She turned around almost instantly, her heart jumping inside her chest. Deep green eyes met hers, eyes she had never seen before, penetrating through her easily in a hard emerald stare, so silent yet so powerful. She felt stunned for a moment, paralyzed under the bright swirling emerald gaze that seemed to trap her and swallow her, so unreadable, so silent, dangerous and wild and at the same kind peaceful and kind. She had never seen this elf before, did not even know his name, and yet she instantly knew she could never disobey and order from him.
Slowly, almost unnoticeably, the elf lifted a slender finger to his lips, gesturing for her to remain silent, wild emerald eyes still burning through her, scrutinizing her every feature. Then, as easily as his eyes had trapped her in their imprisoning grasp, they released her, darting to look at the twins and Legolas. It was then that she was able to gaze at the elf properly, no longer caged in his penetrating stare. Long dark brown hair fell neatly down his back, perfectly framing a thin angular face. He was dressed in elegant robes of a dark violet, giving away his high rank. She could feel her heart racing inside her chest, not knowing whether or not to be afraid or relieved for the presence of this elf whose identity she did not know. The elf's eyes were focused on Legolas, and for a second his expression softened.
"Penneth." The elf whispered in greeting, a soft smile dancing at the edge of his lips, its spark reflecting in his vivid emerald eyes. To her slight surprise, her brother returned the gesture, his own infinite blue eyes gleaming peacefully as a smile broke through his lips.
"Lord Agoron. I thought you were in Lorien." Legolas' whispered voice echoed dully on the cave's walls, the sound almost swallowed by the roaring of the near underground river. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see both of the twins standing still, their faces firm, expressionless. It was clear that neither of the mirror images recognized this elf, but she did not dare to turn and properly look at them, not daring to take her eyes of this new regal yet wild looking elf.
The name of the elf clicked inside her mind. It was the elf she had seen through her vision standing dutifully at the Elvenking's chamber. It was one of the two oddly alike looking elves that her own brother, Arahaelon, had asked to keep watch on the injured King.
"A message from your father made me return earlier than anticipated." Was all the elf offered as an explanation. His voice was deep she noticed, as powerful as his eyes. The elf's, Agoron as she had learned, eyes date din her direction for a split second and she once again felt watched, penetrated, before his eyes quickly focused on Legolas again. "The King knows you are here. He sent me to meet you here."
Of course the Elvenking would know they were inside the Palace. She had felt his powerful presence floating in the depths of the black water, had felt his powers in the dark forest outside, since the precise moment they had crossed the borders into his kingdom. Only thinking about the blacks still pool silently sitting behind her made her shudder and she forced her thoughts in a different direction, blocking the vivid memories of the cold dark water embracing her body, pulling at her hair and dress, crushing her in their immense pressure, whispering to her, calling her name.
"How fares my father?" Legolas voice remained barely above a whisper, as if there were watchful eyes and listening ears on the scribbled stone around them.
The regal looking elf sighed before answering, emerald eyes looking softer as he gazed at the young Prince before him. "I do not know. The healers seem to know little as well, only Lord Elrond has full knowledge of his condition but he does not share anything more than what is precisely necessary. All I know is that the King sleeps now."
"How can the healers not know?" Legolas hissed, and she could easily hear the worry and anxiety in his voice. "How can they not know if they are the ones treating his injury?"
"Do not blame the healers." Agoron replied, his voice as calmed as before, the deep warning in his unreadable emerald eyes enough to appease Legolas, who once again appeared calmed. "Your father is not well. Something ails him that slows his recovery, and whatever it is, it is something our healers cannot treat."
"Can you take us to him?" There was a new anguish in Legolas voice, but the steady sound did not waver. Sapphires met emeralds in a long silent gaze and for a moment she saw glint of sympathy soften the elder elf's green eyes.
"I am afraid not." The high-ranking elf's voice was as calmed as before, and yet is sounded gentler, and in that instant, in that silent stare between her brother and this elf, she somehow knew that they were not Prince and subject.
"You father's chambers are heavily guarded. You would not be able to get anywhere near the Private Quarters of the Palace without being seen." Agoron had lowered his voice as he spoke, making he have to focus all of her concentration to listen. "Panic is rising in Mirkwood, Legolas. Quietly and unnoticeably, but it is rising. It is a deceiving clam what you can hear and feel through the Palace's still hallways. Your father's head injury was not a light one, and yet nobody knows how it was caused, and if your father remembers anything from that happening then he has been lying to the healers. The King is vulnerable right now. Mirkwood is vulnerable right now. The only thing that the elves here know is that it was not the orcs that injured your father that night. Only elves were found in that room. How do you think the realm is reacting to the news that our enemy is from our kin, that there are traitors within the walls of this very Palace? Traitors that have dared attack the King? And with your father down, fear is only growing stronger inside the kingdom."
Silence settled in the darkness of the underground cave, Agoron's words still bouncing feebly on the tall stone walls, seeming to whisper along the many elven scribbles on the monstrous stone. Next to her the twins had remained unmoving, equal pairs of silver eyes staring at the regal looking elf, absorbing his words. The King did know what had happened, he did remember. She had seen in in her vision, she had seen him lying to the healers. She vividly remembered the look that had crossed his wide alert ice blue yes for a fragment of a second as he had exchanged a stare with Lord Elrond. There had been no confusion in those eyes, no cloudiness or puzzlement from the injury, no hint of the dazed, unfocused look that had covered the King's eyes before and after that short stare. No. In that fragment of a second, the King had been fully aware of where he was and what was happening around him. He had been entirely awake.
But it had lasted so little. How could she be sure of what she had seen? Was it all an act? Was the Elvenking pretending to be worse than he actually was? No elf would dare question their King, especially if he was injured. She knew the entire realm would solely want to make sure that he was healthy once again. But then again, pretending that his condition was worse than what it really was sounded overly unlike her father. Even though she did not exactly know much about him, it sounded oddly strange. No. Besides, one of the hundreds of healers that were probably constantly checking on him would have already noticed if their King was getting better. Her father really had to be unwell. She was certain of that. Then why was he pretending not to remember anything?
"Arahaelon is in charge, I assume?" Legolas broke the silence, his voice equally as low as before.
"Yes." Was Agoron's answer. "Your brother's presence has served to keep things controlled for now, but I ignore for how much longer we can maintain this fake calmness. The Crown Prince can calm our people, but only temporarily. They want their King. Your brother is walking on frail ice. He is the only piece holding together the shards of the realm and preventing a revolution form erupting. A single step in false from his part can result fatal for him and the realm. As long as our people believe that the Crown Prince has full control of the situation, the revolt can be kept at bay. But if he wavers for only a second, he is cornered. Arahaelon knows what he is doing, but he does not have your father's experience. And I am not the only elf in the realm who knows this. There are many who wait for your brother to break under the pressure. Come, I will take you to him."
The high-ranking elf turned around, his eyes stopping on her for a second, impenetrable emeralds easily piercing through her, swallowing her, studying her every feature, detail by detail, before he looked away, leading the way through the dark paths of the underground cave. Before she had even realized it, she was following Legolas and Agoron, the echo of their silent footsteps dying at the roar of the powerful river. The crying water slamming forcefully on the wet rock, the smell of mist and humidity filling her nosetrills as she walked, her eyes dancing over the thousands of elven characters perfectly carved on the majestic walls. She felt Elladan's hand coming to rest on her back, the gentle touch making her instinctively move to closer to him, once again feeling safe, although her eyes never once left the back of the elegantly dressed dark haired elf directing the way. She had not missed the way in which the elf's arm now rested over Legolas' shoulder in a fatherly fashion.
Agoron led them silently through the Palace, swiftly taking left or right until the massive carved stone walls of the cave turned into the tall and majestic walls of the Palace she knew. There were so many carvings on the stone, so many intricate details, making the heavy material seem to float, to branch out like trees, neatly intertwining with one another in a grey unmoving forest. The loud roar of the river disappear after a while, its waters plunging down the endless black cave no longer visible to her eyes. Never once did they encounter a single elf, and she suddenly had the feeling that Agoron knew exactly where the guards were stationed inside the Palace and what routes they took. Every single one of his movements was thoroughly calculated, his timing always precise, stopping for a second at a certain corner and then hurrying his pace until they reached the next.
Silently, they continued their slow march up narrow, dark stairs, the steps sometimes so thin that only the balls of her feet fit on the step. It had not taken long to realize that they were using the service access of the Palace, the crushing windowless hallways and dusty spiraling steps were evidence of that. The air was cold, and the plain carved stone seemed to whispers threats behind their steps, shadows seeming to follow their every move, hiding them in their black, iced grasp. It was a strange sensation, to be hiding like a criminal inside her own house.
She did not know for how long they had been walking when Agoron suddenly stopped, turning to look at them. Piercing green eyes stared through all of them, wild and powerful burning through all of them with an ease she had thought impossible. His eyes were not harsh or cold, but they were not warm either. They were silent. As silent and impenetrable as she knew Arahaelon's to be.
Slowly, Agoron lifted on pale finger to his lips, and the warning suddenly blazing in his dark emerald eyes was enough to force all of them into complete silence. Then, without a word, the high-ranking elf gestured with a hand for them to wait, his movements so calmed, as silent as his eyes. Then, as quickly as he had stopped, the dark haired elf turned their back to them, swiftly sliding out of a narrowly opened plain wooden door ahead.
The plain door closed with a muted sound, echoing like loud drums in the still silence. For a second nobody moved, the silence growing louder and louder, until she could hear her own quiet breathing and her own drumming heart. She let her eyes wonder around the space, for the first time taking her time to observe her surroundings. It was dark, the only source of light was a silvery ray of moonlight, filtering dimly through a tiny slit on the wall, a poor excuse of a window. The space was narrow, making it impossible for two of them to stand side by side. Her hand rested on the cold stone wall and her fingers could feel the iced iron where a torch was supposed to be placed.
Both of the twins remained unmoving behind her, Elladan's hand resting lightly on her shoulder. She could see both of their silver eyes scanning the tight space around them, always alert, ready. The minutes stretched mercilessly in a haunting waltz, prancing around them, mocking them, laughing, and yet no one moved.
And then, something changed. Suddenly the silence broke. A soft gentle sound reached her ears, gradually approaching. Voices. Two to be exact. They sounded close, but not on the same dark and cold hallway in which they stood. No. they came from below, far beneath her feet. She felt herself tense, and a quick glance around her told her that both the twins and Legolas were now fully alert, all of them entirely still. They were speaking elvish, the words flowing easily through the air, unintelligible to her ears. Almost instinctively she took a step back, closer to Elladan, and froze as her feet brushed over the layer of accumulated dust that covered the stone floor. A glint of light caught her eye, and her heart nearly stopped as she saw a thin thread of dust slipping out of a small crack on the floor and into a lighted hallway below.
She tensed further, her body pressed against Elladan's strong chest. Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. All four pairs of eyes were now focused on the tiny whole on the stone floor, watching as the red light of many lined torches flickered from the ample hallway below. Luckily, none of the approaching voices seemed to have heard them, their sound steadily coming closer until she could hear their light footsteps upon the polished marble.
She watched in silence trough the tiny crack on the floor, her heart seeming to have stopped beating as two elegantly dressed elves appeared on the lighted hallway below. She had never seen any of them, both dressed in formal robes and carrying many pieces of yellowish parchment on their hands. She could not understand what they were saying, simply forced to watch as she hid silently in the darkness, in this cold and narrow passage above the lighted hallway, unseen, undetected. These two elves had no idea they were being watched, had no idea that thy words could be heard above their very heads, even in the emptiness of the hallway that they walked through.
Suddenly, one of the pieces of parchment slid from the hand of elf to the left. "Oh, Valar." She heard the elf's deep voice mutter as he stopped in his track, leaning down to pick up the fallen paper. His companion too had stopped, eyes watching nervously at the empty hallway around him as he waited for the first elf to place the papers back in order.
"Hurry, my friend." The latter elf said, suddenly switching to the common tongue. "I do not like these long hallways anymore."
The first elf, one with long golden hair and bronze colored robes looked up at his companion, still picking up and rearranging papers. "There is no one around, be at peace."
The other elf shifted, not seemed calmed at all by his blond companion's words. "Still hurry. I would not want to stay here longer than necessary. If King Thranduil was not safe in his own Palace, then who is?"
The blond elf had already risen to his feet, his own eyes now nervously gazing at the emptiness around him before he whispered. "Do you think King Thranduil was purposely attacked? Some say it was an accident, others say the attack was planned. I even heard a version of the story that said it was one of his own guards who attacked him."
"I do not know." Was the other elf's quick answer, suddenly looking more nervous than before, his eyes watching attentively around him. "But I would rather not know. Ignorance is the safest option right now. And stop talking. The walls have eyes and ears in this Palace."
With a last glance around them, both elves continued their march, their footsteps slowly dying in the distance, leaving the four of them once again alone in the hollow silence. It wasn't only long minutes after the sound of their footsteps had died that any of them moved. She felt Elladan's arms circling around her protectively, pressing her closer to him, and she responded to his touch almost immediately, her body longing for the safety of his strong arms.
The elf's last words still danced inside her mind, suddenly so clear, so true. "The walls have eyes and ears in this Palace." Oh, but they did. They did. And she had now been proof of that. Ho many other tiny cracks and wholes like this tiny one existed in Palace? Over how many rooms and hallways was it possible to eavesdrop if one knew exactly where to stand and look? The walls did have ears and eyes, the question was where?
The sound of the tight plain door suddenly cracking open made her jump involuntarily, only releasing a half relieved sigh as she saw Agoron's figure slipping through it before closing it silently.
"Well?" Legolas was the one speak, his voice so low she could barely hear it.
"I have good news." The regal looking elf said in a barely audible voice, dark emerald eyes dancing over the four of them before settling on Legolas last. "It seems I will be bale to take you to the King just now. The guarding posts are in our favor. The Crown Prince will meet us there. Now follow me."
He did not wait for an answer, but no answer was needed as they one by one slipped out the cracked door and into the ample hallway outside. The long corridor was empty, and part of her felt relieved to once again be on one of the main corridors of the Palace, even though she now knew they were not necessarily empty. Elladan's hand remained gently on her back, and she was glad for the contact, somehow keeping her entirely calmed.
Reaching the King's Private Chambers took less time than she had expected, her heart nearly skipping at beat as she saw the many guards suddenly stationed at each door and corner. To her surprise they walked straight through them, as if somehow Agoron was sure he could trust all of these guards fully. Part of her could not help but wonder if the regal looking elf had waited precisely for specific guards to be on rounds before taking them to see the King. Her thoughts however were quickly brought back to reality as they reached a very familiar pair of beautifully carved doors, two armed guards flanking it at each side. Agoron nodded his head and immediately the guards opened the doors form them, silently letting them into the dimly lit chambers ahead.
She did not know what she had imagined, what image had mind conjured of what she would find inside, but still she was not prepared for the sight that met her eyes as they crossed the antechamber and into the bedchamber. At least six healers, including the head healer, Melnor, filled the overly large room, simply standing quietly in one corner, not seeming to know what to do.
Her eyes instantly turned to the overly large bed in the center of the room, her gaze quickly falling on the unmoving pale figure of her father. For a second, she felt herself paralyze. The Elvenking looked as pale and frail as he had on her vision, and yet, seeing it with her own eyes felt somehow more shocking. Her father seemed to be asleep, eyes closed in the mortal way, loose platinum hair splattered over the pure white pillowcases. The silk white sheets and wine red covers were pulled up to his chin, seeming to swallow his weak form. A healer sat quietly at the edge of bed, carefully applying some sort of salve to her father's exposed head wound before overly gently wrapping new clean bandages around it.
And yet it was none of that which caused her heart to stop beating, none of that which made a new wave of cold fear rush down her body. No. It was not the sickly pale and weary look of the King what scared her the most. It was the new strange aura she could feel floating around his sleeping form what held her breath. It was something she could not have noticed in her vision. Something was off. Something was very, very off. The steady and strong power she had always felt surrounding her father was still there, but it no longer felt steady. No. Instead, it seemed to flicker dissonantly around him, his powerful presence suddenly feeling ruptured, as if something had been suddenly and harshly been yanked form him, leaving a tear in the process. She did not know how but she could feel the injury, a wound invisible to eyes, that wound which they healers could not find, could not treat, and it made her heart paralyze in fear.
She could not explain how, in fact she was nor even entirely sure, but suddenly she knew what it was. She had seen the King lost in concentration on his study the night of the attack. She had seen the storm raging outside, the forces of nature seemed to be his doing, feeding on him, their bond so strong. She had seen Doronor's fear and burning eyes as one of the guards attempted to touch his King, had seen the blond advisor's dark blue eyes widen in fear as his King suddenly dropped to the ground under the unexpected blow.
Somehow, she did not need to be told to know what had happened. She could feel it with her own powers. Something had gone wrong. In that split second in which the guard had slammed the hilt of his sword forcefully against his King's head, something had slipped out of control. She was no fool. She did not need a full explanation to suddenly understand this. She knew all too well the sensation of having other forces calling at her, she knew how it felt to feel their power rushing to her veins, seeming to control her, penetrating and bonding with her very essence until she could no longer separate them. Had her father been so imbedded in his connection with the forces of nature that the sudden separation had caused a brutal rip, tearing through his very spirit? The sole thought of that made cold shivers run down her spine, but she knew it was true. She could feel his now unsteady presence, feel a tear in his usually strong power, hear its dissonant harmony. Yes. Something had gone very, very wrong.
She had barely even noticed Legolas rushing to his father's side, carefully sitting at the edge of the bed, in the spot the healer had just vacated. A new wave of fear and anguish had taken control of her body at the new realization, and she found herself quickly turning her eyes away from her father's still form, as if that could make the broken feeling of his aura disappear. Instead, she focused her eyes for the first time on the other elegant figure sitting quietly at the edge of the bed, opposite from Legolas.
Deep emerald eyes met hers, serene irises seeming to swallow her in their endless peacefulness, so quiet yet so strong. The Crown Prince's expression was unreadable, and it was only the gentle way in which he opened his arms to her in an inviting gesture what made her move to his side, instantly obeying his silent request. She did not know what she was doing, but she did not longer care. When had she known? She simply walked to his eldest brother's side, carefully lowering herself on the bed next to him, unable to look away from his powerful yet calmed eyes, once again reminded of how young she was next to him, of how noble and powerful he seemed.
She tried to look down, hoping in vain to hide the fear she very well knew he had already seen in her eyes, but as soon as she had lowered her head she felt Arahaelon's gently fingers on her chin, softly lifting her head to look back into his eyes. She could not disobey, her won eyes immediately falling once again on a deep pair of forest green eyes, the same shape and colors as hers. And then, in that silent stare she heard the loud cry of all of her previous suspicions being confirmed. Arahaelon cold feel their father's invisible injury too. He could feel the tear in his spirit, the unsteadiness and flickering of his powerful presence. Out of impulse, she threw her arms around her brother's neck, burying her head on his shoulder. Arahaelon seemed momentarily surprised, and she could feel his body tense for a second before relaxing once again, both of his strong arms wrapping securely around her. It was a strange sensation. She had hugged her eldest brother only once before, but still it resulted strange and at the same time oddly comforting.
"Where are Lossenel and Tadion?" Arahaelon's calmed voice echoed in the room, his words directed at no one in particular. She was once again reminded how the sole sound of his voice, so serene and yet so powerful seemed to carry an effortless command that would order nature into silence. It was Legolas the one to answer, quickly looking up from his sleeping father to meet his eldest brother's emerald eyes.
"You mean they are not here?" She could easily hear the worry in Legolas' voice, and she instantly knew Arahaelon had caught it too, for she felt his body tense suddenly.
"I thought they would come with you." The Crown Prince whispered in return, his voice as calmed as ever, even though she could hear the faint anxiety concealed in the words. She felt her own body tense. Tadion and Lossenel should have been in the Palace by now. They should have arrived before them.
"They were coming through the main path. They should have arrived by now." Legolas voiced her fears, and out of the corner of her eyes she could see both of the twins' silver eyes looking suddenly alert now, alarmed, even though they looked slightly uncomfortable inside this large room.
"No one has crossed the borders through the main path." Arahaelon's words hit her like a wall of brick, the sound echoing deafly inside the silent walls of the elegant bedchamber….
Here is chapter 31! I apologize for not having replied to all of your reviews just yet, I will do it as soon as I can! I hope you enjoy this chapter! And let me know what you think!
Again, thank you so so much to those of you who reviewed my latest chapter, really I can't tell you how much your words mean to me: Paperlanterns86, Jibril-Kadamon, starfire341, booklover1598, Tintcalad, Elves are awesome, HelloDenmark, Martine9295, AmazingWriter 123, CeffylGwyn, Mary Elrondile, A Diamond in the Rough, and Wtiger5!
Also, I am happy to announce that for those of you who want to see artwork from Elerrina and Almarëa by the amazing Martine9295, this is the link! Martine9295
Love,
Elena