Fourth chapter: Returning home
It was a grave team who rode under the autumn foliage of Greenwood. Legolas had explained to his team what happened the night in the clearing, and none from the team thought Legolas to have acted wrongly. But all of them, and especially Legolas, dreaded what Thranduil would say when he heard about it. They were only a couple hours from the palace by now.
Legolas had not spoken much on the road home, only to give orders or answer those very few questions they had. Rozarko kept near him all the time, even one night he found himself holding the prince tight. Legolas did not seem to mind though, actually having slept vary peaceful that night.
They reached the palace, the courtyard was silent, the elves who took their horses saw the missing queen, and the grave faces of the team. Legolas dismounted and turned to look at Falael and Cyan, who helped each other get the tightly wrapped queen off a horse.
"We will take care of her" Cyan said, "just you take care of your family" he smiled gently.
Legolas nodded and turned to walked into the palace, closely flanked by Rozarko and Girion. Outside the king's office he met Belstram, the dark haired bodyguard of his father, Belstram nodded kindly to the crownprince. Legolas softly knocked on the door, his heart racing madly inside his chest, sweat gathering in his palms. He tried to ease his breathing, which were becoming shallow.
"Enter" he heard his father's regal voice from inside.
Legolas opened the door and slowly walked inside. Thranduil was sitting at his desk, piles of documents all over the table, his two younger brothers on either side of him. Thranduil did not even look up as Legolas placed himself in the middle of the room, bowed his head in respect of his king.
"You are almost two weeks late" Thranduil stated regal and firmly, "care to explain, prince Legolas?".
Legolas breathed heavily, his father was using his title, this was going to be a formal addressing and conversation.
"We were attacked by orcs in the mountain" Legolas said formally.
At this, Thranduil looked up and met Legolas' eyes. What Thranduil saw frightened him, but he hid it well. Legolas looked strained and grave.
"What?" he asked in a low voice.
"We had just emerged from the hidden path when orcs attacked us" Legolas explained formally, "they were too many, and pulled us one by one down the mountain and into the river".
Legolas took a deep, calming breath. He could see the distress growing in both his brothers, his father tried to hide his, but Legolas knew him well, and saw right through the mask.
"They took out queen" Legolas continued, "we did everything we could to protect her, but".
"How come" Thranduil interrupted, anger edging his voice, "how come the elite team of the Woodland realm not able to protect its own queen".
"Even the best can stumbled under an attack from hundreds of orcs" Legolas explained forced calmly.
"continue" Thranduil ordered, his voice firm.
"We had to spilt up, some too injured to joined the search. The others returned after a day search, having found the tracks and coming back to the camp to regroup and gather supplies. The rest of us joined the search a day after. It took five days to search for her. We found the tracks up north in the mountains, and split up to cover as much ground as possible".
Legolas paused to take one more calming breath, knowing the next he had to say, well, he actually didn't know how his father, or his brothers for that matter, would react.
"The queen was chained to a tree in the middle of a clearing, about hundreds of orcs around her. She was being tortured, and was in so much pain and agony. I knew I could not take down the orcs by myself, not even if I had my team with me.
She entered my mind, told me to flee while I had the chance. I refused. The pain she felt flowed into me, and I felt how she was fading, how she was dying".
"What?" Thranduil breathed, he had gone deadly pale by now, his hand visibly shaking, "is she?" his voice was trembling.
Legolas felt the tears in his eyes, "she's dead", his voice failing him and trembled.
Thranduil rose and fled from the office. His golden robes swaying around him. Gilmarkar ran too. Lucien walked fast to Legolas, cupping his cheek.
"Are you alright?" he asked concerned.
"Yes, I'm fine, go" Legolas said, failing his attempt to smile.
Lucien left the office, leaving his older brother behind.
Thranduil felt himself shaking as the guards opened the doors to the chapel. It was here they kept the dead until they were buried. Inside candles were lit, and white roses already lay all around the stone table, un which his most beloved wife lay. She had been cleaned and dressed in her most beautiful white dress, her long, curly, blond hair frame her as a halo.
Thranduil felt the tears fall, with a trembling hand he gently caressed her cold and pale cheek. He did not know what to say at the moment, just felt the emotions inside him like an ocean on a winter's storm. He did not know how long he stood there, until he felt someone coming up behind him.
"I'm so sorry, my king" Belenor, the royal healer, said gently.
Thranduil turned to meet his eyes, he just nodded his head silent.
"And for this, I'm sorry too" Belenor handed the king a piece of blue fabric, a small item inside it.
Thranduil took the fabric with trembling hands, opening it to see a delicate crafted arrowhead, covered in blood. The arrow was clearly elven made, and Thranduil recognized the design.
"Where?" Thranduil voice cracked.
"This was found imbedded in her chest, piercing her heart" Belenor said sadly, "she bore many marks from torture, but this was the strike which killed her".
Thranduil clenched the arrow in his hand, feeling the anger starting to boil. He walked right past Belenor and out of the room.
Legolas still stood alone inside his father's office, he had not even moved from his spot in the middle of the floor. He heard the door behind him open, and knew who it was even without turning to look. The door slammed shot, making Legolas flinched where he stood. He heard his father's moving closer, his aura intense with wraith. Alas, Legolas thought, he knew.
"Care to explain this?" Thranduil asked very low, moving in front of Legolas, holding the bloodied arrowhead up in front of his face.
Legolas was at a loss to know what to say at the moment, seeing the wraith, hurt and betrayal clear in his father's eyes.
"How did one of your arrows come to pierce my wife's heart?" Thranduil asked again, his voice very much dangerously low.
Legolas flinched.
"She asked me to end her suffering" Legolas replied, his voice almost a whisper.
"You admit that you killed her?" Thranduil asked chocked, tears edging his eyes.
"No" Legolas said quickly, trying to explain, "I did not kill her. She asked me to end her suffering, and I did".
"By killing her?" Thranduil stated in disbelief.
"She was dying, very slowly" Legolas tried.
"Do not try to explain your actions" Thranduil growled, the door opened, but he did not notice, "nothing you say can justify the fact that your arrow pierces your mother's heart, fired from your hand. You killed your own mother!" he almost yelled by now.
Two identical gaps were heard behind them, Thranduil looked behind Legolas to see both of his younger sons standing in the doorway. Legolas did not turn, his gazed fixed at the floor before him.
"Please let me explain, ada" Legolas tried another tactic.
"No!" Thranduil growled, "nothing you can say will remedy what you did. You betrayed your people, your family, and your own mother".
Thranduil turned towards the door, "guards" he called in a clear regal voice.
Legolas was trembling slightly, dreading what would happen. His heart was racing madly, his palms sweating, and his breathing intensifying. He wanted to scream, even punch his father for not listening, not wanting him to explain.
Four guards and Belstram entered the office.
"Siege prince Legolas and throw him in the dungeons" Thranduil ordered, getting five very chocked looks from the guards, "he is accused for high treason".
"Ada" Legolas breathed, trying to get his father's attention, but Thranduil did not even look at him.
Two guards were grabbing his arm, the other two pointing their swords at his throat while Belstram removed all his weapons.
"Please, ada, listen to me" Legolas cried out agitated.
Still no responds. The guards started to pull him out of the office. Legolas decided not to go willingly, and struggled against their holds the best he had learnt.
"Ada, please, let me explain! Listen to me! I only did what he asked of me!".
Legolas was dragged out of the office, both his brothers looked chocked, hurt and confused at the scene before them.
"Make him shut up!" Thranduil growled frustrated, covering his eyes and tears streaming down his face.
Before Legolas could yell anything more, he was gadded with a cloth over his mouth. He did not struggle when the door to the office was closed behind him. The guards had bound his hands on his back, having a firm and strong hold on him while they led him down the corridors. The two other guards still having their swords pointed to his throat, Belstram leading the way.
"Legolas!" Rozarko breathed when he saw the prince being dragged out of the office and down the corridor. Bound and gadded. Belstram held up a hand to stop both Rozarko and Girion, both of them having grabbed the handle of their swords.
They dragged Legolas down the corridors, elves looking chocked as they past by. Legolas fallowed calmly now, his head held high and his back straight.
When they reached the dungeons, Legolas was thrown into a cell, the bond on his hand and gag removed.
"I'm sorry for this" Belstram breathed, giving the prince a genuine look.
"It's alright" Legolas said softly, "sorry for the struggling".
"I did not expect anything less" Belstram smiled before he closed the cell door, leaving the prince utterly alone.
Legolas pace the floor of his cell, he had been alone in there for days now, having heard nothing from his father. Only a guard coming in to bring meals he did not touch.
After five days like this, Legolas lost his patience. When the guard came to take the morning meal, which Legolas hadn't touched either, the guards frowned at the untouched food.
"Do you intend to eat nothing at all?" the guard asked, a bit surprised.
"Do the king intend to keep me here without a trial?" Legolas asked back, crossing his arms over his chest, looking at the guard firmly.
The guard looked surprised, "I… eh" he was taken aback, "I do not know".
"Well, then do tell the king that I demand a fair trial" Legolas said regal.
"Will you eat if I do?" the guard said a bit uncertain, not used to deal with the crownprince.
"I did not know this was a negotiation" Legolas smirked, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Well, will you? please" the young guard begged.
"Are you begging me now?" Legolas toyed with the guard.
The young guard looked at lost for words, his eyes flicking from Legolas, to the plate of food in his hands, and down the halls.
"The proper responds would be no" Legolas teased him, "do not show you are insecure before your prisoners, they will see it as weakness and try to turn that against you" Legolas told calmly, "you should know this by now".
The guard looked surprised at Legolas, but then straightened himself up, and looked more firm.
"Well" he tried as best he could to sound strong, failing a bit, "if you eat, I will tell the king you demand a trial".
"Now we are getting somewhere" Legolas grinned, "well, I will eat, when you have date and time for my trial".
The guard smiled and ran off down the hall.
"What happened? Tristan asked agitated the moment Girion and Rozarko entered the elite team's headquarter.
Girion looked stricken, Rozarko turning to give Tristan a sad look.
"I do not know what happen inside the office" Rozarko explained, "but after Thranduil had come back, I guess he went to see the queen, Legolas was dragged out of the office, bound and gagged".
"WHAT?" all from the team exclaimed.
"I guess he was thrown in the dungeons" Rozarko said, his voice a bit strained.
Rozarko seated himself in one of the chairs before the fire, hiding his face in his hands.
"I do not know what to do?" he cried muffled.
Girion sat on the armrest, pulling his colleague into an embrace. Anglond sat on the other side, a supporting hand on Rozarko's shoulder. The rest of the team gathered in the couches or chairs before the fire too.
"We will find a way to help him" Anglond said firmly.
"I do not know how to get him out of this" Rozarko whispered.
"You do not have to" Girion soothed, "we are all here, believing and trusting Legolas, we will fight his curse" he said determined, the others nodded.
Rozarko tried for days to be allowed to see Legolas, but no one would allow him near his charge. After a week he finally managed to persuade the guards of the dungeons, and only because they trained together as young, to let him see Legolas.
Even though the prince had still not eaten, he looked strong and feisty, the proud and noble prince he knew him for. The moment Legolas saw Rozarko he ran for the bars, the same did Rozarko. Rozarko's arm went through the bars, taking a gentle hold of his hair at his neck, and pressing his forehead against his.
"Valar, I'm sorry" Rozarko whispered.
Legolas shock his head, "don't be".
"No, please do not reason with me now" he breathed, "I am your minder, I am supposed to take care of you, to look over you, help and guide you. And I failed".
"No" Legolas breathed, "you never failed, hear me, never!".
Rozarko had tears in his eyes now.
"We will find a way" he whispered, "all of us is standing by you".
"Thank you" Legolas whispered, "but you will just get yourselves in trouble as well, I do not wish that for you".
"You are our prince and captain, we have sworn to fallow you and serve you. We all believe in you, and what is happening to you is not fair. We will stand by you and support you, even if it takes us to our graves".
"I…" Legolas felt the tears well up in his eyes, his voice choked in his throat, "I… do not know… what to say".
Rozarko met his eyes, forest green meeting icy blue.
"We will always fallow you, my prince" Rozarko said, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
Lucien paced the floor of his room. The blond haired prince of Greenwood was at a loss at what to do. He loved his older brother, dearly, and wanted to know the truth of what really happened. But his father was burdened by grief, and his younger brother completely lost. He felt the royal family was falling apart, and now the oldest son, his big brother, was imprisoned by his own father, accused for killing his own mother. When did it all became such a mess? He shook his head.
He decided to straighten up and went for his father's rooms. He softly knocked on the door to his father's livingroom. His father softly called for enter, and he walked into the room.
Thranduil rose from the chair when he saw Lucien walk in. Lucien went straight to embrace his father, feeling the grief surfacing. Thranduil tightly hugged him back, letting his son cry at his shoulder. He tried his best to be strong at that moment, he felt the tears sting in his eyes, and struggled to keep them at bay.
After some time, Lucien drew back, looking his father straight in the eyes.
"I want to see Legolas" he said softly, his voice strained.
Thranduil did not say anything for a long time, he just stared at his son, his face passive, but his eyes holding a deep sadness. After a long time, he slowly nodded.
"Belstram" he called in a clear voice, and the dark haired bodyguard entered the room.
"Lucien wishes to see his older brother" Thranduil informed, "please take him to Legolas. But keep the cell locked, and do not want them inside the same room, and be by his side all the time".
The bodyguard nodded and fallowed Lucien out of the room.
Legolas was surprised to see Lucien before him, his younger brother had tears in his eyes. He looked so lost and so confused.
"Lucien" Legolas breathed, nearing the bars.
"Stay back" Belstram warned, grabbing the handle of his sword.
Legolas immediately stepped back, looking a bit striking at Belstram, but then he gave the bodyguard a short nod, indicating he would stay back. Belstram loosened his grip on the sword.
"I want to know" Lucien said, his voice shaking, "everything that happened, I want to know the truth".
Legolas nodded, and started to explain exactly what happened, and why he acted as he did. Lucien had tears running down his cheeks, sobbing from time to time.
"And ada will not believe you?" Lucien sobbed.
"He will not listen" Legolas said softly, "but I have been granted trial tomorrow morning".
Lucien looked surprised, "he did not tell" he breathed.
"Maybe he does not wish you to know" Legolas stated.
"I will do everything to be there, and support you".
"You believe me?" Legolas asked surprised.
"Off cause" Lucien cried, "you are my brother, I love you, and you have never, in my entire life, lied to me".
"Be careful" Legolas said softly, "do not get yourself into trouble for me".
"I will walk through fire and water for you" Lucien said firmly.
"And I will do the same" Legolas smiled.