Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update again. And don't worry, there is some happiness in this, so you can all breathe. I see I freaked some people out with my last chapter. Lol. Have fun and if you read please review and let me know what you think. Thanks so much.

Chapter 19

The tables turn

'Returning home alone
As if you suffered a heart attack
And under the weight of the world
that nearly broke your back
it was written on your face
I could see it in your face

Congratulations
Today is another day
It's coming crashing down to break you again
Congratulations
You can change
Sometimes when lying on your back
You learn to breathe again'
-Congratulations-JULIANA THEORY

Slowly Legolas took in a painful breath as he began to wake. For a moment, he stayed perfectly still, trying to remember what had happened. He opened his eyes slowly and was startled by what he saw. All at once his senses became alert as he wondered where he was. It seemed too good to be true. He had to be dreaming.

He moved slightly and surprisingly he found he was laying on a bed. How long had it been since he had been comfortable in a bed? He did not know and right now, did not care. With his eyes he began to scan the room. Suddenly realization dawned on him and he knew where he was. He recognized the healing room. He was home!

"Legolas! You're awake!"

Legolas turned his head, knowing to whom the voice belonged, but not believing. His ears had not deceived him, however, unless his eyes too deceived him. There leaning over him was his father.

"Ada?"

King Thranduil carefully took his son's hand in his own. "Ion nin, I was so worried."

Legolas blinked a couple times. "Ada, what has happened? How did I get here?" Legolas questioned, trying to take everything in.

"What do you remember?" Thranduil asked gently.

Legolas closed his eyes for a minute trying to recall what had happened. Flashes entered his mind and he cringed as he remembered. He opened his eyes and stared at his father. "The last thing I remember is being stabbed by…" He paused for a second. His father would not understand that Estel was his friend and had been corrupted by the Nazgul. "I was stabbed and the next thing I know I woke up here. Ada, what happened? How did you find me? How did I get free from the Nazgul? Where is Estel?"

"Legolas, calm down!" Thranduil said, interrupting him because his son was speaking so quickly, he could not hear a word his son said. "I will explain everything to you."

Legolas was however too curious and worried to be calm. "Ada, please tell me."

Thranduil chuckled slightly. "As you wish, ion nin." For a moment, he stared down at his son as if not believing that Legolas lay before him. The smile on his face could not even begin to show the joy that was in his heart. Then suddenly his face grew serious and sober as he recalled how his son was brought back to him. "A few elves tracked an army of orcs near where you were being held." Thranduil began. "When they saw that you were captured, they quickly slaughtered the orcs and rushed you back here."

FLASHBACK

"King Thranduil!" The shout echoed through the whole palace. "KING THRANDUIL!"

King Thranduil came running from his quarters to meet his most faithful messenger as well as a warrior, Kalen.

"What is it?"

"Your son, my lord. He has been found."

Thranduil's eyes widened and his face beamed. "Well, where is he?"

Kalen's eyes dropped. "He is seriously injured, my lord. He is being taken to the healing room as we speak."

Thranduil rushed from the room and ran to the healing room. Never in all his years had anyone seen the King run so quickly. It would have been amusing for the guards if the circumstances had been different.

"Where is he?" King Thranduil demanded as he reached the healing room.

"He is in surgery. He was badly injured and we fear near death." One of the healers reported.

"I want to see him."

"My King, you should wait until we have finished…"

"Let me see him!" Thranduil commanded.

"You won't like what you will see, Sire."

"Stand aside!"

The man bowed slightly as he moved away from the door. "As you wish."

Thranduil entered the room, preparing himself for the worst. He saw an elf laying on the bed. Other elves were rushing around the room, trying to help him. Thranduil slowly approached the bed. He tried to make his legs move faster, but somehow he just couldn't. When he finally reached the bed, his heart sank into his stomach and his face became pale.

He almost didn't even recognize the elf that lay on the bed. His son, his efling, was so badly bruised that he was unrecognizable. His golden blonde hair was a mixture of blood and mud that made it appear black. His face was covered in bruises. His chest and legs were discolored and full of gashes, and blood. His stomach held a gaping wound that looked as if it had been crudely sealed to prevent too much blood loss. His hands were mangled and distorted.

The horrifying sight brought tears to the King's eyes. Looking at his son tore at his heart, but he couldn't pull his eyes away. He just stood there, staring down at the elfing's body, unable to move.

Eventually he felt someone directing him from the room. He sat as he was directed, but his eyes did not waver. Even though he could no longer see his son, the image was imprinted on his heart forever. He was in a silent shock; his heart very close to breaking completely.

"Thranduil?"

The king blinked and looked at the elf beside him. No other elf would ever refer to him by his first name without his title or even address him in that matter. It was something unheard of. Usually even Haliem, the King's greatest advisor and friend, would use his name so casually only behind closed doors. Yet, somehow it was a comfort to the king. For right now, he did not feel like the king of his people, nor did he feel like some great lord whom many followed. Right now, he was just Thranduil, father of Legolas. Any other titles did not matter to him at the moment.

"Your healers are very skilled. They will do everything they can for your son." Haliem comforted.

Thranduil swallowed hard. "Who did this to my son?"

His words held more venom and hatred than Haliem had ever heard his king express. "I know not. If it was just the orcs, then your son has been avenged."

Thranduil let his eyes wander to a nearby wall, his friend's words troubling him. As he too had suspected, these wounds weren't just created by orcs. They were done too perfectly and effectively for that.

Tears filled his eyes as he wondered what that could mean. He bit hard at his lip and buried his head into his hands.

END FLASHBACK

"Ada, where is Estel?"

Thranduil looked up as he finally heard his son and was drawn from his memory. "What did you say?"

"Is Estel safe?" Legolas repeated. His head was pounding and he felt really dizzy. He could feel with full intense pain every unhealed wound that had been inflicted on his body. The pain was becoming too much to handle. He knew he needed to rest, but he was too worried about his friend to even care at the moment.

"Estel? Of who do you speak, my son?"

Legolas began to panic. "The human that was with me."

Thranduil looked at Legolas confused. "A human?"

"Yes! Estel, my friend." Legolas tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness made him groan and lay back down.

This only confused Thranduil more. The last thing he thought he would ever hear his son say was that a human was his friend. By the look on his son's face, he could easily see the worried expression.

"No human was brought back, Legolas."

Pure fear crossed Legolas' features. "No, Ada! Please tell me you did not leave him."

"Legolas, calm down." Thranduil said as he gently restrained his injured son. "He's a mere human. Do not worry for him."

Legolas tried to push his father away, but his movements were weak. "You don't understand, Ada. Estel is my friend. He needs help. I have to find him. I can't leave him."

"Legolas, you are in no shape to go or do anything. You need to stay in bed for at least another week."

"He will die out there alone!" Legolas shouted not willing to give up on his best friend.

Thranduil looked down at his son, not understanding why Legolas obviously cared so much for a human. The bitterness and hatred against humans that he held in his heart made him have no sympathy for a human the orcs had captured. The fact that it was a big deal to his son, however, puzzled him.

"I will send some elves to search for him." He told Legolas more to just get him to rest then actually meaning it.

"Promise me, you will send elves to find him and you wont stop looking. Promise me Ada!"

Thranduil nodded slightly, bewilderment crossing his features. "I promise, ion nin. Now rest."

The answer pleased Legolas. He could no longer keep his eyes open yet he tried to fight sleep. He had so much he needed to tell his father, so much his father needed to know. Weariness overtook him regardless of his wishes, and he drifted into a deep sleep.

Thranduil watched him for a few more minutes. It comforted him greatly that Legolas had finally woken up. It had been two days now that he had been home. In that time, he had showed very little signs of life. The best healers in Mirkwood had done everything they could for him. They treated his wounds and bruises, wrapped his ribs to let them heal, and even washed his golden blonde hair. They also cleansed and sowed up the knife wound that he had in his stomach and did their best to help the wound heal. In addition to that, they also had to set his shoulder back in place and set and wrap every finger that had been dislocated or broken. The hardest finger to set back, however, had been the ring finger. The bone in that finger was totally crushed beyond repair. All the healers could do was put the finger in place the best they could and wrap it, hoping that his elven healing abilities would be able to heal it enough for him to be able to use it again.

It tore Thranduil's heart as he imagined his son, never being able to use his bow in battle again. He knew more than anyone else how much Legolas loved his bow. With a deep sigh, the king rose and headed towards the door. He had work to do and a kingdom to protect. Whoever or whatever had done this to his son would pay.

Renewed strength filled Thranduil's body. He immediately called a meeting with his advisors so they could form a plan to save Mirkwood.


Three hours later

"ESTEL!"

Legolas woke up with a start, realizing that he had been calling his friend's name. For a moment he stared blankly at the wall, tears in his eyes. He closed his eyes against the tears. He quickly reopened them as he saw the blank, lifeless eyes of his friend. He wished he could make the image go away, but the horrible picture of his friend was constantly haunting his mind.

"Are you all right, Prince Legolas?"

Legolas turned his head to see one of the elf guards near him. He nodded his head, quickly hiding his emotion under a mask of confidence. "I am fine." His tone held no emotion and those who were not extremely close to the prince would think nothing at all was wrong. "Where is my father?"

"He is in a meeting, discussing plans to save Mirkwood. Would you like me to find him?" The guard replied.

Legolas shook his head. "No, he must be in the meeting. I need you to give him a message. What I am about to tell you, you can not repeat to anyone other than the king himself. It will be up to him to tell who he believes is trustworthy. If too much word gets out it could be disastrous."

The guard nodded. "I understand, my lord. I will not tell a soul, save for the king himself."

Legolas nodded. He pushed away all his emotion and all the pain he felt in his body. The pain that was assaulting his body was overwhelming, but he ignored it. This was far more important.


King Thranduil looked up as his personal guard tapped his shoulder. He looked at him with a questioning gaze knowing the elf would not disturb him during a meeting, unless it was extremely necessary.

The elf bent down to speak quietly in the king's ear. "I'm sorry to disturb you, your highness, but the elf you left to watch Legolas claims to have an important message."

Thranduil nodded. "Tell him to wait a few minutes."

"He says it's urgent, sir. Prince Legolas told him to speak with you immediately."

Thranduil nodded and quickly excused himself from the meeting. Worry spread across his face, wondering what could be so important. He met the guard outside the hall. As custom, his personal guard backed away to give his king some privacy.

"Sorry to disturb you, my king, but this is urgent." The guard said with a bow.

"Go on." Thranduil said.

"Legolas awoke a few minutes ago and he told me some dire news."

Fear spread across the king's heart, but he stayed silent, keeping an emotionless stare.

"He knows the reason why the orcs and the spiders have been cooperating and how everything is so precise in their moves. He believes they are being commanded or even controlled by one of the Nazgul."

Thranduil's face went pale. "Surely you don't mean by one of Sauron's corrupted?"

"Yes, sir, I do."

"Does my son know for sure?"

"He does, your highness." The guard bit his lip, forcing himself to continue. This would not be easy for the king to hear. "Your son was…" He paused and tried again. "For seven days the Nazgul held and tormented your son. It tried to corrupt him many times and tried to learn the secret of his identity and the secrets of Mirkwood."

Thranduil cringed and put his head in his hands. Trying to keep his kingly dignity, he forced himself to be strong. "Did the Nazgul learn anything?" He said, forcing the words from his mouth.

"Legolas does not think so, but he can't know for sure."

Thranduil nodded swallowing hard. It tore his heart to know that a Ringwraith had tormented his son. He could only imagine the cruelty of the Nazgul and to know that his son had been tortured almost to death by the creature made the King sick to his stomach. Everything in him wanted to run to his son and hold him in his arms. He wanted to take all the pain from his son and all the horrific memories that he knew were involved.

At this moment, however, his duty was to Mirkwood. As king he needed to protect his home and come up with a plan to deliver them from this evil. He would talk with Legolas later. His knew the reason his son had not called for him was because he knew the dire need to act quickly.

Thranduil quickly thanked the guard, commanding him to tell no one what he had heard. The guard nodded and walked off. Thranduil turned to head back to the meeting, stopping first in an unoccupied room.

"Give me a minute." He said to his guard who loyally followed. The elf nodded and closed the door, standing silently outside.

As the door closed, Thranduil let his head fall into his hands. His legs felt weak underneath him and he collapsed to the ground. Clenching his fist tightly, digging his nail into the palms of his hands, he cursed the Nazgul. For a few moments, the king stayed kneeling, letting his anger subside. Anger raged inside of him, but he was able to control it. He could not let his anger or emotions jeopardize his decisions. He need to be strong. His people were counting on him and he was determined to restore peace back to Mirkwood and to avenge his son. Squaring his shoulders, the weary, yet tenacious king rose from the ground. He exited the room and headed back to the meeting. His advisors and counsel member needed to know what had transpired.