Chapter 3: A visitor

The Royal Family were just finishing up their morning meal when a guard rushed into the room. He bowed, and for a fleeting moment, hesitated to tell the King what needed to be told. After all, he was intruding on the King's private life. At Thranduil's wave, the guard came to full height.
" My Lord," He began, " Earlier this morn two guards came across a maiden coming from the south. From what they said, she had a gash on her leg and her face was stained with grief."

Thranduil looked at the guard, " When do they come?" He questioned.

" They are making their way here as we speak, milord."

"Thank you for this information, you may take your leave." The Elvenking said.

The guard hesitated again before asking, " Milord, there is one other thing that you should know." As Thranduil's gaze turned sharp, the guard lowered his head and hesitated yet again before saying, " The maiden was an elf."

Thranduil closed his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened them again, his eyes were hard, yet softer then the sharp gaze he held before. "Is that all?" at the elf's nod, he continued. " You may go." The guard bowed again and left.

"Adar, what shall we do about this?" Legolas asked.

" When they arrive I want you and Armeliel to stand by the throne."

With that Thranduil left with his ever changing crown to the throne room. Armeliel and Legolas made their way to their rooms, in silence, to retrieve their circlets that showed their place in the Royal Family.

They put them on and left together to the throne room. They both disliked wearing it. For it always felt uncomfortable and they would rather be seen as an equal among their people instead of a higher status.

They entered the room and each took their respective place by the King. Legolas at the Left of the king, with Armeliel to the Right. They then waited. They didn't have to wait long. For the guards with the maiden between them came. She was unbound, and she still limped, though her wound was bound with cloth. They were all appalled at the sight of the maiden. Though she was fair, as all elves were, grief still was a shadowing cloud. She wrapped her torn cloak around her as if her life depended on it. Her pale blue eyes held fear, awe, grief, and relief to be standing in front of the King.

She bowed, but the King soon waved her up.

" What business do you have in my realm?" He asked. Thranduil was always one to get right to the point. No beating around the bush. He could get stubborn and very angry when provoked.

" I was fleeing from them." She answered in a small quit voice, her head bowed.

" From who?" he pressed.

The maiden raised her head. " From 'Him'" she whispered.

The Elvenking furrowed his brows until realization dawned on him. " The Necromancer?" He asked, though he dared to hope it was not so. The maiden nodded.

" How were you captured by 'Him'?" He asked with interest.

" Of that I can not tell, for the grief is still too near."

Thranduil's demeanor softened considerably. " What is your name, child?"

" Elenna." She answered quietly.

"Where do you hail from, Elenna?"

" Lorien."

"Well, Elenna of Lorien, I will not press you further if your grief is still to near. My niece Armeliel, " He brought his right arm towards the direction of Armeliel, " will escort you to your chambers for your stay here and assist you further."

" Thank you, My Lord, for your kindness." Elenna said softly.

Armeliel stepped down the raised platform, and taking Elenna's right arm, gently steered her out of the room and into the corridors where the king's guests stayed. When they reached the room Armeliel took her to the bathing chambers. " I am sure that you desire a bath from your toils..." Armeliel explained.

" Thank you, my Lady, I am grateful." Elenna said.

" I've never been outside the realm of my Uncle before, what is Lorien like?" Armeliel asked, successfully steering the conversation into lighter subjects.

"I wonder what the Necormancer would want with Lady Elenna." mused Legolas out loud.

Thranduil scoffed, " Who would know? I do doubt Lady Elenna would know. But one thing is for certain, one thing that will never change. He tortured her, as he does with all his captives."

" We should send a letter to the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood."

"Indeed we must." Thranduil said grimly. " Send for a messenger to meet me in my study." Thranduil said to a guard by the door as he made his way to his Study with his son. The guard nodded and scurried away to do as he was told.

As Thranduil entered his office, he went straight to his desk, sat down, and started writing the letter.Thranduil was just sealing the letter when the messenger knocked and entered the room. He bowed. " You asked for a messenger, milord?"

" I did." Thranduil said. He leaned forward and gave the letter to the messenger. " Take this to the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wooden. Go with all speed that you can. This is urgent." with that the messenger bowed again, taking the letter.

" By your leave, my lord." The messenger asked. At the Elvenking's nod he walked out of the room and towards the stables.

As the two elves emerged from the bathing chambers, Elenna found a tray of food by the fireplace.

" I had sent for some, for you must be hungry." Armeliel explained.

Elenna nodded before sitting down on the couch and taking some grapes.

" Forgive me for staring, my lady, but your presences awes me." Elenna said.

" I don't want to be seen as part of the royal family, just as an equal." Armeliel said, taking off her silver circlet and placing it on a nearby table.

" It is not that... you are the One. The one He seeks. The key to His plan."

Armeliel stared at the elleth in front of her. What was she taking about? She carefully schooled her expression into a blank look, revealing nothing. Her words could be from the experience from her recent imprisonment. But they still sent a wave a forbidding in her.

After a few minutes, Elenna was the first to recover from the trance and shamefully lowered her head. " I am sorry, Lady Armeliel. I am sorry for speaking thus. You have a right to punish me." she said slowly, her voice trembling. Her toils from the past made her think that she should be punished for every misled thing she had done.

Armeliel just stared. Shocked by the elleths words. All feelings of forbidding leaving her and being replaced with sympathy. How could anyone feel as if they should be punished? She truly didn't understand the troubles that hung over this fair maiden's head till now.

Unable to speak, she flung her arms around Elenna's shoulders and hugged her. At first Elenna was startled, for it was not what she was expecting. But then she slowly realized that this young elleth was here to be her friend, nothing more. A shoulder to lean on. Feeling utterly loved at the moment and unable to hold back, she hugged Armeliel back with the same force, tears running down her face in small rivers. They were tears of relief, joy, and so much sorrow that no one should have to bear.

At that moment nothing else in the world existed. And the cries of anguish flowed down the halls of the palace, being heard by many.

At that same moment the King and Prince had stepped out of study, and hearing the cries, hurried to the guest chambers.

When they quietly opened the door, the sight that greeted them was not what was expected. Armeliel was on her knees, facing the door, with Elenna cradled in her arms, crying heavily. Armeliel slowly picked her head up, eyes locking with her uncle. Unshed tears shone in her eyes also, but alas, she did not let them fall.

The two males were taken aback, and sympathy was what they felt for the Lady. Thranduil nodded at the unspoken words between Armeliel and him, and he quitely ushered the shocked Legolas out of the room before closing the door behind him. Armeliel knew what she was doing and she could handle this sitiuation. He lead the still shocked Legolas to the sitting room.

"My son, she had been through many things, terrible horrendous things that no one should have to endure. She has held it in, all up to now, but it has bottled up inside her that it pained her also, and alas she can not hold back." Thranduil explained, placing an affectionate hand on his son's shoulder.

" Will she fade?" Legolas finding his voice, asked.

" I think not. But I do think that she will pass to Valinor, for only there will she be able to heal properly."

Legolas nodded. They sat down together and shared a cup of Dorwinion, listening as the cries slowly died down into silence. A few minutes Armeliel entered, utterly drained and a circlet hanging limply in her hand.

" She is asleep, cried herself to sleep, poor elleth. I truly had no idea what she must be going through till the moment I embraced her, then she finally let go... I think it was good, for if she didn't she would of surely of faded." Armeliel said, sitting heavily, but gracefully, on the armchair opposite her family.

Thranduil nodded. " Dorwinion?" he offered.

Armeliel shook her head. " I am too tired. All I did was comfort her and yet I feel as if I were the one caring this heavy ever-pressing burden."

After a half hour Thranduil got up. " Well, I have matters to attend, the day is still young." he looked at Armeliel, who had fallen asleep. " I would put her to bed, Legolas." he said warmly before leaving.

Legolas looked over at where his cousin slept, and smiled. He gently brought her into his arms and slowly walked to her room.

As he walked in the room and placed her on the bed, he kissed her brow, pulled up the covers, and silently left.

As he walked down the corridors, he quickly went down a side door, through the gardens. These gardens were old. Tended by his grandmother and his mother. He had many fond memories of playing here with his mother. Playing hide-and-seek, he would always hide in the obvious places. For example, he always thought that a mere flower could hide him from any elf's gaze, and his mother would play along, ever searching for her energized elfling.

His mother loved this garden dearly and often brought Legolas along with her, when chance allowed, to play, and just relax. But after his mother died, the garden was closed up, for the grief of the royal family was so raw that seeing a thing she loved dearly would have been their undoing.

Many years the garden was locked up, going untended, flowers wilting, grass dulling, vines growing every which way and that. But around the time Armeliel joined the family at the palace, Legolas had convinced his father to open the gates to the garden and have elves tend to it.

The garden was beautiful, but the beauty of the garden would never live up to the beauty it had when the Queen spent endless, devoted hours here. Armeliel now tended the garden, when she had the time. She had told Legolas when he had asked that when she tended this garden, she always felt as if she could sense her aunt.

Legolas leisurely walked around the garden before he left the side gate and walked on the path that lead to the main path by the main doors. Taking the back roads to the archery fields.

" Hello, milord." A maiden with a pretty face said. Legolas recalled her from feasts, she would always dress to impress. Him. She had a pretty face. But she wasn't wise as most elves were. Whenever she had a chance alone with the prince, she pounced on it. This, unfortunately was one of those times.

"Good day." He said with a nod before stepping around her and walking up the path a little faster then he had before.

" I was thinking, milord, that you could help me with a problem I have?" she hastily asked while taking a hold on his arm.

" Whatever problem you may have, Semelien, Legolas and I would be glad to help." Imeldawen said taking a hold of Legolas' other arm. Semelien took her arm off of the prince's and glared at Imeldawen.

Legolas, catching on what was going on, put his arm around Imeldawen's waist and brought her closer into his arms. " Like Lady Imeldawen said, we would be glad to help."

Semelien opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. " I... actually... it is a problem I can figure out on my own. Sorry to have wasted your time." With that she hastily left the pair. Legolas turned around and hugged Imeldawen. " Thank you for saving me, Imel."

"That is what friends are for."

"Really? I thought you were just teasing me about all the admiration I get."

Imeldawen turned serious. " Legolas the are like hounds. Whenever they have an opportunity to be alone with you, they seize it without any thought. They will hurt other elleths to get what they want. And what they want is you. They could hurt you. Then you would be afraid of me."

Legolas laughed. "Afraid of you? I think that is near impossible!"

" Don't laugh, Legolas, I am serious. One of these days, Tinrou, Armeliel, or I won't be here to get you away from them, then you'll see. You'll think all females aremad when it comes to the opposite sex."

Legolas just laughed harder.

" You are impossible!" she cried, kissing his cheek and walking away.

Legolas was still chuckling when he entered the archery fields. He picked up a bow and a quiver full of arrows and headed to a remote part of the fields. Legolas was amazing to watch when he was doing archery. He was the very best of the best. Only great warriors from the past could compete with his skill with the bow. He could string an arrow, shoot it and take another one so fast that you would be unable to see it happen. With every arrow notched his body tensed and released the tension when the arrow flew. You could see his muscles ripple with effort in his arms and his whole upper body. Every arrow that flew from his bow landed with deadly accuracy. He was truly a sight to watch.

Arrow after arrow he released and arrow after arrow landed in the dead center of the target. Each arrow splitting the other arrow in two. Soon he ran out of arrows and went to the target to see what he could save, repair, or just dispose of. Seeing on how all but one arrow were split in two, he had to dispose of them.

" You really should stop destroying our arrows, Legolas." teased Amandil, the archery master.

" I am sorry. I'm sure you have plenty more."

" We are still trying to equal our former amount before you started splitting them in two. And you were a novice then! Ai, Legolas, you truly have a gift with the bow."

" I would think that was right, or I have just been lucky these past years." They both laughed.

" Are you on leave from your patrol?" Amandil asked.

" Aye, I am. Though my father is thinking about transferring me closer to the palace."

" Ah, that is just his fatherly concern." he laughed. " I am off, I am teaching the novices archery on top of a horse this day."

" That was a very eventful lesson when I was a novice. Beware, Master Amandil."

Amandil laughed as he clasped Legolas' shoulders in warrior greeting before heading to the group of novices waiting for him on the other side of the field.

Legolas took the ruined arrows and put them in a bin while putting the bow and quiver away. He leisurely walked around the back roads for some time before heading to the palace. As he went into his room he took a few steps to the side door to see if Armeliel was awake.

She was. She was sitting at her desk. Doing nothing but staring into space. She had a troubled look on her fair face. She sighed and wearily closed her eyes. Shaking her head ever so slightly. " Can I help you, Legolas?" She asked, her eyes still closed.

" Nothing, Armel, I was just seeing if you were awake." She opened her eyes and stared at him, unblinking.

" What is it that strains you? What troubles you." He asked walking a few steps into the room.

"Nothing of importance!" she said hastily. Then more calmly she continued. " Just something Elenna had told me. Her words troubled me, nothing else." Legolas nodded, thinking Elenna had told his cousin something that happened to her when she was imprisoned.

"Well, I shall be in my chambers, if you should need me."

When he had left her in quite once more she sighed again and rested her chin on her palm.

Weeks had past and life seemed to continue as the same timeless pace elves take. No word yet had come from Lothlorien and Elenna was improving in healing her hurts. Armeliel took no thought of the words Elenna uttered after that day and she told nobody. She had let it slip her mind thinking it was influenced by her imprisonment.

Orc attacks seemed to have dwindled but Spider attacks had not. The elves took it as a sign that the shadow was slowly starting to depart. They rejoiced, and as the upcoming feast arrived they had further cause to rejoiced.

" Oroalphien." Armeliel said, walking to where Oroalphien sat in her own chamber in the palace.

Oroalphien looked up and smiled slightly at knowing what Armeliel was doing there. " Yes?" she asked.

Armeliel discretely looked form left to right, trying to find what she was looking for. " I was just wondering if you have finished my dress? For I desire to see it."

Oroalphien smiled. " Armel, I told you before you will find out on the night of the feast. I want it to be a surprise for you."

Armeliel heaved a sigh. " Alright," she mumbled, " I won't ask again."

At evening meal, that day, there was a light atmosphere around, for the Feast of Yavanna was days away now, and the elves were excited. Elenna was sitting next to Armeliel, for as a guest of the King, she was entitled to dine with them.

" Uncle, do you know what the dress Oroalphien is making for me looks like?" She hopefully asked.

Thranduil laughed. " She won't tell me. She won't tell anyone for that matter. My star, it is meant to be a surprise, and it shall remain that way."

" I know Uncle, it is just that I grow impatient when it comes to surprises."

" Who would of known?" Legolas teased. Armeliel playfully glared across the table at him. Causing Elenna to laugh.

" You two remind me of elflings sometimes." she exclaimed.

" That is the same for me. Though to the eyes of the elves Legolas is barely older then an elfling and Armeliel is an elfling."

"Adar!"

"Uncle!" Legolas and Armeliel said in unison, looking at Elenna and Thranduil who were just laughing lightly.

" I am so glad you find this amusing, Adar, my lady." Legolas said.

" I am glad you are glad, my son." Was Thranduil's simple reply.

" I should find you a dress to wear for the Feast, Lady Elenna."Armeliel said, neatly changing the subject.

" I would appreciate that very much." came the reply.