Aranel of Mirkwood : Your muse is still a virgin? Good for him! Can I be his 'explorer'? (grins evilly)
Sailor Elf : Tell me! Who is that someone?
szhismine : Lucky…oops…poor servant indeed!
Dur En Thurin Naur : I'm sorry but no, we are not going to see the council. It's a very formal and top secret affair. No naked princes allowed!
astalder : No way! Orcs are also not allowed in this story!
LegolasTroyGurl : Your brothers are triplets? Wow! Kiss everyone one of them for me! On their cheeks, I mean…
Legolas Greenleaf : Yes, I did received it! It's gorgeous! THANK YOU! How about some more?
Nessa Thranduiliel : The farther away from the statue, the crazier they'll get. He! He!
Legolas Garden Light : I believe this story might take only 8 chapters long.
Althelas : I can't wait for 'Cell No 8' too. Thanks for the info.
Fire Breathing Ferret : You and your cupboard. Sigh…
Laire Eryn : Some of the readers told me that Cassia is moving and will be back on board soon. How soon? Err...donno.
Someone Reading : You are completely correct! Being a virgin is not something to be ashamed of. Look at me. I'm already 29 and still possess that…uh…'maiden head'. (Of course, my social life is a complete zero compared to all my friends who already have family and kids of their own.)
Karina : Oh my God! You are back! I'm so happy to hear from you again. Thank you for everything. To answer your question; No, Qestari is not Tolkien's but a product of my wild imagination. The great professor might disapprove of my abusing his original works (Sorry, Professor T!)
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"That thing doesn't look much like her, does it?" Legolas stated as they stared at the statue of Qestari.
Keldarion's eyes were sharp, not missing a thing. "They didn't get her hair right. Hers is only shoulder length, not that long. And the breasts are too big."
Glancing sideways at his brother, Legolas grinned. "Trust you to notice that above all things!"
Keldarion glared in warning, but Legolas didn't seem to care. Laughing mischievously, the younger prince leaped onto the low pedestal where the statue stood. "Let me demonstrate what you did that night," he exclaimed and hugged the marble structure. Then he started to moan, "Oh, my love! Oh…Oh! Ahh…."
Steams seemed to be coming out of Keldarion's ears as he watched Legolas' display. "Will you get down from there!" he shouted, embarrassed, his face already turning red. "I swear I'll…!"
Chuckling, Legolas jumped off the statue as Keldarion made a grab for him. "You know, Kel? I think we must do something before both of us lost our mind," Legolas said, suddenly getting serious.
Keldarion tilted his head as he gazed questioningly at his brother. "Apart from telling father, what do you suggest we do?"
Legolas nodded towards the statue. "Let's get rid of it."
Eyes widening, the elder prince stared in disbelief. "You mean, wreck the statue?"
"Sure. That would be fun, wouldn't it?" Legolas was crunching his knuckles as he glared at the marble nymph. "This thing sure gives me the creeps."
"Legolas, need I remind you that that statue is over two thousands years old and is considered quite valuable to our people?"
"I know that but who cares?" Legolas replied and started to put his weight against the statue. "Come on, Kel. Help me push her over. With this thing gone, you won't have to…uh…ride her again."
Keldarion groaned. "Will you stop talking about that blasted incident? If you don't, I swear I'll tie you to a tree, upside down!"
"Stop whining and give me a hand!" Legolas said as he pushed. "It's heavy."
Rolling his eyes, Keldarion gave in. He leaned next to his brother, bracing his shoulder against the statue. Together, they shoved with all their might.
It wouldn't move even an inch.
"With this…thing…gone…doesn't mean…the lady won't come…seducing us…again," Keldarion said, huffing and puffing with the effort. Legolas opened his mouth to reply, but someone else suddenly chose that moment to intervene.
"YOUR HIGHNESSES! WHAT IN ARDA IS THE TWO OF YOU DOING?"
The two brothers went still. They blinked repeatedly back at Linden who had suddenly appeared to stare incredulously at them from several yards away. There was an expression of great astonishment on the elven commander's face, as well as amusement and concern.
"Again, I ask, what exactly are you doing?" Linden repeated as the princes kept staring at him, still mute.
"We…We are…uh…exercising?" Legolas supplied sheepishly.
Keldarion rolled his eyes at that, muttering an oath under his breath.
"That surely didn't look like exercising to me," Linden responded, his gaze sharp as he eyed the brothers up and down. "Now, tell me truthfully. What are you up to?"
Slightly daunted by the commander's penetrating gaze, Legolas took a step back and hid behind his brother. "You tell him," he urged in a whisper, poking Keldarion in the ribs.
Keldarion swiveled his head and glared. "Why me?" he whispered back.
"Because you are the eldest," came Legolas' reply, much to Keldarion's exasperation.
"And what is that suppose to mean?" the elder prince growled.
"That means, it's your responsibility to get us out of this mess!"
"Oh, really? What of your responsibility?"
"Me? I don't have any."
"Easy for you to say…"
"Your highnesses!"
Keldarion and Legolas visibly jumped at the commander's sudden shout. After briefly closing his eyes for composure, Linden then said, "You still haven't answered my question."
Feeling incredibly foolish, Keldarion still managed to raise his head slightly higher and met Linden's gaze. A powerful warrior himself, the elder prince couldn't remember the last time he had felt like the guilty little boy who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, being chastised and scolded at by the elders.
"We did nothing wrong," Keldarion softly replied. "We were just fooling around, that's all."
Linden was silent for a long while afterwards. He regarded the two princes thoughtfully, slightly frowning. The brothers were behaving weirder and weirder by the minute. When they came to him that morning asking about their father, Linden had sensed that something was terribly bothering them.
And when the brothers had kept themselves locked in Legolas' chamber for the entire day, neglecting their daily sword practice and other duties, the commander knew that something was indeed very, very wrong. So he had decided to follow after them and find out what they were doing. Never had he thought to discover the two princes trying to bring down the statue of Qestari.
"I see," Linden finally said when he actually didn't.
"Good." Keldarion grabbed Legolas' wrist and yanked. "I believe they had prepared the afternoon tea, so we had better return to the palace."
Legolas let his brother drag him towards the path that would lead them out of the maze. The younger prince even flashed a big smile at Linden when they walked pass him.
But the commander suddenly called out once more, "She came to you, didn't she?"
The two brothers stopped dead in their tracks. They immediately whirled around and stared open mouthed at the commander.
"How did you…?"
Keldarion quickly clapped a hand over Legolas' mouth before his brother could say more, his eyes never leaving Linden's face. "What exactly are you talking about?" the elder prince asked, ignoring his brother who was struggling to get his mouth free.
"I think you know what I'm talking about, your highness," Linden calmly said. "Did she or didn't she come to you?"
"Who?" Legolas asked after he slapped Keldarion's hand away.
"The nymph."
Keldarion glanced at his younger brother. Legolas stared back at him in equal surprise. Then they turned to the commander and simultaneously asked, "How did you know?"
"I lived longer than you both, my princes. I know many things," Linden said with a shrug, walking closer towards them. "I can see that something about the statue is bothering the both of you, and I can think of only one reason why it upsets you this way."
Keldarion exchanged another glance with his brother before he sighed heavily. "Linden, we need to talk."
TBC...
I won't be here until Tuesday, so stay tuned!