A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in AGES, but you know how it is with assignments and exams...
Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas or any other characters, places or events (etc) belonging to Tolkien. But I do own Luella, Quesse and Rhiana.
STORY
We walked along silently still until we came to Mirkwood's center. Mirkwood was nearly exactly as I had pictured it, with a mystical touch of the Lothlorien elves and a warm feeling of those from Rivendell. Truly it was a mix of the best of both elven kingdoms. Lothlorien holds a bluish shade, while Rivendell holds the shade of the tanning autumn leaves. But I enjoy most Mirkwood's light turquoise tinge.
It has the looming, but always steady trees of Lothlorien, with their might and almost supernatural power; and the beauteous gardens and trickling waters of Rivendell. The elves of Mirkwood lived in strikingly amazing dwellings, similar again to Rivendell and kept their watch in treetop landings. I was swept up in my own imagination of this new world I was in. But I reminded myself that I must always be wary of anyone's suspicions of me. Especially of Legolas.
We walked through the main entrance to the palace grounds and found the guests quarters, then stopping in the corridor just outside the room I was staying in he remarked, "If there's anything you need just ask Rhiana." He then excused himself, saying that he needed to get ready for dinner and left Rhiana and myself to get to know each other.
I watched him go down back down the corridor and out of sight as Rhiana whispered, "Thank goodness he's gone!" and rolled her eyes. She then turned and opened the intricately carved door to reveal a stunning room and balcony. I stepped inside and was overcome by how beautiful it all was, with pink flower petals littering the floor underneath my feet and scented candles burning, giving the room a warm feel. The room was complete with everything and anything I would want and need. Along one wall was a full-length mirror, with a wooden frame that was carved into the shape of trees with one trunk on each side. Next to this was a small off-white marble table on which a bowl of fruit was placed.
Crossing to the other side of the astoundingly pretty room I saw a double door, with the same carvings as the front door. As I turned the ivory handles my eyes fell upon a wardrobe full of elegant dresses of purples, blues, reds, greens and pinks with a pair of matching shoes for each.
Again next to this was another small off-white marble table, with a matching chair and this time it contained books and a vase of flowers.
In the middle of the room was a bed, or more of a couch. It had a slightly raised armrest at each end and was laden with cushions and draped with champagne coloured material which delicately brushed the floor as a gentle breeze rippled the see-through curtains.
As I made my way over to the balcony and parted the crème chiffon curtains, I found myself standing on a marble balcony with pillars wrapped in vines and overlooking the many sky-high trees, luscious gardens and a small waterfall. I looked through the trees and could see the sun starting to set and the moon coming out from behind the afternoon clouds. The colours of the sky were beginning to run together to create pinks and purples, which stood out against the clouds which had slowly started to hide the sun as I watched.
I felt my breath go short and turned to face Rhiana. "It's beautiful isn't it?" she whispered, not expecting a response straight away, but knowing exactly how I felt, for soon I would find out that she too was not of this world...
"Follow me, Luella, I have something to show you," she replied. Shocked by this sudden proposal, I followed her out of my room and into the hall, where around a corner was another door. Rhiana stepped up to it and opened it, ushering me inside and quickly following me in. It was very similar to my room, but it looked as if it had been lived in much longer and a few personal touches had been added here and there. There was the smell of musk incense burning which hovered around the candle lit room, with its indigo black chiffon curtains draping all around, blocking out a substantial amount of what was left of the sunlight. Then I saw it, right in front of me on a small table with two seats, was a round crystal ball, with grey smoke swirling around in different shapes and patterns, which I was unable to work out.
Closing the door Rhiana beckoned me to sit down on a chair opposite her at the small circular table. It was at this point I began to wonder what was really going on here.
"You've probably noticed that Legolas hates me," began Rhiana.
"Yes..." I replied rather timidly.
"And I bet you're wondering why..."
"Well... yes... I was going to ask you..."
"I'll tell you this before I say anything more to you; I'm not what I look like."
"What do you mean you're not what you look like?"
"I am not an elf, I am what you are, a human girl," Rhiana said with an edge to her voice.
"Hey how do you know that I'm..."
"Don't worry Quesse will explain it all"
"Quesse? Wait a minute, how do you know Quesse?"
"It will all be explained if you do what I say!" Rhiana remarked, raising her voice considerably louder. "Now place your left hand over the pendant on your necklace and put your right hand on the crystal ball. I will do the same, don't worry it's not dangerous." It was then as I saw she too had a pendant – a feather. My stomach filled with butterflies and my eyes began to feel prickly, I placed my hand along on the crystal ball, where Rhiana's was already resting. Suddenly the smoke inside the ball turned a bright purple and everything in the room turned a dreamlike almost watery purple and out from the crystal ball appeared Quesse!
"Quesse!" I gasped out loud, as she drifted towards me, still in her purple robe, her long raven black hair hanging at her waist. "I – I have so many questions to ask you!"
"Luella please just listen to me first," Quesse replied, her ice blue eyes kind.
"I see you've met Rhiana, she's here for the same reason you are, she must solve the puzzle behind this mystery illness just as you have been sent to do. Rhiana I see must not have told you the reason why she is hated so by Legolas. I think it's best for her to explain, Rhiana?"
"Legolas has become suspicious of me ever since the day Quesse appeared to tell me that she was sending you here to help me with the mission. I was horrified to see that he had been eavesdropping when I opened my door and saw him standing there. He had treated me like one of his kin when I first arrived three days before. But after that day he never looked at me the same way again, it was as though he and I had become worst enemies. It was like that for almost a week. Then today when you arrived I knew he realized that something is going on and I know that he is determined to find out what that something is."
"But what can we do to start solving the mystery?" I asked hoping to be told this was not as complicated as it seemed.
"You will have to gain his trust," Quesse replied looking only at me.
"Me? Why me? How will that help?" I asked, shocked that such a suggestion could be made.
"Because Luella, he doesn't know you yet. You will have to gain his trust, get to know him so we acquire information of his father's illness out of him, then we will have a clearer idea of how to solve this," Quesse said sternly.
"But we'll eventually have to tell him who we are and what we're trying to do, won't we?" I questioned worriedly.
"We'll discuss that later Luella," Quesse finished. "Right now you and Rhiana must make a move along to dinner, before more suspicions are aroused. I will talk to both of you later to check on your process. Goodbye."
As soon as Quesse disappeared the room came back into focus, only it wasn't the same; the sun had completely set and the first few evening stars were beginning to come out.
"Quick we'd better hurry, elves care about punctuality!" Rhiana added to me as we rushed out the door of her room towards the dining hall. All the while I contemplated the huge task that lay ahead of me, and wondered how long it would take to gain the trust of a suspicious prince elf.
A/N: Well another chapter has come to an end. Please review!