Thranduil sat upon his throne, pensively awaiting his son's return and Meena's arrival with the note. Gillel was standing to one side of the king, on the step just below. Orlindel now stood to the king's right. Upon the entry of Meena and Legolas, the king was jolted out of his chair to see Linnah enter with them uninvited and appalled at the lack of clothing on his son. Legolas was holding her by the hand and was still shirtless. Gillel almost forgot his place and called out, but he caught himself in time and was silent. Orlindel was completely in shock at this scene, but kept himself quiet.
Neither Meena nor Legolas had been able to answer Linnah earlier in the servant hall. They had just stood there silently, until Legolas had extended his hand out to her and said silently, "Come, my love."
Linnah had looked at him worriedly and then taken his hand. He then led her from the servant hall, his other hand still clutching his soiled clothes. Meena had followed behind them silently, her head tilted towards the ground, as if the knowledge of what was to come made her head too heavy for her neck. Those in the Great Hall watched speechless as the three had passed by. Never had they seen their prince walk hand in hand with a servant. And moreover, the look on the three faces as they walked slowly toward the throne room grieved the ones watching them pass.
Now they stood in the throne room before the king, prepared for the truth to finally be revealed.
The king was infuriated by Linnah's presence before him and even more by the fact that his son was holding her hand. "Why have you brought her?" he asked Legolas silently. "I have not yet requested her to be present." Then to Linnah he commanded sternly, "I will summon you later. You must leave now."
"No! She will not leave until all that needs to be spoken here is done. This is about her and she has more right to an explanation then anyone else here," spoke Legolas silently, glaring at his father.
Linnah could only stand there with her hand clasped tightly in Legolas's and stare helplessly at her feet. Some heated conversation she could not hear was passing silently between the prince and the king.
Thranduil put two and two together and realized that his son must have already seen the contents of the note. He would deal with Meena later. He met his son's glare and it seemed they would stay like this, locked in intense stare forever, if it had not been for Gillel clearing his throat at that moment. "Ahem..., if it would please your Majesties, maybe having a drink to ease the spirits would be in order?"
The king sighed and looked at his trusted attendant. He said tersely, "That would suit me well, Gillel." The king then walked from his throne to the table and silently told Legolas to sit. Orlindel followed and took a seat next to the king. As he pulled out his chair, he finally recognized that Linnah was not wearing her servant clothes and was in fact wearing a simple lavender dress. He eyes widened as he finally realized that it had been she that caused him so much grief at the forest circle. He stared at her as he took his seat.
Linnah noticed that the king was not asking her to sit at his table and she was glad for it. She had no idea what was going on here, but she knew that sitting at the king's table was completely out of her league and not something she would feel comfortable doing. She then noticed Lord Orlindel glaring at her with suspicion and anger. She looked down at her dress and understood that he had probably figured out that it had been her the other night. "Why in Arda did I pick this color?" she thought to herself.
Legolas walked her to the table across from the king and deliberately pulled out a chair for her. Linnah felt nauseated. Not heeding the king's disapproving look, the prince said gently to Linnah, "Please sit. You are equal in this discussion."
Linnah shook her head and said, "I would prefer to stand please." The king turned his head sharply in her direction and raised his eyebrows at her, so she quickly added, "My lord."
Before Legolas could make mention of it, Meena immediately walked over to Linnah and put her hands on the maiden's shoulders saying, "Sit child. Your prince wishes it and you will find out shortly that you will be glad of the seat being beneath you."
Linnah looked into Meena's kindly face and then nervously sat down on the chair. Orlindel made a disapproving noise and Legolas briefly threw his cousin a warning look. He then sat down on the chair next to Linnah and clasped her hand once again.
"Why do I smell orc blood?" asked Orlindel, perturbed. He checked his own now clean garments just in case.
Meena walked over to Legolas and took the dirty clothing from him. To Thranduil, she said, "I beg my leave, your Majesty. I will dispose of these soiled garments and then return at once." The king nodded his approval, but Legolas stopped her before she could depart.
"Leave the note, Meena," he said quietly, but firmly. Meena sighed and then looked sadly at Linnah. She left the note on the table near the prince and then left the room with the ruined clothes.
Gillel refilled the king's goblet and then placed filled ones in front of Orlindel, Legolas and Linnah. Linnah was surprised at having the drink placed before her, but said nothing. Gillel then stood near the king.
Thranduil drank from his cup deeply and then looked intensely at his son once again. Neither made a move for the note on the table.
"Give her the note, Legolas," said the king finally, with a wave of his hand. Gillel held his breath.
Legolas looked at the note and then at Linnah. He touched her face gently and said, "I am sorry you were not told sooner. Though, I am grateful to be here with you, now that all will be revealed."
Orlindel snorted, but said nothing.
Linnah was confused by the prince's words, but took the note when he lifted it from the table and offered it to her. She read through it once quietly. After a moment, the reality of what it was and what it meant hit her like a fallen leaf in a violent wind. She let go of the prince's hand and holding the note with both hands, reread the note, devouring each word as if famished. Tears began to stream down her face. She clasped a hand over her mouth and sobbed into it as her eyes took in the last written words of her dead mother. Meena had been right about her being grateful for the chair beneath her, for she would have fallen to her knees if she had been allowed to stand.
Legolas tried to put his arm around her shoulders, but she absently shrugged him away. Her nerves were on edge and being touched just enflamed what was already raw. No comfort would come from anyone or anything at that moment.
Her mind went wild, replaying the vision she had witnessed earlier while singing in the prince's chambers. "All this time," she thought. "All this time it was them. If there was love between them, how could he do that to her? How could Meena keep this from me?" Then she up looked at Gillel's pained face, and when he averted his eyes from hers, she realized that he too had kept the truth from her. "How could they let me believe that the king was the one who named me? My mother gave me my name! And I...I belong to a people, 'my people' she called them. In Forlindon. I am not alone in this world. How cruel of them to let me believe I was alone."
She looked desperately at Legolas and in her head she heard his voice smooth and even, "I just found out myself before you came upon Meena and I in the hall."
She looked at the king and in a small voice she asked, "Your Majesty? Please tell me, when I was found, was my Mother still alive? What was she dying from?"
As the king looked back at her, his face softened and he replied calmly, "Yes, Linnah, your Mother was still alive, though barely. I am still in awe to this day, that she survived long enough to bring you safely here. Not to mention the dangers she braved along the way." The king then motioned for Linnah to partake in the goblet before her. He watched, as with trembling hands she brought the goblet to her lips and drank. In her left hand, she clutched the note. When she set the goblet down, he continued,"I can only conjecture that her bravery was a testament of her love for you."
Thranduil took another drink of his wine and continued, "Your Mother was discovered barely alive, lying at the foot of the bridge outside the castle. I was alerted by a guard and had Gillel attend me. There was soft noise coming from a basket lying beside her. It was you, Linnah. When I saw your Mother's condition, I summoned for our healer, Tuor. I also summoned Meena to attend to you. Your Mother was brought inside to rest, but she was completely ill with fever and heart break. The fever was caused by whatever poison your fa--, whatever poison the mortal who deceived her saw fit to infect her veins. She was too ill for our healers to save her. But before she died, she asked after you and alerted us to the note in your basket. She told us that she knew the mortal had been slowly poisoning her for several months before her escape. She made all of us promise to keep her arrival a secret. All that witnessed her being brought into this castle kept her secret, even from you, as was her wish to protect you. Those that didn't know of her," Thranduil looked at his son and nephew, "were never told."
"Protect me," repeated Linnah barely audible. She was completely numb.
"The mortal who is your Father is, as the note spoke, an evil servant of Sauron himself. What his designs for you are, I can not say. But, your life is now in danger, as he has been alerted to your presence here."
"Oh no, that's who is coming for me!" Linnah gasped, "She...my Mother, warned me of his coming."
"Yes. Gillel told me of your vision," said the king.
"But how? How after all this time was he able to find me? Why now?"
The king sighed and looked into his cup.
Legolas thought about the dungeon guard whispering into his Father's ear and suddenly came to the horrifying realization that Gollum was the reason for Linnah's discovery. The rage and grief spilled over inside him and he stood abruptly from his chair, his eyes dark with anger. "It is your fault!" he shouted at his father, "It's your fault Elessa is dead. You did this! Because you allowed that creature to be brought here. And now Linnah's life is in peril as well!"
Thranduil stood up and shouted back, "Hold your tongue Legolas! I had no idea the creature would know of her!"
Linnah sank back into her chair, and stared open mouthed at the prince. "Did he just say Lady Elessa was dead?" It was enough to be overwhelmed with the true nature of her parents being revealed and frightened by the prince's sudden show of anger at the king, but this news...this was too much.
Orlindel looked at his cousin, shocked by the outburst. In all his long years, he had never seen Legolas show this kind of anger to one of his own, let alone his own father. But Legolas was wrong to blame the king, he thought. It was Linnah that should be blamed. She brought this upon them. She brought this upon Elessa. Even more so, the entire castle was in danger because of Linnah. The very kingdom he loved was at risk of engaging in open war, because a servant of the Dark Lord wanted something in its keeping. This useless handmaiden. And the nerve of her denying him, only to be with Legolas. Orlindel didn't know who he hated more, Linnah or Legolas. If it weren't for his cousin, his wife would have given herself completely to him. Elessa would have given him an heir. Elessa would have loved him and he wouldn't have needed to search for it in the arms of others. Above all else, Legolas stood between him and the throne. Everything he had ever wanted was destroyed or in jeopardy because of these two. He needed to do something about this. Though he wasn't sure yet what he would do, it was apparent that the prince's feelings for this pathetic servant went deeper then just physical and Orlindel would somehow use that to his advantage. He turned his attention back to the king and Legolas. They were glaring at each other. The king was now shouting, "How could I have assumed any connection between Gollum and Qadir!"
As the king spoke aloud the true name of the Dark Lord's servant, Linnah felt a sharp pain in her heart and fainted. As she slumped over the table, her arm knocked over her goblet, spilling the remaining wine onto the table and over her Mother's note, still in her hand. The wine bled across the parchment, erasing the words her mother wrote so vehemently, over one hundred years earlier.
Legolas snapped out of the enraged stare between his father and himself and at once lifted Linnah into his arms. "Linnah!" he and Gillel cried out at the same time, though Gillel could do nothing for her from his place next to the king. The partially sodden note fell from her hand and onto the table. She slumped against the prince. Her breath was shallow.
Legolas looked at his father and Gillel. "I am taking her to the Healer. I think we have discussed enough for one night. We will continue the discussion when she is well enough to do so."
"Time grows short," reminded the king seriously.
"And it is no thanks to you that it does," hissed back Legolas spitefully.
He carried Linnah away from the table and toward the doors of the throne room, passing an extremely surprised Meena on her way in. "Follow me," he commanded her. Meena obeyed without question and they left the large room together.
Gillel followed them to throne room doors and watched them leave; torn between wanting to go with them to make sure Linnah was all right and staying with his king.
Thranduil sat down hard in his chair and slumped his head into his hand.
Orlindel stood slowly and walked over to the side table, choosing his words deliberately. As he refilled his own goblet he said, "Do not blame yourself uncle. It is the handmaiden who is to blame. She has brought this unnecessary danger upon our realm with her mere existence and has used her charms to turn your own son against you."
The king looked up and turn toward him. "Orlindel, I do not think the maiden is capable of such a manipulation. Why would you say such things?"
"Can you not see his blatant affection for her? She is just a servant and yet, Legolas would show such disrespect towards you in defending her name."
The king sighed and started to respond. Had any of them been looking at the parchment on the table at that moment, they would have seen the wine ooze into the shape of the Eye of Sauron just before it bled completely over the note's surface.