Disclaimer: sorry, rapidly running out of funny disclaimy thingies so I
will have to tell you straight out, it ain't mine. Don't sue.
WARNING: from here out, it's no longer humor/romance, but more like suspense/tragedy. Yeah, I know, I really went the opposite way, but if you didn't like Shakespeare, I suggest you stop now.
Chapter six:
Talk with the Lady
The Lady called for Legolas while Menla continued to sleep. He was able to get up without waking her, and made for the royal stair where the Lady was waiting. He bowed low, and when he looked up her voice echoed in his mind, telling him to follow her. She gracefully led him to a separate clearing. There, he found it empty, save for a pool of water to one side, and a well- like structure in the center. He'd heard of this well before, and instantly grew tense and apprehensive. He stood, frozen to the spot, as she took out a silver pitcher and began filling it with water from the pool. She turned back to him when she had finished. "You know what I will ask of you, Legolas."
"Yes, my lady, you want me to look into the mirror." She smiled slightly at him, and nodded. "But," he continued warily, finding he could not bring himself to look her in the eye, so he complied with examining his feet, "I do not think I wish to."
"I know your fear. The memory of the fellowship is fresh in your mind, even now, yet I must ask you to overcome your fear. There are things that must be shown."
He swallowed, noticing that his mouth was uncomfortably dry as he slowly nodded and stepped forward. She emptied the pitcher into the mirror and moved away so he could lean over it and look in. he had a feeling what to expect: his past, present, and future. He closed his eyes and braced himself mentally before looking back.
He was correct in his thinking, for as soon as his own reflection disappeared, the image was replaced by one of that morning. It showed himself kissing Menla, and an unwanted surge of desire swept down his spine before he could stop it. He cursed himself for being caught off guard like that. It then flashed back even further to when he shook and accused her of being a spy, and he felt guilt swell up inside him. Why had he felt it necessary to be so cold to her? It flashed forward again, to her sleeping form in a bed only a few clearings away. She had a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She rolled over and mouthed something in her sleep. Though he couldn't hear her, he knew what she had whispered. Legolas...
But the happy feeling that she had given him quickly disappeared as the image faded and reappeared as another one. This reflection was of himself and his father. Thranduil seemed to be yelling at him. Legolas made to say something in return, but he was backhanded before he could finish his response. The King pointed to the door, and Legolas was dragged out of the room by the palace guards. The next scene that unfolded was of himself again, a sad and depressed look on his face while he was leading his horse away from the borders of his land, the same guards glaring at his retreating form as he kept walking into the wilderness. He could feel the pain of his own heart now. The wrenching feeling of knowing that his own father had never loved him, had in fact hated and despised him to the point that the King had banished him from his home, his only source of life now that he had gone to sea shore and heard the gulls calling his name. Legolas...He would be forced to wander the rest of his long life, for there was no ship that would now bear him into the West.
Legolas was so torn from these last images that he thrust himself away from the mirror and onto the ground where he stayed and did not rise for quite some time. The hot tears in his eyes were burning his skin as the seared their way to his chin, where they dropped onto the cold ground beneath him. His emotions were battling within him, fighting over which one would win: hatred, confusion grief, or guilt.
Hatred finally won and he glared up at the calm elven form standing at his feet. How could she be so horribly placid after seeing what he saw? Did she not care? Had she no heart that his father would-did-hate him? His anger was further kindled at the thought of his father. He was ready to strangle any thing that moved in order to stay his rage, but luckily for the woodland creatures, nothing moved. His anger continued to grow inside him, and soon he found himself directing it towards the queen before him. Why had she shown him that? She was still fully composed, but when she spoke, her voice was fierce. "You must understand what will happen if you let Menla go. If she does not reach the borders of Mirkwood, everything you just saw will come to pass."
"You have me send her to her death!" He stood, rage flashing in his eyes.
"You must take her to your father or take her life into your own hands. You have a choice. You may let her die in either your hands, or Thranduil's.
"She doesn't have to die!"
"Yes, Legolas, Menla MUST die. She is human, and death is common for them. Even if you spare her, she will still be parted from you. You know this."
He was silent. He knew she would die, just as Arwen knew that Elessar would die. But still...couldn't they at least spend her few short years together?
"She would not want that, Legolas. You know that it would be wrong to force her into such a situation. You both would be forced to wander far from your homes, and Menla is in a strange land. Even if she spent the rest of her life here, she would die feeling out of place and homesick."
"She already feels those things."
Then why would you wish to extend her pain?"
"I wouldn't be extending it-"
"You would be prolonging it, delaying it at most. She is doomed Legolas. She WILL die."
Something in him slipped in his mind, clouding his heart. His strong sense of duty returned to him, he knew she would die; she could at least die quickly. "Then she will die by father's hand. He is the one who wants her so badly, so he can be the one to take her." But he would still give her a chance.
Oooh...the plot thickens! (taps fingers together like evil conspiring bad guy) hehe! Wanna know what's gonna happen? Okay, lean close so I can whisper. Closer. Closer. Okay, here's my secret...I'M NEVER GONNA KILL MY OWN STORY BY GIVING IT AWAY YOU CHEATERS! Hehe! Just keep reading to find out! ;P
WARNING: from here out, it's no longer humor/romance, but more like suspense/tragedy. Yeah, I know, I really went the opposite way, but if you didn't like Shakespeare, I suggest you stop now.
Chapter six:
Talk with the Lady
The Lady called for Legolas while Menla continued to sleep. He was able to get up without waking her, and made for the royal stair where the Lady was waiting. He bowed low, and when he looked up her voice echoed in his mind, telling him to follow her. She gracefully led him to a separate clearing. There, he found it empty, save for a pool of water to one side, and a well- like structure in the center. He'd heard of this well before, and instantly grew tense and apprehensive. He stood, frozen to the spot, as she took out a silver pitcher and began filling it with water from the pool. She turned back to him when she had finished. "You know what I will ask of you, Legolas."
"Yes, my lady, you want me to look into the mirror." She smiled slightly at him, and nodded. "But," he continued warily, finding he could not bring himself to look her in the eye, so he complied with examining his feet, "I do not think I wish to."
"I know your fear. The memory of the fellowship is fresh in your mind, even now, yet I must ask you to overcome your fear. There are things that must be shown."
He swallowed, noticing that his mouth was uncomfortably dry as he slowly nodded and stepped forward. She emptied the pitcher into the mirror and moved away so he could lean over it and look in. he had a feeling what to expect: his past, present, and future. He closed his eyes and braced himself mentally before looking back.
He was correct in his thinking, for as soon as his own reflection disappeared, the image was replaced by one of that morning. It showed himself kissing Menla, and an unwanted surge of desire swept down his spine before he could stop it. He cursed himself for being caught off guard like that. It then flashed back even further to when he shook and accused her of being a spy, and he felt guilt swell up inside him. Why had he felt it necessary to be so cold to her? It flashed forward again, to her sleeping form in a bed only a few clearings away. She had a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She rolled over and mouthed something in her sleep. Though he couldn't hear her, he knew what she had whispered. Legolas...
But the happy feeling that she had given him quickly disappeared as the image faded and reappeared as another one. This reflection was of himself and his father. Thranduil seemed to be yelling at him. Legolas made to say something in return, but he was backhanded before he could finish his response. The King pointed to the door, and Legolas was dragged out of the room by the palace guards. The next scene that unfolded was of himself again, a sad and depressed look on his face while he was leading his horse away from the borders of his land, the same guards glaring at his retreating form as he kept walking into the wilderness. He could feel the pain of his own heart now. The wrenching feeling of knowing that his own father had never loved him, had in fact hated and despised him to the point that the King had banished him from his home, his only source of life now that he had gone to sea shore and heard the gulls calling his name. Legolas...He would be forced to wander the rest of his long life, for there was no ship that would now bear him into the West.
Legolas was so torn from these last images that he thrust himself away from the mirror and onto the ground where he stayed and did not rise for quite some time. The hot tears in his eyes were burning his skin as the seared their way to his chin, where they dropped onto the cold ground beneath him. His emotions were battling within him, fighting over which one would win: hatred, confusion grief, or guilt.
Hatred finally won and he glared up at the calm elven form standing at his feet. How could she be so horribly placid after seeing what he saw? Did she not care? Had she no heart that his father would-did-hate him? His anger was further kindled at the thought of his father. He was ready to strangle any thing that moved in order to stay his rage, but luckily for the woodland creatures, nothing moved. His anger continued to grow inside him, and soon he found himself directing it towards the queen before him. Why had she shown him that? She was still fully composed, but when she spoke, her voice was fierce. "You must understand what will happen if you let Menla go. If she does not reach the borders of Mirkwood, everything you just saw will come to pass."
"You have me send her to her death!" He stood, rage flashing in his eyes.
"You must take her to your father or take her life into your own hands. You have a choice. You may let her die in either your hands, or Thranduil's.
"She doesn't have to die!"
"Yes, Legolas, Menla MUST die. She is human, and death is common for them. Even if you spare her, she will still be parted from you. You know this."
He was silent. He knew she would die, just as Arwen knew that Elessar would die. But still...couldn't they at least spend her few short years together?
"She would not want that, Legolas. You know that it would be wrong to force her into such a situation. You both would be forced to wander far from your homes, and Menla is in a strange land. Even if she spent the rest of her life here, she would die feeling out of place and homesick."
"She already feels those things."
Then why would you wish to extend her pain?"
"I wouldn't be extending it-"
"You would be prolonging it, delaying it at most. She is doomed Legolas. She WILL die."
Something in him slipped in his mind, clouding his heart. His strong sense of duty returned to him, he knew she would die; she could at least die quickly. "Then she will die by father's hand. He is the one who wants her so badly, so he can be the one to take her." But he would still give her a chance.
Oooh...the plot thickens! (taps fingers together like evil conspiring bad guy) hehe! Wanna know what's gonna happen? Okay, lean close so I can whisper. Closer. Closer. Okay, here's my secret...I'M NEVER GONNA KILL MY OWN STORY BY GIVING IT AWAY YOU CHEATERS! Hehe! Just keep reading to find out! ;P