Chapter Twenty Three

Daralis opened her eyes, the fuzzy surroundings of her bedroom becoming crisper as the memories of the previous night began entering her mind. She raised her hand from Elladan's chest to meet his gray eyes looking back at her admiringly.

"Quel amrun," he said, a smile widening on his face.

"Good morning to you too," she replied, laying her head back on his chest. She caught a glimpse of the light breaking through her curtains. "What time is it?"

"It is nearly midday," he replied nonchalantly. She was slightly horrified.

"That's three meals we haven't been present at: dinner last night, breakfast and lunch today people will start to get suspicious."

"And if they do we shall tell them anything and everything that they wish to know." She looked up at him in amusement.

"Maybe not everything" She said, trailing off. Elladan smiled down at her and placed a kiss on her brow.
"Maybe not everything. What say we miss dinner?" Daralis slid her body over his until they were eye to eye.

"I say that's a good idea."

Miles away, Legolas, Glorfindel and Ontare rode across the Mirkwood border. As the sentinel recognized their prince, they sent messengers to the next watchtowers to forewarn them of Prince Legolas' arrival.

The doors to Thranduil's throne room were pulled open as Legolas approached.

"Atar, where have you imprisoned Lady Imsiriel?"

"She is in the deepest dungeons, where else would she be?"

"Well, you must let her out."
"And why must I do this?"
"Because she is not the true culprit! This elleth was found in the caves where Dara was being held, and she was commanding the Orkish forces. She sent Lady Imsiriel back here as a default, in order to frame her."

The guards had already taken hold of the bound Ontare. Thranduil looked to the sentinels behind Legolas, and gave them orders to find and release Imsiriel.

In Rivendell, Daralis slowly rose from her bed to go into her bathing chambers. Elladan was laying on her bed in a sleeping state, so she decided to take the opportunity to slip into a hot bath. Because she knew where Reidwen would be, she tossed on her dressing robe and slipped quietly in the hallway, petrified that someone would pass by and see her in her state of undress.

She knocked on Elrohir's door, mentally willing him to reach the door faster, and when the door opened, and his head popped around it, blocking him from view, Daralis frantically whispered,

"Elrohir! Can I come in?"

"Of course, Daralis, come in."

Daralis entered, took one look at Elrohir, gasped, and turned her head away so fast that it hurt her neck. Her eyes fell upon Reidwen, laying in his bed, barely covered by the sheets. She, like Elladan was in Daralis' own room, was asleep.

Elrohir looked at her as if she were insane.

"Daralis, what is the matter with you?"
"Elrohir, you are standing there stark naked, and you have the audacity to ask what's wrong?!"
"Well, you have seen it before, have you not?"
"What are you talking about? And-would-you-please-cover-u p-your-PENIS!!"

At Daralis' loud exclamation, Reidwen stirred on Elrohir's bed. She sat up, blinked a few times, and then looked, with a horrified expression, at Daralis in her dressing gown and Elrohir in his birthday suit.

"Elbereth, Elrohir! Why didn't you wake me, I have missed nearly an entire day's labor, and I shall be questioned for my absence, at that!"
"I felt that your time would be better spent with me," Elrohir replied instantly.

Daralis could feel an argument coming on, and tried to go to the door, but naked Elrohir was standing directly in front of it, and that to deter her was as powerful as the magical guarding spells around Lothlorien and Rivendell together.

Around her, the fight escalated.

"You may be right, Elrohir, but that is not your choice! You should have awaken me, and then I could have decided."
"But what would you have decided? We both know that answer!"

Her eyes flashed with fury at his indignation, and she stood, pulling the sheets around her form.
"Then you would DEAL WITH MY DECISION!" Daralis jumped at her outburst.

Reidwen moved closer to Elrohir, speaking with desperation in her voice. "I know, Elrohir, I know that you are my sovereign, but this is absurd. If this is the way that you value my life and my opinion, by making my choices for me and disregarding my feelings when you KNOW that I would choose a different path than the one that most benefited you, then I cannot pursue a life of any sort with you. I shall find another girl to clean your room, I do not wish to see you anymore." She snatched her clothes up from the floor, and stormed out of the room still wrapped in the sheets, leaving Elrohir with a shocked expression on his face.

Daralis slunk out of the room, and went back into hers, where Elladan was awake, completely naked, and waiting for an explanation for the noise from the next room.

"Oh Elladan, you'll never believe this," Daralis began breathlessly. "Elrohir and Reidwen just had a naked screaming fight!"
"A naked screaming fight?"

"Yep!" Elladan looked at her, baffled.

"Please define a 'naked screaming fight'."

"They were verbally arguing, and they were both naked!"
"You saw Elrohir naked?!"
"Yeah, and it was traumatizing." Elladan raised his eyebrow.

"You realize, of course, Melamin, that we are identical?"
"Oh, that's not what I meant. It's different with you, you know that. He kinda sprung it on me, I had no idea to expect it. Anyway, I think they broke up."
"Elrohir is feeling sorrow right now, I can feel it too."

"Go to him, he needs someone there, I think."

"I shall, but will you be alright?"
"Of course I will, don't be ridiculous."

Elladan kissed her briefly, pulled on his clothes, kissed her again, and left to comfort his brother.

Alright. I think this is straying too far into the realm of Elrohir and Reidwen, so I'm going to write a chapter in the other fic.

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