Disclaimer: The "a serf of the street" was greately inspired by Cassia and Sio's fic Exile

Chapter 4: Taken to the palace

Now Legolas intervened. "Taurion, we have to take him to my father. Even though everything points to him no one saw him hit me with that stone. We have no real evidence. We must take him to my father; he will know what to do about this."

Aragorn was glad that at least the noble elf that had saved him did not seem entirely convinced that he was guilty.

"Yes my Lord" Taurion complied with a bow, "but we will have to tie his hands, I do not trust this man, he will probably try to either run or do us harm."

"So be it" the prince said.

The guards quickly bound his wrist together none too gently. But Aragorn did not complain or try to avoid being bound in this way, it would not do him any good, and if he tried it would only serve as yet another small thing to be used against him and he certainly didn't need anymore of that right now, so he allowed the elves to do as they pleased.

When his hands had been tied the elves brought forward a horse for Legolas to ride, and the prince sat up. As he rode past Aragorn the young man looked up, tears shimmering in his eyes at being humiliated in such a way, but worst of all it was the notion that his word had meant nothing to the elves who now had him captive. He was a no one, a serf of the street who was not to be trusted, but he tried anyway.

"I really didn't do it, I know you don't believe me, but I really didn't" The tears in Aragorn's eyes glistened in the early morning light which slowly crept up over the trees and spilt down through the leaves, drying the wet grass, but even the sun's warm rays could not dry away the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.

Legolas looked down into the face of the ranger and he saw the pain there, it felt real enough, but he couldn't know, perhaps humans could easily manipulate their looks, so his face remained calm as he took in the distraught looking young man. "That will be for my father to decide, human" the last word was said with little more bite than the prince had intended, but now it was said and he would not take it back.

Aragorn visibly flinched at the word and, no longer able to deny his emotions expression a single tear fell from his large eyes. He couldn't even wipe it away, so instead he looked down, hiding his shame, but no more tears fell from his eyes. He was not worth crying for.

When the human looked down Legolas felt a pang of guilt. Even if this man had been after his blood, he was still young and he had had no right to use the name of the man's race in the way he had, but what was done was done. And Legolas rode on until he reached the front of the column. He had decided to return to his home, both to reassure his father that no harm had come to him, and to see what was to become of the human. This would mean that he had to wait a little while to go to Imladris, but he hoped the twins would understand. And even though he longed to see them, a little while longer would not make so much of a difference.

When the prince left him Taurion helped the human mount his horse, and then he jumped up behind with surprising ease. When Aragorn was securely settled in front of the elf, Taurion touched the horse's flanks gently, and the horse set a flowing pace towards the front where Legolas was waiting for them.

The ride back didn't take long, but for Aragorn it felt like a small eternity. No one spoke and the only sound that could be heard were the birds that were awakening and singing for the joy of a new day, even though Aragorn could not find the joy in this particular day, this day seemed empty and cold to him. He was a man who had nothing, and was now about to have taken even more from him.


When the twins woke up the next morning they hurried down to the dining hall, hoping to find their beloved little brother there. But when they entered the hall they saw only their father sitting there, his eyes pained.

The elf lord had barely slept that night; he was so worried for his son. He could not stop thinking about the last conversation he had had with Estel, feeling that somehow he was overlooking something, something important...

"Ada..." Elrohir said when the twins had sat down and begun to eat, "We would like to go and look for Estel..." he didn't get to say anything more before his brother interrupted him "We know he is an adult by human standards, but we still want to help him"

Elrond nodded his consent silently. All he wanted right now was for his youngest to be home again. He felt that somehow he had done something wrong, terrible wrong.


It didn't take long before they reached the palace and when they reached the gate which led into the courtyard, Legolas spoke the opening-word softly and the gate opened to him.

As soon as they entered the yard Taurion sprang to the ground and gave his rains to another elf, then went to hold Legolas horse, not because it was needed but out of respect.

As soon as the prince stood on the ground again he spoke to Taurion "I am going to my farther to inform him about this incident. I want the human taken good care of while he's under your care." Legolas had said this loud enough for everyone to hear, but now he whispered something, meant for Taurion's ears only. "He may have tried to kill me, but that doesn't allow us to act ungraciously. I don't want any harm to come to him, until after my father has judged him, then his decision will stand. Do I make myself clear?" Legolas was not about to let the human be treated as he feared a would-be-assassin of the crown prince would be; no creature deserved that, especially when their guilt had not yet been proved.

"You make yourself very clear, my Lord" Taurion said with a small inclination of his head.

Satisfied that the human would not be harmed by the guards Legolas left the yard, entering the palace in search of his father.

While Legolas and Taurion spoke Estel had been sitting very still on the big animal, waiting for what would happen next. He knew he no longer had any say in what happened to him, and so he waited.


The lock clicked shut behind him and everything turned dark, except for the small ray of light peering into the small cell from the small window sat high in the wall. He sat down in the far corner of the cell, there seemed to be little else he could do but simply wait.

When Legolas had left them Taurion had helped him down and ordered his company to tend to the horses while he took care of the prisoner.

Taurion had not been harsh with him, obeying his price's orders, had merely taken him with him to the dungeons and opened the small door. Then he spoke to him for the first time since they had arrived at the palace "You will stay here until King Thranduil decides what is to be done with you"

Then he had untied his hands and shut the door behind him. All this time Aragorn had not spoken to him, not sure he would be able to keep his voice even.

The hours dragged by in the small cell, only marked by the lazy beam of light, which was getting shorter as time passed by and the sun rose in the sky, and the angle in which it hit the window did not allow as much in as it had earlier.

In the morning, when he was captured he had not thought about it, but now at midday his stomach began to tell him that it wanted something to eat, and rather now than later. He hadn't eaten since yesterday before he ran away from Rivendell, it seemed so long ago now, almost unreal. Could it really be right that it was only yesterday morning that he woke up, sure of his place in his Ada's, no Lord Elrond's, heart. He had been wrong, he held no such place. But the notion seemed dead to him. Nothing mattered anymore.

TBC (The ever evil word)

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R/R