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(((((((((((((((Chapter 14))))))))))))))))))
Legolas blinked. "A…a visitor?" He asked. "Who is it?"
Thranduil didn't answer. He looked down at the girl on the floor next to Legolas's bed. She was furiously trying to blink away the tears that were forming in her eyes.
Poor girl…The King thought. But he had to break it to her sometime.
"Ada?" Legolas asked when his father failed to reply. The King looked up.
"Do you want me to tell him to wait?" He offered, gesturing slightly to Cefielle.
"No!" Suddenly came the maiden's voice. "I…We're finished here."
Cefielle gracefully turned and bowed towards Legolas. She wiped one more tear free of her cheek, and then walked past the three beds. Legolas watched with growing guilt as she disappeared out of a door on the other side of the room. He turned towards his father.
"Send the visitor in." He said.
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Cefielle moved down the gleaming hallways like a bird in flight. Indeed, she did wish she was a bird and could simply fly away right now. She should have known. She should have known.
Maybe Celidur was better for me… She thought suddenly, calling her ex-lover by the name she'd known him by. Then she gasped. How can I say that about him! He was evil and carnate…
Cefielle slowly came to a stop at the middle of a hallway. Prince Legolas was everything I wanted…
The girl paused for a moment and looked out of one of the halls large, arch-shaped windows. The trees swayed in a rhythmic dance to the tune of the summer breeze, the sunlight glinting between the branches like a playful child. Cefielle thought for a moment and then continued walking. She soon found herself out among the trees, in the garden where her previous musings about Legolas had taken her. She looked over to the bench where she and Andavar had spoken briefly before all of this tragedy had taken place.
A spark appeared in the young elf maid's eye, and she walked towards the stone bench.
Is it…is it still here? She thought with growing astonishment.
Kneeling down on the ground and not minding getting dirty, Cefielle reached out for what she had found. A small, jagged shard of glass, that had once been piece of a bottle.
The bottle that fell right between Andavar and I when we were talking! Cefielle realized.
The girl remembered that after the bottle had burst, a strange glowing liquid had spilled out of it. Andavar had touched the liquid, and afterward began to act very strange. That was when Cefielle left, and the next she heard of the elven guard was that he had been nearly murdered.
I know why he was so strange now! Cefielle's eyes widened and she stood up, the glass from the vial still in her hands. This was how Celidur got here!
Cefielle turned back toward the walls of the palace. She didn't want to have to face Legolas again…not now…actually, to be perfectly honest, she'd rather never have to face him again. But this was important news.
Reluctantly, the elf maiden dragged herself away from the bench and back towards the marble halls she'd just escaped from. She made her way back to the chamber that the Prince was recovering in.
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Legolas waited anxiously as the guards escorted his mystery guest in. He gasped when he saw the figure: a plain grey cloak and robes, the long beard, and the conspicuous hat.
"Mithrandir!" He cried our of sheer surprise, then recoiled. "Forgive me, Gandalf. I did not expect you."
The old wizard grinned lightly at the prince, but didn't say a word. The smile faded as he looked past the shoulder of the conscious elf and upon the bodies of the others behind him.
"Prince Legolas, I presume?" He asked in a growly, deep voice.
Legolas recoiled again. He kept forgetting that he wasn't in his own body. "Yes, it's me. Feel free to prove it if you like."
"I do not need to." Mithrandir replied, his smile returning. He sat on the edge of the bed and scratched his beard. "Your father told me everything."
"I see." The Prince said. "So…why have you come?"
The wizard chuckled. "Well, naturally I was thrilled when I heard you were to be married, and so I came quickly. Not quickly enough, I'm afraid…"
The old man pulled out a pipe from between his robes and began to chew on the tip. He nodded towards the two bodies behind Legolas. "So which one of them is Mithrendol?"
Legolas frowned. "The one in my body. He actually managed to steal it from me." The Prince laid back down completely, feeling ashamed.
"He was a formidable foe." The wizard mused. "But what I don't understand is how he got here? You did kill him, did you not?"
Legolas blinked. "Actually, Cefielle did. She slayed him with a sword." He swallowed. "But that doesn't explain exactly how he came to be here."
"I suspect the Nine have something to do with this." Gandalf said.
"The Nine? The Ringwraiths?" Legolas asked. "But did they not die along with Sauron after the great war?"
The wizard shook his head. "I cannot be sure of that, Legolas, I cannot be sure. But something brought Mithrendol's spirit here, and specifically to hurt you."
"It worked." Legolas huffed as he placed a hand on his injured shoulder. He heard the old man chuckle.
"In any case, Legolas, you have prevailed again." Gandalf concluded. "You've saved yet another kingdom."
Legolas smiled but was just about to disagree when there was a creak from the doors of the room. Both the elf and the wizard looked up to see Cefielle peeking out from behind the wooden door.
"I'm sorry, but I had to come in." She said softly, looking with surprise and recognition upon the wizard. She didn't move from her spot.
Legolas glanced at her worriedly and sat up slowly. "Come in, Lady Cefielle."
Cefielle obeyed but felt yet another stab of pain pierce her heart at her formal calling. Did Legolas want to distance himself from her that much? It caused her very soul to burn with sorrow. She tried very hard not to start to cry again.
She stepped forward towards the two men. "I'm sorry to interrupt anything, but I found this, and I think it could help you."
Gandalf watched as the girl offered her hand. In her fingers she very carefully held a piece of glass. The wizard stretched out his wrinkled palm and took it from her.
"I found it in the garden, Sir Gandalf. I remembered something." Cefielle explained when the two looked to her again, confused. "The day you returned, Legolas, Andavar followed me into the garden. We sat on a bench and spoke for a while, and then this…thing fell out of the sky and landed between us."
"A bottle?" Legolas asked, staring intently at the piece of glass.
"I think so." Cefielle replied. "There was some strange sort of liquid inside it."
Legolas's head shot up. "Liquid?"
The girl nodded shyly. "It was purple in color…and it glowed."
The Prince's eyes widened considerably, and he suddenly cried out. "That's it!"
Gandalf turned and looked at the elf in the bed with question, his furry eyebrows knitted together in a baffled expression.
"That's it!" The excited elf offered helpfully. "I have it!"
"What are you talking about, boy?" The wizard asked.
Legolas fought to get the words out of his mouth in a practical order. "Mithrendol's body died back at Nimeryn, but his soul must have been captured in a vial! If what you said about the Nazgul was true, Gandalf, then it must have been one of them that sent him here! Doesn't that make sense?"
"But that's not it!" Interrupted Cefielle, her high voice catching the attention of the Prince and the old man. "I haven't finished."
Legolas frowned. "Oh…I beg your pardon. Please continue, Cefielle."
The girl did just that. "Well, the liquid spilled out of the vial after it fell between Andavar and I. Lord Andavar was curious and touched it, but after he did it sank into his skin and then he began to act out of the ordinary. I left soon after that."
"I see…" Gandalf mused. "I believe I understand now."
Legolas nodded. "Mithrendol entered Andavar's body. Then he exchanged bodies with Halirod in the armory and attempted to kill him afterward. From there he stole my own body and had me imprisoned."
The wizard smiled at the elf Prince. "That is quite the complicated theory, Legolas, but it makes sense."
Cefielle shifted uncomfortably. "If I may…" She began. "I just want to know…if Celidur entered Andavar's body in the garden, then what has become is Andavar's soul?"
Legolas lowered his eyes. His friend's soul…he didn't know. What could have happened if Andavar's soul didn't have another body to become one with? He looked up at the wizard and was not surprised to see a disturbed frown on the old man's face.
"I'm afraid Andavar's situation is one we cannot help." Gandalf said. "Without another body to enter, I believe that his soul was expelled…and that it drifted up to heaven."
Legolas was taken aback by the wizard's hypothesis. "No. Andavar can't be gone. He can't!"
Gandalf nodded grimly. "I'm afraid he is, Legolas. I am sorry."
Cefielle was also surprised, and then immediately ashamed and embarrassed. "Legolas…I'm sorry. I've made you greive…I should not have brought this ill news to you." She began, but Legolas raised a hand to stop her from making anymore excuses.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Cefielle." Legolas said in a princely manner. "I'm glad you brought these tidings to my attention. It is alright."
Cefielle stomped her foot stubbornly. She felt the tears welling up under her eyes and closed them quickly. "No, it's not." She whispered.
Blinking, the shattered girl finally looked up. "May I be excused, my Lord…please?"
Legolas swallowed. He wanted to say something to make Cefielle feel less guilty, less worthless. It was obvious that she was struggling to control her emotions around him. His hesitation to answer her request made Cefielle's shoulders begin to shake, and more tears escaped from her eyes.
"You may go, Cefielle." He said, disappointed in himself for not having the courage to say something more.
Then again, what could I say? The Prince thought. Nothing I say will make her happy again.
The maiden turned and ran as soon as permission was given, and the wizard watched her leave with a soft, sorrowful frown. He looked to Legolas. The elf gave him a frustrated look in reply.
"I didn't ask for her to suffer so." He excused. "But I don't love her."
The wizard sighed and placed a hand on Legola's uninjured shoulder. "Indeed, Legolas. I think it is time for me to leave you now. You still have much healing to do. You should rest."
Legolas frowned again in protest but the old man gave him a look. The Prince crossed his arms and flopped down against the pillows once more. "Fine. Alright, I'll sleep." He muttered.
Gandalf chewed on the end of his pipe some more. "I will speak with your father a bit more. When you are feeling well, I believe I could find a way to return you to your…your normal state."
Legolas blinked in shock. "Really?"
"Yes." The wizard got up and slowly walked towards the door. "Sleep well."
Legolas smiled and closed his eyes. Yes, right. Sleep.
The elf turned his head and looked over at his still form in the bed next to him. Mithrendol was still unconscious, and would remain so until Nainel ceased feeding him a sleeping potion. He was not a threat to Legolas now.
With a sigh, Legolas shifted. He rolled over so he wasn't leaning on his wounded shoulder, and his eyes fluttered shut. After only a few minutes, the Prince was fast asleep.
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Ooooh…sorry for the total abandonment of this story guys! I just…alright I got lazy. I didn't know how to end it and I didn't feel like figuring out how. But I know now! There will be one or two more chapters after this one, and then it will be the end! I don't think there will be another sequel. Once again, soo sorry for making you wait. I will punish myself.
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