This chapter directs its main aim to focus on the small things that will complicate the story in the future, much of it is pretty much self explanatory as you read it and I apologise for the lack of sex scenes.....hehehe! but a relationship is more than sex and though they don't know it, its in this chapter that pushes their fumbling and lust into a newly fledge relationship. Like a ship in storm waters. It'll take them some time to realise that maybe they gone into this way over their heads.

Review as usual and all queries and questions will be answered for you in the next chapter.

I don't owe anything to do with Tolkien or his works.

Servant Rule fourteen :- Information of value must be shared to your master, no matter how small.


Slowly coming conscious from the thick, velvet of sleep made Isil at first quite sick as her body still throbbed from the impact with the riverbed. Her head hurt the most, making the rest of her muscles pulsate with the uneasy rhythm. Fighting the nausea that threaten to consume her, she focused her efforts into opening her eyes.

The warm, soft glow of a fire greeted her vision at fist, as the image sharpened, she realised she was staring at a fresco of birds in flight against a painted blue sky. She frowned then realised that where ever she was lying, it wasn't her room.

She rolled her head to the right, then to the left to see the occupant of the room, sitting rigidly at his desk, his hair haloed by the pure light of the divine candles.

Wordlessly she watched the angel dip his quill into an inkwell then scratch its nib across the parchment in his fluent hand.

One hand rose to push back his veil of hair that curtained his face from her view, and she saw his frown and his forehead wrinkled in concentration. Whatever it was defeated him and he sat back with a loud huff, his eyes narrowed dangerously at the scrolls that littered his desk, as if any minute now, he would jump up and rip them to shreds.

She smiled, "What's troubling you?", watching the angel jerk his head towards her in a split second.

"You're awake." A smile spread across his lips and he rose to his feet and walked across to her side as she sat up, his fingers positioning the pillow and drawing up her covers as she winced from the throbbing of her head.

"How are you feeling?" Legolas asked, he seated himself on the edge of the bed, watching her rise a hand to her temple to felt the swollen bump there.

"My head's sore." She complained to which Legolas grinned, "I think anyone's head would be after such a fall you had. Here, drink this. It will take the pain away." He handed her a cold brew of pungent smelling potion that Isil turned her nose up at first but Legolas's nursing skills finally won and she swallowed it to much complaints.

"You are a fool! What did you think you were doing?" Legolas's anger swiftly kicked in, his blue eyes were on fire as his lips pressed together whilst he watched her bow her head in shame. "I made an irrational mistake, one that anyone could make."

A sigh came from him, and she looked up at his face to see his tired eyes as he watched her with an expression of a mother not knowing what to do with her wayward child.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

Legolas reached out with one hand and cupped her chin, "So you should be, you gave me an awful fright."

"Sorry." She mumbled and fidgeted with the covers till he stopped her with a calming hand.

"You should rest." Was his orders and for once, Isil was happy to comply.


She stirred once again an hour later, she could tell as she was greeted by the same scene she revived to last time. Legolas pouring over his scrolls with his face a distorted mask of confusion and frustration.

She sat up and this time, watched him murmur lines from the scrolls, reading softly passages that troubled him.

Before long, she listened to him recite that growing suspicions regarding that elves were trading palace goods for personal gain, leaving a shortage in food that was shared with the kingdom's elves.

If this carries on, taxes would have to be raised which would be held disagreeably in the eyes of Mirkwood's elves. Even worst, the cost of goods would rise, early evidence was already showing in the slight increase in prices of seasonal fruit and veg supplied by the lake men.

Elves were bickering about paying a copper piece more for a bag of apples, what would they say if the price rose to a gold coin?

Especially as winter's arriving.

Elves could live off the land well enough but not when there's a mass of them, the land can't support them all in such short period of time.

"I've noticed a shortage in the number of barrels arriving to the palace flood gates." Isil spoke up, Legolas halted mid-reading and turned his eyes to hers, "You're awake."

"I've been awake for a long time. Sounds like quite a problem on your hands." Isil softly smiled as Legolas regarded her for a long moment till she spoke again, "Come, sit by me. Tell me what's going on."

He slowly stood up and headed to her bed, he seated himself by her side, his back against the headboard and his long limbs crossed out across the bed as he looked at her again and indicated to the scroll he still held in his hand.

"Tell me what you know." He said, drawing attention to the matter that captivated the moment.

She told him from personal experience from hauling barrels that are floated up the forest river to the palace. This was the infamous flood gates that Bilbo and his dwarf companions escaped, all those years ago.

At first, it was the odd few barrels that went missing and this were recorded as being lost due to the river's current, but of late, things have been becoming suspicious and only the other day all barrels went missing. This caused a rift between lakemen the Thranduil's advisors but the king intervened and soothed things over via a payment of gold and words to keep security intact to insure the safeguard of the now precious delivery of food and wine.

"I have seen elves fish barrels from the river and have assumed that they were collecting the lost barrels but they never turned up at the palace stock rooms. They were wine barrels. Marked with Thranduil's approval mark and yet for two weeks have there been no such arrival. I saw this with my own eyes three days yonder!"

Legolas hissed a curse and his eyes flickered with inward hate for the elves stirring up trouble within his father's own kingdom.

"Your own words will prove invaluable tomorrow." He soft spoke and looked down to see, instead of Isil's eyes holding his own they were closed with sleep and he smiled.


"You what?!" Thranduil's voice echoed in the prince's briefing chamber as the king's finger's clenched the armrest of the chair he sat in and his lips thinned along with his eyes that dangerously narrowed.

"And who is the supplier of such information?" The king demanded his son who paced before him. "The elf wishes to remain anonymous and I will comply to the individual's wishes."

There was a heavy moment silence as the king weighed up what he have learnt, his fingers turned the pages of the stock rooms log book, all showing the sudden decrease in the number of barrels arriving at the palace. The flap of paper was the only sound then he sighed and snapped his eyes over to the leader of the guards and nodded, "Rally up a watch on the river tonight, we're expecting a delivery."


The hiss of the wind rattling against the leaves of the tall trees gave the guards who awaited in the trees in the dead of the night, cover in which to move into positions. They soundlessly stepped from one branch to another, always alert and vigilant.

Their eyes never left the dark ground, occasionally their irises would be illuminated like that of a cat, from the divine light reflected from the moon on the river's water.

A spectre like mist rose its unearthly fingers from the foaming, churning waters to worship the diamond strewn sky, making the air damp and humid alive with the calls of the wild.

Somewhere a wolf called its lone song, and nearby to elven ears was the chirp of night insects such as crickets and moths. The air was fragranced with the smell of the damp undergrowth and wet earth laced with the decay of plant life.

Legolas's feet swayed with the branch as it dipped with the wind then resumed its sturdy posture, his ears picked up a signal from his comrade across the river, disguised as an owl's hoot, it told him that something was spotted.

The cloaked guard who shared his perch next to him whistled a bird's call back.

They acknowledged and were waiting, arrows drawn and swords pulled silently from their scabbards and held close beneath their cloaks to prevent the moon's light to betray their presence. Their operation was made more harder as they were now hunting down elves. Their own kind were superior in comparison to humans that trundled along, and stealth was at its highest tonight.

Legolas looked down below to see the beaten horse track directly beneath their tree, it was popular with riders who rode to admire the view.....and other things.

This prompted a smile on his face as his memories stirred up the image of earlier that day, when he had offered to escort Isil on horseback as she was complaining about lying in bed feeling lazy.

The sole intention was to see the landscape in the day and the exact location of where Isil have spotted the elves, this was accomplished but it lead to something more.

One where he could still see the imprint in the grass where they rolled and frolicked.(Yes they did do what you gutterheads thought they did!)

An elbow to the ribs drew his attention to the mission and Legolas looked at his comrade to see he was pointing to the river. The prince looked out and saw the faint flicker of torch lights drawing nearer and nearer to the river till he could see twelve elves, all quietly singing and talking, unaware they were being watched by their own kind who narrowed their eyes in instant dislike.

Thievery amongst their own kind was frowned upon, especially when it concerned the theft of something much needed to the kingdom.

They watched the elves below them assembled together from short sections wrapped in cloth, large rods with hooks on the end.

The elves who held these seated themselves by the river and waited, talking companionably of the upcoming autumn festival amongst other things. Some time later, all talk was interrupted by a cry that the barrels have been spotted, Legolas turned his head and through the wall of leaves he could see, floating in the water were the small buoyant barrel, each stamped with a different logo for the different items they held and all carried the stamp of the royal palace they were destined to.

The elves in the trees watched the elves by the river dip the rods in the water and with the hooked end, pulled the barrels to the edge where they were pulled up upon the banks.

There was a cheer when someone fished to the banks the ever popular supply of Dorwinion which of late have started to diminish in supply at the palace. Legolas's own bottle that normally was refilled every day was currently standing by the fire half empty and he seethed at this. With anger temporarily restrained, he ordered via hand signals to his nearest comrades to ready themselves.

Concealed as a bird's call, this signal was acknowledge by those waiting in the trees on the other side of the bank.

At the call of the 'nightingale' the guards and their prince swiftly walked out onto the thinnest branches. Legolas felt the branch dip slightly with his weight and then, with a powerful lunge, he jumped across the river and handed before the startled elves who yelped in shock at the sudden apprehension.

No arrows were fired as at the sight of them, the prisoners suddenly gave up fight. Two ran into the thicket but were swiftly re-caught at sword point and joined their befallen comrades who were being tied, hand behind their back.

"We were doing the king's orders." One elf yelped as the ropes round his wrist bit into his skin.

"The king gave no orders." Legolas hissed.

"He did!" the elf stupidly decided to argue with the hooded villain who growled, "Don't you think I would know the words of my own father?" at those words, Legolas pulled down his hood and watched the faces of those caught change to pure shock and horror at being caught by the kingdom's one and only prince who was second best to sovereignty.

They were escorted to the palace and the traitors were locked in the many cells that reputed to be the worst within the palace.

No torture was needed as they so readily blabbed that they were employed by the kingdom's most trusted merchant who supplied the palace with much of its finery. At that news, Legolas frowned and reported it to his father with a much troubled heart.


"Why's my father been arrested?" The lady Sana tear into the royal chamber where the king and his son were talking of the developments that have been in the situation.

Both elves fixed the stunning raven haired beauty that Legolas had so frequently bedded, with astonishment that she managed to storm past the door's guards and opened the two heavy wooden doors and managed to get into the room in a space of a few short seconds.

The guards stood embarrassed that a lady managed to get past them and Thranduil waved them away to resume their post.

"Lady Sana, first let me offer my condolences on this stressful situation....." Thranduil started but he was interrupted by the beautiful maiden who spat with her renown fiery temper, "Condolences, My arse! This is all a mistake!"

"Sana!" Legolas intervened and the elleth fixed her narrowed eyes upon him, with her hands furled in fists, she took two paces up to him and with all her force, smack her hand across his cheek.

The slap resonated in the chamber and it was followed by a long moment of silence as Legolas blinked in surprise as he straightened his face and raised a finger to his face, it touched blood.

She made him bleed!

"Sana!" Thranduil caught Sana mid-lunge as she went for the prince again in her blinded fury, his long arms caught her and trapped her in his embrace as her anger dissolved to agony as her face crumpled to one of despair and sorrow, punctuated by her tears and the sobs that racked her body.

"Call for a servant Legolas." Thranduil ordered his son who pulled on the bell rope.

Of all luck, Isil came to answer his call as she stepped into the room. Her eyes took in the sights before her and instantly attended Legolas's bloody nose. Why she started her shift that day hecursed but the damage was done as he ignored her poisionous looks at Sana.

He was seated and made to look at the ceiling as she wiped away the blood, she saw his in eyes the anger of being struck mingled with the guilt of causing the elleth he once held in the highest regard, the uttermost grief one could bestow upon a person.

"Never will you draw royal blood again Sana." Thranduil softly admonished the lady who's sobs quietly died away to leave her in shock of her actions.

"I still hold your father in most respect despite his actions and therefore I will permit a private hearing of his actions and the punishments that will befall him."


It was at sunset when Sana's father was lead into the throne room, where it was lined with the king's advisors and those involved with the case. Sana stood to one side, tears awash her face as she watched her father, an elf she held in the highest regard who've fallen so low he was now beyond rescuing.

Legolas stood by his father who was seated upon his throne, looking solemn and imposing as a king should be. The guards fell away from the elf who was bound in chains, leaving him alone to face the court and his fate.

Legolas spoke first, informing all of the arrest and information that would be deemed of great importance, the elf's face didn't change in composure as his daughter weep bitterly of his downfall.

"Why did you do it?" Thranduil asked, the elf's voice rasped as he spoke up. The hours of being locked in the dark, cold cell was taking it's toll on his body and it took him several attempts to clear his throat and speak up.

"I cannot answer to that my king." He rasped.

"You say nothing in your defence?" Legolas asked, he looked at his father who shrugged.

"I will say this, you sit there upon your thrones of gold, surrounded by all the treasures you desire, everything you order is done to your decree. What about those who live on the outside of your palace walls? It doesn't come easy to us." The elf scoffed at the lavishly decorated room to emphasis his point and this seemed to agitate Thranduil who rested a hand on Legolas's arm to silently prevent him from speaking and spoke instead.

"You are one of the most richest families in my kingdom, you have money but from what I hear, you chose to spend it most lavishly. Daily I hear court rumours that you held yet another expensive party that outdo the whole kingdom's. I'm guessing that the costs of your lifestyles have caught up with you am I correct?"

The elf hesitantly nodded and Thranduil continued, "You have run yourself deeply into debt, and you knew that the only way to get more money was to take advance of the position I have trusted you in as someone who provided the kingdom's food and supplies. How am I doing so far?"

"Your guess proves most accurate." The elf rasped and a cough racked his body, disturbing the chains that bound him.

"You've seen the increase in the food prices of late at the market due to the poor winter plagued upon the lake men and knew that if you caused a shortage in food, the prices will go up and you as sole benefactor and treasurer could slip some money away from the accounts and none be any the wiser. So you went and employed these young elves who knew better than to question their task at hand........" Thranduil indicated to the elves that were apprehended during the night. All of them were seated upon a bench with their hands tied behind their backs.

".......and you ordered them to accost barrels that floated down the river. At first it was a few but you got greedy and soon all barrels were being taken. My son, upon the raid at your flet found several hundred barrels of food in your holding. A good half of them are now expired and cannot feed my people in this harsh winter. The only good they are now is as fertiliser upon the ice frozen ground. So you have achieved what you set out for, prices of food will be going up but you wont be around to reap your benefits." Thranduil halted his pacing and looked at his advisors then looked back at the elf who stood before him, his eyes took in Sana then looked outside the palace window to see the busy market square in the distance.

The fate of his people rested upon him and he would uphold his duty. He wrote the rules and law of this palace with the approval of the advisors and they expect him to follow them.

And he will.

"Your punishment will be most severe as you deliberately set out with the intention of starving my people, you could have started a famine and we would have withered away. We could have been defenceless against unseen enemies that now, so plague our grounds all because we have no energy to wield a sword. I've taken into account all possibilities that could have happened and I thank Valar they haven't. Your punishment will be that you will be exiled from the kingdom of Mirkwood. All other elven realms upon middle earth will be informed of your treachery, its up to them whether they'll take you in, but I assure you they wont."

There were an assortment of reactions in the room, from Sana's wild sobs at her father's verdict, the astonished gasps from those who thought the king would look kindly upon his old friend, to the murmurs and nods of approval from the king's advisors and the shocked silence from the king's son who last he remembered ordering such a severe punishment was when he was a boy.

The only elves unaffected by the mood was Thranduil and the elf in question who stared back at the king from his fallen status.

"The trusted position that you once held will go to your daughter who I trust will run the business well with the help of my son, who will oversee this affair and to give Lady Sana a hand where it's most needed." Thranduil spoke, his voice clam and belied the crushed spirit within him that hurt so by the treachery of those close to him.

A glance at his son soothed some of the pain, his son would never betray him would he?

Legolas smiled a reassuring smile back as if to answer his question.

No.

He wouldn't.

"Legolas, see that my orders are carried out." He wearily said and left the room, leaving his son to stand up and smoothly take over from his father's presence.


"He said that?" Isil asked though knowing the answer, Legolas had told her of the outcome of today's court as she laid in his arms upon their private bed in the secret room they of late, visit frequently.

"Ai, I couldn't believe it myself he dealt such a punishment but it fits well with the crime in these dark days." Legolas replied with his eyes closed as he lazily shifted closer to Isil, they had already rode the waves of pleasure once and as they laid there in the after glow, he could feel his body stirring for more.

"Such outcomes, makes me feel bad but I know its for the best." Sighed Isil as she rolled on her side to watch her lover's content face as he replied with a nonchalant "Hmm."

There was a comfortable moment's silence that was punctuated by Isil's sighs as Legolas's fingers drew a repetitive pattern on her back, which tingled her nerves.

"Would your father be as harsh upon us if he finds out?" Isil's unexpected question caused Legolas's breathing to hitch as his stomach lurched at the prospect.

"I don't wish to think about it and being the king's son must have some benefits." Was his reply as he opened his eyes and looked over at Isil who bit her lip, clearly not satisfied with his answer.

"What I have heard today confirmed that the king's renown temper and judgement was lying dormant. Its been a long time since he last ordered one of his own kind to be exiled is it not? Why, the last time he did so, I wasn't even born." Isil said, watching Legolas's face the whole time she spoke, gauging his reactions......or lack of them. He laid there, his eyes frosted over with a troubled sheen as he bit his lower lip with worry.

"He did it with a heavy heart." Came his, slow almost calculated replied.

"We can only be careful......but even this cannot last forever." Isil voice lowered to a whisper as the thought dawn on her, they cannot hide their relationship for all of their immortal time.

"Maybe times and situations in the future will change for the better." Came Legolas's optimistic reply as he sat up and drew her close to him, his warm scent and arms enveloped her as she sighed with a troubled heart, "Or for the worst."

Legolas didn't reply to that, he couldn't.

His eyes looked out the windows onto the kingdom his father rules, and like so many times in his life, he cursed the fact he was Mirkwood's prince, the one thing that stopped him from leading an ordinary life.

Even amongst his own comrades, he was regarded with the most respect.

Every patrol or battle he fought in, he missed out on the affectionate relationships built between his fellow comrades, where a joke could lighten a dark moment and friendship could save a life.

Where was his friends?

Where was his sense of normality?

Where was his own life heading?

Legolas swallowed the bitter lump that rose to the back of his throat, he felt Isil stir in his arms and looked down to see the maid was lying in his arms.

So content and trusting in his presence.

At least one thing in his life he was going to defend with his life, even from his own father as he pressed a kiss to Isil's crown and heard her sigh.

So was this love?

What?!

His consciousness remained tauntingly silent as his mind floundered for an answer.

'Who's cares, I'm just taking this as it comes.' Was his final reply.

"Sleep Legolas, you've a long day tomorrow." Isil smiled and welcomed him into her own arms where he laid, inhaling her sweet scent and holding her warm body, thinking upon his newly discovered revelation.