Chapter 11
As many days past, Legolas saw less and less of Lorelein. Her work started when the King woke up and ended when he went to bed and rarely did she ever have a day off. She stayed and traveled with her mother in a completely different group than what Legolas was forced to journey with. It was when Legolas was riding beside his father that he finally got permission to see Lorelein.
"Father?" he asked.
"Hm?"
"Must I stay up here? Why do I have to be confined to one group?"
"You have been very quiet since we've continued our journey to the Sea. Are you troubled by something?"
"I have no one to talk to. You and Halin are both good company but I would like to talk to someone who's my own age and shares my interests."
"You want to go see that young maiden is what you want to do."
"Well why can't I?" Legolas asked, not denying his father's statement.
"I suppose if you must, you may go see her. But I want you back up here with me before too long. Do you understand?"
"Yes, father." Legolas replied, but he was already making his way back toward the crowd of servants behind them.
Scanning the crowd he saw Lorelein walking beside her mother, half- listening to the conversation going on beside her.
"Lorie!" he called out. She looked up and smiled.
"Legolas! What are you doing back here? You're supposed to be up front with your father, are you not?"
"I am but my father helped me slip away to come see you for awhile. Do you know how dull it is up there?" he replied, riding up beside her. Many servants nearby looked at him in awe.
"No worse than it is back here. The only thing they do is gossip and everyone my age acts too serious. No one knows how to have fun."
"That's because everyone's pained about leaving their home. It's a depressing time for our people."
"Why must everyone leave their homes in the first place?"
"You've already asked me that, Lorie."
"But you never answered."
"That's because it's a hard question to answer. I'm not quite sure how to explain it to where you would understand."
"You can try."
Legolas paused for a moment, thinking of the right words before speaking.
"Lorie, as elves we are immortal. And being immortal, we find that time seems to pass at a quick pace and the world around us changes while we seem to stay the same."
He stopped and looked down at Lorelein to see if she understood before continuing.
"As you know our race came here long ago. Long before you or I were around. And since then things have changed very much. Our time here in Middle Earth has finally come to an end and the era of man has now begun."
"And we are not to be apart of it?"
"That's correct."
"Well why not?"
He laughed at her childish tone.
"Because that's just the way things are. That's the best way I know how to say it. You'll figure it out someday."
She nodded, satisfied for the moment. Legolas continued to ride silently beside her, content with her presence.
"Legolas?"
"Yes?"
"What will we do once we return to the Sea?"
"I don't know."
"How come? I though you were the Prince."
"The Prince, not the King. I don't rule the people of Mirkwood. I just act like it."
Lorelein smiled at his comment.
"So how come you get a horse and I have to walk?" her tone showed that she didn't really care but was just making light conversation.
"Because I'm of higher authority than you and deserve to ride."
"Because I'm of higher authority than you and deserve to ride." Lorelein repeated mockingly. "I should poison your next meal for that one."
"What did I do?"
"Oh come on. You deserve to ride? I do more work than you do."
"Servants don't ride."
"Never?"
"Only messengers."
"Why is that?"
"Because they are of lower rank."
"So what?"
"So servants don't ride horses."
"We don't get to ride horses because of a bunch of snobby royal elves? That's senseless."
Many of the servants eaves dropping on their conversation gasped in horror at Lorelein's words. They were sure that she would be punished for speaking such words to the Prince.
"So you're calling me snobby and senseless?"
"No, I'm calling you're little royal buddies who made up that law snobby and senseless."
"You should be careful about speaking your mind like that in public, Lorelein. I don't want you to get in trouble."
"Trouble? With whom?"
"My father for one. He wouldn't appreciate you calling his subjects snobby and senseless."
"But it's true."
"That doesn't matter."
"And why is that?"
"Because you're a servant and that's disrespectful. You could be beheaded for such words."
"Just because I'm a servant? Or would a civilian or someone of higher rank than I get the same treatment?"
"You would most likely get a harsher punishment than a civilian. You are of a lower rank than them."
"Oh now that's just foolish!"
"Why?"
"You mean you approve of servants getting harsher punishments than everyone else? Legolas!"
"What? They're just servants."
"Oh so if a civilian and I both are caught talking negative about someone of your royalty and I get beheaded while the civilian does not, you would be okay with that?"
"No!"
"Why? I'm just a servant. How would it be any different?"
"Because. It just is. Lorie, can we not just change the subject? This is getting out of hand."
"No we cannot just change the subject!"
"What's your problem?"
"My problem? Right now it's you! Never for the life of me would I have ever guessed how shallow you really are."
"I am not shallow!"
"Yes you are! You look at servants as inferior just because of their rank. Legolas, if that's not shallow, I don't know what is."
"Lorie, please."
"Don't Lorie me. Just leave me alone. I don't want to say anything that might get me decapitated."
"So I take it you're mad at me?"
"Yes!" her voice was so loud that she startled Legolas' horse, making it start. After getting his steed under control, he rode in front of Lorelein and blocked her way.
"I think we should talk."
"I don't want to talk."
"Lorelein. Talk to me."
"No. Go away."
"Lorelein, I order you to talk to me. I will not allow you to ignore me like this."
"Oh great. Now you're ordering me? Forget it. I'll die before I take orders from you."
"Fine. You're stubbornness will get you killed someday, milady. I just hope that I'm not around to watch it." Legolas' anger took over and he galloped away, furious.
"Lorelein, maybe you should apologize." Anabrethil said, fearful of what punishment might be brought to her daughter.
"What? No! I didn't do anything. He's the one who was rude!"
"It doesn't matter. He's of royalty."
"I don't care."
"Why must you be so stubborn? If only you weren't so much like your father?"
Lorelein winced at the comment. She hated to be compared to her father.
"I'm not my father."
"I know you aren't. Though you carry traits of his, you will never be like your father."
Lorelein didn't reply. She just looked on in anger. Legolas was the one friend that she cared for and cherished and now he's shown himself to be shallow and cruel. Maybe she was wrong to trust him. Maybe she was never meant to have a friend. Maybe she was never meant to have a family.
Maybe it was time to leave. Forever.
As many days past, Legolas saw less and less of Lorelein. Her work started when the King woke up and ended when he went to bed and rarely did she ever have a day off. She stayed and traveled with her mother in a completely different group than what Legolas was forced to journey with. It was when Legolas was riding beside his father that he finally got permission to see Lorelein.
"Father?" he asked.
"Hm?"
"Must I stay up here? Why do I have to be confined to one group?"
"You have been very quiet since we've continued our journey to the Sea. Are you troubled by something?"
"I have no one to talk to. You and Halin are both good company but I would like to talk to someone who's my own age and shares my interests."
"You want to go see that young maiden is what you want to do."
"Well why can't I?" Legolas asked, not denying his father's statement.
"I suppose if you must, you may go see her. But I want you back up here with me before too long. Do you understand?"
"Yes, father." Legolas replied, but he was already making his way back toward the crowd of servants behind them.
Scanning the crowd he saw Lorelein walking beside her mother, half- listening to the conversation going on beside her.
"Lorie!" he called out. She looked up and smiled.
"Legolas! What are you doing back here? You're supposed to be up front with your father, are you not?"
"I am but my father helped me slip away to come see you for awhile. Do you know how dull it is up there?" he replied, riding up beside her. Many servants nearby looked at him in awe.
"No worse than it is back here. The only thing they do is gossip and everyone my age acts too serious. No one knows how to have fun."
"That's because everyone's pained about leaving their home. It's a depressing time for our people."
"Why must everyone leave their homes in the first place?"
"You've already asked me that, Lorie."
"But you never answered."
"That's because it's a hard question to answer. I'm not quite sure how to explain it to where you would understand."
"You can try."
Legolas paused for a moment, thinking of the right words before speaking.
"Lorie, as elves we are immortal. And being immortal, we find that time seems to pass at a quick pace and the world around us changes while we seem to stay the same."
He stopped and looked down at Lorelein to see if she understood before continuing.
"As you know our race came here long ago. Long before you or I were around. And since then things have changed very much. Our time here in Middle Earth has finally come to an end and the era of man has now begun."
"And we are not to be apart of it?"
"That's correct."
"Well why not?"
He laughed at her childish tone.
"Because that's just the way things are. That's the best way I know how to say it. You'll figure it out someday."
She nodded, satisfied for the moment. Legolas continued to ride silently beside her, content with her presence.
"Legolas?"
"Yes?"
"What will we do once we return to the Sea?"
"I don't know."
"How come? I though you were the Prince."
"The Prince, not the King. I don't rule the people of Mirkwood. I just act like it."
Lorelein smiled at his comment.
"So how come you get a horse and I have to walk?" her tone showed that she didn't really care but was just making light conversation.
"Because I'm of higher authority than you and deserve to ride."
"Because I'm of higher authority than you and deserve to ride." Lorelein repeated mockingly. "I should poison your next meal for that one."
"What did I do?"
"Oh come on. You deserve to ride? I do more work than you do."
"Servants don't ride."
"Never?"
"Only messengers."
"Why is that?"
"Because they are of lower rank."
"So what?"
"So servants don't ride horses."
"We don't get to ride horses because of a bunch of snobby royal elves? That's senseless."
Many of the servants eaves dropping on their conversation gasped in horror at Lorelein's words. They were sure that she would be punished for speaking such words to the Prince.
"So you're calling me snobby and senseless?"
"No, I'm calling you're little royal buddies who made up that law snobby and senseless."
"You should be careful about speaking your mind like that in public, Lorelein. I don't want you to get in trouble."
"Trouble? With whom?"
"My father for one. He wouldn't appreciate you calling his subjects snobby and senseless."
"But it's true."
"That doesn't matter."
"And why is that?"
"Because you're a servant and that's disrespectful. You could be beheaded for such words."
"Just because I'm a servant? Or would a civilian or someone of higher rank than I get the same treatment?"
"You would most likely get a harsher punishment than a civilian. You are of a lower rank than them."
"Oh now that's just foolish!"
"Why?"
"You mean you approve of servants getting harsher punishments than everyone else? Legolas!"
"What? They're just servants."
"Oh so if a civilian and I both are caught talking negative about someone of your royalty and I get beheaded while the civilian does not, you would be okay with that?"
"No!"
"Why? I'm just a servant. How would it be any different?"
"Because. It just is. Lorie, can we not just change the subject? This is getting out of hand."
"No we cannot just change the subject!"
"What's your problem?"
"My problem? Right now it's you! Never for the life of me would I have ever guessed how shallow you really are."
"I am not shallow!"
"Yes you are! You look at servants as inferior just because of their rank. Legolas, if that's not shallow, I don't know what is."
"Lorie, please."
"Don't Lorie me. Just leave me alone. I don't want to say anything that might get me decapitated."
"So I take it you're mad at me?"
"Yes!" her voice was so loud that she startled Legolas' horse, making it start. After getting his steed under control, he rode in front of Lorelein and blocked her way.
"I think we should talk."
"I don't want to talk."
"Lorelein. Talk to me."
"No. Go away."
"Lorelein, I order you to talk to me. I will not allow you to ignore me like this."
"Oh great. Now you're ordering me? Forget it. I'll die before I take orders from you."
"Fine. You're stubbornness will get you killed someday, milady. I just hope that I'm not around to watch it." Legolas' anger took over and he galloped away, furious.
"Lorelein, maybe you should apologize." Anabrethil said, fearful of what punishment might be brought to her daughter.
"What? No! I didn't do anything. He's the one who was rude!"
"It doesn't matter. He's of royalty."
"I don't care."
"Why must you be so stubborn? If only you weren't so much like your father?"
Lorelein winced at the comment. She hated to be compared to her father.
"I'm not my father."
"I know you aren't. Though you carry traits of his, you will never be like your father."
Lorelein didn't reply. She just looked on in anger. Legolas was the one friend that she cared for and cherished and now he's shown himself to be shallow and cruel. Maybe she was wrong to trust him. Maybe she was never meant to have a friend. Maybe she was never meant to have a family.
Maybe it was time to leave. Forever.