b.l.a.c.k.n.w.h.i.t.e: Your first LOTR fanfic ever? WOW! I'm honored!
Ievandie: Nope, no Palestinian connections; I just thought it fit. I hope it doesn't ruin the story for you!
Abomination: Here's Chapter 23; don't read it too fast or you'll end up waiting again, LOL!
Lori: Thanks! I hope you enjoy the next chapter. Things will start wrapping up.
Chapter 23
Legolas had never moved so fast in his life. After hearing Emerd reveal that the third scroll had been intended for Ziendriel, he had quickly summoned his stead and took off for the Yalith home. He had urged his horse so fast that the hour long travel took less time than expected. And by the time he arrived at his destination, he feared his faithful animal would fall over from exhaustion.
He bounded up the steps to the front door and uncharacteristically pounded on the front door. When he was not answered within the second, he pounded again. Finally, he heard footsteps approach the door. A maidservant stood there, surprise clearly written upon her face. Before she could say anything, Legolas announced, "I need to speak with Lady Ziendriel, right this moment!"
Sian gasped as the prince brushed past her, heading for the sitting room. She quickly followed him, flushing red. "I-I'm sorry, milord," she stammered, "B-But, mistress left early th-this morning." My but he is even more handsome up close! She thought, then blushed deeper.
Legolas strode over to her and grasped her by the shoulders, flustering her even more. "Did anyone see her leave?" he demanded, looking straight into her eyes.
Sian became puzzled at the prince's urgency to see her mistress; it bordered on frantic. Then, she remembered the events of the past week and understood. He wants to win her heart back! She thought, How romantic! Aloud, she said, "No, milord. She rose before everyone this morning, including her father." Her eyes widened when she heard him swear under his breath, releasing her.
Legolas was upset. The moment the servant had answered his question, he knew in his heart that Ziendriel was gone. She must have been drawn out by the abductor! He thought, angrily. He clenched his fists, and gave a low growl.
Sian became somewhat frightened. "H-Have you tr-tried the House of Healing?" she stammered, stepping back from him, "Lady Velia surely has let the mistress continue her duties."
Legolas shook his head. He had just spoken to Lady Velia the day before and she had told him that Ziendriel would not be returning anytime soon. Despite the heartache he had caused her Healer, she had spoken very kindly and matter-of-factly to him. It was a change from some of the glares he had been getting.
"Did Lady Ziendriel receive any messages the evening before?" he asked, the urgency creeping back into his voice.
This took Sian by surprise. Surely he would remember sending the mistress a message? "Well, yes," she answered, "Shortly after dusk, one of your couriers arrived with a scroll for the mistress. I gave it to her."
Legolas felt his eyes grow wider. "I must see it," he told her, "Please! It is a matter of importance concerning the safety of your mistress!"
Growing frightened by the second, Sian immediately nodded and ran upstairs. After a few moments of searching the mistress' desk, she found the message in question. She grabbed it and hurriedly rushed back downstairs. "Here it is, milord," she said, handing it to him.
Legolas snatched it from her and eagerly read the words. Like the ones addressed to Elyse and Ariel, this one also had his father's seal, as well as his forged signature. He swore again, slightly crumpling the paper. He thought for a moment, and when no answers came to him, he growled.
Sian whimpered, drawing his attention to her. Immediately, he smiled soothingly at her. "I apologize," he told her, slightly bowing his head; "I do not mean to frighten you. But, I do thank you for your help." He smiled at her once again, before turning on his heel and exiting the house.
He jumped onto his horse and furiously galloped towards the palace. I must counsel with Father! He thought. He rode off, unaware of hidden eyes watching him.
Ziendriel jolted awake and immediately regretted it. A pain shot through her temples as she opened her eyes and she softly moaned. She blinked her eyes a few times to adjust them to the dim light in the room, then opened them fully. She glanced around, her disorientation growing as she realized she was not in her room.
She tried to sit up, for her neck and shoulders were stiff and aching, but became alarmed when she realized her hands and feet were bound. She struggled for a moment, but the ropes held fast, biting down into her skin. She gave a little yelp at the pain, and ceased her movements.
With what little movement her stiff neck allowed her, Ziendriel glanced about her surroundings. It was obviously a cave, a very small one, with only a small table and chair made of poor workmanship as its décor. The only other items were the lowly burning torch near the opening of the corridor that disappeared around the corner and the pile of hay that she was laid upon.
How did I get here? She thought, glancing around once more, How long have I been here? And where exactly is 'here'? She paused for a moment, thinking back to the last things she could remember…
FLASHBACK
"Mistress?"
Ziendriel turned from her bedroom window at the call of her name and found one of the maidservants standing in her doorway. "Yes, Sian?" she asked, smiling in greeting.
"This just arrived for you," Sian answered, stepping forward. She handed her a roll of parchment, then curtsied, "From the prince, I believe," she added.
At this, Ziendriel's eyes lit up. "How extraordinary!" she exclaimed, taking the paper from her. She began to unroll it, then added, "Thank you, Sian."
The servant curtsied once again. "Yes, milady," she said, then exited the room.
Ziendriel opened the message and immediately noted the prince's signature. "How extraordinary that I would get a message from Legolas after spending an hour searching for him!" she murmured, smiling. Her eyes read the message, then frowned. She turned towards her window and glanced at the blackness of the night. "Why would he want to meet in the forest now? At this hour?" she murmured.
END FLASHBACK
Ziendriel frowned at the thoughts of the previous night, recalling sitting at her desk, writing a response to Legolas. It had more or less a refusal to meet him at the appointed hour, suggesting the next morning to be better suited. She remembered finishing her message and sealing it with her father's seal, then standing to call one of the servants to her.
That was when she had noticed the robed person standing in her doorway. Before she could speak and ask who they were, the figure had walked to her and soundly punched her, causing her to black out.
And now, here she was. She could not tell how long she had been there, nor the time of day, for the cave obviously had no cracks or crevices to allow even a sliver of light from the outside. But, judging by the stiffness of her joints, she guessed that many hours had passed.
Using her bound hands behind her as leverage, Ziendriel slowly and painfully lifted herself up into a sitting position. She grunted as she shifted from her side to her rump and tried to stretch her back. Her head was pounding by now and she winced at the steady throb behind her eyes.
A sudden sound froze her body and her eyes flew to the opening of the corridor. "H-Hello?" she called, hesitantly, trying to keep her fear from rising, "Is someone there?" She stared hard at the corridor, willing her heart to slow it furious pounding. The sound had been as if a heavy door had been shut, but it had been a bit muffled; like the entryway was a distance away.
Suddenly remembering being attacked in her room, Ziendriel allowed her fear to push through. She whimpered as she realized it could be her attacker coming back She heard footsteps echoing off the cave walls and felt beads of perspiration forming at her hairline. She swallowed nervously as the footsteps grew louder and closer.
A robed figure suddenly appeared at the opening of the corridor, startling her. It was not unlike the figure that had attacked her, but was definitely more feminine. The cut of her cloak was soft and smooth, made out of a gentler material than a man's would be. She also stood with a distinctive feminine stance, one hip jutted out. Ziendriel watched as the hooded woman walked further into the cave, her hood obscuring her face, then stopped directly in front of her.
"I see you have finally awakened," the mysterious woman observed, her tone catching Ziendriel's ears. It was soft and carried a melody to it. She frowned as she realized it sounded so familiar, but she could not place it. "For a moment, I thought my associate had done more to you than just knock you unconscious." The underlying meaning was sinister and made Ziendriel involuntarily shiver.
"Who are you?" Ziendriel asked, her fear subsiding a bit, "Why have you brought me here?" She strained her eyes to get a look beneath the hood, but was disappointed.
"You will have your answers soon enough," the woman replied, sharply, "When I deem it appropriate. In the meantime, are you hungry?" She gestured to the pack she had been carrying.
It was only then that Ziendriel realized the most delicious aromas were permeating from that bag. She sniffed at it, then heard her stomach growl. "Yes," she answered, warily. The foods inside might be delicious, but she did not know of her captor's intentions towards her.
The woman laughed, its sound dry and grating. Ziendriel felt herself wince at it. Without a word, her captor tossed her the bag towards her, causing it to land with a soft thud near her. "By all means!" she mocked, "Eat. If you can!"
Ziendriel stared at the woman for a moment, frowning at her cruelty. "Why do you do this?" she demanded, scooting closer to the food, "Have I unknowingly wronged you in the past?" She leaned down and caught the bag with her teeth, then dropped it into her lap.
Her words seemed to infuriate the woman. "Wronged me?" she repeated, bitterly, almost shouting, "Wronged me?! By the Valar! You have offended me in the worst possible way, thereby making my life, my very existence, a nightmare!" She began to pace the floor, her steps quick and furious.
Ziendriel stared at her, confused. "How have I done this?" she asked, "I would never purposely hurt another in the way you describe. I am a Healer and care for all living things; I would never disrespect the Valar like that!"
A resounding slap echoed in the cave, as Ziendriel felt her cheek stinging. The woman stood before her, her hand raised again. "Lie once more," she warned, "And I will not pull back!"
Ziendriel felt the tears prick at her eyes as her situation was fully realized. "Please," she begged softly, "Please tell me what I have done." She refused to allow her tears to fall.
The woman began to laugh, the harshness and bitterness so deep that it made Ziendriel's blood run cold. She laughed for quite a stretch of time, before allowing it to die away. "Tell, Ziendriel," she said, sarcasm dripping off her name, "How did you enchant the prince so? A love potion? A spell? Come, we are both women! Share your secrets!"
Ziendriel shook her head. "I know not what you speak of," she replied, softly, "Twas the prince who approached me."
The woman hissed, "Liar!" She brought her hand back and slapped the other woman hard across her cheekbone.
Ziendriel cried out as stars exploded in front of her eyes. "I tell the truth!" she cried, "I do, truly! Legolas came upon me in the gardens and he-"
"ENOUGH!" the woman screamed, infuriated, "I will hear no more from you! You will humiliate me no more by your presence! I will have you pay for it!" Spittle flew from her mouth as she leaned over her captive and harshly grabbed her by the chin. Her fingers angrily dug deep into her skin, causing Ziendriel to cry out. "Would you like to know what I intend to do with you, Ziendriel?" she asked, her voice low and deadly.
Frantically, the maiden nodded her head. "You have taken what I want," the captor explained, "And I do not take kindly to those who have stolen what is rightfully mine. Furthermore, it displeases me when I am further hurt after the fact. And you have greatly hurt me, Lady Yalith. Deeply." At the maiden's confused eyes, she sneered. "I speak of the prince," she said, "Long has he held my heart and long have I been planning to capture his. It was a simple plan really…until you entered the picture! Not only did I have your sister and Elyse to contend with, but now you! I did not truly worry until the night of the king's ball. That was when I realized that Legolas truly loved you! And my whole plan went up in flames!" She paused for a moment, as if remembering. Then, she continued, "I quickly thought of a new plan and wasted no time in executing it. The first part went smoothly; better in fact. But, you…you were not too smart when you refused to meet the prince immediately. Tis a pity that I did not get you myself; it would have given me great pleasure to see you fall." She laughed then, relishing in the image.
Ziendriel said nothing, but continued to stare at her captor. She was frightened at this woman's bitterness, frightened at the hate-filled voice. She knew she would discover her fate soon enough, but it gave her no comfort.
"Elyse and Ariel have met the same fact as you," the woman continued, gesturing to the cave, "Although their fates will be better than yours. You see, dear Ziendriel," Again the sarcasm, "They will merely be hidden until my plan succeeds. You, on the other hand…well, let's just say you have seen your last sunset."
Ziendriel stiffened at the remark. "I-I do not understand," she whispered, a tear escaping down her cheek.
"Once it is discovered that you are missing as well, Legolas will be grief-stricken," the woman explained, "And with Elyse and Ariel also gone, I will be the most likely choice for comfort. The prince will have no choice but to fall in love with me. Once that happens, your sister and Elyse will be released. You, on the other hand, will pose a threat if you return. So, really, Ziendriel, there is no other solution, other than your death." She said it so simply, so matter-of-factly, as if it made perfect sense.
At this point, Ziendriel released her tears. She was truly frightened now. "Who are you?" she whispered, blinking to clear her blurred vision.
The woman kneeled before her. "Have you not guessed that by now, Ziendriel?" she mocked, her hands reaching up to pull back her hood, causing Ziendriel to gasp in surprise.
It was Lady Adrianna Roseleaf!