"Awake already?" Legolas walked into the clearing. He had a bow and quiver slung on his back. She was not sure whether to shrink in fear or run over and kiss him. She stood very still, a confused expression on her face. What was happening? Was that all a dream or not?
"Yes," she said, eyeing him, "Going hunting?"
"You might say that," he smirked.
"It was a dream," she whispered.
"What was?" he asked.
"What happened last night,"she said, turning away from him, "It was all a dream."
"Been dreaming about me eh?" she heard him laugh,"Your expression tells me it was a good dream."
"How did you....,"she turned. Suddenly, she walked up to him. His face turned to surprise, but he did not back away.
"Are they watching us?" she whispered. Legolas looked around.
"Who?" he asked.
"The people...the people...who are watching us....who don't want us to be together," she said. His laugh chilled her.
"Have you gone insane?" he asked.
"No," she said, her eyes filling with tears, "Oh no, no, no, no, it couldn't have been a dream. Please, don't let it have been a dream."
"What happened in this dream of yours?" he asked.
"I went swimming and you found me," she said, starting to panic. "And you chased me and I tried to hide but you caught me and you took me to a room and you told me that we were being watched and that is why you were acting like that around me and then we...well yes that's about it."
"And then we what?" he asked, a curious smile on his face.
"Umm...never mind," she said, "So did it happen?"
"Tell me what happened at the end," he smiled, moving closer. "Perhaps we can make this dream a reality?"
"Then we made cookies," she said quickly. The smile was wiped off of Legolas' face and confusion set in.
"Cookies?" he asked.
"Yes, precisely, cookies," she said. "What did you think I was talking about?"
"I think you know perfectly well," he smirked, "After all, you're not that dense."
Suddenly, he pulled her close to him and whispered. "You need to shutup already Eden. You're revealing a lot."
Eden nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. Now she knew what he was doing. 'He's just pretending with me,' she thought, 'Oh thank goodness! It wasn't a dream after all.'(A/N: yes it really did happen. Eden is not being a dumbass....for now)
"Alright then," she smiled. "Happy hunting, my Lord." She bowed and turned to walk when he grabbed her arm.
"Why don't you accompany me today?" he asked.
"Well I still have my duties to do today," she said. Something did not feel right. Her eyes grew fearful as they gazed upon his own. His grip on her arm was like a vice and she gasped as his grip tightened.
"I excused you from those duties," he said and pulled her along. They walked in silence until they came upon a clearing where in the middle there were unequipped elves and then to the left there were a few other elves, all equipped with bows and arrows. One of them was the one that Eden had scratched, yet his handsome face was in tact and showed no sign of scars.
"It's them," he whispered in her ear so that she could barely hear and then pushed her harshly into the center of the circle of the clearing, along with a few other elves who Eden recognized as other servants at the palace. They too were doing their civil service here.
"Hello Eden," the one named Saria greeted her, "Do you know why we're here today?"
"I have no idea," Eden sighed.
"You look awful," said the one named Kio. "Did you fall in the river?" Eden smiled.
"Uh...yes...heh....I can just be so clumsy sometimes," she said. She looked over at the others and Legolas. They were talking and laughing and did not seem to be paying attention to the servants.
"Why are they taking so long?" said Saria. "If they start any later, we'll miss the arrival of the new dresser in Lady Vauria's room," Kio and Eden muttered in agreement. Eden's heart beat wildly. What if she made a mistake? She did that so often, but she tried not to concentrate on it and continued speaking with others. There were ten other servants including herself and 5 elves with bows and arrows.
Finally, the one who she had scratched, Talad, came forward to Eden and roughly turned her around.
"You keep those harpy claws to yourself this time or your punishment will be much much worse," he growled.
"Only if you keep your filthy paws off of me," she retorted. He snarled at her and started to advance upon her when suddenly Legolas started to speak. Talad quickly forgot about Eden and his full attention was on the Prince.
"So does everyone know what we are doing today?" he asked.
"No, your highness," came the answer.
"We are playing a game called predator and prey," he said, "Does anyone know how to play?"
"No, your highness," came the answer again.
"It is really quite simple," he said, stringing his bow. All of the servants looked uneasily at him.
"I don't like this at all," somebody whispered.
"We're the predators," a sadistic smile spread across his face. "You're the prey. You will have a five....well, make it six...five is too easy...six minute head start." There were sudden cries of worry and fear. "On your marks, get set, go!"
The whole pack took off running. Someone pulled Eden to the side and she could see that it was Kio and Saria who ran along beside her. The others ran in the opposite direction.
"What's...," Eden started, but Saria interrupted her.
"Don't talk just run!" she cried. And so she did and she ran the fastest that she had in her entire life. Eden was always good at running but she made sure to follow Kio and Saria. After a while, they were beginning to slow from exhaustion. Kio pointed out a rock formation and they headed there.
They disappeared into a cave.
"What will happen if they catch us?" asked Eden breathlessly. 'What a strange morning it has been,' she thought as she relaxed against the rock.
"I don't know," said Kio, "Never been caught."
"Me neither," added Saria.
"Do they actually shoot you with arrows?" asked Eden, "How do they catch you:?"
"They do use arrows but they put these balls at the tip so it won't go through the skin and the balls are filled with different colored ink according to each player," explained Saria, "It's actually quite painful. They can also catch you by grabbing you and pulling you on their horse."
"So you have played this before?" Eden cried. "Then why did you say that you did not know how to play?"
"Shhh not so loud," warned Kio, "That's what you always have to say. It's customary to say that during this game. You're supposed to pretend you don't know how to play it. It's actually very old. Elves have been playing it since the Valar set them upon Middle Earth. I'm surprised they chose you to participate though. You're new. They usually pick people who have been here for a long time."
"But stick with us and you won't get caught," Saria said quietly, "We have always hid here and they haven't found us yet."
"So how do we know when it ends?" asked Eden.
"The horn is blown and then you go back to your room....that is if you don't get caught," said Kio. "I don't know what happens if you do."
"So we just wait here?" asked Eden.
"Yep," sighed Kio and relaxed. Suddenly, Saria's face turned white. She sniffed the air and pressed her ear against the stone and then looked helplessly towards Kio and Eden, fear in her large blue eyes.
"Run while you can," she whispered haursely and they all ran out of the cave in separate directions. Eden heard the sound of hooves and urged herself to run faster. She heard a far off cry and an "I got one!" Eden ran aimlessly deeper into the forest. She didn't know how much further it was until she would drop of exhaustion, but till then she ran as if her life depended on it. An arrow whizzed by, hitting a tree and exploding red paint all over. But who was the one with the red paint on their arrows? She hoped it was Legolas, if anybody.
She dared not look back, but suddenly stopped when she was almost about to collapse from exhaustion. She realized that it was silent once more . She turned around to look in the direction that she was running from and saw nothing there. Looking around wildly, she saw only forest and the white sky. A strenuous breeze blew through the forest, making her copper strands spin high above her head. Suddenly it stopped and the forest was dead silent once more. Now all she heard was her own heavy breathing.
She decided that she should start walking further into the forest. Her head spun from lack of oxygen as she walked under the trees. And she realized now that it had all been a bad trick. Those two that had tried to "help" her were actually using her as a diversion. Her heart sank.
Suddenly, she was hit with an arrow. She turned and was hit by another and then another. Saria was right, it was very painful and Eden dropped to the ground and cradled herself and whimpered as she kept getting hit. Finally it stopped and she looked up to see the slender legs of a white horse and on it sat Talad, a satisfied smile on his face. Eden felt sore as she stood up and looking down at herself, she saw that she was covered with the red paint.
It was quite a scene. A pure white horse with a chiseled, handsome, and clean cut relative of the royal family on it and then a young elf maiden with messed up copper hair that spilled all around her and a ruined dress now stained with red paint.
"That's a nice color on you," Talad said. Eden said nothing as she wiped some of the red paint off her hands and onto a clean spot on her dress. "Now then, follow me." He turned his horse around.
"Why should I?" Eden asked with spite as she stood where she was, drops of red paint sliding off her dress. He turned back quickly and strung an arrow.
"Do you want to get shot again?" he growled. "I hear it's rather painful."
"Alright," grumbled Eden and started to walk after him. He let an arrow loose into her stomach. She dropped forward onto the ground, the air completely knocked out of her.
"I said alright!"she gasped.
"Just making sure," he said in a pleasant, gentle-manly manner. "Now walk."
And so Eden followed him. She did not realize how far she had ran.
"You are quite the sprinter," he said. "My horse was running at almost full gallop after you. You're fast, very fast."
"Obviously not fast enough," sighed Eden. "So what happens now?"
"Well since you got caught, we go through the ritual," he said.
"Ritual?" asked Eden, not liking the sound of that. "What happens in this ritual?"
"You learn," Talad said, turning on his horse to look down at her.
"I learn what?" she asked, her voice betraying her.
"Not to get caught ever again," he laughed.
"But I'm tired," whined Eden. "I don't want to play anymore."
"Too bad," he said carelessly, "We're almost there."
As they walked back to the clearing, Eden spotted Legolas on his horse. Their eyes met and she saw a worried look on his face. The horn was blown and all the others that had not been caught came to the clearing and were dismissed. Eden and four others also covered in paint, but in different colors, stood mumbling softly to each other.
"We now begin the ritual of the prey," announced one of the other elves sitting on a grey mare.
They were all told to sit down. Eden closed her eyes. She felt something cool and warm slide onto her hair and down her dress. She wiped the substance from her eyes. It was honey. She heard the elves laugh, while the servants issued cries of disgust. Some of them laughed too.
Closing her eyes in anticipation, she felt smoother liquid being dumped onto her and she recognized its smell. It was paint. Red paint. Each one was getting paint poured onto them, the paint color of their captors. She whimpered as she tried to clear it from her stinging eyes. Everyone seemed to be laughing, even the ones who were having paint splattered on them. She looked at her hands. They looked like they were covered in blood.
"You're sick," she said. Talad walked over to her and lifted her chin with his sword.
"What did you say?" he asked. Eden swallowed hard. Everything was quiet once more.
"I said you're sick," she repeated. Talad raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, is that so?" Talad smirked. Eden looked at Legolas, who looked like he was trying to restrain himself. His eyes pleaded with her to be quiet.
"Yes, this is barbaric and sadistic," she said defiantely, "You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Everyone of you."
"Oh come off it!" cried one of the captured behind her, "It's all fun and games. No harm done."
"You're only saying that because you want them to like you," spat Eden, "You care what they think of you. You're willing to let them humiliate you because you think they will accept you. You're hoping to get into their circle of friends by letting them do this to you. Well, not me. I couldn't give a flying fuck if they like me or not and maybe the rest of you will just sit here and take it, but I won't." And with that, Eden pushed the sword away. She stood up and started to walk away when someone blocked her path. Talad stood in front of her.
"But really," he said, "red is such a nice color on you."
Suddenly she was dragged back and she could do nothing to stop it. She did not even feel it. How did they tie her up without her noticing? And so she sat with her hands tied at her back and her feet bound together as another dose of red paint was spilled onto her. The laughter of the captured and the captors arose once more. Yet this time, Eden could not wipe away the red paint from her eyes as the others could. And she had to spit it out of her mouth since it was on her lips.
Then she felt something else spilled onto her. The smell...was that......oh no.
It was something like ale, but much stronger than ale. And the second it hit her skin, Eden felt dizzy and her head hurt and spun. She heard some of the others start laughing.
"It's ale!" one of them laughed. "I'm getting drunk!!" Everyone burst into laughter. And then suddenly there was a rush of water and Eden was doused with water. At every side it was thrown at her so that she could scarcely breath and when it was done, she opened her eyes. Her legs and dress were no longer red, but the water around her was. She felt and heard the others get up and stumble away, laughing. Yet she sat on the ground tied, waiting for someone...perhaps Legolas..to set her free. But it was Talad's boots she saw approaching her.
"You dishonored me in front of my servants and friends," he growled. "Should I do the same to you?"
"Do what you want," Eden murmured. She was not only exhausted, mentally and physically, but she was also drunk. She felt herself being untied and her wrists were firmly held in place against someone. Someone mean and strong. What was going on?
Eden kept her eyes closed. She did not want to see what was happening. But something forced her to. He did and so she opened them to see six blue eyes staring at her. Then it was four. Then it was two. They were so angry. So angry and Eden wondered what had happened that had caused such nice eyes to become so angry.
"You stupid girl," the mouth spoke, "Do you know who you're dealing with?" But Eden could barely stand and everything around them was spinning. The only thing keeping her from falling was his arms. But where was her Prince? Where was Legolas? But first she had to answer this creature's question.
"I don't know," she replied. And then she felt him touch her. Where? Where were those fingers? They were on her face, tracing her lips and now they were on her neck and now they were.......
But suddenly she was grabbed away with such force and she was in someone's arms. The savior smelled familiar and those arms...they were strong and protective. She heard arguments. She heard curses. But she didn't care because she was safe now. She was safe.
And when she opened her eyes, she was staring into the ocean, into an endless blue which stretched for leagues. Legolas' beautiful face came into view. His expression was sad. He carressed her face gently.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said. Her fingertips carresed his face as well and she felt his tears.
"I'm sorry, Eden," he whispered. "This should have never happened. I'm so sorry."
"But now everyone knows," she said. He grew quiet and then, "Yes."
"And what did you tell them?" she had started crying now. "What did you tell them, Legolas?"
"I told them.....everything," he said.
"Tell me what you told them, Legolas," she had moved away slightly, away from his warmth, from his arms. Suddenly, a second face came into view. The frowning face of Talad and the rest of the elves.
"I told them about our.....um relationship," he continued.
"Yes all about your little affair," smirked Talad.
"Little affair?" she whispered through her tears.
Legolas would not look at her. She wondered if his friends had seen his tears.
"We think this matter to be very serious and I for one am very glad that Legolas told me," Talad said. "I am his oldest and dearest friend, after all, not to mention a close relative. I've known about it all along. How you're obsessed with him and how he only said those things to take pity on you and well, one can excuse the Prince for acting only how nature made him to act when a beautiful and scantily dressed elf maiden is practically falling all over him. He felt sorry for you and you took advantage of that. Have you no shame? For using someone you serve like that? Your future king? You should be locked up for this."
"This isn't happening," she whispered. "You wouldn't do this to me. You couldn't. You...he's making you. Don't you see? Can't you stand up and say something in my defense instead of being a coward?"
"And now you insult our Prince!" Talad said loudly. "You whore."
"And still you say and do nothing," Eden was very calm now, "What else did you let him do to me while I was unconcious Legolas?" He still would not look at her. She sat on the edge of the bed. This was the room where they first made love in. How ironic.
"Unlike you, the Prince has feelings and morals, " Talad continued, "Nothing happened. I wouldn't want to touch you anyways, even if you begged me."
"Keep dreaming," she glared. She was very angry now. 'That coward,' she thought,' Probably slayed a million orcs, but still can't stand to hurt his reputation.'
"You make me sick," she said and started to get up, but was pushed back down.
"We're not done with you yet, you brazen bitch," he growled. "I said you will be punished for doing this to the Prince and you will be. I've already called the guards."
"You're bluffing," Eden wrapped an arm around one of the posts of the bed and even though her face was expressionless, tears poured freely. "You didn't. Legolas, you bastard, if you're going to let it be like this then at least have the balls to tell me you don't love me. Go ahead, tell me." This time Legolas's eyes met hers. They were no longer sad.
"I don't love you Eden," he said. Eden felt her heart break for a second time. "I never did. This was just a stupid game that turned awry. I really did think you were just playing along."
"Ooooh, that's got to hurt," said Talad, a satisfied smile on his face. "Now let's see. You will go to the dungeons for a few nights until the king will hear of this and it will be soon, mind you and well...you will be sent back to your home where you will live eternally alone for being such a whore."
Eden covered her face with her hands and curled up, sitting, into a ball. She did not want them to see her cry any longer.
"And what will your parents think?" Talad said with deceitful worry," Your father? Your brothers? What will everyone say when you leave your home? Correction, if you leave your home." Eden could not help but cry harder. All the things he said seemed to be so real.
He kneeled down in front of her and then looked to Legolas.
"And who will marry you now?" he said in the same tone, "Now that everyone knows how you really are?" He laughed and looked at Legolas, whose face said nothing, but merely stared at Eden who avoided his eyes.
Suddenly, Talad grabbed her by the shoulders. "You know, if you had set your sights on me, things could have been different," he whispered. "But you chose the very person who would not even dream of feeling anything for you. You!" He shook her slightly. "You who is a Goldenlight! Did you really think anything was going to happen?" Eden would not look at him. "Oh you did. How romantic." He tilted her head towards him. "Have a nice life, whore."
"But you told me.....," she whispered through her tears towards Legolas.
"I'm sorry Eden," Legolas said.
"It can't end like this," she cried. "Tell them the truth Legolas."
"He did tell us the truth!" said Talad, angrier than ever. "It is you who lies, you stupid excuse for an elf."
"For once in your life, stand up for what you believe in," she cried, grasping his arm, but now his face had turned cold.
"You have no right to speak to me like that," he hissed, pulling himself away from her. "Perhaps that is where you belong. In the dungeons."
And she was suddenly grabbed by three pairs of cold hurtful hands. She looked at Legolas who merely stared at her with boredom.
"I hate you," she said to him and then let herself be pulled outside the door. She was pushed into a small cell with almost no light. The floor was very cold and the shadows that danced across the walls scared her. She was so hungry and thirsty. She was so emotionally and physically drained.
She laid herself on the cold, hard floor. Everyone she knew hated her and she would surely be turned away by her parents. She would run away as soon as she came home. She would run away and never return. She was sick of all the drama, the lying, the schemes. She was sick of being hurt over and over again. She was sick of it all. But despite the fact that he had betrayed her, Eden still loved Legolas. She could not help it.
And so Eden cried. She cried and cried for everything that had happened to her, for all the pain that she had encountered, for every emotional scar that she knew would never heal. Her crying echoed in the almost silent halls of the dungeons and even those that usually screamed and bellowed and cursed were silenced and listened to Eden's crying. The guards too stood in silence and looked at each other as her mournful cries were echoed in the dungeon. This was not merely the crying and tears of some little elf maiden who nobody liked, this was the pain and suffering of someone who was completely broken inside, someone there was no hope for and who had lost all hope, someone who begged for death with their tears. And it only stopped when she closed her eyes and fell asleep. (A/N: Yes...boohoo...sorry for the angst)
She did not hear the murmurs of pity of the other prisoners or the guards. In the morning, she was given extra food from the kindness and pity of the guards. But when Dar, the dungeon guard came in to give her the food she did not eat it. She merely sat staring straight ahead, oblivious to everything around her. He set the plate down and locked the door shaking his head.
But then Dar came back in four hours later and still the plate was full.
"Aren't you going to eat something?" he asked. "I mean, we did give you extra rations. The least you could do is thank us and eat it."
"But then," she finally spoke, still not looking at him, "That would mean that everything was alright. To eat a full meal, that would mean that everything was alright and happy, but it's not. Could you possibly comprehend the feeling of knowing that your life is over? Could you imagine it? Well try, and then we shall see if you have a good appetite."
"I'm not trying to be nosy, but did you really do everything they said you did?" he asked, whispering.
"I do not know who 'they' are, but I can assure you 'they' know nothing," Eden replied. It was good to have someone to tell something to. Even if it was nothing. He nodded, but before he left Eden had to ask. "Has anyone been down here to see me?"
Dar shook his head. Eden sighed and lay back. She knew it was too much to expect but still...
More days passed and Eden had not eaten still and still no one came to get her. She only slept now. No tears rolled down her cheeks anymore. She was silent. The emptiness seized her suddenly and she merely lay on the floor like a doll, waiting for someone, for anyone, to pick her up off the floor. Everyday she would ask Dar the same thing. "Has anyone come to see me?" But no one ever came.
Yet, finally, on the 18th day of her stay, she was awoken in the middle of the night and taken to the washing room where the maids bathed her and gave her a long white gown with long sleeves and whose neck line was rather low. Then she was taken to the main hall to see the king. She looked even thinner and paler still and her blue-green eyes were dull and empty. And yet her heart wrenched as she saw Legolas sitting beside his father and brothers. His gaze turned towards her and he sat in his chair, his eyes slightly widened and sad.
Everyone was staring at her.
"By the Valar," she heard someone whisper, "look how thin she is." Eden truthfully did not know how she was standing. She felt as if her legs would give out at any second.
Then she heard the king's voice. It was soft and deep, but she was not listening. She merely stared down at the ground. Then his voice rose and she looked up to see Legolas, but he was not there. He had left his seat.
Suddenly she was released.
"You are to go home and never come back to the palace again under very severe punishment," she heard him say. She nodded and was led out. Someone had given her a horse. It was her horse. Sumo nudged her lovingly.
A single tear rolled down her cheek. "We will be leaving here soon, Sumo," she whispered to him, embracing him. "We will never return. We will go see what we have always wanted to see. I need no one's protection. I will train myself with the skill of the sword and arrow."
She mounted Sumo and they set off towards her home, but when she got there, no one was home. All her belongings were at the palace, but she decided that she had better pack food and so she did, right after eating a meal that made her emaciated self very full. She took a pouch of water and a bundle of food and she borrowed another cloak from one of her other siblings. She also picked up a light sword, a bow, and a quiver of arrows. She then ran outside, mounted Sumo and took off. She rode for a day until suddenly when she was at the edge of Mirkwood, she felt someone drop in behind her on Sumo and pulled her to a stop.
Whoever it was said nothing, but removed her sword from her waist, her dagger from her ankle, and her bow and arrows.
Eden merely sat and cried once more. She knew there was not much else she could do. She was still very weak and knew she could not fight back.
"You know you can't go anywhere in this state," Legolas whispered in her ear.
"In the state that YOU put me through!" she cried. "You did this to me! When our love was tested, you ran away like a scared little child and left me to those dogs all alone! You. Left. Me. Again."
"You know I couldn't tell them," he said.
"Why not?" she asked. "Still ashamed? Still too fucking scared to tell anyone?"
"It's......it's....it's all very complicated Eden," he said, still holding her, "It's politics. You can't mix love and politics Eden."
"And the point of you stopping me was?" she asked, no longer crying.
"I don't want you to leave," he whispered. The pieces of her heart that were left, shattered in an instant and the sudden feeling of emptiness enveloped her.
"I hope I never set eyes on you again, your highness," she said slowly, "Now get off my horse."
She felt him slide off and his warmth left her. Then, without looking back, Eden rode out of Mirkwood forest for the first time in her life.
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A/N: I was thinking of ending it there, but I promised a proper ending for this story and I don't like to break promises so either the next or the one after this is the last chapter. Let's just play it by ear, shall we? :)
I'd like to thank everyone who liked and reviewed the last chapter. I love getting those things. They give you a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, as if I accidentally swallowed a bunny. Hehe. Ok I'm going to stop. Meanwhile, I've been creating another fic. So when this is done I'll be posting a new one. Yay!