Thorin had not gone to sleep, but even if he had it wouldn't have made a difference. Gandalf summoned him to meet in Elrond's study. Thorin had Balin, Dwalin, and Fili accompany him. Gandalf led them to Elrond's study. Thranduil, Elrond, Glorfindel, and Erestor were also there. It took less than an hour for them to reach a decision of how they would proceed the 'trial' and what the verdicts would be.
Bryceson was led from his cell to a storage room where he was tied to a chair and kept under guard by Fluffy! Since he appeared to be the most compliant of the kidnappers, Elrond had agreed that he should be kept away from the others, at least until it was time for him to be brought forth and make a confession. And Legolas assured everyone that with Fluffy as a warden, Bryceson wouldn't dare attempt to escape!
"Legolas, come now. It's time." Gandalf bid Legolas from Thranduil's guest room where Legolas had been reading to Alasse.
"Where are you going, Leggi?" Alasse asked worriedly, looking up at him.
"Not far, darling." Legolas smiled. "I have to meet with Ada and Lord Elrond, so that we can punish those bad men."
"Oh. Will you come back?"
"Of course." Legolas patted her arm.
"But why not?" Estel grumbled as he was shoved into the room.
"Because, Estel, you're too young. Let us handle this." Elladan said with his arms crossed.
"I'm ten-years-old! I want to be there and see them squirm when you pass sentence." Estel protested.
"Ada said 'no'. Now stay in here and play with Alasse until we come back." Elladan commanded.
"Your brother is right, Estel." Gandalf said firmly. Estel blushed with embarrassment. "No more arguing."
"Alright." Estel muttered, coming to the bed.
"You'll look after my sister, won't you, Estel?" Legolas smiled.
"Of course, Legolas. She'll be safe with me around."
"Good lad." Legolas bowed then followed his friends out.
"Well, would you like me to tell you a story?" Estel asked Alasse.
"Yes. A real one!" Alasse agreed.
"Okay. How about what it was like here, when the dwarves arrived? And then when Fluffy got here?"
"Oh, yes. I'd love to hear about that!"
The prisoners were heavily bound as the guards brought them into the Hall of Fire. They were forced onto their knees, each with three guards standing around them. Elrond sat down on his lord's chair at the front. Next to him Thranduil sat, and Glorfindel took the opposite seat on Elrond's left. Thorin stood on the far end, with Balin, Dwalin, and Fili beside him. Kili was told to take it easy. Elrond's sons entered with Erestor, and the entire dwarf company. Legolas and Gandalf followed.
Elrond stood and declared the charges of treason, attempted murder, kidnapping, starvation, and beating against the crooks. He and his sons gave testimony of the numerous injuries and terrible conditions Alasse, Thranduil, and Kili had been in when they examined them. Gandalf added to that. Thorin, Legolas, and the others gave accounts of the conditions they'd found their loved ones in. Then Thranduil and Fili both testified of the horrible treatment they'd received. Bilbo told of how he had found Alasse locked up in a chest. Lastly, Glorfindel recalled in vivid detail what had happened the kidnapping was out forth.
"These crimes are of the most heinous and sinister nature." Elrond said firmly. "How do you plead?"
"Guilty. And I'd do it again right here and now if I wasn't held back by these d- ropes." Devlin sneered without hesitation.
"You don't know what it's like to be banished." Alvin said weakly.
"I do know what it is, to be driven from one's home and having to find refuge in another place." Elrond said. "You could've found another Elven realm."
"Why? Then we wouldn't have the pleasure of seeing the almighty King Thranduil brought down a peg or two." Devlin hissed.
"So, you plead guilty to plotting revenge against the royal family of Mirkwood, including attempting to sell Princess Alasse off as a slave, and snatching two dwarf princes because they were an extra bonus?" Glorfindel spoke flatly.
"Ai!" The entire group declared in unison.
"No regrets?" Elrond frowned darkly.
"Devlin was just trying to make life better for us." Griffin shrugged.
"And it would've worked too..." Rajiv said.
"Enough! I've heard enough!" Thorin bellowed at the same time Thranduil jerked up from his seat. "You! You greedy, good-for-nothing, sniveling curs." He curled his lip defiantly. "You would attack and inflict hardship on those different from you, on my kin, my princes, just for a few stupid moments of fleeting glory. Cowards." He snarled, then he muttered a dwarvish curse. The prisoners laughed at him.
"Had it been only myself under such duress, I would've endured the torture and then wiped out the whole lot of you." Thranduil glared, slowly making his way toward them. He quietly paced around them in a circle, an eerie calm in his voice. But Legolas saw it. He saw the dark anger in his father's eyes. And for once, he shared it.
"But..." Thranduil's silky, tempered voice grew hard, "to lure my son into a trap of such villain! My daughter, my precious daughter whom I would die for, whom you threatened, and snatched from my arms, and tortured! You beat me right in front of her. You starved her. For that, there will never be a shred of forgiveness." Thranduil stood among the prisoners, never facing them. But his voice demanded full attention, as if just not listening to him alone would turn them into insects. "Manwe may take mercy on your accursed souls, but I can assure you, that I will not!" Thranduil whispered icily. "I hope you rot for the treacherous deeds you have committed against my children! I was not idly speaking when I told you that you would most certainly pay. And pay you shall." Thranduil turned on his heel and retreated back to his seat.
Thorin was whispering with Fili. Then he stepped forward. "Lord Elrond, if I may?" Thorin asked gruffly. Elrond nodded.
"Proceed, Thorin Oakenshield." He said.
Thorin grinned derisively. He approached the knee-bound thugs. At fist, he just stood there staring at them. He shook his head with a scornful chuckle. Then, one by one, he slapped Malcolm, Devlin, and then the brutal Rajiv across the face. Years of working in the mines of Erebor then doing blacksmith work in the wild had served him well. The three criminals had nasty red marks on their faces and they were struggling to get their bearings. Thorin's signs of affection had stunned them considerably. "That was for Kili." Thorin whispered indignantly as he returned to his brothers.
"No regrets whatsoever?" Elrond spoke up.
"Only at the d- stupidity of you all for foiling my plans for the future." Devlin spat.
"Our plans." Malcolm added.
"Take them away!" Thranduil barked. "I cannot bear to look on them any longer. They turn my stomach."
"Not just yet, my friend." Gandalf said calmly.
"Aye. Bring in the last one." Elladan commanded. Three guards led Bryceson into the hall.
"Master Bryceson, what do you have to say for yourself?" Elrond asked grimly. Bryceson didn't dare glance at his former comrades. He could feel their lethal glares from across the room.
"I...my lord Thranduil, my lord Elrond, my lord Legolas," Bryceson knelt before them with his back to the others. "I confess to being a party to this wretched scheme Devlin and Malcolm concocted together. You must believe me that for a long time, I did think it was the right thing to do. That things would get better for us. But...after I saw firsthand the cruel ways that Devlin treated the prisoners, and the way he let Rajiv have fun hurting them, I began to feel at great unease!
'And Princess Alasse? I was never in agreement with involving her! She's only an innocent child! I still went along with it when I should've tried to stop it. Until a wolf attacked me. That creature watched my every move from then on. It was most unnerving!
'Now, I have lived under Devlin's rule for a long time. And while I thought he had our best interests at heart, I have been afraid of him. He and Rajiv...they deserve punishment! As do I. My lords, I am guilty of being an accomplice to these awful crimes! I do not plead mercy, for I know I do not deserve it. I do beg your forgiveness. I will humbly accept whatever punishment you deem justifiable. I only request one thing.'"
"What is that?" Legolas asked, curious but wary.
"I only ask that I may be allowed to apologize to Princess Alasse, and ask her forgiveness." Bryceson bowed his head.
"No!" Thranduil glowered. "You will not go near her!"
"And to Prince Kili and his brother."
"That is all?" Legolas asked Bryceson.
"Ai, my lord." Bryceson nodded, keeping his head down. His former friends howled, jeered, and hurled abuses at him.
"Legolas, surely you are not considering..." Thranduil puffed. Legolas held his hand up to silence his father. Legolas gave out a cry in Elvish. Fluffy bounded into the hall. He stealthily approached Bryceson and encircled him. Bryceson was shaking. He didn't want to become a chew toy again! Then Fluffy turned toward the others. He bristled, lips turned back, ears down, and tail set straight as he growled viciously.
"This one tells the truth." Legolas said confidently. "Lord Elrond, he must be kept safe and away from the others."
"Take the rest away." Elrond commanded. Thorin, Thranduil, and everyone else gaped at Legolas, impressed by Fluffy's display.
When Thranduil, Legolas, Fili, Thorin, and Elrond returned to Thranduil's room, they heard hearty laughing. They opened the doors to find Kili standing on his head on the wooden floor. Estel and Alasse were both sitting on the bed, laughing loudly. "Kili! You're supposed to be resting!" Thorin scolded.
"I was just visiting my new friends, Uncle. This is resting." Kili said cheekily, standing up. Estel bolted at him and attempted to tackle the dwarf. Kili threw him into a headlock, but Estel didn't give up. He jerked Kili's arm and threw the taller dwarf to the floor.
Then everyone burst out laughing, even Thranduil and Thorin!
