Holy cow I got a LOT of reviews on that last chapter! It was the cliffhanger that did it, I just know it. Well, this chapter is VERY, VERY important, and a LOT of things happen. -takes deep breath- Okay, now…read!
TISSUE WARNING!
Chapter 17 - A Pauper's Reprisal
"Square One"
He drug her all the way to the palace, but she was too weary to make him stop and tell her who it was. They burst into Elrond's study, and the Lord of the city looked up at them in surprise. Legolas stood before his desk and said,
"I know who killed Silvegil." Then, he started pacing, "You know how I said I knew his face? And you told me to stop thinking about it? Well, I stopped thinking about it and it just came to me!" He leaned his hands on Elrond's desk. "It was the Steward's servant. The Steward of Mirkwood, Firlas! The dirty orc had his servant come to kill me."
"But why? And why would he have been asking about me?" Lianna asked quietly, from behind him. He turned around.
"So that after he has my father killed, he can take the throne and his family will rule Mirkwood forever. If he asked about me, it would have seemed odd to some, and alerted more attention."
Elrond stood. "I will send word to King Thranduil immediately." He started to order to a servant, but Legolas stopped him.
"No, I'll go." Then he walked briskly out of the room, with Lianna close behind.
"I'm coming, too." She stated, and Legolas stopped abruptly.
"Oh no, you're not."
She looked at him, "Yes, I am. I am coming to see my brother's murderer brought to justice."
"Lianna, if you come, you'll kill the pen thaur!" (foul one)
"So?"
Legolas just shook his head and kept walking. He had packed his pack and was on his horse before he saw her again. She rode up next to him, pack over the horse's neck, and dressed in full out traveling clothes.
"No." He said.
"Yes." She replied, sternly.
Legolas whispered, "Lianna please, I will make it there faster without you. I won't wait for you, and you'll be stranded in the dark, scary forest all by yourself."
She swallowed hard. Then, she rolled her eyes and swung herself off the horse. "Fine. There's no point in arguing with you now, we're just wasting time. Go!" She yelled. He leaned down, and she stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips before he sped off.
Lianna said a silent prayer for him, then brought her horse to the stables. But she didn't empty her pack, and she didn't take off her riding clothes.
-------
Legolas had chosen the fastest, most staminate horse in Lord Elrond's city. It was only the first night, and he had already made it to the forest's borders, and he was not planning on stopping for sleep. Legolas tried convincing himself he was doing this for the Mirkwood Elves. He didn't want them to be ruled by a murderous King. But as much as he tried to push his father's possible death out of his mind, he couldn't.
Even considering all the pain his father had caused him, Legolas loved him dearly. Nothing could change that. A million thoughts raced through his mind. All of them bombarding him and demanding his attention.
'My father's life is in my hands.' 'Dear Eru, I couldn't take it if he died.' 'No matter what he's done to me, he's still my father.' 'What in Middle-Earth is that noise?'
For the past few hours, he'd heard what he thought was a horse trotting behind him. He'd reckoned it was just his horse's footsteps echoing in the trees, but now he was not so sure. Quickly, he tied his horse to a tree and scurried up to a branch, low enough that he could see his stalker.
He saw a horsed figure trotting into sight, and slow as they realized their prey was no longer in sight. Legolas held his breath and jumped from the branch, landing behind the figure. A hand went on the stalker's mouth as he pulled them off the horse with him. He landed on top of them, straddling the stomach, holding the wrists above the head.
Legolas was close enough to her that even in the darkness, he saw Lianna's face clearly. At first, he thought it was just the dark, and the forest playing tricks on his eyes, but when she spoke, he had no doubt.
"Get off me you oversized baboon!" She yelled at him.
"Lianna?" He asked, amazed.
"No, it's your Great Aunt Florence." She quipped sarcastically, as she pushed him off her and stood to brush the dirt off her clothes.
Legolas stood as well. "What are you doing following me?"
She placed her hands on her hips. "Do you think I'd let you go avenge my brother's death without me?"
"But you hate the forest." He said, astonished and a bit proud that she'd ride alone in the dark.
"I hate my brother's killer more." She stated, matter-of-factly.
Legolas remembered his mission, and untied his horse. "Lianna, I'm not going to avenge anyone, I'm going to save the Elves of my homeland from a murderous king, my father's life and bring the killer to justice."
"That's revenge enough for me." Lianna said, as she hopped onto her horse's back.
"There's no point in trying to persuade you to go back now. We're too close. So, let's go." Legolas said, as he spurred his horse into a run. Lianna followed.
-------
They rode hard all night, and the gates of Mirkwood came into view at dawn. Though the sun was rising, it was still dark and gloomy. The clouds that had covered the sky so wholly the day of Silvegil's funeral had not parted.
"Open the gates!" Legolas yelled, not slowing his horse's gait. Though he was no longer Prince, the guards obeyed, out of habit, or hearing the urgency in Legolas's voice. Lianna was out of breath and her body was weary from the ride, but she did not let it slow her down. Inside the city, their pace quickened. They reached the palace, and Legolas ordered a few guards to find the King.
"Go around back." He commanded Lianna authoritatively, before running to search the palace halls. She heard him calling for his father and shouting orders for the Steward to be arrested as she sprinted around the back of the palace, to the gardens.
She ran as hard as she could, though her legs were sore and numb from the long, tough ride. As loud as she could, she called for the King. A few servants answered, to see what the racket was all about, and Lianna quickly informed them that the King was in danger, and to seek him immediately.
She ran though the gardens. Through the hedged paths, until she saw a clearing up ahead. The clearing was encircled with large trees, spaced evenly apart. Through the gap between two trees, Lianna saw two figures in the clearing. One was the Elf in black. Firlas's servant. He had a knife held out to Thranduil, who was backing slowly toward the tree Lianna hid behind. She edged around the tree, preparing to strike. Though she was painfully aware of her defenselessness, she could not just stand idly by while a very important person in the most important person in her life's life was killed.
What happened next was strange. It seemed as if the assassin's movement went in slow motion. She saw his face twist in preparation for his attack, and his arm extend slowly but forcefully toward Thranduil's heart. Lianna leapt out from behind the tree and shoved Thranduil out of the way.
She had intended to fall with him onto the ground, while the attacker jabbed at nothing but air. But as she shoved Thranduil out of the knife's path, the slow motion effect seemed to no longer apply. Time sped up. The assassin's arm sped up. So that before Thranduil hit the ground, the knife was embedded between Lianna's ribs.
Her face, so full of fury and anticipation, was now expressionless. Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened. Immediate pain shot from her chest into every crevice and nerve in her body. Pain such as she'd never felt before.
She looked into the eyes of the Elf who had killed her brother. He looked nearly as surprised as she. His brow furrowed, and he almost apologized silently, for what he'd done to her. He seemed to say 'Forgive me, I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't been ordered. I'm not really a murderer.'
Lianna's eyes drifted down to the knife lodged in her body. The killer's hand slowly unwrapped itself from the hilt. His firm hold on the knife had been holding her steady, and now she staggered backward. Her back hit a tree, and she slid to the ground. She then dropped from leaning on the tree to lay on her back on the ground.
Surprisingly, the only thought in her mind was, 'I saved the King's life. Legolas will be so proud of me.'
She wasn't sure who alerted the guards, but about a dozen of Mirkwood's finest came rushing into the clearing. Several of them made to usher King Thranduil away, but his eyes were still fixed on Lianna, and he shooed them from him. Several more apprehended the assassin forcefully, as if they were afraid he'd run away. But he wasn't going anywhere. His eyes were still fixed on Lianna as well. She thought she saw tears glistening on his face as they shoved him away to the dungeon.
Thranduil took a step toward her. The slow motion was setting in again. Her vision was choppy, like several slides from the movie of her life were missing. Lianna heard a muffled scream, and knew it was her husband's. She saw him run to her and drop beside her. He held her head on his lap, stroking her hair. He said things to her, trying to get a response, but she couldn't speak. A tear slid from his eyes and plopped heavily on her cheek. Lianna smiled at him.
She could smile now, because the pain was gone. All she felt was warmth. It spread from her chest into all of her limbs. It made her happy, and she wanted Legolas to be happy, too.
She reached up to cup his cheek. He quickly placed his hand over hers and mumbled something, thanks to the Valar that she could still move, but his tears didn't stop.
"Hey, what's this? Don't cry, mellamin. I'm happy. I'm at peace. You gave me that." Her speech was quiet, serene and calm. Her breathing was even as well.
She had meant to make him feel better, but he just sobbed harder, "No, please don't do this!"
"I love you so much." Lianna said, placing a kiss on his hand, and holding it over her heart. "Never lose that feeling." She paused, then grinned, "Hey Legolas."
He took a deep breath to even his speech, "Yes?"
"Do you remember the time we stole a cake from the kitchen and ate it behind my house?" He thought he heard laughter in her voice.
Legolas smiled, "Yes I remember. We talked all night until the sun came up."
"Remember that night when you miss me. And you'll never have to be without me. I'll always be with you. I want you to be happy."
"Then stay with me." He said quickly.
She blinked slowly, "I can't. It's my time. It was mean to be this way, I see it now. I love you. Please don't cry, I can't stand to see you hurt. Please be happy. That's all I ever wanted was for you to be happy."
Legolas controlled his sobs and said sternly, "Lianna, that sounded a lot like a goodbye."
She smiled, "No. Goodbyes are forever. I'll see you again, mellamin. We'll be together again, I promise."
She smiled one last time at him before her breathing shallowed, and her eyes closed. Her tight grip on his hand loosened. The life had left her body, and all he felt was cold. There were no thoughts in his mind. Absolute nothingness. Pain suddenly burst in his chest, like a fire was burning him from the inside. An involuntary sob escaped his lips. Once that poured out, he couldn't stop the tears.
:(
A/N.. I am SOOOOO sorry I killed her! I didn't mean it! But now that it happened, I can't imagine it happening any other way. If you really hate it, I'll make an alternate ending. But if you like it this way, you have to tell me so, too. Don't tell me yet though, wait until the next chapter. If you don't like it now, you may change your mind.
TPfan333, Banana4422, Vampire Feuer, Melaya, Muddie21, Elvenstar5, fighting-4-freedom
Esme Donna - Glad I could make you laugh.. Lol, and I'm sorry I made you cry.
Artria - Artria darling, I love your ramblings…lol.
Butterfly elf - thank you for the support and I agree about that!
Undouviel - thanks for the suggestion, I always like getting suggestions from reviewers.
-Austin B.
TISSUE WARNING!
Chapter 17 - A Pauper's Reprisal
"Square One"
He drug her all the way to the palace, but she was too weary to make him stop and tell her who it was. They burst into Elrond's study, and the Lord of the city looked up at them in surprise. Legolas stood before his desk and said,
"I know who killed Silvegil." Then, he started pacing, "You know how I said I knew his face? And you told me to stop thinking about it? Well, I stopped thinking about it and it just came to me!" He leaned his hands on Elrond's desk. "It was the Steward's servant. The Steward of Mirkwood, Firlas! The dirty orc had his servant come to kill me."
"But why? And why would he have been asking about me?" Lianna asked quietly, from behind him. He turned around.
"So that after he has my father killed, he can take the throne and his family will rule Mirkwood forever. If he asked about me, it would have seemed odd to some, and alerted more attention."
Elrond stood. "I will send word to King Thranduil immediately." He started to order to a servant, but Legolas stopped him.
"No, I'll go." Then he walked briskly out of the room, with Lianna close behind.
"I'm coming, too." She stated, and Legolas stopped abruptly.
"Oh no, you're not."
She looked at him, "Yes, I am. I am coming to see my brother's murderer brought to justice."
"Lianna, if you come, you'll kill the pen thaur!" (foul one)
"So?"
Legolas just shook his head and kept walking. He had packed his pack and was on his horse before he saw her again. She rode up next to him, pack over the horse's neck, and dressed in full out traveling clothes.
"No." He said.
"Yes." She replied, sternly.
Legolas whispered, "Lianna please, I will make it there faster without you. I won't wait for you, and you'll be stranded in the dark, scary forest all by yourself."
She swallowed hard. Then, she rolled her eyes and swung herself off the horse. "Fine. There's no point in arguing with you now, we're just wasting time. Go!" She yelled. He leaned down, and she stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips before he sped off.
Lianna said a silent prayer for him, then brought her horse to the stables. But she didn't empty her pack, and she didn't take off her riding clothes.
-------
Legolas had chosen the fastest, most staminate horse in Lord Elrond's city. It was only the first night, and he had already made it to the forest's borders, and he was not planning on stopping for sleep. Legolas tried convincing himself he was doing this for the Mirkwood Elves. He didn't want them to be ruled by a murderous King. But as much as he tried to push his father's possible death out of his mind, he couldn't.
Even considering all the pain his father had caused him, Legolas loved him dearly. Nothing could change that. A million thoughts raced through his mind. All of them bombarding him and demanding his attention.
'My father's life is in my hands.' 'Dear Eru, I couldn't take it if he died.' 'No matter what he's done to me, he's still my father.' 'What in Middle-Earth is that noise?'
For the past few hours, he'd heard what he thought was a horse trotting behind him. He'd reckoned it was just his horse's footsteps echoing in the trees, but now he was not so sure. Quickly, he tied his horse to a tree and scurried up to a branch, low enough that he could see his stalker.
He saw a horsed figure trotting into sight, and slow as they realized their prey was no longer in sight. Legolas held his breath and jumped from the branch, landing behind the figure. A hand went on the stalker's mouth as he pulled them off the horse with him. He landed on top of them, straddling the stomach, holding the wrists above the head.
Legolas was close enough to her that even in the darkness, he saw Lianna's face clearly. At first, he thought it was just the dark, and the forest playing tricks on his eyes, but when she spoke, he had no doubt.
"Get off me you oversized baboon!" She yelled at him.
"Lianna?" He asked, amazed.
"No, it's your Great Aunt Florence." She quipped sarcastically, as she pushed him off her and stood to brush the dirt off her clothes.
Legolas stood as well. "What are you doing following me?"
She placed her hands on her hips. "Do you think I'd let you go avenge my brother's death without me?"
"But you hate the forest." He said, astonished and a bit proud that she'd ride alone in the dark.
"I hate my brother's killer more." She stated, matter-of-factly.
Legolas remembered his mission, and untied his horse. "Lianna, I'm not going to avenge anyone, I'm going to save the Elves of my homeland from a murderous king, my father's life and bring the killer to justice."
"That's revenge enough for me." Lianna said, as she hopped onto her horse's back.
"There's no point in trying to persuade you to go back now. We're too close. So, let's go." Legolas said, as he spurred his horse into a run. Lianna followed.
-------
They rode hard all night, and the gates of Mirkwood came into view at dawn. Though the sun was rising, it was still dark and gloomy. The clouds that had covered the sky so wholly the day of Silvegil's funeral had not parted.
"Open the gates!" Legolas yelled, not slowing his horse's gait. Though he was no longer Prince, the guards obeyed, out of habit, or hearing the urgency in Legolas's voice. Lianna was out of breath and her body was weary from the ride, but she did not let it slow her down. Inside the city, their pace quickened. They reached the palace, and Legolas ordered a few guards to find the King.
"Go around back." He commanded Lianna authoritatively, before running to search the palace halls. She heard him calling for his father and shouting orders for the Steward to be arrested as she sprinted around the back of the palace, to the gardens.
She ran as hard as she could, though her legs were sore and numb from the long, tough ride. As loud as she could, she called for the King. A few servants answered, to see what the racket was all about, and Lianna quickly informed them that the King was in danger, and to seek him immediately.
She ran though the gardens. Through the hedged paths, until she saw a clearing up ahead. The clearing was encircled with large trees, spaced evenly apart. Through the gap between two trees, Lianna saw two figures in the clearing. One was the Elf in black. Firlas's servant. He had a knife held out to Thranduil, who was backing slowly toward the tree Lianna hid behind. She edged around the tree, preparing to strike. Though she was painfully aware of her defenselessness, she could not just stand idly by while a very important person in the most important person in her life's life was killed.
What happened next was strange. It seemed as if the assassin's movement went in slow motion. She saw his face twist in preparation for his attack, and his arm extend slowly but forcefully toward Thranduil's heart. Lianna leapt out from behind the tree and shoved Thranduil out of the way.
She had intended to fall with him onto the ground, while the attacker jabbed at nothing but air. But as she shoved Thranduil out of the knife's path, the slow motion effect seemed to no longer apply. Time sped up. The assassin's arm sped up. So that before Thranduil hit the ground, the knife was embedded between Lianna's ribs.
Her face, so full of fury and anticipation, was now expressionless. Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened. Immediate pain shot from her chest into every crevice and nerve in her body. Pain such as she'd never felt before.
She looked into the eyes of the Elf who had killed her brother. He looked nearly as surprised as she. His brow furrowed, and he almost apologized silently, for what he'd done to her. He seemed to say 'Forgive me, I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't been ordered. I'm not really a murderer.'
Lianna's eyes drifted down to the knife lodged in her body. The killer's hand slowly unwrapped itself from the hilt. His firm hold on the knife had been holding her steady, and now she staggered backward. Her back hit a tree, and she slid to the ground. She then dropped from leaning on the tree to lay on her back on the ground.
Surprisingly, the only thought in her mind was, 'I saved the King's life. Legolas will be so proud of me.'
She wasn't sure who alerted the guards, but about a dozen of Mirkwood's finest came rushing into the clearing. Several of them made to usher King Thranduil away, but his eyes were still fixed on Lianna, and he shooed them from him. Several more apprehended the assassin forcefully, as if they were afraid he'd run away. But he wasn't going anywhere. His eyes were still fixed on Lianna as well. She thought she saw tears glistening on his face as they shoved him away to the dungeon.
Thranduil took a step toward her. The slow motion was setting in again. Her vision was choppy, like several slides from the movie of her life were missing. Lianna heard a muffled scream, and knew it was her husband's. She saw him run to her and drop beside her. He held her head on his lap, stroking her hair. He said things to her, trying to get a response, but she couldn't speak. A tear slid from his eyes and plopped heavily on her cheek. Lianna smiled at him.
She could smile now, because the pain was gone. All she felt was warmth. It spread from her chest into all of her limbs. It made her happy, and she wanted Legolas to be happy, too.
She reached up to cup his cheek. He quickly placed his hand over hers and mumbled something, thanks to the Valar that she could still move, but his tears didn't stop.
"Hey, what's this? Don't cry, mellamin. I'm happy. I'm at peace. You gave me that." Her speech was quiet, serene and calm. Her breathing was even as well.
She had meant to make him feel better, but he just sobbed harder, "No, please don't do this!"
"I love you so much." Lianna said, placing a kiss on his hand, and holding it over her heart. "Never lose that feeling." She paused, then grinned, "Hey Legolas."
He took a deep breath to even his speech, "Yes?"
"Do you remember the time we stole a cake from the kitchen and ate it behind my house?" He thought he heard laughter in her voice.
Legolas smiled, "Yes I remember. We talked all night until the sun came up."
"Remember that night when you miss me. And you'll never have to be without me. I'll always be with you. I want you to be happy."
"Then stay with me." He said quickly.
She blinked slowly, "I can't. It's my time. It was mean to be this way, I see it now. I love you. Please don't cry, I can't stand to see you hurt. Please be happy. That's all I ever wanted was for you to be happy."
Legolas controlled his sobs and said sternly, "Lianna, that sounded a lot like a goodbye."
She smiled, "No. Goodbyes are forever. I'll see you again, mellamin. We'll be together again, I promise."
She smiled one last time at him before her breathing shallowed, and her eyes closed. Her tight grip on his hand loosened. The life had left her body, and all he felt was cold. There were no thoughts in his mind. Absolute nothingness. Pain suddenly burst in his chest, like a fire was burning him from the inside. An involuntary sob escaped his lips. Once that poured out, he couldn't stop the tears.
:(
A/N.. I am SOOOOO sorry I killed her! I didn't mean it! But now that it happened, I can't imagine it happening any other way. If you really hate it, I'll make an alternate ending. But if you like it this way, you have to tell me so, too. Don't tell me yet though, wait until the next chapter. If you don't like it now, you may change your mind.
TPfan333, Banana4422, Vampire Feuer, Melaya, Muddie21, Elvenstar5, fighting-4-freedom
Esme Donna - Glad I could make you laugh.. Lol, and I'm sorry I made you cry.
Artria - Artria darling, I love your ramblings…lol.
Butterfly elf - thank you for the support and I agree about that!
Undouviel - thanks for the suggestion, I always like getting suggestions from reviewers.
-Austin B.