Disclaimer- I own nothing- if you recognise it- it's not mine!!!!!!
Time stood still for a minute. I couldn't move, part of me wanted to go and hug her, but the other part of me screamed at me, something was wrong, this was not my mother.
I was confused. Haldir had once told me that no matter what, I should always trust my instincts.
But Elrond didn't seem to think anything was wrong.
My gut was threatening something, there was something desperately wrong, this being was not my mother, she looked the same, and she even smelt the same. The scent of her favourite perfume overtook my senses for a minute. And for a short minute I felt like a child again.
"Thalia, will you not come over here and give your mother a hug?"
The voice was my mothers, but there was a sickly sweet undertone to it that my mother never had.
I unconsciously stepped back until I accidentally ran into Adar. I looked up at him as he put his hands on my shoulders. I must have given something away as he looked pointedly at Elrond.
"This must be a lot for you to take it Thalia, why don't you go and have lunch and relax for a while, while I talk to your mother.
I nodded and left, as I left I caught my 'mothers' eye, she grinned evilly, malice and hatred shone from within their depths.
I started and hurriedly left. The image of her eyes still clearly in my mind. It terrified me. It wasn't my mum. I wanted so much, for her to be my mum, but she wasn't. was it something in her body, had she been possessed? Was it something just pretending to be mum? A thousand thoughts ran through my mind, each ending in the same thing…she wasn't my mum.
I could hear somebody calling me in the background, it sounded far away and I couldn't place it.
"Thalia!" I snapped out of it and came face to face with Legolas. Without thinking I threw my arms around him and buried my head in his shoulder. I don't know what was wrong with me.
"Shhh, my love. Why are you crying?" He asked me softly as he stroked my hair.
"There is nothing to cry about, melamin, you have your mother now", I felt my body tense at his words. Gently he pulled me back and looked into my eyes, he knew there was something wrong.
"What is it?" he demanded gently but forcefully, his tone left no room for discussion.
I didn't want to tell him in case I was wrong or I caused trouble, but the tiny Haldir that seemed to sit on my shoulder a lot lately, urged me to tell him.
"Legolas", I whispered, " that's not my mother. I mean…well it is her, or it or she or whatever it is looks like her. But it's not. I can't explain, but that is not my mother!"
I almost screamed the last words out. I wanted to smash something or break something.
I must have been crying as Legolas brushed his fingertips lightly across my cheeks.
"she's not my mum, she's not, she's not…" I cried as he embraced me again.
I felt him pick me up and carry me outside.
"Where are we going?"
"To the gardens love".
I nodded against his neck. His scent overwhelming me and comforting me. I felt like crying again.
"Where has Adar gone?"
"He went to talk to the guards".
"Oh…ok". What did he need to talk to the guards about?
---
" Your highness, if we double the guards, does that not leave us weak to the west?"
I was in the middle of a council with Huror about the increasing attacks that had been made on Mirkwood.
My father had given me permission to stay in Imladris for as long as I needed. I had explained the situation to him and he was more than willing to give me leave. My mother had been overjoyed. I had a few letters from them that I would read later.
Haldir approached us without restraint and told me the bare facts. Thalia's mother had been found and she didn't know how to deal with it. I could feel her uncertainty but could get no other feelings. However the dark look in his eyes was enough to make me leave. We left with an apology to Huror.
My feet could not get me there fast enough. Thoughts were swirling around my head and I almost stopped dead when I saw Thalia standing outside Elrond's door. Her face pale but her cheeks flaming, tears making their way down her face and falling onto her dress in small droplets.
I couldn't discern any individual feelings from her. She was thinking too much and she was confused.
I asked her what was wrong and she only seemed to cry harder. I gently pulled her back into my arms, her panicked and devastated eyes looking at me.
It seemed that she didn't believe that the woman in Elrond's study was her mother. She believed it with all of her being, I could feel it.
Elrond already knew about her feelings, there was no doubt about that. Proving that the being was not who it said it was, was another matter altogether.
Shaking my head, I cast my thoughts to the trembling woman in my arms. she had told me about her relationship with her mother, she had seemed like a fine woman who had nothing but love for her daughter.
She leant up to me and kissed my cheek before putting her head on my shoulder and settling into my arms.
I took in the surrounding plants, there were flowers of every colour, it was almost as beautiful as my home, but then I am bias as it is indeed, my home. I sat her down upon the blue flowers which I felt mirrored her own eyes so much. She lay back, closing her eyes and taking in the warm rays of the sun. I lay down beside her, my head resting on one arm with one hand placed on her stomach. She giggled as I lightly tickled her stomach. I had longed to hear her laugh once more, if only for a short while. My heart lit up and a great fire sparked as she sat up her elbows and looked at me, her face smiling and joyous and without concern.
Laughing I put my hand behind her neck and kissed her, the fire within me grew as she responded forcefully. I could feel all of her anguish and self-hatred, though I knew not what she hated. I could see no bad, but then, once again I must confess that I am bias, for to me she is the most beautiful maiden that ever walked the ground. I opened my eyes as I felt my cheeks grow wet, they were not my tears, they were from her. It broke my heart to see her in such a state. But I knew that she needed this. I could give her unconditional love and right now she needed to feel loved. Her kiss grew more needy and I willingly complied. She was all but my wife and I would lay down my life for her. She broke away and held onto me as she cried out her sorrow.
It seemed so abstract, that she should be so sorrowful when we were bathing in what, at this moment seemed to be mocking sunlight.
We lay there among the flowers for quite sometime, simply content to be there. Until we heard an urgent cry.
"Ai! Ai! Prince Legolas. Prince Legolas! You must come quickly".
A guard shouted from the edge of the garden. Thalia was already on her feet and ready to go. We made our way toward the guard.
"What is it, why the urgency?" I asked a little too forcefully.
"It is my Lord Elrond, your highness, he has been stabbed"
Without further contemplation, we set out for the healing wing of the house.
We arrived at the wing just as a healer made his way out of the door, his expression was grim and his robes coloured with what I presumed to be Elrond's blood. I felt Thalia squeeze my hand seeking comfort. She looked shocked, her eyes wide and her hands fidgety.
"What news?" I asked.
"My lord was stabbed, three times in the chest. He has lost a lot of blood. But will recover within a week. He will however, need plenty of rest and he is not to be interrupted with work unless it is of some urgency".
I nodded, unable to express my thanks. Thalia rushed forward and hugged him, he looked somewhat surprised, but accepted the hug nonetheless.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you" she said repeatedly.
She let him go and returned to my side.
The healer chuckled and left us alone. Waiting for Elladan and Elrohir to finish talking with their father.
"Did you hear that?" Thalia asked me, a look of bewilderment on her face.
"Hear what?"
"Nothing, never mind"
She went quiet, her eyes scanning the room continuously. She yelped and jumped behind me desperately rubbing her arm.
"What is it?"
"I could swear something was whispered in my ear, but there's no one here. Then I felt someone squeeze my arm…" she trailed off, shaking her head, she must have dismissed the though. However, something had deeply unsettled me and I was thankful for the dagger which I always kept concealed in my boot.
I reached for Thalia's hand, I had to know where she was, something was not right. The air around us was filled with an evil presence.
Thalia screamed and squeezed my hand tightly as if she was in pain.
I turned round to see her, her eyes wide with fear and her body quivering. My eyes wandered down her body, near her waist was an imprint of a hand, as if somebody's hand was there but invisible. My gaze travelled back up her torso, and on her neck was the impression of somebody's hand holding her neck, she moved, pushed by the invisible body. She whimpered in fear her eyes pleading, her finger wrapping around mine. Her head jerked and a thin line of blood appeared on her neck and a voice on the air whispered,
"A warning, don't get too comfy my little slut".
Thalia fell to the floor and stared into nothingness. Her eyes unblinking. I bent down and pressed my hand to her neck, the cut was not bad and the bleeding was already stopping. It would be gone within a few days.
"Elrohir! Elrohir!" I shouted frantically. She had gone into shock and I knew that he had more experience with healing than I.
"What are you…" he trailed off as he saw the cause of my shouting. He kneeled down and looked into her face.
"lift her and carry her into the room, there is a spare bed, lay her on that".
I followed his instruction. I ignored Elrond's prone form on the bed, he was still pale but he had a healthy aura about him. Elladan looked at Thalia in concern, but knew better than to interrupt his brother.
"Here, make her drink this, it is bitter but it will do the job".
I supported her neck and made her sip the liquid. Her face scrunched up in distaste, making me chuckle, despite what had just happened. I needed to speak with Glorfindel about that. There was something evil afoot, and I was pretty sure that my suspicions were correct.
My guess was that, somehow, Thalia's father had come to Middle-Earth and had found the Wizard Saruman, it was known that he had turned from the light side and was beginning to discard the old ways. If her father had managed to obtain a potion or spell from Saruman that would enable him to change his form at will, it would be entirely possible for her father to be anywhere at anytime. It would explain how he had managed to get past the guard. But it does not explain how he knew of Thalia's mother, although I suppose he could have heard it from Saruman himself. Once the idea of her mother being in Middle-Earth had been implanted in Thalia's, it would have been easy for him to portray her mother, only she would know his true identity. And even if she didn't know who he was, she would know that her mother was not who she said she was. And it would make gaining access to Elrond easy, although the motive for such actions is unclear at the present moment.
My thoughts were plausible, or were they? It could be that I was over thinking the matter.
I heard Thalia yawn and I put my thoughts to the back of my head for a moment. She pulled me down and laid her head on my chest, making herself comfortable.
"I love you Legolas".
I kissed the crown of her head softly. Closing my eyes and savouring her scent and every curve of her body.
It seemed that no words were needed between us tonight.
I soon heard her breathing even out and knew that she was asleep.
I rose, intent on finding Glorfindel and delivering my theory.
"Elladan, would you mind watching over Thalia while I am gone?"
He chucked softly and chastised me for thinking that he would not do so.
I thanked him and took my leave.
If my theory was correct, we may not have a lot of time and Imladris could be under a serious threat.