A/N: Okies, for those who were confused about the prologue, all will be explained in due time.
ps: Please review! Onegai!!
Dahlia
katsuai
Part One: Discoveries
Legolas Greenleaf was in the dark, and he was not quite pleasant when he was left there. Being son and heir of his race's king, he was accustomed to being informed about anything and everything, and even the most useless of news was relayed to him day in and day out. So, he was quite surprised when several things had been deliberately kept from him.
"Orders of His Majesty," they said, "We do not want to lose our heads."
He had finally blown up on the poor bumbling messenger who followed him like moth to a flame, and had sought solace in one of the unused hallways of the east wing. The place was so unlike the rest of the palace, with its rundown walls and creaky floors and furniture so dusted that everything was coated with grey. He had been down there often and was no stranger to the abandoned, yet furnished, rooms. All except for the farthest one at the end of the hall. He hadn't been able to get in there for it was mostly kept under lock and key, and all his attempts at having it opened, even by threatening the locksmith, had all been in vain.
He was used to the bleakness of the place and usually took a dozen large candles with him so he could light the place up, but it seems that tonight would be different. Legolas was routinely checking each room when a strange orange glow from underneath the locked door surprised him. As far as he knew, no one came here save for himself, and his heart tripled its beat as he silently crept closer. The door was open one-fourth of the way, and the dim candle-light inside was flickering wildly even without wind. Quietly, he tiptoed though the door and released the breath he was holding when his eyes finally adjusted to the dizzying dance of light coming from the candle, and took in the scene before him with a rather dazed expression.
The stench was what hit him first, for it was a strong odor of decay that permeated the air stubbornly. Then, his eyes fell on the heap of straw that was stacked up in one corner and the rotten block of wood that stood next to it. He could see the candle nearly on its way to being melted through and the wax spilled off to one side and coated the floor white. Legolas roamed his eyes around and had to muffle a shriek when something furry ran across his foot. He shuddered to think what it was, and had to calm himself before he finally urged himself to move closer to the barrel he could see on the other side of the room. It seemed that the smell was coming from it, and he clapped a hand across his nose as he bravely peered into it with mounting discomfort and dread. He had not yet gotten a good look at the contents when numerous tiny red lights blinked in and out of the darkened barrel. He jumped back at a sudden high-pitched squeak and would have gotten a nasty scratch on his face when he felt some heavy pressure fall against his shoulder and he was heaved backwards onto the grimy floor. Shocked beyond belief, he shut his eyes tightly and mindlessly prayed to all the gods who would listen him that he might escape whatever it was that had him pinned so that he could attend his brother's wedding next moon.
"It is alright now. The rats do not like being disturbed."
Even more scared and confused, Legolas cautiously opened one eye and made out the blurry features of a face mere inches from his own. He opened the other eye to get a good look at his savior, and the stubborn rat chose that moment to nibble boldly at his outstretched hand. He certainly didn't hold back a scream until the unknown savior clamped a hasty hand over his mouth and hushed him.
"Please be quiet or you will have everyone running here as fast as they could."
Legolas whimpered, his eyes misting over when the annoying rodent made its way to his finger and cold sweat broke out of his skin as he felt others join in. The stranger took pity on him and swatted at the swarm, keeping his hand over his mouth as he leaned to do so.
"Will you remain silent if I let you go?"
He nodded weakly in assent and the hand reluctantly pulled away, only to assist him in sitting up. Legolas quickly scuttled across the room and pressed himself against the mercifully lighted corner, rubbing his hand vigorously against his shirt. The strange man who had spoken to him crouched before him and offered a pitcher of water so he could wash his hands if he so wished.
Legolas finally looked up and studied the man who moved the candle closer so that they could sit in the light. He looked older than he and definitely haggard-looking and dirty. He didn't smell pleasant, either. The man had stringy mop of hair around his roughly shaven face, and he wore nothing but a pair of trousers that were so threadbare they could have been transparent. He was barefoot, too. He could see that his eyes were blue, but the color was not what caught Legolas' attention. They were filled with some inner-pain that dulled the blue to gray and made the man even more old and tired if it was possible.
"W-who are you? I would at least want to know your name so that I might have you rewarded for rescuing me," he finally said, as he noticed that the other was intently studying him in return.
"I would take as a reward that you do not mention this to anyone. I plead anonymity. It will not be good for either you or me if things were discovered. Please do not ask why,"
Legolas was confused for one does not usually turn down offers of reward, especially since this man looked like he needed some favors done to him. But he merely nodded his head in acquiescence and said instead, "If that is your wish, I will respect it. But I still find myself wanting to know of a name I could call you by."
"I was called 'Estel' by my mother, and I do not remember my real name."
"Then 'Estel' I shall call you by also. I am Legolas Greenleaf, the young master of this palace, and from now on a debtor to you."
to be continued...
ps: Please review! Onegai!!
Dahlia
katsuai
Part One: Discoveries
Legolas Greenleaf was in the dark, and he was not quite pleasant when he was left there. Being son and heir of his race's king, he was accustomed to being informed about anything and everything, and even the most useless of news was relayed to him day in and day out. So, he was quite surprised when several things had been deliberately kept from him.
"Orders of His Majesty," they said, "We do not want to lose our heads."
He had finally blown up on the poor bumbling messenger who followed him like moth to a flame, and had sought solace in one of the unused hallways of the east wing. The place was so unlike the rest of the palace, with its rundown walls and creaky floors and furniture so dusted that everything was coated with grey. He had been down there often and was no stranger to the abandoned, yet furnished, rooms. All except for the farthest one at the end of the hall. He hadn't been able to get in there for it was mostly kept under lock and key, and all his attempts at having it opened, even by threatening the locksmith, had all been in vain.
He was used to the bleakness of the place and usually took a dozen large candles with him so he could light the place up, but it seems that tonight would be different. Legolas was routinely checking each room when a strange orange glow from underneath the locked door surprised him. As far as he knew, no one came here save for himself, and his heart tripled its beat as he silently crept closer. The door was open one-fourth of the way, and the dim candle-light inside was flickering wildly even without wind. Quietly, he tiptoed though the door and released the breath he was holding when his eyes finally adjusted to the dizzying dance of light coming from the candle, and took in the scene before him with a rather dazed expression.
The stench was what hit him first, for it was a strong odor of decay that permeated the air stubbornly. Then, his eyes fell on the heap of straw that was stacked up in one corner and the rotten block of wood that stood next to it. He could see the candle nearly on its way to being melted through and the wax spilled off to one side and coated the floor white. Legolas roamed his eyes around and had to muffle a shriek when something furry ran across his foot. He shuddered to think what it was, and had to calm himself before he finally urged himself to move closer to the barrel he could see on the other side of the room. It seemed that the smell was coming from it, and he clapped a hand across his nose as he bravely peered into it with mounting discomfort and dread. He had not yet gotten a good look at the contents when numerous tiny red lights blinked in and out of the darkened barrel. He jumped back at a sudden high-pitched squeak and would have gotten a nasty scratch on his face when he felt some heavy pressure fall against his shoulder and he was heaved backwards onto the grimy floor. Shocked beyond belief, he shut his eyes tightly and mindlessly prayed to all the gods who would listen him that he might escape whatever it was that had him pinned so that he could attend his brother's wedding next moon.
"It is alright now. The rats do not like being disturbed."
Even more scared and confused, Legolas cautiously opened one eye and made out the blurry features of a face mere inches from his own. He opened the other eye to get a good look at his savior, and the stubborn rat chose that moment to nibble boldly at his outstretched hand. He certainly didn't hold back a scream until the unknown savior clamped a hasty hand over his mouth and hushed him.
"Please be quiet or you will have everyone running here as fast as they could."
Legolas whimpered, his eyes misting over when the annoying rodent made its way to his finger and cold sweat broke out of his skin as he felt others join in. The stranger took pity on him and swatted at the swarm, keeping his hand over his mouth as he leaned to do so.
"Will you remain silent if I let you go?"
He nodded weakly in assent and the hand reluctantly pulled away, only to assist him in sitting up. Legolas quickly scuttled across the room and pressed himself against the mercifully lighted corner, rubbing his hand vigorously against his shirt. The strange man who had spoken to him crouched before him and offered a pitcher of water so he could wash his hands if he so wished.
Legolas finally looked up and studied the man who moved the candle closer so that they could sit in the light. He looked older than he and definitely haggard-looking and dirty. He didn't smell pleasant, either. The man had stringy mop of hair around his roughly shaven face, and he wore nothing but a pair of trousers that were so threadbare they could have been transparent. He was barefoot, too. He could see that his eyes were blue, but the color was not what caught Legolas' attention. They were filled with some inner-pain that dulled the blue to gray and made the man even more old and tired if it was possible.
"W-who are you? I would at least want to know your name so that I might have you rewarded for rescuing me," he finally said, as he noticed that the other was intently studying him in return.
"I would take as a reward that you do not mention this to anyone. I plead anonymity. It will not be good for either you or me if things were discovered. Please do not ask why,"
Legolas was confused for one does not usually turn down offers of reward, especially since this man looked like he needed some favors done to him. But he merely nodded his head in acquiescence and said instead, "If that is your wish, I will respect it. But I still find myself wanting to know of a name I could call you by."
"I was called 'Estel' by my mother, and I do not remember my real name."
"Then 'Estel' I shall call you by also. I am Legolas Greenleaf, the young master of this palace, and from now on a debtor to you."
to be continued...
