Chapter 2Gondor's second traitor
One week after the king's departure
Legolas was sitting in Aragorn's study eating an apple and reading yet another paper about something that needed the king's approval, or decision, or just for him to know about. He looked up suddenly as he noticed there was very little light left. The sun had already set. Wasn't this what he was always telling Aragorn not to do. He began to read the paper again, hoping this time he could figure out what it was about.
Boromir knew exactly where to find the elf. He was always in the king's study. As he walked into the room, he tried to make as little noise as possible and walked up behind Legolas.
"You know sire, I can think of a couple of things that we could do to help relax you after all this work." Boromir began to rub Legolas's shoulders and neck.
"I have told you the same thing every night since Aragorn left-no. I don't want to do any of those things with you and I certainly wouldn't even if I did. I am married."
"But no one has to know." Boromir foolishly moved his head and kissed Legolas. The elf suddenly whirled around and pushed the man to the floor.
"I hate you." Legolas left the room and went back to his and Aragorn's bed.
The next morning when he woke as he walked through the halls, he felt as if everyone was talking about him. They all whispered and stopped talking when he got close to them. Finally, he stopped one of the servants he recognized.
"What is going on?"
"I'm sorry my lord, what do you mean?"
"What is everyone talking about?"
"Nothing."
"Please tell me."
"Is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"That you…um…that you and Lord Boromir…um…slept together?"
"No. Where did you get that idea?"
"The whole castle is talking about it and probably half the town by now. I must go."
"Very well. Thank you."
"My lord."
Legolas left in search of Boromir to demand to know why he started this dirty rumor. He found him sitting in the dinning hall breaking fast.
"Legolas. How good it is to see your up out of bed after last night."
"Boromir you started that story now I demand you end it."
"Oh of course I will. Just as soon as you say yes."
"Never, I would kill Aragorn first."
Boromir began to smile. "Guards!"
Two men walked over. "Yes my lord?"
"Arrest Prince Legolas, he is a traitor. He has just told me and the other people here he would kill the king."
Heads around the table nodded in agreement. Legolas was arrested and thrown into the dungeons. They chained him to the wall, forcing him to stand on his toes and locked him up in the dark.
In his cell Legolas had no way to keep track of time and hung there wishing Aragorn had never left. Hours later a light appeared down the hall and to his dismay it was Boromir.
"Legolas, how are you doing? Enjoying your stay? I would bring you dinner but everyone ate already and I'm afraid there is nothing left."
"You're going to be sorry when Aragorn finds out how you treated me."
"Yeah well your assuming he comes home and my brother doesn't get to him first. It's a shame I won't be there to kill him, I'm letting Faramir do that. But at least I'll get to hear your screams."
"You and your brother planned this all along."
"You're pretty smart, unfortunately that knowledge won't help you much now. There is still time to change your part in all of this. Just say that one little word."
"No."
"Very well. I shall have to teach you a lesson in obedience." Boromir motioned to his men who moved to take the elf down from the wall. They forced him to his knees in the middle of the cell and left him there.
Boromir walked behind the elf and took the whip he had behind his back out. He snapped it in the air once so Legolas would be able to both hear and see the crack of the leather even if he couldn't feel it--yet.
"Last chance…no? Well in that case." Boromir let the leather whip hit Legolas's back this time and then began to whip the elf until blood was all over the floor. Still Legolas had not uttered a single sound.
"Well it seems to me your going to need more lessons both in obedience as well as speaking. I don't like the silent types."
"You're going to be sorry. Just wait, you'll see."
"I think you're a little mistaken about who is going to be sorry. I'll return for your next lesson tomorrow. You will wait for me here won't you? That's a good little elf."
Boromir left the cell closing Legolas into the suffocating black hole once again.
At the same time in another part of his kingdom, Aragorn woke up in the night feeling that something was terribly wrong. He went to his chief advisor hoping to make his mind feel more at ease.
"My lord, you should be resting."
"I know it's just I feel as though something is happening-something bad-in the castle."
"What could possibly go wrong? After all Legolas and Boromir are more then capable of running the kingdom for a couple of weeks."
"Yes, if only they could get along."
"My lord?"
"Boromir is my best friend and one of my most trusted advisors, I have trusted him with both the kingdom and Legolas, the two things that mean more to me then my own life. And Legolas is my husband, I would trust him with anything for he would never fail me, yet for some reason I fear with out me there the two of them will cause more problems then Faramir is."
"My lord. We should catch up with Faramir tomorrow, as you said both of them are trustworthy and both would do anything for you. We should be able to deal with this threat and then return home. Now please, my lord, get some sleep. Don't worry about the kingdom. It will still be in one piece when we return. If you need something to worry about worry about me."
"You?"
"Yes, Prince Legolas will have me head if I allow you to become injured or ill. Both of which could happen if you don't get your sleep. Now off to bed with you."
"You can't order me around like you use to."
"Your father gave me permission to turn you over my knee as a child as did Lord Elrond, I taught you to track and to survive in the woods, I raised you until that one day when I was not able to help. I think I have the right to send you to your bed, your highness."
Aragorn shut his mouth and turned to walk away.
"Good night sire."
"Good night." Came the muttered reply as the king disappeared into his tent.
For the next week, Legolas spent his days in fear of the night when Boromir would come. He drank very little water and ate even less and always his thoughts were centered on Aragorn. He wished the man would come home and save him but also feared it because of what Boromir might do to him. Aragorn on the other hand, began to have frightful dreams in which Boromir beat Legolas and he couldn't stop it. He didn't tell anyone about his fears until the night they entered a town still in pursuit of Faramir.
The whole town was talking about how Legolas was a traitor to the crown and hadn't been seen in a couple of weeks. Aragorn became even more worried than he was. Going to his advisor, once more he told him everything including the dreams and then made the decision to return home. As far away as they were it would take two to four days to return anyway so Aragorn split the company into two groups. His would return the other would press on.
Three days later Aragorn was forced to stop again to rest this time within sight of his home. As Aragorn rested, Legolas was put through hell once again.
"When will you just say yes, elf?"
"Never."
"He's not coming back to you. He's dead."
"You're a liar and a traitor."
"I only lied about being a traitor. And if he's not dead yet he will be."
"He'll come back. He has to. He promised."
"Then it is he who is the liar because he is never coming back to you elf."
Boromir began to whip and beat Legolas' battered body until he lost consciousness. Boromir was so angry with the elf and the way he continually refused him that he continued to beat him until a messenger came into the room and stopped him with an urgent message.
"My Lord."
"What is it!"
"It seems there has been a problem with the plan."
"What sort of problem."
"Well one of your brother's men just arrived with terrible news. It seems that Aragorn caught up with them before it was time and killed everyone except this boy who was gathering wood at the time. My Lord, Faramir is dead."
Boromir lifted his whip and hit Legolas's body once more before turning and storming from the room. This certainly put a twist in the plan, if it was true. He would have to find out for himself. Airing on the side of caution, he sent a servant to his rooms to pack a bag-just in case.
When Boromir entered the room he knew at once this boy was telling the truth after all he had recruited the child.
"My Lord. We were attacked. I'm sorry I wasn't there. I only arrived in time to see the end. I think they knew I was in the woods because Aragorn said right after he killed your brother, 'Tell Boromir to run and hide because I'm coming after him and when I catch him he'll be a dead man.' He looked right at me when I said it and I turned and ran all the way here."
"And you shall keep running. You and I are leaving right now. Come."
Boromir sent the boy to the stables to ready some of the horses. Before going to fetch his bags, he returned to the dungeons to kill Legolas. After all with the plan ruined there was no longer the time to break the elf.
As he walked into the room, he found the elf had come to and crawled over into a corner.
"This is your last chance to change your mind. I will kill you if you refuse me again."
"Then I will wait in the halls for my beloved for I shall never be yours."
"How touching." Boromir began to walk towards the elf, knife in hand.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
The voice stopped Boromir dead in his tracks. As he turned, he drew his sword. "Aragorn."
"Boromir. I know."
"I heard."
"Your dead."
"We shall see."
Boromir lunged suddenly at the king who brought his sword up to join in the dizzy dance of death. Legolas could do nothing but watch as his husband fought for their lives and the kingdom. Aragorn seemed to be loosing. He kept being forced farther and farther back. Finally the tables turned. As Aragorn began to fall, he swung out a leg and knocked Boromir to the ground. Standing over him, he raised his sword to kill him.
"No."
"Legolas, he deserves death."
"Perhaps but that is not your choice to make. Throw him in prison. But do not kill him in cold blood. You are not a murderer."
"Why not? He killed my brother."
"No I didn't. Your brother died but by his own hand. He rammed himself into my sword. Very well you shall be sentenced and put in prison."
"I think not!" Boromir rolled away from the king before he had a chance to react and ran quickly from the room. Not even bothering to retrieve his supplies he fled the castle and the city soon after. Boromir knew he was a dead man but he managed to avoid the many troops Aragorn sent out as well as the king himself.
Legolas had been taken to his rooms at Aragorn's orders and was forced to stay there until the king returned.
"Great. I traded one jail cell for another!" Legolas yelled in frustration as the door was closed forcefully and the lock fell into place.
