A/N: K I have finally finished it. YAY!!! K I'm trying very hard to make
it as close to the book as possible but you have to remember that I'm NOT
Carrie, and don't have her amazing talent of story telling. I'm working on
it and am trying to make it as close as possible. So please bare with me.
Now there's some names in here, and I'm really not sure if they're correct.
So if they are wrong someone please tell me so I can fix that. And I think
that's all for now. I have no idea when the next chapter will be up, sooner
then later hopefully. Hope to hear from you all.
Anith.
Chapter 3
The king and I spoke for some time. I learned many things from him, while he in turn learned from me. If he believed me at the time, I cannot say, but he would soon come to. While we were speaking, we were interrupted. A messenger had come with a very urgent message. The king stared at the page, then placed his eyes upon me. "Send him in. You," he pointed at me. "I will have to speak further with later. Have her washed and shown to a room." When he said room, he made a slight movement with his hand.
The guards lifted me off the lounge I was seated on and lead me from the room. As we left, a rather travel worn elf entered. This I expected was the messenger. He stared at me in wonder as we passed one another, but soon the door was closed and I was left to memorize the new path they took me on. After more twists and turns we arrived to a set of rooms, which looked suspiciously like bath houses. I scanned the room they had led me to and saw everything that you would see in a bath house.
But the real miracle happened, when they released me, turned around, and left. Simple as that. I heard the door shut behind me. I was alone. Quickly I scanned the room. There was a set of large windows, covered by heavy drapes to one end of the room, while doors lined the other walls. Before I could decide which door to try first, I heard the door open behind me. I turned my head to see another of these beautiful creatures standing beside me. She had long hair like mine, and piercing green eyes. Her ears came to a delicate point and she had that accented d'angeline beauty. Her eyes swept over me and I could see a small look of disgust brush her elegant features.
"His highness wishes that you be properly groomed." She said ever so softly. Then her arm motioned me towards the steaming pool in front of me. I made my way to the edge then stopped as I looked into the warm waters longingly. I heard the elf directly behind me clear her throat. I turned my head and looked at her.
"Um..... your gown. Do you want it cleaned, or shall we get you something else?" She asked me. The tone in her voice told me that she expected that I would want to keep it.
"Well I have been wearing it for the past three weeks. I think I'm due for a change." She gazed at my left eye for a second before giving me a curt nod and turning to go through a side door. I watched her until she disappeared behind the wooden frame, then I brought my attention back to the water before me. Escape could wait for half an hour. Quickly, I slipped out of the materials that hid me from everyone's view, then with longing, I made my way into heaven.
The water was the perfect temperature. Not to hot, but then again, not to cold. As I sunk neck deep into the pool, dirt that had been engraved into my skin, started to become saturated, and eventually, it floated off. I could now see some spots that showed the true colour of my skin. It's creamy colour clashed horribly with the parts that were still caked with dirt. I looked around to see if there was anything that I could use to make the rest of myself clean, and to my luck I spotted a sponge sitting on the other end of the pool. As I stood in the water and made my way towards it. I heard a soft gasp behind me.
I turned to see the shocked form of the elven girl. She was holding a mass of fabric in her hands, which I assumed to be my new gown. But that slipped out of her hands and onto the floor, as she backed away towards the door. By this point I was slightly confused as to what had caused her to have such a reaction, but then I remembered.
My marque.
"There's nothing to be afraid of." I assured her. But still she did not come closer. " It is only dye that has been injected into the skin. It is no sign of evil, only a simple rose." Simple would be far from the truth, but my words had seemed to finally pierce through her head, and she suddenly looked very embarrassed. She murmured something before hastily picking up the fallen materials and then made her way to a small bench near the bathing pool.
I continued on my path towards the sponge. As I cleaned the grime from myself, the girl busied herself around the chamber. I watched from the corner of my eye as she picked up my ruined gown with tips of her fingers, and held it out in front of her at arms length as she walked towards one of the other doors. Soon enough I was pink from scrubbing, but I was clean. I moved towards the steps, and exited the pool. On a nearby bench was a pile of linens, which I wrapped around myself. The elven girl motioned for me to enter through one of the doors. As I passed her by, her eyes studied me very carefully.
The room I was now inside, was a dressing room. There were numerous screens around the walls, with all types of clothing hanging and piled every where possible. I heard the door close behind me, and turned to see her simply staring at me. She suddenly shook her head, and handed me the white mass of fabric she had been holding. As I unfolded the dress, I saw that it was slim, and would show my figure. The sleeves went past my hands, and the neck line was modest. It would do. She pointed to one of the screens, and my legs carried me to where her finger indicated.
After I had donned the gown, I stayed behind the screen for a while, and watched her through the slit between the panels. She moved around the room, gathering clothing and put it away or piled in into a basket near the door. I would not be conducting an escape from here. I would have to firstly find a way to open the rock face, and to do that, I would have to find someone who knew how. Some one like the king. As my mind worked to form some sort of plan to extract the information from him, the girl came towards the screen, wondering what was taking me so long. Her voice jolted me from my thoughts.
"Have you finished yet?" She asked coldly. I could tell she did not care for me very much. I stepped out from behind the screen to enter her scrutinizing gaze. She eyed me for barely a second then turned on her heal and glided towards the door. I followed her and stepped out of the room behind her. She then proceeded to lead me out of the bathing chamber and into the hallway. Silently we made out way down numerous halls, which I committed to memory, until finally we came to our destination. She turned to me then.
"You will wait here for his highness to arrive." She looked straight into my left eye. "Do not try to leave. There are guards posted at the ends of the hallways." This I knew since I had seen them when we had passed. With this last sentence, she then unlocked the door and held it open for me. I stepped into the room, and fought not to take in a breath. It was magnificent. Like the king's study I had been in earlier, it was decorated beautifully. The door slamming behind me stopped my surveillance of the room. I turned my head and as I stared at the wood behind me I heard the distinct sound of a lock clicking into place. The lock would be no problem. I could manage that easily.
I turned back to the room. I saw a vanity table against one of the walls, and made my way towards it. Upon reaching it, I quickly sat down, and picked up the hair brush which sat there. My hair was still damp, so it was possible to do something with it. Swiftly I had finished with my appearance, and stood to better examine the room I was confined to. Aside from the gorgeous decorations and spectacular artworks that adorned the room, it was your average bedroom. Only far from average. The heavy drapes, bed covers and lounge chairs were all made of the same navy material. The floor was covered in a plush, light green carpet, which felt like heaven to my bare feet. Since the elven girl had forgotten to give me a pair of slippers to wear, I headed towards what I took to be the closet.
My assumption had been wrong, and it turned out I had just found the water closet. This room was not as heavily decorated as the other, but it still held its charm. I shut the door and made my way towards the other door. I was rewarded with an empty closet. No slippers were to be found. I then turned towards the drawers and one by one, opened to also find them empty. It seemed that I would be without foot wear for the next little while. Instead of brooding over that fact, I sat down on the very comfortable love seat that sat in the middle of the room, and thought about my much bigger problem.
In the end, I would still have to help Lorindol escape. I knew that he was in fact innocent. Hopefully, once I had played the king into my favor, I would be able to set him free. If not, I would have to resort to other means. I would not let the elf sit the rest of his life in that cell. No one should have to go through that.
For hours I sat in the room, getting up once when my needs called. That was a bit of a problem when I was still being held with Lorindol, but we managed. My stomach was starting to make its needs known when I heard voices on the other side of the door. I strained my ear, only to find that it was elvish that was being spoken. I would have to find a way to learn without Lorindol's help. I saw the door knob start to turn, and sat up with a straight back, as if I was welcoming guests.
Slowly the door opened to reveal not the person I was expecting. In the door way stood Legolas. From his gaze I could tell that he was not pleased. He closed the door behind him without turning around. For a time we simply stared at one another. His gaze held uncertainty, curiosity and awe. Only his eyes told me this. The rest of him seemed to take a on a neutral tone. The silence was broken once he pried his eyes off me. "You will follow me." He announced, but did nothing.
I stood up from my seat and made my way to the door, where he awaited me. His gaze dropped to my bare feet, then sharply his eyes searched my face. "Were you given no slippers?", "That would be correct." I answered. He looked annoyed. "Wait here. I will return shortly." He said while stepping out the door. It seemed that he had been told I had magically learned the common tongue. I had sensed no surprise from him when I spoke.
I turned and made my way towards the closest of the chairs then made myself comfortable. I did not have to wait long for his return. within minutes he was back with a pair of slippers in hand. He gave them to me and I thanked him graciously. I'm sure he rolled his eyes as I bent down to place them upon my feet. When I stood, he was already waiting by the open door. I walked out into the hallway and saw two guards standing beside the door. Were they standing there the entire time, or were hey only recently placed there? It didn't really matter. I would not be leaving until I could open that rock face. And even when I did leave, what would I do then? No, leaving now would not have been a good idea.
Down more hallways we went, until we came once more to the kings study. Legolas was stiff and on edge the entire time, as if waiting for me to stab him in the back. He seemed to give a sigh of relief when we arrived without incident. As I entered the room, I saw the messenger from before. Only he didn't look like a travel weary messenger now. Now he had the air of someone of great importance. He was washed and had donned new clothing. I could tell this was no ordinary messenger. He rose as the prince and I entered. Legolas immediately went over to him and they greeted one another as would old friends.
I made my way to the lounge chair I was seated at before and waited. Once all the greetings were finished, the king waited for every ones attention before beginning. "Legolas, Elrohir. I would like you to meet Phèdre." Both the elves turned to face me. I stood from my seat and gave a small bow of my head. I wondered at the king's actions, but played along to see where this would be going. Before the king could make another comment however, Legolas stepped in. "Why are we harboring a daemon father?" The king looked at his son gravely. "Legolas. You are sorely mistaken. She is no daemon. She is human. But she is no ordinary human." That was an understatement if I ever heard one.
The king turned to me then. "Phèdre, I would ask that you tell your story once more. I believe this is something that both my son and Elrohir must listen to, in order to comprehend the situation at hand." I regarded the king with curiosity for a moment, then began my tale once again. I recited it exactly as I had told it to the king. Starting with my journey back to Montrève with my three companions. I went through the events until I reached the present. When I had finished, I carefully studied each of the elves who sat in the room. The king seemed to be wondering what to ask me first. Legolas stared at the ground, refusing to believe what I had told him. And the messenger, Elrohir, seemed as if he had just connected two pieces of a puzzle together.
The silence was broken by the prince. "Father, you don't actually believe the lies she has told! I was right in naming her a daemon. Such a story could never be true!" The king stood from behind his desk and stood in front of his son. "Now Legolas I would like you to listen to what news Elrohir has brought with him. Then and only then, may you voice your opinions." The king stepped aside and motioned for Elrohir to start.
"Thank you, Thranduil. About three weeks ago, my brother and I were out in the forests of Rivendell, when we stumbled across something. We found a young boy laying on the ground, sleeping. We could not wake him, and so checked to see that he did not have any serious injuries. He was fine, but there was something very strange about him. He was human, but he had the beauty of the elves. His skin was pale and glowed in the moon light and his hair was so dark in colour, it almost seemed that there was blue in it." At these last words, I let out a gasp. Imriel. He had found Imriel! If he was here, that meant the others could be as well. Millions of thoughts ran through my head, but were stopped short when I noticed all three elves staring at me.
Quickly I apologized and asked that he continue. The elf gave me a strange look, but did as I asked. "We brought him back to our father, who in turn puzzled over him. None of us have ever seen a human with these features. We thought that he might be like us, pheidan, only that he had chosen to become mortal. But as the sun rose that morning, the boy awoke. Immediately he started speaking in a language none knew. For two days he sat terrified in the room we gave him. He would let none near him, and we had no way to communicate to him. Elladan has gone to Lorien, while I have come here, seeking aid. If there is some one who knows of this language he speaks, perhaps they may come with us and put an end to this problem of ours."
This was definitely Imriel they had found. My heart lightened a bit knowing that he was safe. But there were still many other things keeping a steady hold on it. At this point the king turned his regal face towards me. I was pale but other wise looking exactly the same. The other two turned to me, and when they noticed my faint complexion, their stares turned to worry. Even Legolas who thought me a daemon. "Est ce la langue qu'il parlée?" I asked in D'angeline. Elrohir's eyes widened, and he stood quickly from his chair. "That's it. That is what he spoke." Then his excitement grew. "Was he one of your traveling companions?" I had not told them very much of who I was traveling with, and so they had not thought I would be in company with a child. Although Imri was far from a child in some ways.
As I nodded my head once, two things happened. One the prince suddenly seemed as if he had been bit over the head with a great weight. The second thing came from the king. "Phèdre, I believe there are many things you have not told us. But one thing picks my curiosity above all others. I propose a trade. You tell me why it is that you have red in your eye, and I shall let you go with Elrohir to Rivendell. Do we have an agreement?" I looked at the king a moment before answering. "I will take you up on that offer, but I will propose one of my own." I paused a second then continued. "I will tell you more of my story, which I can see you would greatly like to know, in return for Lorindol's freedom."
At this both the king and prince stiffened. "And why would you want to free one such as him?" The prince asked, venom in his voice. I turned to him. "Because I don't see why it is that you imprison innocents. I am proof of that, and so is he." I raised my voice only slightly, but not enough to be of any harm. "You do not know what it is you speak of. In these matters you should keep quiet." Legolas raised himself from his chair. I in turn stood on my own feet. "And what was it that I did to deserve to be put down there for the past three weeks? Tell me your highness, because I fail to see it." My voice was still level, but anger was seeping out through it. The prince stalked over to me. "I had my reasons. And it is not up to you to question them! As for Lorindol, you have no say in the matter."
"Stop it! Both of you!" The king bellowed from his desk. Legolas turned and stared at his father, while I lowered my head in an attempt to cool my anger. No one should have to sit in a cell if they did nothing. No one. The king spoke up once more. "Now Phèdre. Would you care to explain as to why you seek to gain Lorindol's freedom and how you even know of his existence." I glared at Legolas' back for a fraction of a second, then turned and softened my gaze to the king. "For three weeks I shared a cell with him. From that time I have seen that he is not the elf you claim him to be." At my words the king looked at me strangely. "And why would have shared a cell with him when I ordered you to be put into your own cell?" He looked to his son. An accusing tone in his voice.
The prince did nothing but stare at the floor. I glanced from him to his father, in mild confusion, but I had the main jist of what had happened. "I will speak to you later about this Legolas." I could hear the restrained furry in his voice. "Now Phèdre, would you please continue." I swallowed then did as he asked. "In three weeks time, I was shown nothing but kindness from him. He taught me to speak your tongue, and many other things as well. He also explained his situation, and after living with him for a period of time, I saw that what he said was in fact true. We put on an act when the guards came around, in order for me to stay with him, so he could continue teaching me. Now if you would let him speak to you, he could even tell you of the one who should actually be locked away."
I stopped speaking then. I would let him think over what I had said. If he was going to believe me, he would have to be persuaded the right way. I smoothed out my dress and sat down on the lounge. The king seemed to be in deep thought. Minutes passed and still nothing was said. Elrohir had also taken his seat, as had the prince, but the king remained standing. We all waited for his decision. Finally he roused from his trance and looked at each of us. "None of what has passed here is to leave this room. Is that understood?" The three of us nodded in unison. "Elrohir, you may leave. Phèdre, I'll have someone escort you back to your room. You will stay there for the time being. As for you." He pointed to his son. "You shall remain here." He then went around his desk and pulled a cord that hung in the corner of the room. Still no one moved from where we sat.
It seemed that as soon as his hand left the cord, there was a knock at the door, and a another elf entered. The king turned to address him. "Please escort the lady back to her room. Have some clothes sent there for her to wear." He then dismissed him. The elf came to stand beside me. I looked up at him for a moment, then stood and let myself be led to the room, which I already knew the path to. As I left, Elrohir came out after me. I heard the door close, then my name being called. The elf in front of me stopped when I placed my hand on his shoulder. I turned to face Elrohir.
"Lady Phèdre." He said as he came to stand in front of me. "I believe that I did not have a chance to introduce myself properly." He then took a step back, and with a flourishing bow announced. "I am Elrohir Peredhil, of Rivendell my lady." He straightened himself up at this point and extended his hand. "And you my lady?" He already new who I was, technically. But I played along anyway. "Comtess Phèdre nó Delaunay of Montrève." I said while placing my hand in his. He looked at me puzzled. "I have never heard of such a place. But then again, your presence here has some strings attached to it, does it not." It was not a question. "Do you know the way back to your room?" At my nod, he dismissed the elf standing behind me, and proceeded to take me to my room himself.
"I would very much like to learn more about you my lady." I gave him a look. "Just out of simple curiosity I mean. I've never heard of someone who has come to middle earth the way you and the boy have. I'm just interested in that matter is all." He said quickly after. I didn't say very much while he escorted me through the halls. I didn't need to. Nor did I have a chance. Elrohir didn't once stop talking. He described to me his home, and all the while he stared into my left eye when he could. It was amusing to watch him, but everything he told me I took in. One never knew when information could be useful.
When we finally reached my room, he was very reluctant to leave. He opened the door for me and was about to enter after me, when the elven girl who had helped me earlier arrived. Thankfully she got him to leave. As charming as the elf was, I was in no mood to be serenaded by him. Nor would I want to be for that matter. My mind turned to Joscelin then. I missed him greatly. I missed everyone greatly. But now that I knew Imriel was safe, my thoughts remained on my fair haired Cassiline. I hoped that he was out of danger. Unfortunately, my day dreaming was interrupted by some one clearing their throat.
The elven girl stood in the doorway, staring at me. "Your clothes will arrive shortly. You are not to leave this room unless called on by the king or the prince. Your meals will be brought to you here. If you are in need of anything place this on the outside of the door." She held a yellow cloth in one hand and placed it on the small table beside the door. "That is all for now." And with those last words, she stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind. I did not hear her lock it. But it didn't matter. I was still being held prisoner. If I wandered out of the room, I would simply be escorted back as soon as I was seen. But I had no need to escape. Things had played out better then I imaged they would. Now all I would have to do was wait. And wait I did.
Anith.
Chapter 3
The king and I spoke for some time. I learned many things from him, while he in turn learned from me. If he believed me at the time, I cannot say, but he would soon come to. While we were speaking, we were interrupted. A messenger had come with a very urgent message. The king stared at the page, then placed his eyes upon me. "Send him in. You," he pointed at me. "I will have to speak further with later. Have her washed and shown to a room." When he said room, he made a slight movement with his hand.
The guards lifted me off the lounge I was seated on and lead me from the room. As we left, a rather travel worn elf entered. This I expected was the messenger. He stared at me in wonder as we passed one another, but soon the door was closed and I was left to memorize the new path they took me on. After more twists and turns we arrived to a set of rooms, which looked suspiciously like bath houses. I scanned the room they had led me to and saw everything that you would see in a bath house.
But the real miracle happened, when they released me, turned around, and left. Simple as that. I heard the door shut behind me. I was alone. Quickly I scanned the room. There was a set of large windows, covered by heavy drapes to one end of the room, while doors lined the other walls. Before I could decide which door to try first, I heard the door open behind me. I turned my head to see another of these beautiful creatures standing beside me. She had long hair like mine, and piercing green eyes. Her ears came to a delicate point and she had that accented d'angeline beauty. Her eyes swept over me and I could see a small look of disgust brush her elegant features.
"His highness wishes that you be properly groomed." She said ever so softly. Then her arm motioned me towards the steaming pool in front of me. I made my way to the edge then stopped as I looked into the warm waters longingly. I heard the elf directly behind me clear her throat. I turned my head and looked at her.
"Um..... your gown. Do you want it cleaned, or shall we get you something else?" She asked me. The tone in her voice told me that she expected that I would want to keep it.
"Well I have been wearing it for the past three weeks. I think I'm due for a change." She gazed at my left eye for a second before giving me a curt nod and turning to go through a side door. I watched her until she disappeared behind the wooden frame, then I brought my attention back to the water before me. Escape could wait for half an hour. Quickly, I slipped out of the materials that hid me from everyone's view, then with longing, I made my way into heaven.
The water was the perfect temperature. Not to hot, but then again, not to cold. As I sunk neck deep into the pool, dirt that had been engraved into my skin, started to become saturated, and eventually, it floated off. I could now see some spots that showed the true colour of my skin. It's creamy colour clashed horribly with the parts that were still caked with dirt. I looked around to see if there was anything that I could use to make the rest of myself clean, and to my luck I spotted a sponge sitting on the other end of the pool. As I stood in the water and made my way towards it. I heard a soft gasp behind me.
I turned to see the shocked form of the elven girl. She was holding a mass of fabric in her hands, which I assumed to be my new gown. But that slipped out of her hands and onto the floor, as she backed away towards the door. By this point I was slightly confused as to what had caused her to have such a reaction, but then I remembered.
My marque.
"There's nothing to be afraid of." I assured her. But still she did not come closer. " It is only dye that has been injected into the skin. It is no sign of evil, only a simple rose." Simple would be far from the truth, but my words had seemed to finally pierce through her head, and she suddenly looked very embarrassed. She murmured something before hastily picking up the fallen materials and then made her way to a small bench near the bathing pool.
I continued on my path towards the sponge. As I cleaned the grime from myself, the girl busied herself around the chamber. I watched from the corner of my eye as she picked up my ruined gown with tips of her fingers, and held it out in front of her at arms length as she walked towards one of the other doors. Soon enough I was pink from scrubbing, but I was clean. I moved towards the steps, and exited the pool. On a nearby bench was a pile of linens, which I wrapped around myself. The elven girl motioned for me to enter through one of the doors. As I passed her by, her eyes studied me very carefully.
The room I was now inside, was a dressing room. There were numerous screens around the walls, with all types of clothing hanging and piled every where possible. I heard the door close behind me, and turned to see her simply staring at me. She suddenly shook her head, and handed me the white mass of fabric she had been holding. As I unfolded the dress, I saw that it was slim, and would show my figure. The sleeves went past my hands, and the neck line was modest. It would do. She pointed to one of the screens, and my legs carried me to where her finger indicated.
After I had donned the gown, I stayed behind the screen for a while, and watched her through the slit between the panels. She moved around the room, gathering clothing and put it away or piled in into a basket near the door. I would not be conducting an escape from here. I would have to firstly find a way to open the rock face, and to do that, I would have to find someone who knew how. Some one like the king. As my mind worked to form some sort of plan to extract the information from him, the girl came towards the screen, wondering what was taking me so long. Her voice jolted me from my thoughts.
"Have you finished yet?" She asked coldly. I could tell she did not care for me very much. I stepped out from behind the screen to enter her scrutinizing gaze. She eyed me for barely a second then turned on her heal and glided towards the door. I followed her and stepped out of the room behind her. She then proceeded to lead me out of the bathing chamber and into the hallway. Silently we made out way down numerous halls, which I committed to memory, until finally we came to our destination. She turned to me then.
"You will wait here for his highness to arrive." She looked straight into my left eye. "Do not try to leave. There are guards posted at the ends of the hallways." This I knew since I had seen them when we had passed. With this last sentence, she then unlocked the door and held it open for me. I stepped into the room, and fought not to take in a breath. It was magnificent. Like the king's study I had been in earlier, it was decorated beautifully. The door slamming behind me stopped my surveillance of the room. I turned my head and as I stared at the wood behind me I heard the distinct sound of a lock clicking into place. The lock would be no problem. I could manage that easily.
I turned back to the room. I saw a vanity table against one of the walls, and made my way towards it. Upon reaching it, I quickly sat down, and picked up the hair brush which sat there. My hair was still damp, so it was possible to do something with it. Swiftly I had finished with my appearance, and stood to better examine the room I was confined to. Aside from the gorgeous decorations and spectacular artworks that adorned the room, it was your average bedroom. Only far from average. The heavy drapes, bed covers and lounge chairs were all made of the same navy material. The floor was covered in a plush, light green carpet, which felt like heaven to my bare feet. Since the elven girl had forgotten to give me a pair of slippers to wear, I headed towards what I took to be the closet.
My assumption had been wrong, and it turned out I had just found the water closet. This room was not as heavily decorated as the other, but it still held its charm. I shut the door and made my way towards the other door. I was rewarded with an empty closet. No slippers were to be found. I then turned towards the drawers and one by one, opened to also find them empty. It seemed that I would be without foot wear for the next little while. Instead of brooding over that fact, I sat down on the very comfortable love seat that sat in the middle of the room, and thought about my much bigger problem.
In the end, I would still have to help Lorindol escape. I knew that he was in fact innocent. Hopefully, once I had played the king into my favor, I would be able to set him free. If not, I would have to resort to other means. I would not let the elf sit the rest of his life in that cell. No one should have to go through that.
For hours I sat in the room, getting up once when my needs called. That was a bit of a problem when I was still being held with Lorindol, but we managed. My stomach was starting to make its needs known when I heard voices on the other side of the door. I strained my ear, only to find that it was elvish that was being spoken. I would have to find a way to learn without Lorindol's help. I saw the door knob start to turn, and sat up with a straight back, as if I was welcoming guests.
Slowly the door opened to reveal not the person I was expecting. In the door way stood Legolas. From his gaze I could tell that he was not pleased. He closed the door behind him without turning around. For a time we simply stared at one another. His gaze held uncertainty, curiosity and awe. Only his eyes told me this. The rest of him seemed to take a on a neutral tone. The silence was broken once he pried his eyes off me. "You will follow me." He announced, but did nothing.
I stood up from my seat and made my way to the door, where he awaited me. His gaze dropped to my bare feet, then sharply his eyes searched my face. "Were you given no slippers?", "That would be correct." I answered. He looked annoyed. "Wait here. I will return shortly." He said while stepping out the door. It seemed that he had been told I had magically learned the common tongue. I had sensed no surprise from him when I spoke.
I turned and made my way towards the closest of the chairs then made myself comfortable. I did not have to wait long for his return. within minutes he was back with a pair of slippers in hand. He gave them to me and I thanked him graciously. I'm sure he rolled his eyes as I bent down to place them upon my feet. When I stood, he was already waiting by the open door. I walked out into the hallway and saw two guards standing beside the door. Were they standing there the entire time, or were hey only recently placed there? It didn't really matter. I would not be leaving until I could open that rock face. And even when I did leave, what would I do then? No, leaving now would not have been a good idea.
Down more hallways we went, until we came once more to the kings study. Legolas was stiff and on edge the entire time, as if waiting for me to stab him in the back. He seemed to give a sigh of relief when we arrived without incident. As I entered the room, I saw the messenger from before. Only he didn't look like a travel weary messenger now. Now he had the air of someone of great importance. He was washed and had donned new clothing. I could tell this was no ordinary messenger. He rose as the prince and I entered. Legolas immediately went over to him and they greeted one another as would old friends.
I made my way to the lounge chair I was seated at before and waited. Once all the greetings were finished, the king waited for every ones attention before beginning. "Legolas, Elrohir. I would like you to meet Phèdre." Both the elves turned to face me. I stood from my seat and gave a small bow of my head. I wondered at the king's actions, but played along to see where this would be going. Before the king could make another comment however, Legolas stepped in. "Why are we harboring a daemon father?" The king looked at his son gravely. "Legolas. You are sorely mistaken. She is no daemon. She is human. But she is no ordinary human." That was an understatement if I ever heard one.
The king turned to me then. "Phèdre, I would ask that you tell your story once more. I believe this is something that both my son and Elrohir must listen to, in order to comprehend the situation at hand." I regarded the king with curiosity for a moment, then began my tale once again. I recited it exactly as I had told it to the king. Starting with my journey back to Montrève with my three companions. I went through the events until I reached the present. When I had finished, I carefully studied each of the elves who sat in the room. The king seemed to be wondering what to ask me first. Legolas stared at the ground, refusing to believe what I had told him. And the messenger, Elrohir, seemed as if he had just connected two pieces of a puzzle together.
The silence was broken by the prince. "Father, you don't actually believe the lies she has told! I was right in naming her a daemon. Such a story could never be true!" The king stood from behind his desk and stood in front of his son. "Now Legolas I would like you to listen to what news Elrohir has brought with him. Then and only then, may you voice your opinions." The king stepped aside and motioned for Elrohir to start.
"Thank you, Thranduil. About three weeks ago, my brother and I were out in the forests of Rivendell, when we stumbled across something. We found a young boy laying on the ground, sleeping. We could not wake him, and so checked to see that he did not have any serious injuries. He was fine, but there was something very strange about him. He was human, but he had the beauty of the elves. His skin was pale and glowed in the moon light and his hair was so dark in colour, it almost seemed that there was blue in it." At these last words, I let out a gasp. Imriel. He had found Imriel! If he was here, that meant the others could be as well. Millions of thoughts ran through my head, but were stopped short when I noticed all three elves staring at me.
Quickly I apologized and asked that he continue. The elf gave me a strange look, but did as I asked. "We brought him back to our father, who in turn puzzled over him. None of us have ever seen a human with these features. We thought that he might be like us, pheidan, only that he had chosen to become mortal. But as the sun rose that morning, the boy awoke. Immediately he started speaking in a language none knew. For two days he sat terrified in the room we gave him. He would let none near him, and we had no way to communicate to him. Elladan has gone to Lorien, while I have come here, seeking aid. If there is some one who knows of this language he speaks, perhaps they may come with us and put an end to this problem of ours."
This was definitely Imriel they had found. My heart lightened a bit knowing that he was safe. But there were still many other things keeping a steady hold on it. At this point the king turned his regal face towards me. I was pale but other wise looking exactly the same. The other two turned to me, and when they noticed my faint complexion, their stares turned to worry. Even Legolas who thought me a daemon. "Est ce la langue qu'il parlée?" I asked in D'angeline. Elrohir's eyes widened, and he stood quickly from his chair. "That's it. That is what he spoke." Then his excitement grew. "Was he one of your traveling companions?" I had not told them very much of who I was traveling with, and so they had not thought I would be in company with a child. Although Imri was far from a child in some ways.
As I nodded my head once, two things happened. One the prince suddenly seemed as if he had been bit over the head with a great weight. The second thing came from the king. "Phèdre, I believe there are many things you have not told us. But one thing picks my curiosity above all others. I propose a trade. You tell me why it is that you have red in your eye, and I shall let you go with Elrohir to Rivendell. Do we have an agreement?" I looked at the king a moment before answering. "I will take you up on that offer, but I will propose one of my own." I paused a second then continued. "I will tell you more of my story, which I can see you would greatly like to know, in return for Lorindol's freedom."
At this both the king and prince stiffened. "And why would you want to free one such as him?" The prince asked, venom in his voice. I turned to him. "Because I don't see why it is that you imprison innocents. I am proof of that, and so is he." I raised my voice only slightly, but not enough to be of any harm. "You do not know what it is you speak of. In these matters you should keep quiet." Legolas raised himself from his chair. I in turn stood on my own feet. "And what was it that I did to deserve to be put down there for the past three weeks? Tell me your highness, because I fail to see it." My voice was still level, but anger was seeping out through it. The prince stalked over to me. "I had my reasons. And it is not up to you to question them! As for Lorindol, you have no say in the matter."
"Stop it! Both of you!" The king bellowed from his desk. Legolas turned and stared at his father, while I lowered my head in an attempt to cool my anger. No one should have to sit in a cell if they did nothing. No one. The king spoke up once more. "Now Phèdre. Would you care to explain as to why you seek to gain Lorindol's freedom and how you even know of his existence." I glared at Legolas' back for a fraction of a second, then turned and softened my gaze to the king. "For three weeks I shared a cell with him. From that time I have seen that he is not the elf you claim him to be." At my words the king looked at me strangely. "And why would have shared a cell with him when I ordered you to be put into your own cell?" He looked to his son. An accusing tone in his voice.
The prince did nothing but stare at the floor. I glanced from him to his father, in mild confusion, but I had the main jist of what had happened. "I will speak to you later about this Legolas." I could hear the restrained furry in his voice. "Now Phèdre, would you please continue." I swallowed then did as he asked. "In three weeks time, I was shown nothing but kindness from him. He taught me to speak your tongue, and many other things as well. He also explained his situation, and after living with him for a period of time, I saw that what he said was in fact true. We put on an act when the guards came around, in order for me to stay with him, so he could continue teaching me. Now if you would let him speak to you, he could even tell you of the one who should actually be locked away."
I stopped speaking then. I would let him think over what I had said. If he was going to believe me, he would have to be persuaded the right way. I smoothed out my dress and sat down on the lounge. The king seemed to be in deep thought. Minutes passed and still nothing was said. Elrohir had also taken his seat, as had the prince, but the king remained standing. We all waited for his decision. Finally he roused from his trance and looked at each of us. "None of what has passed here is to leave this room. Is that understood?" The three of us nodded in unison. "Elrohir, you may leave. Phèdre, I'll have someone escort you back to your room. You will stay there for the time being. As for you." He pointed to his son. "You shall remain here." He then went around his desk and pulled a cord that hung in the corner of the room. Still no one moved from where we sat.
It seemed that as soon as his hand left the cord, there was a knock at the door, and a another elf entered. The king turned to address him. "Please escort the lady back to her room. Have some clothes sent there for her to wear." He then dismissed him. The elf came to stand beside me. I looked up at him for a moment, then stood and let myself be led to the room, which I already knew the path to. As I left, Elrohir came out after me. I heard the door close, then my name being called. The elf in front of me stopped when I placed my hand on his shoulder. I turned to face Elrohir.
"Lady Phèdre." He said as he came to stand in front of me. "I believe that I did not have a chance to introduce myself properly." He then took a step back, and with a flourishing bow announced. "I am Elrohir Peredhil, of Rivendell my lady." He straightened himself up at this point and extended his hand. "And you my lady?" He already new who I was, technically. But I played along anyway. "Comtess Phèdre nó Delaunay of Montrève." I said while placing my hand in his. He looked at me puzzled. "I have never heard of such a place. But then again, your presence here has some strings attached to it, does it not." It was not a question. "Do you know the way back to your room?" At my nod, he dismissed the elf standing behind me, and proceeded to take me to my room himself.
"I would very much like to learn more about you my lady." I gave him a look. "Just out of simple curiosity I mean. I've never heard of someone who has come to middle earth the way you and the boy have. I'm just interested in that matter is all." He said quickly after. I didn't say very much while he escorted me through the halls. I didn't need to. Nor did I have a chance. Elrohir didn't once stop talking. He described to me his home, and all the while he stared into my left eye when he could. It was amusing to watch him, but everything he told me I took in. One never knew when information could be useful.
When we finally reached my room, he was very reluctant to leave. He opened the door for me and was about to enter after me, when the elven girl who had helped me earlier arrived. Thankfully she got him to leave. As charming as the elf was, I was in no mood to be serenaded by him. Nor would I want to be for that matter. My mind turned to Joscelin then. I missed him greatly. I missed everyone greatly. But now that I knew Imriel was safe, my thoughts remained on my fair haired Cassiline. I hoped that he was out of danger. Unfortunately, my day dreaming was interrupted by some one clearing their throat.
The elven girl stood in the doorway, staring at me. "Your clothes will arrive shortly. You are not to leave this room unless called on by the king or the prince. Your meals will be brought to you here. If you are in need of anything place this on the outside of the door." She held a yellow cloth in one hand and placed it on the small table beside the door. "That is all for now." And with those last words, she stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind. I did not hear her lock it. But it didn't matter. I was still being held prisoner. If I wandered out of the room, I would simply be escorted back as soon as I was seen. But I had no need to escape. Things had played out better then I imaged they would. Now all I would have to do was wait. And wait I did.