you tube. com/watch?v=RX-cEl3BWw

Play this song when reading the story! At least the beginning of the chapter, it fits so wonderfully and puts you in such a good mood! :D And here's your warning, this chapter is going to vary from the movie, and as far as I know, the book. Trust me, you'll know it when you read it. Anyways! Enjoy!

We all stood in King Theoden's throne room, every single surviving warrior from the Battle of Helmsdeep. In all honesty, I felt as if I did not belong there; I had been their enemy during that fight –though it was no fault of mine- but still. Standing in between my father and Aragorn, I turned my head to look at the both of them. Father didn't notice my gaze, but the ranger did immediately, giving me a small smile, raising his glass and tapping it to mine. Not a word was exchanged between us, but I understood his words: We are glad you are here with us. Smiling in thanks, I tipped my head back, and drank the entire cup of mead. Aragorn and my father chuckled at my antics. Sighing, I used my sleeve to wipe the excess liquid from my mouth and I began to help the others move tables for the festivities. Things quickly became busy and for once I was glad that I was out of my armor, instead wearing a tight fitting, white, long sleeved shirt with a black leather corset over it. Leggings covered my legs, something woman were never seen wearing, but I had grown used to the curious and sometimes disapproving glares. I was a she-elf warrior and sorceress; a position not "respectable" for woman, but I did not care for their trivial thoughts.

Merry and Pip soon enough found me, their cups already empty and their feet slightly tipsy. I laughed as my friends dragged me to a table, handing me a mug of my own, as we all heartily drank. This sort of behavior I was quite used to; while most elves never over indulged themselves in alcohol, growing up around Hobbits –Merry and Pip BEING those Hobbits- made me a little more custom to drinking behaviors. Everyone was laughing and drinking, enjoying the spoils of victory, and while Merry and Pip were recounting the tale of the Last March of the Ents, I slipped away with a giggle to myself. While I loved my boys, I wanted to check up on Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas. The human, though I searched the crowd thoroughly, was nowhere to be seen, but the dwarf and blonde elven prince were with a small group of humans, the one captain of Rohan who had come to their aid at their most dire moment being one of those humans. Joining them with a smile, I came up behind Gimli and placed my hand heavily upon his shoulder, "Now what is this here; a Dwarf and a fancy Elven prince playing a drinking game? Who's winning?" I grinned.

My sudden appearance immediately caught the attention of the surrounding men, and from below me, Gimli let out a hearty, yet drunken laugh, placing his hand on mine. "Ahhh, if it isn't the beautiful Elven princess~ It seems as your prince can't hold his hiccup liquor. See! He's already slowing." The drunken dwarf swayed, almost falling from his seat, as he tried to point at Legolas, who was staring at the both of us curiously.

I let out a charming laugh, trying to ignore the blush that was creeping across my cheeks. Giving Gimli a good thwap on the shoulders, I shook my head, "Oh but Gimli, I am no mere princess. I am a devious sorceress who can bewitch you if the thought just so crossed my mind." I couldn't hold the laugh as I felt the surrounding men move uneasily away from me, my eyes rising to meet those perfect blue eyes of the Woodland Elf. And for whatever reason, my eyes betrayed me and would not look away from his own, a smile still gracing my lips. However, Gimli's words of swimming with hairy women made me choke in laughter.

Smiling, Legolas quickly downed another quart of mead, staggering slightly, looking at his hands in wonder and bewilderment. "I feel something: a slight tingling in my fingers. I think it's affecting me." I couldn't help but giggle at the frightened look Legolas had as Eomer, the Rohirrim captain, looked expectantly from the elf to the dwarf, all of us watching as Gimli fell over, drunk asleep.

Shaking my head and laughing, I grabbed the collar of the Dwarf's under armor. "Well, it seems as if I'm taking this one back to his quarters for a good sleep; something we all need, I think." Picking the short man slightly off the ground, I began to drag him from the hall, his feet dragging against the ground. The sound of clanking mugs caught my attention and I glanced over my shoulder, surprised to see Legolas stepping up to my side, taking a grip on Gimli's shoulder to help me support him, I smiled.

"Allow me to help you."

Nodding my head in acceptance, the both of us dragged the dwarf back to his quarters and tossed him onto his makeshift bed. Chuckling lightly, I turned and smiled up at the blonde, "Come on, you could probably use some fresh air; it'd do you good." I told him, walking out of the room we all shared. After a moment, I heard his light, graceful steps follow after me and I walked outside to stand upon a stony ledge that looked over the village of Edoras. Something suddenly weighed down my shoulders and my head jerked back to see Legolas placing my grey cloak upon my shoulders, a look in his eyes which I could not place.

"It's chilly out. We don't want you to catch a cold before we go off to battle."

Letting out a hearty laugh, I smiled, again. Varla, I was smiling a lot wasn't I! "A silly little cold wouldn't bother me! I've long been ready to fight. And now I have much more than fangs and claws to deal damage." Unconsciously my head lowered its gaze, staring down at the houses not too far below my feet. I know Saruman was dead, the curse gone with him, but nothing had TRULY been solved; there was still a war, against an enemy who had persuaded my own master to join him; an enemy who had manifested in my cursed form and made me do things I regretted. No, it hadn't been Saruman who had cursed me, no; the true curse came from Sauron, and I was going to fight until my very last breath until he lay wasted in his ruin.

The sudden sensation of warmth enveloping my hand drew my mind from their dark thoughts, and I looked up in surprise to see blue eyes filled with concern. "You should not allow your inner demons to torment you about the past. What is done, is done; that will not change." I wanted nothing more than to retort with a witty retort, but my mind drew blank and I simply just stared up at him, gaping like an idiot. Yes, way to go Laila. Way to impress the fancy Elf prince. However, once again I was taken by surprise when he smooth, yet calloused fingers came up to gently whisper their touch over the skin of my cheek, tracing the patterns tattooed upon my face. "What do they mean?" He whispered, not realizing that he was leaning in close to me, lessening the space between us.

"They have no meaning, at least the ones on my face. I found the design in an old book, long ago lost in the library within Isenguard. The book told about an ancient race of demi-gods; more than human, but less than god, that once lived in Middle Earth. They have long since left, supposedly, but the beauty of their art still remained, though even that too was fading away into shadow. It was silly, I was young, what can I say? And many feel I've marred my face, but I did not want to forget." My strangely colored eyes looked away from the blue orbs that stared deep into me, embarrassment flooding my cheeks.

However, his eyes did not fall in discontent; instead he continued to gaze at me, "You are beautiful, nothing could take away from that." A small smile graced my lips, and I laughed lightly, resting my hand on top of his lightly.

"You shouldn't say such things, Prince Legolas. What will your princess say if she found you charming an elf such as myself?" I teased playfully, though it was only to mask my hope that he didn't have a lover already waiting for him back home in Mirkwood.

However, it seemed the elven prince saw through to my true purpose and smirked and I blushed, letting out a nervous laugh, "My princess would exclaim at how wonderful a maiden my eyes had befallen, and that she would indeed be a lover worth fighting for."

Forcing myself not to blush, I put a finger to my chin in thought, "Hmm, what a curious woman. She sounds like someone I'd be friends with. What does she look like?" I asked, trying not to smile.

This silly little game continued as Legolas smiled knowingly, "Her hair is long and as pale as the freshly fallen snow, her face decorated with beauty of the past, and her eyes pink as the setting skies. But her beauty comes along with strength of a goddess, a warrior like none seen before."

No longer could I contain my blush, and I turned my face to the side in embarrassment. "Surely you exadurate!"

"Not in the least." He whispered, our noses brushing.

I tried to find the words to say, something to respond with, but someone clearing their throat made my head snap in the direction of where Gandalf stood, a pipe in his hand and an amused look upon his face. Blushing even harder, we distanced ourselves. "I, uh, I should see how Aragorn in fairing." The blonde elf spoke nervously, the both of us embarrassed being caught in such an intimate way, by my father no less. I only nodded, not being able to say a word, as he left, leaving me to gaze anywhere but where my father stood.

However, a laugh came from the old wizard and I looked up at him, a small smile on my lips as I chuckled along with him. "Enjoying the festivities?" I asked nonchalantly, making the old wizard nod his head with a smile.

"I am, and apparently so are you. I didn't mean to interrupt, I just had some questions I wished to ask you." Nodding, I took a seat on the ground, allowing my legs to dangle over the edge and Father sat beside me. "I realize now that it was you who was following us; through the forest and Moria. How did you come to be that way?"

Looking off towards the horizon, the sun was still far from rising, but I still stared, keeping myself composed. "It was after Bilbo's birthday party. I was playing with my magic and walking around, trying to train myself to use magic while walking or running, or perhaps even fighting and I came to Saruman's door. He was talking into the palantir and I realized whom he was communicating with. I got caught eavesdropping and Saruman cursed me."

Gandalf nodded, taking my words in. Then placing his hand on top of mine, he gave me a fond smile, "I am glad you are safe now. But alas, I must be off to bed. The festivities have made me weary."

I smiled back at my father, standing up along side him, "We should all get some rest. The war is not over yet." Father understood my worries, probably also sharing my concerns for what was to come, but he patted me gently on the back and headed for bed. Turning myself back towards the hall, I stepped back in and joined Merry and Pippin whom were still laughing alongside their new human comrads. Smiling, I came up behind them and rested my hands on each of their shoulders, looking down at them. "Alright boys, time for bed."

At the same time they both let out a groan of protest, but I didn't let them say anything more, steering them away from the party, parting with a smile and a nod to the men. Both Hobbits jumped out of my grip, running excitedly ahead of me slightly like eager children, making me laugh lightly. It was reassuring to see my best friends so happy and cheerful after all that happened, and in spite of what was to come. Some part of me, after hearing their tale, had wished Treebeard had taken them back to the Shire; kept them from this war and safe, but they were what kept me going. It wasn't the want to destroy the dark lord that brought me to fight, I was more so doing this to protect them; keep my Hobbits from knowing suffering and being tainted by that evil. Nothing would touch them or the Shire; I would not allow it. Turning into the house which sheltered us, I caught a peek of Legolas staring out into the distance, a small smile gracing my lips. Unfortunately, Merry noticed and peered over to see what I was smiling at, a knowing look dawning on his face. "Ahhh~ Laila, I see you've taken a liking to the elven princeling." And of course, this immediately caught Pip's attention. "What, you mean Legolas? Surely not! Laila herself told us she'd never fall for some stuck up, elven prince who prances about with his nose in the air!"

Blushing, I glared at the two small people and pushed them inside our room as so Legolas couldn't hear them. "Would you two quiet down? Just because I said that years ago doesn't mean I can't change my mind. And besides, Legolas isn't arrogant or stuck up, or uninteresting in the least bit…." My sentence faded off as my cheeks grew even a darker shade of red, making the Hobbits chuckle to themselves.

"Pip, I think our Laila is in love~"

"Head-over-heals,"

"Completely and utterly,"

""In love"" They said in chorus.

Glaring, I turned and crawled into my makeshift bed compiled of multiple blankets. Stupid, annoying Hobbits; what did they know? How dare they tease me for loving someone! It's not like I was that unusual and strange of a female. So what if I liked battle and wearing leggings instead of dresses…. Letting out a huff of irritation, I ignored the cousins as they quietly chatted to themselves as they prepared for sleep, their conversation quickly fading into the background….

Pippin, what are you doing?

I just want to look at it one more time!

Pippin…..PIP!

The words coming from what I realized were my friends wasn't what woke me, it was the suddenly shift in the air; something cold and dark seemed to surround me. Bolting up, my eyes widened at the sight of Pippin's mouth open in a silent scream. I looked over at Merry, who was staring at his brother-like kin with fear and horror, "Laila! Help him!"

His words woke me from my stupor and I jumped up to my feet, just as Ada awoke and the door was thrown open by Aragorn and Legolas. I threw myself at the flailing Hobbit, grabbing the palantir from his grip and holding it in my own hands. My sense of presence in the room suddenly vanished, as if I had left the place of my slumber and I now stood in front of a burning eye, gazing down coldly at me. Elven princess…. Tell me where is it that you are hiding now; with your father? The fool believes humans can still win against me….You saw the blood shed of Helmsdeep; all of your kin dead before your eyes. That is what lies in wait for you and your people. You cannot escape….

Intense fear gripped at my heart and my soul. I couldn't think; all I wanted to do was run; escape from what he spoke of; my impending doom. Now, standing before the evil being who was creating all this war and strife; I wanted to hide and never be found, yet the only escape was death. And death felt like a more welcoming state than what awaited for me if I were to fight against the inevitable. There was no winning this; I had known that for so long now, but put false hope into a victory that would not come for me, or for men.

Saruman has failed me…..But with you in his stead, much can be made up…..Just tell me where the ring is….

I had no second thoughts of opening my mouth, the words so willing to slip from my tongue. I wanted nothing but to be spared from all of this; I just wanted to run and hide. Was this how my master felt, being subject to the eye and all its evil? Was he so overwhelmed that he could do nothing but hide and cower as I was doing? "The Halfling…..from the Shire…..he…." Frodo had no idea what was to happen. He was going to die because I sold him out…. And so was everyone else: Meriadoc and Peregrin, Ada and Mother, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli…..Could I hand their lives over on a silver platter to this evil to spare my own? Oh Varla…..I do not deserve their friendship… "He will bring you to an end. And there is not a thing your might can bring about that will stop him." I spat fiercely. How could I ever deserve such true friends when I myself waiver in fear? "Never again will I kneel to your might and will!" I screamed. A sudden roaring surrounded me, squishing me, trying to eliminate my existence and I fought back just as hard; for Mother and Father, for my kin, for my friends, for those whom I love, "FOR FRODO!"

The eye and the fire which had seemed to surround me disappeared in an instant as I was thrown to my back. The familiar surroundings of Rohan brought relief washing over me, though my hands burned in pain, and a pale face leaned over me, its lips moving though I was having a hard time understanding what it spoke.

"Laila, are you alright? Laila?"

Recognizing Legolas, I smiled a small grimace, pain overwhelming my hands as I tried to push myself to sit up. Noticing my hindrance, Legolas gently but sturdily grabbed my arm and helped me to sit up, supporting me, his fingers moving across my face. "Are you alright? You were whimpering and crying, and then the Palantir just exploded." The elf explained, his brow crinkled in concern.

Exploded? A small smile creped onto my lips as I remembered; for the first time, I had conquered my fears. I didn't just idly sit by and let my fears control me; I had won. Looking down at my hands, I stared at the burns that covered them….like they had been thrown into the flames; but that was okay. And then I remembered Pippin; he had been subjected to the same thing I had. Pushing myself up without a second thought, I joined Merry at my father's side, looking over Pippin in worry. At least he was breathing and alive, though frightened to no end and I pulled my friend into a tight embrace, Merry joining, "Fool of a Took." I whispered.

you tube. com/watch?v=RX-cEl3BWw

This is was a good drinking song I found that I listened to while writing this chapter out. I had a fun time writing and listening to this; I was seriously dancing in my chair xD But I think by far this is the best chapter I've wrote for this story. SO! A little romance between Laila and Legolas~ ;D Give me your thoughts and opinions! Even the criticism; it's helpful to me to know what I'm messing up x3