I have no excuses for the long time between updates - i hope this chapter makes up for the wait.

dreaming-world

"Legolas, wait up … Legolas!" Kezia called out for what felt like the hundredth time into the darkness of the Lothlórien. She had followed Legolas into the forest twenty minutes earlier and whilst she had started off certain she was close behind him she was getting tired rapidly of following him blindly. Once again, she received no response to her calls, feeling her temper flare at being ignored once again she yelled out into the forest "If I get bloody lost again I am one hundred percent blaming you this time! Has it ever occurred to your princely ass that I may have better things to do with my time than chase after a sulking princeling!"

Silence was her response, losing her ladylike dignity she shouted out into the gloom "Oh for fuck sake, fine sulk then, if anyone has the right to be pissed off right now it's me! I'm the one that been branded like cattle and the one person who should have told me decided I wasn't worth his time or thoughts. Well, being as were both bloody elves now we have all the time in the world being immortal and all that jazz so I am going to sit right here and not move until you grow a pair and come a discuss this like the adult your meant to be!" and with that proclamation she sat down at the base of a tree with a huff.

A further half an hour passed and whilst on the outside Kezia appeared calm and to be patiently waiting, inside she was seething with rage at the fact she was still sitting there. She did not wait for others, they waited for her, but being as she was generally respectful, she never made them wait as long as she was currently being made to. She was trying to keep calm knowing she needed a cool head for the awkward conversation that was yet to come but with each passing minute her grip on her temper slipped that bit further into fury. The only thing that kept her sitting in place as long as she had was the fact that she was stubborn, if she said she was going to do something, she did it, so if that meant sitting by a tree for a week, she would do it – just to prove a point. She just hoped that the someone would bring her food if it came to that, she didn't trust the hobbits wouldn't eat it all before it got to her. Luckily it didn't come to that as just over an hour later Legolas appeared from the gloom of the trees.

"Kezia go back, I wish to be alone" he spoke softly, not meeting her gaze.

Silence was his response, after a full five minutes of him standing there and not hearing her reply or get up and move, he finally turned his gaze to look at her, flinching as he met her gaze. The glare he was receiving was one that left him in no doubt of how pissed off she was, her piercing blue eyes bore into his under an arched eyebrow that reminded him so much of the disapproving glare his own father gave him, it still made him shudder now.

"Sit" was the harsh word she spat out when he looked at her. There was no request in her tone, it was a command. One he found himself automatically following and only questioning why once he had completed it.

"Talk" was her next command. Gone was the gentle yet energetic woman he had come to know on their travels. In the wilderness it had been easy to forget her upbringing was similar to his own, yet here before him sat Kezia, the born and bred Princess, used to her every whim and command being followed. She was making it clear that she was in charge of this situation, her will would be followed, and he would obey. She would take no prisoners in this conversation but that was something Legolas actually found reassuring, this would be the brutally honest reckoning they needed to have to clear the air and allow each other to know exactly where they stood with their current predicament. It was what they needed … but finding the words suddenly eluded him. He had waited for this moment for over a millennium, he had practised in his mind thousands of times how his first conversation with his soul mate would go but now … now it had all gone awry. She was angry not elated. Glaring not smiling. From another realm not Middle Earth. Formally human not elven kind. Now he knew why Aragorn found such mirth in his situation, he truly had no idea how to have this conversation with the fiery redhead from another realm who was not accustom to their traditions. It suddenly felt like a daunting task rather than a joyous moment. Looking in her eyes did not fill him with the hope that this conversation would go well, she looked like she was ready to remove his head for him. Thinking back to her rant earlier he came to a thought that displeased him and maybe gave him a starting point.

"You are always in my thoughts and have been since the day we met, there has never been an hour you have not graced them and my time will always be yours should you wish it so. It saddens me greatly that I have led you to believe otherwise with my actions." He spoke softly breaking the silence that had fallen again.

He saw her face soften slightly at his words along with a little surprise flitting across her face before she once more schooled her expression. Clearly, she had not been expecting him to say what he had, feeling a little more hopeful he continued.

"You know we are bonded?" he questioned and received a stiff nod from her as an answer. "Please believe me when I say this was not how I intend you to find out"

Her eyebrow once more arched and he knew immediately he had said the wrong thing.

"Oh really, and how did you intend for me to find out when you clearly knew what was happening but failed to tell me. Do you realise I thought this was another change I was going through; an odd tattoo like mark to match the odd gem in my chest. Do you know how scared I felt this morning finding it? It wasn't until Haldir told me that it was a bond mark that I could stop panicking. Only I couldn't really because it was then very clear that you wished to have nothing to do with this soul bond thing by not telling me and pretending it didn't exist when you have borne this mark for years and according to Haldir it's for life and cannot be broken so you are kind of stuck with me and I'm sorry for that. No one should be forced to be with someone they don't want to be with, I understand that fully, it's why I ran away from my own family in my realm but at least I did them the courtesy of informing them of my displeasure, unlike you. If you had spoken to me earlier, we could have come to some sort of agreement rather than you going off at Haldir over some bond you apparently feel obligated to defend despite trying to ignore its existence." Her voiced started to lose some of its anger after her rant and she ended quietly saying "I thought after everything we have been through together, I was at least your friend, someone you could talk to honestly and confide in."

Throughout her speech Legolas went through a variety of emotions, guilt that he didn't tell her sooner and made her scared for no reason. Anger, that it had been Haldir how had told her, his territorial side flaring up again at the mere mention of his name and horror at the thought that she had already tried to find a way to break their bond. But the one thing that struck him the most was that it was clear she believed he had rejected the bond and rejected her. She seemed to believe that the bond had forced him act against Haldir against his will when actually it was the complete opposite. His acceptance of their soulmate bond was what had driven him to defend what the bond marked as his. His heart shattered a bit when he heard her doubt their friendship, despite everything that had happened he had counted on her friendship as a basis for them to move forward, he was only just beginning to realise the full impact of his actions.

Groaning he rubbed his face with both hands "This is so wrong" he muttered comparing his fantasy of finding his soul mate compared to the mess he had made in reality. He also had forgotten about her new elven hearing and even a mutter carried clearly through the forest. She was on her feet in a heartbeat, she had moved so quickly it had startled him to look up at her, for a moment she looked so hurt and vulnerable, then, her facial expression became that emotionless mask he hated. One he knew went up as a defence mechanism, show no emotion and no one can hurt you.

She spoke quietly, barely a whisper before her voice turned to ice as she responded to him, "This is wrong? … I believe we both understand each other's views now and that is all I asked for, thank you for your time this evening Legolas" and with that she turned and walked away leaving a shocked Legolas sitting against a tree. He felt a sudden burn on his wrist where he knew his soul mark was and realised instantly what Kezia thought, that he had called their soul bond wrong and also their friendship. He was on his feet and running after her within seconds.

"No, no, no, you've got it wrong, Kezia … Kezia stop … Kezia please listen to me" he said catching up and grabbing hold of her hand and spinning her round to face him. "I meant this situation is wrong, how I, as your soul mate should have told, not another elf, that I should have explained what the soul bond is, how it works and what it does rather than leave you to guess and make assumptions. What I am trying to say is the way I have handled this is wrong, not you, not us, not our friendship and whatever else we could be. Please let me explain it all to you, and then once you have heard everything you can make your decision about whether to reject our bond. Please Kezia, I have waited longer than you know to meet my soul mate, I began to think that maybe I never would find them and then I met you and every single one of those years I spent waiting and searching for you was worth it. I have dreamt up every possible way to have this conversation yet none of them included a woman from another realm who knows nothing of soul bonds and I have gone about this so wrong. I thought you needed space due to all the changes you were going through, and I was prepared to wait, a few more days compared to the centuries I have waited was nothing when I thought I was sparing you from being overwhelmed with further changes, but I should have given you that choice. By not telling you I have damaged our bond before it is even completed and before you have a chance to fully understand what it means for both of us. Please just don't reject it … don't reject me until you know everything"

Legolas knew he had lost his composure the second he had opened his mouth, he was all but begging her to listen to him, but he was terrified of what the burning in his soul mark meant. Either that a soulmate was in mortal peril or the bond was being rejected, he was losing her before he even got her. Staring pleadingly into her eyes he repeated once more "Please." She stared back her blue eyes piercing him, searching for something, whatever it was she was looking for she clearly found, after a moment she gave a subtle nod and Legolas let out a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding.

Still holding her wrist, he loosened his grasp slightly but led her towards a fallen tree trunk to sit upon. Once there he spent a few moments trying to quickly put together everything he needed to tell her before starting after drawing in a long shuddering breath.

"Kezia, the first thing I need you to know is how much I want this to work. I know this must be very different from what you are used to in your realm, but I will explain it the best I can and if you have any questions I will answer them all. I understand that this is going to take some time for you to get used to and I am willing to wait for you, no matter how long it is, days or years, I have finally found my soul mate and I have no intention of letting you go even if that means I too have to travel across realms to follow you, I will do that for us." Her eyes widen in surprise at his statement, but he meant every word of it. He had waited to long to give up on his soul bond now.

"A soul bond is a rare blessing bestowed upon elven kind by the Valar. Two souls that destined to be together are identified by a soul mark. The marks generally appear at a young age, I have had my mark since birth, sometimes both souls already have there mark when they first meet, other times only one soul has the mark and upon first physical contact with their mate the mark is transferred to them. As was the case with our mark. Like I have said soul bonds are rare and often only appear when the Valar foresee a great change in the future, the chosen soul mates throughout history have all had a great hand in significant events that have shaped Middle Earth. Do you understand everything so far?" he questioned gently.

"I believe so, the Valar have once again taken delight in changing my life without my consent." She said almost grumbling.

"I know it is difficult to accept but here in Middle Earth receiving a soul bond is a high honour, one that is wished for by many and respected by all. It signifies the union of two peoples, mind, body and soul, this joining of souls relies on the complete trust, faith and love of the soul mates to the point that even their lifeforce is joined." Noticing her frown, he paused sensing she had a question.

"What do you mean by their life force is joined?"

"For example, should one of us become gravely wounded the life force of the other would keep us tethered to the land of the living rather than passing on."

"So basically, whilst one of us is alive the other cannot die, or if somebody wanted to kill one of us they would have to kill both of us."

"A morbid idea but yes, they would need to kill both of us or at least gravely wound both of us to the point even a joined life force could not maintain both of us." He paused again as she looked thoughtful but then motioned for him to continue a few moments later.

"I want you to know that this soul bond does not effect who we are or how we feel about each other, the mark acts only as a visible symbol to help soulmates locate each other and to ward off other potential partners. The bond will draw us together, perhaps your have felt this pull?" she hesitated before nodding, Legolas felt some small amount of relief knowing that she too had felt something of the bonds effect.

"I believe this is something that is important to you, but our bond does not create feelings that were not already there, it can enhance them, but it does not fabricate them. What I am trying to say is that even without this bond I would have loved you, I would still have sought out your company and affection, our bond does not change how we feel or dictate who we are or what we will become."

Her eyes snapped up to him at his confession "You love me?" she sounded so surprised and unsure. "But you barely know me"

He softly took her hands in his and spoke softly "Kezia, I know enough to want to more about you, I want to know everything about you and we will have eternity together to discover each other. I believe courtship amongst man kind is vastly different to Elven, for man I think that those wishing to be together first court each other for several months before pledging themselves. For elves when we find someone our heart and soul connects with, we pledge ourselves first to them, as we have many lifetimes to learn, develop and grow as soulmates. Kezia, I would have pledge myself to you the moment you returned to the fellowship had I thought that this is what you wanted. Everything is so new to you, not only with your transition to elven kind but also to this realm, I did not want to overstep any boundaries that may exist in your realm."

She responded quietly to him, her eyes not meeting his gaze instead looking down at their clasped hands.

"In my realm we do much the same thing as mankind here, though it has not been called courtship for the last hundred years, we call it dating now, some people date more than one person at a time in a bid to find their perfect partner. We also have something called soul mates, but it is just a term used when people believe they have found the love of their life rather than an actual soul bonding. People who come from nobility or royalty however do not have the luxury to date or look for their perfect partner. Our future is decreed by what the union could offer the families in the future, wealth, land, heirs. Love for me became a fairy tale, one that I knew I would never find if I continued to live as a Princess, that's why I ran Legolas, to escape a future dictated to me by others, to escape a loveless life of loneliness and misery. To me the soul bond seems just another force trying to dictate who I am to love, and it scares the hell out of me that I feel this undeniable pull to you, one that I have no control over. I find myself seeking you out for no other reason than to simply be closer to you. But I know Legolas that right now, I cannot give you what you are seeking, I know I feel something for you, I won't deny that but … but I need time, and even then, I may not be able to give you everything this bond represents to you. I'm sorry Legolas."

"Kezia do not be sorry for speaking your heart. You have done as I have asked and listened to my explanation before making any judgement. I knew that you would not be able to accept everything our bond represents immediately, and you have given me cause for joy that you are taking time to consider our union rather than rejecting it outright. If I have already waited over a millennia for your appearance, I can wait a bit longer for you to be comfortable with our bond" he said smiling gently at her, then frowning as he saw her freeze.

"Tell me your joking right?" she said after a moment of silence.

"Kezia, I would never jest about something as serious and important as this"

"A millennia? You've waited for me for a millennia? As in over a thousand years?" she responded, her questions spilling from her lips in a frenzy.

"If you want an accurate figure it has been for two thousand nine hundred and thirty one years since I received my soul mark" he smirked seeing her eyes widen further and her lips part in a gasp.

"Over two thousand years? You're over two thousand years old?"

He nodded trying to hold in his amusement. He had always found it amusing when mankind learnt his age, compared to his appearance he looked to be about in his early twenties by mans point of view.

"Oh my god, I'm going to be dating an old man, like a really old man, ancient even" she gasped.

Legolas grin widened when he heard her words,

"Kezia, may I consider us to be dating then by your realms traditions?" he queried and took delight in watching a faint blush dust her cheeks as she realised her earlier slip up.

"I … erm, well …. I don't mind … if you want to I mean" she rambled out quietly.

Legolas managed to hide his smirk at seeing the usually composed redhead become flustered.

"Kezia, it would be my absolute honour to date you, my understanding is that this is similar to mans courtship tradition and is done before pledging, is that correct?"

Her face was still slightly pink as she nodded, again not meeting his eyes.

"I am not familiar with the full extent of what dating or mankind's courtship so please tell me if I am overstepping any boundaries in your traditions."

"I will … and please let me know if I am doing something wrong by elven standards."

"Of course … we made a right mess of this didn't we?" she asked, once again looking down at their joined hands.

"Hmmmm, it didn't quite go as I planned but we seemed to have found a solution that works for both of us" he said before lifting her hand and brushing his lips lightly against her knuckles. Looking up he once again saw a delightful dusting of blush appear on her cheeks.

"Oh wipe that smirk of your face princeling" she grumbled looking away attempting to pull her hand away.

"I'm afraid my love I cannot, not when my mate looks so breathtakingly beautiful when she blushes" he responded, his smirk widening when he saw her blush darken.

"Stop teasing me" she said beginning to look uncertain.

"I would never tease you Kezia, but if this is making you uncomfortable, I will stop" he said lowering her hand.

"You're not … you're not making me uncomfortable … I'm just not used to… to this kind of attention." She said quietly, stumbling over her words.

Legolas paused for a moment, absorbing the implications of what she had said, secretly pleased if what he thought was true and that he was the only one to have touched his mate with affection and love.

"Forgive me my love, from the way you talked about courtship I thought this was something you had experienced before" he responded gently, hoping it would prompt her to confirm what he thought.

"I have …" Legolas thoughts immediately darkened, not liking the thought someone other than himself had touched his mate. "…but this is different. Before I had no choice, my father choose my suitors. I met and dated them as I was expected - wine, dine and back for nine – that's what I called it. Every time it followed the same pattern, boring conversations, discussion of expectation and benefits to the families involved, hand holding, a kiss to end the evening. There were never any emotions involved, no connection to them." She paused before looking at him "I'm not naïve Legolas if that was what you were thinking, I've had it drilled into my mind what was expected of me from whoever my father chose to be my husband. This…" she gestured at their entwined hands, "this isn't new to me, but it feels different … I actually feel something, maybe because for the first time it's my choice … sorry I'm ramblingly" she apologised.

"You never need to apologize to me my love, I thought maybe I had already overstepped the bounds of the courtship you are used to. I had forgotten that your position was something similar to mine growing up, it has been many centuries since my father last tried to force a union on me. I suppose I have you to thank for ending that" he smiled at her before noticing her confused look.

"Our soul mark ended most of the arrangements my father tried to plan, no Lord wanted to tie their daughter to a man who would only leave them when their soulmate appeared. It vexed my father no end, he respected the soul bond, but it certainly hampered quite a few political alliances, in the end he gave up knowing that whatever union was doomed to fail."

"Your bloody lucky, I never had that excuse" she grumbled "I had to go to every single bloody date no matter how obnoxious they were. I was pawn in their game, a bargaining chip to negotiate business deals for my father … does it make me a bad person if I say I don't miss them … my family, from what I remember of them we never had a happy relationship, we tolerated each other existence because that was what was expected of us. I was never accepted for who I was but moulded into what they needed, here … with you and with the fellowship I feel accepted, like I don't need to pretend to be what I'm not."

"It does not make you a bad person my love, it just means you have a strong spirit that cannot be crushed, you've found where you need to be. You never need to be someone you're not with me, I love you for who you are. Everything about you entrances me, I would not change you for all the riches in the world"

She nudged his shoulder, "I forgot you were a smooth talker"

He winked at her before kissing her knuckles again, this time she rolled her eyes shaking her head at his antics.

He watched as her hair fluttered around her, reaching out he brushed it gently out her face.

"If I you would allow Kezia, please would let me braid your hair?" he asked softly staring into her eyes.

"…you want to braid my hair? Why?" she asked looking confused.

"It is part of Elven tradition, there are different braid to represent different status and roles. For example my braids indicated that I am a warrior and a prince." He paused as she softly touched his braid enjoying the feeling of her hands in his hair.

"I always wondered if they meant anything or were a style choice" she commented, "what braid would you want to do in mine? I'm hardly a warrior and am the princess of nothing"

"You will always be a princess Kezia." He said focusing back on the conversation rather than her hands which were still absentmindedly twirling his braids in her hands. "I would like to add the braid that is used to show maidens who have been pledge, it marks that they have accepted another as their mate or partner."

"In other words, it's a hairstyle that shows everyone I'm with you and off the market so to say" she responded a wry smile on her face, an eyebrow arched in challenge.

Legolas had the decency to look a little sheepish knowing he had been caught doing exactly what she assumed.

Sighing, she responded "Will that mean won't growl at Haldir next time you see him?" she queried

Legolas looked away from her ashamed of his early actions. "Forgive me I acted impulsively and without thought" he apologized.

"Hey …" she said, gently taking hold of his face in her hands to turn him back to her "if I'm not allowed to apologize to you, you shouldn't apologise to me. If braiding my hair is important to you and makes you more comfortable in this relationship than it's fine with me. You've made a lot of concessions for me already, I think I can allow you to braid my hair" she said smiling whilst gently stroking her thumb across his cheek. He felt himself lean in to her touch, his eyes fluttering closed in contentment.

The next thing he was aware of was her gasping in shock. His eyes flew open to meet her blue eyes widen in surprise. "You're purring" she gasped.

He chuckled, "Yes, when we are pleased, and contents elves can purr, generally this is only done between those who have pledged."

She joined him chuckling, "So you can growl and purr … anything else I should know?"

"No, that is all the noise you should expect … oh we occasionally hiss but only if we feel threatened, so you should never expect to hear that from me" he said.

After another pause whilst she took this all in she nodded in acceptance.

"May I?" he asked taking her scarlet hair in his fingers. Once again receiving a nod from her before she turned her back to him to allow him to braid her hair.

They were silent as his fingers moved deftly from the hair at her temple carefully avoiding her sensitive ear knowing it was a step to far whilst she was still adapting to the bond, he gradually twisted her hair to create the intricate braid that went to the very ends of her hair. Releasing it, it seamlessly blended in with the rest of her hair, brushing his fingers once more through her hair, he noticed that she had leaned back into his touch whilst he had been braiding. Her back was now gently resting against his chest. He felt warmth bubble in his chest seeing her so relaxed and a peace in his presence and under his touch. Gently he moved his arms around her to embrace her from behind, pressing a soft kiss on top of her head he noticed her shiver against him. Smiling, he was happy to remain as they were and not push her any further tonight.

How long they stayed like that, enjoying each other's embrace he did not know until the first light of dawn began to filter through the trees and he realised they had been there all night. Knowing it would not be long until the fellowship began to wake in camp, he knew they needed to return before then to avoid questions that he was not sure if she was comfortable with yet.

Sighing, he tightened his arms round her briefly before releasing her.

"What is it?" she questioned sitting up, moving away slightly so she could face him. He missed her warmth already and the feeling of her in his arms. Taking her hand he responded "The camp will be awake shortly, we should return before they are up unless you want to deal with a hundred questions from the hobbits as to where we have been?"

She chuckled "I think you mean a thousand questions … I have no idea what we would even tell them."

"We tell them nothing if you are not comfortable with it. Though I am not sure how long we can keep this from them"

"I don't want to hide things from them or sneak around like teenagers" she said a frown on face.

"How about this then, if they ask or get suspicious, we tell them then. That will give us time to ourselves before the inquisition begins." He reasoned squeezing her hand slightly in reassurance.

She gave him a tentative smile before nodding. Legolas stood up, pulling her up with him, gently he stoked his hand across her cheek his fingertips brushing against her lips. He glanced into her eyes seeking approval before lowering his lips to meet hers.

He meant to brush lightly against her rose lips but as soon their lips touched he felt a warmth bubble in his chest which urged him to press forward harder. His hands tangled in her hair and he felt her gasp against his lips. Taking advantage of the opportunity he slid he tongue between her lips, feeling ecstasy explode in his chest as he felt her respond to his kiss in battle for dominance. Her hands had grabbed onto his tunic pulling him closer to her, their bodies melding together. Winning the battle he withdrew his tongue to nibble on her lip, hearing her moan lightly in response he felt a his chest rumble as he purred in pleasure. Pushing further he felt them bump against a tree, pulling away from her lips he dived towards her neck lavishing open mouth kiss against her skin hearing her moan and whimper as he ground himself against her, his own moans joining hers as she directed him back to her luscious lips. After a few more heated moments with great reluctance he pulled himself away, his chest heaving much like hers. When he took in her flushed complexion and swollen lips, his eyes darkened in lust and he nearly went back in for another taste, barely managing to restrain himself from doing so he took a step away to put some distance between them.

"Well that was intense" she mumbled after a few moments.

Chuckling in agreement Legolas responded "I should apologise for my lack of decorum but I cannot find it in myself to regret that kiss, you truly are a gift from the Valor my love"

Smirking she winked at him before pushing herself off the tree, "Come we should get back" she went to take his hand but he moved away causing her to frown.

"Go ahead without me Kezia, I will wait here a few moments"

Her frown deepened momentarily before she once again smirked as she spotted his tented leggings understanding the reason he needed to remain behind.

"Wipe that smirk of your face Princess" he muttered, repeating her earlier words to him, feeling the heat of a blush coat his face.

"I'm afraid my love I cannot, not when my mate looks so breathtakingly handsome when he blushes" she quipped back her smirk widening as she slowly drew her eyes down his body appraisingly before once again winking at him.

"You little minx" he said feeling heat pool in his groin as he saw the blatant lust in her eyes. Chuckling she began to turn away to walk back towards camp.

"Why do I feel like I am going to suffer greatly over the next few days" he moaned in frustration, knowing he would have to deny his urges.

Looking over her shoulder a smirk still firmly on her face "The perks of being a woman … we are somewhat better at hiding our affections than men." She said before walking away.

"That almost sounds like a challenge Kezia… are you sure you wish to play with fire"

He heard his chuckling in the distance, "Oh Legolas, boys who play with fire tend to get burnt" and then she was gone.

Oh he was going to make her regret that, he would bring her to her knees before the week was out. His mind filled with lustful thoughts as he planned how to achieve his victory. None of those thoughts helped his throbbing problem in his leggings, growling in frustration he cleared his mind and attempted to meditate.

It was over an hour later before he was able to return to camp, Kezia's waiting smirk and arched eyebrow nearly undoing the calm meditative state he had achieved as he felt warmth begin to trickle down to his groin again. He heard her chuckle before she turned to help Sam with breakfast, rubbing his hand across his face he turned away to distract himself only to be met with a large grin plastered on Aragorn's face. Groaning he walked quickly into his tent … it was going to be a long week.

I hoped you enjoyed it, as always fav/follow/review. I love to hear from you guys.

dreaming-world