IV
The darkness around the two travellers cleared slightly, and Legolas opened one eye, frowning slightly. He was in a bed, so soft and warm. Why had the half elves treated him so badly, yet put him in white linen? He glanced around for Mäerallé, but found no trace of her. A small maid scuttled in silently.
"Greetings sire, it is good to see you have woken. The Queen wishes to speak with you after breakfast." And with that, she placed a tray in front of him, and hurried away. Legolas poked at his breakfast, eating slowly. After finishing, he walked around his room, admiring the clothes they had laid out for him. Green, light cloth, decorated with the Elven leaf. He pulled the clothes on, smiling at himself in the tall glass mirror in the room and then awaiting a guide.
A while later, a grand guard walked in, still with Elven ears.
"Good, I see you are ready to meet the Lady of this realm. Be calm, and obedient, oh wise one." Legolas followed the guard into the hall, sitting at a grand table and greeting one another. They all bantered in a funny cross between Elven and Westernese, making Legolas smile further. He worried for Mäerallé's safety, and looked around in the courtroom hall, trying to sight Mäerallé anywhere.
"Where is Mäerallé?" He asked plainly to a guard. The guard frowned and took a sharp intake of breath.
"Do not speak that name so freely in here, newcomer." Legolas tried to question him further, but the guard walked away. The banter stopped, and they all stood, as a petite maid came walking in, amid the tall men and ladies of the court.
"The Queen." She whispered, and a few other maids bowed their heads in respect as a woman with a veil over her face walked in. She nodded simply, and gestured to the seats.
"Are these not made to sit on?" She asked. The half elves all sat quickly, smiling and nodding to each other. "Greetings, Lord's, Lady's and common folk. I am sorry for my recent absence, but I had other business to attend to and did not want to come back till it was finished." The queen removed her veil, revealing her dark blonde hair and violet eyes. Legolas' jaw dropped.
"M. M. Mäerallé!" He yelled, getting to his feet again.
"I can explain everything." She started, eyes also going slightly wide.in fear.
"You lied to me, you said you were a common half elf. How could you?" He asked, storming out of the room. Mäerallé followed after him, sighing sadly.
"I knew I shouldn't have come so close to the borders.I knew it!" Mäerallé murmured, pausing as she watched Legolas sit down. Legolas turned to look at her.
"I trusted you.I believed every word you said. How do I know you weren't lying? God, I even started to-" He stopped himself, blushing and biting his lip.
"You even started to what?" Mäerallé asked softly, sitting down beside him.
"It.it doesn't matter." He said flatly, closing his eyes, looking away from her.
"It does...so tell me. Please.I'm still the same woman, just.a slightly higher rank. Now, tell me."
"I.no." He started, shaking his head. Mäerallé folded her arms. "Fine.I even started to love you."
The darkness around the two travellers cleared slightly, and Legolas opened one eye, frowning slightly. He was in a bed, so soft and warm. Why had the half elves treated him so badly, yet put him in white linen? He glanced around for Mäerallé, but found no trace of her. A small maid scuttled in silently.
"Greetings sire, it is good to see you have woken. The Queen wishes to speak with you after breakfast." And with that, she placed a tray in front of him, and hurried away. Legolas poked at his breakfast, eating slowly. After finishing, he walked around his room, admiring the clothes they had laid out for him. Green, light cloth, decorated with the Elven leaf. He pulled the clothes on, smiling at himself in the tall glass mirror in the room and then awaiting a guide.
A while later, a grand guard walked in, still with Elven ears.
"Good, I see you are ready to meet the Lady of this realm. Be calm, and obedient, oh wise one." Legolas followed the guard into the hall, sitting at a grand table and greeting one another. They all bantered in a funny cross between Elven and Westernese, making Legolas smile further. He worried for Mäerallé's safety, and looked around in the courtroom hall, trying to sight Mäerallé anywhere.
"Where is Mäerallé?" He asked plainly to a guard. The guard frowned and took a sharp intake of breath.
"Do not speak that name so freely in here, newcomer." Legolas tried to question him further, but the guard walked away. The banter stopped, and they all stood, as a petite maid came walking in, amid the tall men and ladies of the court.
"The Queen." She whispered, and a few other maids bowed their heads in respect as a woman with a veil over her face walked in. She nodded simply, and gestured to the seats.
"Are these not made to sit on?" She asked. The half elves all sat quickly, smiling and nodding to each other. "Greetings, Lord's, Lady's and common folk. I am sorry for my recent absence, but I had other business to attend to and did not want to come back till it was finished." The queen removed her veil, revealing her dark blonde hair and violet eyes. Legolas' jaw dropped.
"M. M. Mäerallé!" He yelled, getting to his feet again.
"I can explain everything." She started, eyes also going slightly wide.in fear.
"You lied to me, you said you were a common half elf. How could you?" He asked, storming out of the room. Mäerallé followed after him, sighing sadly.
"I knew I shouldn't have come so close to the borders.I knew it!" Mäerallé murmured, pausing as she watched Legolas sit down. Legolas turned to look at her.
"I trusted you.I believed every word you said. How do I know you weren't lying? God, I even started to-" He stopped himself, blushing and biting his lip.
"You even started to what?" Mäerallé asked softly, sitting down beside him.
"It.it doesn't matter." He said flatly, closing his eyes, looking away from her.
"It does...so tell me. Please.I'm still the same woman, just.a slightly higher rank. Now, tell me."
"I.no." He started, shaking his head. Mäerallé folded her arms. "Fine.I even started to love you."