Thank you for your lovely reviews, I'm glad you guys understand a bit more about my hearing impairment that that you'll be understanding when I make a few grammer and spelling mistakes.
I know that my updates of late have been short, this is because I've less time to write this story as I'm a student who is living a very hectic life but hell....at least I update frequently eh?
This chapter is a bit longer but is one of vital importance......it'll be soon clearer when you read it. I'm posting this early as I was going to post this Sunday but wont be letting peeps post new chappies so enjoy!
I wont be posting the next chapter till the end of next week so to give me time on writing the story which is already far ahead.
Just a note about the bond shared by Legolas and Isil, their bond is one that can either be allowed to run its course and die between them or as they've been doing, keep it intact by binding themselves during sex. Though its similar to the one formed in a marriage bond, the temporary bond is one formed by pure, uncontrolled emotions but not sealed by the Valar.
Servant Rule Number Nineteen:- Never leave your master in times of peril, bad things always happen in your absence.
Gandalf and Aragorn left a day later after resting from their long journey and restocked on precious supplies, Legolas was busy with trying to extend the army he had to cover over all the tasks he needed to be complete, hence making coverage over the whole kingdom very thin and weak.
It wasn't a surprise when a sudden raiding party of orcs came and destroyed a small cluster of workshops on the outskirts of Mirkwood.
It was decided that all those who were living on the outskirts of the palace grounds were to move closer so it allowed more coverage of guards to protect his people.
He was surprised to see that many elves were happy to comply and even worked together as an effective community, building new homes and redoubling efforts to make lives easier within the kingdom.
Legolas, Mirkwood's prince was proud of his people, and they were proud of him in return as he supervised the many moves and was seen personally to help erect new homes, carry people's precious belongings or give out food to those who needed it.
Legolas's days grew busier once more but Isil didn't complain, she too at Legolas's order along with Keay and Arkle who still haven't sorted out their unspoken love for one another, were carrying out tasks alongside him.
Gone were those moments where he could lie with her for long periods of time, taking his time to love every inch of her body. In its place were spontaneous moments when they acted on a whim, where ever it was quiet, private or alone, they made love like mad rabbits to quickly achieve satisfaction in the short period of time they had.
Isil smiled when she thought of the many times a day they sneaked away to do such things and she couldn't complain, she saw more of him as she worked by his side and they made loved more frequently than before. She certainly wasn't complaining when he took her by surprise where he made love to her upon a table in a newly built and furnished house, or by the well, or in the makeshift stables.......they even got so bold to sneak into each other's sleeping bags when they had to camp the night under the stars as they worked on late.
Mind you, Keay and Arkle were just as guilty, especially when Legolas caught them in action early one morning.
It was when they had to return to the palace were they forced back into routine and reality and Legolas was swept up with work and many skirmishes.
Too may times did she watch from the watch tower Legolas with his father battling back the orcs that plagued their borders.
Too many time have she had to heal his wounds as he laid upon his bed utterly exhausted and spent from fighting.
And too many times have she lost track of the small things, where as before she would linger over a scent of a rose and let many a words flow to her mind to describe it, now it was a blur of sensations that reeled into one another. If she would cut her finger, she now couldn't remember where or on what did she cut it.
Sleep evaded her for too long and it wasn't until Legolas mentioned to her she looked terrible in a carefully concealed way did she realise that maybe the toll of keeping their relationship secret was having its way with her.
Whenever she sneaked up to his room or to their room within the tower, she was always awaiting for someone to jump upon them and hence, revealing the one thing she was now struggling to keep quiet. She wanted to shout her secret from the highest tower, kiss him openly whenever she saw him, touch him whenever the desire takes her.
But reality was a cruel thing and she was forced to watch from the sidelines when Legolas danced with another lady of the court, listen to the gossip that Legolas supposedly bedded Sana again during the night gone by, and the increasing number of rumours that the king wanted his son to soon marry, that he was already engaged, even already married.
She told him, her eyes filled with tears that showed the hurt she tried to hide, the feeling she in some way been betrayed by her own people for keeping her happiness at bay. But Legolas, with all his titles and duties was called away to battle when an ambush of orcs were sighted upon the west side of the kingdom, pillaging and destroying their way towards the palace. He tried to comfort her as he readied himself, cursing his bloodline for disabling the fact he so wanted to just simply talk to her without worrying about his kingdom.
"I love you Isil, and I will not walk away from the one thing I have created with you that is our love." Legolas halted in his actions of securing his white knives to his back and looked at Isil, and there she saw the youthful face of Legolas was now taunt and darkened by some deep worry himself have concealed. His eyes were haunted by too many emotions for one being to live with and she knew that he too, was suffering the same torment she was.
"I know, but we can't keep doing this, look what's happening to you." Isil replied, wiping a tear away with the back of her hand.
"And you." Legolas pointed out, "We'll see where our road lead us hmm?"
Isil nodded, she felt his fingers lift her chin till she was looking him in the eyes and she saw his love for her, the one thing that she had and it made her stronger.
"You go and get some rest, I'll be alright." He ordered, his fingers now playing with her hair, a thing he loved to do, his lips moved on their own accord and claimed her own with a tender light kiss that made her soul burn for him.
"Legolas?" came a guard's voice outside the door and Legolas, pressing one more kiss upon her lips and whispered words of love, left Isil to stare at the spot his being just occupied, feeling his life-force via their bond fade away till it became a steady beat in the distance as he rode to battle.
"Keay? I'm tired, I'm going to rest." Isil called out to Keay as she headed to her room, the young maid smiled and nodded, inwardly thinking that rest was the one thing she needed right now for whatever it was that ailed her.
The blur that clouded her eyes faded to sharpen in resolution as she stirred in her bed. Someone have forgotten to close her curtains and the cruel light of the day washed over her skin and warmed it to slowly reawaken, like a small flower searching for the arrival of spring in which to bloom.
The toasty covers of her bed sheets were becoming hot and uncomfortable as she slowly stretched to feel something was lying across her legs.
Looking down she saw Legolas slumped from his night vigil in a chair by her side to fall asleep across the lower part of her bed.
She saw with a note of concern, battle stained amour he still wore from yesterday's fight she missed and she smelt the iron tang of blood and sweat that dried upon his fair skin which was now grimy.
She knew he was tired as his eyes were closed in his sleep, a thing she notice he did after a stressful day and his unfurled fingers that limply rested upon the bed held a book that he must have been reading. She picked it up to see it was her poetry book and smiled before shifting slowly to wake him. Her fingers stroked his long hair messed up from a variety of factors, she breathed directly on his ear, the warm tickle made him stir then one eye sleepily blinked to widen when he saw she was awake. His startling blue eyes were now sunken in dark hollows that made Isil realised he haven't been sleeping for a while and his sluggish movements were a cause for concern.
"You're tired." She simply said as he yawned, "I'm fine. I've missed you beloved."
Her heart fluttered with the delight of being called so intimately a name and she smiled and pressed a kiss to his love-starved lips that made him groan.
"Come, you need a bath." She wrinkled her nose as she pulled away from his embrace, he weakly smiled and got up unsteadily with a sigh.
She followed him as she wrapped a robe round her figure and opened the door to let them out to head to his room, but he never made that step. She saw him sway slightly and before she could ask him if he was alright, he suddenly as if his strings were cut by a cruel puppet master collapsed under his own weight. His body connecting to the marble floor with a sickly thud as she screamed. Her fingers tried to wake him but his eyes were closed and his body was slumped.
"Help!" she screamed and the impact of running feet on the cold marble floor was a sigh that someone have heard.
Three guards came running, their faces accused her at first but as they drew closer, she shouted for them to get a healer.
Doors that lined the servant corridor opened and many faces peered out with concern, Rowan ran over to her and at her barked orders, several elves joined them and picked up the body of their slumped prince.
They carried him to his rooms where by now, the whole palace was awakened and its inhabitants were lining the corridors, faces etched with concern.
Thranduil ran, bare-chested from being awoken from his sleep to the bedside of his son where he was lowered and clothes removed. The palace healers milled about him, voices murmuring their concerns and the final diagnosis was that Prince Legolas have fallen under his own weight due to stress upon his heart, soul and mind. Though similar to what Isil suffered from those days past, this was more serious and if not treated right, could cause an elf to fade.
"Total rest." The head healer ordered and Isil, Keay and Arkle were called forth to be briefed on the care of their charge. Their stations in other areas within the palace's chores were filled so their time was spent reviving their fallen sovereign.
"Please do anything for the welfare of my son." Thranduil begged and wept as Isil wrapped his bare torso in a warm blanket. His murmurs of his failings for his son were all she heard as she shooed the guards and the curious faces that peered in via the open door.
"No one is to enter unless it's the king, the prince's staff or the healers." Were the demands of Isil as she ordered the guards to removed the milling crowds that lingered in the corridor.
She watched by Thranduil's side as the healers carried out their remedies and healing and they left late in the afternoon, telling Thranduil that they done as much as they can, their hands removing the stain that plagued his son's soul but the rest was up to him.
Isil looked down upon her beloved who laid in bed, his startling white skin held a grey tinge that she knew was the colour of death and two purple like bruises circled his sunken eyes that laid closed. His hair was limp and held no shine as his body laid weak and tired of trying to carry on after so many days of toil and work. And for the first time, she wept un-shamefully in front of her king and her friends.
"He'll be fine, I know you two are the best of friends aren't you?" Thranduil soothed her but her heart was breaking at the thought of loosing the one thing that meant so much to her. The anger of feeling she have failed him hung heavily upon her heart and the pressure of biting back her tongue from crying out that no one understood what was truly going on or how she really felt.
It was made worst when she saw Sana came in to cry at Legolas's fallen state. Her maids and Thranduil consoled her as she wept, giving a good act of being Legolas's beloved and it took all of Isil's strength from not going over to her and punching her for her dramatics.
Sana remained for a while after Thranduil left, sitting by his bedside holing his limp hand, her eyes damp from her bitter tears as she watched his fair face. She felt his body twitch as his head turned in a bout of a dream, a soundless murmur whispered from his lips.
"Legolas?" She whispered, her ears straining to pick up what he was so weakly saying.
".........Isil?" Was his delirious answer and Sana pulled away.
Isil?
Who was.......a smile broadened on her lips as her eyes darkened with the knowledge that she have finally found out the name of Legolas's beloved, the whore that took her place upon that night he so callously paraded her favour.
Whoever Isil was, she was coming to find her and when she did, hell will have no fury.
"Maid? He needs some water." Sana called out to the prince's maid, an elleth who had long golden locks of hair and grey eyes that some would call beautiful and enchanting.
The maid regarded her with a hostile stare then her attention was diverted by another of Legolas's breathless pants that indicated that whatever dream he was suffering from, it was bad.
"Keay? Arkle? Run down and bring a healer!" The maid called and two servants complied to her orders.
Sana stood up and without a backward glance at the maid who was now propping up the prince's head to pour water down his throat, left the room.
Isil watched Sana from afar with a bitter eye, her mind hostile to the lady who descended down the corridor in a sweep of a red, off shouldered gown that drew looks from passer-by's.
She could have anyone's affections but she couldn't win Legolas's and at that thought of what she had that Sana didn't, she turned her attention to the door that directed to Legolas's bed chamber where he laid for the pass day. Many heard of the prince's illness and during the night, the halls were alive with the chants of prayer and awash with divine, healing lights of hopeful candles.
Isil opened the door to step into the dark room with its curtains still drawn despite it being midday.
Tiny slivers of light tried to force its way into the huge room that stank of illness, giving the room an atmosphere that bordered on claustrophobic.
Isil's eyes adapted to the sudden lack of light and closed the door with a soft click that alerted the only awake inhabitant of her arrival.
"Any change?" She whispered to Arkle who stood up from his chair by the prince's side, the elf shook his head with a solemn expression, "Nay, though he had asked for you."
Isil sighed and indicated he could go, "Tell Keay to inform the guards of the prince's current state." Was her last order as she took up her portion of the watch they arranged over Legolas.
In the dim light of the candles that burned low during the night and nigh on perishing, she made her way to Legolas's bed and touched his cool forehead which told her he was still ill with what ailed him. His aura was one of distress and bleakness that threatened to consume Isil if she lingered too close to him for too long. She could feel him seeking her out in their bond that now hung heavy over her head, like some weight on her shoulders. She already opened their connection and let him talk but she lasted a few minutes before she had to redraw from the oppressive hole she found herself rapidly descending down.
Feeling the stuffy room wasn't helping the current conditions of the prince, she yanked back the heavy draped materials to let the warm, bright light of day drench everything with a light so pure. She opened the balcony doors to let the sweet scent of nature and heavenly palace flowers that bloomed late in the autumn waft in, soon the stench of sickness was drifted away and the cool air on day replaced the too warm interior of the room.
She laid an extra quit upon Legolas as he slept on, and gently dabbed his face with cool water from a wash bowl she brought up. He stirred from the refreshing applications and this gave her hope.
She glanced outside and with a small knife, she ventured out onto the brightly lit balcony and cut a few stems of the wild red palace flowers that she knew not the name of and inhaled its wonderful aroma. These were placed in a small vase and put by the prince's bedside.
Legolas rolled onto his side, his body lost the stiffness of illness to be replaced by the limpness of one who was asleep and she smiled. Deciding that as much as she would like to sit and watch him sleep, she knew she best be getting on with a few chores that needed doing.
It was bright, he knew that when he opened his eyes just a fraction to be painfully blinded.
He blinked for a while like a baby waking from one of its naps, his body was sluggish and he gave up trying to move, knowing that his arms lacked the strength to even move his pillow. He could see the balcony doors were wide open and outside came the sweetest sound of Isil's singing.
He knew it was Isil because at that moment she walked into his vision wearing a pale blue dress he liked best as she shook the rugs out, letting the refreshing breeze of the wind carry away dust and dirt. He watched Estel slinking along the rails that framed the large terrace, his tail twitching like a snake as he moved with the tautness of a coiled spring, his attention riveted on a few sparrows that hopped along the rails and chirping a lullaby.
"Stop it Estel." Isil warned her cat that snapped its attention to the elleth, who waved her hands to shoo away the sparrows from the ambush they were so unaware of.
She scratched the cat under its chin, smiling as it purred and weaved its body between her legs. She shook her feather duster at Estel which launched a paw at its new plaything, Legolas watched the game between Isil and her cat before the cat got bored and walked off to lie in the sun, stretching its nimble body out like a furry mat to catch all the sun's rays.
Isil looked at him, apparently to check on him as she took a double look and smiled.
"Legolas!"
He weakly smiled, the gesture feeling worn and old as he watched her walk up to him.
"How are you?" she asked with a note of concern.
"Well as I can be." He replied, he tried to move but he gave up and allowed Isil to help him sit up.
"I've been ordered to call for a healer as soon as you awake, it seems that we were close to losing you." Isil walked over to a bell pull and gave it a yank. It was several minutes before a healer came, he checked Legolas's pulse, temperate, eye reflex and whatever else he deemed crucial.
Legolas's eyes kept closing involuntarily and Isil knew he was fighting the sleep his body so needed. The healer saw this too and moved away, letting the prince closed his eyes with a sigh.
"Total rest, we need to build his strength as he is so very weak. I'll leave you some potions you need to administer to him and I'll inform his father the good news." The healer smiled.
