All was peaceful and quiet in the palace of the Elvenking of Mirkwood. All who resided there knew that nothing could disturb them, not as long as the archers - the best on Middle-Earth – watched their borders, evil would not be able to enter their realm.
Or so they thought. For even as the Elves of Mirkwood continued to dream pleasant dreams, evil was walking on their lands already. Orcs from Isengard under the commands of Saruman had managed to sneak past the Elven watchers, and were now on their way to release a certain "captive" the Elves had in their care.
The Orcs were ordered to release Gollum, the first holder of the One Ring of Power before it had been "stolen" from him by Bilbo Baggins. This was their main objective, but they had a secondary one as well, and that was to kill two persons who stayed in the palace. One was a mortal girl, a special guest of King Thranduil. The other was the King's own son, Prince Legolas, said to be the best archer Mirkwood had to offer.
While one group went off to look for Gollum, the other group made their way to the palace, seeking out the Prince and the girl. However, they were going to be in for a surprise, especially where the girl was concerned…
* * *
Camille slid into the covers of her bed, and tried to go to sleep, but she couldn't. The scene with Prince Legolas replayed itself over and over in her mind, and she couldn't get rid of it.
She sighed, and lay on her stomach, staring at the intricate headboard of her bed. Why does this have to happen to me now? The guy was just asking me for a KISS! He wasn't going to DO anything to me… She frowned. But it could have led to that.
That STILL doesn't mean he would have done it! And besides, you wanted it almost as much as he did! Here, Camille's eyes snapped open. What?!?!?! I don't believe it! Has it gotten to the point that I actually WANT Prince Legolas to kiss me?!?!?! Crap, I'm infatuated with him, aren't I?
She smirked. But it isn't something that won't blow over in a few weeks. Happens all the time; I'll have a crush on someone, then I'll forget all about them in two weeks, tops. With that little "dilemma" out of the way, she smiled, and buried her face into the pillows, planning to get a good night's rest.
But then, a strange rustling caught her ear. She opened her eyes, and sat up, her senses on the alert.
For a while, everything was silent, but then, there was more rustling coming from her window. Sensing that something was terribly wrong, she climbed out of bed, the pain in her shoulder notwithstanding, and hid herself in the wardrobe, leaving it open just a little bit so that she could see what was going on outside.
The rustling became stronger, and in moments, she noticed a shadow form on the balcony of her room. Judging from the shape of the shadow and from its ungainly movements, this could not be an Elf.
But when the owner of the shadow moved into the room and afforded her a view of its face, Camille felt the old fear return to her system. An Orc?! What's an Orc doing here?! She could vaguely remember Thranduil and Legolas telling her that no Orcs dared to enter their land because it was much too sacred. As long as Elves resided in a place, then one could be sure that the last thing one would see would be Orcs.
Then what the heck is that THING doing here! And in the palace, of all places?! Camille couldn't avoid cursing in her head now that she was in a situation like this. But she knew that she was not completely defenseless. She had recently earned her black belts in aikido, judo, and kung fu, and she was skilled at wielding two kodachi at the same time.
The Orc roamed through her room, picking up random objects and throwing them down on the floor. A couple of them smashed to pieces. Camille winced at the sound, wondering whether the other Elves in the nearby rooms had heard all the racket going on in her room. However, a thought suddenly struck her. What if they're already dead? "Jeez, I am SO in trouble!" she muttered to herself.
The Orc's head snapped in the direction of the wardrobe, and Camille just wanted to knock herself out for her stupidity. Idiot!! Now that thing knows where you are!
The Orc walked closer to the wardrobe, its sword drawn. It reached out with its free hand, and slowly pulled open the wardrobe door. While it was doing so, Camille readied herself for the inevitable confrontation. Three, two, one…
She gave a war cry as she kicked the Orc in the stomach, sending it flying back from her by a few good meters. She took a stance and faced it, her brown eyes flaming as the monster got back up from where it had been lying.
She growled at it. "Come on you big ugly jerk! I wasn't prepared the first time your buddy caught me, but THIS time I'm going to beat you so bad that by the time your other pals find you, they won't recognize you anymore!"
The Orc let out a hoarse-sounding shout, and charged at her, its sword raised in the air. Camille waited for the right moment, and gracefully sidestepped so that the Orc's sword hit the wall, and not her head.
Taking the thing's momentary surprise to her advantage, she kicked at the Orc's head, making it snap back to the side. Though it did hurt her a bit (she wasn't wearing anything except her nightgown), she didn't give a damn about anything at that moment. Her injured shoulder long forgotten, she began to go through the movements of an intricate kata, with the unfortunate Orc ending up as her punching bag.
She jabbed the side of her right hand into the Orc's throat, and heard a harsh choking sound. She smirked to herself. She had used sufficient force in that chop to knock the wind out of a grown man. She had managed to force the Orc out towards her balcony. As the thing teetered on the edge, on the verge of falling, she gave it a roundhouse kick square in the face, causing it to fly into the trunk of the nearby elm tree and slide to the ground with a massive thud.
Camille looked over the railing, a satisfied expression on her face. Ah, that felt SO good! However, she felt another presence from behind. Thinking that it was another Orc, she whirled around, and lifted her arms in front of her slightly to ward off any attacks, and moved her left leg slightly back in a stance. But what she saw wasn't an Orc. In fact, it was the farthest thing from one. She gasped, and relaxed her guard.
There, standing in the doorway, was Prince Legolas, his
bow in his hand and an arrow in the other. He stared at her in open
astonishment. "Lady Camille?"
Camille sighed, and bowed her head. "Jeez Prince Legolas, don't SCARE me like that! I thought you were another Orc!"
Legolas shouldered his bow, and approached her, his face filled with concern. "Are you alright? Have you been injured?"
Camille smirked, and shook her head. "No, I'm just fine. Those things won't be able to get the jump on me the second time around." She glanced over the edge of the railing. "Oh yeah, and if you're looking for that midnight visitor of mine, just take a peek and you'll find him there."
Legolas looked momentarily, but his attention was soon focused on her again. "Come with me, Lady Camille. You are not safe here alone." So saying, he took her hand, and led her out of her room, and into the hall.
Camille blinked as she watched the Elves milling around, most of them talking in hushed but frightened whispers. Since Camille couldn't understand Elvish, she didn't know exactly what they were talking about, but she figured as much that it had something to do with the attack of the Orcs.
Several Elves came up to Prince Legolas, and all of them seemed to be concerned for him. The Prince reassured them with a few words and a kind smile, before continuing on their way. At long last, they arrived at another part of the palace, which were apparently the royal suites. Here, Camille saw King Thranduil sitting in a chair in what was apparently his room, giving out orders to several guards and archers. At one side stood Enarwen and Falurien, both of them looking like they just had a terrible fright.
Upon seeing them, Camille broke away from Legolas' grasp, and approached the two of them. She smiled gently when they took notice of her. "Hey you two, are you okay?"
The two Elves both breathed sighs of relief, and enveloped Camille in a four-armed hug. "Oh Camille, we thought that you were done for!" Falurien whispered, her eyes glazed with tears.
Enarwen nodded in agreement, and she too looked just about ready to cry herself. "When we heard the Orcs coming in from the forest, we went immediately to your chambers to try and warn you of what was happening, but when we saw that an Orc was already there, we ran here to tell His Majesty and His Highness of what was happening."
Camille giggled as she clasped the hands of the two Elves tightly for reassurance. "Don't worry, I'm just fine. I may have gotten injured the first time, but not the second time around. This is one of those instances when I really try to learn from my mistakes."
King Thranduil spoke then. "It is fortunate that you managed to fend for yourself, Lady Camille, even without a weapon. Not a lot of people, much less women, can take down an Orc on their own."
Camille was about to give her automatic reply to such a sexist remark (which was "shut up about women and their weaknesses, you dork!"), but remembered that this wasn't the same world she lived in anymore, meaning that here, women were considered inferior. And besides, King Thranduil didn't mean to insult me. She smiled slightly in reply. "I can fend for myself just fine, thank you."
There was a teasing look in Thranduil's eye. "Then how come you were not able to defeat the Orc that gave you that wound?"
"It surprised me," Camille said simply. "I wasn't prepared to face such a thing. I've never seen anything like an Orc. They don't exist where I am from."
Enarwen gazed at her in awe. "There are no Orcs in your land? That must be quite a blessing!"
Camille laughed nervously, and then she said, "Ah, yeah, I guess so." She turned pleadingly to King Thranduil, who nodded imperceptibly. "Enarwen, Falurien, you may leave the Lady Camille with us for a while. I would like to have a word with her."
The two Elves jumped slightly, and curtsied to their King and to the Prince. They quickly walked out of the room, and when they were gone, Camille let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I didn't exactly want them to know that I'm from a completely different world."
Thranduil nodded kindly to her reply. "It was not a problem, Lady Camille. I, too, would like to have your true identity hidden for the time being. I have encouraged the rumor that you are a princess from a distant land in the North, so that you may be treated properly by the others."
Camille smiled wryly. "Aha, so you DID tell Enarwen and Falurien that! I thought that it was just some rumor someone else made up!" But her smile faded immediately when she thought about the Orcs. "King Thranduil, could you tell me why those Orcs came tonight? I think you told me before that Mirkwood was sacred ground, and that no Orcs would be able to come here."
* * *
Thranduil gazed at Lady Camille for a long while, trying to think of a proper way of telling her what he thought. I do not want to frighten her by saying outright that the Orcs were after her and my son… He sighed, and closed his eyes. "They were after a certain…prisoner that we have kept here in Mirkwood. To help that prisoner escape, they decided to create a diversion, and so they entered the palace and attempted to slay not just you, but my son as well."
Camille's eyes widened, then she turned her gaze to Legolas, who had been gazing at her for quite some time as well. After a moment of looking at each other, Camille turned to him, and asked, "But, Your Majesty, what would they want with me? I don't mean to offend, but I can understand why they would want to kill Prince Legolas. I don't understand why they'd want to kill ME."
"We do not understand that either, Lady Camille," Thranduil replied quietly. He smirked. "Perhaps my rumor of you being a princess has traveled far abroad."
"But that still doesn't make sense!" Camille exclaimed, her voice rising slightly in tonality. "What would Orcs want with me – princess or no princess?!"
Legolas sighed gently, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "These are dark times, My Lady. Evil lurks everywhere now, and, as you can see, not even Mirkwood is safe anymore."
King Thranduil noticed the color leave Camille's cheeks, and the trembling of her hands as some kind of horrid thought occurred to her. "Oh no…does that mean Eli could be in danger?" She closed her eyes tight, and shook her head. "No, no, that can't be…I won't be able to live it down if something happened to her…"
Legolas knelt down in front of Camille, his hands clasping hers tightly by the wrist, as if trying to reassure her. "That will not happen, My Lady. I am sure that your friend is safe and sound. If she is anything like you, then I am certain she is alright."
Camille smiled slightly, and lifted her hand to wipe away the few tears that had come to her eyes. "Thanks for trying to comfort me, Prince Legolas."
Thranduil cleared his throat, gaining the attention of his son and the lady. "The palace is not safe enough for you by night, Lady Camille. I would feel much better if you were given a room closer to mine and my son's." He turned to the door, raising his voice slightly so that he might be heard. "Enarwen! Falurien!"
There was a soft fluttering sound of Elven dresses, and the two aforementioned maidens appeared in the doorway, curtsying to him and to Legolas. "You called, Your Majesty?"
"Lady Camille will have new quarters. She shall be staying in the suite down the hall from here from now on."
The two Elf-maidens blinked momentarily in surprise, but after a moment, they composed themselves, and curtsied again, dashing off to get the room prepared. With that done, Thranduil turned to Legolas and Lady Camille. "Legolas, please escort Lady Camille to her new quarters."
Legolas nodded, and bowed politely. "As you wish, Father." He turned to Lady Camille, and took her hand, leading her out of his chambers.
Alone, Thranduil sighed, and gazed out the window. It was still deep night, and the moon had not yet begun to descend into the east. So they know about her existence… That was one of the reasons why he had wanted to keep Camille close at hand; so that if any of the Orcs decided to come back, they would have a much harder time trying to kill her with him and Legolas so close by.
Legolas… A small smile quirked on his lips as he recalled the way his son had been acting around the Lady. There was no denying the look of infatuation that he had been firing her way ever since the day she awoke, but unfortunately for him, Lady Camille didn't seem to know, or care. She will be a challenge for him to conquer. I only hope that she will give him her heart before it is too late.
A small verse from a poem long forgotten came into his head. He whispered it to himself in Elvish, ^Fairer than any yet to be seen, one shall become a mighty Queen…^ He shook his head, and chuckled. It might be too much to hope for, but at the rate this is going, I might not be too far off the mark.
* * *
Legolas watched with a worried gaze at Camille sat down on the bed. Ever since the attack of the Orcs, she hadn't been quite the same. The cheerful glow of her face was replaced by a shadow of gloom and worry, and her eyes always seemed to be downcast now. She is worrying about her friend. He closed his eyes, mentally sighing. I can understand her pain. If I were in the same situation, I would feel the same way. But there was something else, another hurt that was more grievous than anything else that could come down on her…
He knelt down in front of her, so that he could look into her eyes that were hidden from him now. He clasped her right hand, caressing it in a gentle, soothing manner. He didn't need to look to know that she was weeping. "Please, My Lady, I do not wish to see you so sad…"
Her lips moved then, saying words in a whisper that only an Elf could hear, "This is all my fault."
Legolas shook his head. "No, no, none of this is your fault. You are not at fault here."
Camille looked up at him then, her eyes flashing with anger and remorse. "That's easy for you to say! If I hadn't seen that shortcut and if I hadn't led Eli with me through it, I wouldn't be here right now! I wouldn't have been in the forest, that Orc wouldn't have chased me, I wouldn't have been stabbed, and you wouldn't have brought me here! I was trouble at the beginning, and all I've done is cause more trouble!"
Legolas swallowed hard, trying to control the emotions welling up inside of him. He knew now the sound he least wanted to hear, and it was the sound of Lady Camille's weeping. He wanted to hold her in his embrace and tell her that everything was all right, that he would never let anything harm her…
But he did not. He simply gripped her hand harder, trying to pin her gaze with his own. "Do not blame yourself for all that has happened. If there is anyone to blame, it is not you. No, not you; you are the one with the least fault here."
"Then what is my fault, Prince Legolas?" she asked quietly.
He smiled, wiping away the small cascade of tears that fell from her eyes as he spoke. "Your sole fault is that you are who you are. You are the fairest among ladies, with intelligence mixed with innocence, with gentleness alloyed with unyielding courage in the face of danger. And even then, I would never consider that a fault. No one here would consider that a fault."
At long last, the tears in her eyes abated their flow, and the semblance of a
smile formed itself on her lips. She looked into his eyes, and he was relieved
to see that she was reassured. "Thank you, Prince Legolas."
"It was nothing, My Lady." He bent over her hand, and kissed it with the same fervor and feeling he would have if he had kissed her on her mouth. "Now sleep. The night has not been kind to you, and you need your rest."
She nodded wordlessly in response, her brown hair shimmering softly in the moonlight as he left her in the room, like the living remnant of a dream he had fled from but did not wish to leave.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: AT LAST, the Orcs come to raid Mirkwood! If you're wondering where this event fits in, it's actually included in the books. Remember, Legolas mentioned at the Council of Elrond that a group of Orcs had helped Gollum escape from his prison in Mirkwood. And if you took the time to check out the Appendix in "The Return of the King", then you'll find out that Gandalf and Aragorn managed to catch Gollum, and then they handed him over to Thranduil for safekeeping. Of course, my version is in NO WAY exactly the way it was written in the book, but it comes close enough. This is only how I imagined it to work out if Camille had been in the palace. And for those of you who don't watch Rurouni Kenshin, a kodachi (did I get the spelling right?) is a sword like a katana, only somewhat shorter. Anyway, on to the next chapter! From Mirkwood, we move our focus to Rivendell, where Eli has been recuperating. We'll go back a few days in time, to see how she awoke, and how she fared with Arwen, Elrond, Elrohir and Elladan…