Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 14
Later that day, Legolas was on a stroll about the palace. Or at least that's what he told people. Really he was on the prowl to find Celidur. He had a gut feeling that the elf was hiding from him. He had asked around about him with the other servants, and none had seen him since breakfast.
Realizing that the chance of finding an elf who intended not to be found in a palace he did not recognize was very slim, Legolas turned his thoughts to the next best person.
Cefielle. If anyone would know about Celidur, she would. That was, if Celidur wasn't lying about their relationship too.
Legolas approached a rather young-looking elf maiden who was busy watering the plants that were potted in various places in the palace.
Pardon me, Good Lady, but I would greatly like to speak with Celebhen's daughters. He said as best as he could, without sounding suspicious.
The young maiden looked up at him, and smiled. Their chambers are down that way, My Lord. She replied politely. Their doors are the ones on the right.
Thank you. Legolas replied, and smiled brightly back. The girl bowed and continued her duties.
Legolas walked quite a long distance before he found the doors he knew had to belong to the daughters of Celebhen. They were all in a row, and it was easy to tell which one belonged to Cefielle.
Each of the doors was a different color to match the sister's eyes. Cefielle's, which Legolas perceived to be the green door, was the last one down. He approached it and hestitated before knocking. He hoped Cefielle wouldn't get the wrong impression about the elf prince visiting her chambers.
Legolas raised a hand and knocked lightly at the door. Through it he hear the sound of scuffling feet and a young girl's call of "Coming!" pronounced in Sindarin.
The door swung open, and Cefielle's eyes went wide at the sight of Legolas. She didn't know what to say.
"Lord Legolas!" She gasped, immediately slipping into Common speech. "What brings you here?"
"Forgive my intrusion," Legolas said, brushing past her and entering the room, for he did not want to be seen where he did not belong. "But I believe you know that, Cefielle."
Cefielle closed the door in haste and approached him. "What do you want, Legolas son of Thranduil?" She asked, using his full name.
"Answers." Legolas replied. "I have not been in this city for two whole days yet, and already I have been lied to, caught spying and deceived."
"I don't understand." Cefielle said.
Legolas turned to her. "I should like you to know that I blame you for nothing. I merely come to you for answers, not to accuse you."
"You've said that already." Cefielle said, beginning to become impatient. "You've come to ask questions that you promised us last night. Shall I send for my sisters?"
"No." Legolas answered firmly. "It is mainly you that I seek answers from."
"Why?" Cefielle asked, now genuinely confused.
Legolas looked down at her, for she was a great deal shorter than he. "I know that you and Celidur are involved with one another."
Cefielle said nothing, but her already pale face became many shades paler.
"He told me when I ran into him this morning. He told me that he was returning from your chamber." Legolas continued.
Cefielle's face remained pale, but she managed to speak now. "Of what importance is this to you?" She said, becoming angry. "How dare you pry into my affairs?"
"I come to you because I must know about the history of your people and of Celidur." Legolas said quickly. "I asked Celidur of your people and how they came to be here, but he also told me that his mother was your father's head seamstress, which I have since found out to be untrue. Once more, he has been avoiding me. I can't trust what he told me."
"But it's against our laws to speak of the past." Cefielle said, worry now pinching her features.
"I know. But Cefielle, I fear there is something amiss here. All is not right." Legolas said, trying to make her understand.
Cefielle once again became angry. "You think I don't even know what goes on in my own home?"
"That is precisely what I think." Legolas replied simply. "And I also think you don't know all you think you know about Celidur."
Cefielle gave him a dangerous glare. "I know everything there is to know about him."
"Then tell me." Legolas said.
Cefielle's green eyes darted from Legolas to various places in the room. "I don't know where to start."
"Tell me about his parents and what happened to them. I heard they were killed, but I never learned how." Legolas ordered.
"His parents were killed, but when he was younger. A Nazgul invaded their home and took their lives." Cefielle said quickly.
"You mean here?" Legolas asked.
"No!" Cefielle shook her head. "Where the Nimar originally settled."
Legolas blinked. "Celidur told me he was born here in Nimeryn. Another lie." He muttered under his breath. But then again it did explain why Celidur looked to be Legola's age and yet told him he was younger.
"Celidur doesn't lie." Cefielle said weakly.
"I can assure you, Lady Cefielle, he has been." Legolas said harshly. "Particularly to me."
Cefielle reacted to his comment with a stab of her own. "Why should he tell you the truth in the first place? You are an outsider and you have no business in our affairs!"
Legolas held her angry gaze in a like a stone. "I'm making it my business." He answered calmly. "Tell me more."
Cefielle opened her mouth to protest but then receiving another dark glare from the elf prince she thought better.
"Celidur was old enough to look out for himself then, or so he told me. He found work as a servant in my father's household after we came here. Then my sisters and I were born." Cefielle explained.
Legolas let his eyes drop to the floor in thought. "How old are you? And your sisters?"
"We are 2349. Gwelwielle is the eldest of us, and I'm the youngest." Cefielle said.
That confirmed it. The Nimar's growth cycle wasn't stunted in anyway. It was the same as any elf. Just Celidur lying about his age was what had thrown Legolas off.
"How did you and Celidur first meet? And what's his real age?" Legolas questioned.
"He's 3051." Cefielle answered, and Legolas looked at her sharply.
"He's a bit old for you, isn't he?" He teased. The comment didn't please Cefielle.
"Don't you start lecturing me. You aren't my father." She hissed.
"I'm sorry." Apologized the elf prince. "That means Celidur is really older than me."
Cefielle bit her lip. "Why? How old are you?"
"2931 years-of-age." Legolas answered softly. "Now tell me how Celidur met you."
Cefielle shook her head and began to pace. "He's said he's know me since I was born, but the first memory I have of him is watching him serving my father at dinner."
Legolas tipped back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Forgive me for this question is personal, but…when did you two begin to see each other romantically?"
The elf prince heard Cefielle take a sharp breath and pause, but then she spoke. "It's been a year and 2 months since I first gave myself to him." She said softly, and oddly, somewhat sadly.
"Do you love him?" Legolas asked, decided to begin the forthright approach.
Cefielle looked up at him in alarm. "I shouldn't have to answer that."
"Cefielle." Legolas looked at her again, but this time with not so much darkness in his eyes.
Cefielle's face became distressed and she went and sat down on her bed. "I don't know. I want to, but I don't know if I do. He says he loves me, and it makes me feel guilty because I have no answer in return for him."
Legolas stared at the girl as she hugged herself and blinked repeatedly in order to keep tears from falling. It seemed as if the whole royal family had problems. Meagluin distrusted anyone, Celebhen was trying to cover up his past flaws with laws, and his youngest daughter was having an affair with a servant who lied about who he was.
And I thought my family was strange…Legolas thought jokingly.
"Thank you, Cefielle." Legolas said gently. "For telling me this. I didn't mean to upset you."
"I know." The girl said, covering her eyes with her pale hand.
Legolas thought about the next step before speaking again. "I don't want to trouble you further, but I need you to tell me exactly what happened to your people and why you moved here and remained in secret."
Cefielle took a deep breath and forced herself to stop acting like such a weakling. "What…did Celidur tell you?"
"Nothing that I presume to be true." Legolas answered, but then he went on. "He told me that something terrible happened—he didn't say what—but that it was what caused the Nimar to move here. And this forest was formed from the seeds of Nimgaladh, the Nimar's sacred tree."
"That's true, except the lack of detail." Cefielle said. "I told you he didn't lie about everything."
"Cefielle, please. Tell me of this 'terrible event' that had such an effect on your people. What happened." Legolas urged, taking a seat on the bed next to her.
Cefielle's hand clutched at her bedsheets, but she finally came out and told him.
"Before my sisters and I were born, we had a brother. His name was Mithrendol." Cefielle's green eyes began to pour tear once more.
"He was killed by orcs invading our land." she said shakily. "I never knew him, but I have always felt that he's still with us…watching us…it's terrible. My entire family is haunted by his death."
Legolas blinked. Finally he began to understand some of what was going on. Celebhen had laws against speaking of the past because he didn't want to be reminded of his dead son. And Meagluin was probably cold and quiet in her grief for Mithrendol. And the Nimar had such high security because they wanted to avoid another tragedy at all costs. It all made sense. But he still had Celidur to deal with.
"Thank you, Cefielle." The elf prince said hastily. "I wish I could repay you. But now I must go. We can't be seen together."
"That would slightly anger my mother and father." Cefielle jested lightly. "Promise you won't tell anyone of this, Legolas."
"I swear by the light of Eru I won't tell anyone." Legolas said genuinely. "As long as you won't tell anyone. Especially Celidur."
"I won't." Cefielle said quietly.
Legolas smiled at the young maiden. "May our next meeting be more joyous." The elf prince bowed politely. Then he stood back up and hurried out the door.
Cefielle sat on her bed alone. Not in the prince's presence any longer, she let her emotions flood through her and cried.
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