Disclaimer: Don't own anything. Wish I have my own private Legolas though =) Please, please review. They are my fuel.

Sorry for not updating for such a long time. I've been really busy lately. Just want to update so people know I haven't abandoned this story yet =)

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Chapter 2: Decisions

Aragorn stood paralyzed as the scenes from his nightmare replayed before his eyes. Was it truly his Prince before him, memories erased by some spell; or was it another Watcher in Legolas' form, a stranger altogether? And even if the Golden Elf had indeed returned, they still could not be together, not when Legolas had no memories of their love. The Man was beginning to despair when his son approached him with his 'new friend' in tow.

The Elf could feel his heart beat faster as each step took him closer to the handsome Man who held the key to his past. Now that they were near enough to touch, his stomach was in knots as he awaited the dark-haired stranger's reaction. He held his breath, wishing with all his heart that the Man would take him into his arms and kiss him senseless. Yet, where such a desire came from, the Elf did not know. His mind knew it was not wise to blunder blindly into things he did not understand. But his heart sang of an overwhelming love for the stranger, a connection so strong that even death could not break. With no memories to guide his actions, the Elf decided to trust his heart. "Do I know you, my lord?"

The gold-haired beauty's question sliced through the pain that had immobilized Aragorn. The Man could hear a trace of recognition and tenderness in the exquisite Elf's lilting voice. Though it was not much, it gave Aragorn reason to hope again. "Perhaps. You are the mirror image of a dear friend I lost years ago. Why do you ask?"

"Because you are the one who guided me back to this world, my Lord," answered the Elf quietly, so soft that Aragorn had to strain to hear it.

All else vanished from Aragorn's senses as he digested the Golden Elf's words. It was indeed Legolas standing before him; and despite the lack of memories, his Prince's heart remembered him still. Their love had guided Legolas back to his side; it would be only a matter of time before it overcame the magic that suppressed the Golden Prince's memories. After so many years of being apart, they finally had a chance to find happiness together. Gathering his Elf in a tight embrace, Aragorn whispered, "I never thought I would see you again, Legolas."

"Legolas..." whispered the Golden Elf as he absorbed this new piece of information. It felt so right to be in this Human's arms; this was where he belonged. A spark of recognition twinkled in the fog that obscured his memories, telling him there was nothing to fear as long as the familiar stranger was by his side. Together, there was nothing their love could not overcome.

"Legolas...yes, that is my name," muttered the amnesic into the crook of the king's neck.

As much as Aragorn hated to let his Elf go, he knew it was too dangerous to linger on this hillside any longer. Their enemies might return in greater numbers; and he would not risk putting Legolas in harm's way. They needed to find somewhere safe and private for a proper reunion. Releasing the Prince from his embrace, the Man asked, "Perhaps you will come with us to Edoras. There is so much I need to tell you."

Legolas offered the Human a smile and nodded, "I would love that, my Lord."

"Please, call me Aragorn," replied the King with a fond smile.

As the pleasant shock of finding his beloved again wore off, the Man became conscious for the first time of the looks his soldiers were casting his way. Aragorn knew the soldiers were wondering about the nature of the relationship between himself and the Golden Elf. Humans, in general, were not accepting of their kind of love. While he was not ashamed of his feelings, he feared public displays of his affections would galvanize the Men against Legolas. Perhaps it would be wise to keep a respectable distance until the warriors accepted the Elven Prince as one of their own. Given his beloved's noble and vibrant nature, Aragorn was certain the soldiers would learn to respect and admire the golden beauty in time.

The Elf could sense that something troubled Aragorn. He looked up to find the soldiers regarding him with scorn and barely veiled hostility. He frowned, wondering if he had done something in the past to irk the warriors. But tried as he might, no recollection returned. "Aragorn, have I done something to anger your men in the past?"

Smiling reassuringly, the King of Gondor replied, "No, Legolas, you have done nothing wrong." He wanted to take the Prince's hand to give it a gentle squeeze of support, but he knew such gesture would disturb the soldiers even more. Instead, he motioned for the Elf to come as he continued, "Let us go. We will talk more in Edoras."

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The young Prince of Gondor was surprised by his father's show of fondness for their new friend. While Aragorn was always a warming and loving parent, he had always been reserved when dealing with non-family members. It was the first time Eldarion had ever seen his sire so unguarded, his love for the golden-haired Elf radiating from his every gesture for all to see. The young Prince could not help but wonder if there were more between his father and this dear 'friend' than plain friendship.

Eldarion had been raised to respect love of all forms, as long as it was truly from the heart. The thought of his father having a long-lost male Elven lover did not disturb him. What was appalling was the idea of Legolas replacing his mother's place in their lives. He loved the departed Arwen dearly; he would NEVER accept anyone else as a substitute, not Kathleen, not this stranger whom they had just met. But given the obvious love Aragorn had for the Golden Elf, the young Prince knew his fear might soon come to pass

Legolas noticed the tension in the youth beside him. Mistaking it for post- battle anxiety, the Elf smiled and laid a gentle hand on the boy's back. "You did well in battle today. I can see you becoming a great warrior with time."

Shrugging the encouraging hand off violently, Eldarion snarled, "Don't touch me! I don't need reassurances from you. You are no one to me!" With that, he left a very confused Elf behind.

Having witnessed the whole exchange from his vantage point, Éomer moved to join the Elf to offer his sympathies. "I am Éomer, King of Rohan. I welcome you to my lands. Eldarion lost his mother a few months ago. He is hostile towards anyone who shows interest in his father or vice versa. Just give him time."

With a small smile, Legolas nodded. He walked beside Éomer, contemplating whether to ask the question that was burning in his mind. He knew it was probably not a wise thing to do, but he *needed* to know. "My lord, about what you said before. Did you mean that Lord Aragorn is interested in *me*?"

Éomer was a straightforward Man who preferred not to meddle into other people's personal lives. But having observed Aragorn's behavior earlier, he was certain that the older Man would consider his duty as a father and a King before his own happiness. Aragorn would not act on his feelings until Legolas had the approval of his children and his people.

Under normal circumstances, waiting might be a good thing. But this was not exactly a normal situation. It was clear that strange magic was at work; it was possible that the two lovers might have only a limited time together. Éomer could not stand by and watch his friend waste time with his inaction. He would give Aragorn and Legolas a hand. "Yes. I do not know the whole story, but I know he loves you with all his heart."

"And I feel for him the same way, though I do not know why," whispered Legolas, confiding in the only Man, besides Aragorn, who did not seem to hate him.

"Do the reasons really matter?" asked Éomer gently, taking note of the insecurity in the Golden Elf's voice. He knew there was not much more he could say to assuage Legolas' doubts; he would need to prod Aragorn into action to ascertain the Elf's fears did not become rooted in his heart.

"I suppose not," said the Golden Elf with a sigh.

Legolas knew Éomer was right; the past did not truly matter. What mattered was how he felt now, and what he would do about his feelings. Part of him was eager to declare his love, to claim Aragorn as lover. But he had noticed how the King of Gondor had grown reserved in showing affections for him upon seeing the disdainful looks of the Men. Perhaps Aragorn would not appreciate a rash show of love on his part. With no memories of what was acceptable behavior among Men, Legolas felt he had no choice but to follow his beloved's lead. Despite the promptings of his heart, he would wait until Aragorn approached him.

Sensing that the King of the Mark's worried gaze on him, Legolas smiled and reassured, "I thank you for your concern, my lord. I know what I must do."

Éomer was tempted to pursue this discussion further, but he did not want to pry. It was clear that Legolas had made up his mind on how to proceed concerning Aragorn. The young King would learn of the Elf's decision from his behavior in due time. With a friendly smile, the Rohirrim replied, "That is good to hear, my friend. And I must insist that you call me Éomer."

"As you wish, friend Éomer. I do not know what strength is in me, but I will offer my services as it is to help you fight the ones who encroached upon your lands," said the Golden Elf as he put his hand to his chest and bowed.

This was the salute of a warrior to another, a small voice on his head told him. Surprised at this sudden sparkle of recognition, Legolas wondered if his memories had not deserted him as completely as it seemed. Perhaps it would return to him in time. Such was a comforting thought for he had a feeling he would need his memories to guide him in becoming a part of this World again.

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It was stressful, trying to please people determined to see fault in everything he did. Haldir was a patient Elf; but the constant strain of fighting for acceptance among the Rohirrim was getting to him. Never before had he been tempted to lash out at another in frustration; but now, he had the urge to pound the captain of Éomer's guards senseless as the Man and Lady Kathleen needled him with thinly veiled barbs.

It irked the Guardian of Lòrien that his lover had asked him to stay behind to guard the carriage. Given his vast experience, he was better qualified to ride by Éomer's side than any of the Rohirrims. How was he supposed to gain the horse-lords' trust if the king kept treating him like a fragile creature that could not even take care of himself?

Haldir's musing was cut short when Éomer's group rode into his hearing range. Gliding towards the Man he wanted to pummel but could not, the Lòrien Elf said, "Ceorl, the king and his riders returns."

Batting her eyes in an overdramatic fashion, Kathleen smiled, "That is wonderful news, Master Elf. Perhaps you would like to join me in freshening up before meeting his Highness."

The Men snickered at the lady's insinuation that Haldir was an effeminate 'male courtesan'. It took every ounce of restraint on the Elf's part to not respond with a mean-spirited retort. Instead, the Guardian took a deep breath and answered, "No, milady, but thank you for the invitation."

Watching the smug smile on Kathleen's face as she disappeared into the carriage, Haldir could not help but wonder if he had made a mistake in coming to Rohan. He would love to give Legolas a piece of his mind for urging him into this if he ever had the chance of seeing the Uruk-Hai/ Eternal Watcher again.

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Haldir was mesmerized the moment the riders came into view, his keen eyes fixed upon the exquisite Elf riding with the group. The sight of the golden-haired beauty triggered the return of a memory long lost, the memory of a chance meeting that had changed his life. This perfect Golden Prince was the one who had enchanted him on first sight, the one who awoke in him the first stirrings of desire for a male lover. He did not know how he could have forgotten. "Legolas."

Things slowly began to fall into place in the astute Lòrien Elf's mind. Legolas, the Watcher/Uruk-Hai who had helped them in their fight against Morn-ndùath, had inhabited the body of an Elven Prince once. As the exquisite Elf, Legolas had captured the attention of many. And it was during that lifetime that he had found true love with Aragorn. Some evil magic must have taken his Elven form, along with everyone's memories of him. But it was not enough to stop him from watching over the one he loved or fighting by the Man's side in his hour of need. His love and sacrifice must have touched the Vala; they had granted him a second chance to find happiness with Aragorn as the Golden Prince he once was.

"Mae govannen, mellon nîn, [Well met, my friend]" said Haldir as he greeted the Golden Elf standing beside the King of the Mark.

"Istannen im lle? [Am I known to you]" asked Legolas, surprised to find one of his kindred among the Men. There was also the fact that the silver- haired Elven had called him a friend. Perhaps they had met before in the past that he could not recall.

When Haldir frowned, wondering if his assessment of the situation was incorrect, his lover explained, "Legolas has lost his memory."

"I see. He remembers less of us than we do of him then," whispered the silver-haired Elf, his attention shifting from Legolas to Aragorn.

It was clear that King Elessar had yet to publicly claimed the Golden Prince as his own. Given Haldir's own unhappy situation in Rohan, perhaps it would be wise to warn Legolas against pursuing a relationship with the Gondorian. Yet, the Lórien Elf knew better than most the depth of the golden-haired beauty's love for Aragorn; Legolas would never be happy with anyone else. He could not in his right conscious speak as his mind had counseled. Instead, he spoke the words he believed Legolas would have said if their situation were reversed. "Im Haldir o Lòrien. Minlû pedich nîn i meleth edra nîn men. Ú-gosto, Legolas, le renthach. [I am Haldir of Lòrien. You told me once that love would guide me. Do not fear, Legolas; you will remember.]"

The Golden Elf could still feel the soldiers' disapproving looks, but his kindred's words gave him the courage to face them with pride. He knew now that Haldir rode with these Men to be close to his Human lover. Though he could not remember it, Legolas *knew* he played an important part in the Lòrien Elf's decision to follow his heart despite all obstacles. If Haldir had the strength to stand proudly by his lover's side and fight for acceptance in the World of Men, Legolas was certain he could do it also. He might have lost his memories, but he would not lose faith in the strength of his love. He would fight and earn his place by Aragorn's side.

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