It never was and never will be
You don't know how you've betrayed me
And somehow you've got everybody fooled
It never was and never will be
You're not real and you can't save me
Somehow now you're everybody's fool
- Evanescence, "Everybody's fool"
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Seasa stared at Legolas, her lip curling. Pure fury sizzled in her eyes but the Prince of Mirkwood didn't even notice. He stood, talking with Astalder, his voice quietly praising the elf's battle strength. But to Seasa, everything was simply a blur; all she could focus on was that she had aided the enemy -- aided the enemy -- and he had stolen the only piece of identity that she had with her as a captive. She had aided the enemy ..
No one noticed she was still curled on the floor, her fist clenched. She was so angry her mind couldn't even function. Had she been calm, she would have known her motions were irrational; she coiled up into a spring, her face fierce with anger and with a scream, she lunged at Legolas.
The Prince was totally taken by surprise; his hands instinctively went to his face to protect his head and Astalder, startled, made a move to grab for her arm to restrain her. But she would not be restrained. "You--thief--" she growled at him. Her nails dug into the skin of his face and she dragged them down, ripping off the flesh. "I saved your life and you--you--stole it!" Her voice was nothing more then a hiss and as blood dripped down his face, she pounded her fists into his chest. "THIEF!"
Legolas had been slow to react but now he violently pushed her off of him, shoving the maiden down to the ground. He stared, aghast at her trembling form as she sprung once again at him, like a mad cat possessed by a demon of fury. Astalder and Elear acted quickly and caught her before she could reach him again, their strong hands wrapped around her shoulders as her body shook, still struggling to reach her prey. "You beast!" She screeched. "I saved you and your kin and you stole from me!"
Legolas took a step backwards as she continued to fight the elves restraining her. "What are you talking about?" he asked, horrified, taking no notice of the deep scratch in his chin and cheek. "Have you gone mad?"
"Mad with hate!" Seasa spat, attempting to jerk her hands free. "You stole it from me--"
"Stole what?!" Legolas shouted, for Seasa's screeches had raised in tone and he had to shout to be heard. The other elves were drawing close now, confused and worried. One of them rushed forward to tend to the Prince's wounds, but he impatiently waved him back. "I'm fine," he said shortly.
Seasa let out a peel of black laughter, earning another jerk from her captors. "Of course he's fine! What does he have to worry about? He has you fools to die for him should he ever need to step in a real battle, and his father on which to blame anything that goes amiss!!!" Some of the intensity of her attack was fading now, and she glanced down to see the blood on her hands. It didn't register at first, until Legolas took a step closer. "What are you talking about?" He looked terribly concerned, and glancing at Elear, whose face was tense from restraining her, he asked, "Is this madness some effect from her illness?"
Elear shook his head tersely. "I don't think so, my lord."
"The illness I suffered at your hands!" She shouted, but her body had stopped struggling. Her voice rose a few octaves. "You steal from me, keep me captive, your captain abuses me -- all because I walked past you at the wrong time, in the wrong place!" Her head dropped and she stared fixedly at the blood on her hands. Her voice fell to a strangled whisper. "And how did I repay you? I saved your life -- I aided the enemy -- when you stole from me the last piece of identity I have!"
Legolas's brow furrowed and he shook his head. "What are you talking about?!"
Her eyes snapped up and she strained against the elves holding her. "Don't act like you don't know! You must have taken it from me while I was sleeping -- it is the only symbol of my village I have left! All else has been burned or stolen and now you've stolen this!"
A look of slow realization dawned on Legolas's face and his eyes began to harden. He slowly reached into his pocket, and from his hand dangled the star perched on the emerald ribbon. "This?" he asked, his voice lowering dangerously. "Is this what you're talking about?"
Suddenly, Seasa knew she'd stepped too far. That part about her village -- she shouldn't have said it -- he was going to find out --
Seasa slowly turned her head away from his menacing gaze and he took a step closer. Her arms went slack in Elear and Astalder's grips but they still held onto her tightly. Astalder glared suspiciously at her and Legolas took another step closer, the necklace dangling from his hands. In a slow paced voice laced with suspicion he began, "You told me you were from Silmataurea - Never Winter Woods . Why would a single star represent Never Winter Woods?"
Seasa did not reply; her face was flushed, her eyes closed.
"Answer me." Legolas urged in a dangerous tone. When she didn't reply, he slowly unsheathed his long elven dagger. "I demand a reply."
The gleaming steel of his dagger pressed into the thin skin at her neck. The tempo in her veins increased and Legolas whispered, his voice deadly silent but all in the silent clearing heard him, "Are you, or are you not from Silmataurea?"
The blade pressed further into her skin and for a moment it looked as though she wouldn't speak; but finally she cried, "No, no! I am not from Silmataurea." Hot, fresh tears rolled out from under her closed eyelids, and she cursed herself to Mordor and back again. What had she been thinking --
She hadn't been thinking. And now her cover would be blown. They would learn her true identity, and she would be brought to Thranduil's halls in chains.
"Where," Legolas breathed, "Are you from?"
But she wouldn't answer and suddenly her mind's eye saw what she must look like. A helpless female sobbing as the bullying male pressured her into betraying herself. Not me, Seasa thought rebelliously, not now. And she slowly raised her head, her chin high and stared him straight in the eye. Several elves gasped at this blatant disrespect for authority but Seasa didn't blink.
Even Legolas looked slightly surprised, but Seasa thought she saw his mouth twitch, as if it longed to smile. But she must have imagined it, for it was gone as quickly as it appeared. Legolas eyes fell on the single, glass star in his palm. She could see in his eyes that he was working to put two and two together as only he could--
And suddenly, he knew; it clicked in his mind and she knew it the instant it did. His eyes quickly darted to her face and he took another step closer, so that his face was only inches from her. Astalder and Elear released their grips on her and stepped back. The Prince leaned in, his lips almost brushing her ear and her heart stop.
"I know," he whispered, so quietly she had to strain to hear him. "I know you're from his villiage. I know you're his daughter."
Seasa blanched as Legolas pulled away, her skin turning a milky white as the blaze in her eyes died. Legolas stared at her, his mouth pressed into a firm line. He mouthed one thing to her, before she hung her head in shame.
"I know."