Title: First Sight
Chapter: 5: Investigations and Explanations
Author: Alkalphiel and The Scribe
Summary: Hurricane Alkalphiel makes landfall . . .
Feedback: Yes, please! Post reviews or email alkalphiel@yahoo.com
A/N: The Scribe: Usual disclaimers apply.
Alkalphiel: And now things finally get interesting.
~*~
I hadn't the faintest idea what was about to happen. Usually I have a notion, sometimes a certain knowledge of the outcome. This time, I was completely in the dark. Quellepaural had intimidated me quite a bit, and I feared that if I were asked to tell my story again I would be unable to. The nausea settling in the pit of my stomach solidified into a solid block of dread as the door opened and revealed Prince Legolas, King Thranduil and Quellepaural.
"Lady Alkalphiel." The prince greeted me with a nod.
I stood and bowed gracefully to him, and again, more deeply, to the king. "My lords."
Quellepaural sneered and spat at my feet. "Do not call her a lady, my prince. This one is not what she seems, but rather a treacherous snake in the heart of Mirkwood."
My eyes widened, and I am certain that Prince Legolas caught that minute response, but I am equally certain that no other did. As I had suspected, Quellepaural had or was about to set forth our encounter in the most damaging terms possible.
"Yes, guardsman, we have heard your thoughts on this matter." Prince Legolas cut him off abruptly. "However, I have also heard Alkalphiel's impressions of the same occurrences and between your two testimonies, I have created a picture different from what either of you presented."
Quellepaural looked up, shocked.
The prince gave him a shallow smile and moved forward with his speech. "King Thranduil," he began with a sweeping bow to his father, "I have told you the stories recounted to me by these two elves. Both report that they felt a false form of the life bond that joins Elven soul mates. Both agree that the source of this false bond is the lady Alkalphiel. Alkalphiel claims that it is unintentional, the result of a defect over which she is powerless. Quellepaural insists that Alkalphiel intentionally manipulated him, maliciously using some secret power to pervert this special bond. You have heard my recountings of both these testimonies, have you not?"
"I have, my son," King Thranduil replied.
"Would either of you like to speak with King Thranduil present before we continue with this?"
I shook my head. There was nothing left to say.
Quellepaural smiled at my reticence. He, too, declined to speak further.
The king looked and Quellepaural and then turned to me. "These are serious charges, Alkalphiel. Using only the evidence given, I would be forced to conclude that you were an elf of unusual power and malice and thus to banish you from all Elven lands."
Lowering my gaze, I shook my head. Was it possible, I wondered, that a resentment of my solitude, running so deep that I was not aware of it, was acting out? That I didn't know how much I hated being alone, so I didn't know how much I was hurting others? Almost idly I wondered if I had done this before Quellepaural, and if I would do it to men and hobbits and whoever else I might encounter after King Thranduil cast me out.
A finger under my chin brought me back to reality. "Courage, Alkalphiel," Prince Legolas whispered in my ear. I lifted my head and saw King Thranduil waiting patiently.
"As I was about to say, if this were the only evidence things would look bleak indeed for you, Lady Alkalphiel."
Part of me was quite amused by my instant and continuous promotion to lady.
"However, my son is rather industrious and considered quite charming by the ladies. He has discovered five other elves with stories amazingly similar to yours, right down to the detail of their false soul mate's name: Quellepaural."
I turned to Quellepaural just in time to watch his mouth fall open.
King Thranduil actually chuckled at the guardsman's expression. "You, Quellepaural, have been an unknown bur on my household for too long. You will be held here until we have determined precisely what is occurring and why. Then we shall decide your fate. Guards!"
The doors of the room swung open and two guardsmen stepped in, looking a bit uneasy at taking one of their own into custody. Quellepaural seized on their hesitation and bolted out the door.
"Find him!" King Thranduil ordered, and the guards were off. The king himself nodded to me, nodded again to his son, and swept out of the room to return to the celebrations. An idle part of my mind noted that he swept with the same grace as his son.
Prince Legolas stepped over to me, and I suddenly realized that we were alone together in the room. Just the two of us again.
"How did you do it? How did you find five other elves in the same position, and so quickly?"
"I did not do it quickly, my lady. The women of my father's court have been coming to me in secret for some time now, confessing situations of false love and blaming themselves, much as you did. I am astonished by the sweep and audacity of whatever Quellepaural has been up to. Rest assured, we will get to the bottom of this. Now, while I have you alone, there is something further of which I would speak to you."
Chapter: 5: Investigations and Explanations
Author: Alkalphiel and The Scribe
Summary: Hurricane Alkalphiel makes landfall . . .
Feedback: Yes, please! Post reviews or email alkalphiel@yahoo.com
A/N: The Scribe: Usual disclaimers apply.
Alkalphiel: And now things finally get interesting.
~*~
I hadn't the faintest idea what was about to happen. Usually I have a notion, sometimes a certain knowledge of the outcome. This time, I was completely in the dark. Quellepaural had intimidated me quite a bit, and I feared that if I were asked to tell my story again I would be unable to. The nausea settling in the pit of my stomach solidified into a solid block of dread as the door opened and revealed Prince Legolas, King Thranduil and Quellepaural.
"Lady Alkalphiel." The prince greeted me with a nod.
I stood and bowed gracefully to him, and again, more deeply, to the king. "My lords."
Quellepaural sneered and spat at my feet. "Do not call her a lady, my prince. This one is not what she seems, but rather a treacherous snake in the heart of Mirkwood."
My eyes widened, and I am certain that Prince Legolas caught that minute response, but I am equally certain that no other did. As I had suspected, Quellepaural had or was about to set forth our encounter in the most damaging terms possible.
"Yes, guardsman, we have heard your thoughts on this matter." Prince Legolas cut him off abruptly. "However, I have also heard Alkalphiel's impressions of the same occurrences and between your two testimonies, I have created a picture different from what either of you presented."
Quellepaural looked up, shocked.
The prince gave him a shallow smile and moved forward with his speech. "King Thranduil," he began with a sweeping bow to his father, "I have told you the stories recounted to me by these two elves. Both report that they felt a false form of the life bond that joins Elven soul mates. Both agree that the source of this false bond is the lady Alkalphiel. Alkalphiel claims that it is unintentional, the result of a defect over which she is powerless. Quellepaural insists that Alkalphiel intentionally manipulated him, maliciously using some secret power to pervert this special bond. You have heard my recountings of both these testimonies, have you not?"
"I have, my son," King Thranduil replied.
"Would either of you like to speak with King Thranduil present before we continue with this?"
I shook my head. There was nothing left to say.
Quellepaural smiled at my reticence. He, too, declined to speak further.
The king looked and Quellepaural and then turned to me. "These are serious charges, Alkalphiel. Using only the evidence given, I would be forced to conclude that you were an elf of unusual power and malice and thus to banish you from all Elven lands."
Lowering my gaze, I shook my head. Was it possible, I wondered, that a resentment of my solitude, running so deep that I was not aware of it, was acting out? That I didn't know how much I hated being alone, so I didn't know how much I was hurting others? Almost idly I wondered if I had done this before Quellepaural, and if I would do it to men and hobbits and whoever else I might encounter after King Thranduil cast me out.
A finger under my chin brought me back to reality. "Courage, Alkalphiel," Prince Legolas whispered in my ear. I lifted my head and saw King Thranduil waiting patiently.
"As I was about to say, if this were the only evidence things would look bleak indeed for you, Lady Alkalphiel."
Part of me was quite amused by my instant and continuous promotion to lady.
"However, my son is rather industrious and considered quite charming by the ladies. He has discovered five other elves with stories amazingly similar to yours, right down to the detail of their false soul mate's name: Quellepaural."
I turned to Quellepaural just in time to watch his mouth fall open.
King Thranduil actually chuckled at the guardsman's expression. "You, Quellepaural, have been an unknown bur on my household for too long. You will be held here until we have determined precisely what is occurring and why. Then we shall decide your fate. Guards!"
The doors of the room swung open and two guardsmen stepped in, looking a bit uneasy at taking one of their own into custody. Quellepaural seized on their hesitation and bolted out the door.
"Find him!" King Thranduil ordered, and the guards were off. The king himself nodded to me, nodded again to his son, and swept out of the room to return to the celebrations. An idle part of my mind noted that he swept with the same grace as his son.
Prince Legolas stepped over to me, and I suddenly realized that we were alone together in the room. Just the two of us again.
"How did you do it? How did you find five other elves in the same position, and so quickly?"
"I did not do it quickly, my lady. The women of my father's court have been coming to me in secret for some time now, confessing situations of false love and blaming themselves, much as you did. I am astonished by the sweep and audacity of whatever Quellepaural has been up to. Rest assured, we will get to the bottom of this. Now, while I have you alone, there is something further of which I would speak to you."