Sorry about the last chapter. To be honest, it wasn't anything like the
first time I wrote it. I really went through and rewrote the whole thing
and now I have to go through and change some plots, write more scenes, and
whatnot. So if it takes me a bit longer to update, that's why.
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Elrohir's body wakened fully at a soft rapping on his door. He looked to where he thought a window ought to be, but there was nothing but stone. Where then, was the light in his room coming from?
Whoever was at the door knocked again. "Who is it?" Elrohir asked tentatively.
"It is I, Legolas."
Elrohir faltered. Legolas said to be cautious when answering his door. Besides, something was wrong in the elf's voice, and the person on the other side of the door seemed to sense his hesitation.
"I swear it is I. My grandfather possesses many powers, but none of them include disguise of the voice."
"And what of body switching?"
"Elrohir, honestly. What is it I have to do to prove it to you?"
"Your name."
"Pardon?" Legolas tried not be annoyed. He would be just as wary if he heard Elrohir on the other side of his door at such an hour.
"What name did I give you when we were little?"
"Cemendur."
A moment later, the oak door parted. "I'm sorry I doubted your word."
"Do not apologize. I would have done the same. Come, it is time for the morning meal." The prince turned to leave.
"You're hurt," Elrohir observed the slight stiffness with which his friend moved.
Legolas said nothing, but tried to relax his body more as he walked towards the great hall.
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"I'm honored that you came to dine with me this fair morning!" The smile on the old elf's lips did not quite reach his eyes. He clasped Legolas roughly on his injured shoulder.
The elf grimaced, and spots danced in front of his eyes from the pain. He felt consciousness failing him as his grandfather worked both old and new injuries. Then, his grandfather simply let go. To any spectator, the action would have looked like an innocent gesture of affection. Oropher knew this. He was very deliberate in his actions, and he thought them out very carefully.
Elrohir jumped forward as Legolas' knees seemed to buckle under him, but the prince caught himself gracefully.
"You must tell me later what he did to you," Elrohir whispered as the two took their seats.
Legolas nodded.
"Tell me, did you both sleep well?"
Legolas said nothing, and Elrohir thought it wise to do the same. Oropher raised an eyebrow at them. "Well?"
"Well, if you must know, I could not sleep last night." Legolas said this with more bite than he intended.
"I am sorry to hear that." To anyone else, it would have sounded sincere, but Legolas heard the threat in his voice, as well as the pleasure this truth brought to him.
"I am sure you are."
"Still completely without manners, are we? We must change that. If you are to be a, well, a part of my castle, you must behave properly."
"This is *my* castle. I will be a part of it. I will govern it until my father returns. You must face that."
Anger flashed dangerously in the current king's eyes. "May I have a word with you?"
"I have not finished my breakfast yet." Legolas looked up and smiled pleasantly. Elrohir glanced between the two elves.
"Then you may return to your meal after I have a word with you." He had stood by now, quickly crossing to where Legolas and Elrohir sat. He placed a hand on his grandson's shoulder.
It was a subtle threat, but Legolas picked up on it. He pushed his seat back, rising to his feet. He glanced quickly at Elrohir, silently telling him to remain where he was.
The king took his grandson into the hallway, where guards lined the wall. "You will not cross me again. Am I understood?"
Legolas nodded, but held his silence.
"I could take it from you, you know."
Legolas held the elder's gaze squarely. "Take what?"
"Many things. Your life. Your friend. Your father. Your dignity. Your pride. You name it."
Legolas tried to seem disinterested.
"I didn't appreciate that conversation you had with your friend last night."
He tried to hide his fear and surprise. "I told him nothing you would disprove."
"That you did." He circled the younger elf. Legolas stared straight ahead, holding himself in a very dignified manner. His grandfather scowled. Even in the face of death his grandson managed to hold a better air of nobility about him than he himself could. He snapped his fingers. At once, two guards appeared at his side.
"Bind him. Take him to the bottom-most dungeon."
Legolas' mind was spinning. He was not going to go down without a fight. And he had to warn Elrohir!
The two guards made a grab for him, but he easily spun out of their reach. More guards sprang forward, sensing that they would be needed. Legolas reached for his daggers, twirling one in each hand, though his injured arm protested.
"Minastir! Mellon! Don't do this!" Legolas pleaded as one guard advanced on him slowly.
He looked sadly into the prince's eyes. "We don't serve you anymore, Legolas." Minastir replied.
Legolas hid his panic well. There were easily 20 guards nearby. If he were in a human realm, it would not matter. But he was not in a human realm. These were elven guards, all just as agile and quick as he was. Throw an injury into the matter? Legolas didn't have a chance.
His hope lay in the fact that he knew all these guards. He was friends with most of them. They wouldn't really imprison him, would they?
They advanced on him, each having drawn their own weapons. A horrible realization struck Legolas like a ton of stone. They would imprison him, if given the chance, and he was powerless to stop them. His one hope became his one downfall in a matter of seconds. They were his friends, and for that reason, he could not cause them injury. Now, it was 20 to 1, and he would not hurt them. It was impossible odds.
Legolas wanted to call for Elrohir, but he knew that one elf could not help him now. He was doing quick thinking - there had to be something he could say to get out of this.
"You swore!"
The advancing elves hesitated. "What?"
"Minastir, when I was born, you swore to protect me, no matter what!"
Oropher was slowly starting to realize his mistakes. He never swore in Thranduil's guards as his own. He definitely had not anticipated what Legolas had done. A promise, to an elf, was binding. Once it was made, never could it be broken without some great personal cost. Breaking a promise to royalty at that would cause more than a personal cost. And so, the odds were now 19 to 2. And Minastir would fight.
"Can you hold them off?"
"For how long, my prince?"
"As long as you can. Long enough for me to get into the courtyard and start a vote."
"Yes, my lord." There was a somber quietness to the elf's voice. Legolas looked at him.
"Minastir?"
"They will kill me, my lord. They were held by no such promise."
Legolas sighed. "Then come, we run together." He took off then, making for the open courtyard.
He was so intent on his destination that he did not notice the lack of footsteps behind him.
The guard looked at Legolas before turning back to the elves that would be pursuing them. He knew that if he ran with Legolas, they would both die. His job, as it always was and always would be, was to make sure that didn't happen.
"What are you waiting for? Get him! Kill this one if you must!" Oropher could not afford to let the elf enter the courtyard. Or could he? He rushed suddenly into the great hall, heading for Elrohir who was on his feet and very aware.
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Minastir cried out. "No, don't do this! Look at yourselves! What are you doing?"
"You know as well as we that we cannot defy the king's word."
"Nor could we defy our true lord's word: we would be doing that if we so much as laid a finger on Legolas!"
"Minastir, listen to yourself! Lord Oropher would hang us all!"
"Then that is the death we should go to. At least we would die honorably!"
"We're elves! It's our nature to prevent our death! Lord Thranduil is not coming back. You know this."
Minastir spoke slowly. If nothing else, he was buying Legolas time. "I am willing to go to my death for my prince. I am willing to go to my death in the faith I have that Legolas could find his father and overthrow this tyrant. Why aren't any of you willing to do the same?"
"It is Lord Oropher's orders!"
"So you would turn on Thranduil, only because he's not here? Because of fear? What wrong has he or Legolas ever done to you? What gives you reason to turn your backs on them? We were chosen as guards because we had proven our loyalty to the king and his family! Why abandon that now?"
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Elrohir pulled on his bonds, trying desperately to escape them. He forbade his mind to think of what this would do to Legolas. Oropher could now use him against Legolas, which was precisely what the prince had tried to avoid in the first place.
Where was Legolas? He wished that his friend would try to find him, but he heard nothing for a very long while. That in itself both worried and soothed the Noldor elf. Soothed, because it meant that Legolas was busy doing something- that he was not held up in a cell similar to Elrohir's. Worried because he had no idea what Legolas was busy doing. Overthrowing the king? Or fighting for his life?
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Hey all:
Legolas'-Calandra: Haha, your review had me cracking up. It'll be fun to reply to. There's so many questions! First of all, really, is there such a thing as too much Leggy torture? I don't think so, lol. I'm planning on making this a long series, so he's still got a while to live, yes. Well, that and I don't want to change Tolkien's work too much. I won't kill anyone that stays alive in his books. Haha, no, I just bring the dead back to life. Anyway, he won't get married, no. It may have a happy ending, but that depends on your definition of happy. ::evil grin:: Yes, his trust of humans is trashed, but can you see where that plot line may go in regards to a future Gondorian king? I wouldn't be so certain of how much he'll trust one of three elves you mentioned. (Won't say any more than that though, it would give it away.) And I'd say you're only half right, ::wink::. Please set the keyboard down, lol. Thanks for the review, and keep guessing what's gonna happen.
Lady Larvle of Mirkwood: Yes, Thranduil is alive. We just don't know what condition he's in, other than he is unconscious. Alive is good, definitely. And, well, let's just say that Legolas' grandfather isn't done with him yet. (I'm just plain brutal, aren't I?) Thank you for the compliment!
Bec: Haha, I loved your review! Funny stuff. Okay, there is a ton of Legolas and Elrohir, but Elladan isn't featured very much. Well, he left for Rivendell, remember? He does appear later in the story though. (Don't get any ideas, that wasn't a hint. It's in Rivendell that you see him.) And Estel is in the very next story, right after this one, savvy? That's a promise. Well, if you're gonna die, maybe I'll just make you wait a long time instead of a really long time, yeah? Cuz I don't want the guilt of your death on my shoulders. Or your family's wrath, for that matter, lol. No, I am kidding, I like your reviews too much to make you wait a really long time. Happy Reading!
Gilraen: Eep, death to FF.net! Keeps forgetting to send me reviews via email. Missed three of them, would you believe it? ::Blushes:: thank you so much!
Wilwarin: Hey, every elf has someone evil in their ancestry, right? Well, maybe it's just Legolas, and just in my world, but still. Lol, ::smiles::.
Dimostiel: Thank you! I'm checking out your story right now (which, by the time you read this, will have been at least a day ago, huh?)
Sky: Ah, thank you yet again! You are so kind to my ego! Let me know if I start slacking on the contrast, because I really want to show that in this story, and especially in the next chapter. Oh, yeah, school does tend to hinder the writing effort. Luckily, I still have a week and a half before I go back. ::ducks as people throw things::
GredFeorge: Ah, I love Harry Potter! Sirius is my favourite, however. Well, was. At any rate! Lol, thank you for your review! It was much appreciated, and I love when people tell me that I've inspired them. THANK YOU! Ah, jeez, I just read your review to Lies, sorry, ff.net is being really bad about sending me my reviews! Thank you so much for your feedback!
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Elrohir's body wakened fully at a soft rapping on his door. He looked to where he thought a window ought to be, but there was nothing but stone. Where then, was the light in his room coming from?
Whoever was at the door knocked again. "Who is it?" Elrohir asked tentatively.
"It is I, Legolas."
Elrohir faltered. Legolas said to be cautious when answering his door. Besides, something was wrong in the elf's voice, and the person on the other side of the door seemed to sense his hesitation.
"I swear it is I. My grandfather possesses many powers, but none of them include disguise of the voice."
"And what of body switching?"
"Elrohir, honestly. What is it I have to do to prove it to you?"
"Your name."
"Pardon?" Legolas tried not be annoyed. He would be just as wary if he heard Elrohir on the other side of his door at such an hour.
"What name did I give you when we were little?"
"Cemendur."
A moment later, the oak door parted. "I'm sorry I doubted your word."
"Do not apologize. I would have done the same. Come, it is time for the morning meal." The prince turned to leave.
"You're hurt," Elrohir observed the slight stiffness with which his friend moved.
Legolas said nothing, but tried to relax his body more as he walked towards the great hall.
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"I'm honored that you came to dine with me this fair morning!" The smile on the old elf's lips did not quite reach his eyes. He clasped Legolas roughly on his injured shoulder.
The elf grimaced, and spots danced in front of his eyes from the pain. He felt consciousness failing him as his grandfather worked both old and new injuries. Then, his grandfather simply let go. To any spectator, the action would have looked like an innocent gesture of affection. Oropher knew this. He was very deliberate in his actions, and he thought them out very carefully.
Elrohir jumped forward as Legolas' knees seemed to buckle under him, but the prince caught himself gracefully.
"You must tell me later what he did to you," Elrohir whispered as the two took their seats.
Legolas nodded.
"Tell me, did you both sleep well?"
Legolas said nothing, and Elrohir thought it wise to do the same. Oropher raised an eyebrow at them. "Well?"
"Well, if you must know, I could not sleep last night." Legolas said this with more bite than he intended.
"I am sorry to hear that." To anyone else, it would have sounded sincere, but Legolas heard the threat in his voice, as well as the pleasure this truth brought to him.
"I am sure you are."
"Still completely without manners, are we? We must change that. If you are to be a, well, a part of my castle, you must behave properly."
"This is *my* castle. I will be a part of it. I will govern it until my father returns. You must face that."
Anger flashed dangerously in the current king's eyes. "May I have a word with you?"
"I have not finished my breakfast yet." Legolas looked up and smiled pleasantly. Elrohir glanced between the two elves.
"Then you may return to your meal after I have a word with you." He had stood by now, quickly crossing to where Legolas and Elrohir sat. He placed a hand on his grandson's shoulder.
It was a subtle threat, but Legolas picked up on it. He pushed his seat back, rising to his feet. He glanced quickly at Elrohir, silently telling him to remain where he was.
The king took his grandson into the hallway, where guards lined the wall. "You will not cross me again. Am I understood?"
Legolas nodded, but held his silence.
"I could take it from you, you know."
Legolas held the elder's gaze squarely. "Take what?"
"Many things. Your life. Your friend. Your father. Your dignity. Your pride. You name it."
Legolas tried to seem disinterested.
"I didn't appreciate that conversation you had with your friend last night."
He tried to hide his fear and surprise. "I told him nothing you would disprove."
"That you did." He circled the younger elf. Legolas stared straight ahead, holding himself in a very dignified manner. His grandfather scowled. Even in the face of death his grandson managed to hold a better air of nobility about him than he himself could. He snapped his fingers. At once, two guards appeared at his side.
"Bind him. Take him to the bottom-most dungeon."
Legolas' mind was spinning. He was not going to go down without a fight. And he had to warn Elrohir!
The two guards made a grab for him, but he easily spun out of their reach. More guards sprang forward, sensing that they would be needed. Legolas reached for his daggers, twirling one in each hand, though his injured arm protested.
"Minastir! Mellon! Don't do this!" Legolas pleaded as one guard advanced on him slowly.
He looked sadly into the prince's eyes. "We don't serve you anymore, Legolas." Minastir replied.
Legolas hid his panic well. There were easily 20 guards nearby. If he were in a human realm, it would not matter. But he was not in a human realm. These were elven guards, all just as agile and quick as he was. Throw an injury into the matter? Legolas didn't have a chance.
His hope lay in the fact that he knew all these guards. He was friends with most of them. They wouldn't really imprison him, would they?
They advanced on him, each having drawn their own weapons. A horrible realization struck Legolas like a ton of stone. They would imprison him, if given the chance, and he was powerless to stop them. His one hope became his one downfall in a matter of seconds. They were his friends, and for that reason, he could not cause them injury. Now, it was 20 to 1, and he would not hurt them. It was impossible odds.
Legolas wanted to call for Elrohir, but he knew that one elf could not help him now. He was doing quick thinking - there had to be something he could say to get out of this.
"You swore!"
The advancing elves hesitated. "What?"
"Minastir, when I was born, you swore to protect me, no matter what!"
Oropher was slowly starting to realize his mistakes. He never swore in Thranduil's guards as his own. He definitely had not anticipated what Legolas had done. A promise, to an elf, was binding. Once it was made, never could it be broken without some great personal cost. Breaking a promise to royalty at that would cause more than a personal cost. And so, the odds were now 19 to 2. And Minastir would fight.
"Can you hold them off?"
"For how long, my prince?"
"As long as you can. Long enough for me to get into the courtyard and start a vote."
"Yes, my lord." There was a somber quietness to the elf's voice. Legolas looked at him.
"Minastir?"
"They will kill me, my lord. They were held by no such promise."
Legolas sighed. "Then come, we run together." He took off then, making for the open courtyard.
He was so intent on his destination that he did not notice the lack of footsteps behind him.
The guard looked at Legolas before turning back to the elves that would be pursuing them. He knew that if he ran with Legolas, they would both die. His job, as it always was and always would be, was to make sure that didn't happen.
"What are you waiting for? Get him! Kill this one if you must!" Oropher could not afford to let the elf enter the courtyard. Or could he? He rushed suddenly into the great hall, heading for Elrohir who was on his feet and very aware.
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Minastir cried out. "No, don't do this! Look at yourselves! What are you doing?"
"You know as well as we that we cannot defy the king's word."
"Nor could we defy our true lord's word: we would be doing that if we so much as laid a finger on Legolas!"
"Minastir, listen to yourself! Lord Oropher would hang us all!"
"Then that is the death we should go to. At least we would die honorably!"
"We're elves! It's our nature to prevent our death! Lord Thranduil is not coming back. You know this."
Minastir spoke slowly. If nothing else, he was buying Legolas time. "I am willing to go to my death for my prince. I am willing to go to my death in the faith I have that Legolas could find his father and overthrow this tyrant. Why aren't any of you willing to do the same?"
"It is Lord Oropher's orders!"
"So you would turn on Thranduil, only because he's not here? Because of fear? What wrong has he or Legolas ever done to you? What gives you reason to turn your backs on them? We were chosen as guards because we had proven our loyalty to the king and his family! Why abandon that now?"
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Elrohir pulled on his bonds, trying desperately to escape them. He forbade his mind to think of what this would do to Legolas. Oropher could now use him against Legolas, which was precisely what the prince had tried to avoid in the first place.
Where was Legolas? He wished that his friend would try to find him, but he heard nothing for a very long while. That in itself both worried and soothed the Noldor elf. Soothed, because it meant that Legolas was busy doing something- that he was not held up in a cell similar to Elrohir's. Worried because he had no idea what Legolas was busy doing. Overthrowing the king? Or fighting for his life?
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Hey all:
Legolas'-Calandra: Haha, your review had me cracking up. It'll be fun to reply to. There's so many questions! First of all, really, is there such a thing as too much Leggy torture? I don't think so, lol. I'm planning on making this a long series, so he's still got a while to live, yes. Well, that and I don't want to change Tolkien's work too much. I won't kill anyone that stays alive in his books. Haha, no, I just bring the dead back to life. Anyway, he won't get married, no. It may have a happy ending, but that depends on your definition of happy. ::evil grin:: Yes, his trust of humans is trashed, but can you see where that plot line may go in regards to a future Gondorian king? I wouldn't be so certain of how much he'll trust one of three elves you mentioned. (Won't say any more than that though, it would give it away.) And I'd say you're only half right, ::wink::. Please set the keyboard down, lol. Thanks for the review, and keep guessing what's gonna happen.
Lady Larvle of Mirkwood: Yes, Thranduil is alive. We just don't know what condition he's in, other than he is unconscious. Alive is good, definitely. And, well, let's just say that Legolas' grandfather isn't done with him yet. (I'm just plain brutal, aren't I?) Thank you for the compliment!
Bec: Haha, I loved your review! Funny stuff. Okay, there is a ton of Legolas and Elrohir, but Elladan isn't featured very much. Well, he left for Rivendell, remember? He does appear later in the story though. (Don't get any ideas, that wasn't a hint. It's in Rivendell that you see him.) And Estel is in the very next story, right after this one, savvy? That's a promise. Well, if you're gonna die, maybe I'll just make you wait a long time instead of a really long time, yeah? Cuz I don't want the guilt of your death on my shoulders. Or your family's wrath, for that matter, lol. No, I am kidding, I like your reviews too much to make you wait a really long time. Happy Reading!
Gilraen: Eep, death to FF.net! Keeps forgetting to send me reviews via email. Missed three of them, would you believe it? ::Blushes:: thank you so much!
Wilwarin: Hey, every elf has someone evil in their ancestry, right? Well, maybe it's just Legolas, and just in my world, but still. Lol, ::smiles::.
Dimostiel: Thank you! I'm checking out your story right now (which, by the time you read this, will have been at least a day ago, huh?)
Sky: Ah, thank you yet again! You are so kind to my ego! Let me know if I start slacking on the contrast, because I really want to show that in this story, and especially in the next chapter. Oh, yeah, school does tend to hinder the writing effort. Luckily, I still have a week and a half before I go back. ::ducks as people throw things::
GredFeorge: Ah, I love Harry Potter! Sirius is my favourite, however. Well, was. At any rate! Lol, thank you for your review! It was much appreciated, and I love when people tell me that I've inspired them. THANK YOU! Ah, jeez, I just read your review to Lies, sorry, ff.net is being really bad about sending me my reviews! Thank you so much for your feedback!
