DISCLAIMER: Yessss.... they are mine, my own, my precioussssss. And then I fall from the tree I was sleeping in and woke up.
Author Notes: Apologize for the delay!! But here is the next chapter!!
Thanks a lot to all of you who had reviewed and patiently waited for this. Good Karma to all of you!!!!
The Truth in those sad eyes
By Fantasia of the Moon
Chapter IV
Legolas opened his eyes to found two strange elves talking among themselves in low whispers. He tried to sat up, for he hated to others see his weakness, but it was difficult to move, for his limbs were heavy.
Looking movement at the bed Erestor stop talking, this made Lindir turned to see the bed too. When it was clear that the prince was awake and trying to sat both Noldor went to his side.
"Please Prince Legolas, lay still. You are still weak and not fully recovered" Erestor said
"I am well, thank you"
"You are far from well" Lindir objected
"No, really I am"
"You are not"
"But I am"
Erestor chuckled at the two younger elves. Their discussion reminded him Lindir arguing with the twins when they were injured.
"are not"
"am"
"are not"
"am"
"are not"
Deciding that it was enough, Erestor cleared his throat. This made both Lindir and Legolas be silent and looked at him like little elflings.
"I apologize" Legolas made a bow "But I am well" he added looking meaningfully at Lindir who rolled his eyes.
"Valar help us, you remind me awfully to the twins"
Legolas lost the comment focusing in control a wave of dizziness. When it passed he looked at the other elves.
"Is my brother well?
"He always was, it was unnecessary to ask Lord Elrond to heal him, since he had not been severe injured" Erestor said a bit annoyed, because he knew Elrond had wasted his energy with no necessity and that angered him.
"What? But he was unconscious a hole day"
"He was asleep" Lindir corrected him "It seems that he was rather tired from the journey and decided to catch up with the hours of sleep he had lost"
"I am sorry" Legolas said ashamed, for his brother had deceived him and made him entered to Imladris as a fool. "But" he thought "having crossed Lord Glorfindel and the twins was all my fault"
"Sorry about what?" Erestor asked puzzled
"If I had known Vinyaron's condition I will have entered in you fair realm like a polite guest and not as a fool child"
"If you had taken more time you would have bleed to dead" Erestor said softly. He had thought that Legolas knew about the other prince's condition, but apparently not.
To tell the truth, Erestor had been polite to the prince because he was a natural diplomat, but he had expected to find true what rumors said about the princes of Mirkwood: the youngest the essence of perfection, the crown prince a spoiled brat. But he had found quite the opposite. This needed to be studied, he needed to know the princes more.
"Excuse me..." Legolas said after the shock of Erestor's words had passed, getting Erestor out of his thoughts.
"Lindir. My name is Lindir and he is Lord Erestor" the younger Imladris' elf said.
"I am very pleased to meet you. I have heard how wonderful your music is Lindir and how wise you are my Lord"
"Well thank you" Erestor said pleased with the child, for he knew that what he was saying was true since those crystal blue eyes were quite expressive. "Since you are out of danger and need to rest, we will leave you"
"Do not doubt calling if you need anything" Lindir bowed and left after Erestor. Legolas laid there alone thinking and cursing himself for being so stupid. No doubt his father was going to send him to patrol the southern borders the hole next year.
"But I deserve it" was his last thought before he went asleep exhausted.
*****
"What is it my prince?" Elladan asked counting to ten mentally. The twins had been assigned to show Vinyaron his quarters since he had said that as a prince he had to be staying in an elegant room and not the healing rooms.
No need to say, he was given a luxurious chamber, but of course it wasn't enough for the spoiled prince.
"I want to see Legolas' chambers" he said arrogantly as if forgetting that the elves next to him had the same status as him.
"Why is that?" Elrohir asked trying, as his brother, to keep the annoyance out of his voice.
"I just want to see it. Now be good hosts and show it to me"
"Well my prince, Prince Legolas' guest chamber is the third one on the second corridor to the left." Elladan started
"If you want to see it feel free to do it, unfortunately you will be alone" Elrohir continue
"For we have other things to attend to"
"If you excuse us" and they left leaving Vinyaron wandering trying to find his brother's chamber. At last when he did find it he cursed aloud not aware that another elf was a few steps away from him.
"Why does he have to have the best room!"
"Maybe it has to be related to the fact that he is the crown prince" Lindir said so sweet that it was obvious that is wasn't meant to be friendly. Vinyaron jumped startled.
"Oh you scared me master minstrel" The Sindarin elf tried to fix the circumstance
"I bet I did, prince Vinyaron. Now if you excuse me I am needed in other part" Lindir said smiling and readjusting his harp, he went down corridor.
*****
"You know, we might be able to go hunting the next three months until Spring starts and a certain prince is already gone" Elrohir said leaning on the balcony of one of the corridors of the Last Homely House.
The other things they had to attend to were spending time with each other, chatting comfortably and enjoying the view of their realm without a certain prince pestering them.
"Hunting on Winter?" Elladan asked amused "What do you want to hunt? A snowelf?"
"A better idea?"
"Unfortunately not"
"Well he has been only a couple of days here and I already want to kill him. I am afraid that at the end of the first month king Thranduil will found himself short of one son"
"And the other prince? What do you think about Legolas?"
"I do not know. He is not as everyone else I can tell, but I do not if that is for good or bad"
"He intrigues me" Elladan agreed.
"What about knowing him better?"
"Why not? After all he can not be worse than his brother"
"You know, when you went with Father after he treated the princes, Vinyaron made quite a scene, but what got my attention the most was the fact that he did not even ask about his brother"
"What I know is that he have not asked yet"
"How can it be? I will be dying if I were he and you were in Legolas' position"
"As well as I will" Elladan smiled tenderly at his younger brother.
"Weird they are"
They stood a few moments in silence enjoying each other company. Suddenly Elrohir stood in his full height and saw at the end of the corridor.
"What is it? Please do not tell me that the balrog prince found us" Elladan teased.
"No, at least not that certain prince" Elrohir said as Elladan turned to looked at him puzzled. Then he saw him.
Legolas was leaning to the wall for support and gasping for air. One of his hands pressed on his injured abdomen.
The blond prince had left the healing rooms when he could stand still enough to not fall down. Not wanting to cause a worse impression than the one he had already given, he thought that the best curse of action was to look for Lord Elrond and deliver the letter from his father so the meetings could begin and the incident could be forgotten.
Unfortunately he was still weak. He asked the first elf he saw about the direction of Elrond's study, frowning the elf told him and so Legolas headed there.
"We better see to him, he does not look well" Elladan said and both twins walked to his direction. Sensing that someone approached, Legolas composed himself.
"My prince, what are you doing wandering...."
"....When you should be resting?"
"My lords" Legolas said bowing painfully, but not showing it. "I was heading to your Lord father's study so we can discuss the matters that bring Vinyaron and I to your fair realm"
"Is that so? Do you not know that Father used his energy to heal you and your brother?"
"He is still resting, you shall not disturbed him" the twins said angry.
"I did not know anything about it. I am sorry" Legolas bit his lower lip thinking that the twins were now angrier than the first time he saw them with Glorfindel, and since Legolas hadn't noticed the way Glorfindel had reacted he thought that all of them despised him.
"Maybe you want to rest, that if the healing rooms are not too common for a crown prince like you" Elladan said
"If you think that, we can take you to your guest chambers" Elrohir continue
"I will not tolerate sarcasm even if you are lords of this land" Legolas now said angry. Things weren't too different from his home and he was used to defend himself.
"Then, speaking without the boundaries of courtesy, we will not tolerate arrogance from you or your brother even if you are princes of a neighbor realm"
Listening to that Legolas lifted his hand to his forehead and sighed. Of course, Vinyaron, he thought.
"If my brother had done something to offend you or this fair house I apologize for him" Legolas said bowing. He grabbed tighter the wall when the pain increased. The twins looked at him amazed.
"Why you apologize for something he did?" Elrohir asked
"Because I can not allow a possible alliance to be broken before its beginning because of my brother's arrogance"
"Apology accepted then" Elladan said
"But since we are speaking with sincerity, we will want to know why did you said that Prince Vinyaron was in danger when he was not" Elrohir spoke then.
"I... He..." Legolas bit his lower lip and blushed. It was hard to tell that his own brother had used him and deceived him and like a fool he had gone along with his game. "I thought he was indeed badly hurt"
"You thought?"
"Lord Erestor and Lindir explain to me his true condition" the twins looked at each other and their secret communication passed between them. Maybe things were not what they seemed.
"You said you wanted to discuss a song with Glorfindel" Elladan began
"I am terrible sorry for that as well, I hope Lord Glorfindel can forgive a fool like me" Legolas said feeling terribly bad and lowering his head. Maybe everyone in his home was right and he was a stupid, spoiled brat not worth of friendship.
"You do not have to be sorry my prince" Elrohir said shocked at Legolas' display. He and Elladan lifted the blond's prince head in a sudden impulse and froze in that moment, for thinking save for a little while, Legolas had put off the mask he always wear and the twins were able to see all the loneliness, grief and sadness that held those crystal blue eyes.
Knowing what they had seen, Legolas pulled away and tried to masked his feelings away. After an uncomfortable moment Elladan broke the silence.
"Come, Glorfindel is on the Hall of Fire"
*****
Glorfindel was talking with Erestor while Lindir and other elves were playing their instruments. The two counselors were very close friends and so they were exchanging opinions about two certain guests.
"I fear that the twins will kill the younger prince in a week if we give them an opportunity" Erestor said half-serious and half-teasing.
"Indeed, but I will not be the one who stops them"
"Oh, then you will be the one telling Elrond why he got suddenly involved in a war with Mirkwood"
It was in that moment that the three princes entered in the Hall.
"What is he doing here?" Glorfindel said looking at Legolas
"Glorfindel!" Erestor said frowning, for they had decided to give an opportunity to the heir of Thranduil. Legolas closed his eyes with grief and trembled a little.
"I am sorry, if I am unwelcome I shall leave immediately. I never wanted to offend you"
"Glorfindel what is this?" Elladan and Elrohir asked puzzled and a little worried for the prince.
"Just look at him! He is about to faint. He is paler that the snow that is beginning to fall!"
"He is right" Erestor said looking closely at a surprised Legolas.
"What were you thinking?" This time Glorfindel saw the twins with reproach.
"He wanted to talk with you, remember?" Elladan said
"And you wanted to talk with him" Elrohir added. Legolas gasped at that.
"I am sorry young prince" Glorfindel said "I did not want to concern you, but I am worry for your health"
"Maybe you should sit down, since this two had already dragged you here" Erestor said looking at the twins that pouted. Taking sit in a comfortable cushion, Legolas studied the Hall.
It was impressive as stories told and soon with the warm of the fire and the music Legolas found himself quite comfortable and at ease sat between the twins and in front of the elder elves.
"How are you feeling my prince?" Erestor asked
"Please, do not call me by my title when formality does not demand it"
"Then, How are you feeling young one?" Erestor corrected.
"Well, I did not have in mind you calling me that, my Lord" The four Noldor chuckled.
"Do you not think it is unfair us calling you by your name while you keep calling us by our titles?" Elladan said.
"I am sorry" Legolas said smiling sheepishly, but the others notice that the apology was quite serious.
"Welcome Legolas" Lindir said approaching, having heard part of the conversation. He soon sat next to Glorfindel and began to chat merrily, including Legolas in the conversation.
The blond prince felt that this was what meant to have friends and a look of nostalgic melancholy touch the deep of his eyes.
But unknowing to all of them, one elf was spying with silent rage at the welcoming attitude from the Noldor to his brother and Vinyaron swear that he will changed that. And soon.
To be continue...
We authors feed with reviews, so don't let me starve to dead and REVIEW!!