CHAPTER 35:

Run as Fast as You Can

Velhar took a deep breath.

Sirawen watched him intently, waiting for him to speak. They relocate to a different spot to avoid prying ears that might be interested in their private conversation. The two elves were in the shade of a great tree on the other side of the Luin, the small stream in their northern boundary. The same area where Legolas returned the favor by helping Le'ariel wash the tablecloths he accidentally stained again with mud after carelessly bumping into her while he was trying to escape Dalorien's wrath for eating her pie so many decades ago.

It was an open area where they sat. Anyone stepping off the bridge could easily be seen, giving them the advantage of stopping their conversation if needed.

"What I know is somewhat...lengthy," he looked for the right word, "and before I start, I want you to promise that you will not do anything foolish or unreasonable as some of the thing I am about to tell you may be upsetting since you are closer to Le'ariel than I am. But, she is still both our friend and I have been carrying this burden for a very long time. It might be a lot for you take in all at once. And you must promise to not be upset with me either."

Sirawen took a moment to consider his words and nodded. "I promise to keep my cool."

"This goes as far back to when Le'ariel loathed the prince..." he began. The word loathed was caught in Sirawen's ear. She forgot the time when Le'ariel didn't want to have anything to do with the prince. "There was gossip out in the courtyard so I decided to find out what all the fuss was about. Lady Varien sent a letter to Legolas to meet with her and he did. But later that evening, he refused her, which made her angry."

"That is to be expected," Sirawen murmured, rolling her eyes.

"A short while after that incident—or in Varien's case, disappointment—I finished some of my chores late, out in the stables, and as I walked back to the servant quarters, I saw her identical clone, Morawen, tip-toeing around the Great Hall. I got curious and followed her. Clearly, she was up to something and it made me even more curious if it was behind Varien's back. I hid in the shadows, careful not to be seen. I saw her head for the stairwell to the Eastern corridor."

Sirawen's mouth slightly dropped open. "Toward the prince's chambers?"

He nodded. "I was going to follow her as she ran upstairs but, luckily, I saw Legolas coming around the other hallway so I did well to stay put. I saw King Thranduil appear with a smile as Legolas passed him at the top of the staircase but he did not seem to notice him. He looked as if he had other things occupying his mind. The king gave him a strange look, shrugged, and then went to the Southern Kitchen."

"Off for his midnight snack," the elven-female quietly laughed, picturing the king rummaging through the cupboards and Dalorien's rolling pin in hand thinking he was some sort of intruder in her kitchen.

"When the coast was clear, I quietly ran up the stairs and waited against the corner, just before the hallway where the rooms are visible. They were whispering and because Legolas's room is the last door at the end of the hallway, it was difficult to hear. She must have hid around the other corner from his room to wait for him."

The eastern part of the palace where Legolas's family slept had six bedchambers total, three on either side. The Northern and Southern corridors held more rooms with the Western corridor the largest to accommodate their visiting guests.

Although only two of the six rooms were occupied in the Eastern corridor, Legolas chose the one farthest down the hallway. There was a corner on the other side of his door that one would think is another hallway, but really, it was another wall. A table with flowers in a vase decorated the small area with a window overlooking the market place.

He often stare out at that window in the early hours of the morning to watch the Woodland Elves go about their daily routine, safe from what lay outside their borders.

Sirawen adjusted the way she sat. "So what were they saying?"

"The prince something about not expecting to see her after their last meeting and her needing to speak to him," Velhar shook his head trying to remember. "Then he led her inside..."

"Oh..." Sirawen slouched from her perfectly straight posture. Velhar's silence made him look guilty. She eyed him and could tell there was more to this piece of the story. "What is it, Velhar?" she asked in a suspicious tone.

"Well...since Morawen said she needed to talk to him I..."

"Eavesdropped again?" She sighed with a disapproving look knowing how many times it had gotten him in trouble with her and Le'ariel.

"I could not help it! As I said, I was curious!"

Sirawen sighed again. "Go on."

"I walked cautiously down the hallway and stuck my ear against the wall right beside his door. I did not want to stand directly against it in case they could see my shadow from underneath. Morawen started babbling about how she knew that Legolas declined Varien's late night invitation for her, which seems to have convinced her into thinking that Legolas fancied her more than her Lady, but I did not think that was the case on his end even before he spoke. It sounded like she was trying to...kiss him. I can only imagine the prince trying to remove her hands from him."

"What did Legolas say?"

"He said it was not the time for her to be doing this and that he had many things on his mind. She then, of course, offered to distract him."

"Of course," she rolled her eyes again.

"And then...that was it," he sighed.

"What?" Sirawen was confused. "What do you mean that was it?"

Velhar shrugged casually. "I heard the king coming back up the stairs so I hid in the small hallway and booked it once he was inside their chambers so I would not get caught."

"Oh, Velhar!" She let out an exasperated groan.

"What?" He honestly looked lost by her reaction.

"Was that everything? Because if it was..."

"Of course not!" he replied offended. "If that was everything, I could have easily told you this in the courtyard." Sirawen gave him one of her doubtful looks. "Do you want to hear the rest or not?"

"Yes, yes, of course. Go on..." she motioned with her hand, hoping it was worth something more.

"I tried to tell Le'ariel about what had happened but she was in her usual foul mood about Legolas—"

"At the time," Sirawen cut in.

"Yes, at the time. Anyway, when Varien saw that Adanion was taking an interest in Le'ariel, she saw that as a perfect chance to win back Legolas's attention. I assume seeing him around Le'ariel so much drove her mad, especially at the Spring Festival. She made a proposition to Adanion that if she could get Legolas alone she could surely win the prince over and have Le'ariel open for him to take. Adanion's task was to keep Le'ariel away from the prince so she could do so. It was a win-win plan. When her advances towards Legolas were not taking affect, she became even more furious! Thinking she could make him jealous instead, she changed her tactics."

"Which failed," gloated Sirawen. "Poor Varien." She added sweetly with a wicked look on her face.

"Do you also remember when I told you Keldir asked me to keep an eye on the prince for him?"

"Yes."

"Well...after Adanion's letter, he asked me to keep an eye on...Le'ariel as well," he lowered his head, afraid of her reaction. And he had a right to be cautious.

"What? You have been spying on Le'ariel!" Sirawen fumed at him. "How—"

"Keep your voice down!" he hissed.

"How could you!" she lowered her voice at his request.

Sirawen was in a huff and breathing hard at the information he revealed. She closed her eyes for a moment to regain her cool, remembering her promise of not doing anything irrational...no matter how badly she wanted to reach over and strangle him for keeping tabs on their friend.

"You promised," he warned her.

"Humph." Sirawen crosses her arms over her chest and pouted. Velhar angled his head to the side and stared at her, annoyed. Sirawen finally looked at him and met his eyes. He was still staring at her with a dull expression on his face waiting for her to relax. "Fine! Continue..."

"Are you sure?" he asked skeptically with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes," she grumbled.

He rolled his eyes at her again and took another breath before finishing. "The captain wanted me to get Le'ariel to tell Legolas about the letter...said it was a good sign of peace between them."

"Wait," Sirawen raised her hand. "You told Keldir about the letter?" She had to close her eyes again to rein in her temper.

"No!" he quietly exclaimed. "He already knew about it..."

Her eyes shot open in surprised disbelief. "How? From...Adanion?"

Velhar nodded. "It was his idea, really. Like I said…a good sign of peace."

"Yes, but...I still wonder why he did it?" It was more of a question for her than Velhar.

"Not sure," he shrugged. "Keldir never did tell me and I had not thought to ask. He usually keeps his instructions simple."

Sirawen sighed for the millionth time. "I never knew Keldir was so...involved." She shook herself back to reality and stared at Velhar. "So, what now?"

The elf stood, brushing the loose pieces of grass off his clothing. "Now...it is your turn." She hadn't plan on telling him anything and didn't even think he would ask her. She was so focused on the notion that Velhar wanted to be able to tell his secrets openly to someone because of the burden of keeping it in for so long, that it didn't occur to her that he would expect the same in thing return. Sirawen opened her mouth but no sound came. Velhar put his hand out to stop her before she decided to make another attempt. "You can tell me tomorrow. Minar is probably looking for us."

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," she agreed.

"And one more thing..."

"What is it?" she asked, her attention on the loose grass on her dress.

"Remember...you said you would keep your cool." Velhar reminded her again.

"Yes, yes...what is it?" She was barely paying attention, trying to clean herself.

"Well...I followed you and Le'ariel down to the caverns when you were...taking a bath..." He watched Sirawen's body as it tensed. He started walking away slowly, still facing her direction. Her head rose with restraint and piercing eyes that seemed to burn right through him. Her face looked like she was going to explode. "Sirawen..." Velhar tried to reason, his hands now in the air in front of him as if to try and keep her away, "let me finish explaining..." He picked up his retreating steps as she stayed silent.

Without any notice, she lunged at him but missed. Velhar sprinted for it back over the bridge. Sirawen was right on his heels throwing every obscenity she could at him. The servant was now in no hurry to hear her secret stories seeing as she wasn't in the best of moods.