Legolas eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness of the lower dungeons, but Aragorn, behind him, paused a moment to let his eyes accustom themselves to the gloom. Legolas, feeling slightly remorseful for his earlier sharp words and now suddenly uneasy that they were here, waited for his human friend. "All is well?" he asked after a moment. Aragorn replied softly. "Yes, my lord. All is well."

The simple phrase, 'my lord' sent a pang through Legolas; Aragorn's heritage and lineage was just as noble, if not more, then Legolas's own and they had both designated to never put on 'airs' with one and other. With the simple use of the phrase, 'my lord,' Aragorn was subtly letting his friend know that Legolas was overstepping his boundaries

But apologies and explanations could come later; from the miniature window in the first cell next to him, the Prince could see the sun was rising. The guards would be making rounds soon.

With an impassive look at Aragorn, Legolas began to cautiously move down the hallway. He didn't glance into any of the cells until they came to the last at the end of the row; pausing, he hesitated, then glanced inside.

A sharp intake of breath alerted Seasa to a visitors arrival, but she was too tired to even lift her head. Sprawled on the damp floor instead of the cot provided for her, her dress and robe were flung out, bright colors in a gray world. Her dark hair, usually glossy even when littered with twigs and dust had lost much of its shine as it curled under her. Her cheeks had lost their flush and her lips there color; her eyes were shut and she would it they stayed that way. She was curled up, her knees to her chin, and her hand playing host to two spiders as they rested from a long nights work of catching dinner.

Legolas was at a loss for words. His eyes riveted on her face. That glow, that faint unearthly glow all elves have about them...hers was fading.

Aragorn noticed it as well. He had not spent his life around elves without learning a thing or two, and at the stricken look on Legolas's fair face, he took a step forward, wrapping his fingers around the cool bars. "My lady?"

There was no sign that she had heard him at all, no sign that she was alive even other then the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Finally, she replied, her voice surprisingly steady, "Your voice is not one I have heard before. Are you a new guard?"

"If you would but open your eyes you would see I am not," Aragorn replied swiftly.

"Ah, but that requires strength and I have precious little of that left. Your accent is strange; you speak the High Tongue of the elves, but there is something..you are not from Mirkwood, I know."

Aragorn kept his gray eyes on Legolas, who had yet to speak. The elf still looked so shocked that Seasa had chosen this graceful measure of suicide to escape her fate that he didn't seem to be able to form a word, but Aragorn had heard enough about this elf to know that perhaps goading her into an argument would be the best way to get her attention.

"Nay, Lady, you are as clever as you are fair; I am of Rivendell."

She chuckled. "Flattery, is that what this has come too? I do not know many elves who would call me fair as I look now; I know what is happening to me, I chose it consciously. If I go before I see his Royal Highness, you may thank him for me and tell him his mercy is no longer wanted, this fair lady has taken matters into her own hands."

"I beg pardon, Lady, but I disagree. Your voice is too strong, your conviction too firm to wish to take the cowardly way out of a punishment you may well deserve."

"A coward?!" she exclaimed in surprise, as if the idea had never occurred to her. Her eyes flickered, but she stubbornly refused to open them. "You are too bold, Elf of Rivendell. You are dismissed, I am tired."

Aragorn's muffled laugh brought a quirky smile to her lips, but she forced it away. "And so what if you tire? What are you saving energy for? This new endeavor you are going on needs not strength, but weakness, not courage, but fear. And I d believe you have all of that, my lady."

Seasa could stand it now longer and she sat up, her eyes opened furiously. "Well, I never--" but she stopped dead, her eyes riveted on Aragorn, who had to work to hide his smile. "A human," she whispered, her eyes wide with shock. Her gaze darted back to Legolas, who had recovered from his shock and in a flash, remembered the prejudice that had been installed in Seasa towards humans. "Lady Seasa, may I present Estel of Rivendell?" he put in firmly. "He is a guest in my palace and a dear friend."

Seasa didn't reply, but slowly scooted further back into the cell, her back against the wall. After a moment, she replied, "I should have known. No elf would have dared call me a coward, elves are too well-bred for that." Aragorn could not hide his startled laugh, and even Legolas allowed himself to smile. If she only knew Aragorn's breeding!

She scoffed. "I am glad I amused you, Your Highness and his saucy friend. But I am done entertaining royalty for today. Leave me."

"My lady, much to your displeasure, you are not in a position to order anyone around and we did not come here to be entertained. We came purely to speak with you, to talk about your future. You startled me when we came upon you ready to leave Middle Earth. Why are you taking such a drastic path?"

She leaned back further, her face cast in shadow but she replied, her voice so soft Aragorn had to strain to hear it. "I will not be put to death to entertain Mirkwood. My head shall not be a trophy to be sent home to my father. I am already dead in the King's eyes, I will leave Middle Earth on my own terms. And there is nothing you can do to stop me."

"Stop you?" Aragorn put in before Legolas could silence him. "Why in Valar's name would we want to do that? You are a spy, and a traitor to the crown. If you had your way, Legolas, the King, and all those loyal to the royal family would be dead by now! Why should we care how you are killed, as long as the end result is the same?"

Silence answered them, before she replied in a dangerous voice. "Surely, you should not care. Which is why I wonder at your presence? I wonder, does the King know his royal son has come to exchange words with the lowest of traitors? And you, Estel of Rivendell -- I am no fool and neither is the King. You may hide behind an elvish name and an elvish home, but you are human in body if not in soul. I am not the only one who bears ill will towards your race. I am sure the King will not be pleased to see you here."

"Silence!" Legolas ordered harshly, his voice firm. "You speak of things you do not know. Estel's breeding is higher then yours, and anyone you will ever meet. You are too ignorant to be told his true heritage, but I say to you, you shall speak to him with respect. Estel is forever welcomed in the Mirkwood Palace and he knows it."

"If he knows it," Seasa answered swiftly, "then why do you rush to defend him? Do I detect guilt in your voice, my Prince? What have you done of late to make this honored guest feel unwelcome?" Aragorn was silent, amazed at her perceptiveness. Legolas was scowling so heavily it was almost comical, and Aragorn cracked a grin at his friend. Legolas stared at him, then slowly a smile formed on his lips. "Your baiting will not work on me," he replied quietly. "Valar, and I was so close." She replied, sounding amused.

"Lady, you are distracting me from my purpose," Legolas said determinedly. The sun was full in the sky now, casting his golden locks into an angelic yellow hue. Aragorn's face looked amused, and his eyes were curious as they stared into the persistent darkness of the cell.

"Yes, yes; what is this purpose of yours that I suppose was so important it roused the Prince from his bed of silk and clouds?"

Aragorn chuckled. "Bitter, aren't we?"

Seasa almost smiled. "You would be too if you spent the night with spiders as your companions."

"My purpose," Legolas stressed, "is to know your mind. If I could persuade my father to exchange your death sentence for a lifetime of servitude connected to the palace, what say you?"

There was dead silence.

The moments ticked past and footsteps were heard further down the corridor. Legolas sent an anxious look in their direction, then urged, "Seasa?"

A loud, bubble of laughter was his answer. She was hysterical, laughing so hard she couldn't even form an answer. Aragorn glanced worriedly down the hallway. The Guards were coming. "Legolas, we must leave if we wish to avoid being found here."

"Servitude!" Seasa croaked out, gasping in laughter. "Me! A servant!" and she dissolved into silvery peals of laughter as Legolas and Aragorn darted back to the light and airy rooms of the upper palace halls. And as the Guards brought Seasa food to break her fast, they all shook their heads. "She's going mad," one of the guards muttered at her hysterics. "She laughs at nothing." Astalder, who had come to check that she survived the night, shook his head. "Nay," he said slowly. "She laughs at us."