Of Princes and Kings
Matilda, feeling snubbed and confused by Legolas's cold treatment, barely responded to Jane's fire of questions as to which dress she should wear for the Feast. It was not Myrin who arrived to escort them to the Feast but a pale-faced dark-haired elf. Her presence threw even Jane off, and they walked quietly behind the elf.
The elf took them to a pair of golden doors and nodded to the guards to open them. Matilda was astounded by the sheer size of the room. Green vines were twined round the pillars and silver ribbons bedecked the tables. At the back of the room was a raised dais covered in red velvet, on which stood two golden thrones, one larger and more elaborately carved than the other. The floor had been cleared in the centre of the room for the dance floor, and this was a whirl of silks and jewels as the elves celebrated. The sound of laughter and music was soaring right up to the ceiling of the room, and more and more elves joined the happy throng on the dance floor. Matilda glanced sideways at Jane, whose eyes were sparkling with excitement, unaware of Matilda's confusion at Legolas's discomfit and rudeness. Matilda couldn't help wondering what she had done wrong.
Myrin made a beeline for the girls when they entered the room; the dark-haired she-elf melted away, having done her duty. Myrin bowed low to them, and even though his copper hair was neatly brushed back and he wore light-green silk, his face was paler than usual and his smile fainter.
"Come with me," he said, without any explanation. "As guests, you must greet the nobles before the king arrives."
Jane, oblivious to any change in Myrin, followed him happily. Matilda wondered what was going on as Myrin introduced them to a string of noble-born elves whose names drifted in one of her ears and out the other.
"-Of course you know my lord Aubron, of the House Blackwood," said Myrin and Matilda looked up properly for the first time at the elf before her.
Aubron was dressed in deep purple and looked in his element, smug and triumphant at how high is power his family were. He introduced the girls to his four sons, none of whom were given Matilda's full attention.
"This is my lord Aubron's daughter," said Myrin casually, and Matilda's gaze flicked up in interest at the person Aubron was campaigning to wed Legolas.
Eletha bowed her head but when she came up, she met Matilda's eyes challengingly. Myrin discreetly kicked Matilda, who nodded respectfully to the elf. She was good-looking, Matilda had to grant her that, with her glossy brown hair and graceful height, but her eyes were cold and hard. There was a ruthlessness in Aubron's daughter that Matilda couldn't imagine next to Legolas's warmth.
She was the last noble to greet, and Myrin floated off into the crowd with Jane and Matilda.
"Where are our brothers? Tell me the truth," Matilda said in Myrin's ear so as not to upset Jane if her suspicions were right.
"Locked in their chambers," Myrin replied honestly, bending to talk in her ear so they would not be overheard. "They were not given leave to attend because the king is still cautious of you meeting and forming a plot to escape. The kingdom is curious to see you; you have become famous, if a little notorious, amongst the people, and the king thought it wise to show you to them and quench their curiosity. See, they are watching you."
Matilda looked up and saw eyes move quickly away to avoid her gaze. "They do not like me," she said.
"They do not know you like I do," insisted Myrin. "They still believe you slaughtered the king's elk and they do not know you to be honourable, truthful humans. They are simply wary, that is all."
Matilda nodded. Corym, the dancing-master's good-looking son, approached them and offered his hand to Jane, who took it delightedly. They swept onto the dance floor and began to dance. Matilda noticed elves twisting to watch Jane critically. Her friend was in dark green with emeralds and amber dressing her red hair, and she made a fine partnership with Corym, who she had practiced with all afternoon.
Myrin and Matilda stayed together on the edge of the dance floor, and Myrin offered her a seat, which she took. They watched the dancers quietly for a few minutes, and Matilda tried not to feel too conspicuous.
Suddenly, the music stopped and the musicians in the gallery lowered their instruments. Matilda looked around and saw that a herald stood on the steps before the dais. Beside her, Myrin had tensed.
"The last sunset of summer is upon us," the herald said, his voice carrying round the hushed room. "So as we watch the light fade, the first stars of autumn will appear. Drink deeply, my friends, for the summer is over." He paused for effect. "Without further ado, I present to you your King, Thranduil Greenleaf of the Woodland Realm, and his son the noble Prince Legolas!"
"What?!" said Matilda, turning on Myrin. Her shocked eyes were as wide as coins. Had she heard that right? Legolas... prince? Myrin looked guilty, so Matilda's head snapped back to the dais. The Elvenking, dressed finely in royal-blue and his magnificent crown, was stepping up onto the platform, but Matilda looked straight past him to Legolas. He wore silver and blue silk, and he smiled around the room at the cheering elves. He was the king's son! The heir of Mirkwood! No wonder everyone was so reverent of him. Legolas must have twisted his father's ear into allowing the girls such a beautiful chamber. That had been why he had had the power to release Teddy and Sam. It all made sense now. He had been so offhand earlier because he had known they would discover his royal status.
Matilda felt a stab of betrayal lodge like a shard above her heart. Why had he kept such an important thing a secret? She was not angry at him, but she felt like he had not trusted her and that hurt. But most of all, Matilda was sad; she felt hopeless. She knew she cared for Legolas, but now...
She watched, feeling very distant from him, as he took a seat on the smaller golden throne, at the right hand of the king. Matilda's heart ached. His face was like a mask, the smile fixed and not quite reaching his eyes, but the elves didn't seem to notice. They hailed their king and beloved prince with love and respect, not noticing that Legolas's gaze was flicking around the hall, searching for the one person he could not see.
Matilda could not stay a moment longer; she ran out of the hall as fast as her feet could carry her, but Myrin was quicker and he caught up with her just outside the double doors.
"Matilda," he said. Everyone was in the hall for the Feast and dancing, so the corridor was deserted.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Matilda asked forlornly.
"I was ordered not to."
"By Legolas?"
"Yes," Myrin took hold of her hands. "He was worried that the... dynamics of your relationship might change if you knew that Thranduil was his father," Myrin phrased delicately.
Matilda gave a great sniff, but then they became aware of a commotion just the other side of the doors.
"-Let me out, you senseless idiots! I'm not escaping; I'm going to comfort my friend!"
Myrin and Matilda looked each other, and then back at the doors as Jane burst out, muttering: "stupid fools!"
She caught sight of Matilda and went to her. "You know, I think Legolas is looking for someone. He looks like he has a twitch he moves so often." Matilda shot a sharp glance at Jane, who grinned cheekily back at her. "The way you've been looking at him, even a blind man could see that you were falling in love with him."
"Don't be ridiculous," Matilda murmured.
She sounded sad. Jane picked up on this, and put an arm round her friend's shoulders. She didn't say anything; she just let Matilda rest her head on her shoulder and sigh heavily.
Myrin stayed with them, clasping Matilda's hands, and that was where Tauriel, in a peacock-blue tunic for the Feast, found them a while later.
"People are asking where you had gone," she explained. "So I said I would go and search."
"Do we have to go back in?" asked Matilda.
Tauriel nodded. "They would take great offense to think you had declined the king's invitation-"
"It was not an invitation," muttered Jane, but Tauriel ignored her.
"You need to go in and dance and eat and talk to them. They are suspicious of you, and you must put their minds at ease by charming them," said Tauriel. "Come on. Myrin and I will be with you."
Matilda nodded, and the four of them, two elves and two girls, re-entered the room. Matilda held her head high and didn't look up to the dais where she could feel Legolas's eyes on her. Myrin took her arm and led her onto the dance floor. Jane partnered Corym again. Matilda was concentrating so hard on perfecting the dance that she hadn't noticed Legolas descend from the dais to the dance floor, sweeping Tauriel along with him.
When she caught sight of him so close to her, she hesitated, missing a step and almost tripping.
"Are you alright?" Legolas asked, clearly concerned.
If he noticed the whiteness of Matilda's face or the strength of Myrin's grip under her elbow, he didn't say anything.
Matilda did not reply; she was annoyed that he could act like nothing had happened, like she had not just found out that her friend would one day inherit the vast kingdom of the wood-elves.
Legolas glanced at Tauriel, upset, but she shook her head and whispered, "She is in shock. Give her time."
He nodded anxiously but couldn't help his eyes sliding sideways to watch Matilda.
"Should I ask her for the next dance?" he asked Tauriel.
"Best not," his friend advised. "You do not want to put her in a position where she might refuse you in public, embarrassing the both of you."
Legolas reluctantly agreed. He wished he had had the courage to disclose his princely status to Matilda prior to the Feast but he did not want her to view him any differently. He had enjoyed being with Matilda the past few days, pretending as though he was her equal and just being her friend. He knew he couldn't deny his feelings for her any more than he could deny being the king's son, and he was worried that she would hate him for lying to her.
Matilda, with the help of a goblet of wine or two, began to relax and enjoy herself. Myrin released her to go and dance with Tehlmar, who complimented her every step they took: "Miss Matilda, you are the most beautiful lady in this room!"
Matilda just laughed at him.
"Why, your dancing is exquisite! You must tell me who taught you to dance?"
"The best dancing-master in all Middle-Earth!" giggled Matilda.
"Oh, you flatter me, Beautiful One," laughed Tehlmar. He was very cheerful, having drunk much more wine than Matilda.
The evening wore on, and Jane and Matilda sat down to eat with the elves. The food was a grand banquet, with richer fare than the Lake-town girls could have dreamed of, and with Myrin's help they began to make friends.
The moment they had finished eating, Jane leapt up to dance again, grabbing the hand of a rather bemused but pleased elf, who followed her like a puppy. Matilda danced with many different elves, and eventually found herself partnering Tehlmar again. By now, the dancing-master was pink-cheeked and had become even more flamboyant, but Matilda soon realised this was okay because the music had was faster and the dances more rowdy. The common elves were getting a little overexcited, but the nobles sat at their tables and stood in their dignified little groups sipping wine and having less fun than their lower-classed kin. Jane was very enthusiastically dancing with Myrin, both of them laughing as they more or less hopped in circles.
Tehlmar, like so many others, was getting a little unruly and he told Matilda to stand on his feet, whereby he proceeded to bound round the dance floor. Suddenly, he became to such an abrupt halt, they almost toppled over, but Legolas caught them.
He smiled at Matilda. "May I have the honour of this dance? You do not mind, do you Tehlmar?"
"Not at all, my lord," garbled Tehlmar before hurrying off to find another equally-energetic partner.
Matilda gave Legolas a small smile and took his hand. They danced gracefully together, unaware of Aubron's furious black eyes following them.
"I am sorry I did not tell you that I was the king's son," said Legolas, his eyes not breaking from Matilda's. "I am embarrassed that you had to find out in this way. It must have been a shock."
"I understand," said Matilda calmly. "I realise now that you did not want our friendship to be altered in the knowledge that you were a prince."
"I thought you were angry with me," he said in relief.
"I was," Matilda grinned. "But I see more clearly now. I think I would do the same."
"If you were a prince?" joked Legolas and Matilda shook her head, laughing.
Legolas suddenly looked towards his father on the dais who was engaged in conversation with a couple of lords, Aubron among them, and then grabbed Matilda's hand and pulled her from the room. Hand in hand, then ran together to an alcove, whereupon Legolas dived through a heavy velvet curtain and landed on the stone window-seat in every alcove. Matilda sat beside him, drunk on wine and love and Legolas. The moon shone through the window and illuminated their little alcove with silvery light, and Matilda felt as though she was in some kind of beautiful dream.
"Matilda," breathed Legolas, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "It is not a friendship I was so apprehensive to alter. I have fallen in love with you." Matilda, hugging her arms around her, secretly pinched her side, desperate to know that she would not wake up in disappointment. "I can only dare to hope that you return my affections."
"Oh, Legolas," said Matilda, clasping one of his hands in both of her own. Suddenly, her head was very clear and rational sense took over the exhilarating recklessness of the Feast and of being alone with Legolas. "I did not dare to believe that I had a chance with you, but now there is even less hope. I love you too, but you know we cannot be-"
"We can find a way," insisted Legolas. "Any way."
Matilda shook her head, swallowing down her feelings and speaking with her head and not her heart, which was screaming out for her to say yes, yes, they would find a way, any way. Matilda found that she had to force the words out of her mouth before she could buckle and weaken her resolve. "No, there is nothing to be done. I am a human and your father's prisoner, and you are an elf and a prince. I wish it could be, but it cannot." Her voice was tight; it physically hurt her to be saying such things to Legolas. She knew she was breaking both their hearts with every word.
"As you said, I am prince. There is nothing in this kingdom that I cannot command if I so desire," said Legolas. "I can make my father release you and-"
"And?" Matilda prompted him.
Legolas didn't reply.
Matilda kissed his hand, a tear sliding from under her closed eyelids, and said gently, "I would go back to Lake-town, and you would stay here and marry, if not Eletha, then a different noble elven princess."
"Do you love me?" asked Legolas, leaning towards her. His gaze was so intense that Matilda had to look away for fear that she might scorch herself. But when she couldn't resist another peek at him, he was very close, just a hair's breadth away. She felt her cheeks warm at this close proximity.
"You know I do," she replied.
"There is nothing in this world stronger than love," said Legolas, his eyes flaring. "I know we can be together. I know we can survive, despite those who would try to pull us apart."
Matilda quickly got to her feet before she threw herself at him and never let him go. "I am sorry, Legolas," she said sincerely. "Please, I'm begging you, don't make this harder than it has to be. And you are wrong. In the world of the Woodland Realm, there is something stronger than love. And his name is Thranduil."
I felt so bad about not updating the story for over a month, I decided to post two chapters in one day.
Hope you've enjoyed reading so far! Thank you for the lovely reviews; I'm so pleased people are even reading my writing. Keep letting me know what you think – I'm desperate to get better and they make me so happy! Love you all!
