A/N: Sorry about the lateness. My wrist is healing well, and I can now type without being in agony constantly. I'll try to get ahead with the story a bit, and see if I can manage to make an update each week. Don't forget that I'm a review whore, and every single little word in the reviews pleases my plotbunnies to no end.

Chapter 19: Mel, meet Minas Tirith

4 days passed, in which Aragorn ordered the dark elf to remain rest as much as possible to at least let his wounds heal enough that they would not burst open constantly and to regenerate part of the blood he had lost. Although Aragorn himself was busy with the various tasks that he had to take care of through his role as King, Arwen did not suffer from such and took her time to talk with her dark saviour, helping the foreign elf to brush up on his Common and to teach him about the city. The evenings were often passed within the adjoining suite next to the bedroom which had been assigned to the visitor, where the King and Queen would sit and hear stories from around the world, and of what had passed since they had left Mirkwood.

Needless to say, both felt sad to know that Legolas and Mel had broken paths, even though the dark elf would not go into detail about the reasons for why they had gone in different directions, but merely said that Mel's presence within Mirkwood had caused too many problems.

On the fourth day, Arwen deemed Mel steady enough to venture further outside his chambers, and showed him part of the large complex the Palace of Minas Tirith made, and, on the fifth day, brought him to see the city. As usual, and especially in reminiscence of what had happened last time she ventured out with nothing but her handmaids, three armed guards followed the Queen everywhere she went along with her two handmaids, disrupting every ounce of privacy she might have had and ensuring that everyone near knew that she was going for a walk.

As could have been expected, Mel immediately became a centre of attention, causing not a few people to turn around to look, and silenced many conversations temporary as the small group passed through the crowd. Many rumours had leaked from the castle, telling of the King and Queen's strange visitor, who had been brought in – wounded – after valiantly having defended the Queen against a wild bear. Of course, some of the rumours were more exaggerated than others, and added everything from a pack of hungry wolves instead of the bear to Mel being an Istari to the story.

Smiling, happy to see that the dark elf was completely ignorant of the looks he was given – a testimony to the fact that he was clearly used to be out of the norm – Arwen dragged him to one of the shopkeepers who dealed in a wide assortment of small daggers of different designs and lengths. Soon, the two were chattering and laughing as they ventured through the city, picking up things here and there from the many shops that filled the White City, and the maids carried many small boxes with spices, silks and other fine wares, as did Mel. Being Queen, Arwen did not need to carry anything, nor was she allowed – to her dismay.

However, their peace was quite suddenly interrupted when the elven woman caught sight of a man pushing his way towards them and past the guards. Before she managed to ask what he desired, the man had grabbed the collar of Mel and was giving the dark elf a light shake.

"I know your plan, foul demon!" the human shrieked, oblivious to the surprise of the guards and the confusion his actions caused, and waved a short knife at Mel's face. "I know your plan! But I will not allow you to kill our King and Queen, orcling!"

The armed guards stood, clearly torn between protecting the friend of their Sovereign and risking injury to the same person due to the human's closeness to Mel, and hesistated in moving in. Their aid was not needed, it turned out, as, before the crazed human managed to strike, Mel's hand shot up to grasp the human's wrist. Almost faster than the eye could see, the man's arm was twisted, forcing his body around and his hand opening so the dagger fell, harmlessly, to the ground. Within a single second, the male was disarmed and held in a tight grip from which he could not bring damage to anyone, although he was still hissing and cursing the elf, claiming that the dark elf had summoned the bear and following taken damage to be allowed access into the castle – all with the intention of spying on Minas Tirith and claiming the throne after disposing of the King and Queen.

Now that the main threat had been taken care of, the guards broke out of their mild panic and one of them immediately took over the swearing man, dragging him off towards the castle's dungeons in which he, hopefully, would be able to regain some resemblance of sense. Swallowing, Arwen turned her gaze to the dark elf and prayed that this whole situation had not affected him too much. To her surprise, Mel looked more thoughtful than dismayed.

"What did he say?" Mel asked with a blink, looking at the other elf. "I did not understand his words."

"He… did not say any nice things," Arwen replied, remembering that the dark elf's skills in Common were only few, and his vocabulary mostly limited to everyday things, and also took care to speak slightly slower than she usually did. "He said that you were the one who lured the bear to me, so you could get into the palace in order to kill Aragorn and I."

Mel blinked once more, surprise replacing his previous confusion.

"What a strange person," he finally stated, looking in the direction his assailant had been dragged. "I climb wall, if get in unwanted. But not be hurt by bear. Strange idea that man has…"

"That's only too true," Arwen chuckled, glad that her friend had not taken the whole thing too much to heart, and, not long after, the whole situation seemed oddly distant when Mel grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of a cloth trader which had a specific colour of silk the dark elf was certain would look wonderful on the Queen…