Servant Rule Number Fifteen :-Know when to give your master his privacy and when to intervene for his sake, your absence and presence can make all the difference.
In the week that followed the exile of Sana's father, Legolas spent every waking hour he could spare with Sana. The elleth was at first most distraught at her father's downfall and at the business she had no knowledge in, to take over.
At first she was most adamant that she would refuse to comply to the king's orders but after some soothing moments with the prince, either walking through the palace gardens, a game of archery or a horse ride on the renown paths of natural beauty, Sana finally relented and allowed Legolas to show her, her father's business.
They visited the butcheries and the pens holding the pigs and cows awaiting slaughter.
They met merchants who traded frequently with Mirkwood and discussed prices of various goods.
They went to the market with royal escorts to see first hand, the skilled craftsmen preparing their wares.
They discussed taxes, prices, trade in companionable and professional manners and at Legolas's help, Sana effectively took over her father's business.
All this have left Legolas exhausted, he would wince at the prospect of climbing those steps up to his own haven where waited Isil.
One night, after a weary day and an even more weary climb, he arrived to see Isil in bed asleep. She awoke when he came into the room and regarded him with her look of worry as he apologised for being late once again.
"Sana wanted to go over the autumn festival's inventory before she made orders." He said.
"Oh." Came her small reply, her large grey eyes looked down with a defeated air as he shrugged himself out of his clothes and joined her in bed. He was too tired to do anything more but lie in her arms and fall asleep yet again. Come the morning he awoke to see Isil already dressed and enquired where she was going.
"You can't keep doing this Legolas. You're tired, you practically fell into bed asleep last night.....again!" came her reply.
"I'm sorry." He apologised as he got out of bed and winced when he realise he didn't even manage to take off his own trousers last night let alone make love.
"I'm not coming up here anymore until things have died down and you have gotten some rest." She said, her eyes on fire as she silently dared him to defy her.
He objected almost instantaneously, begging her to reconsider and telling her it wasn't what he wanted to do.
"I know but its some thing you need to do Legolas. You need to rest. I'll see you soon though." She pressed a kiss upon his cheek and left him to stare at the door like an idiot, amazed that Isil, a maid have walked away from her lord and master. He shook that thought from his head when he knew that she wasn't anyone's property but for days after, he was in a vile mood. So vile that in his anger, he foolishly signed up for the fights that were to take place on the festival just to vent on someone his anger via bare knuckle boxing and close body combat.
It wasn't until his father told him his amazement to find his own son was partaking in the kingdom's renown sports event did the tiny little mistake dawn on him like a full blown storm.
It was too late to redraw from the contest and even if he wanted to, he couldn't as he knew he would be mercilessly teased for being a royal coward. Plus his father's words of praise for leading on as a good example cemented his fate.
So he slid in a hour's worth of training in his already hectic day and saw sense in Isil's suggestion of not meeting up. He couldn't even if he wanted too.
When he wasn't talking to Sana about deliveries that were coming into the palace with more frequency than before, he was overseeing the preparations of the festival or patrolling the borders with Cleborn and his comrades.
And in those tiring days, he didn't see neither hair of hide of Isil, the only telltale sign she existed was a freshly made bed with laundered clothes and sometimes a white rose by his bedside.
Valar!
He missed his maid!
Isil arose bright and early on the day of the festival, looking out the window, she smiled to see the sun was up and the cool artic wind from the lonely mountain was offering its services as a reminder that the cold winter was lurking around the corner.
Within the palace, giants garlands of autumn flowers and leaves were hoisted up and strung from pillar to pillar as the lively gossips and laughter of excitement rang throughout the palace. The fresh and tantalizing smells and aromas of food being cooked made Isil's stomach churn with hunger as she gratefully accepted a plate of warm, berry strewn bread with honey and cheese.
"Have you seen the market square?" Keay asked with giddy happiness and Isil listened to her friend describe the decorated square for the dances.
They went down to watch Arkle take part in the archery contest where for the first year in many, Legolas wasn't taking part due to his fight later. Due to the absence of the predictable outcome of every archery contest (Legoals usually wins.), this time, no one knew who would win and bets were made with as much odds on the outcome.
Arkle came fifth to Keay's glee as she pressed a kiss on his cheek, making Isil wonder what was the current state of their relationship at the moment. Were they friends or lovers?
Arisel joined them as they toured the market square, sampling the many food that were freely on offer. They joined a few dances then watched a horse race where Isil discovered one of her brothers was taken part. She cheered Forwin on as he crossed the finishing line first and pushed her way through the crowd to spy her family there congratulating him.
"Ada!" she cried and hugged her father who smiled and held his beloved daughter close to him.
"How have you been?" he asked and Isil told him of her award, the battle and the sword, aware of the wide eyed looks she was getting. Her own family didn't believe her till Arkle and Keay confirmed what she told them.
"You are doing us proud." Hassel smiled and hugged his daughter once more, "Come, join us for the day."
And she did, the thoughts of Legolas evaporated for a few hours as she laughed and bantered with her siblings and joined in the festival's atmosphere.
It was when the evening horn blew to signal the next bout of the festival did she remember she had a job to do.
"Ada, I must go. I have to prepare the prince for the fight." She excused herself and headed to the enclosure where tents were erected for each fighter.
The compound was under guard supervision as tradition dictates, after the fights, elleths were let into the compound to roam freely and if she fancies, could bed a fighter for the night.
They called this ritual studding, a mate with the best elves of the kingdom and Isil couldn't be anymore aware of it.
She walked past the guards on presentation of a special pass and headed to the tent with the royal flag. Arkle was there, preparing the bedding, talking about who he think would be bedding Legolas that night.
".......Mind you, Lady Sana has an eye for him from what I heard."
"Arkle, that really isn't any of our business is it?" Isil groaned as she shifted a trunk holding clothes to the side of the tent.
"I'm interested." Keay spoke up and Arkle, encouraged furthermore, carried on talking about the gossips he heard with Keay contributing her own opinions.
"Where is Legolas anyway?" Isil spoke up, interrupting the chattering two.
"Warming up I think." Arkle shrugged as he plumped up the pillows on the bed that was lavishly laid out. A thick mattress was lied upon the tent floor and covered with ornate blankets and cushions, seducing whatever lady tonight who would be fortunate to bed the prince to recline upon it.
Keay, somewhat helpfully perfumed the room with rosewater and Isil wrinkled her nose just as the prince came in. He looked around and at one sniff, said, "It stinks like a brothel in here!"
"Now, Legolas. The last thing the lady wants to do is to smell your honking body after the fights does she?" Arkle said, Legolas eyed him for a long moment then walked over to the wash basin where he washed his face.
"You are planning to stud a lady tonight aren't you?" Arkle followed his master round the tent as Legolas halted and regarded his servant with a curious eye. "Why, that's none of your business."
Even Keay was somewhat flustered by Arkle's forwardness over the prince's sexual relationships told him to shut up.
Torches were being lit when the horn bellowed its note to signal the start of the fights. Large crowds ignored the rapidly approaching darkness, hurried to the arena to get best seats.
It was a large circular, wooden built structure. Where it had two gaps, one for the public and one for the fighters to enter and exit. The seating was arranged in tiers, gradually getting higher till they reached the first branches of the tall oaks surrounding the site. The fights would take place in the pit where it was illuminated by torchlight and the moon gave its more softer spotlight above.
Thranduil seated himself in the royal box where he was joined by other highly regarded officials and families. He just left his son's tent and could feel in his son's aura the nervousness and tenseness building up to the fight. His eyes that were usually clam and cool where wide and alert, his senses on the alert as he stretched and warmed up.
Elves waved pouches of coins, shouting out their bets and guards were stationed at the gateway that were to admit the fighters were inundated by elleths, all trying to get their favours on their intended champions for the night.
"You'll be fine. We'll clean you up after the fights then disappear to leave you be for the night." Arkle took the prince's robe as Legolas cracked his knuckles. He was bare down to his waist, clad in breeches and boots. A games master who's job it was to referee the match, checked him for any concealed weapons as its been known in the past for such things to happen. Legolas looked up and saw Isil watching him, fear in her eyes as she chewed her lower lip with worry.
"Arkle, go get me some water." He ordered and Arkle complied, leaving him alone for a moment with Isil.
"I've missed you." He whispered, his eyes held her own as his fingers touched her hand and gently gave it a squeeze.
"You be careful." She replied, her voice wavering as she gave him her best smile.
"Here." Arkle butted in by handing Legolas a glass of water which he dryly swallowed.
"Put that on the chair will you?" Arkle handed Isil Legolas's cloak and she did. She reached up into her hair and undid the red ribbon that held her hair up, letting her hair fall down in soft waves as she fingered the satin ribbon, contemplating her thoughts.
Could she offer him her favour?
She turned to do so but halted when her eyes took in the sickly sight that burned her soul.
"There you are!" Sana smiled as she walked up to him with two of her friends by her side. "I came to personally wish you well for the fights."
"You shouldn't have Sana." Legolas smiled politely.
"I also came to offer you my favour. Please say you will wear it." Sana smiled and from her dress bodice, she pulled a emerald green handkerchief with her initials embroidered in the corner, she tied it to his belt and kissed him on the cheek before departing with her dumbfounded friends.
Legolas looked up from the flimsy piece of material to see Isil's face frozen in a stunned, horrified look. He saw, fluttering in the wind in her limp-less grasp was her hair ribbon and his heart sickly lurched when he realised she too have intended to offer him her favour. He saw a tear trickled down her cheek and opened his mouth to call for her but she turned and ran. The ribbon she held, fluttered to the ground where it laid until it was trampled by a passer by.
"Come on!" the game master called and Legolas, with a heavy heart turned and entered the arena to be parade before a rabid crowd, where his heart bled to be elsewhere.
Fool!
What a complete and utter fool!
The prince hasn't missed her, he had Sana there to warm his bed!
Isil ran till her lungs burned and tears flooded her vision. She stood, slumped against the outer wall of the arena, feeling the vibrations of a thousand feet and the roars and cheers of the crowds as they cheered on their heroes.
She wiped away her tears and sighed, mentally kicking herself for falling into the prince's trap. Fool, such a....
"Isil? Come on, you're missing the fights." Arisel pulled her hand, not seeing her friend's distress and pulled her into the arena where the usually dignified elves have turned into a bloodthirsty mob.
She blindly watched the first match where a red-haired elf was declared the victor, then the second.
Not hearing Arisel's bloodthirsty screams for blood.
She didn't know how many matches she sat through, but when she heard Legolas's name, she watched the gate open to admit him.
The crowd around her roared and stamped their feet in union and Isil looked up to see Thranduil was one of them, cheering on his son who looked around him in a slight daze. His opponent entered the arena and he too received a wild welcome. The games master entered and after a few quiet words with the combatants, he raised his hands to signal the start of the fight.
The elf Legolas was to fight was a seasonal fighter by the way he'd play to the audience who roared and cheered. Legolas circled him, his hawk like eyes gauging for any weaknesses, anything at all. His heart hammered as his clammy fingers furled and unfurled as his ears vibrated with the bloodthirsty mob. His survival instinct took over and he was no longer Legolas the prince but the Legolas the hunter.
His eyes took in the size of his opponent then to his gait. He blinked then blinked again when he spotted something he could use to his advantage. One of his shoe laces was undone.
He recoiled when the elf threw a punch that missed him thanks to his quick reflexes then ducked to his knees as another punch was thrown. He rose to his feet but was caught unaware by a kick to his stomach and as pain caused him to double over, the elf brought his elbows down on the prince's back, slamming him onto the sawdust strewn grown, leaving him winded and dazed. But with calculated control, Legolas brought himself up on one knee and swung his foot under the elf, bring the colossus down to the ground with a heavy thud. He quickly placed his foot upon the untied shoelace that prevent the fallen elf to truly regain his balance and threw his punches.
The elf yield and Legolas was declared the winner of that bout. He turned and scanned the crowd for a sign of her, and his heart lurched as his eyes fastened hold on her amongst the sea of faces. Isil. Her face was one of distraught worry and her eyes were wide as she realised he was looking at her. he watched her stand up and hurriedly leave the arena, pushing aside elves as she went.
He could win one fight but the fight to right the wrongs that have befallen them have just started.
"Did you see the final punch!" Keay exclaimed loudly as she and Arkle hurried to the tent to get ahead of the crowd that surrounded the prince as he made his way back to his tent. They could hear the clamour of elves shouting "Well done!" and, more lewdly, elleths shrieking, "Stud me!"
"The way that elf went down!" Arkle mimed a few punches of his own as a re-enactment of the fight that was going to be history from this night on. Never have a royal took part in the fights and won.
"Hey Isil, great isn't it?" Keay asked her friend who was pouring hot water into the wash bowl.
"Yes, its wonderful." Came Isil's half hearted reply.
Somewhere outside the tent came an order to keep the crowds away from the royal enclosure and Legolas stepped through the flaps of the tent, looking worst for wear.
His usual, pale creamy skin was marred by huge welt-like scratches and some were bleeding from the not so careful touch of the other fighters. His hands were red and slightly swollen from all the punches he traded in return for ones he received and somewhere on his return to his tent, he dunked his head in a barrel of cold water, making his sweat-like body gleem in the torch light. He walked with a limp from where one fighter tried to kick his knee in the wrong way to disable him, and from the wince on his face, it wasn't the only part of his body that hurts.
"Well done!" Keay exclaimed as she handed him a glass of water which he downed in one go.
"Gotta sit down....owwwwwwwww!" Legolas slumped himself down on the bed and howled somewhat pathetically when he encountered more pain.
"Come on, there's a bath waiting for you." Arkle pulled the prince to his feet and pushed him to the tub where it hid behind a screen.
"I need some air." Legolas shrugged off Arkle and went back outside the tent, ignoring his complaining.
He stood outside, letting the cool, night air soothe his burning body and letting his lung unfurl from the stress of the fights that left him so winded.
He could see dark shadows of elleths gliding in small groups from tent to tent as they seek out their stud. Somewhere from the right he could hear a couple groaning and panting away.
A flutter caught his attention and he looked down to see Sana's handkerchief and a cold chill flowed through his body. he pulled the once green piece of material that was now dusty with dirt from his belt loop and spent a while looking at it, trapped like a butterfly with its corners fluttering in the wind as if its trying to be free of its prison.
He had known Sana have always held a torch for him, he knew he was regarded as the best catch in the palace and whenever he bedded an elleth, it was never a secret.
Gossip always ran rife around the palace on the prince's latest conquest and her eligibility to being the new crowned princess of Mirkwood.
They were all after his name.
Not Legolas for who he really was.
Sana, the name that once brought a heat to his body that would awaken the most primitive of arousals but now the name left him cold.
The fact that his father hope for him to love Sana for his own wife wasn't helpful, he knew what his own father's wishes were, as again gossip supplied him with many secrets that weren't told to his face.
Sana........he cursed her, haven't he been trying to gently dissuade her?
Dropping subtle hints that she wasn't the one?
A feminine giggle nearby, caught his attention and he realised that tonight probably wasn't the best of nights to be standing outside, musing over his thoughts when there was an army of horny elleths, all determined to bed him.
At that thought, he realised that the chances are, even as he stood there, Sana would be on his way to try her luck.
He smiled a cold smile and walked up to his personal guards that were posted to keep the prince's privacy.
Two can play that game.
He reached up and impaled the flimsy handkerchief on one of the guards' spears, a sure sign that he have already chosen a woman he would bed tonight by displaying her favour for all to see.
The guards exchanged a knowing smile with him and he smiled back. "Don't let anyone past, especially the Lady Sana. Have one guard escort my servants from the premises." He ordered and the guards nodded and complied to his orders.
Legolas headed back into his tent, his eyes fell on all three of his servants and he bade them goodnight. He watched Keay followed by Arkle head towards the back tent door where a guard waited. Isil was about to follow but he gripped her hand and shook his head. "You're to remain."
She looked at him then lowered her head but he didn't miss her expression of hurt and confusion.
They waited for a moment till he was sure they were completely alone, before he spoke again. "It's not what you think."
"Don't waste your breath, I'm leaving." Isil spat, her eyes a flaming with her anger of being played the fool.
"And what am I guilty of, pray?" Legolas stopped her from turning and held her still in his vice like grip.
"You took her to your bed in my absence, not that I care as I'm a servant and a tool, to be played with!" she hissed and tried to shake his grip from her but he instead pulled her sharply against his bare chest, where the sudden contact with his exposed, heated flesh caused her to silence. With one hand under her chin, he made her look at him.
"I never bedded Sana. True, I have a long time ago but never whilst I had you. And anyway, you know I've been inundated with my hectic work schedule lately and the fact I have to assist Sana with her father's business is one order I'm complying with, on behalf of my father. And you know first hand, most embarrassing for me is that I'm too tired to even take off my own clothes let alone make love to anyone especially you." He saw the fires in her eyes die down just a fraction as she realised that his words held truth to them.
"I underestimated Sana's affection to me, tonight it made me more aware that she sees me more than a friend and by the way, I have disposed of her favour in a manner most fitting." Legolas reached down into his pocket to pull the red ribbon that once held Isil's hair up. He picked it up after he won the fights from where it was dropped amongst the grass.
"There is only one favour I wish to fulfil. "he huskily said as he pressed the red ribbon into her hand for her to see. A smile battled its way onto her face and when she did smile, he knew he won the second fight on that night with what will be the most pleasurable reward to come.
"Ah, but have you rested up? Will you need me to help you take off your clothes this time?" she slyly asked as she welcomed his embrace.
"Not a chance.......though I will ask if you could give my shoulders a rub." He grinned as he felt Isil's nimble finger started undoing his breeches.
"Where are you hurting?" Isil asked, a serious expression was on her face.
"Everywhere." He groaned but he didn't react quick enough as she pulled his trousers down and with a smile that made his heart pound harder in his chest cavity, "Where?"
he complied and pointed to his chest where one huge series of scratches ran parallel across his abdomen. She pressed her cool lips to the welts, making him shudder with the unexpected boldness of her moves.
She looked at him once more and he pointed to his stomach where it was clouded with a fresh bruise from a blow by the first fighter he fought. This time, not only her lips caressed his sore skin but the heat of her tongue swirled over his nerves, making his breath catch on his tongue as he closed his eyes, relishing the heated touch of Isil on his naked body against the cool air of the tent.
He didn't even needed to point out where it hurts as her lips burned meandering trails over his bare skin, exploring, kissing and nipping as she gauged by his reactions where his weak spots were.
She pushed him back onto the cool sheets of the bed that have been the centre of many conversations of the kingdom, and she knew as she straddled him that she was the lucky elleth to bed him, not some lady in her highly refined ways but she, Isil. A maid no less and the fact that they were carrying out a taboo act in the face of everyone and were going to get away with it excited her more, especially when Legolas' lips found that hollow under her neck that got her every time.
She groaned against his lips as his fingers buried under the gathers of her dress to caress her bare skin of her thighs, and he rolled over, pinning her beneath him as he slowly proceed to undress her, whispering words of pure adoration which were sprinkled with naughty caresses in intimate places and kisses that took off the sheer edge of ecstasy.
She laid beneath the prince naked except her stockings which his warm fingers slid beneath and rolled them down her slender limbs as he kissed her, pushing all thoughts and emotions aside. He was there, nothing else and her heart beat faster and she grew wetter as his fingers slipped down there, a place she never thought would be boldly or so openly explored.
She panted and mewed as Legolas slowly at first moved his fingers then moved faster and deeper as she bucked against him, groaning his name, causing him to groan in return. Her hand searched out for his groin and the protruding rod that she so seek out but he pulled himself back away from her seeking quest.
But her hand gripped it and at her merest touch, all sense of fight was given up as he felt himself move in closer to welcome her touch.
"How do you want me to touch you?" came her whisper and he opened his eyes to see her face, marred by confusion as she watched her hand slowly move over his shaft, experimenting and testing what she should do.
"Here." Legolas's hoarse voice replied as his hand covered her own and slowly guided her in a sleek motion that gradually increased in momentum that had Legolas groaning and writhering as Isil applied what he taught her into practise.
"I'm not going to last long if you keep doing that." He groaned and pulled her on him, impaling her onto the now, extremely rigid shaft. It parted her lips and pushed aside the warm, moist velvet till he couldn't go in any further and with his hands on her hips, he slowly urged her to move.
She complied, moving with the new-founded capacity for strumpetry she didn't knew she had. She watched his face, his eyes burning like a blue fire as his lips, so commonly frozen like a well sculptured statue were now apart, panting and groaning her name as his beautiful hair haloed his face.
Then she couldn't see anymore though her eyes were open. Her senses exploded around her as she was thrusted up into a world where up was down, sky was green and she was his. She felt the tremors of her lover quake her soul as she slumped, exhausted and spent by their lovemaking, fuelled by their heated anger and long absence. She listened to his heart slow down with hers as he whispered how he missed her, his fingers buried in her hair that he so loved.
And somewhere his voice whispered "You're mine." As he held her closer to him, letting his warm body provide the comfort she had so missed.
Sana smiled as she waked up to the compound, many of her friends are probably already lying in the tents being studded this very minute by their favours. And it was time for her to seek our hers.
Her eyes scanned the darkness which was punctuated by a lit torch here and there. In the gloom, she saw the royal tent and walked up towards it. The guards regarded her with curiosity then halted her.
"He's expecting me." Sana smiled, biting back her caustic comment she so wanted to spew in their faces.
"He's expecting no one." One of the guards challenged and Sana rose one slender eyebrow to this, "Oh is he not? I'm the lady Sana and it was my favour he was wearing tonight."
"He personally gave us orders to not let anyone disturb him, especially you." The guard replied, one of his hands snaking his way down to his sword hilt. Sana saw this but chose to ignore it.
This was surely some mistake!
"Is there anyone with him?" She asked, peering at the tent that was softly illuminated by the candles within. She couldn't see any silhouettes to betray who ever the whore was but the guard, now with a menacing note to his tone replied, "He's is occupied within, he's marked out his favour already and is studding her right now I assume."
Her favour?
At her bafflement, the guard looked up and she followed his gaze to see on his spear was a piece of material.
Her favour!
Her handkerchief that Legolas was wearing during the fight, and he was parading it for all to see that he was studding her, but someone else was in her place!
The guards felt the lady's humiliation in her aura as she took one final look at the favour fluttering innocently in the wind and took off, skirt hitched and ego dented.
"Oops!" he smirked and his comrade standing next to him exchanged a grinned.
