A/N: These are the final three chapters. Many apologies for any delays but
I thought that the final two ought to be posted together. They may be
slightly odd. But hey! Email me with your reviews. Anna.
Chapter Eight: The Minister's revenge
Legolas hummed a ditty he had learnt off Gimli as he strolled towards the fields. He was eager to work after the energy he found he had after a couple of relatively peaceful days.
On the field was a group of nine men as he neared them, they turned around and Legolas saw angry looks on their faces.
"That's him!" one of them cried, clenching his fists tightly.
"You'll pay villain!" another cried and started to walk determinedly towards Legolas.
"Please!" a voice begged and the young girl ran forward, trying to block their way. "He didn't do anything!"
"You 'eard what the Minister said. the elf blamed you!" the leader roared and with an impatient sigh, pushed the girl roughly to the ground.
"I did no such thing," Legolas said softly and tried to make his way towards the girl who was crying bitterly.
"Aye you did," a gruff voice said in his ear and Legolas spun around to see a man right behind him.
They closed in on him shouting abuse and waving their fists. Legolas's hands instantly went to his back to pull the white handled knives from their sheath, but they were not there.
There was no escape!
Legolas clenched his fist into ball shape as the first man hurtled towards him.
~
"Send for prince Legolas," Estel ordered his servant and leant back in the chair with a heavy, tired groan.
There was a quiet knock on his door a minute later and Legolas walked in. His face was unreadable due to the large cloak placed over his head.
"Legolas, take down the cloak," Elessar sighed. "I wish to talk to you."
Legolas crossed his arms and stood stiffly. "No."
"Please Legolas, stop being so stubborn."
"No."
"Why won't you?" the King asked, clearly puzzled. It was not like the wood- elf to be shy of his features. Far from it, he used to tease Elessar because of the man's usually filthy state of appearance. "Legolas, I've known you for most of my life. I know every single thing about you."
Legolas bit his tongue and silently thought, oh no you don't!
"Please, friend," Elessar said softly.
Legolas gave in and removed the cloak from his head.
Estel gasped slightly and quickly moved to his friend.
Legolas gave a crooked smile before wincing as the cut in his lip reopened and he felt the copper taste of blood in his mouth. Estel reached up his sleeve and gently blotted the cut before taking in the rest of Legolas' face.
A yellow bruise already surrounded his right eye and there was a similar one running along his jaw line, plus a cut along his forehead that ran into his hairline. The golden hair around the cut was dark and sticky with blood.
He raised his hands and gave crooked smile and raised his fists. His knuckles were raw and the skin was broken on them.
"I gave as good as I got," he croaked before going pale.
"Legolas sit down," the man said and ushered his friend to a leather chair, which the elf sunk into gratefully.
"Its just a bit of a shock," Legolas admitted and bent his head over his knees. He remained crouched over for a minute before straightening up.
This gave Estel time to quickly pour a jug of water into a small silver platter, fetch a scrap of cloth and thank a maid for quickly preparing a salve.
Legolas stared ahead as Estel bathed the cut on his head, hissing occasionally when it stung. "I should have defended myself better, but I don't know. After working with them for a day, they felt too familiar to me to actually harm them badly. Valar know I can defend myself in hand-to-hand combat against a couple of farmers!" Legolas laughed and hissed again when Elessar parted his hair for a closer look.
"Legolas I will to let down your hair," Estel said and started unwinding the plaits.
The golden hair fell down loose upon his shoulders in a mist of golden water droplets. Estel parted it and carried on bathing
"I was just slow. They blamed me because the young girl was beaten by the Minister (curse him)"
Estel raised one eyebrow at this comment and said nothing. Legolas was not one to show strong emotion. He was fairly neutral unless provoked, or on a subject he felt strongly about.
"I couldn't get it into their thick skulls that I had said nothing against the girl. Far from it! I defended her, didn't I?"
The King murmured in agreement and picking up Legolas' hand started to place a salve upon the chapped skin.
"The Minister framed me, whispering to the farmers that I had blamed the girl and I was the one who had hit her!" Legolas cried. "You wait until I meet that man again, I don't think I could restrain myself Estel, I truly don't think I could."
"You're done," Elessar said, standing up.
"Hm?" Legolas asked with a dazed expression. He looked down at his hands and nodded. "Thanks. What did you want me for in the first place?"
Estel shook his head. "Nothing."
The King had wanted Legolas to apologise for his behaviour yesterday and to apologise to the Minister, but seeing the state he was in: Elessar preferred to keep the Minister alive, no matter how scheming he was.
"Thanks Estel, for listening." Legolas stood up and with a grateful smile exited the room.
Elessar sighed again as the accountant entered the room, bearing receipts and a wary smile. "Milord, if we could just go over some of the tax results from last month," the weedy man said in a reedy voice.
The King sighed one last time and sinking into his chair, signalled for the accountant to come over.
~
Legolas looked down at the man's hand in his own, bandaged hands.
"You are so calming, Legolas," Eldarion remarked as the two snatched a private moment outside the city walls.
"You're my interlude to madness."
Legolas grinned before wincing again. "Stop making me laugh, Eldarion!" he cried.
"Oh sorry," the prince apologised and peered at Legolas' lip with strange intent.
"What are you staring at?"
"Your lip," Eldarion replied, without giving any reason.
"Just per chance, is there a reason why?" Legolas asked.
"I was wondering whether it would hurt too much to kiss you."
Legolas smiled bashfully and lowered his head. "Probably," he said quietly.
Eldarion made a disappointed noise and leant against the wall, his hand still tightly gripped by the elf. "How boring. I shall have to kiss you on the cheek then."
And he did so. Legolas looked back up as Eldarion stood, staring expectantly at him.
"Lip," he mumbled and Eldarion sighed again.
"I forgot."
"You have the memory of an oliphaunt," Legolas said scornfully and giggled at the hurt look on his lover's face.
"Grh, for a prince of Mirkwood you are awfully insolent!" Eldarion said with a smirk.
"And you are awfully insolent for a prince of Gondor!" Legolas said laughing.
"I like it that way," the man said with a sly grin and leaning forward kissed Legolas softly.
~
From up on the city wall, two people gasped in perfect synchronisation.
Chapter Eight: The Minister's revenge
Legolas hummed a ditty he had learnt off Gimli as he strolled towards the fields. He was eager to work after the energy he found he had after a couple of relatively peaceful days.
On the field was a group of nine men as he neared them, they turned around and Legolas saw angry looks on their faces.
"That's him!" one of them cried, clenching his fists tightly.
"You'll pay villain!" another cried and started to walk determinedly towards Legolas.
"Please!" a voice begged and the young girl ran forward, trying to block their way. "He didn't do anything!"
"You 'eard what the Minister said. the elf blamed you!" the leader roared and with an impatient sigh, pushed the girl roughly to the ground.
"I did no such thing," Legolas said softly and tried to make his way towards the girl who was crying bitterly.
"Aye you did," a gruff voice said in his ear and Legolas spun around to see a man right behind him.
They closed in on him shouting abuse and waving their fists. Legolas's hands instantly went to his back to pull the white handled knives from their sheath, but they were not there.
There was no escape!
Legolas clenched his fist into ball shape as the first man hurtled towards him.
~
"Send for prince Legolas," Estel ordered his servant and leant back in the chair with a heavy, tired groan.
There was a quiet knock on his door a minute later and Legolas walked in. His face was unreadable due to the large cloak placed over his head.
"Legolas, take down the cloak," Elessar sighed. "I wish to talk to you."
Legolas crossed his arms and stood stiffly. "No."
"Please Legolas, stop being so stubborn."
"No."
"Why won't you?" the King asked, clearly puzzled. It was not like the wood- elf to be shy of his features. Far from it, he used to tease Elessar because of the man's usually filthy state of appearance. "Legolas, I've known you for most of my life. I know every single thing about you."
Legolas bit his tongue and silently thought, oh no you don't!
"Please, friend," Elessar said softly.
Legolas gave in and removed the cloak from his head.
Estel gasped slightly and quickly moved to his friend.
Legolas gave a crooked smile before wincing as the cut in his lip reopened and he felt the copper taste of blood in his mouth. Estel reached up his sleeve and gently blotted the cut before taking in the rest of Legolas' face.
A yellow bruise already surrounded his right eye and there was a similar one running along his jaw line, plus a cut along his forehead that ran into his hairline. The golden hair around the cut was dark and sticky with blood.
He raised his hands and gave crooked smile and raised his fists. His knuckles were raw and the skin was broken on them.
"I gave as good as I got," he croaked before going pale.
"Legolas sit down," the man said and ushered his friend to a leather chair, which the elf sunk into gratefully.
"Its just a bit of a shock," Legolas admitted and bent his head over his knees. He remained crouched over for a minute before straightening up.
This gave Estel time to quickly pour a jug of water into a small silver platter, fetch a scrap of cloth and thank a maid for quickly preparing a salve.
Legolas stared ahead as Estel bathed the cut on his head, hissing occasionally when it stung. "I should have defended myself better, but I don't know. After working with them for a day, they felt too familiar to me to actually harm them badly. Valar know I can defend myself in hand-to-hand combat against a couple of farmers!" Legolas laughed and hissed again when Elessar parted his hair for a closer look.
"Legolas I will to let down your hair," Estel said and started unwinding the plaits.
The golden hair fell down loose upon his shoulders in a mist of golden water droplets. Estel parted it and carried on bathing
"I was just slow. They blamed me because the young girl was beaten by the Minister (curse him)"
Estel raised one eyebrow at this comment and said nothing. Legolas was not one to show strong emotion. He was fairly neutral unless provoked, or on a subject he felt strongly about.
"I couldn't get it into their thick skulls that I had said nothing against the girl. Far from it! I defended her, didn't I?"
The King murmured in agreement and picking up Legolas' hand started to place a salve upon the chapped skin.
"The Minister framed me, whispering to the farmers that I had blamed the girl and I was the one who had hit her!" Legolas cried. "You wait until I meet that man again, I don't think I could restrain myself Estel, I truly don't think I could."
"You're done," Elessar said, standing up.
"Hm?" Legolas asked with a dazed expression. He looked down at his hands and nodded. "Thanks. What did you want me for in the first place?"
Estel shook his head. "Nothing."
The King had wanted Legolas to apologise for his behaviour yesterday and to apologise to the Minister, but seeing the state he was in: Elessar preferred to keep the Minister alive, no matter how scheming he was.
"Thanks Estel, for listening." Legolas stood up and with a grateful smile exited the room.
Elessar sighed again as the accountant entered the room, bearing receipts and a wary smile. "Milord, if we could just go over some of the tax results from last month," the weedy man said in a reedy voice.
The King sighed one last time and sinking into his chair, signalled for the accountant to come over.
~
Legolas looked down at the man's hand in his own, bandaged hands.
"You are so calming, Legolas," Eldarion remarked as the two snatched a private moment outside the city walls.
"You're my interlude to madness."
Legolas grinned before wincing again. "Stop making me laugh, Eldarion!" he cried.
"Oh sorry," the prince apologised and peered at Legolas' lip with strange intent.
"What are you staring at?"
"Your lip," Eldarion replied, without giving any reason.
"Just per chance, is there a reason why?" Legolas asked.
"I was wondering whether it would hurt too much to kiss you."
Legolas smiled bashfully and lowered his head. "Probably," he said quietly.
Eldarion made a disappointed noise and leant against the wall, his hand still tightly gripped by the elf. "How boring. I shall have to kiss you on the cheek then."
And he did so. Legolas looked back up as Eldarion stood, staring expectantly at him.
"Lip," he mumbled and Eldarion sighed again.
"I forgot."
"You have the memory of an oliphaunt," Legolas said scornfully and giggled at the hurt look on his lover's face.
"Grh, for a prince of Mirkwood you are awfully insolent!" Eldarion said with a smirk.
"And you are awfully insolent for a prince of Gondor!" Legolas said laughing.
"I like it that way," the man said with a sly grin and leaning forward kissed Legolas softly.
~
From up on the city wall, two people gasped in perfect synchronisation.
