Title: Double Take

Chapter: 5: Justice at Last

Author: Alkalphiel and The Scribe

Summary: Legolas' version of "First Sight"

Feedback: Yes, please! Post reviews or email alkalphiel@yahoo.com

A/N: The Scribe: The Lord of the Rings and all its accompanying parts, characters and mythologies are not mine. This fanfiction is intended as a work of respect for and tribute to J. R. R. Tolkien's creations. To anyone who's still reading: THANK YOU! To LadyTremere: Real Life has been getting majorly in the way for the past month or so and I simply haven't had the energy to post things. Now that it's Spring Break, some much-needed recharging has also brought the muse back. Er, or placed me in touch with Alkalphiel and Legolas . . . or whatever. At any rate, everything is still ok - it's just been exhausting!

Alkalphiel: Thank you for sticking with this. Legolas truly wants to share his side of things!

~*~

Father and I made our way to the guest quarters to which I had first taken Alkalphiel. I had some vague notion that she would be a little more at ease in the familiar room. We paused in the doorway, and it was well that we did for Finrod rushed up to me.

"My lord, I must speak with you!"

I nodded. "Go ahead, Finrod."

With an uneasy glance and hasty bow to the king, Finrod outlined Quellepaural's most recent actions to me. "That guardsman, Quellepaural - the slimy one - he approached the Lady Alkalphiel. Threatened her, like. Told her never again to speak of what had passed between them. Blamed her for something. I'm not sure what he meant, but his tone had my hands itching to pull him away from her." Finrod looked up and saw Quellepaural approaching, escorted by another servant. "With your leave, my lord, I would be on my way."

"Certainly. Thank you, Finrod. I owe you much for this."

"T'is nothing, my lord. Just . . . don't let him near her."

I couldn't help but smile. Alkalphiel had been in the palace of Mirkwood for scarcely two hours and she'd already stirred the protective instincts of Finrod in addition to myself. Of course, I knew what drew Finrod to her - it was that lack of assumption with which she carried herself. She wasn't royalty and wasn't accustomed to servants, and there was nothing Finrod liked more than someone who didn't want to be waited on. "I give you my word, Finrod. I will protect her."

Satisfied, Finrod took off down the hall.

Quellepaural was, without doubt, the most thoroughly unpleasant Elf I've ever known. As he approached us, his expression managed to contain both distaste and condescension, neither one of which was often leveled at the royal family. I made a mental note to ask my father how this particular Elf had come to be part of the guard.

"My lords." Quellepaural sketched a bow and twisted the traditional address into something of an insult.

I shared a glance with Atar. One would think that an Elf in such a precarious position would conceal his insolence a little better. Apparently this was not so.

"Let us proceed," I announced, and opened the doors to the guest chamber.

There, directly inside, was Alkalphiel. As I had predicted, she looked exquisite in the forest green gown. She also looked distinctly nauseous. I nodded to her. "Lady Alkalphiel."

She stood and bowed to me, then turned to my father and bowed again, deeper and more formally than before. "My lords."

Quellepaural stepped forward with a sneer and spat at her. "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."

I clenched my hands into fists. Alkalphiel's eyes had widened slightly, and her control over the life bond had slipped just enough to let her fear trickle through. I'm normally a very calm Elf, but this was a direct insult and implied threat to the woman I believed to be my soul mate. Restraining myself, I settled for stopping Quellepaural before he could begin. "Yes, guardsman, we have heard your thoughts on this matter. 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."

The look on Quellepaural's face was pure shock. I was pleased to have caught him off guard. So pleased, in fact, that I actually smiled at his expression.

"King Thranduil," I began, bowing to my 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?"

Alkalphiel shook her head wanly.

Quellepaural shook his as well, grinning at his anticipated victory.

Atar looked at Quellepaural and then turned to Alkalphiel. "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."

She lowered her head, shaking it slightly. Her deep despair resonated down our weak bond until there was nothing that could hold me back. Nodding to my father, I stepped forward until I reached Alkalphiel. I lifted her chin with my finger, bringing her gaze up to mine, and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Courage, Alkalphiel."

Her attention returned to my father and she saw him waiting patiently, as I knew he would be.

Continuing, King Thranduil spoke again. "As I was about to say, if this were the only evidence things would look bleak indeed for you, Lady Alkalphiel. 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."

Alkalphiel's head whipped toward Quellepaural, and my father and I followed her lead. As for Quellepaural, his mouth dropped open at this announcement.

King Thranduil chuckled. "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. They'd never been asked to arrest one of their own before, and they seemed a little uncertain of themselves. Quellepaural seized on their hesitation and bolted out the door.

"Find him!" King Thranduil ordered, and the guards were off. Atar nodded to Alkalphiel, nodded to me, and strode regally from the room.

I moved close to Alkalphiel, relieved to be alone with her at last. Surely, now that everything had been brought to light, she would embrace me with joy.

"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." I would win her over.