"Biendis, did you see this last month?" Aphelion asked her handmaiden as
she found another inconsistency in the royal treasury records.
"Why, is something wrong? Last month we didn't look into it, because Dealach had the book," Biendis answered, looking confused.
"Well, money has been decreasing dramatically over the last two months and right now we only have enough to support our army for a short time. Mirdonost is in great danger. I must consult the king," Aphelion said firmly as she walked out to the room, headed towards the King's Counsel hall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Pardon me my lord, I have a matter to discuss with you," Aphelion said, addressing her brother and newly appointed king.
"Ah, come in my dear sister and tell me what is bothering you," Dealach said as he walked toward his sister and placed his arm on her shoulder. He waved his hand to dismiss his counsel men while he guided Aphelion to the chair in the terrace, which connected to the room.
The terrace overlooked the beautiful garden and lake that stood behind it. The scenery reminded Aphelion of her father and she start to sob in her brother arms.
"Something wrong my sister?" Dealach asked her with a frown on his face.
Aphelion wiped the tears away, turned back and looked straight right into her brother's eyes.
"My lord, I know that you have used up all our wealth and I also know that in less than a month if funds are not found, Mirdonost will be in danger of existing no longer, but the one thing I don't understand is why you can not control yourself. You betrayed our father and our kingdom. You knew that I would never question you but matters have changed. I will do anything to keep our kingdom free, but you keep leading us to ruin. I no longer have any respect for you,"
Aphelion turned her face away to hide the tears that filled her eyes and looked into the garden.
"I suggest you to stop you gambling and start looking for someone who can stop this our ruin or else!" Aphelion said, turning to glare at her brother with tears flowing down her face. Without another glance at her brother, she stood up firmly and walked out of the king's counsel room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere in the forest, a man stood waiting for someone.
"Who's there?" the man said as he drew his sword.
"It's me. Put away your weapon," said a woman's soft voice as the owner stepped into the open with hands raised in surrender.
"What news do you have for me?" the man asked.
"As you expected, it happened," the woman replied, "You should carry on with your plan and let me know what is necessary for me to do."
"I will, but I must warn you that he will do anything to get what he wants," the man explained.
"So is my master. She will do what she must," the woman assured.
"We have suffered for too long. This will bring the matter to an end. Things will be better then," the man said as he caught up the woman's hand gently, "I have missed you."
"And I you. When this is over we will be together."
The woman moved closer. Finally their lips met in a fire of their passion. Just as suddenly the two stepped apart guiltily and disappeared in opposite directions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"My lord, you were right. Mirdonost is struggling. Their king has used up all the money in the royal treasury and now they are seeking help," Altus reported the good news to his king.
Legolas smiled, "Altus, send a message to every kingdom and city in Middle Earth about this matter before Dealach can contact them. Let them know that we will deal with this matter and none of them will have to worry."
He looked at his commander with a smile that Altus had long wanted to see again.
"I will have my revenge Altus, and I will make them suffer," Legolas explained to his friend.
Altus looked at Legolas, confused by his friend's actions. He didn't know Legolas's heart on this matter, only that Legolas wanted restitution. However, Legolas had changed so much after the death of his father. One thing that he knew about Legolas was that he would never put his kingdom and his people at risk. He and Mirkwood had suffered too much together for him to risk that.
"Legolas do not let your anger over power you. Be careful. I know not your mind on these matters, but no matter how bad circumstances may be, I will help you till the end," Altus said, placing his hand on Legolas's shoulder.
"Don't bother yourself with that Altus, I would never let my temper ruin my life. The peace of our kingdom and our people are now my priorities," Legolas said coolly to his friend, "now let the games begin."
A stiff smile spread over Legolas's face as he watched Altus walk out of the hall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas walked out to the balcony where he threw himself down on a bench, and looked into the beautiful night sky.
"Father, my time has come and I will do what I must. My heart is filled with pain and anger. Someone will have to pay for what happened to our kingdom. Wish me well father for I need all the strength you can give me to get through the coming pain."
Legolas put his arm on his forehead and looked into a sky that was filled with billions of stars. They glittered like diamonds strewed across black velvet. Legolas felt so lonely, wishing someone would understand him, wishing someone could ease the pain that gnawed him inside like an unseen illness. He spent the whole night on the bench in the balcony, thinking about his plan. He was still unsure, but somewhere in the darkness there would be someone who would be able to help him. Legolas fell asleep in the quiet night with his mind resolved.
"Why, is something wrong? Last month we didn't look into it, because Dealach had the book," Biendis answered, looking confused.
"Well, money has been decreasing dramatically over the last two months and right now we only have enough to support our army for a short time. Mirdonost is in great danger. I must consult the king," Aphelion said firmly as she walked out to the room, headed towards the King's Counsel hall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Pardon me my lord, I have a matter to discuss with you," Aphelion said, addressing her brother and newly appointed king.
"Ah, come in my dear sister and tell me what is bothering you," Dealach said as he walked toward his sister and placed his arm on her shoulder. He waved his hand to dismiss his counsel men while he guided Aphelion to the chair in the terrace, which connected to the room.
The terrace overlooked the beautiful garden and lake that stood behind it. The scenery reminded Aphelion of her father and she start to sob in her brother arms.
"Something wrong my sister?" Dealach asked her with a frown on his face.
Aphelion wiped the tears away, turned back and looked straight right into her brother's eyes.
"My lord, I know that you have used up all our wealth and I also know that in less than a month if funds are not found, Mirdonost will be in danger of existing no longer, but the one thing I don't understand is why you can not control yourself. You betrayed our father and our kingdom. You knew that I would never question you but matters have changed. I will do anything to keep our kingdom free, but you keep leading us to ruin. I no longer have any respect for you,"
Aphelion turned her face away to hide the tears that filled her eyes and looked into the garden.
"I suggest you to stop you gambling and start looking for someone who can stop this our ruin or else!" Aphelion said, turning to glare at her brother with tears flowing down her face. Without another glance at her brother, she stood up firmly and walked out of the king's counsel room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere in the forest, a man stood waiting for someone.
"Who's there?" the man said as he drew his sword.
"It's me. Put away your weapon," said a woman's soft voice as the owner stepped into the open with hands raised in surrender.
"What news do you have for me?" the man asked.
"As you expected, it happened," the woman replied, "You should carry on with your plan and let me know what is necessary for me to do."
"I will, but I must warn you that he will do anything to get what he wants," the man explained.
"So is my master. She will do what she must," the woman assured.
"We have suffered for too long. This will bring the matter to an end. Things will be better then," the man said as he caught up the woman's hand gently, "I have missed you."
"And I you. When this is over we will be together."
The woman moved closer. Finally their lips met in a fire of their passion. Just as suddenly the two stepped apart guiltily and disappeared in opposite directions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"My lord, you were right. Mirdonost is struggling. Their king has used up all the money in the royal treasury and now they are seeking help," Altus reported the good news to his king.
Legolas smiled, "Altus, send a message to every kingdom and city in Middle Earth about this matter before Dealach can contact them. Let them know that we will deal with this matter and none of them will have to worry."
He looked at his commander with a smile that Altus had long wanted to see again.
"I will have my revenge Altus, and I will make them suffer," Legolas explained to his friend.
Altus looked at Legolas, confused by his friend's actions. He didn't know Legolas's heart on this matter, only that Legolas wanted restitution. However, Legolas had changed so much after the death of his father. One thing that he knew about Legolas was that he would never put his kingdom and his people at risk. He and Mirkwood had suffered too much together for him to risk that.
"Legolas do not let your anger over power you. Be careful. I know not your mind on these matters, but no matter how bad circumstances may be, I will help you till the end," Altus said, placing his hand on Legolas's shoulder.
"Don't bother yourself with that Altus, I would never let my temper ruin my life. The peace of our kingdom and our people are now my priorities," Legolas said coolly to his friend, "now let the games begin."
A stiff smile spread over Legolas's face as he watched Altus walk out of the hall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas walked out to the balcony where he threw himself down on a bench, and looked into the beautiful night sky.
"Father, my time has come and I will do what I must. My heart is filled with pain and anger. Someone will have to pay for what happened to our kingdom. Wish me well father for I need all the strength you can give me to get through the coming pain."
Legolas put his arm on his forehead and looked into a sky that was filled with billions of stars. They glittered like diamonds strewed across black velvet. Legolas felt so lonely, wishing someone would understand him, wishing someone could ease the pain that gnawed him inside like an unseen illness. He spent the whole night on the bench in the balcony, thinking about his plan. He was still unsure, but somewhere in the darkness there would be someone who would be able to help him. Legolas fell asleep in the quiet night with his mind resolved.