CHAPTER 2
The surroundings were different, but the pain remained all the same. The Princess, having at last thrown off her dark sleep, had awoken only to live a reality that seemed even darker. She was no longer in the healer's wing of the palace; she had returned to her own chambers, though she had not ventured yet into the little room that lay next to her own, for she had not still the courage for that. Laurelin tried not to remember him, as she lay there on her, her grey eyes fixed on nothing, for it could do naught but leave her distraught and in tears.
The sun shone bright through the thin curtains. Laurelin looked at the bright rays of light with bitter eyes. What right had the sun to shine while her heart was shrouded in darkness? What right had the birds to rejoice when all happiness had been wiped out of her life? Living was a burden now, not the joyful existence it had been merely a week ago. Listless eyes wandered across the room. Every thing in it, and in Mirkwood reminded her of Elan. How could Fate tear him away so cruelly from her? Tears fell from her eyes onto her pale cheeks, and she could not stop them.
It was at these times, when she was completely alone that she thought of him the most. And these were the times when it hurt to remember him-his golden hair- what little of it had been there-, his bright eyes taking in the world, his dimpled smile when he sighted his father, his impatient cries-the list went on and on, how could she ever forget them? Life was not worth living at all. Laurelin wished for nothing except death, she wanted to die and escape the unbearable pain that Elan's passing had brought.
And night was the worst. Laurelin had always loved the night before, but now, it only brought her dreadful nightmares of her suffering. Nearly three days she had been with the cruelest creatures of Middle-Earth, a time when she almost gone mad with despair and fear. And pain. Laurelin could never, ever forget those terrible days in the forest and the horror she had felt there.
The Princess was not in her usual sunny mood when she entered the nursery. Not even Elan's dimpled smile could lift her spirits, and she barely responded to his gurgles as she sat down to take him in her arms. The little child,once he was held against her however, did much to soothe his mother's spirit, for she half-smiled at his antics, and kissed his forehead as he pulled her hair. She did not like arguing with Legolas. Indeed, any argument between them was rare, but when it happened, the repucussions were not simply dealt with for both Prince and Princes had exceedingly stubborn wills. The Princess, whose moods had been unpredictable ever since Elan had been born, was hasty in her anger and said things she did not trulymean. The Prince, equally proud and wilful, refused to give in and therefore, the Princess' smile was not to be seen.
"Ada has not seen you for sometime now, has he, laes nin?", she remarked to her son, smoothing the brilliant gold locks that now covered his head.
The Prince had been away from his son and wife for a while, for he had been called away on military affairs. The attacks by orcs on the kingdom of the Elves were growing more frequent. It was unsafe now, for Laurelin to undertake her explorations of the forestalone, and Legolas had forbidden her to do so any longer. The Princess, not used to having a guard about her, refused, saying that she could come to no harm while within the borders of the kingdom. This was the beginning of their argument, in the middle of which Legolas had been called away on some urgent issue, and Laurelin, in a fit of temper, had walked into her son's chambers to see if he could not calm her temper.
Laurelin, holding Elan close to her, looked out of the window for a long moment. Then she walked out of the room, with merely a nod to the nurse to signify that she was taking Elan with her. Her walk was hurried, and she did not stop even once until she was standing at the beginning of the path into the safe areas of the forest that she usually followed. She looked back once, then began walking forward, a determined look upon her features.
"This day is for us, laes nin", she told Elan softly, "just you and me and no one else to spoil it". He cooed for all the world as if he understood, and gave his naneth a smile reserved especially for her. Cuddling him closer, Laurelin continued to walk, "Of course, if your Ada were here, it would be even better", she said resting her cheek against Elan's for a moment.
Finally finding a spot that she liked, Laurelin sat down on a flat stone and set her baby upon her lap, watching his delight in the ray of sunshine that had managed to break through the thick forest cover.
"Now, how long do you think we have before we must return?", she asked him with a smile. Elan seemed to contemplate it for a moment and answered her in a gurgle with a smile. Laurelin laughed as he suddenly caught a lock of his own brilliant gold hair and shoved it in his little mouth, apparently enjoying the taste.
"I will take that to mean 'as soon as I am hungry'", she said, tickling him. She knew she must return soon
The surroundings had been growing increasingly silent, as Laurelin watched her son playing with a twig. Feeling uneasy, she picked him up and proceeded to leave the clearing feeling that all was not well. But she had hardly gone two steps when an orc stepped out from the thickly leafed trees nearby. She had never before seen a fouler creature. Laurelin was shocked into inaction. She instinctively clutched Elan closer to her. Several more of the horrible creatures stepped out. Laurelin turned to flee, the only way she could save herself and more importantly her son.
Something sharp pierced her side as she ran; something excruciatingly painful. Laurelin screamed out Legolas' name and stumbled, blinded by tears of pain, holding Elan tighter than ever. The orcs were crying out in their own language and Elan was protesting at being so roughly handled by his naneth.
"Legolas!", Laurelin cried out one more time before falling flat on the ground, unconscious.
"Herven Nin",the Princess murmured, a vision of Legolas standing before her filling her eyes, blocking out anything else. She blinked, and he disappeared, and she almost cried out in despair at finding that Legolas had been only a dream.
Elan lay quieton the floor, his lungs tired with crying so long. Laurelin tried to comfort him, but being in much need of it herself, she was not succeeding.
She had not yet taken note of her surroundings, a dingy little hut with the roof half off and more than a dozen orcswho shared this temporary dwelling with her. Laurelin cursed herself and her own stupidity that had landed them in this situation. How was she to escape? The very hopelessness of where she was, was slowly taking possession of her mind. Elan had begun to scream at the top of his voice again. Laurelin was moved to desperation, she knew he was crying because he was hungry. She rocked him in her arms, trying to pacify him with her finger, but after sucking on it for a few minutes and finding that no nourishment came from it, he started crying again. Laurelin wanted to cry very badly herself. Her heart's fear was that the orcs would come and pull him away if he did not stop crying. They were already throwing annoyed glances at her.
"Can't you shut him up?", one of them, evidently the leader, yelled after some time.
"He is in need of food", she replied shortly, schooling her features into impassivity as she spoke to the creature. She was about to turn away, when the orctossed a piece of what looked like raw meat towards her. "Keep the nuisancequiet", it ordered.
"Your foul foodwouldkillhim", she replied,her tone as hard as ice, "And I do not need your compassion"
Her remark was met by raucouslaughter, and the leader who had spoken to her before rose, and made his way to her side, a sneer on his face. She turned away from him, watching her son instead. The orc grabbed her chin, and forced her face upwards, his hand gripping her jaw as though he would crush it. She stared at him unflinchingly, determined not to show him a single moment of weakness.
"We do not show you compassion", the orc informed her, his face twisting at the mention of the word, "You are unharmed merely because you are of the Royal Family--a very good offering to our Master. If that had not been so--" he turned hungry eyes on her, "We would break your spirit, crush your insolence and you would beg for death before we had finished with you"
"Do not touch me again",the Princess said the moment the orc had finished speaking, wrenching her jaw away from his grip.
The orc walked away from her, and Laurelin felt her tenseness subside, and she looked to her son once more. The unbearable pain she had felt before finding herself here was, as she discovered now, caused by an orc's arrow. It had subsided into a dull ache and Laurelin was most afraid that it was poisoned. She broke off the shaft, but when she tried to pull out the arrowhead, the pain was too great to bear. She could feel herself slipping away into the darkness once again, and in a moment, the Princess's eyes closed.
The Prince awoke to find her shaking in her sleep, and calling out his name. He took her into his arms, and brushed her damp forehead gently with his fingers.
"Laurelin", he said softly, yet firmly, "Aranel Ninwake up, leave off the darkness! The nightmare is over".
Her grey eyes betrayed how affected she was by the dream. There was a fear in them, a fear so intense that he himself was frightened by it, and he held her closer.
"I saw- him-the- last time", she whispered, closing her eyes, pain etched on her face, "He cried so much, Legolas. I did not-I could not stop him! He was unhappy, and I could not wipe away his tears". Her eyes closed, and she was breathing fast, her hands covering her face.
"It is over now", he said, feeling that anything he said would be meaningless to her, but that he had to say something, "Think not of it-for it only strengthens the hold that despair has on you".
"How can I not think of it? I am certain I will be haunted by these memories forever", she said listlessly, moving out of his embrace, yet keeping one of his hands clutched in hers. He moved closer to her, his fingers wiping her tears away.
"It was not your fault", he said.
Laurelin shrank away from him, "How can it not be? I have murdered my son- with my own stupidity".
