It was an exciting, and at times, painful - especially when she slammed into something in the dark - task to find his room. She knew more or less where it was because she had met him somewhere close to it on the first day she arrived, but she had no idea which particular room it was. Not to mention that the castle was huge. It took Irulan twenty minutes to walk around in the dim corridors, coming upon other rooms or doors – some locked and some not. Finally, deciding that this was a silly game, she decided to give up and go back to her own chamber. Let him come and find HER, if he was this eager!
Just then she saw a dim ray of light and after a few steps recognized it to be the moonlight falling on the dark corridor through one of the doors that stood ajar while all others were closed. She slowly walked towards it, and before she could peek in, he spoke. "Come in, Irulan."
She almost jumped at that sudden –no matter how gentle- sound and exhaled in frustration before she moved to stand at the entrance. Her eyes wandered around the room that, due to the large window in the far end, was brighter than the dark corridors she had been snooping around and therefore no challenge for her poor vision. Legolas stood by the window, leaning on the wall and looking out into the blue-black forest. He seemed almost too beautiful a vision to be true, looking more as if made of marble than flesh. He turned his head, his crystal eyes finding hers as his lips broke into a smile. Neither spoke for a moment as she shifted to cross her arms on her chest, more to hide her excitement than to pretend resistance. "You took too long," he said, his smile widening though his stance did not change.
Irulan gave him a dry look. "Has anyone told you that this place is too big for a single person?"
"Come here," he said, ignoring her attempt at bashing. His voice was low and his eyes seemed to sparkle in the moonlight.
Irulan bit her cheeks and sighed with mock disinterest, her eyes making another stroll through the room. She carefully avoided looking at the large bed and scratched her chin absent-mindedly before she spoke. "No."
The rise of his eyebrows was very evident even from this distance and she knew with certainty that it was amusement washing over his expression. He slightly bounced off the wall and turned fully to her. "No?" was his soft and amazed question.
She shrugged, trying very hard to look unaffected by his immense physical beauty. Legolas wore his cotton sweater and pants once more, his hair long and free on his shoulders. "You tricked me into coming. And guess what...I came. As I have told you I would. Now...I will leave," she said, pushing up her chin and smiling with victory at her own cunning.
His teeth glimmered when he grinned, taking a leisurely step towards the bed, and therefore not closer to her, but to a better angle, facing her. "Is that so?" he said playfully, without looking at her, as he clasped his hands behind his back.
"Yes it is," she said with mock determination and moved to turn around.
"I accept the challenge," Legolas said and she glanced to see his feral grin.
"What challenge?"
"Go on, Irulan. I'll even give you a head start. Say...five minutes?"
She turned back completely, grasping the door handle. "For what?"
He grinned broader. "For you to go anywhere you want."
Irulan, now both anxious and childishly excited, bit her lower lip and remained staring at him. "I will go to my room of course," she said suspiciously.
"Ah," he said, grinning again, "I would not recommend that." His eyes did a lazy stroll over her figure. "Or else, this time Anne would indeed come to witness you trapped below me, my love."
Irulan blushed despite herself and struggled hard to keep her expression unaffected. "She told me all about your chit chat before you took me on that trip."
"Ah yes," he grinned. "And tonight she might get to see the outcome."
"Legolas...don't you dare to come and-."
"You should not have said that, Irulan," he cut in smoothly and walked around the bed, his eyes glued to her.
She pursed her lips, the excitement and yet slight fear gaining momentum in her. This man was crazy! "And if you fail to find me?" she said, cocking her eyebrow.
He laughed a chiming laugh. Yes, so it was a stupid idea...but she had to ask. "You can demand anything you want, then," was his final and very amused reply. A moment passed. "But if I do..." he growled, his blue eyes fixed on her as Irulan resisted the urge to tremble, "...you must try this." His fingers gracefully glided over an article on the bed as he continued his smile at her.
Irulan exhaled in mock frustration and strode into the room, coming to stand by his side. Her mouth fell open at the...daring...black lace lingerie spread on the bed and immediately she knew what that meant. It meant Catherine, of course! "That darn woman!" she moaned and turned to Legolas who was looming over her, his blazing look fixed on her face.
His fingers brushed against her cheek as he leaned in and placed such a heated kiss on her neck, that Irulan felt her knees go weak. "Of course...I prefer to see you without it," he murmured, smiling a sly smile, "but a glimpse would not hurt."
"Very funny, Legolas," she breathed, shaken but not completely defeated.
"I think it will be more like...enflaming," he whispered in reply. Irulan swallowed softly, taking a step back to shake off the spell he was weaving on her. "In any case," he said then, with a lofty voice and, to her surprise, strode back to his place by the window, "we will see in 3 minutes and 28 seconds."
"Legolas!" she hissed as he merely looked back with raised eyebrows. "If you think that I'm going to run through this castle like some stupid wild animal..."
"Stay then," he said suggestively, "and spare yourself the effort."
She gave him a glare and walked out the room, closing the door behind her. Then remained standing. This was so stupid! The impulse to just go back in and let him kiss her senseless was incredibly strong and Irulan actually would have obeyed it, if not for the fact that she hated to give up. Defeat was not a terrible thing. But giving up?! No, not her!
She should go back to her room, since it was the only place she was sure to find in this stupid place. But then...the elf was out of his mind! If he strode in like that, Anne would die from a heart attack! The idea made her bite her lip to keep a laugh down. Irulan began to walk down the corridor, then carefully down the stairs. She could not go to her room. "Fine," she thought," I can leave the castle."
It was easier said than done. Everything looked so different in the dark and repeatedly she ran into furniture. Legolas had to be deaf not to hear where she was going! Nevertheless, coming to larger corridors, she began to run and finally, discovering that she had lost her way, just ran on blindly in hope that the greater distance would diminish his chance of hearing her. She had no idea how much time had passed, but it must have been well over fifteen minutes. Shaking her head with disbelief at her childish ways, she continued, slower and with more caution. This did not appear to be a place she had been before...but then...everything looked foreign and alien under this light.
The idea that she could actually get lost in this place occurred to her then, but she felt no fear. Irulan walked through a narrow corridor and just for the heck, began to test the doors. Her third choice was unlocked and it opened silently. She strode in, closing the door behind her, baffled to silence by what she found. The walls were covered with weapons of all style and sizes, and many others stood on tables or trays, or were placed against the walls. Her mouth fell open as she walked in, amazed by the variety and the number of them. Blades of all sizes and shapes glimmered dully in the moonlight coming through the small windows that stood quite high on the walls. Careful not to tip anything over, Irulan walked on, stepping closer to some and giving them an inspective look.
Many seemed very old, almost antique. Others looked very new – as if they had been purchased from the store just yesterday. Some she recognized – samurai swords or armory that seemed from the Middle Ages. Others were very alien and foreign to her eyes and she could not guess what their origin or time could be. The room led to another that held guns of all varieties, then to another, a smaller that held weaponry of older origin. Her breath caught as she looked about the swords and lances and pieces of war clothing that seemed very old...but also very tasteful and intricate. She cocked her head, walking closer to a blade that was placed on the wall. It had a curious arc and looked very aesthetic. Simple, but graceful. There were inscriptions on its blade, but hard to see well enough in this setting. Unconsciously her fingers reached out, touching the alluring metal.
"Don't touch that," Legolas said from behind her and Irulan jumped, thereby delivering a cut on her finger. Amazed by the sharpness of it she remained looking down at her hand as the dark liquid slowly became a small stream, running down her finger. Legolas was beside her, as silent and swift as a ghost, lifting up her hand for better inspection.
"Sorry," she managed to say when her heartbeat had settled down a little. "You...startled me."
"And you surprised me," he whispered, raising her hand and to her shock, slowly kissing her wound. Irulan swallowed at the incredible intensity that was pulsing from his eyes and remained very still as he found her cut and kissed it again, his lips delivering a slight suction to clean the small dribble of blood. For the strangest reason, it excited her incredibly and she shifted a little, her breath gaining speed.
"It seems very sharp," she said, glancing at the blade again. The fire of passion that was leaking through his shield was hard to ignore, but it helped to speak and change the topic.
He smiled down at her, gently caressing her finger. "It is of elven making. It will never grow dull."
Her eyes widened slightly and she looked back at the weapon. Indeed, now that he told her, the inscriptions seemed to be elven. He smiled a fabulous smile, then released her hand, carefully picking up the blade and bringing it down to hold it flatly on both palms. Irulan looked at its bluish, dull glimmer and felt fascinated by it. Because of the sole fact that it dated back to the Old Days. He held it out to her and Irulan gave him a shy smile before she grasped the handle.
It had an extremely comfortable weight in her hand – not too light and not cumbersomely heavy. It seemed to be a short sword – arched in a peculiar manner. The handle was of something like ivory – though she knew it was not ivory. Maybe the tooth of some other animal. It was greenish white in color and felt warm to her touch. She held it up, turning a little to draw a lazy arc in the air. "Was it yours?" she whispered, her eyes locked to it.
"It was," came his whisper from behind.
"Have you killed any giant spiders with it?"
He chuckled lightly and she felt his chest pressing into her back as his arms encircled her waist. A kiss landed on her neck as he inhaled her scent. "Would that impress you?" was his playful whisper.
She smirked in mock disinterest. "Perhaps."
"My lady is being difficult," he sighed, kissing her earlobe.
Irulan hastily placed the blade back on the wall, afraid that she would cut herself again as a result of his ministrations. She broke away, backing into the room as he remained, an amused and intrigued expression on his face. "I am not that easily impressed, Lord Legolas," she said with a lofty voice.
"I can see," he said, advancing on her, his muscles moving like the tendons of a wild animal.
"It is not wise to back me to a corner in a room full with weapons!" she said, glancing swiftly around.
"True," he sighed, "you have a tendency to hurt yourself."
Irulan smirked at him, backing further and trying not to look anxious during the process. "All of these have been yours?" she said, her eyes wandering over the walls and the incredible number of the weapons.
"In this or that fashion," he said, joining her inspection for a moment. Though he was closing the distance between them, he seemed very unaware or perhaps uninterested in it. "Some I have used. Some were given as gifts. Some I have won. Others I acquired, but not with the intention of using them." A moment passed as her back ran into an armor and she stepped aside. Legolas halted two steps away from her, his gaze fixed on her along with a beautiful smile. "Pick one," he said gently.
She gave him a surprised look, then broke into soft chuckles. "For what?"
He shrugged deftly, clasping his hands behind his back. "I am curious what you would pick."
She smiled in childish amusement, then did a lazy stroll around the room while Legolas remained on his spot, his eyes never leaving her. She tried to forget him being there...but it was hard when he was this intense. "How did you find me?" she said, without turning around to look at him.
"I dare not give away my secrets," he drawled as she inspected a long sword, then passed by, glancing at him. "But...if it will make you feel better, it took me longer than I thought," he said, crossing his arms on his chest. "Too long," he added in a suggestive manner.
She tried to ignore his eyes boring into her back and continued inspecting a double blade, crossed at the wall. "Legolas!" she groaned, deciding against picking it, "Please don't make me wear...THAT!" referring once more to lingerie awaiting in his bedchamber.
She met his blue stare and his lips curved up into a devious smile. "It won't be for long, I promise," he whispered.
She blushed again, then turned away, trying to hide it. Legolas had an incredible way of exciting her! And he was very straightforward, too! Her gaze went to another stack of swords, laid in parallel lines on the wall and she walked over to give them a long look. "Have any of your...lovers...seen this room?" That was perhaps not the best thing to ask in a setting like this...but Irulan was desperate to divert his attention from herself.
"No," was his sole answer.
"Why not?" she prodded on, taking a closer look at the one that stood third from below.
"I did not share my life with them as I do with you," he said and he sounded much closer. But she did not dare turn to check. Instead she reached for the sword that seemed to be made of a duller metal – maybe iron. It was much heavier than the other one and was a straight, long sword. Very simple. No curves. No inscriptions. The handle was of the same metal, wound with a leather band. She lifted it, placing her other hand below the blade, and carefully glided her finger across the edge. It was not nearly as sharp, either. And yet....there was a rawness to it that she just liked. Very simple. Primitive, even. But it looked effective and useful. Nothing fancy. Nothing too much. Exactly what it should be.
She turned and found him right before her. "This one," she said, weighing it on her hands before lifting it up a little for him to see.
He did not look at the blade, but kept his eyes on her. And it went on for so long that she felt uncomfortable and shifted on her feet. "Why that one?" he said slowly, his gaze still on her.
She shrugged slowly and grabbed the handle, holding it downwards. The tip touched the floor as she gave it a long look. "I don't know," was her final, unsure statement. "It seems...right." She looked up to meet his eyes. "Is it a poor choice?"
"Never," he whispered, suddenly cupping her face and giving her a mind-blowing kiss. Irulan, oddly glad that the incredible tension had finally ended and that he was touching her, kissed him back, her free hand going up to the front of his sweater to pull him down further to herself. His hand glided to her neck as he tilted his head the other way and kissed her again – not with feverish hunger, but with deep, lazy, seductive passion. His tongue rolled over hers in a possessive but gentle caress and his lips were sinfully skilled on hers.
It did not last too long and barely moments later he pulled away, to her dismay. She swallowed and opened her eyes, gazing up at his incredibly handsome face as his hands remained on her neck for a moment longer. "You," he sighed, placing his hand on hers to pull up the weapon, "are the best thing that has happened to me. In you I have found all." He pulled it up entirely, giving the dark blade a long look. "A long lost friend," he continued, his eyes following the edge of it, "A confidant for all my secrets. A listener to my tales. A lover to my heart." He sighed again, giving her a long look, his free hand gliding down her cheek.
"This blade belonged to no other than your great-great-great grandfather," he said slowly, a fabulous smile on his perfect lips. Her eyes widened slightly at that and her head snapped around to give it a better look. "I knew you would find it. As I have found you," he whispered, continuing his caress of her cheek.
She gave the room another look, then back at the blade in her hand. "This is..." she laughed softly, shaking her head in wonder. "I don't understand how I...managed to..."
"You are the daughter of kings!" he whispered, his eyes boring into her. "NEVER doubt yourself, Irulan!"
She swallowed at his tone and remained looking up at him as he fixed her with his gaze that seemed more inhuman in this dim setting. An intense silence filled the room as her breathing became audible and the weight of the weapon evident in her hand. "What of the one who will share your burden, Legolas?" she said finally, her dark orbs like pools without depth. "Am I her, as well?" Legolas gave her a long look, then took a deep breath and tilted back a little. His eyes fixed on the blade again and Irulan lifted it, placing it back to the wall before she turned to face him once more. "Or do you need no one to share your pain with?" she said, and instantly felt amazed that she had managed to say it out like that.
He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Not anymore," he said then, dropping his hand to give her a deep gaze. "I have you, now. My burden is no more."
She cocked her head and took a step to him. "Is that the chamber that is closed to me, like this one was closed to your former lovers?" she said and he stared down at her, clear surprise on his face. "Is that as far as I go, Legolas?"
"I would give my soul if you asked it of me," he whispered, almost with urgency.
"Keep your soul," she chuckled, shaking her head. She bit her lip, looking up to his visage. Nothing about him said that he was millennia old. And from their current pose, none would have guessed it. Irulan acted as if she was older than he – scolding him, teasing him, or daring him as she was now. "Give me your pain," she added with a solemn whisper.
He looked away, clenching his jaws, his overwhelming male dominance faltering for the first time that night. She placed her hands on his cheeks, turning his face back to her. "Will you do me the honor, Legolas?" she said with a gentle smile.
He exhaled in frustration and pulled up her hand to place a kiss on its back. His eyes were closed and his lips spoke of a struggle to resist. A long moment passed and she did not break it, giving him his space for battle. She wondered if Legolas had asked it of her...if he had openly asked her to slash him like this and cause hurt to him just because he wanted to, would she have been able to do it? That question made her uncomfortable about her own request. She wanted to share his pain, knowing that it would bring great relief to him, true. But suddenly it seemed too great a demand. And just when Irulan was about to retrace her offer, his gaze locked with hers once more. And she knew that she was the luckiest woman on earth...for she was the only one to enter that chamber – the one that stood locked to all.
"Enter at will, then," he said, and his voice filled the world as his eyes blazed like blue flames. Irulan took a deep breath, feeling the world shift. She did not resist this time, eager to let it be smooth. Still, it was nowhere easy. Maybe because against his decision, Legolas was reluctant. Or maybe against her own decision she was afraid of the pain.
Nevertheless, they shifted through time and years opened up before them, parting in the blink of an eye as if they were a simple curtain, drawn away with the sole movement of a hand. Millennia shifted and glided aside, and distance was a silly word. Irulan took another, gentle and deep breath as the world flickered, and became no more, then flickered and became something else. She gazed into the distance as night dissolved into twilight and the room melted into an open grassland, surrounded by a forest. She blinked and beheld the hill that rose before her, in the middle of this empty speck.
Her eyes followed it up, and she found the figure of a woman on top of it. Her long dress blew in the wind, billowing like some cloud. Black it was, like her hair that was like a flag – a protest to the world, screaming a silent and bitter song. The stillness was absolute and the vision so utterly real as Irulan felt the breeze flow over and by her, carrying the scent of the autumn and the forest with it.
Suddenly she felt Legolas behind her, his arms encircling her waist as his chest pressed into her back. She felt his warm exhale on her nape and his forehead resting on the back of her head. But even if she wanted, she could not turn away from the view before her. Another and stronger gust came and rattled her dress, but the woman did not move. She seemed to be lying on the ground, embracing a boulder half embedded into the incredibly green grass. Her face was hidden from Irulan, partly because of her pose and partly because of the hair flying around it in a mad dance.
Just like the other visions, Irulan knew instantly who this was and what was happening. She knew it, because Legolas knew it. Because he had stood here, at this very spot and watched her life seep into the earth, like bitter water spilled on the ground – wasted and gone from his reach for all time. Gone was the woman who walked underneath the white birches, her hand in the crook of Aragorn's arm, her heart happier than any creature could believe to be. Gone was the woman who sat by the same man, ready to face every toil, every evil, every burden. She was no more. This was a mere shell of her – empty and fragile.
Irulan swallowed down a lump, an incredible sorrow squeezing her heart. The desire to run up the hill and shake her awake overcame her. At the same time she sensed the desire to turn away from it, for it seemed almost too intimate a thing to witness. What could be more private than death? The final journey all must take alone?
Her hand found his arm on her waist and grasped it while the grief became unbearable and Legolas embraced her stronger, as if to soothe her pain. She swallowed again, thinking herself downright stupid to believe that she was capable of handling something of this magnitude. But a moment later her own thoughts vanished as his recollection of the moment came over her once more, very much like another gust of wind combing through the forest.
The torment of a warrior. Of a man who was built to fight. Who knew no fear too deep, no hardship too great, no target too far. A man who now stood in the twilight of this day and watched a dear friend parting from him, her back turned to him like it was turned to the rest of the world. A man who did not know how to handle that and stood rooted, a part of him pulling him to polite distance while another kept urging for silly attempts. A part of him begged to turn away and leave while another desired nothing more than advance and lie his head next to hers, on that windy hill. A part of him felt anger for her decision and another begged her forgiveness for his fury.
Ah...Arwen would never know his torment! No one would. For all came and passed and Legolas remained. All embraced in welcome, then waved in parting and Legolas watched on the shore. All showed their faces in greeting, then their backs in farewell, and Legolas stood aside. The road of mortality...banned he was from it for all times. The road all enjoyed sooner or later was closed to him for all eternity. No...no walk amongst friends for Legolas. He was cursed to watch it in solitude. Just like he did now, standing here and watching Arwen die, watching the day die, watching the light die, watching the summer die. Yes...Legolas would stand right here and watch death dance its taunting dance, and forever remain thirsty for its touch – the touch that never came.
Irulan's eyelids fluttered and the vision blurred. Against all her control, she simply failed to keep her tears from flowing. It mattered little. The loss of hope in her heart was too great to be expressed – not a million tears would do justice to it. And then...out of nowhere she knew. Her arms dropped as she leaned back on Legolas as she knew with a knowledge beyond her grasp that Arwen Undomiel was no more.
Here, in this silent forest where there was no one to witness but Legolas alone, a woman of incredible strength had passed. No one knew. No one cared. Her own kind had long departed. Her family was not here. Her subjects were at home, dreaming their safe dreams. Irulan's eyes went up to the sky where the first stars began to glimmer. The world kept turning and nothing had changed.
Arwen Undomiel was no more.
And yet, it was not as dreadful as the fact that this mattered little. It was not as dreadful as the fact that it was the same as if she had never been.
Irulan sank onto the grass, her eyes glued to the black figure, the black flag of Cerin Amroth. Her fingers dug into the cool, humid earth as the forest insects sang around her in total disinterest.
Arwen Undomiel was no more.
Now no one would ever know of the small dimple on her right cheek when she smiled. No one would know of the luster of her hair, or the gentleness of her heart. No one would know the passion of her love and the beauty of her voice. And it mattered none to no one.
She began to cry, then. She closed her eyes and sobbed like a child, her hands folding on her face to wipe the vision away. Her heart burned so much, Irulan just wanted it to stop beating altogether. She wanted to scream a wail of pain and protest to the world, but her voice was not steady and her lungs were not strong. All she was capable of was crying, to revel in her own weakness. And that, she did well.
Legolas sank down with her onto the hard floor of the dark chamber and embraced her, rocking her through the pain. Who would know the sharp edge of it better than him? Any weapon in this chamber was pleasure compared to the cut of that. He whispered gentle words in his own tongue, his voice shaky and raw. Perhaps he was crying, too. Irulan did not know and had not the heart to look. She just clung to him as if he was all there was in the world and he clung to her in the same fashion, caressing her head and her back in desperation. It would be foolish to say that it did not matter. That it was gone and past. That it was all right. So he said nothing, allowing her to swim through that bitter, stinking water.
Many minutes they sat there as the night moved on around them. To be so sensitive to the touch of time, is the blessing of humanity - for even the dearest pain diminishes in time. And after many minutes spent in that embrace, finally the sizzling fire lifted and was replaced with a pain of a duller, but deeper kind. Along with the undeniable relief of having someone who knew exactly what you were feeling. Who shared the same. Who was closer to you than any other living, breathing being could ever be. Who loved you more than life itself.
An incredible bond stitched them to one another as urgent, desperate kisses sprung out of nowhere and their minds burned into ash, leaving only love and desire behind. If asked to die this moment, neither would have hesitated. Life meant nothing. Time meant nothing. The world was an empty word. They had each other and all else was silly and fake compared to this. They kissed again and again, with the desperation of lovers reunited, or lost ones found, or parted ones joined. It was not a raw, animalistic passion that coursed through them. Nor was it the sharp and expected afterglow of such a Sharing. It was far more than that. It was the song of one spirit to another. It was an ode to greatness. It was love that knew no race, no age, no time, no barrier.
Irulan remembered only fractions of that night. She remembered Legolas lifting her up to carry her out of the room. She remembered the dark corridors passing by her, his stride fast but utterly silent. She remembered kissing him during the walk with a fire she did not know she had ever possessed and she remembered him kissing her back with a fire that made hers look childish. She remembered interludes of the journey, when she was pressed against a wall and her lips surrendered to his. Then she remembered being picked up again and carried on, until she forced another stop and his lips gave in under hers when they ended up on some couch with her sitting on his lap and him embracing her back. Then suddenly they were in his room and she remembered thinking it a miracle that they had actually found their way here. She remembered that the sheets smelled distinctively of him and that his skin felt as if it was made of something better than simple cells and blood. She remembered an incredibly sharp pleasure and a tormenting ardor. She remembered feeling as though she could not get enough of Legolas, that she wanted to have all of him, to devour him and make him a part of herself forever and ever, and that the passion remained forever unsatisfied.
Ah yes...the world was out there. It was full with foolish pride and ugly greed and sad anger. It was throbbing with agony in any and every form. But...it meant nothing. In this room she had Legolas and they were untouchable. The world could burn and fall apart, she did not care. 'If I am a page in a story,' she thought, 'let the fire consume the words and let the flames scorch the paper. Let the ink dissolve and let the fumes spread into the heavens. This man is mine. Nothing else matters.'
Their lovemaking only ended because their muscles reached their limits and would obey no more. And yet, she had not managed to consume Legolas as she had wanted to and he was still hungry for her. Their physical bodies surrendered to the fatigue, though their spirits were not satiated. They collapsed onto each other, obsessed with the desire to get rid of all distance between them, and remained in the embrace – weak perhaps in body, but strong enough to challenge the heavens. Sleep came so swift that perhaps she did not sleep, but fainted into slumber. Their brains shut themselves off, determined to survive this madness, and both woman and man remained limp, surrendering to this forced rest. Minutes washed over them and became hours as their breath evened, and their bodies cooled, and their muscles softened. The moon glided away and the skies lightened ever so softly, but neither woke and both dreamed of each other.
***
Irulan was strolling through the incredibly large castle for more than two hours now, and yet, she had seen so little of it! It was not the size of the building alone that made the tour so long. More than that, her admiration resided with the various objects adorning it. Things that Legolas had acquired from anytime and anywhere in the world, and that stood in this dark silence, speaking of a different spirit. Speaking of Legolas.
She blushed and grinned despite herself, the thought of the man doing that murderous thing to her heart again. It was so foolish, so childish and so cliché…and yet, Irulan was so damn happy! 'Stupid woman!' she thought, grinning broader, 'Stop it! Big deal! I mean…how old ARE you?!' She sighed and blushed further, thinking of his touch on her skin, his lips on her body, the way he had looked at her and the things he had whispered. Never had she wanted anybody as much as she had wanted Legolas last night. And never had anyone demanded of her as much as he had. And by God…he could have her, down to the last cell!
Her eyes finally left the intricate tapestry that seemed to date from the Middle Ages, depicting the hunt of a Unicorn in utmost detail. She walked on, to lay her fingers on a seemingly very old, brazen candleholder. Her mind was so occupied with where it may have come from and what story lay behind it - for she was certain that Legolas had acquired none of these objects from some market, but had preserved them due to some personal reason - that she did not hear the presence of another in the room until she spoke up. "How are you, Irulan?"
Startled by the sudden intervention, Irulan almost jumped up. She turned around to see Elizabeth in her immaculate beauty. Her black hair was tied up in a bun and therefore her pale skin, her perfect eyebrows and her navy blue eyes were more pronounced. She wore black on black - something tasteful and slightly feminine - not a neutral suite. Irulan placed the candle holder back and gave the other woman a smile. "Good. And you, Elizabeth?"
The woman nodded and began a lazy stroll into the room, her eyes wandering around it. "This is a wonderful place. Full with memories."
Irulan, surprised by this softer and warmer aspect of her, turned completely to the other woman and remained silent. Finally they locked eyes once more and Elizabeth smiled a small, almost tired, smile. "I want to apologize."
Irulan blinked in bafflement. "W-why?" she managed to say a long moment later.
"For my behavior towards you before," Elizabeth replied with a small shrug.
This was becoming overly strange by the minute! Irulan shifted with unease on her feet. She was not used to this kind of treatment from Elizabeth. Not certain what to do, she glanced at the big clock on the wall. Half an hour to the meeting. Should she not go and take her place? She was about to say this to Elizabeth, when the other woman continued. "I have often questioned the line of Aragorn. You see…," she said and gazed into the distance, slightly cocking her head, "…I have immense respect for the Firstborn. But I found it hard to believe that blood could matter this much." Irulan locked her hands in front of her and waited patiently. "I assumed that it was more for the sake of Aragorn's memory that this tradition continued. Not because the heir was indeed worthy of a place in the Circle." Her blue eyes found her brown ones once more. "You have proven me wrong."
"Forgive me, Elizabeth," she said finally, "but I seem to be missing something. Did *I* do something that changed your mind?"
Elizabeth gave her a long, silent look and the other woman just stared back in complete lack of understanding. The clock on the wall ticked loudly, filling the gap of the silence between them. "Why...you have passed the test," she drawled then and her voice gained such an unexpected, serpentine edge that the hair on Irulan's nape rose at the unexpected and drastic change. A moment ago this woman had been warm and soft enough to convince Irulan of her sincerity. Now her blue eyes stared back with cool hatred.
Another long moment passed and Irulan had to swallow hard before she found the voice to ask, "What test?"
Elizabeth shrugged and looked away again. "Does not matter," she said dismissively. "We all did pass similar tests to gain a place in the Circle." She took a few more steps by Irulan, towards the tapestry, her eyes lingering on the wounded and bleeding Unicorn. Irulan, who was looking at her back, did not see the deft smile that formed on her lips. "Until now, the King's line was the only exception to such measures. I think Lord Legolas acted very just in changing that."
Something ached in Irulan then. She had no idea what Elizabeth was talking about. Nor was she naive enough to believe her word and judge Legolas so easily - no matter what she said. But...something ached in her nevertheless and the hurt was very unreasonable, yet utterly real.
Her mind split into two and to her own surprise, a different Irulan stepped out to take control of things. A calm, cold, sharp woman that was the exact opposite of the one who was in torment of that pulsing ache at the moment. It was with awe that she observed this Irulan pushing up her chin and glaring at Elizabeth who had turned around to face her once more. "You better explain yourself," she growled, surprising them both. A moment passed between them and the other woman's features twisted into the familiar pattern of dislike. She opened her mouth but before she could utter a word, a third voice broke in.
"Elizabeth! What do you think you are doing?!"
Both women flinched slightly and turned to see Michael standing a few steps away. He, too, had changed into a dark suit that fit him perfectly. An undeniable expression of anger was on his features. It was such an unexpected sight that another gap of surprise followed as the clock ticked on. Michael finally tore his overly furious gaze from a shocked Elizabeth and turned to Irulan. "We should go. We have only 20 minutes left."
He turned as if to leave, but Irulan -once again surprising everyone in the room, including herself- spoke up in pure command. "What is going on here?"
Michael gave her a swift glance, then turned around to continue his walk with disinterest. "Nothing. Nothing other than the foolish ways of Elizabeth. Let us go."
"You will NOT turn your back to me!" she hissed and the man froze in mid-step. He did not turn around immediately, but if he had, both women would have seen the amazing expression of surprise on his face. He would never admit it, but a fear that was foreign to him ran through him with the tone of command in her voice. Very slowly he moved and very much under the pressure of the same emotions, a baffled Elizabeth turned to face Irulan, as well. Both remained silent as the blazing eyes of the woman went from one to the other. "None of us will go to the meeting until you explain this to me." She crossed her arms leisurely on her chest. "The sooner you start, the sooner we'll leave."
Another silence set in. Finally Michael gave a baffled and timid Elizabeth another fiery look. "Irulan...we'll talk after the meeting. It is nothing."
"We will talk now," was the dismissive reply. "And *I* will be the judge of that. What is this issue about a test?"
"Foolish woman!" spat the man to Elizabeth. The woman flinched with the surprise of that spiteful statement.
"B-but Michael!" she stammered.
The man was faster, though, and cut in. "How dare you go against the Lord's word?!" Pale Elizabeth paled even further and her mouth dropped open with shock. Michael turned a softer look to Irulan. "You must forgive her. She is envious of you."
Elizabeth groaned a sound of shock and disbelief at that, but Michael did not even turn to gaze back at her. Instead, his eyes remained locked on Irulan who took a step towards him. "Michael, it is getting late. And you have not even started yet."
"Michael! How dare you-"
"Enough, Elizabeth! You did enough. Leave!" Only when the woman refused to move away did he turn his eyes to her and there was unbelievable threat in those pale eyes. "I said," he hissed between his teeth, "leave!" Still Elizabeth did not move, shocked into immobility. "NOW!" yelled the man and she literally jumped, then almost ran out of the room, her hands rolled into fists and her whole figure trembling. Both woman and man remained looking at each other, listening to the footsteps of the other woman. The clock ticked on.
After several moments he turned completely to her, an expression of sadness and regret dominating his features. Irulan was as blank as an elf, her hands clasped behind her, her shoulders pushed back. "I know we have not come to like each other much," he said finally, massaging his face with a tired sigh. "And I will not lie to you by saying that you are dear to my heart. But..." with that he dropped his hand and locked his green eyes with hers, "...I respected you. Always. And I still do - much more." He halted for an interlude. "And for that respect, I ask you to let go of this. It was a mistake and Legolas will never forgive us if he hears of it."
"Michael," sighed Irulan, both with tiredness and impatience, "please! I am not going to run back to Legolas to speak of this, I assure you! I hardly doubt that it's that important! But...whatever it is, spill it. Now!"
He nodded with defeat and looked her straight in the eye. "You have been tested. For your validity of opinion in the Circle. And you have passed."
That would be the worst way to put it and Michael did so on purpose, of course. "Tested for VALIDITY?!" she said, amazed and surprised at the same time. "When? By whom?" It did not matter that she had passed - she cared nothing for those things. It only mattered that someone had dared to actually TEST her!
"Lord Legolas tested you," he said finally. Irulan's shock seeped through her expression and landed right on her face. She dared not breathe as all her mind was wiped clean instantly. She could not think a single thought and even forgot that Michael was there. Thankfully he spoke again. "Irulan," he said with urgency, taking a step towards her with pretended concern, "you should not take this the wrong way. He did it with the best intentions for the Circle. EVERYONE mortal here gets tested at this or that point." He did not say 'Except Estel's line', but it was clear enough between them.
Irulan did not move a muscle and stared at him utterly still. The clock kept ticking in the background and it was thunderous to her ears. "What kind of test was this?" she said finally and her voice was amazingly calm and composed.
Michael looked as if it pained him to say it, then took a deep breath, and said "He attempted to seduce you."
A slap landed on her face and it was due to a miracle that Irulan did not show it. Perhaps she was too shocked to show it. She did not even gasp - only took a slow, deep breath. Her heart was hurting so damn much, that she momentarily thought she was having some sort of heart-attack. Michael's eyes were fixed on her and he did not blink, patiently observing her. She swallowed softly and nodded, biting her cheeks. "I see," was her only reaction and the second, the sentimental Irulan, marveled at herself, admiring her own calmness. Who knew that she could become this...cold...in the face of such news? She cleared her throat, afraid that her voice would rasp. Thankfully it remained unaffected, like her expression.
A long moment passed and Irulan walked to the window, turning her back to the man. The day was bright and brisk - nothing like the mood she was in at the moment. 'A test,' she thought, baffled beyond words. 'All the trips...all the seduction...the damn COURTING! A test.' She began to laugh then and Michael, who had been expecting some violent explosion of fury, was surprised the second time that day. Irulan shook her head, laughing harder, the sound of it bitter and sad to her own ears. 'How STUPID I am! How damn, damn stupid! Ah...,' with that she sighed and stilled to silence, still shaking her head, '...Aragorn! Your blood has thinned out to nothing!'
Suddenly everything made perfect sense. His sudden advances after they had started off so badly. His refusal to accept her decline. His insistence. Oh man…Irulan laughed again...the whole conversation on the terrace! Why…Legolas had actually gone as far as offering his vote in the Council – so sure he had been that she would fail!
'And I HAVE failed,' she though then, the humor disappearing so fast that Irulan felt weakened by its absence and placed her hand on the window frame, leaning on it. 'Oh I have failed so, so badly!' a voice in her head hissed, and it sounded nothing like her own voice. All this time when she had believed him to be honest and sincere, he had been trying hard to make her falter. And like a true man, doing it in the worst way possible – by playing with her heart!
Irulan swallowed, taking a deep breath. Her lungs ached and her head spun. The only thing that kept her from collapsing on to the floor, was the fact that that damnable Michael was here, watching her.
Another man who wanted her to fail. Another man who wanted her to be weak.
'I may be stupid,' Irulan thought then, 'but I will not make the same mistake twice!' She pushed back her shoulders, retrieving her hand to clasp it behind. Her gaze held the distant hills, seeing nothing other than scenes from their trip. The chamber was silent other than the ticking of the clock, but Irulan heard only fragments of their conversations with Legolas.
A slight tremble shook her and the memories that only minutes ago filled her with such tender happiness seemed to slash her with incredible agony now. 'Oh my stupid little Heart, you have forsaken me,' she thought, her mind functioning in strange and alien ways. 'You have forsaken me. You have toyed with me, convincing me that I was doomed to solitude no longer. Look at me now.' Her hand went up to her face to cover her eyes as the absolute stillness continued and she took a ragged breath.
'He loves you!' hissed an urgent whisper in her head, then. 'He loves you! He Shared with you.' True. No elf would lie in matters like that.
'What a bitter surprise it must be for him!' she retorted, her tone like the edge of a knife.
'He loves you, Irulan.'
'I'm afraid that is not enough,' she said flatly.
'But…but love justifies everything.'
'Yes,' she sighed then, dropping her hand back down and lifting her head to the outside view once more. 'But it does not mend all wounds.'
She had trusted Legolas. More than she had dared to trust any other person – including even Anne. And he had sided with these…these disgusting people like Michael and planned to shame her. While she had believed to be on an exciting trip, the whole Council had been, no doubt, sitting in that dank room and laughing at her foolishness! Oh no...love was justifying. But never enough! A fury shot through her then – as it would have through any heir of Aragorn. For none liked to be treated as fools. Not at all.
'No doubt he has changed his mind,' cut in the voice with even more urgency as the blood in her veins literally felt like cooking. 'Do not forget Vienna! Don't forget last night! Those are things too precious to lose, Irulan.'
'For me or for him?' was the blatant question that finally left that damnable voice speechless.
Irulan took another deep breath, her lungs still burning incredibly with that action. 'Legolas, Legolas, Legolas...' she thought with bitter amusement, '…the elf who turned out to be a Man.' The man who had allowed her to make that pledge, not feeling guilty in the slightest. Yes, he had tried to decline, but obviously had enjoyed the later days when she was forced to 'behave', like some little, stupid child! Another shot of fury that Irulan hastily suppressed, in fear that it would take over her entire mind. Indeed...the man who had courted her, kissed her, bedded her and not once admitted of this little detail. Oh the decision for the test she could understand. Call it a moment of stupidity. But his hypocrisy of DAYS after she had finally accepted to be his...lover…at his pleading insistence…now that was simply too many chances to turn back that he had declined; too many crossroads he had walked by with uncaring selfishness.
Suddenly the clock chimed, announcing twelve o'clock. The noise rang through the room over and over again, but neither man, nor woman moved until it ended. They were late for the meeting but at the moment, Irulan did not give a damn. She slid further back into the shadows of her mind, letting the other Irulan take control. It was better this way. Better for everyone.
When she turned back to Michael, the man shifted to stand more erect, his normally cool eyes alarmed. "Irulan?" he said cautiously and halted, not sure how to continue.
"We have a duty, don't we?" she said coldly. He just stared at her. "Let's go."
She strode towards him, trying to clear the jumble in her mind. "But...." he began.
"Damn it, Michael! What is it now?"
"You better...wipe your face."
Irulan stared at him, deep confusion pulsing out of her. She raised her fingers and to her amazement, her cheeks were wet. As if expecting to see blood, she inspected them, wiping the clear liquid between her thumb and her forefinger. A long moment passed like that and it ended with the feeling of his hand on her arm. "Irulan," he said with urgency, "do not falter! You are stronger than that!" Her eyes spoke only of amazement and lack of understanding. His grasp gained some strength as Michael shifted to tilt closer to her. "It is their way!" he hissed and there was sincere fury in that tone. "Elves! Forever now they have dominated and played with us! We are only there because they need us - but are never their equal. Never were and never will be!" Irulan stared into his green depths that spoke of unparalleled envy, frustration and greed. "They play with us like cats plays with mice, Irulan! We have to be strong against them!"
The third time surprise hit him was when Irulan slowly took her arm back, the elven blankness on her face perfect. She stared at him so long that he swallowed and took a step back. Until this minute her line had been a myth for Michael. At this moment it was utterly real. "You forget yourself Michael," she hissed, a power alien to him pulsating out from her orbs. "I am Aragorn's kin. And I am loyal to those who have been loyal to my line." He swallowed again, unable to stare away. Irulan wiped her cheeks with one, almost dismissive movement, not looking away from him. "NEVER talk like that again, or I will remind you of that fact." A moment passed between them as he blinked and hastily nodded, uncaring if his face reflected the fear in his heart or not. "Now..." she sighed finally, throwing her hair over her shoulder, "lead the way."
He obliged, looking almost ashamed, and she followed at his heels, the ruins of the person she used to be.
***
"You were saying, Master?"
Irulan sighed and looked out the window as the cold wind ruffled her long, dark hair. She did not answer immediately.
"I was saying, I decided to stay," was her reply a moment later.
Her ever loyal assistants gasped. All three of them. "B-but your Highness," stammered Reason, his large eyes widening even further, "That is most unexpected!" She did not answer, bringing her hand up to massage her face. Such tender tiredness was there.
"And yet understandable," said slender Wisdom, her dark garments flowing around her immaculate figure, her voice as blank as can be. "Our victory is no victory if it brings no satisfaction."
"Your Highness," Reason began again, his hunch becoming more prominent as he seemed to grow more restless, but Irulan cut him off:
"I said we will stay. Our quest has taken us here and we shall remain to see what Fate wants us to do."
"Your Majesty," began Heart then, her smaller figure squeezing through the overpowering statue of Wisdom and the sneering Reason, "At last we have reached it!" Irulan looked down at the little girl, once again careful not to focus too much and drown those big, incredible eyes. "The end of our never-ending quest."
"Yes, Your Grace," drawled Wisdom, "Even he..." –with that she pointed her head to Reason- "...can not deny that this is it. This is our final destination. We have found and conquered your object of passion since eternity!"
Reason rolled his eyes and gave her a dry look before he turned back to Irulan. "I can not," he exhaled in frustration. "But I was against this whole craziness in the first place! I mean...this quest has no logic to it!"
"It is a quest of the spirit," Heart said, looking up at him with those unreadable eyes. "It has a very sound logic."
"Eh…whatever!" moaned Reason, throwing up his arms and dragging his hunchback figure towards Irulan. His eyes looked incredibly big and round on his old and bald head. "Master! This fortress is yours. You can only win it once. But...it is a cold place, My Queen! My bones hurt in here! It is eerie. And chilly. Not to mention...damn big!" He gave the girl and the woman behind him a meaningful glance, then continued, his eyes glued to hers: "It is a waste of our time. It is not worth owning. Let us depart."
Irulan pursed her lips, gazing out the window once more, to the immaculate architecture of Legolas' fortress.
"We can not leave now!" broke in Heart, her voice the voice of a child, but her tone far from it. This had always irked Irulan and now she felt uneasy once more, not turning back to lock eyes with this strange creature. "Irulan," she began, and how strange that only she dared to call the warrior by her name, "what of my pain? What of my longing? I feel at home here."
"Perhaps you should stay then!" hissed Reason, overly amused by that idea.
"Your Highness," spoke up Wisdom's gentle voice, her fabulous slanted eyes focusing on Irulan, "What makes you think that we have a choice?"
Everyone turned to look at her with heavy confusion, but Wisdom only arched a gorgeous eyebrow, her gaze not wavering at all.
"Here we go again," mumbled Reason, rolling his eyes once more.
He threw a complaining look at Heart and she mimicked his roll of eyes. "Yes. Somebody translate please!"
"What are you saying?" asked Irulan, annoyed by the never ending secretive ways of Wisdom.
The woman gave her a look that Anne would, then sighed and pushed a stray lock of her fiery red hair into the loose bun on her head. "I know now that it was folly to think we have conquered the Fortress." Her eyes locked to the Queen once more. "I know now that it has conquered US." That just invoked another string of moans and confused looks between the other three inhabitants of the chamber. "Look...it makes no difference, is all I'm saying," Wisdom sighed then, almost angry. "Our time of decisions has ended. We are free no longer."
"Whatever THAT means," mumbled Reason, then snapped back to Irulan, "Your Highness! This is a treacherous place! It is not made to be conquered by the likes of us. Our kind should have never come out to these plains, if you ask me! Let us leave. There are worthier castles out there."
"But we are NOT out there," broke in Heart, her calm voice bouncing off the walls, "We are here. For it is our Fate to be here. We must find a way of accepting this new place. As it has accepted us."
"I have lost the desire for the battle," murmured Irulan, her gaze fixed on the floor. She did not see the little girl walking up to her and only woke at her brief touch to the forearm of her armor.
"That is a good thing, Irulan," she said, her eyes incredible and magnetic. "Your battles are behind you now."
All four figures literally jumped when the door was smashed open and a bulky, incredibly handsome man walked in. His long black hair hung in tiny braids to his waist and his dark skin glimmered, like his black armor. The blazing green of his eyes scanned the room before he located Irulan and marched to her, the movement causing a cacophony of sound in the chamber. "My Queen!" he bellowed, as all glided from his path, knowing that he would not stop and rather trample them, "He is dead! He is no more! I say we burn this fortress to its roots and then..."
"One moment please!" broke in Reason, placing his hands on his hips and giving the man who stood twice his height a scolding look. "Stop jumbling everything into one sentence again! Chronological order, please! Who is dead?"
"Trust, Your Majesty!"
Everyone in the room gasped. "What?!" screamed Irulan.
"Oh no," sighed Heart.
"Then all is doomed and the final hour has come for each of us," swallowed Wisdom.
"I knew it! It was only a matter of time!" yelped Reason.
"This cursed place has done it! Give me your consent, my Queen and I shall rip the foundations of this damned fort! I shall burn stone as if it were wood!" roared Fury.
Irulan, suddenly feeling incredibly weakened, leaned on the wall as the four figures began a very loud argument. She placed her shaky hand on her face, hearing none of it. Her heart was burning and burning and her mind was falling apart like some child's broken old toy. The incredibly handsome face of Trust floated up to her – his delicate features, his boyish beauty and lofty grace. "No," she whispered, shocked and broken. The quartet did not hear her and continued their fiery argument, engulfed in it completely. "Of all of them...not Trust! Never Trust!" she whispered, her hand digging into the wall for support as the world began a mad dance around her. Her most beloved assistant! Her most precious friend! The one she had guarded so fiercely and treated with such utter gentleness!
"What of Lord Legolas?" said Wisdom finally, crossing her slender arms on her chest.
"Yes, we should ask him," added Heart eagerly, "He speaks to me like no other does."
"I must say...to me, too," Reason said, scratching his chin.
"He is a valiant man," nodded Wisdom.
"You fools!" roared Fury then, his eyes like a green fire, "HE killed Trust!"
A deep silence issued in the room. Irulan could swear that she heard her own heartbeat echoing through the room. "How...can that be?" whispered Heart finally, her big brown eyes moving like some strange liquid.
"Nonsense!" whispered Reason, sounding more eager to convince himself than any other, "Lord Legolas is no foolish man! Why on earth would he do that?"
Fury crossed his arms on his large chest, giving him an annoyed glare before he turned to Irulan and bowed slightly, "My Queen...I have seen it with my own eyes. Let me light the hottest flames on this..."
"Oh stop it!" broke in Wisdom. "What exactly happened?"
"They shook hands," Fury said dryly, giving her a narrow look.
Another silence.
"What do you mean?" said Reason slowly.
"Exactly that. They shook hands and next thing you know, Trust was dead! That man did something! Elf! Whatever! He touched him and whatever that...that creature possesses just killed our delicate friend instantly! All is lost!"
"All is never lost," cut in Heart smoothly.
"And that is not even the bad part!" continued Fury, his eyes fixed on the Queen.
Irulan swallowed hard, fearing the worst and yet, unable to turn away from it. "Speak, soldier!" she commanded, her voice the voice of a warrior as all snapped to attention in the room.
"My Queen! Hope has deserted us!"
A dead silence followed. "This is the end of all things," mumbled Wisdom, for the first time looking shaken.
"Ah she is so impish, that one! She is probably hiding somewhere amongst these walls!" said Reason dismissively, trying very hard to look convinced. And not doing a good job.
"Yes," broke in Heart, her tone more childish than ever, "Hope would never leave us!"
Fury said nothing, only blistered in silence as he gazed into Irulan's eyes. "She fled from the fortress, My Queen. Our victory is no more."
Irulan swallowed hard, staggering back to the window. Trust, dead. Hope, gone. Everyone else in a constant, chaotic fight. And in the middle of all, Legolas! She took a deep, fuming breath and opened her eyes again. All in the room sensed her mood and stilled instantly. "Where is he?" she seethed.
"Your Highness! It might have been an accident! Lord Legolas is not mad – why would he..." tried the hunchback.
"He is a kind man, Irulan," cut in Heart, taking a step to the Queen, but not daring to come closer. "Surely there must be an explanation."
"Whether intentional or not, it shows he is dangerous," whispered Wisdom and trembled slightly. "What if the same happens to us with his touch?!"
Everyone in the room stilled, suddenly very uneasy and afraid. "I don't care!" roared Fury, making each jump in fear, "I will rip him to pieces! This...THING will pay for all this! Treacherous creature!" He locked eyes with Irulan once more, "A single word, my Leader! A single word and he will be no more, I promise!"
"To what end?" she sighed and met the gaze of the tall man, who froze momentarily at that reaction. Irulan looked up then, and one by one looked the other three in the eye. "To what end?" None dared to answer and all chose to cast their gazes down in lack of a reply. Irulan exhaled loudly and turned her back to them once more, the wind ruffling her hair again. "I have come all this way. I have marched through desert and mountain, through storm and drought, through fire and ice. To what end?" She swallowed, the agony of her heart gaining a very painful edge. "I am so tired," she sighed, swallowing once again.
"My Lady," growled Fury once again, "He is dangerous! He is not our match! He will kill us all, one by one." The others gasped at that, but he continued, his eyes boring into her back. "Why wait here for our own doom?"
A long moment passed and Irulan remained very still, her back turned to them, her mind in a frenzy. "Where did she go?" was her final, quiet question.
"I do not know," seethed Fury, huffing with frustration.
"We can not survive without her," Irulan said, clenching her jaws.
"She is where we are not," sighed Wisdom. All gave her an annoyed look and she glared back defensively.
"Irulan," said the gentle Heart, once again, walking to her side to turn her face up to the Queen. "You are right. We can not survive without her. None of us." The others remained still and anxious. "All is meaningless without her."
"That woman!" roared Fury, "At a time like this!"
"We must find her," Irulan said finally, giving all a long and deep look.
"Yes," said Reason smoothly, "before Lord Legolas does, too."
Obviously none had thought about that option before and all stared at him agape and with evident alarm. His head swiveled from one to the other and back. Finally he said "It's the reasonable and expected thing of him to do!" with a very natural tone and a shrug.
"Damn it all!" yelled Fury and stomped his foot on the ground. The castle shook ever so slightly with that action, but none gave it heed.
"I fear her loss," Heart said solemnly, her dark eyes glued to Irulan's.
"Not as much as I fear her abandonment of us," whispered a horrified Wisdom.
"Then we must find her before she can be harmed further!" hissed Irulan.
"What of the Fortress?" Reason said suddenly.
"To hell with it!" groaned Irulan and marched passed him, laying her hand on the shoulder of the gigantic man. "Lead the way! This place is home and shelter to us no longer."
"I wish to stay," Heart sighed in a tired manner.
"No," said Irulan and her tone spoke of absolute reign. "We shall never part. Where I go, all will follow."
With that, she strode out of the room, the sounds of her footsteps drowned in the terrible havoc of noise that Fury caused as he strolled down the corridor, his steps shaking the walls of the fortress.
***
