being. I have feelings and hopes and dreams. You cannot put me away when you get bored of me! We are Elves – it will be forever. And not the forever that Men imagine – I will spend millenia at your side unless one of us dies from battle or sails to Valinor. If I stay now. If.”



“You cannot abide us parting our ways if we bore of each other?” Legolas questioned. “You are so concerned about my exploits, but what of you? You have not seen your twentieth summer. Youth are fickle – how do I know you will not fall in love with another and leave my side?”



“Do not accuse me of not knowing my own mind or heart,” Harry growled. “And I refuse to be passed around as a brood mare for your kin.”



Legolas stopped dead, shocked.



“Is…is that what you are afraid of?” the prince questioned. “That I will pass you around like a common whore to bear the children of others? Is that why you are so set on fidelity?”



“I would be set on fidelity anyway,” Harry evaded, turning from the prince’s burning gaze. “But yes, it has come to mind that I could be forced to do so. The Men in Minhiriath were not all so kind as Thorongil.”



“What did they do to you?” Legolas growled.



“Nothing for you to concern yourself about. Mere words,” Harry responded speciously.



“There is nothing ‘mere’ about words that make you fear touch. That make you fear being treated as a possession – a prize to be won. Words can be poison arrows to the heart – just as dangerous as any battle wound to an Elf,” Legolas responded passionately. “I do not wish for you to Fade.”



“I am bright as ever, Legolas. Do not concern yourself with my past. It is over, and nothing you can protect me from now. But promise me fidelity should I stay, and I shall think upon it this night. You will receive your answer at dawn’s early light,” Harry whispered softly.



“If you should stay, I shall look to no other,” Legolas promised. “I shall look to the West and hope for good word along with the sun. May I drink from your sweet lips but once before you retire to bed?”

Emerald eyes locked with deep blue.



“You may,” the smaller Elf conceded breathlessly.



And Legolas and Harry shared their first sweet kiss under the light of the full moon, with the stars and two pairs of eyes as witness.



One looked on in approval; the other – heartbreak.



*************************************************************************************



Harry left Legolas in the clearing and headed towards the castle. He needed time alone to think upon the choice he faced.



“Glorfindel,” Harry greeted as he encountered the taller Elf. “Were you watching us?”



“I wished to make sure that Prince Legolas did not act inappropriately,” Glorfindel admitted. “He does care for you, though he hides it behind a charming façade and rakish grin.”



“He calls me fascinating and pledges fidelity if I should stay,” Harry divulged cautiously. “But I do not know if that is enough. And I do not know if I can trust his words, besides.”



“The prince loves you already, though he is not yet willing to admit it. Rejection can pierce even the most closed hearts, and he does not wish to open his to a dagger if you should leave,” the blonde advised.



“You are wise, and so I shall trust your words. You believe him true?” the younger Elf sought reassurance.



“As true as the sun rises each morning in the West,” the elf-lord responded. “His future – his loyalty and fidelity and hope - is yours if that is what he has promised. Legolas would not lie about such things.”



“And what of Thorongil? I know he cares for me,” Harry admitted. “He has told me so himself, though he does not wish to pressure me.”



“You are good friends, but does passion burn for him in your heart as it does for Legolas?” the Elf questioned.



“Though it shames me, the truth is I want them both equally,” Harry confided. “But the prince is right –

I know very little of Thorongil’s past. At least with Legolas, there are few secrets as to his ways.”



“And do not forget you would have to sacrifice your immortality if you should choose a Man,” Glorfindel reminded. “You are very young yet, and the lifetime of a Man seems long indeed, but I do not wish for you to regret your decision in the future. Death is not so easy a thing to deal with.”



“Thank you. I shall consider your words,” Harry murmured as he brushed by the Elf to enter the castle.



Glorfindel waited until Harry was out of earshot, then he smiled softly.



“You have already made your decision, little one. You were his from the moment you let his lips touch yours, else you would not have allowed the prince to kiss you,” the Elf whispered, satisfied with his prediction.



*************************************************************************************



Legolas smiled to himself as he walked through the corridors of the castle, heading towards his rooms.



His lips tingled and body burned from the passionate kiss he had just shared with who he hoped would be his future bonded. He need only wait for the sun to rise.



It would be the longest night of his millenia-long life.



Legolas faced a surprise, however, when he entered his room. His latest lover, Rhovanion, was spread naked upon his bed.



“I forgot that we had made plans for tonight,” the prince admitted, admiring the sleek form.



“Yes, I suppose you have been distracted by that silly Bearer,” his wild lover admitted with a grin. “I have not seen you since the night before last when you stumbled upon him in your private bathing chambers.”



The mention of Harry snapped Legolas out of his stupor.



“I pledged him my fidelity should he stay,” the prince confided. “I cannot go back on my word.”



“Should he stay?” the blonde Elf asked. “And has he decided to do so yet?”



“No,” Legolas admitted.



“Then you cannot be held to your promise until he does,” his lover reasoned. “Let us have one last night before you are held to your pledge of devotion.”



“I do not think he would appreciate such a thing,” Legolas stated, mesmerized by the way his naked lover stretched and then sauntered seductively to where he stood in the open doorway.



“He does not have to know, my prince,” Rhovanion whispered as he placed his arms around Legolas’s neck to pull him into a kiss, lust burning away the traces of Harry’s sweetness lingering upon the prince’s lips.



As the door shut, neither saw Thenidiel. She stood with shocked, wide eyes as she spied the exchange.



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Author’s Note: Uh, oh. The plot is getting thick now! Let me know what you think.