Disclaimer: Do you think I'm really Tolkien? Considering that you know…he's dead and all?
((((((((((((((((Chapter 4))))))))))))))))))))))
Legolas watched in wonder and anticipation as the lights from the city of Rivendell grew closer. He, young Estel, Elrohir, and the other elves rode fast along the winding paths of the forest. He prayed to the Valar that Eressa would be waiting for him when he arrived in the golden city.
"It's been a long time since you've been to Rivendell, Prince Legolas?" Estel shouted over the roar of the horses pounding hooves.
"Yes!" Legolas answered simply. This human youth that Lord Elrond had taken in was most curious.
"You don't seem very glad you're returning!" Estel commented as they rode closer.
Legolas frowned. "Right now I'm worried about Eressa!" He shouted back.
"Of course you are!" Elrohir suddenly interrupted. He had been listening. "But for the third time, Legolas…Elladan has her. She's probably right in there with my Father now."
"I know." Legolas replied quietly.
The company's pace slowed as they rode under the enormous ivory gate that was the entrance to Rivendell. Legolas watched it as it passed over them.
It has been a long while since I've been here. He thought. I've forgotten the beauty of this place.
Finally the company came to a halt outside of what Legolas remembered was Lord Elrond's dwelling. Looking at the marble stairs he remembered how, as children, he, Elrohir, and Elladan used to play there.
"It brings back memories, doesn't it?" Elrohir hopped off his horse and approached Estel and Legolas.
"Many." Legolas agreed, climbing off the horse as well.
Estel was about to swing a leg off the horse when Elrohir halted him.
"Estel, remember, it is your turn to put the horses in the stables tonight." The dark-haired elf grinned.
Estel frowned and gave his older brother a look of annoyance, but he said nothing. Elrohir smiled and turned to Legolas, placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Come inside. Your friend will probably be waiting for you." He said.
Legolas nodded and followed Elrohir up the steps and into the living quarters of Lord Elrond. The old elf lord was sitting in a large chair, looking grimly out the window into the night. Elladan was standing by his side, frowning.
Legolas instantly felt a twist in his stomach. Eressa wasn't anywhere in sight.
Elladan looked up as he heard footsteps enter the room. His frown quickly turned into an expression of surprise and delight as he looked upon the face of his twin and his supposedly dead friend.
"Valar! Legolas, is that you?" He rushed over to the Prince and gripped him tightly in a bear hug. "Thank goodness you're alright! We thought you and Estel would kill each other!"
Legolas embraced his friend back, but his eyes were distant. Where was Eressa?
"Both Legolas and Estel are fine." Elrohir told his brother. His eyes turned to his father.
The elven lord turned his head away from the outside and gazed upon his sons and Legolas. His grim expression melted away to form a relieved smile. "Legolas Greenleaf." He said with mock sternness. "I cannot tell you how much sleep I've lost worrying about you."
Legolas looked up and blinked. The older elf stood up and approached them, his arms held out.
But Legolas backed away a step. "Where is Eressa?" He asked outright.
Elrond's arms dropped and he clasped his hands in front of her chest. "She is safe. My servants are cleaning her up right now."
"I want to see her." Legolas declared.
Elrohir and Elladan gave each other looks. "But she's fine, Legolas." Elladan said.
"But I want to…" Legolas persisted until Lord Elrond held up a hand to silence him.
"You will see her before the sun rises, Legolas." He said firmly. "But for now you and I have to have a talk."
Elrohir frowned and looked at his brother in question. Elladan rolled his eyes.
Lord Elrond led Legolas to the window and they both sat, Elrond on the chair and Legolas on the sofa next to it.
"You're young lover told me that you had been captured, Legolas." Lord Elrond began. "Is that true?"
Legolas's eyes grew wide at the word 'lover'. So Eressa had told Elrond? Or had Elrond simply knew it?
"Lover?" Elrohir asked. "What are you talking about, Father?"
Elrond opened his mouth, but it was who Legolas spoke first. He didn't want his friends to believe he had purposely hid that detail from them.
"That girl I came with is my lover, Elrohir." He said shakily. "I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."
Elrohir's eyes widened in shock, and he opened his mouth to ask more, but his father hushed him.
"She is pregnant, Legolas. She told me the child is yours." The old elf continued. Elrohir's eyes grew wider.
Legolas avoided the eyes of his fellow elves. "That's true." He confirmed.
Lord Elrond paused and leaned back in his chair, watched as the elf Prince hung his head. "Having a child with a mortal isn't anything to be so ashamed about, Legolas." He said finally. "If not for the love between our kind and humans, I wouldn't be here right now."
Legolas looked up. "I know that, sir."
"Do you love her?"
Legolas nodded. "More than anything."
At that moment, Estel strode into the room. He took one look at his brothers, father, and the Prince and frowned.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
Elrond shook his head. "Estel, you may yet find out, but for now, no asking foolish questions."
Estel blinked and decided that now was not a good time to argue. "Alright." He walked over to a futon in the corner, picked up a book and pretended to read.
Lord Elrond turned back to Legolas. "What happened to you while you were captured, Legolas?"
Legolas frowned as he stirred up memories of pain and anger. "They made me a slave. They forced me to fight other men to the death. I killed people, Elrond. I murdered."
"It was not murder if they too were trying to kill you, Legolas." The elf lord said, nodding for Legolas to continue.
"After I won my first fights, Eressa began to visit me in my cell. We became friends, but…" Legolas paused.
"Legolas, it's alright." Lord Elrond told him.
Legolas felt reassured. "Sauron began visiting us in our dreams. It think it was our fear of him that somehow made us turn to each other for comfort."
"You fell in love."
"Yes."
Lord Elrond leaned back once more. Legolas's mention of Sauron didn't comfort him, especially after he had forseen darkness in the Prince's furture. He inhaled and looked down at Legolas, noting his filthy clothing and dirty face. Legolas shifted uncomfortably, causing the long sleeve of his shirt to move up his arm a bit. Lord Elrond frowned as he noticed the dark pinkish-purple ring around Legolas's wrist that the fabric had revealed.
"Legolas, give me your hand." He ordered.
Legolas looked at the elder elf in question but obeyed. He watched as Elrond rolled up his sleeve and then gasped as he realized his intent. Elrohir and Elladan, who were still standing nearby, gasped as well. Young Estel looked silently over the cover of his book.
"What did they do to you, Legolas?" Elladan asked in horror as he stared at the deep scar that circled his friend's wrist.
Legolas blinked and looked away from his marked arm. "There is something I forgot to tell you."
"Go on, Legolas." Lord Elrond said.
"E-Eressa…had an older brother. His name was Eredor, and I met him before I met her. He was a fighter, like I was." Legolas swallowed. "We all planned to escape from the city together, but we were caught."
Legolas paused, the memories flooding back to him too painful for him to bear. But he forced himself to continue. "Lord Curdolin…the man who owned us…h-he ordered for us to be slain."
Another swallow, and then a sob. "They hung Eredor and I by our wrists from the rafters of some dungeon for an entire day. I was saved…but Eredor died."
Legolas once again hung his head as he felt the tears slip from his eyes. "It was my fault."
Lord Elrond frowned and took Legolas's other wrist and examined it. They both had identical rings around the wrist. His sons looked on, stunned by both the Prince's story and his tears.
Lord Elrond leaned forward more and took both Legolas's hands. "Legolas, it was not your fault your friend died. You mustn't be so hard on yourself."
The Prince shook his head and wiped his tears, but said nothing. Elrond observed him once more. He waited until Legolas had regained his composure before he asked anything else of him.
"Legolas, take off your shirt." He asked when the tears had stopped.
Legolas's head shot up. "What?"
"Remove your shirt, please." The elven lord repeated patiently.
Legolas swallowed again, stood up, and then complied. He closed his eyes when he heard everyone in the room gasp when they saw his scarred, torn body.
Elladan clenched his teeth and his wrists. "Those monsters." He whispered. His brother looked at him, and then back at the Prince in shock.
Lord Elrond's eye widened when he saw the Prince's body. It had changed so much. Scars had been torn across his back and chest, by a weapon no less than a whip. The muscle under the marred skin had changed too. The Prince's muscles were more refined, especially in his arms, no doubt from suffering the physical torture his captors had put him through.
Lord Elrond nodded, and motioned for Legolas to put his shirt back on. The elf did, and sat back down silently.
"It breaks my heart to see what they have done to you, Legolas." Lord Elrond said after a moment. "But I thank the Valar that you have survived and come back to us. Your father will be relieved to know his son his alive as well."
Legolas looked at Elrond. "My father? Is he alright?"
Lord Elrond frowned. "He is not, Legolas. His soul has been slowly fading since he was told of his sons' deaths."
"No.." Legolas whispered. "You must send him a message, tell him I'm alright."
"And so I shall." The elven lord declared. "I will send Estel to deliver the message."
The young man in the corner jumped up. "What?! But Father…"
"For a long time now you have been begging me to allow you to go someplace without your brothers watching over you. This is your chance." Lord Elrond said.
Estel set his book down, stood up and bowed. A great smile was on his face. "Yes, sir." He obeyed, and then hastily rushed out of the room.
Lord Elrond again turned to Legolas. "Come now, Legolas. You are filthy; we must get you cleaned up."
Legolas's eyes darted up in interest. "Then will I get to see Eressa?" He asked timidly.
The old elf lord smiled. "I wouldn't dream of keeping her from you any longer." He said, standing. Legolas stood as well.
Elladan and Elrohir watched as their father lead the Prince out of the room and down the hall.
Elrohir turned to his twin, frowning. "Did we really just hear all that?" He asked.
Elladan turned his head and gave his brother a disbelieving look. Then he raised his fist, punched Elrohir in the shoulder, and walked away.
Elrohir watched his brother disappear and then rubbed his shoulder. "Ow." He whined, before leaving the room himself.
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Eressa looked at herself in the mirror, not quite believing what she was seeing. The servant who had taken her had bathed her—and for the first time in her life Eressa got to use real soap—only the kind that nobles could use where she came from. The elves also had a large array of potions and oils…and they had certainly done their job. Eressa's hair cascaded down like a golden waterfall and her skin was luminescent with a healthy glow.
Eressa sighed. It felt good to be clean again. But it would feel even better to see Legolas.
"How do you like the dress, milady?" A tall brunette elf asked her, bringing Eressa out of her thoughts.
The elves had been busily working on making Eressa a new dress. Right now it was just barely held together with pins, but Eressa admired the elven handywork nonetheless. Never in her whole life could she had measured, cut, and pinned together a dress so quickly!
She looked down at herself and the dress. It was two-layered, with a gold lining. The dress itself was cream colored and made of absolutely beautiful fabric. Over it she wore a sort of tunic that tied just under her chest, allowing her belly to protrude comfortably. The tunic had sleeves that were shaped much like leaves, and they fell gracefully behind the longer sleeves of her dress, draping behind her like a cape.
"It's beautiful," She finally answered, turning.
In the corner, another seamstress was busily sewing her some matching slippers.
"Good." Replied the servant. "Let me help you take this off. Then we will sew it, and it will be ready for you in a few minutes."
"A few minutes?" Eressa inquired. "That is remarkably fast."
"We are expert seamstresses here." The brunette servant explained. "You'll be dressed before Prince Legolas arrives."
Eressa blinked at the mention of Legolas. I suppose gossip goes quickly through the elven grapevine too…She thought.
The servant helped Eressa undress and then gave her a robe to wrap around herself until her dress was finished. She led Eressa to a bedroom and asked her if she was hungry.
"Yes, very." Eressa answered instantly. She hadn't had anything to eat since the previous afternoon. And the sunlight was just peeking over the horizon now.
"I will bring you something." The elf replied. "Do you prefer anything?"
"I'm sure I'll find anything you bring me will be delicious." Eressa replied.
This pleased the servant, and she smiled warmly. "Yes, milady. I will bring something shortly."
With that she walked out of the room, leaving Eressa alone with her thoughts. She observed the room. It was a bit bigger than the bedroom she and Aleka shared when she was in captivity, but the single bed made it seem much larger.
Eressa sat on the bed and was surprised by it's softness. It was so large and comfortable…she felt herself begin to fall asleep. She sat up, but her head was still swimming.
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A few minutes later, the servant elf arrived back at the bedroom. But as she walked in the door, she was surprised to find the young human girl asleep on the bed, peaceful. Silently, the servant stepped forward and set the tray of food she carried on the table at the foot of the bed.
Smiling, she left Eressa in her dreamland.
((((((((((((((((Personal thing)))))))))))))))))))
Whew. Would you believe I wrote this whole chapter in one day? Gosh. I hope you liked it!