*dances* Over 300 reviews! I feel so very very loved. *blows kisses to all her reviewers* You guys rock!

This website is driving me crazy though. I didn't get any of your reviews until Thursday. I knew they were there because the counter kept going up, but I couldn't see them, nor did they send them to my e-mail for days. It made me very mad. I really hope the problem is fixed.

Also, I've been informed that Author's Alerts have been on the fritz as well. Just to remind everyone, I update every Sunday night. EVERY Sunday night. Whether ff.net tells you I did or not, I did.

And one more thing... I have hired 5 bodyguards to be around me at all times, 3 of which are former Secret Service agents. They won't let you kill me. And I know you all will want too once you finish this chapter.

" Leaves of Glass "

Chapter 15 - The Monarchs of Mirkwood

Legolas walked slowly along the paths that wound through the gardens of Mirkwood's palace. The sun was beginning to peer over the thick wall of the forest. His breath hung in the air.

He met no one on his walk, for all were either dancing of sleeping. Pebbles from the path moved beneath his feet but made no sound. A bird called to its mate in the distance. Long limbs of shadowy trees reached out for him as he passed, begging him to enter their dark depths. As he walked ever closer to his destination tears slid from his pale eyes in steady streams and he did not wipe them away.

Unknown to the young prince four figures watched him from the trees, following his every step. He stopped suddenly, his body shaking; his blood felt cold in his veins. His head turned, sending a cascade of golden hair around his shoulders as his eyes found the window at the topmost of the palace. The large window was open, thin curtains billowing in the soft wind that blew through the forest.

A tear slid down his cheek and pooled in the crease of his mouth; his lips opened and he could taste the salt. Then he began to climb. One pale, flawless hand reached up and grasped the vines that climbed the stone wall to the lowest balcony. The other followed, then his nimble feet, and he was slowly making his way to the stone outcropping.

The four figures watched, confused as the prince reached the first balcony. An animal screamed in the forest, its dying breath swallowed by the forest, but the golden elf did not even pause. One bright figure stepped from the shadows of the forest, the others hissing for him to return, and stared up at his brother.

'Where do you go, Leaf?' He asked as Legolas reached the second story balcony. 'What are you doing?' As Lindelen watched, Legolas reached the third floor, then the fourth, going ever upward until he reached the top, the last balcony.

"Adar." Lindelen whispered. And then he was climbing, his friends shouting for him to return. Warn the king, the trees had said. And he knew not how, but he now knew why.

Before Legolas had even cleared the balcony Lindelen was reaching the second floor; Elladan, Elrohir, and Avarilas had begun to climb. Each step up felt like a mountains height, each thin vine turned to oil beneath his hands. The crown prince had climbed that path many times in his many millennia, but never so quickly, nor with such desperation.

When he reached the edge of his father's balcony he swung himself over the edge and nearly dove through the open doors. The sight that met him caught his breath and stopped him in his tracks, for all its sinister beauty.

The youngest prince of Mirkwood stood poised over the sleeping form of his father. The sun shone through the open doors, casting its half-light throughout the room, shining like liquid gold over the prince's fluttering hair, set fire to his pale skin, sparked in his eyes like a thousand stars. And it turned the straight, silver edge of the knife in his hands blood red.

The knife was held just inches from the king's heart, held by hands that shook violently, by a body that heaved in trembling breaths, reflected in the streaming tears that glinted in the light.

His own baby brother, the elfling he had held in this very room for the first time when he was but ten minutes in this world, looked like a god come to life; come to take his sacrifice.

"Legolas, daro!" The elder prince's senses returned at Avarilas' call; he blinked once at the ethereal being with deadly intentions then shot across the room, knocking him to the floor with a loud thud as their father, wakened by Avarilas' shout, rose from his bed. (... , stop!")

Lindelen rose quickly from the floor, standing over his little brother, his chest heaving, the knife held tightly in his hands. Legolas screamed from the ground and lunged to his feet, throwing himself at his father. But he fell back again with another cry as Elladan's solid body collided with his, sending him reeling to the floor.

Legolas staggered to a kneeling position, the other five elves watching in a tirade of emotions. "Legolas, what is-?"

"Kill me!" Legolas shouted, his hands scratching at the stone floor. "Kill me!"

"Legolas, what-?"

The young prince threw himself at the cluster of protectors that had surrounded his father. He grabbed Elrohir's hands, wrapping around the hilt of the knife held, yanking with all his strength. "Kill me!" He shouted again. "Kill me, I beg you! Kill me!"

"Legolas, farn ned sen!" Thranduil shouted as he pushed past the barrier the younger elves had created. "An man caro le ped-sen t?" (... , enough of this!" "Why do you speak this way?")

A despairing cry filled the room and Legolas dove for his father again, his hands reaching for his neck. His father, caught by surprise, did not fight back. Slender fingers wrapped around his neck, blocking off his airway, trying to twist until the delicate bones snapped.

Suddenly, both elves were pulled from their feet. Legolas was released from the strong arms that held him, sending his sprawling across the room to land with a thud against the open door. Strider reached out quickly to grab the falling king, pulling him into his embrace and dragging him away from the stunned elves.

'Play dead, my lord, I beg you. For your son.' The Ranger hissed desperately into Thranduil's ear, then the king's head snapped to the side, a sickening crack filling the room as his body fell limply to the floor at the young human's feet.

Five pairs of eyes landed on him, mixed with so many palpable emotions that Strider was nearly knocked to the ground. Then each gaze slid to the floor and fell on the motionless body of the king. Tears streamed anew from Legolas' eyes and they were suddenly filled with such flagrant despair that it made Strider sick. The youngest prince let out a keening wail, terrifyingly loud and filled with absolute pain, that shook the room and sent the elves to their knees. The trees outside the window roared in response, a flock of birds alighting from their branches, screeching in anger as they whirled overhead and off into the forest.

Then Legolas was gone, lurching to his feet and stumbling down the hallway.

"What have you done, Estel?" But the question, Strider never knew who asked, was not answered. All eyes in the room snapped, wide open with confusion and surprise, to the king who had sat up from his place on the floor. He then stood quickly spinning around to face the Ranger. Strider dropped the two broken halves of the pheasant bone he had been clutching in his hand.

"Why did my son try to kill me?" Thranduil demanded, ignoring the confused looks he was receiving from the four elves still on their knees.

Strider glanced down at them, then up again to the king. "I haven't time to tell you. There is a pack, hidden in the bushes in the east garden. There is a letter inside, it will tell you everything." He turned to his brothers, his gray eyes filling with tears. "There is one for Ada as well, please see that he gets it." And then he left, racing away in the same direction that the prince had gone.

**

Strider had thought when the prince had left that he was going to his room to take his rest for the night. He did not expect the Arandant king to follow through with his plan so quickly. Then he had heard the shouts from the king's bedroom and knew he had been wrong. He had expected to see the prince in a struggle with his father, not the two other Mirkwood elves and his own brothers.

Strider spun around a corner as he raced through the hallways of the Mirkwood palace, nearly tripping in his haste, as he sought out the room he knew the prince had gone to. Tears streamed down his rough cheeks as he thought of his brothers and he angrily brushed them away. He would mourn for his family later, now he had a job to finish. A job that would turn him into an exile, never again to see the home or the people he loved.

He spun around another corner and braced his hand on the wall to keep from falling. His feet pounded on the stone floor, echoing through the palace like the beat of drums. His legs took him quickly through the winding halls until he reached the door he was looking for.

He stopped outside the heavy, intricately carved structure, stilling his breathing, the air burning in his lungs after his race through the palace, and listened.

"Is it done?" The dark voice of the Arandant king demanded.

There was a long pause, then, "Yes." That one word held in it more pain than should exist in the world.

"Good. Tomorrow you will inform your people that your brother killed your father in the night..." Strider heard the soft ring of metal being pulled from a sheath. "And while you fought him bravely..." The Ranger heard a hiss of breath and a satisfied grunt. "... and were wounded in the effort, you could not save your father, nor capture your traitor brother. And thus your people will turn to you to help see them through this horrible tragedy and betrayal. And then they will belong to me."

A soft sob reached Strider's ears and he knew he had heard enough. He pushed the door open with enough force to send the heavy wood crashing against the stone wall and walked quickly to the other side of the room to stand between Legolas and the king.

Legolas stared up at the Ranger's back, clutching the arm where the king had cut a deep gash. His body shook and tears streamed down his white cheeks, soaking into the damp patch in the collar of his banquet clothes.

"Well, well." The Arandant king sneered, looking Strider over with a judging glance. "Looks like you have a few surprises up you sleeve, slave. Have you come to play hero?"

Strider's dark gray eyes met the pitch black of the king's and a dark smile spread over his lips. "Yes." He whispered. Then he turned and knelt beside the prince, taking his wounded arm in his hand, gently brushing away the tears that slid down his face. "Le adar cuinar. No na sîdh, nin caun." He whispered, the dark smile turning to kindness as the Arandant king watched. "Ten na-or." ("Your father lives. Be at peace, my prince." "It is over.")

Then he thrust his hunting knife into the prince's stomach and watched in sadness as the pelf's eyes filled with joy and his body slid to the floor, his hands wrapping around the blade imbedded in his stomach. Dark red blood spread around Strider's dagger, seeping through Legolas' fingers in tiny rivulets, and the Ranger smiled as tears slid from his eyes.

To Be Continued...

*runs away screaming* My muses made me do it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Until next time!

Adrienne

To my lovely reviewers who hopefully still love me -

silvertoekee - Yes, I'm sure it would suck to be ordered to kill your own father. Though I'm sure we've all wanted the excuse every now and then. ;P

Deana - Yeah, I'm not very happy with ff.net right now. Though, they do a wonderful job most of the time, but I want my reviews darn it!

Estel Elven Enchantress - Yes, though we had nothing to do with the movies besides adding a little (okay, a lot) more money to the already high $ count, we still feel so very very proud. Go figure.

Vicki Turner - Do you still think that?

Kept-Secret - Do not fret, patience is not one of the virtues I posses either. And yes, cloud nine is very lovely. You should pay it a visit some time. And ummm... at least you got all your answers ummm... answered. *grins*

Viresse0 - Ummm... yeah. Bad endings. I agree. Please don't kill me! I still have to review your stories, which I'm going to go do just as soon as I post this. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long!!

Ruby Foxburr of Loamsdown - Yeah, I think that would constitute as ruined, don't you? And yes, The Hobbit. Yes yes. But only if they get Ian MeKellen to play Gandalf. If they can't, then he just shoudn't bother.

Ella-elbereth7 - Goodness, bowing. *blushes*

Gwyn - I suppose this is just going to put you straight into an insane asylum huh?

Coolio02 - Yes. Evil, evil king. Grrr.

LalaithoftheBruinen - Thank you!

Templa Otmana - Oh I will. Yes, yes. I will.

SilverKnight7 - Okay.

Aranna Undomiel - All 14 at once? Dang girl! And I have sent you an e-mail with the website you asked for. I'm really sorry it took me so long to get t to you.

Kit Cloudkicker - Yeah. All stories with fluff should have warnings. *grins*

Elven Kitten - Thank you.

Sparrow Greenleaf - Ummm... oops? *runs and hides*

MG87 - Ooh, Angsty-Legolas deprivation. That's the worst. Which is one of the reasons I write my own stories. If I want angst, angst I get. And I don't care when you review. Just as long as you do. *grins*

tmelange - Ew. I hate pins and needles.