Chapter 5
A/N I still haven't beat Helm's Deep with all the characters. But I stopped playing long enough to update anyway.
Legolas stared at Elenya, quickly recognizing her as the servant girl. He stood a few feet away from her.
"What are you doing in my room?" he asked her. His voice gave way a little bit of irritation.
Elenya became a little bit intimidated, but stood up and walked over to the Prince to offer him Feryn's note with an outstretched hand. He grabbed it away from her and opened it to read.
My dear friend Legolas,
You must be wondering what is going on; I will tell you. It has been a tradition with the Elves with the title Prince or Princess to receive a special gift on their 1,000th birthday. It is now no different with you. She is yousr to do with as you will until you leave your room. It could be one night, several days, a week. It is all up to you. Food will be brought to you at all meal times. Your father has entrusted me with finding you this gift and I hope you like my choice. Of all the girls she is the one where your eyes seemed to linger. I am sorry for my initial deception, but it s suppose to be a surprise.
Your friend,
Feryn
Legolas finished reading the letter and looked up at Elenya with an outraged expression on his face.
"This is why Feryn was in your house that day, is it not?"
"Yes, my lord," she replied taking a couple of steps back from him.
"How could you have agreed to this?"
"Because of what you said, my lord. The captain Feryn threatened to banish me from Mirkwood if I did not agree. So when you said that the very idea of sleeping with anyone other than your future wife was a repulsive idea to you, well then I knew I could agree and all would be fine. You can reject me now and I can stay in Mirkwood for I have served my part."
Legolas threw the letter in the air.
"I do not believe this," he said while pacing around his room. "This cannot be an Elven way.'
He continued to pace around the room while Elenya waited. After a few minutes she started getting restless. He seemed to have forgotten of her presence.
"My lord," she began. He stopped then to look at her. " May I leave now?'
He thought on it a second. "Yes, I think we both should."
He went for the door and opened it to step out. Outside were two giggling servant maids. When Legolas opened the door they stood from their chairs and gasped at seeing him. Legolas quickly shut the door and blocked it.
"My lord?" Elenya asked.
"I think they are spying on us. Perhaps it is better not to exit that way."
Legolas went over to the window and looked about. There was no one on the ground floor and he could see no one in the near windows.
"Stay here. I will go and speak to Feryn directly and get to the bottom of all this."
Legolas jumped out his balcony window since it was only about a floor off the ground, and ran off.
Elenya sat back in the same chair and waited for the Prince again. He was outraged, she thought, that was a good sign. She thought to herself she'd be home by the end of the night.
Legolas rushed through the outskirts of the party guests that were still awake. No one saw him on his path. Finally he reached the clearing where he had last seen Feryn while they were having conversation with the Rivendell elves.
They were all still sitting around the benches except for Feryn. Only the various empty bottles of wine about the ground indicated how long they had been there.
Legolas walked through the trees.
"Legolas," Elladan noticed him first, "what are you doing here? I thought you were already retiring for the night."
This brought on a mass of giggles from the other elves, and Estel.
"You are all laughing because you know what is suppose to happen tonight!" he said outraged.
"Legolas calm down," Arwen said, "We have all gone through it."
"You have?" Legolas asked.
"Yes. You have to understand Legolas; it is a special gift," Arwen began, "Elves may mate for life but some of us never marry at all. And we may think ourselves immortal, but we're not. It is a gift, a means of experiencing something beautiful in this world because we may never get a chance otherwise."
"But how could you use someone like that? This poor girl said she was threatened with banishment from Mirkwood."
The Rivendell folk all looked at each other confused.
"I've never heard of that threat," Arwen said.
"Wait, I have," Elrohir spoke. "Except that it is an unwritten punishment. It is not even mentioned to the intended person. It has never had to mentoined nor sentenced since no one has ever refused."
"How can you be so sure?" Legolas countered.
"If you are implying that I raped some poor maiden," Elrohir stood up, but Elladan lowered him back to his seat.
"Do not get angry, brother. You are drunk. The Prince did not mean to imply such. He's just flustered."
Legolas sat down and lowered his head in his hands.
"Do you mean to say that you have all participated in this?"
They agreed.
"And did you know about this prior?"
"I did," Arwen spoke, "My brothers were not very discreet."
"No, you overheard us talking one day. We didn't know. Imagine our surprise."
"Has anyone not gone through with it?" Legolas asked.
They thought n it for a moment.
"Yes, our grandmother, Galadriel," Arwen said. "Having the gift of foresight she knew who she was going to marry. When her night came, as she said to me, she simply had the Elf male give her a backrub and sing her some songs."
"I just have so many questions," Legolas said. "And where is Feryn?"
"He left shortly after you did," Estel answered.
Legolas looked up at them.
"Did any of you give forth offspring?"
They all shook the negative.
"If that is all that is worrying you my friend," Arwen began, "I can give you some of my own drink that is anti-conception. It is a rare plant, but I can spare. It is difficult for Elves to conceive but it is good to be cautious."
"And why would you have some Arwen?" Elladan asked looking at Estel. "It has been countless years since your 1,oooth birthday."
"No, that is not all that is worrying me," Legolas answered.
"Well," Arwen began, "you cannot turn her out tonight. You will have to wait until morning or it will ruin her reputation among the palace that you rejected her so. I assume there are servants outside your door?"
He nodded.
"You don't have to bed her. But it is your birthday; maybe you can enjoy it anyway. She can give you a backrub."
"Or a bath," Elladan spoke.
Elrohir slapped him on the arm. "You could sing. Or share stories."
"You could have her feed you," Estel ventured. All the Elves turned to him. "Elrond did not make me wait until my 1,000th birthday."
Legolas stood up looking more frustrated than before.
"Fine," he said, "I will go talk to her. Tomorrow I am going to find Feryn."
Legolas slowly made his way back to his window. He climbed a nearby tree and made the jump easily.
Elenya stood from her chair as the Prince came in.
"What news, my lord?"
"Please, just call me Legolas. I think this is an intimate enough situation to warrant it," he paused. "I am sorry about all this Elenya. I did not know Feryn's intentions."
He then told her about the conversation he had with the others, and that he did not see Feryn.
"So then what would you have me do, my lord, I mean, Legolas."
"Just stay here. Sleep in the bed if you need to. I will not find sleep tonight. I'd rather look at the stars from my window. Tomorrow I shall go find Feryn. If all goes well you should be on your way home before noon."
Elenya nodded and then went towards the bed since she was very tired from the day's work. She stopped short though. It felt strange to be sleeping in the Prince's bed.
"What is the matter?" Legolas asked.
Elenya just looked up at him then down at the bed. Legolas seemed to understand.
"Please, just rest."
He went over to her and pulled down the covers. She lay down with slight trepidation. Legolas pulled the covers up about her.
"Do not worry," he said and stroked her hair with a smile. "I will fix this for both of us."
Elenya nodded off quickly under Legolas' hand.
A/N Oh, no! what happens next? I'll update soon even if I still haven't beat Helm's deep. Die evil Uru-kai!