Author's Note: Umm, I had fun writing this chapter, you'll see what I mean.
Chapter 12
The sun had already set before Legolas finally heard somebody at his door. It was pulled open to reveal the she-elf, who did not look particularly happy about always having to fetch the elf prince. She was wearing her usual dark clothing, but the black dress she had on tonight was low cut and form fitting, a formal garb. Tonight's dinner must be important. Legolas himself was wearing the silver and gold outfit he had been put in for the first dinner.
Legolas stood from where he had been resting on the bed and regarded her. She did not say a word and only turned around so that he would follow. She started walking away, but Legolas stayed where he was. Eventually, the she-elf turned only to find that he was not following.
"I do not have time for any of your tricks tonight," she told him, anger already evident in her voice.
Legolas raised his eyebrows in innocence. "I have no tricks, I was merely waiting for you to address me to follow you."
"You are not worth wasting my breath," she replied.
Legolas quietly advanced and she turned once more to lead him. Legolas waited in silence until they were about halfway to the dining hall. "What are tonight's festivities Eirien?" He paused right before saying the name and drew it out slowly.
The effect on the she-elf was what he had expected. She froze in her tracks and then whirled to face him. Her hand was out to slap him across the face, but Legolas easily caught her wrist and held it in air. The she- elf fumed.
"How dare you say my name," she hissed at him.
"It is not that bad of a name," Legolas told her.
Eirien jerked her hand out of his grasp and took a few steps backwards. She turned once more and started off again, keeping further ahead of him then she normally did. Legolas held a smile on his face as he walked, he at least had the satisfaction of being able to annoy her.
They reached the dining hall and Eirien immediately disappeared, no longer concerned by Legolas at all. As soon as Legolas stepped into the hall, he was grabbed roughly from behind by one of the doorsmen. Legolas was about to fight to get out of the harsh hold, but he remembered the words of the elf lord. He would have to at least try to be on good behaviour if he wanted to find out what the elf lord's plans were. Plus, he wanted a chance to be able to talk to Glorfindel.
So Legolas complied as he was pushed with more force than was necessary to a place at the table. This time, he was seated at the far end of it rather than at the head near the elf lord. Legolas understood the subtle meaning, he was no longer considered an important guest. He was surrounded by elves that looked as though they were soldiers for the elf lord, and they all looked at Legolas as if he was a dirty dwarf that had wandered in to sit at their table uninvited.
Legolas kept his head high and refused to meet any of their gaze. Inside, he was burning with indignation. Never had he been treated like this. When food was placed before him, Legolas inspected it suspiciously. He remembered well the feeling of fire and agony of the night after he had eaten last time and how he must have been poisoned by the food. Legolas finally ate the piece of bread that was on the plate, figuring that there was no way to mask the taste of poison in bread, and touched nothing else.
One of the elves on his right noticed. "Is the food not good enough for a prince?" he asked caustically.
Legolas answered carefully. "It is well enough, I am merely not hungry tonight."
"Perhaps it is the wound on his lip that keeps him from eating in peace," another elf commented with laughter following his remark.
Legolas took a deep breath. He longed so much to have his bow and be able to put an arrow through each and every one of them. He knew this was what the elf lord had wanted. He wanted Legolas to start a fight so that he could then be thrown back into his cell of a room and then probably even beaten later for his lack of respect.
"My lip does not bother me at all," Legolas replied quietly, trying to retain as much dignity as possible.
"Salt might help that," answered an elf who sat across from him and he threw a handful of salt in his face. Legolas reacted before even thinking. He was up and leaning across the table with his hand locked around the other elf's throat before he even knew he had moved. All the elves immediately surrounding him surged up as well and Legolas was yanked to the side before he could do anything. He let go of the other elf, who fell on the table choking, and turned to meet the one who had pulled him away. Legolas smashed a fist into his face and pushed him hard onto the floor.
Legolas then turned to face another elf coming up on his left, but an arm locked around his throat from behind and hauled him down and backwards. Legolas lost his footing and fell to the ground. Five or so of the elf soldiers were immediately on him and though Legolas fought as well as he could there was no way for him to be able to regain his feet. He was kicked several times in the ribs and stomach and his vision went dark when a shin cracked against his skull.
Before he could even see straight again, there was more shouting and the elves were being pulled off of him. Legolas was hauled roughly to his feet and then led blindly out of the dining hall. Once out into the ever drafty hallway, he was stopped and held still. Legolas blinked and his vision slowly cleared. The elf lord was standing in front of him with Glorfindel at his side.
"I told you to behave yourself tonight," the elf lord started, "but I see that it will be impossible for you to do so. Since you insist on behaving like an animal, you will have to be treated as one." The elf lord gestured to the elf holding Legolas from behind, "See that he is readied, I will be there as soon as I can."
Legolas had no idea what he was talking about, but the other elf started to push Legolas in the direction opposite of the one to the rooms. Legolas struggled briefly, but he was cuffed upside the head in the same spot that had already been injured and his vision danced again. Legolas could not regain enough of his senses to continue to fight and he was led into a new room. Here two other elves were already waiting and they each latched onto one of Legolas' arms and held him while the one who had brought him to the room went forward to the far side of the room. The room was dark, but Legolas could make out the sound of metal chains clanking together on the stone wall.
On some kind of cue, the two elves holding Legolas began to drag him forward to the far side. Legolas still was not sure what was going on, but he had at least an idea and he knew that it would not be pleasant. Legolas dug in with his heels and fought to get free. As a result, his legs were kicked out from underneath him and Legolas was then dragged to the far wall. Dimly, he was aware that the floor was dirt.
A torch was finally lit and the light blazed into the room when Legolas was brought to the far wall. He looked up to see manacles pinned into the wall as he had suspected. The elf prince was pushed up with his back against the wall and his wrists were encased in the manacles before he could even begin to resist. When he was secure, one of the elves ripped his tunic off, leaving Legolas' chest bare. Then all three stepped back and grinned at Legolas.
Legolas pulled hard on the chains, but quickly gave up when he saw that it would do no good and that his struggling was entertaining to his three tormentors. Instead, Legolas stood quietly, his eyes closed.
Footsteps sounded and Legolas opened his eyes to see the elf lord, Glorfindel, and Eirien come into the room. The dark elf lord held a long whip in his hand.
"This is what we do to tame unruly beasts around here," the elf lord told Legolas, "and it is obvious that such actions will be required in order to get you to comply and act obediently."
Legolas hardly thought that the elf lord would listen if he told him that the fight had not been his fault, so he kept his mouth shut. The elf lord had paused as if waiting for some kind of response, but when he received none his mouth drew into a taut line and he wheeled his arm back.
The lash came down hard upon Legolas' flesh, leaving a burning trail from his left shoulder all the way down to his right hip. Legolas jerked in pain, but he kept his mouth tightly shut. The elf lord shook out the whip and brought it back to his side, preparing it for another strike. This time, the whip went lower and curled around Legolas' side, ripping open a small wound when it was yanked back again. Then the elf lord brought down the whip repeatedly, hardly pausing between lashes. The whip danced and bit about Legolas and it was all he could do to keep from crying out.
The rain of blows was becoming more intolerable and the young elf prince closed his eyes, concentrating on only being able to breathe. He was starting to feel sick, and his legs refused to support him any longer. Legolas sagged forward, his weight supported by the cruel manacles. And still the lashings continued, one of them catching Legolas on the cheek and ripping a scarlet line across it.
"That is enough," a voice finally said. The whip fell one more time and then stopped. Legolas found he was holding his breath, expecting the whip to come at him again, but no more came. He opened his eyes a slit and saw that Glorfindel was holding the dark elf lord's wrist. He had been the one to stop him.
The elf lord did not look entirely pleased that Glorfindel had stopped him. "He needs something to remember his disobedience by."
Glorfindel spoke calmly, "He will remember it even without you beating him within an inch of his life."
The elf lord looked as though he wanted to say more, but his face smoothed out and was replaced by the royal pleasant look he often wore. "Of course, he seems to be a smart enough boy." The elf lord glanced over at Legolas, "however I believe it will do him even more good for him to spend the night here. Then he will be more appreciative of our generous accommodations. Come Lord Glorfindel, we have much to discuss."
Chapter 12
The sun had already set before Legolas finally heard somebody at his door. It was pulled open to reveal the she-elf, who did not look particularly happy about always having to fetch the elf prince. She was wearing her usual dark clothing, but the black dress she had on tonight was low cut and form fitting, a formal garb. Tonight's dinner must be important. Legolas himself was wearing the silver and gold outfit he had been put in for the first dinner.
Legolas stood from where he had been resting on the bed and regarded her. She did not say a word and only turned around so that he would follow. She started walking away, but Legolas stayed where he was. Eventually, the she-elf turned only to find that he was not following.
"I do not have time for any of your tricks tonight," she told him, anger already evident in her voice.
Legolas raised his eyebrows in innocence. "I have no tricks, I was merely waiting for you to address me to follow you."
"You are not worth wasting my breath," she replied.
Legolas quietly advanced and she turned once more to lead him. Legolas waited in silence until they were about halfway to the dining hall. "What are tonight's festivities Eirien?" He paused right before saying the name and drew it out slowly.
The effect on the she-elf was what he had expected. She froze in her tracks and then whirled to face him. Her hand was out to slap him across the face, but Legolas easily caught her wrist and held it in air. The she- elf fumed.
"How dare you say my name," she hissed at him.
"It is not that bad of a name," Legolas told her.
Eirien jerked her hand out of his grasp and took a few steps backwards. She turned once more and started off again, keeping further ahead of him then she normally did. Legolas held a smile on his face as he walked, he at least had the satisfaction of being able to annoy her.
They reached the dining hall and Eirien immediately disappeared, no longer concerned by Legolas at all. As soon as Legolas stepped into the hall, he was grabbed roughly from behind by one of the doorsmen. Legolas was about to fight to get out of the harsh hold, but he remembered the words of the elf lord. He would have to at least try to be on good behaviour if he wanted to find out what the elf lord's plans were. Plus, he wanted a chance to be able to talk to Glorfindel.
So Legolas complied as he was pushed with more force than was necessary to a place at the table. This time, he was seated at the far end of it rather than at the head near the elf lord. Legolas understood the subtle meaning, he was no longer considered an important guest. He was surrounded by elves that looked as though they were soldiers for the elf lord, and they all looked at Legolas as if he was a dirty dwarf that had wandered in to sit at their table uninvited.
Legolas kept his head high and refused to meet any of their gaze. Inside, he was burning with indignation. Never had he been treated like this. When food was placed before him, Legolas inspected it suspiciously. He remembered well the feeling of fire and agony of the night after he had eaten last time and how he must have been poisoned by the food. Legolas finally ate the piece of bread that was on the plate, figuring that there was no way to mask the taste of poison in bread, and touched nothing else.
One of the elves on his right noticed. "Is the food not good enough for a prince?" he asked caustically.
Legolas answered carefully. "It is well enough, I am merely not hungry tonight."
"Perhaps it is the wound on his lip that keeps him from eating in peace," another elf commented with laughter following his remark.
Legolas took a deep breath. He longed so much to have his bow and be able to put an arrow through each and every one of them. He knew this was what the elf lord had wanted. He wanted Legolas to start a fight so that he could then be thrown back into his cell of a room and then probably even beaten later for his lack of respect.
"My lip does not bother me at all," Legolas replied quietly, trying to retain as much dignity as possible.
"Salt might help that," answered an elf who sat across from him and he threw a handful of salt in his face. Legolas reacted before even thinking. He was up and leaning across the table with his hand locked around the other elf's throat before he even knew he had moved. All the elves immediately surrounding him surged up as well and Legolas was yanked to the side before he could do anything. He let go of the other elf, who fell on the table choking, and turned to meet the one who had pulled him away. Legolas smashed a fist into his face and pushed him hard onto the floor.
Legolas then turned to face another elf coming up on his left, but an arm locked around his throat from behind and hauled him down and backwards. Legolas lost his footing and fell to the ground. Five or so of the elf soldiers were immediately on him and though Legolas fought as well as he could there was no way for him to be able to regain his feet. He was kicked several times in the ribs and stomach and his vision went dark when a shin cracked against his skull.
Before he could even see straight again, there was more shouting and the elves were being pulled off of him. Legolas was hauled roughly to his feet and then led blindly out of the dining hall. Once out into the ever drafty hallway, he was stopped and held still. Legolas blinked and his vision slowly cleared. The elf lord was standing in front of him with Glorfindel at his side.
"I told you to behave yourself tonight," the elf lord started, "but I see that it will be impossible for you to do so. Since you insist on behaving like an animal, you will have to be treated as one." The elf lord gestured to the elf holding Legolas from behind, "See that he is readied, I will be there as soon as I can."
Legolas had no idea what he was talking about, but the other elf started to push Legolas in the direction opposite of the one to the rooms. Legolas struggled briefly, but he was cuffed upside the head in the same spot that had already been injured and his vision danced again. Legolas could not regain enough of his senses to continue to fight and he was led into a new room. Here two other elves were already waiting and they each latched onto one of Legolas' arms and held him while the one who had brought him to the room went forward to the far side of the room. The room was dark, but Legolas could make out the sound of metal chains clanking together on the stone wall.
On some kind of cue, the two elves holding Legolas began to drag him forward to the far side. Legolas still was not sure what was going on, but he had at least an idea and he knew that it would not be pleasant. Legolas dug in with his heels and fought to get free. As a result, his legs were kicked out from underneath him and Legolas was then dragged to the far wall. Dimly, he was aware that the floor was dirt.
A torch was finally lit and the light blazed into the room when Legolas was brought to the far wall. He looked up to see manacles pinned into the wall as he had suspected. The elf prince was pushed up with his back against the wall and his wrists were encased in the manacles before he could even begin to resist. When he was secure, one of the elves ripped his tunic off, leaving Legolas' chest bare. Then all three stepped back and grinned at Legolas.
Legolas pulled hard on the chains, but quickly gave up when he saw that it would do no good and that his struggling was entertaining to his three tormentors. Instead, Legolas stood quietly, his eyes closed.
Footsteps sounded and Legolas opened his eyes to see the elf lord, Glorfindel, and Eirien come into the room. The dark elf lord held a long whip in his hand.
"This is what we do to tame unruly beasts around here," the elf lord told Legolas, "and it is obvious that such actions will be required in order to get you to comply and act obediently."
Legolas hardly thought that the elf lord would listen if he told him that the fight had not been his fault, so he kept his mouth shut. The elf lord had paused as if waiting for some kind of response, but when he received none his mouth drew into a taut line and he wheeled his arm back.
The lash came down hard upon Legolas' flesh, leaving a burning trail from his left shoulder all the way down to his right hip. Legolas jerked in pain, but he kept his mouth tightly shut. The elf lord shook out the whip and brought it back to his side, preparing it for another strike. This time, the whip went lower and curled around Legolas' side, ripping open a small wound when it was yanked back again. Then the elf lord brought down the whip repeatedly, hardly pausing between lashes. The whip danced and bit about Legolas and it was all he could do to keep from crying out.
The rain of blows was becoming more intolerable and the young elf prince closed his eyes, concentrating on only being able to breathe. He was starting to feel sick, and his legs refused to support him any longer. Legolas sagged forward, his weight supported by the cruel manacles. And still the lashings continued, one of them catching Legolas on the cheek and ripping a scarlet line across it.
"That is enough," a voice finally said. The whip fell one more time and then stopped. Legolas found he was holding his breath, expecting the whip to come at him again, but no more came. He opened his eyes a slit and saw that Glorfindel was holding the dark elf lord's wrist. He had been the one to stop him.
The elf lord did not look entirely pleased that Glorfindel had stopped him. "He needs something to remember his disobedience by."
Glorfindel spoke calmly, "He will remember it even without you beating him within an inch of his life."
The elf lord looked as though he wanted to say more, but his face smoothed out and was replaced by the royal pleasant look he often wore. "Of course, he seems to be a smart enough boy." The elf lord glanced over at Legolas, "however I believe it will do him even more good for him to spend the night here. Then he will be more appreciative of our generous accommodations. Come Lord Glorfindel, we have much to discuss."