Thank you all for the reviews and special thanks to ShopGril1, glad you enjoy it! Sorry it took a while to get this out. As always, keep those reveiws coming! I love to know what you think! I hope you like this chapter!
Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings. I only own Amaris.
Note: Dialouge in bold is spoken in Elvish and dialouge in italics is telepathic communication between Legolas and Amaris.
Number 66: Back in Mirkwood and Confrontations
The ride to Mirkwood was reasonably smooth. The hobbits and Gimli kept the atmosphere light and full of jokes after Lord Elrond and Glorfindel parted the group to travel to Rivendell. Amaris and Legolas rode in the back of their party. Amaris had grown quiet as they approached the edge of the forest and before they entered the trees she paused and looked in the direction of Rivendell. The others continued unaware of Amaris stopping but Legolas stopped next to her and looked at her concerned. "Are you alright, Amaris?" Legolas asked. Amaris looked at him and gave him a sad smile.
"I am alright Legolas. I just wish they could have traveled with us and that Ada could be here," Amaris said. Legolas smiled at her and nodded.
"I know but your brothers are going to stand for you and all will be well." Amaris smiled and urged Marisal on and Legolas urges Arod. They were behind the others when Amaris spoke to Legolas through their link.
"I made Elrohir and Elladan promise not to do anything to you the day of the ceremony. However, I still have this feeling that they are planning something. They have this look in their eyes but I do not know what." Legolas looked at Amaris and smiled before he looked ahead once more.
"I shall be prepared." Amaris shook her head and laughed quietly.
"I hope that they do not do anything, but something tells me otherwise." Legolas smiled and looked at her. Amaris, feeling his eyes on her, looked at him. "I just hope whatever they are planning doesn't harm you in any way." They looked at each other and smiled when suddenly cheers broke their gaze. As Amaris and Legolas started down the hill, they saw the elves of the city cheering for the arrival of their prince, Amaris and their party. "I did not expect this welcoming." Legolas laughed and looked at her.
"I did. When I sent word to Adar when we would be arriving, I had not doubt he would inform the whole city. That is just the way he is," Legolas said as they entered the city gates. Everyone looked around and smiled and bowed their heads to everyone.
"The prince and his bride have returned!" they heard one elf cheer.
"Welcome home, Lady Amaris!" another cried. Amaris looked in the direction of the voice and smiled. They continued down the line and more voices were heard.
"The Kings of Gondor and Rohan ride with them!" another cried as they neared the palace.
"The Evenstar and the Sons of Elrond as well!" Amaris smiled and looked at Legolas whose smile seemed forced slightly. She could feel slight annoyance and impatience radiate from him and Amaris laughed. Legolas looked at her and raised his eyebrow.
"What is so funny, meleth nîn?" Legolas asked through their link. Amaris smiled at him and shook her head.
"Nothing, ernil nîn (my prince). You just amuse me." She paused at his expression that clearly said 'oh really?' and smiled. "We are nearly to the palace, Legolas. So, do be patient." Legolas sighed and nodded. Soon they had reached the stables and all had dismounted from their horses.
"The palace is in a cave?" Pippin asked as he looked at the stone palace. "I thought elves lived in the trees." Legolas smiled and walked over to Pippin. He put his hand on Pippins shoulder.
"The elves of the city live in the trees Master Took. However, the palace is set into a cave but there is plenty of light and many, many gardens," Legolas said as he looked at his home lovingly. He let go of Pippin and Pippin joined the other hobbits.
"Hopefully, the hospitality has improved since my father traveled through these woods," Gimli said as he made his way over to Legolas with a smile. Legolas smiled at his friend and nodded.
"That it has my friend. You are known as an elf-friend and will be treated as such," Legolas said. Gimli smiled and patted Legolas' back before heading in following Aragorn, Arwen, Elrohir, Arwen, Eomer, Eowyn, Faramir, and the hobbits. Legolas looked behind him to see Amaris smiling at him. "Come, Amaris. Adar is awaiting us." He held out his arm to her and she stepped closer linking her arm with his. He led her in the palace. They came across the others in the hall waiting outside the throne room where King Thranduil waited for them. Aragorn smiled when he looked at Amaris. Even though she was covering her emotions well, he could still tell that she was a bundle of nerves. The guards opened the doors as Amaris and Legolas stepped in front of the group. They led the others inside and King Thranduil smiled as they all came in.
"Welcome home, my son!" King Thranduil exclaimed as he walked up to Legolas and Amaris. He looked at Amaris and smiled. He cupped her cheek and smiled. "Welcome back, Amaris. I am glad to see all is resolved." Amaris smiled and nodded her head.
"Thank you, your majesty. It is good to be home," Amaris said as he lowered his hand. He nodded and looked past them. Legolas and Amaris stepped aside and King Thranduil greeted Aragorn and the others with smiles on his face. Well, all smiles except for when he greeted Gimli. His expression was more of a grimace but a smile none the less. After brief conversation, the evening hour grew late and all were tired from the journey. Everyone was shown to their rooms. Legolas and Amaris slowly made their way through the corridors and to their chambers. Amaris stopped and Legolas looked at her. He furrowed his brow.
"What is it Amaris?" he asked as he looked at her. She looked up at him.
"Legolas, there is something I must do," she said quietly. Legolas turned towards her and took her hands.
"Amaris the hour is late. What could you possibly need to do?" Amaris sighed and looked at him.
"Do not be angry, but I want to speak with Marlaria tonight." Legolas' grip on her hands tightened. "Please, Legolas, lead me to the dungeons. I have questions for her that I want the answers to before the ceremony, and with the duties that must be concluded in the next two days I will not have the time. We will be wed in three days and I don't know when I will have the chance to get the answers I seek." Legolas sighed and rubbed the back of her hands with his thumbs. The torch lights lit her face as he looked at her and he saw all the hope she held in her eyes. He felt it radiate from her. He could only nod.
"I shall take you; however, I will remain in the shadows. I do not want to leave you alone with her." Amaris gave him a smile and nodded. He turned her around and led her down several corridors and turns. Soon they arrived to a large door with a guard posted outside. The guard stiffened and looked at Legolas. "Good evening, Maldanor. Is Tarasinvel on duty as well?" Maldanor nodded and looked at Amaris and furrowed his brow. "Her presence is none of your concern. Call for Tarasinvel and we shall enter the corridor." Maldanor did as he was instructed and Tarasinvel exited the corridor and Legolas and Amaris slipped in. "Take heed and if you need me, Amaris, call for me." Amaris nodded and kissed his lips lightly before she made her way to the end cell where Marlaria sat. As Amaris approached the cell the sight that met her eyes made her smile on the inside. Marlaria sat on a cot in the cell, her dress, face, and hair were clean. However, what disturbed Amaris the most was how she had her unemotional eyes focused on the wall opposite her and she saw the tracks of shed tears on her cheeks.
"Marlaria?" Amaris asked as she stepped closer. The elleth's head snapped in her direction and her eyes went wide. Amaris kept her face neutral as she looked at Marlaria but her insides were churning. "I have some questions I would like to ask you." Marlaria said nothing but moved to stand by her cell door and look at Amaris. After a moment of silence between the two Marlaria was the first to speak.
"I shall answer your questions, Lady Amaris," Marlaria said. Her voice sounded dry and horse. Amaris sighed nodded.
"Why did you do it? Why did you use magic on Prince Legolas to have him think you were me?" Marlaria swallowed and looked at Amaris. She saw the pain in Amaris' eyes as she relived the event of finding her in Legolas' bed. Marlaria could now see why all that met Amaris cared for her. She was a strong elleth and it took bravery to confront the one who tried to kill you. Amaris looked at Marlaria expectantly.
"In all honesty, milady, I was jealous." Amaris furrowed her brow and Marlaria continued. "I was jealous that you had what I had wanted since I was a child and what I deserved."
"Wanted? Deserved?" Amaris asked as she stepped a little closer to the cell door. "You speak of him like he is a prize to be one. He is an ellon, not something you covet." Marlaria took a step back as she saw the anger flash in Amaris' eyes. "What makes you think that you deserve someone like him?" Marlaria glared at Amaris suddenly finding strength.
"All my life I have been told how beautiful I am and I always received what I wanted because of it. He is the best of the best and I deserve the best. I have longed desired the prince and in all the years I attempted to gain his attention, my attempts went unnoticed. Now, you come along and from what I hear, barley said two words to the prince and he was madly in love with you." Amaris shook her head and stopped Marlaria's ranting.
"That is not the truth. The truth is, when I met Prince Legolas, it was at the formation of the fellowship. I was a member of the fellowship. Prince Legolas became my friend and during the journey and some of the most trying points our feelings for one another developed and we revealed them to each other. It was not instant, it happened over time." Amaris paused as she looked at Marlaria who took to glaring at her again. "You may have been praised for your outer beauty your entire life, Marlaria, but your inner beauty is non-existent." Marlaria's eyes went wide and Amaris could have sworn she heard Legolas chuckle. "To think you better than others, to think anyone better than others, are pitiful traits that should be despised. To think you deserve someone because you view them to be superior than others and your equal is ridiculous. Legolas has his faults, although few, he is not perfect. Nor am I. I don't even think I deserve an ellon like him, but he loves me and I him more than anything in this world." Amaris paused as she looked at Marlaria's expression which seemed to have softened. Amaris stepped closer and put her hand on the door. "Tell me one more thing Marlaria. Was what you feel for Legolas, love or mere obsession?" Marlaria paused before she answered and looked at her hands.
"Love," Marlaria said in a whisper and she did not look Amaris in the eye. Amaris furrowed her brow.
"Love? You feel that you are in love with him?" Marlaria nodded her head and Amaris shook hers. "It is not love you feel." At that Marlaria's head snapped up and she looked at her. "Because if it was love, you would let him go because he was happy with another. You would not trick him into thinking you were me and try to seduce him, only to have me walk in on you. You knew that seeing him with another would kill me. Was that what you had planned?" Marlaria's eyes were wide once more. "It was." Amaris felt a wave of anger hit her from Legolas and she pushed the feeling aside because her own anger grew. "You wanted to kill me through grief and you nearly succeeded. However, did you not think that my loss would also cause Legolas to pass and that you would lose him anyway?" Marlaria shook her head as she seemed defeated. "If you would look into my eyes you would see the proof of our bond, Marlaria. We are each other's other half. From the day we bound ourselves if one of us were to perish the other would soon follow. You would not only have caused my death but Legolas' as well. You would have taken away your kingdom's only prince and the only thing that kept King Thranduil from passing the day his wife was taken from him." Marlaria had moved from where she stood and sat down on her cot as Amaris continued. "If you would have succeeded in your plans, Marlaria, you king would have also faded from grief. Because you only thought of yourself and what you felt you 'deserved' you would have taken three lives and you would have left a kingdom without a ruler." Marlaria sighed when Amaris finished.
"You are right. I did not think of all of the consequences to my actions." Amaris shook her head.
"You did not. You should be thankful that my bond to Legolas was strong enough that he was able to pull my soul back to the light. I hope whatever punishment King Thranduil bestowes upon you is just and that you shall forever think of what may have happened if you would have succeeded." Amaris stepped back and turned to face the exit. "I will never speak to you again. From this moment on, you will cease to exist in my mind. I just hope you realize that you cannot always get what you want." With that Amaris walked down the cold corridor never looking back. Amaris exited the corridor and Legolas was right behind her. When they exited, Tarasinvel went back inside. Amaris continued to walk with Legolas behind her. As they rounded a corner, Amaris stopped and turned to face Legolas. Legolas looked at her face and saw her cheeks were wet. She was crying. Legolas quickly made his way to her and wrapped her tightly in his arms.
"It is alright Amaris," Legolas whispered into her hair. Amaris wrapped her arms around him and held him to her.
"I know. I know," Amaris whispered back as she pulled away to look into his eyes. Amaris sighed. "She wanted me to fade all because she felt she was obsessed with you." Legolas shook his head and brushed her hair from her face.
"She did not succeed and you will think of this no more. In three days you will be my wife and that is all that matters. Our friends are here and I am here with you." He pulled her tight to him. "You told her she no longer exists in your mind, so let her memory leave you and think solely of the mess you have to deal with tomorrow." Amaris laughed and laid her head against her chest.
"There is much to be done in two days." Legolas sighed, thankful she was no longer thinking of Marlaria. He ran his fingers through her hair.
"There is much to be done, but I am certain that with the help of Arwen, Eowyn and others you shall be just fine." Amaris pulled back and looked at him. Her smile was bright and he felt his heart lighten just by looking at her.
"Yes. I cannot wait." Legolas leaned in and kissed her gently.
"Nor can I." With that they made their way back to the royal corridor, to their chambers, and finally took the rest both of their bodies so desperately needed.
