A/N- Hope you are participated in the poll. Remember, the poll DOES NOT
include this chapter, only one through ten
Chapter 11- Confrontation
Gimli had arrived in Gondor shortly after Legolas and Aragorn's conversation ended. Trying to calm down, Legolas and his short friend went for a walk.
"So, how is Arod? I hate to say it but I've missed the beast." Gimli said.
"He is well. Would you like to see him?"
"Aye."
So they tramped off to the stables and were petting Arod down, Gimli fed him a few sugar cubes before they heard a horse approach. A few minutes later Leyadriel came in, tunic and pants a mess and hair no better. One side of her face was a little red and she was whispering to herself in deep thought. Then she turned her back to them and both tried valiantly to restrain a cry of surprise.
A big ugly bruise spread over most of all of her lower back. She left, still pondering, and Legolas and Gimli let out their breath.
"What happened to her?" Gimli asked.
"I don't know, I don't think it was there earlier.....we must see Aragorn."
The two went off to see Aragorn with their news. He was happy when he opened the door to see them but his mood grew grey when he saw their faces. Legolas told him in detail and when he was through Aragorn pounded a fist violently against his desk.
"I'LL HAVE THAT BOY'S HIDE!!!"
Aragorn took off at a charge towards Leyadriel's chambers. Legolas and Gimli followed but at a distance, after all they were not family. Then again they were certainly not strangers. They watched their friend, to make sure he controlled his temper. Aragorn took a deep calming breath before knocking at the door.
"Come in!" Her voice called and her father walked in. Legolas and Gimli walked away, seeing that Aragorn had reined his anger. But even as they walked away both desperately wanted to hear the word exchange.
*** The Word Exchange***
"Adar! To what do I owe this pleasure?" Leyadriel said happily, she rarely saw her father when they weren't training, for running a kingdom was no small task. She also felt as though her parents felt guilty about her dreams. She had never in her life blamed her parents for the nightmares...but rather herself. She always believed that Eru {elvish God- like symbol} knew she was going to do something horrible in her lifetime and punished her accordingly. She always believed that because it made her circumstances bearable.
"I came to see if you were alright." He said evenly.
Two spots of blush touched her cheeks when he spoke, she managed to answer nonchalantly, "I'm fine, Adar." {Father}
His eyes narrowed as she turned her back to him. He reached out a hand and touched her lower back and she flinched. "Im sinta ta, Leyadriel. Why did you lie to me?" {I knew it.}
"So you wouldn't get angry, Adar. Twas an accident nothing more. Nothing that needed to be shared, you are after all troubled by far more then a clumsy act of mine."
He laughed mockingly, "You an elven princess, blood and training have never let you trip or fall in your life. Accident." He huffed, "I highly doubt that all your accidents coinciding with you bedding that brat are just mere coincidences."
She blushed furiously at her father's words before he continued, "Don't look so surprised, daughter, that I know what lusty lords and ladies do. I was one myself."
She clenched her eyes shut against the image and spoke back, "Adar, am I not perfectly capable of defending myself? An accident occurred for I would let nothing else happen! I am your daughter after all."
"You are but you are not acting like it! You may not mind your pain but I do! I love you more then my life, I probably love you more then you love yourself! I am going to watch you and our 'little lord'. If one toe of his goes out of line I shall exile him for I will risk no more hurt to you. Not if I can prevent it." And under his breath he muttered, "This time."
But her ears picked it up. Her heart clenched and she cried out, "Is that what this is about, then? Trying to undo the dreams?"
"No, it's about saving you." He answered sternly, trying to hide that she was at least half right.
"I don't need saving! I'm happy! Or would you save me from that?" She roared.
"If it makes you bruise and bleed then *yes*!" He cried loudly before going to the door, "That is final, daughter. I pray you understand."
He went out in a huff and Leyadriel threw a vase against a wall shattering it on impact. Then she screamed loudly grabbing her arrows and bow and sprinting to the archery range; deciding to for go dinner. She was furiously firing arrows right into the bull's eye, some arrows splitting others.
The she split 3 direct bull's eyes and a voice behind her said, "You've made yourself quite the archer in these years, pen mir." {Little jewel}
"Diolla lle, tarenamin." {Thank you, my Prince} She said with forced calm.
"Amin hiraetha, tarien." {I'm sorry, princess.} He said, coming up behind her.
"Mani?" {What?} She asked at his words, she and Legolas had been close since the day she was born, practically, rarely if ever did they hurt each other.
"Amin hiraetha. I was in the stables with Gimli when you returned. We saw your back and told your father." {I'm sorry.}
"MANI!" {WHAT!} Her tone was angry but her eyes were betrayed. He put a finger over her lips and looked into her eyes.
"I did it for your protection."
"I thought I could trust you!" She cried and she tried to walk away but Legolas stopped her and just the look in his eyes made her rethink shooting him in the kneecap.
"You have my trust but I will not keep my silence if you are being harmed."
"They are accidents!" She exclaimed, "Not injuries!"
"That's a lie, Leyadriel. You would confide in me that these bruises were accidents, but you always failed to mention that they came after Pengwaith left. I will not stay silent too much longer if you are still hurt by him. I will not keep years of abuse from your parents even if it was not classified to me as such. I'm sorry, my little jewel, but that is final." He said these words gently, every syllable showing her he was doing this out of concern for her not because he was angry she had lied to him or felt guilty at her state.
She huffed and a tear slid down one cheek at the look of protection Legolas gave her, filled with plutonic adoration.
"Why does everyone train me to be a capable defender and never let me defend myself?!" She cried exasperated.
"We do let you defend yourself; we simply defend you when you aren't doing it yourself."
"I always defend myself."
"But not against him. If you did you wouldn't have your back completely black and blue."
"An accident! An accident from the passions we shared."
"Maybe once is a passionate mishap, but NOT multiple wounds on multiple occasions over multiple years."
Leyadriel looked wounded on huffed at his words.
"Pen miramin, let us make this simple. Answer my questions shortly." {My little jewel.}
She nodded disdainfully.
"Are you hurt in some way?"
"Uma." {Yes.}
"Did he hurt you?"
He saw her hesitate and glared at her, showing his care and impatience.
"Uma." {Yes.}
"Did you tell me of the injuries but hide their source?"
She bowed her head, ashamed, "Uma." {Yes.}
Another tear rolled down her cheek and his heart quivered. "Amin hiraetha, pen mir. Amin hiraetha." {I'm sorry, little jewel. I'm sorry.}
He enclosed Leyadriel in his arms but she pushed away and glared at him, "Uuma eesa amin pen, Legolas! Lle elea Im u-pen si. Not little nor vulnerable any longer. Not crying for you to hold me until the evils in this world pass! I no longer call for others to defend me! I am grown!" {Don't name me little, Legolas. You see I am not little now.}
He stood shocked and hurt by her words but this did not phase her. She looked at him again, "Leave me alone, Edhel." {Elf}
She nearly ran off. From the shadows Pengwaith smiled victoriously and whispered, "Bishop endangers Queen."
Legolas perceived and huffed, "A move that is impossible. For the Queen is always an endangerment to the Bishop."
"You'll never beat me, elf. I'm the only side *with* a Queen."
"For now, but I have all my pawns awaiting their crowns."
"She's mine, Legolas, not yours."
"I've not tried to claim her as mine but I will not see her be yours."
"Nor I." Aragorn's voice rose behind Legolas.
"Knight takes Bishop, Pengwaith." Legolas murmured.
"Leave my daughter alone or I'll skin you alive." The King threatened truthfully, anyone could hear the malice in his voice.
A rustle of leaves said that Pengwaith left.
"I hear he's a poor chess player." Legolas commented, rage was flickering in his veins at Pengwaith.
"And you've had three thousand years of practice." Aragorn managed a weak smile.
The two friends talked, plotted mostly, until late at night. They parted ways when Aragorn went to keep his wife company in bed. Legolas roamed the gardens for a time before winding up in the garden with a bench and a white rose bush.
He smiled at the bush and remembered a younger Leyadriel, stroking rose petals as pale as her skin. Legolas approached the bush and cut a flower from it, then cut off the thorns. Pausing momentarily, he inhaled its sweet scent and took a silken scarf from his pocket.
A high pitched scream racked his ears and scalded his heart. His friend's elfling was ailing again, Legolas made his way back to the palace. He came under Leyadriel's balcony and easily scaled until he sat on it after reaching the top. The sight he saw did nothing to calm him; a nurse was binding Leyadriel's wrist which was slashed and bleeding and another was pressing a cloth against her mouth, the fabric drenched in blood.
After a time they left her and he took a quiet breath and wrapped the scarf around the rose's stem, walked in to her room and sat on the edge of her bed.
"Leave, Edhel." {Elf} She said turning her face so he couldn't see her split lip.
He caressed her lips with the soft rose petals as though giving a soft kiss.
"Amin ikotane hiraetha. I never meant to hurt you, just to protect you. I realize you're grown and you don't want to be protected. But you are very dear to all of us, and none of us want to see you harmed. Amin ikotane hiraetha, edhel tarien. Saes, hiraetha amin." {I'm so sorry.} {I'm so sorry, elf princess.} {Please, forgive me.}
He offered the rose, which she eagerly accepted and smelled. She put the silk against her skin to test its texture. She even let out a low moan from its smoothness. Legolas' ears perked when he heard this because no matter age or race, he was still male and his body only knew that he was sitting on a bed that had a beautiful woman in it who happened to be moaning. His body didn't comprehend that she was Leyadriel Telcontar, daughter of Elessar the High King of Gondor.
Legolas struggled to keep his body under control as Leyadriel opened her arms for an embrace, saying in a voice full of regret, "Hiraetha lle? Lle merna hiraetha amin! I want to be treated like an adult yet I act like a child." {Forgive you? You need to forgive me.}
He embraced her and stroked her raven feather hair and responded, "You act like a bird testing her wings so she can soon fly. I do not grudge you your anger if you don't grudge me wanting you not to fly too far."
A tear down her cheek proved that his words broke through her outer shell and touched her heart. The tear dropped from her cheek onto his and then ran onto his lips, making him taste its saltiness.
'Elbereth! I don't know why I'm having so much trouble restraining myself. *It's* *Aragorn's* *daughter*!'
The embrace ended and he kissed her forehead fondly before disappearing out the window again.
A/N- Sorry about the confusing chess match, but it seemed right. What do you guys think?
Chapter 11- Confrontation
Gimli had arrived in Gondor shortly after Legolas and Aragorn's conversation ended. Trying to calm down, Legolas and his short friend went for a walk.
"So, how is Arod? I hate to say it but I've missed the beast." Gimli said.
"He is well. Would you like to see him?"
"Aye."
So they tramped off to the stables and were petting Arod down, Gimli fed him a few sugar cubes before they heard a horse approach. A few minutes later Leyadriel came in, tunic and pants a mess and hair no better. One side of her face was a little red and she was whispering to herself in deep thought. Then she turned her back to them and both tried valiantly to restrain a cry of surprise.
A big ugly bruise spread over most of all of her lower back. She left, still pondering, and Legolas and Gimli let out their breath.
"What happened to her?" Gimli asked.
"I don't know, I don't think it was there earlier.....we must see Aragorn."
The two went off to see Aragorn with their news. He was happy when he opened the door to see them but his mood grew grey when he saw their faces. Legolas told him in detail and when he was through Aragorn pounded a fist violently against his desk.
"I'LL HAVE THAT BOY'S HIDE!!!"
Aragorn took off at a charge towards Leyadriel's chambers. Legolas and Gimli followed but at a distance, after all they were not family. Then again they were certainly not strangers. They watched their friend, to make sure he controlled his temper. Aragorn took a deep calming breath before knocking at the door.
"Come in!" Her voice called and her father walked in. Legolas and Gimli walked away, seeing that Aragorn had reined his anger. But even as they walked away both desperately wanted to hear the word exchange.
*** The Word Exchange***
"Adar! To what do I owe this pleasure?" Leyadriel said happily, she rarely saw her father when they weren't training, for running a kingdom was no small task. She also felt as though her parents felt guilty about her dreams. She had never in her life blamed her parents for the nightmares...but rather herself. She always believed that Eru {elvish God- like symbol} knew she was going to do something horrible in her lifetime and punished her accordingly. She always believed that because it made her circumstances bearable.
"I came to see if you were alright." He said evenly.
Two spots of blush touched her cheeks when he spoke, she managed to answer nonchalantly, "I'm fine, Adar." {Father}
His eyes narrowed as she turned her back to him. He reached out a hand and touched her lower back and she flinched. "Im sinta ta, Leyadriel. Why did you lie to me?" {I knew it.}
"So you wouldn't get angry, Adar. Twas an accident nothing more. Nothing that needed to be shared, you are after all troubled by far more then a clumsy act of mine."
He laughed mockingly, "You an elven princess, blood and training have never let you trip or fall in your life. Accident." He huffed, "I highly doubt that all your accidents coinciding with you bedding that brat are just mere coincidences."
She blushed furiously at her father's words before he continued, "Don't look so surprised, daughter, that I know what lusty lords and ladies do. I was one myself."
She clenched her eyes shut against the image and spoke back, "Adar, am I not perfectly capable of defending myself? An accident occurred for I would let nothing else happen! I am your daughter after all."
"You are but you are not acting like it! You may not mind your pain but I do! I love you more then my life, I probably love you more then you love yourself! I am going to watch you and our 'little lord'. If one toe of his goes out of line I shall exile him for I will risk no more hurt to you. Not if I can prevent it." And under his breath he muttered, "This time."
But her ears picked it up. Her heart clenched and she cried out, "Is that what this is about, then? Trying to undo the dreams?"
"No, it's about saving you." He answered sternly, trying to hide that she was at least half right.
"I don't need saving! I'm happy! Or would you save me from that?" She roared.
"If it makes you bruise and bleed then *yes*!" He cried loudly before going to the door, "That is final, daughter. I pray you understand."
He went out in a huff and Leyadriel threw a vase against a wall shattering it on impact. Then she screamed loudly grabbing her arrows and bow and sprinting to the archery range; deciding to for go dinner. She was furiously firing arrows right into the bull's eye, some arrows splitting others.
The she split 3 direct bull's eyes and a voice behind her said, "You've made yourself quite the archer in these years, pen mir." {Little jewel}
"Diolla lle, tarenamin." {Thank you, my Prince} She said with forced calm.
"Amin hiraetha, tarien." {I'm sorry, princess.} He said, coming up behind her.
"Mani?" {What?} She asked at his words, she and Legolas had been close since the day she was born, practically, rarely if ever did they hurt each other.
"Amin hiraetha. I was in the stables with Gimli when you returned. We saw your back and told your father." {I'm sorry.}
"MANI!" {WHAT!} Her tone was angry but her eyes were betrayed. He put a finger over her lips and looked into her eyes.
"I did it for your protection."
"I thought I could trust you!" She cried and she tried to walk away but Legolas stopped her and just the look in his eyes made her rethink shooting him in the kneecap.
"You have my trust but I will not keep my silence if you are being harmed."
"They are accidents!" She exclaimed, "Not injuries!"
"That's a lie, Leyadriel. You would confide in me that these bruises were accidents, but you always failed to mention that they came after Pengwaith left. I will not stay silent too much longer if you are still hurt by him. I will not keep years of abuse from your parents even if it was not classified to me as such. I'm sorry, my little jewel, but that is final." He said these words gently, every syllable showing her he was doing this out of concern for her not because he was angry she had lied to him or felt guilty at her state.
She huffed and a tear slid down one cheek at the look of protection Legolas gave her, filled with plutonic adoration.
"Why does everyone train me to be a capable defender and never let me defend myself?!" She cried exasperated.
"We do let you defend yourself; we simply defend you when you aren't doing it yourself."
"I always defend myself."
"But not against him. If you did you wouldn't have your back completely black and blue."
"An accident! An accident from the passions we shared."
"Maybe once is a passionate mishap, but NOT multiple wounds on multiple occasions over multiple years."
Leyadriel looked wounded on huffed at his words.
"Pen miramin, let us make this simple. Answer my questions shortly." {My little jewel.}
She nodded disdainfully.
"Are you hurt in some way?"
"Uma." {Yes.}
"Did he hurt you?"
He saw her hesitate and glared at her, showing his care and impatience.
"Uma." {Yes.}
"Did you tell me of the injuries but hide their source?"
She bowed her head, ashamed, "Uma." {Yes.}
Another tear rolled down her cheek and his heart quivered. "Amin hiraetha, pen mir. Amin hiraetha." {I'm sorry, little jewel. I'm sorry.}
He enclosed Leyadriel in his arms but she pushed away and glared at him, "Uuma eesa amin pen, Legolas! Lle elea Im u-pen si. Not little nor vulnerable any longer. Not crying for you to hold me until the evils in this world pass! I no longer call for others to defend me! I am grown!" {Don't name me little, Legolas. You see I am not little now.}
He stood shocked and hurt by her words but this did not phase her. She looked at him again, "Leave me alone, Edhel." {Elf}
She nearly ran off. From the shadows Pengwaith smiled victoriously and whispered, "Bishop endangers Queen."
Legolas perceived and huffed, "A move that is impossible. For the Queen is always an endangerment to the Bishop."
"You'll never beat me, elf. I'm the only side *with* a Queen."
"For now, but I have all my pawns awaiting their crowns."
"She's mine, Legolas, not yours."
"I've not tried to claim her as mine but I will not see her be yours."
"Nor I." Aragorn's voice rose behind Legolas.
"Knight takes Bishop, Pengwaith." Legolas murmured.
"Leave my daughter alone or I'll skin you alive." The King threatened truthfully, anyone could hear the malice in his voice.
A rustle of leaves said that Pengwaith left.
"I hear he's a poor chess player." Legolas commented, rage was flickering in his veins at Pengwaith.
"And you've had three thousand years of practice." Aragorn managed a weak smile.
The two friends talked, plotted mostly, until late at night. They parted ways when Aragorn went to keep his wife company in bed. Legolas roamed the gardens for a time before winding up in the garden with a bench and a white rose bush.
He smiled at the bush and remembered a younger Leyadriel, stroking rose petals as pale as her skin. Legolas approached the bush and cut a flower from it, then cut off the thorns. Pausing momentarily, he inhaled its sweet scent and took a silken scarf from his pocket.
A high pitched scream racked his ears and scalded his heart. His friend's elfling was ailing again, Legolas made his way back to the palace. He came under Leyadriel's balcony and easily scaled until he sat on it after reaching the top. The sight he saw did nothing to calm him; a nurse was binding Leyadriel's wrist which was slashed and bleeding and another was pressing a cloth against her mouth, the fabric drenched in blood.
After a time they left her and he took a quiet breath and wrapped the scarf around the rose's stem, walked in to her room and sat on the edge of her bed.
"Leave, Edhel." {Elf} She said turning her face so he couldn't see her split lip.
He caressed her lips with the soft rose petals as though giving a soft kiss.
"Amin ikotane hiraetha. I never meant to hurt you, just to protect you. I realize you're grown and you don't want to be protected. But you are very dear to all of us, and none of us want to see you harmed. Amin ikotane hiraetha, edhel tarien. Saes, hiraetha amin." {I'm so sorry.} {I'm so sorry, elf princess.} {Please, forgive me.}
He offered the rose, which she eagerly accepted and smelled. She put the silk against her skin to test its texture. She even let out a low moan from its smoothness. Legolas' ears perked when he heard this because no matter age or race, he was still male and his body only knew that he was sitting on a bed that had a beautiful woman in it who happened to be moaning. His body didn't comprehend that she was Leyadriel Telcontar, daughter of Elessar the High King of Gondor.
Legolas struggled to keep his body under control as Leyadriel opened her arms for an embrace, saying in a voice full of regret, "Hiraetha lle? Lle merna hiraetha amin! I want to be treated like an adult yet I act like a child." {Forgive you? You need to forgive me.}
He embraced her and stroked her raven feather hair and responded, "You act like a bird testing her wings so she can soon fly. I do not grudge you your anger if you don't grudge me wanting you not to fly too far."
A tear down her cheek proved that his words broke through her outer shell and touched her heart. The tear dropped from her cheek onto his and then ran onto his lips, making him taste its saltiness.
'Elbereth! I don't know why I'm having so much trouble restraining myself. *It's* *Aragorn's* *daughter*!'
The embrace ended and he kissed her forehead fondly before disappearing out the window again.
A/N- Sorry about the confusing chess match, but it seemed right. What do you guys think?