Okay, got another chapter for you all! This should clear up at least part of the confusion I've noticed from reviews.

Farflung: Well, you kind of should know why he isn't telling, though I may have been too subtle again. This chapter answers it, anyway. This chapter also helps put a nicer light on at least some of Legolas's actions, and gets over the gossip factor. Or, I think it does, I suppose I should say. In my mind, the elves can tell she is pregnant. Dunno how, but they can. You had the same idea I did about this and Mirimir… and my third work in progress is now complete… unless I decide to write a sequel. I do have some ideas for that, but I don't know yet. I'm not sure about the whole three at once part all over again.

Lindaleriel: I think you may be the only one who figured Legolas was staying quiet to keep from dragging Mirimir into this mess.

Galorin: For this story I'm postulating that elves (specially trained/ gifted) can sort of 'talk' to the child, and can use the child's response to the presence of other elves to respond. Naturally the child would respond in a certain way to family… including Ada. My idea is at the quickening, one of those elves could use the child's reaction to determine it's parentage. Which would either nail Legolas to the cross or set him free.

Worral: You're a bit impatient! There's a long way to go.

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Thranduil looked grimly at the two young elves facing him. Then he cast a glance through the crowd, seeing Leherim and Elrohir not far behind Legolas. "A new bit of evidence was brought to my attention early this morning. A letter, written by an unknown elf, concerning this matter. The part which is most relevant to these proceedings, I shall now read aloud. 'In wandering through the halls on the night concerning you, I heard Lady Eiectorm speaking to the elf she had been associated with before. Hearing Legolas's name, I paused to hear, for I knew her voice as well. She spoke of their plan, and how well it was going. The prince would be well and truly trapped, for he had fallen into the deep sleep the herbs he slipped into the Prince's wine had intended. She spoke also of the child she had conceived the elf she was then lying with, and assured him she could pass the child off as the Prince's, for he would not remember the night, because of the herbs.'" Thranduil laid the paper down, and fixed the she-elf a piercing gaze. "What have you to say about this?"

"Lies!" she protested, her voice wavering. "All lies, my lord."

"There is a lot more, which would indicate otherwise… including the truth of Legolas's whereabouts that night."

"He was with me," she insisted, resting a hand over her abdomen, "no matter who lies for him, unable to come forward in person to face me with these ridiculous lies!"

One of the elders slowly nodded. "She has a point, Thranduil. Let the one who wrote this document step forward!"

Silence pervaded the hall for a long moment, and then slowly an elf walked up to the front of the room.

Mirimir?

She tilted her head at him, but did nothing else, facing the elders with her hands folded serenely before her.

Thranduil lifted a brow. "You wrote this?" he asked, lifting the paper.

Mirimir nodded her head, her eyes closing slightly.

"And you stand by everything you wrote?" he continued, letting the document fall to his lap.

Again she nodded.

"This is ridiculous!" Eiectorm's father jumped up from his seat. "She has said nothing, and only by verbal accusation can these things be considered!"

"She has never spoken," Legolas murmured lowly, his eyes darkening. "You ask the impossible."

"I realize that," the elf sneered. "I ask her to speak, to stand up for her lies, which were clearly designed to protect you."

"No."

The room went still at the whisper, Legolas's head snapping around, his jaw dropping open. "Mirimir?"

She turned, her eyes flashing silver, her hands clenched as she drew herself up to her full height, tilting her head back, her hair sliding out of her face. "I have never spoken a lie before, and I shall not start now. Everything I wrote is truth. She conspired to trap the prince. Let her lover take the test at the quickening, but do not punish your prince for her deception and conniving!" Each word was slow, hesitant, but it was clear to all who could see her glittering eyes that the pause was due to her unfamiliarity with speech, rather than with lies. Before anyone could so much as move, she turned and raced silently from the hall, which buzzed at her departure.

Legolas's breath escaped as he sank into his seat, leaning his head on a hand. She spoke! More than that, she may have gotten him out of all trouble associated with Lady Eiectorm. So thinking, he glanced up at his father, who was smiling slightly as he called a guard over. With a few quick words the guard was released, and went with a few others out of the hall.

"Well, Eiectorm, have you anything to say?"

All blood drained from her face, leaving her lips pale. "No, your highness."

"Not even to deny these accusations?"

She lowered her head, touching her abdomen again. "No," she whispered softly.

The room was covered in silence as Thranduil looked at her. "The council is declared without just reason for continuing this farce. You, and your accomplice, shall come before me and my advisors in my study to determine your punishment for this attempt, for your treachery. Understood?"

"Yes, your highness," she agreed.

"In the meantime, you shall both be held, so you will be here when the time comes," he murmured with a faint smile, "as neither of you have anything truly holding you to Greenwood." Joy shown in his eyes as he looked at his son. "That is all." As the room began emptying, the Lady Eiectorm was given a few minutes with her family and a few friends before she was led away to spend her remaining time in the dungeons, and he looked at his still stunned children. "Legolas, Leherim?" They followed him without a word. When the door closed, he embraced them both. "We have come through another rough time, my children."

Legolas closed his eyes with a faint smile. "We have inde—" he broke off, his eyes widening, going darker even as all the color drained from his face, even his lips going a pale shade of grey.

"Legolas?"

Legolas?

He grimaced, wrapping an arm around his middle. His breath hissed out, and a moment later he took a few rapid but shallow ones even as his family looked on in growing confusion and panic. "No!" he groaned softly, turning and running from the room.

Leherim and Thranduil looked at each other, before Leherim raced out after her brother. Legolas!

Send for a healer!

What?

You heard me, just do it!

Send him where?

…Mirimir's room, he whispered softly, running even faster as the pain shafting through him grew weaker. Hold on, Mirimir, hold on!

He skidded around a corner, seeing an elf fleeing. One of the guards who had followed him raced after the elf at his slight indication to do so, even as he scrambled for the door. It had been locked, from the outside, the key missing. Instead of chasing after it, he raced to the library, running into several elves as he dove for the other door. It was unlocked, and he threw it open in a rush, his heart falling to his feet at the scene before him.

He dropped to his knees on the floor beside her, carefully gripping the haft of the dagger that was protruding from Mirimir's chest. Her breath came in small, wet gasps, with coughs that shook her thin frame, blood staining her lips and teeth. Taking a deep breath, he tightened his grip, but before he could pull it free, bloody fingers rested over his.

"Leave it."

No. He shook his head to back it up, even as he removed her hands, feeling the weakness growing, pulling her farther and farther from him.

You may as well. I shall die for speaking.

You will not. If you die for any reason, it will be because he stabbed you!

For speaking.

For letting the truth be known, yes, but not because you spoke.

He always said if I spoke, I would die. I spoke, and now, I will die.

Legolas shook his head slightly, before taking a steadying breath. He pulled the dagger cleanly free, clenching his jaw against the pain that shafted through him even as she bit back a cry, coughing instead. Her lip began bleeding around her teeth, which remained buried deeply in the faintly pink flesh. He dropped the dagger and unclasped his cape, folding it to press against her wound, hoping to slow the flow of blood enough to give the healers time to arrive. Leaning partly against it, and partially over her, he ran his bloodied fingers through her short hair. Do you want to die? he asked, trying to keep her conscious by talking to her.

No. But I haven't any choice!

There are very good healers in the palace. If you fight to live, it is possible you shall. The strike did not damage your heart, you may live.

She looked up at him, monitoring every breath as she thought about it for a while. Do you believe that?

I have had wounds worse than this and survived, he answered softly. Why shouldn't you?

He always said if I said a single word, I would die.

Who said that?

Father.

Legolas stiffened in shock, the one thing he had never considered hitting him with all the subtlety of a cave troll as what he was receiving from her grew even fainter. Your Father?

She didn't reply, her eyes drifting closed, lashes covering her pained pale grey eyes.

"Legolas!" A loud bang came on the door, no doubt not the first time, but the first time he noticed.

Come through the library, he told her.

Steps raced through, and suddenly there were elves all around him, though he only noticed two: Leherim, who stopped dead in horror and shock when she saw the pool of blood he was kneeling in, and Elrohir, who began ordering the servants around, and who knelt on her other side. "Let's get her on the bed, Legolas," he murmured softly.

Legolas lifted himself slightly, and helped Elrohir place her gently onto the covers. "Elrohir?"

"I don't know," he answered quickly, before barking out more orders for different things, sending the servants flying away for the ordered items. "One of you should be here when she wakes."

"If—" He couldn't finish it, and instead sank onto the single chair in her room that didn't have plants on it.

Leherim moved a plant from the table to the floor and sat on the smooth surface after brushing the small bits of dirt aside, combing her fingers through his hair absently as they watched and waited. She picked the braids apart, letting the strands fall unhindered around his shoulders. Legolas?

Hmm?

How did you know?

He closed his eyes and sighed. Do you remember the night I came into your room not long after you had married? I was feeling—

Feeling someone else's emotions… Mirimir's?

He nodded slightly. Yes.

Leherim absorbed that for a long moment. Why didn't you say anything?

He shrugged. I don't know.

Although normally she would have pressed for a better answer than that, now was not the time, especially since Legolas was probably feeling everything that was happening… How is she?

Still here, but faintly. Leherim, her father always told her if she ever said a word she would die.

Her FATHER? How could anyone's father say something like that?

I don't know… he trailed off, hesitating.

What?

Could… Could Madan have been her father?

Madan, Leherim growled the name, her eyes narrowing. She studied Mirimir. He had blond hair, she reminded Legolas.

Yes, and he once had a wife, didn't he? What about children?

I… I don't know. I never considered it. He had no family when he was found to be so wicked.

No. Perhaps that is what we need to find out, discover what happened, really happened to her.

But now she may be able to tell us. It seems a bit of a waste.

She may be able to tell us, but she may not.

Legolas, she sighed softly, letting her hand drop to his shoulder as she leaned down to kiss his temple. You must believe she will live.

She believes this is her punishment for speaking. His eyes, already dark, grew even darker as he saw more blood flowing from her half-stitched wound. She believed if she spoke, she would die… but she spoke anyway.

On his behalf. To save him. Leherim looked at the motionless she-elf, and smiled faintly. I'd say she's gotten over her initial reaction to you.

He snorted softly and lowered his head, a faint and bitter smile twisting his lips. Yes.

Leherim remained silent for a time, watching her husband trying to save the she-elf her brother was connected to in the same way he was connected to her. Does she wish to live?

She said she did.

Do you believe her?

She also told me to leave the dagger as it was.

Leherim took a deep breath and tilted her head until her temple was resting against Legolas's crown. All we can do is wait, and hope. Send her encouragement, if you can.

I'd hate to encourage her the wrong way, and there is no way for me to know what she's leaning towards.

Then send her your worry, your care. Leherim closed her eyes as Legolas closed his, doing just that.