Legolas swallowed nervously as he locked eyes with his eldest brother. "What did you speak to Calaen about?" he asked softly.
"Not a lot," Airëlus shrugged. "We spoke about the weather, the tricks that Elladan and Elrohir will play on their father and ours in the next few weeks, and we even delved into the history of Middle Earth. There was something else, but I cannot quite recall what…" He trailed off, apparently thinking about it. "Oh yes, I remember. We also touched on the matter of you pushing him down the steps."
Legolas sank down into a chair, and swept a hand through his hair. "What did he tell you?"
"Everything," Airëlus replied.
"I should imagine that his everything is a lot different than mine," Legolas sighed.
"Don't you dare say that!" the Crown Prince snapped. "This is one thing that you will not be able to get yourself out of. You have really crossed the line this time. He told me how he tried to comfort you, and all you could do was push him away."
"He said what?" Legolas whispered.
"He told me that he went down to you a while after Ada left, because you seemed distressed. He comforted you, and don't try and deny that, because I saw him doing it," Airëlus said. "I was watching from my window."
"If you were watching, then you must have seen what happened after that," Legolas said incredulously. "How can you say that it was my fault?"
Airëlus shook his head and sat down opposite his younger brother. "I watched for only a brief moment. I saw him with his hand on your shoulder, but I stopped watching after that. He told me that you hit him."
"No. I tried to hit him, but-
"Is it not true then, that even though you had hurt him, he still tried to comfort you?" Airëlus hissed. "And then you held him at the top of the steps and threatened to throw him down them?"
Legolas opened his mouth to defend himself, but found that he was unable to speak, for so great was his shock. He merely shook his head in disbelief. How did Calaen have the nerve to say that? How could he find it in himself to lie like he had done? Was he not aware of what the consequences for his brother could be?
"I asked you a question. Is that true or not?" Airëlus pressed.
"How can you ask me such a thing?" Legolas demanded. "I cannot believe you are listening to him. You know what he's like. Why should I wish to push him? And what about my size? He is much taller than I am, and far stronger. Please, Airëlus. Even if I was strong enough to do something like this, why would I?"
The Crown Prince shrugged lightly. "He has put you through a lot, is that not so? That is a perfect motive for you to do it. But back to my question: did you push him or not?"
"No, I did not," Legolas snapped.
"So, what happened then? He is an Elf. He would not have fallen for no reason. You know full well that we only fall if pushed," Airëlus said sharply.
"Naneth was not pushed, yet she fell," Legolas said softly.
The fair haired Elf laughed, though there was no humour to it. "No, you are not bringing her death into this. You have used her too many times to try and get yourself out of trouble. But not this time. Do you have no respect for her?"
"I never knew you felt that way," Legolas said, stunned. He lowered his eyes to the leaves he was still holding, and ran a finger over the top one, the red one.
"Look at me," Airëlus said sharply. When he got no reaction, he jumped up and snatched the leaves away.
"Don't!" Legolas breathed, reaching out to grab them back. The Crown Prince however, unaware of their significance, threw them to the ground, and pushed his youngest brother back when he made to pick them up.
Legolas locked eyes with the other Elf, and shook his head sadly. "What do you want me to say? Do you want to hear that I pushed Calaen, with the intent to kill him? I will say that, if you really want me to. But Airëlus, you need to tell me what you want to hear, because if I tell you the truth – my truth – then you will not believe me."
"I don't know what I want to hear," Airëlus replied softly. "Whatever you say, I will lose a brother. If you admit that you did push him, then there is no way that I'll be able to even look at you again. However, if it turns out that Calaen is lying, then…"
"What do you wish to believe?" Legolas asked quietly.
Airëlus shrugged his shoulders helplessly, all the anger that had filled him before, diminishing. "I want to believe that you are telling the truth, for if you did in fact push Calaen, then that is a greater crime than him lying."
"You may wish to believe me, but you do not." The golden haired Prince laughed bitterly. "You are taking his word over mine."
"Legolas-
"Just leave it, Airëlus. If you want to believe him, then so be it. The thing is, I thought you were different. Foolishly, I thought that you were someone I could turn to when things got hard. I thought you were the one who would always be there for me," Legolas snapped, getting to his feet and going to the door. "You are exactly the same as Calaen."
Airëlus jumped up and went after the other Elf. "That is where you are wrong. I am not lying in bed after nearly being killed by my own brother." He bit his lip as soon as the words were out.
The golden haired Elf paused momentarily in the doorway, trying to force away the hurt that he felt at such a statement. Hissing in anger, he stormed from the room, without another word to his brother. Airëlus ran after him and tried to hold him back. But Legolas merely shook him off.
"Where are you going?"
"To see Calaen," Legolas replied.
Airëlus was about to try and protest, but he swiftly decided against it as they reached his other brother's room. He did not know what to believe. On the one hand he had Legolas, who lied only to protect others, and would never intentionally hurt anyone. And on the other hand there was Calaen, who clearly disliked the youngest Prince of Mirkwood, and had no qualms about getting him into trouble. But would he really go this far? Airëlus doubted it.
Taking a deep breath, Legolas pushed open the door and walked inside. Calaen was lying in the bed, eyes closed, chest rising and falling slowly. A bandage was wrapped around his forehead, and a long scratch ran down the side of his face. Airëlus stood at the back of the room, watching the proceedings carefully.
Legolas put a hand on Calaen's shoulder, and the dark haired Elf's eyes suddenly flew open. He stared up at his brother for a few moments, apparently struggling to recognize him. But when realisation dawned, fear flitted across his face, and he hit the other Prince's hand away.
"Calm yourself," Legolas said softly.
"Airëlus, get him away from me," Calaen breathed. "Please, do not let him stay in here. He will do something, I know it."
The Crown Prince stepped forwards, and touched a hand to Legolas' shoulder. "I think it is for the best that you go. Just give him time to calm down, and then it will be alright."
"He tried to kill me," Calaen cut in, tears gathering in his emerald eyes.
"How can you accuse me of that? This was not my fault. If you had not provoked me, then I would not have tried to hit you," Legolas snapped. "It was your fault, Calaen, not mine."
The dark haired Elf closed his eyes and lay back on the pillows, tears falling from underneath his lashes. "Please Airëlus," he whispered. "I would not say this if there was no truth to it. He threatened to kill me, and he…he stood there and…and laughed as he threw me down the stairs."
"Legolas, get out," Airëlus said through gritted teeth. "Your presence is only worsening the situation."
"Why are you saying this?" Legolas asked in a low voice. "This is not him, and you know it full well. Use your head, fool! I do not have strength enough to push him down those steps, even if I wanted to!"
Airëlus grabbed the younger Elf, and pulled him to the door. "Can you not see the distress you are causing him? Now get out, and don't even think of trying to come back in here," he hissed, pushing Legolas out of the door. He cringed as his youngest brother hit the wall, but quickly shook his head.
"I am not lying," Calaen sobbed. "And he will do this again."
Airëlus sighed as he went back over to the bed. "No, I will make sure that nothing else happens," he said soothingly, drawing his brother to him.
"I wish that Ada was here. If he was, then none of this would have happened," Calaen whispered.
"I know, I know," Airëlus replied. "If you were not so afraid, then I would ride to Rivendell to get him. But I dare not leave you in this state. Do you wish for me to send a messenger?"
Calaen was silent for a moment. Of course he was not afraid of Legolas. What reasons did he have to feel fear where that pathetic little excuse for an Elf was concerned? And, the tears that were gathered in his eyes were not genuine. Far from it, in fact. He smiled inwardly, and pulled back from his brother's embrace. Airëlus had just given him an idea.
"Do not send a messenger," he said. "Will you go to Rivendell? I know what I said before, but…of course I do not blame Legolas for this. He did not mean for it to happen. It was merely his troubled mind forcing him to do it."
"Are you sure you wish me to leave?" Airëlus asked doubtfully.
"Yes, I am sure. If not for me, then for Legolas. Ada needs to be here in case he does something to harm himself," Calaen replied, brushing tears from his cheeks.
"I might be able to catch up with Ada, but I doubt it," the Crown Prince said slowly. "I will ride swiftly, though."
Calaen smiled weakly at that. "I appreciate this. You do not have to do this for me."
"I want to," Airëlus replied, pulling the other Prince to him once more. "You are my brother, after all, and it pains me to see you hurting like this. I cannot say how long it will be before I return with Ada, but I will make sure that you are not left alone. Will that reassure you?"
Calaen nodded, a nasty smile creeping over his face as he was held by the Crown Prince. As soon as Airëlus left, he could dismiss whoever it was that had been asked to stay with him. No-one needed to know that he was not afraid of Legolas. All that he had planned for his younger brother could be hidden from everyone else…
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