Chapter 34: Cousins
"Sir, do you have work for me now?" Maelui asked, looking into his master's hazel, fierce eyes.
"No. You can use this free time to go bathe, wash your clothes or do what you feel like doing. You can sleep if you wish." Veassen stated. Maelui bowed and left to bathe before he would retire to bed.
Days passed.
Florien saw Tiriel everyday. Tiriel was no longer with Alastor and a week later Florien found out why. Alastor was a member of the army and his shift finished a bit before Florien would go to the town to play his flute. During the time Alastor had free after work, he went to see Yáviel instead of his daughter.
This did not worry Florien much at all; it was nice that his mother had a friend since she was often lonely, Tonus not visiting often.
But when Florien came home early one day since Tiriel had not been in town he had to cover his mouth to prevent him from being noticed.
Alastor was kissing Yáviel.
Florien went on his hands and knees to hear what they said.
"Alastor, I have to tell you, if my husband found out-
"But he wont!" Alastor's voice was heard, followed by another smooch. "Not unless you told him, which I doubt." Alastor, who still thought Yáviel's husband was dead alike his wife, added.
Florien stood up and snuck back out the door. He needed fresh air. He knew what Yáviel would have said if Alastor had given her the chance to finish. If Tonus ever caught Alastor kissing Yáviel no questions would be asked, Tonus would kill him with no mercy.
Another thought flew to Florien's mind: Tiriel. Florien loved Tiriel; she was his only friend aside from Legolas who he had not spoken with since he was an elfling.
Florien walked past Locien's memorial tree, as Florien referred to it as. As he walked, he did not notice that someone had just jumped from the tree behind him, since that someone was an elf. When a hand hit Florien on the side of his head, rendering Florien unconscious, the young elf had no idea what was happening.
When Florien regained consciousness, his wrists where shackled to the wall of a cell.
"Where am I?" Florien asked, groaning at the pain in his temple. He tried to walk forwards but the shackles restrained him from moving far.
"Your… Imprisoned." Maelui whispered, looking in on Florien's cell. Maelui was in no mood to talk with Florien like he usually would have, Veassen had just given him a good beating for giving Haldir extra food. Haldir was fainting often now and Maelui knew something was wrong with Haldir and that the elf needed to regain his strength.
"Well I…" Florien stopped himself from finished the sentence, he was not the type of elf to say something rude, even if there was a chance, in Florien's mind, that Maelui was who imprisoned him.
"You're not being imprisoned by him." Illiendal whispered to Florien. Florien looked at her and knew at once she was Tonus's sister.
"Who is he?" Florien asked his aunt, looking at Maelui. Florien could not see Maelui well, but from what he could see it reminded him so much of Locien. Maelui had the exact build and voice as Locien but Florien remembered very vividly Locien's demise.
"I don't exactly know, but he is our best hope of ever leaving. He treats my husband and I very well, he gets in trouble for it too. Yesterday, before you where caught, he was beaten very severely for trying to help my husband. My husband has lost all his strength; I think it is from lack of nutrition." Illiendal gestured to Haldir, who lay unconscious on the hard floor.
Veassen entered the room and neither Florien nor Illiendal spoke. Maelui bowed, but before he bowed he could not help but notice Veassen had a red nose and tightly held a handkerchief.
Maelui could not help but stare at Veassen's nose.
"I'm sick, Maelui. You do not have to look at me in that way, I'm only a half-elf, I was in the rain too long." Veassen admitted, walking over to Florien's cell. Florien looked up at Veassen sadly.
"Why do you have me here?" Florien asked as Veassen entered the cell. "What do you want from me?" He added.
"You'll find out in time." Veassen said, bringing Maelui into the cell with him.
"But what use am I to you? I'm just a… a nothing!" Florien mumbled.
"A nothing?" Veassen leaned close to Florien so that they where almost touching.
"I know who you are boy. If you'd like me to announce it, I can, but if your auntie here ever found out and then got out of here I'd hate to see what happens to your father when King Thranduil finds out." Veassen said softly. Florien whimpered.
Veassen unshackled Florien's wrists. Maelui watched in silence as Florien slid down the wall.
"Make sure he is in good health." Veassen told Maelui just before he stepped aside to sneeze in his handkerchief.
Maelui walked up to Florien and gently touched the young elf's cheek, making sure the elf was not feverish.
"…Locien?" Florien whispered, looking into Maelui's eyes. Maelui gave him a confused look and Veassen slowly lowered his hands and looking at Florien.
"I am not Locien." Maelui whispered, lifting one of Florien's arms.
"But… You… You look like Locien, you sound like him, you… You even smell like Locien! You are Locien and you… You are the vile elf who beat Locien! You knocked Locien so hard he lost his memory!" Florien was so angry now, but so glad he had found Locien.
"My name's not Locien!" Maelui yelled.
"It seems you are incorrect, Florien. This elf here, he is Maelui." Veassen stated.
"Maelui? Wait, I get what you speak of… You beat Locien until he forgot his whole life… Then, then you made him believe his name was Maelui! But Maelui… Maelui… Valar! That means lustful, you… you disgusting thing!" Florien kicked Veassen in his shin. Veassen did not even seem to notice.
"Well, is he not lustful, Florien?" Veassen asked. "A man who works for me actually picked it out, though he had a more inappropriate name he wanted to call Maelui. This man, you see, enjoys the company of, well, male elves." Veassen said.
"You're sick! Let me out of here!" Florien whimpered as Veassen glared down at him.
"You think I actually think of my own twin brother as lustful? I named him, as someone else would see him. Any she-elf would be all over him. I know you know who he is Florien." Veassen said. Florien tried to recoil as far away from Veassen as possible.
"I'm too ill to deal with this pest, Maelui. Just lock his cell and finish the chores I have assigned to you, I shall rest." Veassen said as he left. Maelui left as well, locking Florien's cell behind him.
"You have food in the corner." Maelui said softly, pointing in the corner of Florien's cell.
"Thanks…" Florien murmured, going over to the small amount of food and taking a bite of the bread.
"Maelui? I don't want you to get in trouble again, but… Haldir will not wake." Illiendal whispered. She was cradling her husband's head in her arms, looking sadly at the unconscious march-warden.
"I will get Veassen to see him, if Haldir does not wake, only when Veassen finishes napping. If I wake Veassen for such a matter, I will get in trouble, as will you and Haldir." Maelui said quietly to Illiendal. "I'm sorry, but I do not want him to beat me any more."
"I know, I do not want you to be hurt again either. I'm just afraid for my husband." Illiendal whispered. Florien looked down at the bowl of water and walked over to the bars separating his cell from Illiendal's.
"Would you give your husband this?" Florien offered the bowl. Illiendal took it and looked at him gratefully.
"Are you not thirsty?"
"I only just got here, I can manage without water. My father is a healer, he taught me a bit… Your husband looks dehydrated." Florien said softly.
"Thank you so much…" Illiendal took the bowl and heading to where Haldir lay, tipping the bowl so that the fresh water poured in his mouth. Not long after, Haldir stirred and awoke.
Haldir pulled his wife close to him and whispered comforting words to her, until he noticed Florien, who now lay on his back starring at the top of his cell.
"When did he arrive?" Haldir asked softly.
"Just this morning, meleth." Illiendal whispered. "Master says his name is Florien." She added whilst she caressed her husband.
"Florien?" Haldir called the young red-haired elf's name. Florien looked over and sat up.
"Yes?" Tonus' son crawled over to the bars separating their two cells.
"You look familiar, Florien." Haldir said, approaching Florien. "You look like my brother-in-law, Prince Tonus." Haldir explained. Florien sighed when Illiendal came beside Haldir at the mention of her brother.
"That is true, you really do look like Tonus." Illiendal said softly to Florien.
"Please, if we ever leave, don't tell anyone." Florien whispered, hanging his head.
"Tell anyone what?" Haldir asked the younger elf.
"I am Tonus' son." Florien whispered. Illiendal looked at him unbelievably.
"But Tonus does not have a son. Are you sure we speak of the same Tonus? I speak of Prince Tonusalion Veryan Thranduilion." Illiendal said.
"I know who you speak of, he is my father. Ada- Tonus, he never wanted anyone to know of me, that's why you don't know who I am. Tonus would be so mad at me if he found out I told you… He's been keeping my existence a secret for all my life, he gets very angry with me if he ever sees me mention my father to anyone, even if I don't tell them who my father is. I don't know if I will ever even see him or my mother again, so I guess it does not matter if I tell you that you are my aunt." Florien mumbled.
"I have to believe you, Florien. Florien is the kind of name my brother would name his son, and you have many of Tonus' characteristics, such as his eyes. Although you do not have the right hair to be-
"My mother has red hair, she is from Lorien. Yáviel is her name." Florien whispered.
"I recall seeing her name on my father's papers." Illiendal said quietly.
"We are very poor, that may be why." Florien pointed to his leggings and tunic which where just rags with plenty of holes and slashes.
"I know who he speaks of as well…" Haldir muttered. "Yáviel was the sister of… Of an elf Rumil dated! I remember when Rumil brought them both home, Ammoniel was his lover and Yáviel was her sister. Not long after Ammoniel left Rumil for a man and Yáviel went to Mirkwood with her brother. Ammoniel left Lorien after the man took one of their two sons hostage and Ammoniel wanted to go live with Yáviel in Mirkwood. Yáviel was unaware that her sister had two children nor would Ammoniel have known of you, Florien. I do not know what became of Ammoniel."
"Ammoniel is dead." Rumil said from his cell. "She died of grief." He added sadly.
"So you mean, I have two cousins somewhere?" Florien asked. He had not thought he would have any cousins since he was only aware of his mother having a brother who was killed in the last Alliance of men and elves.
"Yes, I suppose you do, if nothing has already become of them." Haldir mumbled. Rumil walked up to the bars of the cage.
"Florien, I know who one of your cousins would be… He is the half-elf who has us captured."
"But he said that Locien was his twin brother… Wait… That means that Locien and Veassen are my… my cousins…" Florien whispered to himself...
To be continued…
Folks, do me a favor. In your next review tell me your thoughts on Veassen, I like knowing what my readers think of him. Rate him on a scale of one to ten: 1 (I hate him) - 10 (I love him). I mean, rate him on his character, not how unique he is (yea right!)...
Haldir's Heart and Soul: Whose butt, Veassen or his father?
Aranna Undomiel: Veassen is not always as nice as seen in some chapters.
Karone Evertree: Well, Veassen stated in this chapter what creepy man's sexual preference is… Yea, he's perverted…
Bberry06: There are some sentences I'm sure you'll point out to me in this chapter. Creepy man is perverted and gay so no wonder…
Mistopurr: 80 pounds… That's… That's 160 dollars! Wow! I've only eighty Canadian dollars to spend… Well, if I used the money in the bank I could afford that… But that's not stupid the picture sounds nice!
CapriceAnn: Mmm… Shackled Haldir… Fun, fun, fun… Sadly, no.