The next day Veassen woke early to see what Maelui was doing, wondering if he managed to find sleep.
Florien's head lay on Maelui's lap. The young redhead did not sleep with ease, lines of pain on his brow from the torture still stayed on his face. Maelui's back was to the door and he was hunched over, looking at some piece of paper. Veassen could tell Maelui was awake, and he attempted to see over his slave's shoulder to see what the paper was.
When Veassen saw that the picture Maelui held was a drawing of Veassen and was Veassen's property, Veassen wanted to bash Maelui's head against the wall. Restraining himself, Veassen coughed. Maelui spun around and gasped, dropping the paper.
Florien was woken by Maelui's turn, and when he saw Veassen he ran into the corner of the cell and stayed their, hoping to stay safe.
"Give me that!" Veassen hissed. With shaky hands, Maelui slid the art through the bars of the prison and Veassen snatched it, putting the paper down on a table nearby.
"That will cost you Maelui, and I was almost about to release you. You'll be staying in there for a while more now!" Veassen glared at the young slave. Maelui sadly crawled back to the corner Florien was in. Once Veassen had left Maelui comforted Florien who was still traumatized over the torture and had gone into a state of shock.
A few more days passed and Veassen opened the cell and allowed Maelui out. Florien was closer to Maelui now, even though Maelui still did not believe Florien about his name really being Locien, but he was happy Maelui could come out of the prison, though at the same time reluctant, wanting to still have someone to talk to in his cell.
Maelui came to eat with Veassen that night. Veassen was not as eager to talk to his slave as he had been before the event.
"Sir, I have a question." Maelui whispered as he was eating. Veassen looked up from his glass of wine.
"What is that?" Veassen asked. Maelui was hesitant, but continued.
"Well… That picture. It was not just you. It was a picture of you and a woman, sir. It had been torn in half and then stuck back together with some sticky substance… Who was that woman?" Maelui was worried about how upset Veassen would become.
"If you must know that woman was a half-elf that when I was a child my father fixed an arranged marriage for me." Veassen explained, reluctant.
"Oh… So… You are married?" Maelui asked softly and timidly.
"No. My father is dead and I never liked her. Besides, I am not old enough to marry yet." Veassen murmured.
"So you are still a virgin then-
"Shut up!" Veassen smacked Maelui. Maelui gasped and nearly fell from his seat. "Finish eating quickly. I want you to leave…"
"Leave? You are… Freeing me?" Maelui felt a bit brighter.
"Let you leave?" Veassen laughed. "You don't have a life out of here! You could not survive outside of here, with no money or food or family!" Veassen pointed out and added, "You'd be dead one step outside this cave's boundaries."
"Oh." Maelui whispered.
"I want you to leave and do your chores. I don't want to see your face for a while. If you are not gone in the next minute I'll make sure I wont be able to see that face again!" Veassen yelled. Maelui jumped to his feet and collected his dirty plates to go clean them.
Veassen felt awful now, not for hitting Maelui but because Maelui brought back bad memories of the she-elf he was arranged to marry.
Veassen had been told about it when he was nine. Veassen remembered the story well: his father had arranged him a marriage when he was born and when he would be of age he would marry her as not to be lonely. Veassen met her when he was nine as well.
Veassen really did not like her. When he was nine he fully trusted his father, not that he liked being beaten but he felt now that after eight years of living with his abusive father that his father knew what was best for him, though that he only thought because basically his father Tiryen had persuaded him into thinking so.
Veassen had been taught that he was superior to anyone younger than him and that he was also much greater and in power of any woman, young or old. So when Veassen was brought to where the girl lived outside the borders of Rivendell with her father, Tiryen had told him quite clearly to be strong and not weak and puny like the elfling he always was.
The girl, in the end, was even meaner than Veassen was at the age. The girl pushed Veassen around and called him names like weakling and puny boy. Veassen's father was very furious that he was acting so frail, so brought him home after a day with the girl. Tiryen beat Veassen and then told him that he expected him much stronger when it became time to marry.
Veassen had not seen her since and a year later he murdered his father for many reasons, so now it did not matter if he met the girl again or not.
The picture Veassen had torn apart long ago, it drawn by himself before he had ever met her. It actually resembled her well for he had used his father's description of her, a very accurate description as well.
Veassen did not want to see anyone right now. He wanted to kill Maelui (though something stopped him every time he tried), the saddened look Florien kept giving him every time he walked by was annoying and as for the rest of the prisoners he just did not want to see their misery, he was not in the mood to laugh at them.
Months passed and in Mirkwood Tonus lived every minute in misery and in pain, but to Thranduil he believed it was because of Tonus' little sister's capture, not knowing of Florien still.
Because Thranduil felt that Haldir's whole family was in dangered since already three of his family members had been taken, Haldir's parents where ordered to come to Mirkwood with some Mirkwood escorts. When they arrived they met up with Orophin and Galadhril who both where heavily guarded at the palace, forbidden to go anywhere even in the palace without a guard on hand and only permitted to leave the palace from 10 to 11 am and 1 to 4 pm.
Thranduil recruited many elves. None of his children where permitted to be part of this mission. Some very cunning Mirkwood warriors where gathered up one month before it would be one full year since Haldir, Illiendal, Rumil and Florien had been imprisoned.
These warriors were to be sent out looking for the princess, her husband and brother-in-law. Orophin knew in which direction Haldir had been taken, or at least, Galadhril told him so, so the elven warriors did have some knowledge of where to look. They headed out very fast on the king's command.
Thranduil knew his children, the three that where still with him, where upset over their sister's disappearance, so first he went to see his youngest, Legolas.
Legolas was closest to Illiendal since Illiendal was closest to him in age and being the only girl in the family after their mother's death Legolas was able to think of Illiendal as his new nana since he was so young he did not think straight.
"Listen Legolas, you must be very upset about the news Orophin had brought up. But I just sent out some hunters and I promise you I won't rest until your sister is found." Thranduil tried to soothe the young elf. Legolas was nearly an adult but it still hurt him and Thranduil being with him was very soothing.
Legolas cuddled with Thranduil, who spent an hour with Legolas in his room reassuring him, before Thranduil had to get to Cield and Tonus, for Thranduil still had other things to do than just coo to his sons, he had to rule a kingdom despite his problems.
Cield was more manageable, he did not need to cuddle but Cield did cry a little. Illiendal was born after Cield and so she was the first younger sibling Cield had, and she was what made Cield a big brother, which when he was little and being picked on by Tonus was a big thing (he figured Tonus would pick on the new baby instead of him, not knowing that Tonus would not pick on a girl).
Tonus was last; after Thranduil had spent half an hour telling Cield that Illiendal would be found. Tonus had been most miserable and as mentioned already, it was figured that the misery was caused only by the loss of his sibling and in other's minds; it had nothing to do with any son.
Thranduil spent another full hour with Tonus. Many times Tonus considered mentioning just something about Florien, but he kept thinking of awful reactions that may have happened.
That made Tonus shut his mouth, so Thranduil never even learnt of Florien during that hour…
To be continued…
Mistopurr: I feel bad about putting Veassen through it all…NuEvil: He may work there. Though, people have many Veassen sightings. It is possible that Veassen is a teacher at my school or the former drummer of Nirvana… It's a mystery…
Haldir's Heart and Soul: I'm glad you hate him; it's what I wanted to happen. But as for the 'children' part, well, in the later chapters we will learn of Veassen's age.
Bberry06: I wanted suspense. There may be torture in two chapters or one…
CapriceAnn: Now it's in the 20s, I forgot how many…