Chapter 13

Welp, here we are with the next chapter. Out a little later than I planned but I got it done! Took me ages, ugh, between work and cleaning and taking care of my daughter I barely managed to get 3-4 paragraphs written a day.

Thankfully today is my day off so I was able to finish writing and go over it with a critical eye without a single interruption. (Ignoring the fact my daughter decided to be a whining mess today)

Anyhow, it is the much awaited Thranduil-Heather confrontation! Wooo! I had so much fun writing that bit up, I still have a stupid grin on my face. Actually, to be honest, Heather's words to him have been on my mind for the past two weeks, so it just needed a little ironing out before it was ready.

However I will leave it at that before I give out any spoilers, haha.

An extra-special internet cookie for the ones that guess what the next chapter will entail. I've left little nuggets of info in this one to help point you to the right direction. Come on, you lot are smart! Figure it out!

I think that's all for now, onward!

-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters

-I DO own Heather and the plot

~TL

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A soft knock on her door woke Heather from her much needed sleep, earning a low groan of irritation as she sat up and moved sleepily to the door. "Yeah?" She managed to get out through a yawn only to have a soft, musical voice reply. "Sorry, Lady Sonya, I do not speak the language you used..." Whoever they were -a girl from what she could hear through the door- hesitated then continued. "I was bid to wake you and bring a gown for the evening meal."

Rubbing at her eyes, Heather swallowed a sigh and opened the door for the girl, watching blearily when she bustled in and moved towards the second door in her room and opened it to reveal a bathroom of sorts. "You have time to bathe and dress before Lord Legolas comes to retrieve you." Now that she was more awake than before, Heather could hear a small bite in the elleth's voice making her raise a curious eyebrow. "Ah, thank you." She muttered, moving forward to join what she was beginning to suspect a maid in the washroom, watching as she carefully hung the dress on a rack off to the side. "I'll just... Do that then." With a nod, she waited for the girl to leave so she could undress.

And waited some more.

Pursing her lips, Heather eyed the elleth pointedly then turned to the door. "Aren't you going to leave?"

Stiffening slightly, the Elleth turned her gaze from the steaming water and back to Heather once more. "I was bid by the King himself to help you wash."

"I'll bet he did." Heather growled, suddenly more sure than anything said King wouldn't be so kind to her as he seemed to be with Legolas earlier. If anything, she would bet her long, red hair that he wanted this maid to study her and report back any anomaly to him. As if she had anything to hide!

Sniffing slightly, she turned away from the girl and tugged the belt on her tunic loose before tugging it over her head, hissing softly when the newly mended skin on her chest tugged from the movement. "Are you hurt?" The sudden, caring tone in the maid's voice nearly threw her off balance. Glancing over her shoulder, Heather eyed the soft light shining in the maid's grey eyes and smiled sardonically. "I'm fine now. Just a little bit of raw skin." Turning back to her task, she finished tugging the tunic off and dropped it to the side.

The soft intake of air behind let her know the other woman could clearly see the top edges and tips of the tattooed wings on her back. "Before you ask, it's a type of art from where lived." She tossed over her shoulder as she untied the leather bindings on her chest and let them drop. "It won't wash off ether." She added with a cheeky smile, turning slightly so she could see the maid's face.

Surprise was evident on the woman's face before she carefully schooled her features once more. "I see... How is it done, may I ask?" She added hesitantly, the sharp bite that had been in her voice before curiously absent while Heather finished tugging her leggings off and moved towards the water. "With ink and needles." She sighed, slipping into the heated bath with a silent praise to whatever powers there be for hot water and closed her eyes.

"A needle is coated with ink and then poked into the skin, when the needle comes out, it leaves ink behind underneath, making it stay." She added, turning to face the maid fully this time, arms resting on the edge of the bath as she watched the elleth move closer with a curious eye. "It sounds painful." The elleth finally murmured after lapsing in silence for a moment.

Another grin broke across Heather's features at that, tipping her head down in a quick nod. "Yes, it did. A lot, but well worth it. Now I can carry my art with me wherever I go."

"You... Drew these? How did you reach your back to put them there?" Grey eyes sparkling with curiosity locked onto Heather's face while she tipped her head just enough to rest her cheek on the backs of her hands. "I didn't, I drew the wings on paper and then had someone called a tattoo artist take the picture and put it on my back."

Silence drifted over the two of them for a time, giving Heather leeway to dunk under the water and soak her hair thoroughly. Coming back up, she was met with a determined maid with a jar full of soap for her hair. "Lean back, Lady. I will wash it for you." The steely glint in her eyes refusing any argument that might have gone with the statement. Deciding not to waste energy she knew she'd need later during dinner with Legolas and his father, Heather gave in and let the maid scrub the soap into her hair.

'Just act like you're getting your hair cut.' She thought ruefully, eyes closed as the elf's fingers gently massaged her scalp. 'And the girl doing my hair is a master hairdresser...' She amended silently, enjoying the massage as it eased away the faint feelings of a headache she didn't even know had been there until just then. Silence once again reigned in the little room, letting Heather sink into her thoughts while her hair was taken care of and oils were given to her so she could wash herself thoroughly.

It didn't take much to figure out now it was the King himself that wanted to know how she showed up. Originally she had figured Legolas's father had been the head of the King's guard and needed to know how she did in order to keep an eye out while protecting said King's world.

Now she found out that the man was both Legolas's father and the King put everything into stark light. The King was worried with how she appeared, probably thinking she was a spy of sorts and needing to find out just how much -or little, she added ruefully- she knew of the Elvish ways and how exactly she managed to get herself so close to an Elvish city without anyone seeing her until then.

Frowning at the turn her thoughts were taking, Heather tuned into the world around her just in time to hear the Maid urge her from the bath and out so she could be dried and change into the gown.

It was a beautiful gown, she could admit to herself as she smoothed her hands down the front carefully. Made out of something very similar to velvet and a deep green that nearly matched her eyes. The neckline a modest square that showed her collarbone and stopped an inch below it. No cleavage here, thankfully, Heather wasn't sure if she could handle wearing anything remotely sexy at the moment. She suffered no delusions about how she looked and knew it wasn't her style to wear clothing like many of the Elleth from her new home wore daily.

Turning around, she sat in the desk chair the maid had pulled out for her, and tipped her head back slightly so the woman could begin brushing out her hair -gently of course, whatever changed the maid's attitude towards her still didn't let up. And she still had no idea what happened to make her act differently either.- and twist it into an elaborate hairdo.

Once the last strand of red had been tucked into place, Heather went to stand only to have something settle on top of her head and clip into her hair to keep it in place. With a frown, she reached up and traced her fingers along the cool metal there then turned to the maid with the question on her tongue.

"Lord Legolas bid me to have you wear this, as a reminder you are a daughter of Lord Elrond." Lifting her hands, she adjusted the circlet carefully then stepped back with a soft smile. "He would have no words against it either." She added when Heather opened her mouth again. Frowning again, she let out a small sigh and nodded slightly. "Alright, fine. I won't take it off if it's that damn important."

With that, the Maid smiled brightly, her grey eyes twinkling slightly in amusement at Heather's grumpy expression. "He will be pleased to see you with it."

Rolling her eyes, Heather moved to stand and stalked over to the small mirror hanging on the wall across from her, turning her head side to side to study the circlet critically. Catching sight of the still-smiling maid's reflection behind her, she turned around and tipped her head to the side.

"I have to ask." She burst out suddenly, catching the elleth off-guard with the explosion of words tumbling past her lips. "Why did lle seem ikotane irritated with amin when lle first got sinome?" (why did you seem so irritated with me when you first got here)

Blinking at the strange way Heather spoke, the elleth shifted uncomfortably, making the red-head belatedly realize she had spoken in broken Elvish, mixing her English up with the beautiful language like she normally did when excited about anything. It had caused more than one bemused or confused expressions from her family.

"Sorry." Blushing, she repeated the question carefully in full Elvish, making the maid blush herself and shift uncomfortably where she stood. "I see... You must understand, I have never traveled from the trees of Greenwood and do not understand the ways of Elvish living outside of our own." She began, grey eyes drifting around the room before settling on Heather again.

"Many elleth or ellon that are adopted into a high-standing family usually believe and act as if they deserve everything and do not need to apologize for their actions. I had assumed, wrongly, you would be the same." Lifting her hands, she smiled apologetically at Heather's surprised expression. "I do apologize."

"No, no..." Heather breathed, a crooked smile tugging her lips to the side as she moved forward to join the elleth by her desk and taking her hands in a friendly manner. "Don't apologize. I most likely would have been the same." With a small laugh, she shook her head and tossed a wry look up at the maid. "No, I know I would have."

Hearing that, the maid's tinkling laugh joined hers as they erupted in a fit of giggles at the thought of acting that way. A soft knock broke through their laughter, making them share a quick glance before Heather moved to open the door. "Yes?"

Legolas's amused eyes stared down at her as she peered around the edge of the door. "It is time for the evening meal." He answered her unasked question, watching understanding dawn in her eyes. "Oh! Alright." She glanced over her shoulder and spoke to whoever was behind her quiet enough Legolas couldn't hear before opening the door fully to reveal what she wore.

Blinking, he stared down at the forest green dress then glanced up at her hair where the circlet he had given the maid earlier sitting there. "I see Nimphel helped you dress." (pearl)

"Hm? Oh, yeah, she's great." Heather grinned up at him, slipping back into English while they spoke, making the young maid behind her shake her head slightly. "Milady." She gently pushed Heather out of the door and into the hall before joining them. "Remember to speak in a tongue others may understand you." A silent warning flashing in her grey eyes before turning away and moving down the hall away from the two of them.

Raising an eyebrow, Heather watched the maid walk away before turning to look up at Legolas with a frown. "Is it just me, or did she warn me about something?"

He shook his head and took her arm, leading her towards the private dining room they would be sharing a meal with his father. "You did not imagine it, I suspect she means to remind you speaking in English while near my father may prove to be..." He paused, trying to think of the right word before smiling down at her wryly. "Irritating."

"Alright then..." Shaking her head, Heather let Legolas lead her down several different hallways before they came to a stop in front of a single door. "Be mindful, Ada will look for any reason to use his sharp tongue on you." He whispered in her ear then turned to open the door for her and followed inside.

Turning her gaze from the polished floors, Heather looked up to study the room and felt a stab of awe at the careful design the room held, tapestries draped over the right wall facing a wide window opening up to a balcony overlooking a sizable garden from what she could guess. Warm reds and oranges gave a taste of fall as she let Legolas lead her to the table, still gaping at the room around her in astonishment. Her feeble attempts at making her run-down apartment look homey couldn't hold a single candle to what she saw. Each and every corner held a touch of loving attention from the flower vases -they were all empty- to the warm red rug sitting in front of a small fireplace.

To put it frankly, it was beautiful, gorgeous even. Casting a sideways look at Legolas, Heather met his equally awed stare then turned back to face the table where a certain King sat sipping from a goblet. "Ada." Legolas bowed his head slightly, subtly motioning behind his back for Heather to do the same as he did so.

Closing her eyes, she held back the urge to sigh and roll her eyes as she bowed as well, slightly deeper than Legolas in deference to someone of a higher station than her then straightened back up in time to catch Thranduil's gaze settle on her. Silence stretched between the three of them, making her want to fidget but instead forcing her to stand still, eyes locked with the King's as a challenge for him to talk down to her like she suspected he was debating on right that moment.

"Come. Sit." He finally waved a hand at the chairs settled on either side of the table he sat at the head of. The right one sitting beside him while the left a little ways down the table. Obviously hers from the way Thranduil eyed her with that imperious look on his face before turning a more pleasant gaze to his son as he sat down beside him, ignoring Heather as she settled in the chair farther down with a silent curse.

"I heard word from our patrol of a Orc pack roaming the edges of the forest." The King began, turning his attention down at the goblet still in his hand. "They say the pack came from the mountain." Grey-blue eyes flicking over to where Heather sat before turning to his son once more. "They speak of looking for an elf that must have passed without their notice until it was too late." Lifting the goblet once more, he took a sip then settled it back on the table as several servants bustled in carrying various trays laden with food and began setting them on the table before retreating.

Legolas shifted in his seat ever so slightly then began filling his plate silently, thinking over his words carefully before speaking. "We had a run-in with a scout." He finally admitted, shooting a glance over at Heather as she picked at the food on her own plate, seemingly without appetite. "However we were not wounded and left quickly after dispatching it." She flinched slightly at his statement, pushing back the mere idea of what happened in the narrow gorge. Picking up a piece of bread, she nibbled on it unenthusiastically while the two of them spoke.

"I trust there were no... Difficulties?" Thranduil asked, the tone of his voice suggesting Legolas was holding back information. Shooting a quick look at his father, said elf frowned at the way he stared at Heather, a barely perceptible sneer curling his upper lip. "No, Ada. In fact without Heather, the scout would have most likely have escaped to notify the rest of the pack." He clipped, making his father narrow his eyes.

"Is that so? Does she carry a weapon I had no knowledge of?" He asked, one eyebrow raising in disdain when he glanced back at his son.

"No. She used no weapon other than her body." Legolas barely bit back the growl at the end of his statement, blue eyes locking with grey-blue in an obvious challenge.

"Truly? Then tell me, Heather. How might a young elleth like yourself know how to take an Orc scout without a weapon?" Thranduil turned his attention back to the red head, cold amusement glittering in his gaze when she jumped at the sudden address. "Ah..." She mumbled, shooting a pleading look with Legolas before turning reluctantly to his father.

"I managed to pin it down by sheer luck..." She trailed off, her green eyes hazing over in memory. "It was either that, or I let that... Nasty thing touch me." She added, swallowing the bile threatening to rise in her throat before shaking off her thoughts and fixing Thranduil with a stony gaze. "I would ask you not to remind me about it either." She added, watching the King stiffen at the sharp tone of her voice.

"Who are you to order me?" He hissed back, a dangerous spark in his eyes while his hands planted themselves on the table, raising himself out of his seat slightly while staring her down. "You are nothing. Nothing!" He roared suddenly, making her jump and blink over at him in surprise. "An unknown elleth that appeared out of nowhere and managed to worm her way into Lord Elrond's home with big eyes and weak smiles!" Standing straight, he lifted his chin and stared down his nose at her. "You. Are. Nothing."

"Ada-" Legolas hissed, jumping up himself and fixing his father with an angry frown marring his features only to be stopped by a soft voice. Turning to look over at Heather, he furrowed his brows at the almost lazy look on her face as she observed his father.

"He's right, Legolas. I am nothing." With a shrug, she barked out a soft laugh and shook her head before standing, hand reaching up to pluck the circlet from her hair and setting it gently on the table. "I was nothing before coming here, and am nothing now. You are right, Your Highness." She sniffed in amusement and looked over at Thranduil idly. "However, this nothing took on an Orc with nothing but her bare hands. This nothing traveled all the way from her home in Rivendell to meet you because you, er, asked me to."

Reaching up, she plucked the pins carefully keeping her hair contained and let it fall back around her shoulders while running a hand through it thoughtfully. "I'm not exceptionally beautiful. I'm not particularly talented in anything really. I can't play any musical instrument to save my life or really do anything artistic without a great deal of frustration on my part." Pausing, she turned to study the room, easily ignoring the King's growing ire for a moment before continuing. "I didn't even know the language of my supposed people before coming here." Another laugh at that, her head shaking once more. "I can't handle a weapon either. But you know something?" She asked, fixing her steely gaze back on Thranduil, sudden conviction settling on her features as she eyed the King. "Things people brush off as 'nothing' usually have a bad habit of coming back and biting them in the ass." She hissed, moving away from the table and towards the doors. "I seem to have lost my appetite, so I'll just retire early."

"You dare threaten me?" Thranduil growled, watching her pause with a hand on the door and glance back at him with that same frustrating amusement in her eyes. "No, never. Merely reminding you that anything easily ignored has a way of making themselves known." With that said, she opened the door and disappeared out into the hallway without another word.

Clenching his hands into fists, Thranduil narrowed a glare on the door, ignoring his son when he came to stand beside him a moment longer. "Ada."

Turning his gaze onto Legolas's angry expression, the King sneered again and sat back down, hand reaching out to reclaim his goblet and gulp down the rest of his wine. "Do you approve of her speaking to me in such a way, Utinu?" (Son)

With a sigh, Legolas physically deflated, unsure on who he should be defending at the moment anymore. "No, however I did not approve of the way you spoke to her either, Ada." Turning away, he went to leave as well only to be stopped by his father's voice. "Have you no allegiance to your people, Legolas?"

Turning slightly to study his father from the corner of his eye, Legolas held back a snort at the game he played before turning away once more. "My allegiance lies with my people and those who are my friends, Ada." Straightening his posture, he left the room as well in search of Heather who he suspected most likely had gotten lost due to the fact her thoughts running wildly after her altercation with his father.

Snorting softly to himself, Thranduil eyed the door his son just disappeared through and turned back to his empty goblet in thought. The girl had more fight in her than he expected, after the initial meeting, he had assumed she was weak-willed. Now, however, he knew that to be wrong. She had the temper her hair warned of and he couldn't be more pleased with that.

A slow smile curled his lips upwards slightly in anticipation. It had been far too long since anyone other than his son openly defied him like that.

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