AN: My original Plan for this chapter isn't working out (tea with Galadriel, as alluded to in the last chapter) because it's somehow taken a life of its own and started becoming its own story (so I might just write it up and post it someday).

This one turned into a bit more action than comedy.


Episode VI: A Plan Goes Dangerously Awry

"Are you sure this will work?"

Elladan sighed. It was all well and good to let Legolas in on a Plan, seeing as how most of this was for his benefit, but did the prince really have to be such a skeptic?

"It will work if you lure him out here," Elladan said patiently.

Legolas shook his head, tossing another handful of leaves onto the pile. "And how will I do that?"

Elladan grinned. "Just walk up to the palace looking like that," he said, gesturing at his friend's clothes. "Belegdur will see you and try to chase you down, and you only need to lead him here."

The blond elf made a face at Elladan. While Legolas' appearance was usually immaculate, he had several leaves stuck in his hair and splotches of mud on his clothes from helping Elladan out on his latest Grand Plan. It was nothing terribly untidy, but even a single spot could be enough to throw Belegdur into a fit.

After the Great Shoe Caper, Belegdur had been even more difficult to live with than usual. This might have been partly due to the fact that the only pair of shoes he had left were a size too small and he had only meant to wear them for a few hours until he changed for dinner. Belegdur was usually grumpy...but a grumpy Belegdur in too-small shoes stomping around the palace checking everyone's rooms for traces of molasses or his missing shoes was a bit too much to handle.

Of course, in Belegdur's mind, the only possible elf who could have come up with a prank like this was Legolas. This, of course, was due to the time Legolas spent in Rivendell. Elladan was amused that Belegdur never blamed the twins or Estel for the pranks...one would assume that if Legolas was an "uncouth troublemaker" (in Belegdur's words) because of his close friendship then Elladan and Elrohir would be more so. Yet the prince had never suspected Elladan or Elrohir, or even Estel for the pranks (Elrohir had always said that the alliteration must have thrown Belegdur off).

So Elladan had brought Legolas in on this last Plan, figuring that if the younger elf was going to get blamed for it anyway he might as well be responsible. The two of them had dug a pit and filled it with mud and all other kinds of slime from the pond, and were now covering it with leaves to camouflage it. Belegdur would be lured into the pit, where he'd be covered in mud and slime and forced to walk back to the palace, under the eyes of all the elves gathered, in an absolutely filthy state.

Elladan stepped back to survey their work with a broad smile. "It's perfect," he said with a grin.

"Perfect?" Legolas raised an eyebrow in an uncanny imitation of his father. "It's a bit obvious."

The older elf waved away the archer's criticism. True, the circle of leaves did look a bit out of place, and anyone who had an ounce of tracking skill could see the footprints trekking to and from the nearby pond. But Elladan didn't mind that, and he assumed that Belegdur wouldn't be paying attention at all. "It's not as if he'll be expecting a trap," Elladan reasoned.

Legolas sighed, and Elladan could practically see his friend wondering how he'd gotten dragged into this. "All right," he finally assented. "I'll lure him out here."

"Great!" Elladan snickered—actually, it was more of a giggle but Elladan would never admit that he had the tendency to giggle. "I'll wait up in this tree," he added, springing up into a nearby tree.

The prince shook his head, muttering some wondering under his breath about how Elladan had dragged him into this, and took off toward the palace.

Elladan leaned back with a sigh. He should have thought of this days ago. His plans seemed to be going much more smoothly now that he had help. First Elrohir and Estel and now Legolas...maybe someday he could actually succeed in one of his Plans.

He cast a glance back down at the hidden pit, frowning when he realized Legolas was absolutely right about the pit's appearance. He jumped out of the tree and scattered some more leaves, nearly covering the entire floor of clearing. Satisfied that the pit was hidden, even to his own eyes, he climbed back up into the tree to wait for Belegdur.

He could hear yelling and someone running his direction, and could only assume that Legolas had succeeded in luring Belegdur out of the palace.

Elladan clapped a hand over his mouth to hold back a laugh. Belegdur was chasing Legolas, shouting something about coming up to the palace in front of all of Thranduil's advisors in such a disreputable state. Elladan couldn't keep a grin from spreading across his face as the brothers approached the clearing.

Suddenly, Elladan realized a fatal flaw in his plan.

Legolas didn't know he had re-camouflaged the pit.

The twin started to jump out of the tree to warn his friend but it was too late. Legolas stepped too far, and with a yelp sunk under the pile of leaves and deep into the pit of muck.

As shocked as Elladan was, the next events shocked him even more.

Belegdur stood stock-still for a moment, staring at the place where his younger brother had disappeared.

"LEGOLAS!" Belegdur shouted, running toward the blond head that was barely keeping above the muck.

The older prince threw himself down on the ground, stretching his arms out to the younger. "Take my hand," he called.

Elladan leapt out of the tree and ran forward to help. "Belegdur?" he called.

"Stay back!" the older prince snapped, trying to grip his brother's wrists. "The ground may be unstable."

The dark-haired elf could only stare in awe as Belegdur finally got a good hold on Legolas and slowly pulled him out of the pit, getting himself covered in muck as he did so.

"Are you all right?" Belegdur asked in concern, not pausing to wipe the mud off of his own face.

Legolas nodded, spluttering a bit as he spat muck out of his mouth.

"Let's get back to the palace," Belegdur said, standing up and helping Legolas to his feet, gently supporting his brother as they hobbled out of the clearing. "Don't worry, Legolas," the prince added, gritting his teeth. "Once I find out who left that pit there they will pay...oh yes, they will pay."

Elladan shook his head, watching the mud-spattered pair make their way back to the palace.

In all his years, he'd never seen anything as amazing as the immaculate Belegdur risking his cleanliness to save Legolas from a pit of muck.


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