I think I'm gonna go crazy. I haven't slept in three days! Well, not literally. Did you know that you start hallucinating after 48 hours without sleep? I do. I think it would be fun to do, just to see what you would hallucinate. Though, I hear there are drug you can take to produce the same effects with much less effort. I wonder which would be less harmful.

Yes, my brain actually does think that way.

And no, I would never do drugs. Drugs are bad. Just say no kids!

Whatever.

"Lingering Shadows"

Chapter 5 - The Stable

Queen Sarai watched the soldiers weave their way through the streets towards the palace, her dark eyes fixed on the horse drawn cart at the front. From her high watch tower she could just barely see the miserable figure in the back, shining in the bright sun like a star come to earth.

She smiled and beckoned to her chamber-maid. Finally she would have her prize.

**

Legolas stared at the wide doors as they were pulled open. His hands clenched into fists, the chains digging into his wrists as his muscles strained. Servants--no they were slaves like he--scurried away as the doors opened, disappearing into hidden corners to await orders. Soldiers looked up from their discussions, the expressions of their faces bored. Legolas saw one man with a dark scar running down his face and for a moment he watched him, wondering at the hatred in his eyes.

But a rough shove at his back tore his gaze from the man and he concentrated on keeping his feet beneath him as the chains on his ankles tried to trip him up. He walked forward, flanked on each side by one of the soldiers that had accompanied him to the palace.

He heard hushed whispers from men and women around the room. Every eye in the room was on him, watching him, judging him. He raised his head, his shoulders squaring in defiance and quickened his pace. The queen would find no trophy in him, but a force to contend with.

He approached the raised dais where the throne sat, his eyes narrowing on the woman that sat languidly on it's cushioned surface. He had not known what to expect, but this certainly was not it. She was neither young nor old. Nor could she be considered beautiful or ugly. Legolas could think of no other word for her than plain. To pass her on the streets one would hardly notice her, and would certainly forget her the next moment.

Except for her eyes. As his eyes lifted to meet hers Legolas felt his resolve begin to crumble. Her eyes were as dark as a night sky bereft of moon and stars; and so intense the prince felt naked before her, as if she stared right through him to pull his weaknesses and flaws out for the world to see.

A lazy smile slid over her thin lips and Legolas willed himself not to look away. He felt as if she knew.

"Welcome, Prince Legolas." The queen said, her low voice rolling over Legolas like a caress. He suppressed a shudder and lifted his head, calling on his 2300 years as a prince to keep his expression neutral.

"I demand that you release me." He hissed.

The queen raised one eyebrow, a smirk on her face. "You're quite the fighter, I hear." She said as she rose from her throne. "Your dear friend Traice had told me a lot about you."

Legolas's hands tightened; he could feel his nails digging into his palms. "My people will destroy this city to get me back. Release me now and save yourselves the loss."

The woman slowly stepped down the stairs, her long skirts trailing behind her. She walked over to Legolas, her dark eyes sweeping over his stiff frame. She glanced at the guards that still flanked him and impatiently waved them away with a delicate hand.

"My lady..." The guard with the scar across his face said, his voice bordering on command but not daring to cross that line.

The woman smiled but did not take her eyes from the prince. "He will not attack me, Corvan. He knows that even if he kills me he would be dead before my body hit the ground. And as I said before, he is a fighter. He will find another way." She stepped up close to Legolas as the guards moved away, her breath skating across his neck as she circled him. "Won't you, Prince." She said, her voice low, only for him to hear. "You will find a way to escape. Or die trying."

Legolas kept his gaze fixed on the wall ahead of him, his eyes seeking out the tiny patch of blue that could be seen through the small windows. He did not speak.

"Yes," The queen said as she stopped in front of him, one hand reaching out but not quite touching him. "It is as I expected.... you will be a joy to break."

Another twisted smile spread across her face and she stepped away from him, turning her back to him and ascending the steps. "Take him to his new home. See that he is made comfortable. Oh, and Corvan..."

The guard turned back to his queen, awaiting her order as she settled back into her throne. "There is blood on his thigh. Take the leg of the man that gave him the injury."

"Yes, my lady." The man wrapped a vice like grip on Legolas's elbow and pulled him from the hall, shouting orders as he went.

**

Outside the hall Corvan handed Legolas over to another guard, demanding that he be taken to his the stables. Legolas's eyes narrowed at the command, but he hardly had time to think about it before he was stumbling down the stairs that lead to the entrance of the palace.

The chains twisted around his ankles and he just barely managed to stay on his feet. Some of the men around him laughed, the one leading him growled and raised his hand to strike him.

"Do you want to end up like Dovven?" Someone snarled. Legolas turned his head to see another man yanking on the first man's arm, stopping the blow. "No one hurts the elf without Her Majesty's express permission."

The second man released the hand he held and stepped away, returning to the group he had left. "Just take him to the stables before you get yourself killed."
"And if he kills me on the way?" The first man demanded.

The other just shrugged. "Obviously no great loss to Her Majesty's Guard."

The first man growled again and shoved Legolas hard between the shoulder blades, causing him to stumble again. 'Well,' He thought bitterly as the man turned him to the left and they rounded a corner. 'At least I'm getting along well with the locals.'

As the two of them walked through the court the prince felt incredibly alone. A face flashed through his mind; a well known face with smiling lips and dark brown eyes. But those eyes had lied to him. Betrayed him. Legolas's heart mourned for his lost friend; not the man that had betrayed him, but the man he had known for three years. His heart mourned his loss, but his face remained cold as stone. Lost friends were no use here.

Man and Elf rounded another corner--watchful eyes tracking their movement from every corner--and Legolas saw what he assumed to be the stables; it was the only other building inside the palace wall. The building was large, though it seemed dwarfed beside the palace. It too was made of thick stone with large square windows that ringed the walls near the roof; two heavy, metal doors rose nearly the entire height of one wall and were barred on the outside.

Legolas could no sooner wonder why horses would need such doors when the man at his side jerked him towards another, much smaller door. This one was a simple wooden door, one that you would find in any home; it swung open as they approached.

A man, the first he had seen that was not a slave or dressed in a guards uniform, walked through the door, blinking into the bright sunlight. He was older, as far as human's go; his hair was graying at the temples and there were lines around his eyes and mouth that would get deeper with time. Legolas's first opinion of him was that he was nothing more than a harmless old man. "I din' think 'e'd  be comin' 'ere so soon." He said, his accent thick and foreign to Legolas. "Thought 'er Maj'sty would wan' to play wit 'im first." Legolas's opinion changed as the man's words coursed through his head.

"Well she gave orders to bring him here." The guard snarled. "He's all yours now."

Another rough shove forced Legolas towards the doorway. The man reached out to catch him as he stumbled, but Legolas jerked away from his hands, straightening in defiance. The guard muttered something under his breath and walked away and the old man motioned for Legolas to follow him.

The prince sent a quick glance towards the people that milled around the courtyard. They were mostly slaves, running to and fro, He said, his accentcarrying out their master's orders. A group of guards were resting under a small tree, taking what shade they could find in the hot afternoon. One of them smirked as the prince looked them over and patted the crossbow that sat idly on his knee. Legolas turned around and walked into the tall building, the laughter from the guards following him inside.

He blinked into the dim light, his eyes taking a moment to adjust from the bright glare outside. He stood in a wide hallway, lit by two sickly torches on either end. On one side of him was a door, half open to reveal a small, dirty bedroom. At the end of the hall was another door and this the old man steered him towards.

Legolas glanced back towards the exit then stiffly began walking towards the door. He would bide his time until he escaped. Getting himself killed would not be helpful. The old man opened the door; Legolas expected the smell of horses and dirty straw, but breathed in the scent of a wood fire and... pipe smoke?

"Welcome to The Stable." The old man said as Legolas walked into the main room.

It took a moment for him to take in everything he saw, and even longer for him to understand. Lining the walls of The Stable, and now he understood what that meant, were what could only be called cells. There were dozens of them, and each cell was created for a different purpose. Or more specifically, a different race.

The cell nearest him looked like a tiny piece of a forest cut out of the wood brought indoors. Trees lined the barred walls of the cell, complete with thick underbrush at their bases; vines criss-crossed in their tops to create a canopy. In one corner a cave had been created out of large stones. And inside the cave a large, hairy form sat on his hind quarters, staring at him.

The Warg stood and began to pace through the cell, growling. He snapped at Legolas once and growled something in his own harsh language. Somehow Legolas knew it was an insult.

"He wants to know if you're frightened, little elf." A high, hissing voice cackled from the next cell. Legolas whipped his head around to face the voice. He saw an orc, one of the twisted enemies of the Elves, sitting in the center of another artificial cave, complete with dirty bedding on the floor and a roughly made table and chair. Food rotted on dirty metal plates. The orc barked out a harsh laughter, his head falling back to show sharp teeth in a twisted mouth.

Legolas's heart began to race; he felt the blood drain from his face. A tug on his elbow turned him towards the old man and the other side of the building. He saw the occupants of a few other cells as he turned. There were all kinds of creatures in the cells--all different kinds of trolls, pacing and snorting, some were shaking the bars of their fabricated homes. A roar echoed through the building, the very ground shaking as a mûmak reared back on its hind legs then crashed down to the ground. The creature was massive, probably the reason for the size of the building and the huge steel doors. The prince also heard the familiar hiss of one of the great Spiders that infested his home.

A low wall separated the building into two parts. The old man pulled Legolas toward the other side and down the row of cells. He stopped at one near the middle and unlocked the door but Legolas's eyes were locked on the cell to his right. The walls were lined with light wooden panels and it had a low ceiling built over it. Short but comfortable furniture filled the space. A small fireplace was built into the back wall; a kettle of water was boiling over the fire. A short man with large, hairy feet watched him, a sad smile on his face.

The old man's hand on his arm drew the prince's attention. Legolas looked down to see him removing the chains from his wrists. The one around his ankles had already been removed. "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?" Legolas asked softly.

The old man shook his head. "Where would you go, lad?" He asked. Then he draped the chains over his arm and motioned for Legolas to enter the cell in front of him. Legolas cringed when the cell door shut.

He looked around as the old man walked away, his breath hitching when he saw the 'room'. The cell bars had been lined with stone. A large bed sat in one corner, its high canopy draped with soft, sheer linens. Rich rugs covered the floor, matching the pale gold bedspread and the green and gold artwork that adorned the walls.

There was a desk on one side of the room made of rich brown hardwood; paper, quill, and ink bottle sat on the top next to a candelabra and stick of sealing wax. Beside the desk was a small table with a matching chair, padded with a light green cushion. On the table sat a pitcher and washbasin, and hanging over the back of the chair was a soft house-robe of obvious elven make. In fact, everything in the room was true elven craft. The room looked like any number of the rooms in his father's palace.

"She makes a mockery of our lives." A rough voice said from behind the wall on his left. Walking past he had seen the pale stone and rich wooden furniture of a dwarves home. "She captured us, then brought us here, to live in mockery of what she denies us. We each have our purposes, our jobs. But really we are only here for her enjoyment. We are no more than animals to her. A pretty little collection for her too look at when she wishes."

Legolas rubbed idly at his wrists, finally free of the chains after 2 long weeks of capture. "How long have you been here?" He asked, not knowing how to reply to what the dwarf had said.

"34 years, Elf." The gruff voice replied without hesitation. Legolas heard movement on the other side of the wall. "Taken when I was a child while practicing hunting in the mountains that were my home. My name is Nain, son of Thain."

"And I am Madoc, Master Elf." A small, high voice said from his right. "13 years I have been here. Captured as a child, like my dear friend, when I was searching for mushrooms alone in the forest."

"I... have never met one of the Periannath before." Legolas said softly. (... Hobbits ...)

"Then I hope I will do my people justice in your eyes." Legolas heard the scrape of metal against metal, then the soft sound of water being poured into a cup. "On my right is Revio. He sleeps now, or he would introduce myself. He is one of the great Eagles that live high in the Misty Mountains."

Legolas's head shot up and he stared at the wall from which the hobbit's voice came. "The Eagles." He whispered, his eyes widening in shock. What power did this woman have that she could capture one of those great creatures.

"Yes. He was taken from his nest when just a fledgling. They killed his mother to get to him, though he doesn't remember. We've heard the soldiers speak of it though. Said she killed some dozens of them before she was shot through the eye."

"You speak too much, dear friend." The dwarf said reproachfully, though his voice held a soft fondness for the boy. "'Tis not your story to tell."

"Forgive me." Madoc said, the sound of his chair scraping across the wooden floor.

"And your name, Elf?" Nain asked.

Legolas thought for a moment, then decided on the truth. It was better, if they heard as much as the young hobbit claimed. "Legolas, of Mirkwood."

"You are no child, though. Though you may look it. Can I ask how you were taken?"

Legolas sat down heavily on the high bed. He hissed a soft, "No."

"Settle yourself in, Elf." The dwarf suggested after a moment. "I'm afraid you're not going home."

Legolas drew his knees up to his chest, his eyes hardening as he stared out the bars of his cell. 'Yes I am.'

To Be Continued...

So, when I was first thinking about this story (which was a about a year ago) I wanted to do the whole slave thing (come on, if you write Legolas angst you must do the slave thing at least one! it's in the rule book) and I was think about how tired I was of reading stories where 'the king/queen wanted to posses an elf as a slave because of their beauty and power and it made them look important blah blah blah'. I wanted something, while not entirely new, but at least a little different. So I came up with the zoo idea. If she's gonna own an elf, she's gonna own one of everything else too! Weird I suppose, but that's just me.

What do you think?

Until next time!

Adrienne

To my greatly appreciated reviewers -

MelanyeBaggins - Oh yes. Our dear prince will be sure to make it... interesting for his captors.

LegolasLover2003 - Oh but of course, mellon nin. Angst in every way shape and form or it's just not worth it! ;) And yeah, Legolas in white... *imagines coronation scene from RotK* *drools*

AM - Told ya!

bailey - Well, now ya know. She wants pretty things to look at. And oh what a pretty thing he is. Sorry, I watched FotR this morning. I'm still smiling. :)

Beling - Actually, technically you should read this one before you read the other two. lol. This is a prequel to the others. If you read the others first you will get a few tiny spoilers for this one, but that's about it. Really it doesn't matter.

Aranna Undomiel - Oh, but I love to be naught! *grins* And what do you mean short? That was one of my longer ones! And no worries, Traice will get his. *grins again*

Violet - Well thank you very much. And obviously you were right, the queen has been unveiled. What do you think? And I whole-heartedly agree. Legolas makes for the best angst! :)

Evenstar - Thank you and I will!

candidus-lupus-full Moon - Thank you!

MG87 - I'm surprised you intend to have anything left. Cuz I don't. *grins* and thanks. I don't know why, I just don't like that chapter. Apparently I'm the only one though.

Elven Kitten - Yes. Hurt. That works. *searches for OC who seems to have run away after all the death threats*

Namarie an Lalaith - Wow. Thanks, that is greatly appreciated. As I've said in one of my other stories, I know my elvish is off. It probably makes dear Professor Tolkien roll over in his grave. I have a Sindarin to English dictionary that I got on-line, but I have no idea how to structure the sentences. I knew I was way off. How do you know how to word it? Is there a resource that I could look up? Preferably a free one on-line as I have no money. lol. But I would love to be able to improve. I've used a lot of elvish (well, not a lot but a substantial amount by my reckoning) in my other stories as well, and if I translated those as horribly as I did those few sentences, I would love to change it. Thanks again!

lolly pop3 - That's what I was going for. He looked so good, with the crown and the different hair and just... guh!

Alariel - I know. I feel so bad putting the poor thing through that. Well... not that bad. *grins*

Ruby Foxburr of Loamsdown - Yeah, I know. But at that point in his life nothing of the sort had every happened to him. He had no reason not to trust. And obviously he was betrayed because of that trust. And yes, you and many others (myself included) have many bad plans for the nasty traitor. And hun, men are evil evil people anyways. I just elaborate. lol. And finally yes, I do miss our dear Estel. But I promise promise promise he will return.

Templa Otmena  - Why thank you. I do enjoy putting the parts with Legolas's family in. They are all he has now, after all. And yes, the queen. She's here now, what do you think? :)

 Estel Elven Enchantress - Wow. Apparently I was mistaken. I still don't like it though. lol. Thanks anyway.