Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters or settings from Lord of the Rings or Xena the Warrior Princess

Author's Note:

Warning: Concepts contained in this chapter is dark, filled with angst and hurt! You've been forewarned!

This is a LegoRomance (slow-burn)

~ XCV: Shattered into pieces! ~

Mirkwood, 3019 TA, May 19th

Such vulnerability was unthinkable.

He was the Elvenking's son, and Oropher's grandson, there was strength inside him he could withstand anything that life would decide to through in his way. This present humiliation that he felt today left him empty and weighted heavier than anything else in his life. His father was supposed to be by his side, to support him. Did the Elvenking hate him that much that, was he a lesser son to his eyes that he did not want to share about his mother's death with him?

When he came into view and saw Thranduil battling with the Uagz he felt dizzy, as if the image was created by his fantasy and it was not true. He did not want to accept that his own father had forsaken him and would kill the only one who would tell him the truth about his mother. The death of his mother haunted him always. But lately, it became very important to him. He hoped that his father would notice and if he could not tell him, he would allow him to seek his own answers.

This was ridiculous. What could he do? Fight his father? He thought, and that is exactly what he did. Besides, it did not really matter if his father could be as cruel and deny him to have closure, he could show him the same cruelty and not allow him to kill the orc. The argument had started and it would end very badly if the human did not interfere. He should remember to thank her for that. He felt the irony rise and his head spinning.

Darkness crept up on him, bringing with it sorrow and the loss of all he trusted. From his father to her. He grumbled in despair because he had trusted the human. He felt his heart burn and his mind play games on him, so he grabbed his temples and squeezed them before he went wild. Too much had occurred to him, and he was normally capable of dealing with intense and damaging emotions; why couldn't he now?

Legolas could not forgive her, in the darkness of the solitude he was now dwelling in, and after watching her ending the life of Uagz after knowing that he needed him alive, he could no longer stand in her favor. His patience was gone, and he was turning into a wild beast ready to take everything down. Now her willingness to follow him held a bitter taste in him was increasing his grief and despair. That taste was so great that it made him even now distrust Gimli who had done nothing to shatter his trust.

He opened his eyes and could see only darkness, Xena rode after him after Legolas left without speaking to anyone, not even Gimli. He had enough, he would find his own way to the answers he was seeking. He rode under the dark trees of Mirkwood without stopping or holding to rest. The list of things that kept him alive, was slowly becoming fewer. And he had started to feel it now, the longing of the Sea. It would overtake him completely, and he could only dwell inside the longing until it would pass.

Happiness and freedom were no longer his goals, for too long he played along with the brave son and the trustworthy prince. That he had decided to throw it all away. It was not only because he wanted to find the truth about his mother's death, it was not only because his most beloved people betrayed him. It was because something felt broken inside him like he was drawn into darkness completely.

He rode under the shining sun and hid close to the eerie trees of Mirkwood. He knew the roads of his homeland and could outrun even his own father if he needed. Because they all run after Legolas, his father, her, and Gimli. However, he did not wish to see any one of the traitors, they could stay with his father. He bit his lips, trying not to show the pain that was growing inside him. But even for Legolas, there was a limited force of pain that he could withstand.

Before he managed to reach the Halls of his father, after escaping the human one more time, he ended up falling from his horse. The elf lifted his head and glared at the open space not understanding what was happening to him. Despite the pain, he pulled himself up and leaned against the first tree available balancing himself, when another memory became alive.

It was the day, that day his father had ridden out, and he was left with his mother alone in Mirkwood. He was becoming such an excellent archer he wished to show his abilities to his mother. He was lightly bending against the tree, as pain forbid him from standing straight, but he still looked cold and prideful. The memory became so vivid he recalled every detail. He insisted on taking his mother out of the Elvenking Halls, and his mother agreed. He remembered the orcs and that both were captured by Uagz at that time.

He felt his mind spinning once again, his word crushing in the front of him and he finally fell to his knees, and then his body hit hard the ground, pain jarred through his body and he did not cry out again. It was him, him who had to lead his mother outside, he was the reason they were captured and surely the reason his mother died. It made sense why his father would hate him, if he was the reason the King lost his Queen, he should have forsaken him into the dark corner of his dungeons.

It was Melchion who had found the prince a few yards away from the gateway, laying down on the ground spacing out from this world. His horse was standing next to him like a guard who wanted to aid him but could not. His head connected with the broken memories and his vision became blurred. Melchion lifted him up, and Ador followed them inside the Hall of his father.

The horse was taken to the stables, to rest and eat, and Legolas to his chambers. The prince was weary, unable to speak he was dirty and a few cuts and bruises were noticeable but there was no actual wound on him. He was taken to his rooms and the best healers took care of him. He was cleaned up and changed into silver robes and covered on his bed.

Dark thoughts raced through his head and memories slowly spang alive, having slept into an old nightmare and waking to another. He was no longer sure what was real and was not. He would sweat and end up jumping up from his bed in loud screams only to be pushed back by unknown hands. Someone was with him, but he could not feel any connection.

It was late the same night when he had opened his eyes and found next to him sitting Amethyst "Come now prince accept me as you mate and I will release the pain and anger. Sign this, and I will allow you to remember everything." Her low voice had now filled his ears with temptation. He ignored his pain and the despair that was growing inside him. Did he care any longer what would happen to him?

He did not!

"You will never have my trust nor my respect, but if that is the only wait to know the truth, so be it!" Legolas spoke full of hate and sat up and found the document with Amethyst's aid. "If I sign this you will become the princess of Mirkwood! Do not make me regret my decision," he continued with the same loath in his words as he signed it and handed her the documents.

Amethyst received the document, that she would bring shortly to the court and be announced princess of Mirkwood. But before she left she leaned over to Legolas observing him now as he was leaning against his bed burning in fever and guild, and she smirked. She whispered in his words a few final words of the charm and Legolas felt dom break inside of him.

"I will enjoy seeing you break little by little, my prince," Amethyst whispered as her cold fingers run through his face having Legolas shiver "and I will enjoy my time with you! Enjoy your memories, as long as you can!"

His thoughts raced as pain rushed through him. Something was wrong in his brain, but he couldn't placed his hand on it. He could feel himself slipping into the darkness, becoming weaker as memory after memory awoke in him. The anguish was becoming worse, and all he could do was lay back and let himself be dragged through his memories.

The door of his chamber was so far away now, he was not there anymore. He was laying in a field of dirt and mud, with his hands and feet tight up. Across him was standing his mother, in chains beaten up. He did not know how they ended up there inside the darkness of the Fort, but he knew that it was his fault that the were caught. He felt fear and panic, trying to call his mother but his voice was broken and she could not hear him.

"Close your eyes my little-leaf," he heard her saying and Legolas obeyed. He had closed his eyes, but he could listen. He listened to his mother being tortured for hours by orcs, the queen was prideful and did not cry at the beginning. But it was the second day of their capture when Legolas was given water, but nothing to eat. He smelled flesh being burned and heard his mother scream in fear and pain.

He disobeyed and open his eyes, watching Uagz burning his mother with metal sticks and blades, turning her fair skin into burning holes. His little mind could not withstand the view and got lost in his mind. The next days that followed, he was beaten, punched, kicked, and even whipped. He was hanging upside down and watched his mother as orc by orc was torturing her.

He was lost, into the dream now. It was a terrifying nightmare, but he knew that it was real. He knew he had seen it, centuries ago, those were his memories. It did not take long new memories filled his head, watching his mother going through any kind of torture possible. Until, until the day Uagz called every one of his troops and feasted from her remaining flash.

The burning on his chest continued, his eyes were filled with tears and his body was running through a high fever. He was so weak but did not stop, he needed to know what had come next. What was left finally of the Elvenqueen were only her bones. Uagz made sure to point out that those were her bones, that they were burning. They were burning the bones, and the only thing that remained of his mother was her washed.

After that his memories were still confusing, he could not recall what had happened with the ashes. He only recalled that Uagz fed him three times some muddy stew and freed him to go find his father and narrate to him what happened. And Legolas remembered that he told his father everything and that Thranduil gathered every one of the known lords to aid him.

He tried to sit up from his bed, to find his father and explain to him that he was wrong. He had wronged him, now he understood why Thranduil did not want Legolas to know. How foolish were father and son? Legolas managed to smile once before his lifeless body fell against the floor, and he had once more spaced into another memory. Now he could only wait until the day of his doom.

((Upcoming Chapter Ninety-Six))

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