Seeking the Past; Dreading the Truth
Chapter Four: Answers
Disclaimer: Don't own them. JRR Tolkien does… wish he still lived so I could buy it from him… must try his son…
A/n: I am fully aware that by writing this chapter, I am turning her into a complete Mary Sue but I don't care. If you have anything against them, give it a chance or leave now.
"Where am I?" Elente wondered aloud as she looked around the room. A servant walked in and Elente grabbed her wrist-
Madrial lay next to her lover. She woke suddenly and turned to him. A pained whisper in his ear made him sit up alarmed. He quickly called in a servant, a midwife to be precise, from a nearby room. The midwife bustled in and tried to shoo him out of the room; he however, did not intend to leave Madrial's side for one single moment. Shaking her head and muttering about how men were not to be there and so on, she continued about her job.
- "Excuse me, Milady, are you alright?" The servant asked. "You looked like you were having a vision. What was it about?"
"Whose room is this?" Elente asked urgently, "My vision occurred in this room."
"Oh, this was the serving maid, Madrial Birch's room." Elente perked up at her mother's name. "She used to sleep down in the servants wing like the rest of us, but then that scandal started and she was moved here."
"What scandal?" Elente asked quietly.
"About oh, 60 years ago, she had this crush on Thranduil's youngest son, Legolas. Being, of course, of a lower station than him, she thought he would never return her feelings. Then one day, he caught her after a banquet and told her he really did. Of course, we never believed her when she told us, but they fell deeply in love. Ten years later, nothing Thranduil said could change their minds. She became with child and I was the child's nurse." Elente was staring, wide-eyed at the servant. "Then one day, that horrid Gollum was brought here. Soon afterwards, he escaped and the Prince was sent to tell Lord Elrond of Imladris. The poor child was so young when he joined the Fellowship of the Ring. Poor Madrial, she and the child, Elente, were banished soon after his return. Then there was that terrible hunting accident, the King and his older son died."
"I have found him, Mother." Elente said quietly.
"Look me in the eye, young miss." The servant commanded gently. Elente did so, and the servant flung her arms around her with a short cry. "Why have you come back, Milady? What has brought you back here?"
"Madrial has died." Tears streamed down Elente's face, "Her dying wish was that I come here to find my father."
"I might be able to get you in to see him, Elente."
"Not yet… what was your name…"
"Silme, my dearest. (a/n her name means starlight)"
"Silme-"
Madrial and Legolas stood watching Silme and Elente play. "Silme!" The prince called out, "You can have the rest of the day to yourself." Elente ran over and held up her tiny arms. Laughing, Legolas picked her up and spun around.
-"I'd rather observe for a while. Get to remember the Palace and forest first. Can you help me blend in as a servant?"
"I'll try, but your father doesn't miss much that goes on here. You can act as my assistant for the time being."
*****
Elente quietly opened the door and pushed her cart in. She was serving the Fellowship in a private room. Avoiding eye contact with them, she quickly handed out the meals and turned to leave. Someone, however, didn't intend her to leave right away; Aragorn had grabbed her by the arm and was trying to get her to look at him. "Look at me, young one," he demanded softly.
"Milord, I must go back to the kitchens." She said, ignoring him. The others were beginning to stare and she wanted to avoid her father until they were gone.
"Just look at me for a moment, child." Seeing he would not let go, she turned to face the Gondorian King. In that simple glance, she felt as though he was reading everything from her past, and she quickly pulled away.
Picking her skirts up slightly, she bowed and retreated from the room with a quick, "Enjoy your meal, your Highnesses."
Hurrying out of the room, she ran towards the kitchens before Aragorn or anyone else could follow her. 'No one must know yet,' she thought as she stopped in and asked for the afternoon off.
"How dare you ask for time off? You're new here; you don't get the benefit of having as many freedoms as us." The head cook ranted.
"Neome, let her have the time off, I'll make up for it later tonight." Silme said stepping into the kitchens behind Elente.
"You'd better! Now go on and git before I change my mind!" She shouted at Elente who quickly ran out to the main entrance.
*****
"Dang, it's closed. Now I have to wait for them to go out hunting! Argh!" Elente rammed her fist against the magical gateway to the forest.
"Do not forget," Silme began, coming from behind her, "you are of noble blood. If you know the password, it will let you in or out as you please."
"But, Silme, how am I supposed to remember the password? I was only four when banished."
"Is this not still your home? Do you not remember all the good times you had in that short time? Remembering a password is much simpler than remembering any of those."
After a few moments of concentration, Elente placed her palm flat upon the symbol of two crossed leaves and a pimpernel and whispered the password. As the door creaked open, she thanked Silme and ran out. The door closed behind her just as Gimli wandered past.
A/n: This really is an awful chapter… r&r… please. I really don't even care if it's a flame, I'll read it, contemplate it, and feed it to the Balrog (or Bosco ((see Romance, Emus, and Cereal Spoons for details)) Bran's cat.).
