Her senses came back to her slowly. She felt disoriented, lightheaded, and it took her a moment to notice that she was lying down on something soft. Linen sheets covered her small body, caressing her skin with a welcoming warm. Her head felt too heavy, as well as all of her limbs, as if the pull of gravity was simply too strong for her to lift them. A faint sound reached her ears distantly, a moan, and it took her a long moment to realize that the sound had come from her own lips. She could not remember where she was, or why she was there, her thoughts felt tangled, her mind overly foggy.
"Almarëa?" She heard a gentle voice whisper to her right, followed by the distant feeling of a soft hand caressing her cheek, placing a strand of her long golden hair behind her right ear. "Can you hear me?"
Slowly, she opened her eyes, fighting hard against the heaviness of her eyelids. At first everything seemed so unclear, her vision only a hazy combination of unfocused shapes and colors. She could see a blurry figure leaning over her, a pale face finally coming into focus, perfectly framed by fine platinum hair. It was Lossenel. She attempted to smile at the sight of her sister, but was not even sure her lips moved at all. The Princess' rosy lips curved up in a warm smile, iced green-blue eyes focused on hers.
"How do you feel?" Her sister's voice was as low as before, the smile never leaving her lips as she spoke. Lossenel's delicate hand remained on her cheek, her touch somehow feeling so comforting. She simply blinked again, trying to clear her thoughts, but she still felt too disoriented to answer. Instead, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, immediately regretting the movement as everything spun around her widely and she was sure she would have fallen back down onto the pillows had Lossenel not helped remain upright, accommodating some pillows so that she could sit against the wooden headboard.
"Slowly, Rëa. You have slept for quite a while." The snowy Princess let out a musical chuckle, the sound floating on the air like tiny silver bells ringing on the wind. For the first time, she let her eyes scan the room. It was plain and small, furnished only by the bed she was lying on, a couple of chairs and a small bedside table. The bright light of day washed over the room from the only window in it, although she could not tell what time of the day it was.
"What happened? How long have I been out?" She barely recognized the frail voice that left her lips, blinking a couple of more times to fully clear her vision. Her confused eyes followed Lossenel as the latter walked about the room, returning to her bedside with a glass filled with water.
"Here." Her sister said softly as she handed her the glass, once again sitting down on the mattress, gentle iced aquamarine eyes watching her attentively, delicate fingers stroking her golden hair. She took a sip from the water, waiting for her sister to speak.
"You passed out unexpectedly." The Princess' voice sounded worried, and yet her eyes remained as gentle as before, welcoming seas under a frozen winter morning. "Elladan claims you had a vision, but knows not for sure what it was. You were past exhausted, Rëa, you have been so for a couple of days now. Elrohir gave you a strong sleeping draught after that, to make sure you rested. You have slept for two days now, that is why you feel so lightheaded for the moment."
Images started to populate her mind suddenly, all of the events from the last days coming back to her like a splash of iced water. Her conversation with Arahaelon, the mark on his left hand, Elladan lying on the bed, the destroyed study back in the Palace, the bodies, the Elvenking lying injured on the floor, Doronor's dark blue eyes hollow in death…everything flew through her mind in a wild turmoil.
Two days? She had slept for two days? She could feel despair starting to creep through her body. So much could happen in two days…so much that she still had to tell her siblings, that they did not yet know. She lifted her eyes quickly, meeting the Princess' own pair of green-blue ones, mirroring her despair and fear.
However, before she could say anything else, the plain wooden door suddenly opened, her eyes flying in tis direction to meet the newcomers. A wide smile appeared on her face as her eyes fell on two mirror images slowly making their way inside the room. Liquid silver eyes met hers instantly, warm irises examining her frantically, sparkling with worry and relief at the same time, seeming to absorb her entirely, pulling her into them to drown in their swirling depths. She knew it was no coincidence that the twins showed up the moment she woke up, she knew Elladan had felt it through their bond. And yet, what really surprised her and made her heart flutter with joy was the fact that Elladan was once again on his feet. Elrohir had a steady grip on his twin's elbow, seeming to be the one supporting him upright. She noticed that the elder twin walked much too slowly, the movement still causing pain to flare through the wound in his back, but she had not expected to see him out of bed for at least a couple of more days.
"Dan!" She breathed out as he carefully sat down on the mattress, taking the spot Lossenel has just emptied for him. His strong arms instantly wrapped around her small frame, pulling her close to him, and she let herself be pressed against his chest, feeling his lips press a light kiss on her temple. She could feel his need to hold her close, his arms pressing her to him as if he would never let go, and did not need to look into his endless silver eyes to feel his worry and anxiety.
"I will go get everyone else." Lossenel excused herself from the room, seeming to be slightly uncomfortable witnessing her moment with Elladan. The younger on the other hand did not seem to have such trouble, casually lowering himself to one of the wooden chairs in the room. But she did not care. Al she cared about were the warm arms wrapped securely around her, seeming so comforting against the vision she knew she still had to tell everyone about.
"How are you, my love?" Elladan's voice whispered in her ear, so low she was sure Elrohir could not hear it. His lips brushed against the tip of her ear as he spoke, making shivers run down her body at his warm breath. "Did you rest?"
"Yes." She whispered in return, moving her head so that she could place a light kiss on his neck before resting her head on his collarbone. She did feel rested, the heaviness she had previously felt suddenly vanishing entirely. Those two days Elrohir had drugged her to sleep had been so necessary. "How are you, Dan? How do you feel?"
"Better." She could hear the honesty in his voice as she felt his lips press another kiss to her temple, gently hands toying with the ends on her hair.
"What happened while I slept?" She shifted in his arms, finding an overly comfortable way to nestle herself against his chest, her body perfectly fitting against his.
"Nothing." Once again his voice was honest, but she could hear the faint thread of the same despair that had plagued Lossenel's eyes in the usually musical sound. "We know nothing still. There have been no news from the Palace or from anywhere else. We are not even sure if staying here is the safest option."
"Dan, there was an attack on the Palace. I saw it." She tired to mask the urgency in her voice, but was sure she failed miserably. Elrohir's eyes darted in their direction, silver sharp irises suddenly attentive to their conversation, so much like Elladan's.
She stared directly into Elladan's eyes, which had suddenly narrowed at her news, looking more worried than before, alert. And yet, before she could add anything else the door opened again, four new figures rushing inside the room.
"Rëa!" She heard Legolas exclaim, her eyes flying to meet his infinite blue ones as he quickly sat on the opposite side of the bed as Elladan. "How do you feel?"
"I feel fine, Legolas." She could not help but smile as she answered, her eyes turning to Tadion as he entered the piece, followed closely by Arahaelon and Lossenel. Tadion's clear blue eyes glared at Elladan as he approached, clearly not pleased with the way the elder twin was holding her close to him, but did not say anything at him. And yet as his clear blue eyes, so much like Legolas', found hers, they softened, suddenly so vast and welcoming, like the warm expanding oceans.
"Did you sleep well, little sister? You gave us a scare, you know." A grin grew in his handsome face as he spoke, his playful eyes sparkling with their usual carefreeness. How much she had missed her brother. Tadion seemed to be completely healed, not a sing of bandages underneath his dark blue silk tunic.
"Sorry about that. I did sleep well, though." She said with a smile, joy building inside of her at the sight of her fully healed brother, even if that meant he would return to glaring at Elladan.
Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Lossenel sitting down on the other chair inside the room, the Crown Prince standing behind her, his hands lightly resting on her shoulders. Her eyes turned in his direction only to find his impenetrable emerald eyes fixed on Elladan's figure, seeming to pierce through him, so attentive and yet so silent, the way a predator watches a prey. The stare only lasted a second, for Arahelon's eyes turned in her direction, seeming to be bale to feel her own eyes on him, emerald irises suddenly soft and gentle, although they remained as powerful and impenetrable as ever, and at the same time so serene, opening only as he smiled at her.
"Rëa, what happened?" Her attention turned back to Tadion at the sound of his voice, all the playfulness gone from his eyes.
"There was an attack on the Palace. Ada is injured, and Doronor is dead." She said, not bothering with details for the moment. She just needed to tell them what she had seen, she needed to know what they would do next.
Six pairs of shocked eyes turned in her direction, not expecting the news she had shared. She could feel the tension floating in the air, grasping at her hair and caressing her skin with its mocking hand, threatening to fall into its imprisoning grasp.
"How injured?" Lossenel was the one to break the silence, her voice sounding scared, although her face remained perfectly composed, her eyes remaining steady. The Princess would not break easily, she knew that.
"I do not know." She wished she had a better answer, she wished she could be able to tell her siblings that heir father was all right, but she did not know for sure. "He had a head wound, and was bleeding, but he was still conscious. Lord Elrond was tending to him, but I did not get to see or hear about his condition."
"So it was my Adar the one showing you the vision." Elrohir reasoned out loud and she simply nodded her head in confirmation. Elladan's arms remained wrapped around her and she felt overly glad for that, his tough feeling like a protective blanket shielding her from her own worry and anxiety.
"The orcs reached the Palace then? There was a battle? What happened?" Tadion spoke again, and her eyes darted in his direction before answering.
"I do not know exactly." She repeated, feeling slightly useless at the fact that she could only deliver news without a full explanation for them. "The orcs did reach the Palace, but they never reached Ada. They were stopped at the entrances, that is what I heard Cunir telling Lord Elrond. I only saw Ada's study, and by the looks of it there was indeed a battle there, but not caused by orcs. I do not know what happened there. There were elves lying dead on the floor, and many more placing guard on Ada. I only recognized Doronor among the dead."
Her voice echoed through the air, but she barely recognized it. It sounded steady, loud and clear enough for everyone to hear, and yet it sounded empty, emotionless, merely reciting facts without the slightest hint of the emotions they caused on her. Whether or not anyone noticed the flatness in her voice she could not tell.
"Then, that battle was among elves." Elrohir added, his eyes not looking at anyone specifically, lost in deep thought. "Doronor had specified there would be an attack that night."
"Doronor knew something." Legolas cut in, his sharp blue eyes looking from Tadion to Elrohir. "And whatever it was, it led him to his death."
"Do you think that is what it was?" Tadion added, as alert as his younger brother. "That the attackers simply killed everyone who knew something?"
"It is a possibility." Legolas said, his eyes turning to look at his eldest brother for some kind of thought from his part, but the Crown Prince remained silent.
"It makes no sense to me." She was surprised to hear Elladan's voice joining the conversation. "Why kill everyone who knew something inside the King's study and in his presence? That would be almost the same as giving themselves away. If someone wanted to kill Doronor and whoever knew something why not do it secretly? Why cause a battle inside the King's study?"
"You have a point." Tadion commented, his clear blue eyes lifting to meet Elladan's. "Unless the battle was not part of the plan. Something could have gone wrong that led to a fight. Doronor did say that my Adar would not be harmed in any way. Either Doronor lied, or his injury was a casualty of the fight."
"Adar resulting injured changes things." Silence settled across the room as Arahaelon's serene and low yet powerful voice floated in the air, getting the immediate attention of every single elf in the room. "Whatever it was the reason for the attack that happened in that study, Adar was not a casualty they could afford. There is a reason why Doronor seemed so intent in insuring Adar's safety first. The moment he resulted injured, it became an attack to the King. That can cause a revolt, it can lead the entire realm into madness. An attack on the King is a direct attack on the realm."
A new iced silence settled in the room, the Crown Prince's words still echoing hollowly inside her mind. Images of the tight circle of guards standing protectively around their injured King flashed through her mind. If there was something she had learned during her stay at Mirkwood was of how loved and respected the great Elvenking was, and how protective the elves of Mirkwood were of their King.
"And what do we do?" Legolas broke the silence, infinite blue eyes staring at his eldest brother hopelessly, his voice low, barely audible. She could see the same gleam of despair in her other siblings' eyes, their faces worried, anxious, and she knew exactly why: there was nothing they could do.
"I do not know" Came Arahaelon's soft reply, his emerald eyes not meeting his brother's as he spoke. None of them had an answer, their information on the happenings based only of their assumptions taken from those tiny bits and pieces she had seen n her vision.
"We have to go back to Ada." Tadion spoke, and she suppressed a wince at the flat sound of his voice. She could see the sudden urgency in his eyes, the desolation in his hollow blue eyes, and for a second she felt like a bitter iron clasp chaining her siblings away from their home.
"That would be suicide." Added Legolas quickly, although his eyes did not entirely disagree with his older brother.
"Legolas is right, Tadion." Arahaelon commented, his voice still entirely serene, as if he had all of eternity to speak, and at the same time carrying a command that made it unable to doubt a single one of his words. "We do not know what is happening in the Palace for sure, much less what awaits for us in the borders. Ada will be fine, I am sure there are plenty of healers with him, besides, Lord Elrond is the best healer in Arda. We cannot bring Almarëa closer to where we know someone might be after her."
"But we cannot keep on running around and hiding." Elladan spoke, his sweet voice as commanding as Arahaleon's although she was sure he would not undermine the Crown Prince's authority in any sense. "That is all we have been doing ever since Almarëa reached Imladris. She cannot continue hiding for the rest of eternity. A Princess of Mirkwood hiding around like a wanted criminal."
"I know." Was all Arahaelon said, melted emerald irises looking at her apologetically, as if he wished there was something else he could do, but she knew there was not. There was nothing neither of her siblings or the twins could do.
"Is this place even safe?" Lossenel's voice sounded frail, as if she did not want to speak her fears out loud, although she did not for a second look any less elegant, any less composed. "How do we know whoever is after Rëa will not come looking for us in here?"
"We do not." Said Elrohir, thoughtful silver eyes focused on the plain wooden floor at his feet. "For all we know the attack from the orcs and the one inside the Palace could have been two different ones entirely unrelated.''
"That would be too much of a coincidence do you not think?" Legolas pointed out.
"Coincidence or not it is a possibility, although I doubt it." Tadion added.
"Or one led to the other." Arahelon was the one to speak. "I agree with Elladan in that the battle that took place inside Adar's study was not entirely planned. It makes no sense that the same group of elves that managed to sneak past the guards to choke Rëa and poison me without the healers even noticing would do such a harsh obvious action. Every single elf in Mirkwood will know there are traitors among them now, and the defenses will be tripled now that Adar has resulted one of the victims."
"But then why do such a harsh action? We do not know what happened back in the Palace, there is no way we can simply guess." She could see Tadion dropping his head in his hands as he spoke, looking irritated. The tension in the room cold almost bee seen, crawling behind their backs like a lurking ghost, laughing and waiting for each and every single one of to fall into its despairing hands.
"Do you think Dornor said something?" She was almost surprised to hear her own voice adding out loud, and yet what surprised her most was how steady it sounded, not a single drop of doubt in it. "We were obviously not in the Palace as the attackers had expected. Do you think that is why the killed Doronor? Because he told us? He might have even told Ada something and we do not know."
"That is also a possibility." Arahaelon was the one to answer, impenetrable emerald looking directly at hers, green meeting green in a piercing stare. "Doronor could have said something to Ada. Fear can do many things. Amrudir even dared to shoot you, Tadion. If the attackers suspected that Adar knew something, they could have been led to act harshly."
"Still we do not know!" Tadion had risen to his feet, burning blue eyes piercing through his eldest brother's green ones, who looked entirely unaffected by his younger brother's outburst. "I am tired of this. We can over all the different possibilities for days and still we will not know for sure. I am tired of sitting around and waiting. We have to do something!"
"Do not act without thinking, Tadion." The Crown Prince warned, his voice as calmed as before.
"Well if we continue thinking someone else is going to act and we will find ourselves facing the consequences of simply waiting for something to happen to us." Tadion hissed in return. She had never seen Tadion loose his patience or his seemingly infinite carefreeness and good spirit.
"And what do you suggest we do?" Arahaelon asked, completely untroubled by his brother's ended patience. Tadion's seething eyes burned through his brother, carrying the silence of his unspoken answer. But there was no answer. She could see the ire in Tadion's eyes, the rage at not being able to answer his brother's question.
"I do not know, Arahaelon. But you should also be coming up with suggestions instead of waiting for someone else to solve your problems. We need to do something!" Tadion hissed, his voice so sharp she involuntarily closed her eyes. The tension in the air was too heavy, dragging each and every single one of them into despair.
"You are still an elfling, Tadion. You cannot go around acting on impulse." Arahaelon's voice was still calmed, but it sounded sharp, warning, and for a second she thought Tadion would not dare add anything else to the conversation. Lossenel shifted on her chair, visibly uncomfortable by the argument.
"And you cannot go around doing nothing. You are Crown Prince, Arahaelon, behave like it! You never do anything! Ada does everything for you!" She knew Tadion did not really meant his words, but the despair in the room and the lack of information or answers was putting them all on the edge.
"Do not speak of what you do not know." Arahelon hissed, a sound she thought she would never hear. The Crown Prince's emerald eyes burned as sharply as Tadion's, as poisonous and angered.
"Sometimes I think you are simply scared of making any decision for fear that it might be the wrong one." Tadion's voice had lowered, barely audible in its iced ire.
"And what do you know about decision making, Tadion? You always expect me to make them for you."
"Because it is your place." The venom in Tadion's voice matched the iced daggers in Arahaelon's eyes.
"Hold your tongue." Aearhaelon's voice was sharper than before, making her cringe involuntarily in Elladan's arms. "You are nothing but a selfish elfling, Tadion. A child. Stop trying to remind me of my place and learn yours."
A cold humorless chuckle left Tadion's lips, the sound making chills run through her body, and she could feel Elladan's hold tightening around her. Legolas and Elrohir had their eyes fixed on the old wooden floor, looking as if they wanted to flee from the room as much as she did.
"Long live the Crown Prince of Mirkwood." She had never before heard as much venom in Tadion's voice as he made an exaggerated mocked reverence in front of his eldest brother. She knew it was his ire and despair taking control of his, his words coming out without him thinking them, but for a second she wished he would take them all back, would remain quiet. Then his seething blue eyes met his brother's directly, and it was impossible to tell which gaze was the most hostile.
Then Tadion spoke again, his voice so cold it could turn the entire room to ice "You will never be half the King Adar is."
With that, Tadion stormed out of the room, banging the door behind him, and leaving the rest of then in a cold room, the echo of his words still hanging in the air. No one moved. No one said anything. Only Arahaelon leaving the room a second after was the only movement there was for long minutes.
"Is he going to talk to Tadion?" She was the one to break the awkward silence, her head nodding in the direction of the door through which Arahaelon had just disappeared.
"No." Lossenel answered, her green-blue eyes looking directly at hers, her voice gentle, as if she too thought the argument had been entirely unnecessary. "They will not be speaking to each other for a while."
She knew the argument had been pointless, as if Tadion was simply trying to take out his frustration and despair on his eldest brother, choosing to fight as an outlet to not having any of the answers they so desperately needed.
"Do you two also fight like that?" She asked again, looking from Elladan to Elrohir, trying to lighten the mood a little.
"No." Elladan was the one to answer, his voice sounding as if his answer were the obvious one. "I would have kicked Elrohir a long time ago. I would not need words to let it clear I disagree with him. I truly expected Tadion to hit Arahaelon."
Elrohir glared at his twin, although he was unable to hide a smile from his handsome face, Legolas letting out a chuckle.
"He would not have done that." Legolas explained, visibly looking more relaxed as the tension in the room slowly eased. "Tadion will not hit Ar. Had it been me, we would have been kicking and punching each other since the beginning of the argument, but never with Ar. And that is partially because Ar has never hit him. He has never hit any of us."
"I will go see they are not still arguing." Lossenel said before silently exiting the room, leaving her with Legolas and the twins.
She did not know for how much longer they would stay in this town of men, but eve she was starting to feel the despair and need to do something. The lack of information and answers was slowly consuming them. She felt stranded, unable to move, unable to go anywhere. She could no longer hear Vilya in the wind, could no longer feel its power rushing through her veins, calling to her to succumb to it. And yet, what shocked her most was that she found herself hoping for the ring to call to her, to be pulled into another vision that could give them more information, or something that could help them decide on what to do.
"Let us go get some fresh air." Elladan whispered in her ear, and she placed a quick kiss on his cheek before standing up from the bed and carefully helping him to his feet.
Elrohir rose immediately to his twin aid, once again grabbing him by the arm to help him remain steady on his feet as she took hold of Elladan's other arm. Elladan did not look particularly happy with the situation, but did not say anything, knowing that he needed the help if he wanted to make it down the stairs.
Their way outside the building was slow, the four of them walking at Elladan's pace. They settled down on a small courtyard at the entrance of the building, watching the men and women on the street go about their day. She could see Lossenel speaking with Arahaleon some distance away, four children circling them curiously, playing at who could touch the ends of Arahaelon's long blond hair first. Neither of her siblings were paying attention to the children, acting as if they were not there, but she could not help but chuckle lightly at the sight that every time a child would stretch his hand up to touch his hair, the Crown Prince would suddenly move his head to the side, making the task impossible for the child.
She felt Elladan's hand wrapping over hers, his fingers toying with the gorgeous engagement ring on her third finger. She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling his arm instinctively wrapping around her. Elrohir and Legolas were lost in a conversation of their own, and honestly she did not feel like making small talk with anyone but Elladan at the moment.
"So, are we having a small or big wedding?" Elladan's voice was low, his silver eyes sparkling playfully as he spoke, clearly attempting to distract her from her misery, and as usual he succeeded to place a smile on her face.
"Small." She laughed lightly, the sole mention of her wedding to him making her stomach flutter in joy.
"Of course, my love." She heard him say in return, feeling his head resting over hers, the sound of his voice muffled by her hair. "We only have to invite all of Imladris and all of Mirkwood to it. I do not think you can possibly go smaller than that."
She laughed, turning her head just in time to receive a gentle kiss on her lips.
"If you already know it is going to be a big wedding, then why do you ask me?"
"For the fun of it." He grinned as he spoke, and for a second she wished she was already married to him, already his wife. She could not care less about how many elves attended the wedding as long as if by the end of it she was Elladan's for the rest of eternity.
Then, suddenly Elladan turned pale, all color draining from his face unexpectedly and she felt his body tensing sharply next to her. She nearly jumped in alarm, her eyes quickly turning to look at his face.
"Dan?" She asked urgently. "What is it? Are you all right?" Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Elrohir turning his eyes quickly in his twin direction, catching the alarm in her voice. Then, much to her puzzlement Elrohir laughed. A joyful, mocking laugh.
She could not understand what was happening, and she searched in Elladan's face again, still feeling a dreadful worry building at the pit of her stomach. Elladan's silver eyes were not looking at hers, but instead were fixed on something else, looking wide and fearful. She instantly followed the line of his gaze, desperate to find the cause of his sudden tension, and she did not know if to be angry or laugh like Elrohir when she did. There, on the opposite side of the narrow street from them, was a tiny grey mouse.
"You cannot be serious, Dan" She said, unable to contain a mocking chuckle. She knew he was deadly scared of mice, he had told her previously, but somehow, watching him go entirely pale at the sole sight of the harmless creature resulted all too funny for her. His silver eyes flashed in her direction, glaring at her briefly before focusing once again on the mouse, as if expecting it to suddenly jump in his direction.
"Dan, it will not come this way. It is really far away, can you not tell?" She tried again, unable to contain her light chuckles.
"I still do not like it." He muttered, but he somehow managed to remain sitting where he was, the only sign that he was deadly scared were his eyes watching the mouse carefully. She laughed again, unable to contain herself at the sight of an elven warrior like him feeling threatened by a tiny harmless mouse.
Elladan glared at her again, but quickly tensed further as the mouse suddenly rushed in their direction, turning a sharp turn to the left before disappearing through a creak on a stone wall. She laughed harder, watching Elladan visibly relax as the mouse disappeared from their sight.
"Sorry." Elladan mumbled, his silver eyes narrowed at her, although she could see them sparkling with glee at her laughter.
"Sorry for what, my love?" She said between chuckles. "This is the most hilarious thing I have seen in a long time." His lips met hers suddenly, silencing her with a long kiss.
"Look." Their moment was cut short by Elrohir's sudden words, and she quickly turned her head to find his silver eyes focused on something along the street. Legolas' eyes were also focused in the direction Elrohir pointed, and she could see Arahaelon and Lossenel turning their heads in the same direction some distance away.
Approaching at a fast pace through the narrow street was a large group of riders, the sound of the horseshoes drumming on the stone becoming louder and louder. She could see people moving quickly out of their way, Arahaelon quickly scooping up one of the children who had just stepped into the street. And yet what surprised her most was not the large number of the riders or the unexpected way in which they had appear, but their long velvet cloaks, all of them in a very familiar dark green color, their hairs, ranging from the darkest of browns to the lightest of golden, falling long behind their backs, braided in the style of the warriors. These were not men. They were elves, and warriors judging from their armors, bows and swords.
She noticed that Arahaelon had raised a hand, the movement so light and effortless, and yet immediately calling the attention of the approaching warriors who stopped their horses in front of them. The Crown Prince quickly placed the child he had been carrying back on his feet, the little boy running away to hide near a man standing not too far from them. For the first time her eyes caught sight of the flag one of the riders at the front had been carrying, the elegant cloth dancing freely at the wind. It carried the emblem of Mirkwood.
"My Lord Arahaelon." The one who seemed to be the captain greeted, bowing his head respectfully as the rest of the elves imitated him. She could see men and women standing attentively at the sides of the street, curiously watching the most unusual scene happening right in front of their houses.
"Where are you headed?" Arahaelon's serene voice asked, looking every inch the Crown Prince he was. Without her even noticing she found herself following Legolas and the twins to stand next to Arahaelon and Lossenel, some of the warrior's eyes observing them surprised.
"Back into Mirkwood, Your Highness." The captain informed, handing Arahaelon a neatly folded piece of parchment. She saw her eldest brother quickly opening it, his emerald eyes rushing through the neat elvish characters scripted on the yellowish paper.
"It is an order for all the patrols and troops outside the borders to return to the Palace." She heard Legolas whispering, puzzled eyes lifting to meet the captain's deep green ones. He had moved behind Arahaelon to be able to read the missive from behinds his eldest brother's shoulder.
"When did you get this?" Arahaelon asked, the captain's eyes quickly focusing on the Crown Prince once again.
"Yesterday, my Lord, although we do not know the reason for such order."
Arahaelon nodded his head once, every single one of his movements so graceful, so royal. Legolas' infinite blue eyes had once again fallen on the piece of parchment held open in his brother's hands, reading it for a second time. She could see Lossenel imitating her younger brother, her stunning eyes running over the neatly drawn letters.
"Signs Cunir." Lossenel's delicate finger travelled to the end of the message, where a curly signature rested next to the royal seal. "That means…"
"It means that Adar is not able to sign himself." Legolas finished his sister's thoughts, and she could not help but directing her gaze at the ground, feeling once again useless.
"I am going back with you." Arahaelon said, his impenetrable yet serene green eyes turning to look at the captain. She half expected Lossenel to protest, or Legolas to try to convince his brother otherwise, but neither said anything, and she knew perfectly well why. They did not know what was happening back in the Palace, but what they did know was that there was no one to take charge of the situation. The Elvenking was injured, his children far from the borders and the most trusted advisor dead. She knew Lord Elrond was still there, as well as Glorfindel, but neither of the powerful Elf-Lords would make decisions for a kingdom that was not theirs, they could only help and offer their opinions.
She barely noticed Lossenel quickly leaving to return a second later bringing Arahaelon's horse with her, or Legolas saying something quietly to his eldest brother. She only partially returned to her senses as Arahaelon's piercing green eyes met hers, looking at her apologetically as if asking forgiveness for leaving their side, but she knew that his duties to his people were far more important at the moment than his mission of hiding her. He did not say a single word as he swiftly jumped onto the back of his horse, nodding at them once in farewell before setting out for a run, placed at the head of the long line of warriors who instantly imitated him, following their Prince back into their lands…
Here is chapter 27! It's a little bit longer than the last one, and I hope it makes up for the wait! I will update as soon as I can!
Again, thank you so much to those of you who reviewed my latest chapter! I can't really thank you enough! And can't tell you how much your comments have made my day! GettingLoki'd, Martine9295, Jibril-Kadamon, Coco99, world-classgeek, Paperlanterns86, Wtiger5, Danda225, Kirschflower, don't repy to my, wonderpanda10, The Lead Mare, Mary Elrondile, booklover1598, xX-MissyMoo-Xx, CalathielKat, AmazingWriter123, Elves are awesome, and CeffylGwyn.
Love,
Elena