The guest room was set up with the most luxurious furniture imaginable, and
the size of the bed was large enough to hold five people. The room itself
had a bathroom and balcony, which overlooked the forest of Mirkwood.
"This is amazing, but why is he treating us this well? I assumed we would be thrown in a dungeon at this point," Alphelion said sarcastically as she surveyed her surroundings.
"My lady, the king is kind to everyone. Even his foes. You should be ready soon, the meal will be served in 20 minutes." one of the maids informed her as the servants filed out.
"Well we should get ready Alphelion, I'd hate to make his majesty impatient," Biendis said with a smile.
At that both of the ladies laughed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dining hall was massive enough for at least 5000 guests. The tables and chairs were ornate and polished to a shine. The door opened and the two ladies from Mirdonost walked in. There were only two people in the hall. One was Altus; he walked over to greet the two ladies. The other was a male elf who stood with his back towards them.
Altus walked back to Legolas who was still looking out the window, seemingly oblivious to the guests.
"They are here Legolas," Altus informed him. Legolas nodded and turned his head toward the two ladies.
"Welcome to Mirkwood, Ladies of Mirdonost, I am Legolas, King of Mirkwood, I heard you have a request to make. I believe your journey might have tired you. We should have the meal first and consult over your…predicament…afterwards," Legolas said, his face a carefully concealed mask of pleasantry, yet some of the stiffness still seeping through.
Alphelion saw the struggle the king had to welcome them and she decided to be as polite as she could.
"Whatever you wish my lord, this is your home and what you say we will do," Alphelion answered softly.
"Thank you, my lady." Legolas replied, directing them to sit, and the meal to be served.
The dinner was quiet with the four hardly making any conversation. After the meal, they all walked to the library.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So what is your request, my lady?" Legolas asked nicely.
"My kingdom, my lord, is in great danger. We need funds to keep it going as it is supposed to be," Alphelion explained, looking straight into Legolas's deep blue eyes.
"What is the cause of this despair?" Legolas asked, matching her gaze.
Altus and Biendis looked at each other uncomfortably and searched for an excuse to leave the room.
"NO!!!" both Legolas and Alphelion said at the same time.
Alphelion grabbed Biendis' hand and whispered, "Do not leave me alone with him, ever."
"I would prefer to hear both of your thoughts on this matter." Legolas told the two and walked to his previous place to sit down awkwardly.
"Tell me something, Alphelion. That is your name isn't it? Why should I even consider helping you?" Legolas asked.
"If you are a kind being, you would help others wouldn't you? I have the feeling that I am not welcome here. I have come in peace and I will do what it takes to help my people." Alphelion said standing up.
"Anything?" Legolas questioned with an oddly sardonic expression on his face.
"Legolas, don't do this," Altus whispered into his ear, "she means no harm."
"This is why I want you here." Legolas whispered back.
"It's late, we will discuss this later." Legolas exclaimed as he rose to walk out.
"This matter cannot wait, my lord." Alphelion said forcefully, but Legolas acted as though he hadn't heard and continued out of the library.
Alphelion turned her face to Altus, "Is he always this stubborn?" she asked.
"From what I have seen so far, you both are stubborn." Altus said slowly and followed Legolas out.
"We must get back to the guest room Alphelion." Biendis said, almost bodily dragging her out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas walked back to his chamber with Altus close behind him,
"Why are you doing this? She came peacefully. You own it to her to be kind," Altus pleaded.
"Altus, you are like an older brother to me, but please don't act like one. I need to get this over and done with. I need some rest and you do too. I will talk with her tomorrow. Is that good enough?" He asked tiredly.
"I am not going to stop you but someday you will know the cost of your revenge."
Altus walked away with his last words.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alphelion got up from her bed and walked out to the balcony. She felt the difference of the night sky between Mirkwood and her home. The moonlight was so bright and the stars illuminated the sky. The night was so beautiful, but still the place was so haunting. The first sense that she had when she arrived was the sense of unwelcome and hostility. The sky seemed to be the only thing that welcomed her. She walked to the railing of the balcony and leaned forward to see the forest. It looked gloomy and dark. There were noises of insects flying all around the place. Less disturbing to Alphelion than the insects was Legolas's voice, which still rang in her ears. So scathing and so pain filled, it seared to her memory. She was about to walk back into her room when she caught sight of something. Legolas was lying on the bench outside of the balcony of his room. As he rose he saw Alphelion staring at him. Their eyes met, and the same thought came into both their minds.
"Why?"
"This is amazing, but why is he treating us this well? I assumed we would be thrown in a dungeon at this point," Alphelion said sarcastically as she surveyed her surroundings.
"My lady, the king is kind to everyone. Even his foes. You should be ready soon, the meal will be served in 20 minutes." one of the maids informed her as the servants filed out.
"Well we should get ready Alphelion, I'd hate to make his majesty impatient," Biendis said with a smile.
At that both of the ladies laughed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dining hall was massive enough for at least 5000 guests. The tables and chairs were ornate and polished to a shine. The door opened and the two ladies from Mirdonost walked in. There were only two people in the hall. One was Altus; he walked over to greet the two ladies. The other was a male elf who stood with his back towards them.
Altus walked back to Legolas who was still looking out the window, seemingly oblivious to the guests.
"They are here Legolas," Altus informed him. Legolas nodded and turned his head toward the two ladies.
"Welcome to Mirkwood, Ladies of Mirdonost, I am Legolas, King of Mirkwood, I heard you have a request to make. I believe your journey might have tired you. We should have the meal first and consult over your…predicament…afterwards," Legolas said, his face a carefully concealed mask of pleasantry, yet some of the stiffness still seeping through.
Alphelion saw the struggle the king had to welcome them and she decided to be as polite as she could.
"Whatever you wish my lord, this is your home and what you say we will do," Alphelion answered softly.
"Thank you, my lady." Legolas replied, directing them to sit, and the meal to be served.
The dinner was quiet with the four hardly making any conversation. After the meal, they all walked to the library.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So what is your request, my lady?" Legolas asked nicely.
"My kingdom, my lord, is in great danger. We need funds to keep it going as it is supposed to be," Alphelion explained, looking straight into Legolas's deep blue eyes.
"What is the cause of this despair?" Legolas asked, matching her gaze.
Altus and Biendis looked at each other uncomfortably and searched for an excuse to leave the room.
"NO!!!" both Legolas and Alphelion said at the same time.
Alphelion grabbed Biendis' hand and whispered, "Do not leave me alone with him, ever."
"I would prefer to hear both of your thoughts on this matter." Legolas told the two and walked to his previous place to sit down awkwardly.
"Tell me something, Alphelion. That is your name isn't it? Why should I even consider helping you?" Legolas asked.
"If you are a kind being, you would help others wouldn't you? I have the feeling that I am not welcome here. I have come in peace and I will do what it takes to help my people." Alphelion said standing up.
"Anything?" Legolas questioned with an oddly sardonic expression on his face.
"Legolas, don't do this," Altus whispered into his ear, "she means no harm."
"This is why I want you here." Legolas whispered back.
"It's late, we will discuss this later." Legolas exclaimed as he rose to walk out.
"This matter cannot wait, my lord." Alphelion said forcefully, but Legolas acted as though he hadn't heard and continued out of the library.
Alphelion turned her face to Altus, "Is he always this stubborn?" she asked.
"From what I have seen so far, you both are stubborn." Altus said slowly and followed Legolas out.
"We must get back to the guest room Alphelion." Biendis said, almost bodily dragging her out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas walked back to his chamber with Altus close behind him,
"Why are you doing this? She came peacefully. You own it to her to be kind," Altus pleaded.
"Altus, you are like an older brother to me, but please don't act like one. I need to get this over and done with. I need some rest and you do too. I will talk with her tomorrow. Is that good enough?" He asked tiredly.
"I am not going to stop you but someday you will know the cost of your revenge."
Altus walked away with his last words.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alphelion got up from her bed and walked out to the balcony. She felt the difference of the night sky between Mirkwood and her home. The moonlight was so bright and the stars illuminated the sky. The night was so beautiful, but still the place was so haunting. The first sense that she had when she arrived was the sense of unwelcome and hostility. The sky seemed to be the only thing that welcomed her. She walked to the railing of the balcony and leaned forward to see the forest. It looked gloomy and dark. There were noises of insects flying all around the place. Less disturbing to Alphelion than the insects was Legolas's voice, which still rang in her ears. So scathing and so pain filled, it seared to her memory. She was about to walk back into her room when she caught sight of something. Legolas was lying on the bench outside of the balcony of his room. As he rose he saw Alphelion staring at him. Their eyes met, and the same thought came into both their minds.
"Why?"