Camille opened her eyes slowly, and groaned. Ugh, what the heck happened to me? She tried to sit up, but a massive lightning bolt of pain ripped through her right side. "YEOUCH!!!!" She collapsed onto the soft mountain of feather pillows that lay beneath her head, gasping for breath. Oh my God, that REALLY hurt…
"You must not move so much, My Lady. Though the poison is gone from your body now, the wound still remains. If you do not relax, it will open up again."
Camille jerked when she heard the sound. That voice…where did I hear it before? Memory crashed through her mind, and she recalled where she had heard it before. Of course! When that monster stabbed me in the shoulder, that voice was the one that told me I was safe! She looked to her left, and her eyes widened with shock and pleasant surprise. Holy…
A young man of around twenty or twenty-one sat in the chair beside her. He looked tall – around six feet or so in height – and had a grace and elegance about him that told her he was well brought up and had excellent manners. He had long blonde hair that he wore partially tied back in a half-ponytail, while the rest trailed down the front of his shirt, with two little braids to match. His eyes were a beautiful deep blue, and held within them laughter and wisdom far beyond his years. His cheekbones were high and well defined, while his lips, though thin, had a smile upon them that could make anyone feel reassured and welcome.
But the most unusual feature about him was his ears. They were pointed towards the tips, like the ears of an… Elf, Camille thought. But Elves don't exist in the real world…do they?
Camille stared at this man, and could feel her cheeks become a little hot from her blushes. Could this have been the guy who saved me from that monster? She couldn't think it possible that a person as…handsome (pointed ears notwithstanding)…as he would come to the rescue of one such as her…
The man spoke again, his voice a light tenor laced with a strange accent Camille couldn't identify. "You must be startled to see me here, My Lady. If you have forgotten, it was I who rescued you from the Orc."
Camille nodded, suddenly dazed. "Yeah, I know. I remember the sound of your voice…" However, her mind was spinning. Orc?! That thing that tried to kill me was an ORC?!?! Where THE HELL am I?!?!?! She inched away from the man, pulling the blankets up over her body. Just who the heck is he anyway?! "Who are you?"
The man chuckled softly, not in an unkind manner, but one that showed amusement at her sudden suspicion. "Forgive me for my rudeness, My Lady. I am Legolas, son of King Thranduil, ruler of Mirkwood. If you wish to know where you are, you are in my chambers, where you have slept for the past five days."
Camille gasped involuntarily. "Five…days?! I've been knocked out for THAT long?!?!" She turned away, gripping the blankets more tightly. It was only then that she realized that they were not the regular cloth blankets, but thick fur ones lined with cloth on the inside. "I don't believe it…"
Prince Legolas spoke again, the sound of his voice, so calm and open, making Camille gradually lose her suspicion of him. "I am afraid so, My Lady." He smiled brightly when she turned to him. "Now that you do not fear me so much, would it be alright for me to know your name?"
Camille blushed, and ducked her head, avoiding his deep blue stare. "Oh yeah, I'm sorry about that. My name's Camille, Camille Selvitar."
Prince Legolas nodded, his smile never fading. "Camille… Selvitar…" He said her name slowly, as if tasting each syllable, and loving every minute of it. His accent made her name sound very exotic, like a mantra or a chant from some distant land.
Camille nodded. "Yes, Camille Selvitar. Just call me Camille; I'm more comfortable with that name." She smiled brightly, managing to recover a part of her cheekiness in spite of all the shocks – physical or otherwise – that she had suffered. "And please, no titles. I wasn't born into the nobility, you know. I'm just an ordinary girl, who TRIED to live an ordinary life…until that freaking Orc or whatever it was chased me here and nearly killed me." She sighed dramatically. "I never wanted a boring life, but THAT was too much of a thrill for me."
Prince Legolas laughed a little at her joke, before he stood up from his chair, and bowed to her. "It was a pleasure to have talked with you, but I must leave you now for the meantime. There are a few things that I must attend to."
Camille smiled, and waved her hand. "Don't let me keep you. I won't be going anywhere anytime soon." She paused for a moment, then added, "Oh yeah, and thank you, Prince Legolas. I owe you my life now."
The Prince smiled at her gently, then nodded once in acknowledgement before turning around, and closing the door behind him.
* * *
Legolas leaned against the door of his rooms, his eyes closed as he tried to remember the face of pure beauty that had been sitting right in front of him only minutes ago. For the first time in five days, he had once again gotten the opportunity to gaze into her eyes, and he knew that he would never know any other gaze aside from hers. Never have I known or seen true beauty until I beheld her…
Her hair fell from her head in auburn rivulets, not wavy like the hair of most Elf-maidens, but straight and shining. Her pale skin had regained the glow it surely had before she had been injured, and her lips were now a dark pink. They were not light, like Legolas had expected, but rosier and had a deeper tint. Of course, he was used to seeing a lighter shade amongst the Elf-maidens, but the girl resting in his chambers was certainly no Elf. Elves didn't and couldn't have the gorgeous brown of her eyes, or the extravagantly long lashes that surrounded them, or the delicate fullness of her lips…
Legolas sighed, and clenched his hands into fists, trying to regain control of himself. It was wrong of him to think of his guest that way. She is an honored guest, to be respected and esteemed not only in words and actions, but in thoughts as well. But, he wondered, how could he not think of her in such ways if every little thing about her haunted his mind everywhere he went…
A smile appeared on his face as he walked towards the throne room to tell his father of the news. As he walked down the halls, he kept recalling the way she looked when she gave him her name. Camille Selvitar…a mysterious and exotic name for an equally mysterious and exotic woman…
It didn't take him long to get to the throne room. His father was there like always, talking with someone about the affairs of the kingdom. It was only then that Legolas noticed Galmir speaking to his father, and he realized that his sire probably knew that Camille was awake already.
As Galmir departed, Thranduil looked up at him, and smiled. ^It would seem that your guest has awakened, my son.^
Legolas nodded. ^Indeed she has, Father. I was beginning to worry myself that she would not be able to rouse herself from the world of dreams, even if her body had been completely healed.^
Thranduil chuckled as he stood up, and walked down from the dais upon which his throne stood to his son. ^Fortunately, we will not be needing Lord Elrond's help in waking her.^ His face became bemused as he gazed out of the window towards the forest. ^Galmir tells me that she is a strong girl…stronger than any mortal girl he has encountered. She clung to her life with an incredible tenacity. If what he says is true, then there are few like her who walk the face of Middle-Earth, and if there are any, they are yet to be born.^
Legolas nodded slowly. ^You speak truly, Father. However, I doubt if there are any who are like her, whether they are of those who have died, or who still live, or even who are to come. She is too…singular.^
He did not notice the twinkle of amusement in his father's eyes. ^Speak to me of this matter, Legolas. You are the first person to whom she has spoken. What do you know of her?^
^She says her name is Camille Selvitar. She claims that she is not of the nobility, and she insisted that I stop calling her 'Lady'.^ Legolas turned to face his father. ^I do not know what to make of her. Her name is completely different from the ones I am accustomed to hearing, and yet it does not sound like a name amongst Men, Dwarves or even Orcs. It sounds like something from another world.^
Thranduil's eyes narrowed slightly, a look that Legolas had not seen in his father before. He was more used to seeing him smile and be lighthearted, not grave like he was now. He seemed to be voicing his thoughts out loud when he spoke. ^From another world…Other-Earth, perhaps?^ He stopped his muttering, and glanced at him, blue eyes meeting gray. ^I must speak to her soon, my son. Ask Galmir if it would be safe to bring her out of your room tonight that she may be moved into more appropriate quarters. And while you're at it, find Falurien and Enarwen, and tell them to come see me immediately. There are things I must discuss with them.^
Legolas nodded in obedience to his father, and walked out of the throne room in quest of the aforementioned Elf-maidens before looking for Galmir, but something troubled his mind. Other-Earth? What is that? And why did Father mention it when I told him Camille's name? There was something going on, Legolas knew, but he just couldn't figure everything out right now.
But the question is, when will I be able to understand everything?
* * *
Camille stood at the balcony, looking over the gardens of the palace and out towards the great forest that extended as far as her eye could see. Below her, a great many elves walked by, laughing, talking and singing in a flowing, melodious language that she could not understand, but loved to listen to.
There was no doubt in her mind that she had somehow ended up in another world. WHAT world exactly, and HOW, were two questions she probably wouldn't know the answers to until much later.
But I'm lucky to have ended up here. Okay, so maybe I was nearly killed by that Orc, but at least Prince Legolas was there to save me… She frowned then, another thought crossing her mind. I wonder what happened to Eli? She wasn't there when I looked… Did an Orc kidnap her while I wasn't looking? She tried not to think about that possibility, but it flooded her mind with many images that she wished she didn't have to see…
A knock sounded on the door at that moment, and made Camille jump a little with surprise. She clutched the blankets she had wrapped around her body as she stumbled back a little towards the bed. "Who is it?"
"'Tis I, Lady Camille," replied Prince Legolas' voice. "I wish to speak to you again, as does my father, Thranduil. May we come in?"
"Hang on a minute!" Camille called as she lifted her legs up onto the bed, and pulled the blankets over them. She sucked in a deep breath to calm herself, then yelled, "You can come in now!"
The door opened then, and Prince Legolas walked in, followed closely behind by another Elf. This other Elf looked just somewhat older than Legolas, though they both shared the same golden hair. This older Elf's eyes, however, were not blue, but gray.
Camille grinned at them. "Good afternoon, Prince Legolas!" She turned to the other Elf. "And good afternoon, Your Majesty."
King Thranduil smiled back at her, his face calm and cheerful in the fading afternoon light. "I bid you the same, Lady Camille. Though I believe it is much too early for you to go walking around while the wound in your shoulder is still raw."
Camille blushed, and lowered her chin a little, looking up at the king and the prince through her lashes. "How-how did you know I was walking around already?"
"We Elves have very keen hearing, Lady Camille, as well as very sharp eyesight. We do not miss a lot of things," Legolas said with a chuckle as he took a seat on the left of the bed, King Thranduil doing the same.
Camille frowned. "Oh. So you must have heard me stumbling about in here even through the door."
King Thranduil nodded, then paused momentarily. After a while, he spoke again. "I believe that you would be happy to know that you are well enough to move into your own room now. I will assign two maidens - Falurien and Enarwen – to attend to you while you remain here in the palace."
Camille beamed. "Really? Thank you so much, Your Majesty!" She lowered her head, and fiddled with the edge of the blanket. "Everyone has been so kind to me since I woke up, and even before that… I really don't know how I'm going to make this up to you and Prince Legolas." She felt her cheeks turn red again. Should I tell them? After a moment of hesitating, she said, "Actually, I don't remember anyone being so nice to me. Here I am, a stranger and all, and you still have enough faith and trust in me that you would go through so much trouble just for me. I never got treated this way, not even at home."
Thranduil smiled then, and leaned forward slightly. "Actually, Lady Camille, there are a few questions that have been floating through the heads of all who reside here. WHERE is home for you, Lady? You certainly do not come from any of the nearby lands. Are you from Minas Tirith, maybe? Or from a place farther to the West? And what are your reasons for coming here to the East?"
Camille bit her lip, her fingers becoming more restless as her nervousness grew. Oh crap. I wish that he didn't have to ask those questions… She flicked her gaze upwards back to the two Elves, and they were still staring at her, one pair of gray eyes, another of blue, bearing down on her with respectable yet unnerving silence. Should I tell them?
She drew in a deep breath to steady herself and her voice. Yes I should. There's going to be no point in lying to the two of them, after all. She looked up again, looking dead straight into Thranduil's eyes. "Laugh at me if you want, but I'm just going to be honest. I think…I think that I am from another world."
* * *
Legolas felt a sharp bolt of shock course through his veins. Another world?! How can that be?! No other worlds exist aside from Middle-Earth and Eressea… He glanced at his father, and noticed that the latter didn't seem too surprised. Or is there something here that I do not know of?
King Thranduil nodded gravely in response to Camille's answer. "I see. I will not laugh at you, Lady Camille, for giving me that answer, although there are quite a few – Elves and otherwise - who would do such a thing when faced with such a strange answer. But you answer me truthfully; that I see in your eyes. By your leave, I would wish to pose another question: how did you arrive here in this world?"
The auburn-haired girl took another deep breath, which, Legolas observed, she seemed to be doing rather frequently now. She closed her eyes, and opened them again as she replied, "Personally, I'm completely clueless. I was just walking through this patch of wood on my way home from school, with my best friend, Eli.
"I thought that it was some sort of shortcut when I saw the path through the trees, and I thought, what the heck, I'd get home sooner and make my parents happy with that! So I told Eli about it, and we went. I think she wasn't too happy about it, but she's always like that.
"Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah. So I kept on walking, and walking, and walking, just following the path while I whistled to myself. But then I noticed that the path was just getting a little TOO long. I realized that I was wrong about the shortcut bit, so I turned around to Eli so we could walk back and take our usual route home. But when I looked, she was gone, just like that." To emphasize her point, she snapped her fingers in the air in front of her face.
"When I realized that she had gone, I figured that she had probably gone back already. I intended to follow her back, but when I looked, the path wasn't there anymore. That was when I felt that something freaky was going on. I turned around to take the long path through the forest, the trail wasn't there anymore, either. I was standing someplace in the middle of nowhere, with no path to follow and with no signs to guide me out.
"Need I say how scared I was? Here I was, lost in some dark and lonely forest, and there were weird sounds coming out of almost every corner. I felt like a wolf or a tiger would come jumping out of the shadows and tear me to shreds.
"But then I heard something that sounded like footsteps. I felt a bit better when I did, because I thought that they were Eli's. I thought that she was coming back to get me. But when I got closer, I realized that it wasn't Eli after all."
Legolas couldn't help interrupting. "It was an Orc."
Camille turned her gaze to him, and nodded. "Yeah, an Orc. The moment I saw its ugly face, I totally freaked out. I just turned, and ran, screaming my head off all the way. I didn't care anymore where I went, I just wanted to put as much distance between that thing and me as I could.
"Unfortunately for me, it had enough mind to try and chase me. And, as luck would have it, I ended up at a dead end. It came stomping over towards me, its sword raised. I turned away, and closed my eyes, thinking that it would be the end of me. And that was when it stabbed me in the shoulder." Her left hand reached up, and lightly touched the wound. She winced when she felt that it was still painful. "And the rest, I'm sure Prince Legolas has told you already."
Thranduil leaned back, his gaze thoughtful and understanding at the same time. "Yes, it is just as my son has told me." He remained in that position for a while, thinking, but then he smiled, and stood up. "Thank you for allowing me to ask such questions of you, Lady Camille. I know that it must come as a shock to you, especially since you have only just awakened-"
Camille shook her head. "Nah, it wasn't a problem. I knew you were bound to ask it sooner or later, and I was more or less prepared for it." She was quiet, then she fixed her gaze on Legolas, and asked, "Um, by any chance, did you happen to see another girl in the forest? She was wearing the same clothes I was."
Legolas thought about it, trying to remember. Did I see any such person? When his memory turned up nothing, he shook his head. "I am sorry, Lady, but I do not remember seeing anyone who dressed like you in the forest."
The frown that appeared on her face made his heart heavy. In an attempt to lighten her spirits, he approached her, and sat down on the bed. He reached out, and gently held her hand in his. He gazed into her eyes while he spoke. "But be rest assured, I myself will go out tomorrow, and search for her. If I do not find her, then we will send word to Rivendell and Lothlorien about her. Perhaps they would know something of her in those places."
Camille smiled at him at last, and he felt his heart melt completely. It was a lovely, tender smile, full of trust and confidence in him. "Okay, I'll hold you to that promise."
Legolas smiled as well, and lifted her hand to his lips. "It is a promise I would gladly fulfill, My Lady." He kissed her then on the back of her hand, in a manner that was befitting for a Queen. He glanced at her momentarily, and did not miss the pretty blush that covered her face. Smiling secretively at his success, he bowed to her, and left the room, following his father and closing the door behind him.
* * *
Thranduil watched as his son bid the Lady Camille a momentary farewell, by kissing the Lady's hand in a way that was proper for all Ladies of high birth. Of course, he thought, after seeing Lady Camille blush the way she did, he did it for other reasons than just being polite.
When Legolas had closed the door, he turned to him, and asked, ^Father, why did you ask such questions of her? What did she mean when she said that she was from…another world? I do not understand this.^
Thranduil sighed, and shook his head. ^'Tis a long story, my son. And I feel that I am not the right one to tell you about it.^ He turned away, looking to the west, where Rivendell lay hidden in the distant mountains. ^No indeed. You will learn in your own time, and in your own way. But mark this: trouble is coming, and it will not be very pleasant for all of us.^
He turned back to Legolas, placing a hand on his shoulder. ^Legolas, you are my son, and were born to do many great things. I want you to promise that, whatever the future will bring, you will protect Lady Camille with your life. I feel that she will play an important role in whatever events may come, and it is imperative that she lives. For the sake of Mirkwood, and for the sake of all who live in Middle-Earth, the flame that is her soul must not go out.^ He gripped his son's shoulder more tightly. ^Do you promise me this, Legolas?^
Legolas gazed at him, his eyes clearly filled with confusion and worry, but nonetheless, he smiled, and nodded. ^I give you my word, Father. Even if you hadn't asked it of me, I would still have protected her.^
Thranduil smiled, relieved. ^That is good, Legolas.^ Though you may not know it yet, you now carry on your shoulders a responsibility far greater than ruling the kingdom of Mirkwood. In your hands now rests the fate of what could be one of Middle-Earth's brightest lights of hope. May her light never fade into oblivion as long as you remain close at hand.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Phew, another chapter wrapped up! Intriguing, the way Thranduil talks about things that are yet to come, as he says…hmm. And I just ADORE the way Legolas has begun to flirt with our poor, ah, victim! And although this seems to be a Mary Sue type fanfic, let me tell you that it ISN'T! At least, I'm TRYING not to make it like that. Camille is NOT a sissy, and DOES NOT hide behind other people when in a pinch. I'm going to show that in the next chapter, so you just wait!