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Sleeping Beauty	By : SilentNiobe Category: -Multi-Age > Het - Male/Female Views: 6613 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Author's Note: Happy New Year everyone! I am afraid my return back home has distracted me too much from everything... and then there's Edward Cullen. Chasing away all those plot bunnies was quite time consuming, I'm afraid. Anyway, the good news I managed to gather my wits and update! Actually I am planning on posting another chapter before I go back to England and get lost in my books again, so don't hate me too much :-P Please believe me when I say that, when somebody gets so amazing reviews like the ones you leave for this story, it's impossible to give up on it. So thank you, again, for being so loyal to Sleeping Beauty; it means the world to me.
Disclaimer: See Prologue.
italics: thoughts
Chapter 13 – Fairytale gone bad
The light coming from the small window slowly roused Alice from her sleep. Her eyes fluttered for a few moments, before they lazily opened and she found herself staring at the back of a plane seat. Her sleepy mind found the view in front of her strange. What was she doing on a plane? Slowly the events from the day before settled in; her heart picked up speed, the cold sensation in her stomach announcing the panic that would soon seize her.
“Alice?” Johan’s concerned voice made her turn her head. “You look pale.”
It took her several breaths to gather her thoughts and make her vocal chords work.
“I… I didn’t dream, Johan…” she said in a barely audible voice.
Johan shook his head confused.
“Wha- What do you mean ‘you didn’t dream’?”
“I didn’t dream of him… I…- …he’s always there, Johan!”
Her voice had risen in volume and Johan looked around to find some people woken up because of her cousin’s outburst and staring at them in annoyance.
“Ssshhhh! Alice keep it down!” he reproached her in a sharp whisper and started rubbing her arm in a comforting gesture. “Calm down and tell me what’s wrong.”
Alice sighed and run her hands through her hair.
“I didn’t dream of Legolas, Johan. It’s the first night in a whole week,” she explained in a calmer manner trying to suppress the panic welling inside her, watching as Johan’s features changed into comprehension.
“So what? I mean… do you dream of him every night?”
“Yes, each and every night for the past week!”
Stating the fact out loud loosened her defenses and panic engulfed her whole being. She could feel herself shivering in an attempt to control it, Johan’s hands coming back to life from where they had frozen and trying to calm her down once more. What was wrong? Why hadn’t he visited her like he did every night? She hadn’t dreamt at all… Her sleep was a dark blank and she didn’t remember even a small fraction of any dream…
“Maybe you were tired? Maybe it’s because we’re on a plane? Maybe you don’t remember, Alice!”
Johan was not as quick as Alice to panic. There could be many reasons why she hadn’t dreamt that night. After all, everything had happened too fast for anything to be expected. He could tell from the frown on her face what disturbing thoughts were running through his cousin’s mind at the moment, one seeming the most obvious: that it had all been her imagination, after all. Reaching out, he placed his hand on the emerald heart hanging from her neck.
“He’s real, Freckles,” he told her with conviction, keeping her eyes locked with his. “He’s real and we’re going to find him.”
Alice finally took control of her reactions and nodded, the necklace serving as a concrete evidence of her sanity. Her heart, however, was still in turmoil. Why? Where are you Legolas? She had never thought a night away from him would upset her like this; in such a short time, she had already begun to crave the feel of his soft touch, his soothing presence, his velvety voice… Had she offended him so much? Was he tired of pleading with her to believe him? But why did he have to disappear now that she finally did!
“I think he’s mad at you for your behavior the last time you met,” Johan voiced her thoughts. “It’ll pass. Men are like that, you know. I think he will seek you out again.”
Alice faked a smile; her angel was hardly a man and he certainly did not act like one. There should be a more important reason for his absence last night. However, she squeezed his hand to show him her gratitude for his support. Thank God Johan was with her; she wouldn’t be able to make it by herself. It was a good idea to ask him to com-… Alice’s thought was never completed as another took its place and she gasped in mortification. No! No, no, no…
“Oh my God…”
Her sudden exclamation made Johan turn his eyes at her once more.
“He’s not mad at me Johan,” she said, everything becoming clear. “He has left me alone because I asked him to!”
It was Johan’s turn to pale. That was not good.
****************************************************************************************
Alice’s gaze moved from the passing scenery out of the car’s window to Johan. His eyes were glued on the road as he drove silently, but she knew his hands brought them to their destination mechanically. His mind seemed to be traveling far away, in the alleys of his memory, meeting familiar faces that were long gone. Watching as his lips slowly tightened in a straight line, he really hated herself for making him go through such painful memories. Maybe coming here wasn’t such a good idea, she thought remorsefully.
The green trees that seemed to guard the small village thickened as they drove towards his parent’s house and it wasn’t long before the imposing building came into view; standing at the very edge of the village, the traditional stone house was the boundary of the forest covering the land behind it, the last sign of civilization. Her breath caught in her lungs. The place had not changed at all from the last time she had visited it, the summer when Johan’s parents were still alive. She could almost see them: a blond boy and a red-headed little girl chasing each other in the garden; Johan’s mother yelling at him to stop teasing his cousin and her mother laughing; his father sitting with his brother -her own father- chatting quietly; ghosts that haunted the house with happy memories. Alice reached for Johan’s hand unconsciously. She could not understand how it was possible… the place had been empty for many years, yet it looked as though not a day had gone by. The gardens were tended; the lawn freshly mowed; the walls recently painted.
Johan’s gaze met Alice’s surprised one. The smile on his face had a bittersweet taste, as he looked upon the house again. He almost expected the brown door to burst open and his parents to run out and meet him. He shook his head to clear his mind of the unnecessary pain; he knew this could never be. At least the house and its memories were still alive.
“I come here often.”
Alice was startled by Johan’s soft voice.
“You do?”
“Yes.” The bittersweet smile again. “And when I can’t, someone I have hired takes care of it.”
Alice’s heart constricted in pain seeing Johan’s eyes wet with unshed tears. Her voice came out in a whisper.
“Why?”
She could not understand. Why would he do something so painful for him?
“Why not?” Johan shook his head chuckling quietly to himself. “This is where I grew up. It’s a part of me. Why should I let it die as well?”
A tear slid on her cheek before she had time to realize it.
“I’m so sorry, Johan. I‘m so sorry you have to go through all this for such a stupid whim of mine.”
Alice could not hate herself more at this moment. She was so busy thinking about the elf, that she had forgotten how Johan would feel once laying his eyes upon the house of his dead parents. Forgotten or overlooked? Was she really so self-absorbed? How could she be so selfish! This was so unlike her!
“Hey, hey,” Johan frowned upon seeing the tears on the face of his cousin. “Don’t feel bad about; I mean it. I come here very often, it’s just… Coming with you… it brings back so many things, you know? Good things. I’m really glad you reminded me there is still magic in this grey world… I had stopped hoping for some time.”
Alice smiled at the words of her cousin, her self-hatred minimizing slightly. But only slightly. She was amazed at how he always seemed to get the best out of every situation. Even when his parents died and he moved to New York, he managed to stand on his feet the very next day. He never showed to anyone what a painful blow he had received; but Alice knew how much he hurt. Their strange connection allowed them to see and feel things that others could not; not even their parents.
“Hey, wanna see your room? Your Barbie dolls are still in there!”
Alice smiled at the usual cheerful tone that accompanied Johan’s voice, the previous sad conversation completely forgotten.
“What Barbie dolls, the ones you beheaded?”
Ignoring her cousin’s taunting laughter, she opened the door of their rented car, stepping out on the lawn and breathing in the crisp air. Yes, her Prince’s palace could not be anywhere else but in this massive greenery stretching for miles in the distance.
****************************************************************************************
“Are you sure about the full moon?”
Johan nodded for the umpteenth time that day, rolling his eyes. Alice’s nervousness grew as the light of the day slowly started fading. Making sure all the flashlights worked, he put them back on the table with an exasperated sigh and looked at his cousin.
“Alice.”
Another sigh. She hadn’t even heard him.
“Alice!!”
“What??”
“Will you please stop this back-and-forth walking, you’re making me dizzy! And look at this, you’re ruining my lawn!”
Alice fixed him with a death stare. She was about to meet her soul-mate –a living elf, no less!- in a couple of hours and all Johan could think about was his lawn! But seeing Johan’s gentle smile, she realised she was indeed overreacting. There was nothing else she could do, but wait. Plopping down on the chair across from Johan, she looked ahead at the woods that lay a small distance away from their house. The last rays of the sun were not enough to light whatever lay inside it. A shudder ran down her spine. A bunch of young children had entered so fearlessly into the heart of the dark woods years ago, without looking back or second thoughts. And there she was now, a fully grown adult, shivering just at the thought!
But was it the trees and the dark she feared, or her meeting with the elf? Would he be the same outside the strange realms of her dreams? If his kiss made her so dizzy in that immaterial world, how would it feel in real life? How more impossibly disorienting would his touch feel? And then, there were more pressing matters. Would he still be angry at her? Would he want her back? Her heart skipped a beat only at the thought. How strongly had she got attached to Legolas in only a week! How pointless did a life without him seem now! But what if… the suspicious part of her mind still entertained the thought… What if there was no castle?
“Do you think I’m doing the right thing?” Alice asked after a short silence.
“What do you mean?”
She turned her face at the darkening sky and the first stars that had started to appear. The moon was still pale, yet its full shape was clearly visible.
“What if we’re wrong? Do you realize I’ve thrown everything away… for…”
For what? Alice struggled with her thoughts. For what, indeed? An imaginary elf prince? The salvation of her romantic soul that secretly believed in great loves and tragedies? To rescue the last piece of magic that was left in this dull world? For what?
“For love?” Johan offered after a while.
For love. She smiled. For love. What greater reason than love?
“Well,” she started, “let’s make sure all this chaos will be worth it. Are you sure you remember the way to the castle?”
Johan sighed. She was extremely annoying when stressed.
“Even though I’ve already told you a thousand times before, YES I THINK SO,” he said with emphasis, hoping that his cousin would get it through her thick skull this time.
“What if you don’t remember after all?”
“Then we’ll get lost.”
“This is not an option.”
“You’re driving me crazy.”
“Is there something we forgot? The myth says ‘under the full moon’?”
“Yes. But I won’t be able to see the castle; I’m not a child anymore.”
Alice had completely forgotten about it. Does this mean…?
“Johan, are you telling me I have to go into the castle alone?”
Try as she might, she could not keep her voice from trembling ; almost breaking at the last word.
“Freckles, I’m sure you wouldn’t like me to witness your reunion with your prince, anyway!”
The picture his words formed was enough to soothe her. She could even feel the heat rising to her cheeks. Alice chuckled and punched his arm playfully. However, it was not enough to completely erase all her fears.
“I’m scared,” she said with a more serious tone.
“I know, Freckles.” Her cousin reached for her hand. “I won’t be able to see where you go. But I’ll be waiting for you outside.”
Alice squeezed his hand and smiled at him affectionately. Johan. My sweet, dear Johan.
“Have I ever thanked you for everything you’ve done for me?”
Johan smiled back and ruffled her hair playfully, earning an annoyed squeal from his cousin.
“You don’t need to. Now go get your coat. It’s time.”
***************************************************************************************
Alice almost let out a scream at whatever made that noise at her left, then disappeared into the trees. Keeping her death grip on Johan’s arm, she squinted her eyes at the bright light as he turned his flashlight to her face.
“It was a bird Alice. An owl most probably.”
She could tell by his tone that Johan was smiling, blinded as she was from the offensive light. Or better, he was trying not to laugh at her constant jumping out of her skin for every sound heard in the forest. For a moment, she thought she could see the smug grin of the blond boy who had achieved in scaring his younger cousin; so many years ago, yet there were times the memory of her previous visit at these woods was as fresh as if it had happened only yesterday. This time, however, it was quite a different experience.
They had been walking for almost an hour now. It was absolutely dark, rays of moonlight sneaking through the dense vegetation every now and then, their flashlights shining like two bright beacons in a black sea. Strange noises were coming from all around them disturbing the eerie silence frequently, making Alice wish she was back at the safety of her apartment in New York. Johan didn’t seem to notice, however, and kept walking at a steady pace, searching for familiar trees and other signs he had probably engraved in the map of his memory that would lead them to the castle.
The red-haired woman was absolutely certain that the trees had grown scarier since the last time she had visited. There was something disturbing about this forest; her memories were slightly less frightening. Or perhaps I have grown older, she mused silently. The childish innocence and sense of adventure had long left her. There were no more monsters or witches; only wild animals and psycho killers hidden in dark woods. The colorless veil of logic had long ago changed the freckled girl to the woman she was now.
“Johan?”
“Hm?”
“Do you think there are wolves here?”
She almost let out a chuckle at the thought that many years ago she would have used the word ‘werewolves’ instead. Actually, she wasn’t sure anymore which of the two would apply better in her situation.
“Most probably.”
Alice sighed annoyed at Johan’s repeated use of the phrase.
“Is there anything you know for certain?”
“Yes, the fact that I’m carrying a gun.”
Alice stopped dead at her tracks, forcing her cousin to turn around and look at her. Was she planning to shoot Legolas? Did he think he was dangerous because he was an elf? Was he right to think so…? The thought that he could hurt her had never crossed her mind…
“A gun?” she managed to sputter.
Johan looked at her as if she had grown a second head.
“Did you really think we would go into the wild in the dead of night, just the two of us, with only the Swiss knife in your pocket to fend for our lives?”
His sarcastic tone was lost to Alice as she paled at his implications.
“Will there be any need to fend for our lives…?”
“I have no idea what and who dwells in these woods, Alice,” he replied moving his flashlight at the gnarled trees around them to emphasize his point. Alice finally let out the breath she was holding. Wild animals and psycho killers. That sounded definitely better than a dangerous elf. Johan suddenly stopped moving his flashlight , drawing Alice’s attention to the trees and bushes almost in front of their path.
“Viereckschanze,” Johan whispered as he took a step forward.
“What?” Alice was growing nervous and it was evident in her voice. The foreign word sent a shiver down her spine for an unknown reason.
“It’s the nemeton. We’ve found it. We’re here.”
Her limbs froze before she completely lost any feeling and remained rooted in her place. The venom of panic spreading from her stomach to every single corner of her body held her in an iron grip. She could not go in there. There was absolutely no way she would go to whatever that nemeton was, there was absolutely no way she was leaving behind her logic and skepticism, there was absolutely no way she would find the elf. No, no, no. Absolutely not.
“Freckles what’s wrong?”
Johan’s voice managed to break through her black thoughts and she realized that he was waiting for her at the edge of the trees.
“I can’t,” she managed to say breathlessly. Johan’s eyes softened and he walked back to where she stood unmoving.
“Of course you can and you will,” her cousin told her caressing her arm reassuringly. “I’ll be right here.”
“What’s this nemeton, anyway??”
She was freaking out. Her sounded two octaves higher.
Johan sighed.
“Do you really not remember anything? It is just a stone. A big square stone.”
Alice searched her memory for the square stone frantically, but ended up with zero results. She decided that she had either not seen it or didn’t remember.
“It used to be a sacred grove for Celts, where they performed their rituals. They thought the trees of this forest where alive and sacred, so they built this ‘nemeton’ as they called it, the ruins you can see over there,” Johan explained seeing her continuing discomfort, as he pointed to the hardly visible stones of the clearing. “Everybody knows it in the area as the ‘Viereckschanze’. It had been our sign as children that we have reached the place where the castle appears.”
The word ‘terrified’ was an understatement for the condition of the young journalist. Her throat felt dry and no matter how hard she gulped, she could not make herself speak. How had they entered this place so fearlessly as children? Was it really the purity and innocence of children’s hearts that allowed them to see everything as beautiful magic? That allowed them to see the castle? Why did she have to screen everything through logical explanations and facts?
A sudden light dissolved the dark thoughts threatening to paralyze her mind, the way panic her paralyzed her body: was she really terrified of this nemeton or was she using it as an excuse for what she really feared- a meeting with her elven soulmate?
The answer was pretty obvious to her.
“Okay,” she finally said taking a deep breath and repeated the word again mostly for her own ears. “Let’s do this.”
Johan smiled and pulled Alice behind him, as he made his way through the vegetation to what seemed like a clearing. Once they had stepped under the last tree surrounding the clearing, Alice gasped.
She remembered this place! The familiarity feeling her mind made everything link. She could remember exactly where she had stood, right behind the buses they had crossed with Johan, while that blond girl had explained to him the details of the myth… And there… right were the stones could be seen…
The castle...
She looked up at the dark sky. The moon was hidden once again behind clouds. In a few minutes, it would be visible and the moonlight would reveal the castle to their eyes… her eyes, since Johan would no longer be able to see it.
So this was it. The moment of truth. The moment that would change her life forever. The moment she would leave her logic behind. The moment she would start feeling and believing again. The moment when all these magical places she had visited would acquire substance and proof for their existence. The moment when the world she had constructed as an adult would crumble before the truth.
The moment she would find love. Different from what she had known so far; foreign to modern life logic; secretly hoped and believed in the deepest corner of her heart.
Her eyes moved to the sky, as if she had felt the exact moment the clouds started parting, and took a deep breath. Bathed in the soft moonlight, she tore her eyes from the white orb appearing behind the clouds and brought them down to the clearing before her.

Oops... cliffhanger... :-P
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