A scream died in her throat as a hand pressed firmly over her mouth from behind, pulling her into a narrow entrance that bifurcated from the main narrow passage. She tried to struggle, desperately attempting to free her body from the strong arms that held her, throwing her arms blindly in the darkness.
"Shh, Rëa, it is me." A mouth whispered on left ear, the voice all too familiar to her. Tadion's breath brushed on her temple in the dark stillness, her brother's strong arms holding her with an iron grip against his chest and pressed to the cold stone wall, one of his arms still pressed to her mouth.
"Be still. Someone is coming." He whispered again, the sound so low that she was sure he had merely moved his lips. And she obeyed, her body freezing immediately as a cold feeling penetrated her veins. For a second she could hear nothing, see nothing, only the deaf echo of her own breathing, which seemed like a thunderstorm in the haunting darkness.
The only thing she could see was the ghostly ray of moonlight that barely filtered through a small window-like opening high on the stone wall some distance ahead, the faint dim light too far away for her to see her immediate surroundings, like a silver thread of unreachable hope. Her ears felt sharper than ever, her body remaining perfectly still as she caught the quiet breathing of other elves around them. Legolas and Indilene must have stopped as well.
And then she heard it, the silent echo of approaching light footsteps through the main passage. She held her breath, all of her senses sharp in the darkness. Slowly, the steps drew nearer, but her eyes could not yet catch anything through the pitch black light that floated on the cold narrow passage. Fear built at the pit of her stomach, accompanied by another feeling, a stronger one, that seemed to start to burn inside her veins, a feeling that seemed to be readying her to react in a flash if she must. Something hard and cold brushed her hand, but she did not even gasp in surprise, did not even flinch, waiting perfectly still as she felt Tadion's warm fingers curving over hers, placing something on her hand in a painfully slow move before letting go. Her fingers obediently curved around the cold and hard object, her mind registering its identity not even a second after. It was a dagger.
"Keep that." Her brother's lips moved once again on her left ear, the words not even whispered, mouthing his words as slowly as he had placed the dagger on her hand, and she was sure that absolutely no one, not even if then y had been standing right next to her would have heard. "Do not move."
Her heart drummed inside her chest, each beat thumping like an explosion in the absolute silence. The steps were drawing closer now, at any moment they would be able to see the approaching elf as he or she walked underneath the ghostly lighted window. With each new step her heart beat louder, until she felt that it would give them away. The seconds stretched agonizingly, the darkness singing threats in her deaf ears and caressing her frozen body.
Slowly a black silhouette materialized in the darkness, coming closer and closer at a steady, peaceful march. It walked in silence, seeming to be carrying something large. A tray? The figure reached the scarce silvery light, the brightness just enough for her to catch the slightest of glimpses of the approaching elf. She did not know what she had been expecting but she felt her body suddenly relax, Tadion's hand over her mouth suddenly releasing some of its firm grip. It was a maid. She seemed young, and even though she could not catch a clear glimpse of her face she appeared oblivious to their presence hiding in the darkness only some steps ahead of her. Yes, it was definitely a maid carrying a tray with something. She had nearly forgotten that they were in the service passages of the Palace.
They waited in silence, their figures blending in the nightly shadows as the elven maid approached, still oblivious to the many pairs of eyes locked on her innocent figure. Her eyes had slowly started to get used to the imprisoning darkness, and for the first time she was able to make out the faint outlines of the figures standing next to her. She could barely see Legolas' silhouette standing quietly to her left, so quiet that she had not even registered how close he was until now. Indilene was standing to Legolas' other side, she could identify the lady by the outline of her fine dress and slim figure. For a moment she wondered if the delicate looking lady was as scared as she was, after all she doubted the lady had anything she needed to hide or run from, she had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Another figure stood behind Indilene, and even through the blinding shadows that enveloped the narrow passage she was able to recognize her eldest brother, Arahaelon.
Tadion's hand had started to release the hold on her mouth when a sudden noise made her jump in surprise, her brother's hand pressing over her mouth just in time to drown a frightened whimper. In a sudden quick move, a cloaked figure had jumped from the blackened shadows that lined the stone walls, not even twenty steps from where they were hiding, a sharp silver blade shining underneath the ghostly moonlight as it dug on the perplexed maid. It had been too quick for her to even see it clearly, the figure suddenly materializing as if he had suddenly materialized from the wall. The silver tray hit the floor with a loud empty sound, echoing hollowly on the whispering stones as its contents spilled gracelessly. She did not even hear the maid's frightened gasp as her wounded body was dropped to the cold hard floor when the elf brutally yanked the dagger from her middle.
She felt her heart freeze, her body stiffen, not even daring to breathe as she gripped the hilt of the dagger on her hand with all her strength, wishing for the shadows to consume her, to swallow her in their secretive blindness and make her disappear, where she would be forever unnoticed. She had felt Tadion's body tense as well, the arm holding her close to him and against he wall suddenly gripping her all the more tightly, and she noticed that he too had held his breath. The figure had been standing there the whole time, barely twenty steps ahead of them, hiding in the lurking shadows in the same manner they were doing right now.
The maid's frightened and labored breaths floated in the cold air and she watched without being to do anything as the black silhouette of the cloaked figure unceremoniously pick up the fallen tray, placing the fine silver lid over the now empty plate before turning around, giving his back to the shaking wounded maid. She remained froze, her heart racing loudly as fear rushed through her iced veins. She willed herself not to move, to remain as still as she possibly could, not even daring to take in a breath for fear of being heard.
The cloaked figure was moving once again, slowly continuing the path that the now fallen maid would not be able to continue, the tray still held securely in its hands as if it had always been there. She pressed herself farther against Tadion as the eerie figure approached, praying with all of her will power for the figure to silently continue through the main narrow passage, to not turn on the bifurcating path in which they motionlessly hid. But if the tall, cloaked figure had been hiding silently in the shadows all along, then had it heard them as they had come running through the passage, before Tadion and Arahaelon had pulled them aside? Did the figure know they were there, hiding only a few steps away?
Only thinking of that possibility made her shiver, and she chose to focus instead on the approaching silhouette, who seemed to walk with a ghostly calmness through the main passage, not displaying any intention of changing its path. She felt some of her fear start o ebb away, waiting for the figure to simply walk past them and disappear in the blackened narrow corridor.
And then, the figure stopped. It was standing there, right in front of them, close enough for her to clearly see the dark outline of its cloak an hood hiding a face in the shadows, but far enough to be out of reach in case either of her sibling chose to swing a sword. The figure was tall and lean and it stood with an elegance that she knew only belonged to an elf, even though she could see none of his features through the enveloping darkness. And then, contrary to everything she had been expecting, the figure bowed, slowly, eerily, making shivers run down her spine as he figure straightened once more after short seconds, not even turning back to look before continuing through the main passage, vanishing in the distance.
For a moment, nobody moved. Relief did not come to her as the fear in her hollow stomach did not vanish. She felt Tadion's hand slowly dropping from over her mouth, but did not release the arm that held her close to him. The cloaked elf had known they had been hiding there. And not only had he known where they were…he had kown who they were. She could almost see the elf still there, bowing nearly mockingly at them, the movement carrying no sign of loyalty or respect. It was repulsive…repulsive and frightening, making her skin crawl and her body to shiver in unexpected cold.
She turned her head to look at her siblings, her eyes having adjusted to the darkness enough for her to be able to see their features almost clearly now. Legolas was standing completely still, shock visible in his guarded blue eyes, his golden hair framing his marble face. A faint silver shimmer told her that both Tadion and Arahaelon, had drawn their swords. The Crown Prince seemed his usual self once again, his face once more perfectly calmed all of his handsome features carrying that powerful serenity that always seemed to float around him, making her feel incredibly young and naïve. His emerald eye shone steadily underneath the dim light, impenetrable irises focused on the narrow corridor, so unreadable yet once again portraying that mysterious gleam that made her feel as if he know so many things she could not even begin to understand.
She blinked a couple of times, her eyes focusing instead on Indilene, almost wishing that the delicate lady could have somehow been spared the sight they had just witnessed, feeling somehow guilty that the gentle looking lady had been dragged with them into this situation. And yet, Indilene's face was soft as before, not seeming to be trembling or as shaken as she had somehow expected her to be. Her large hazel eyes were wide, frightened and shocked, but she had not moved, had not even made the slightest of sounds, seeming to be in complete control of herself and suddenly she was once again engulfed with the feeling that the fragile looking lady somehow carried a strength and bravery inside herself that was not visible in her porcelain slim body. And she suddenly liked her a little bit more, even though she still knew nothing about her, all she knew was that not once had Indilene complained of the situation she was suddenly in, not once had she let them know of her fear even though it was lurking there, in her green streaked eyes.
And still, the thing that drew her attention and drove her growing intrigue towards the gentle looking lady was the way in which her elegant figure was quietly pressed to Arahaelon, the contact nearly unnoticeable, as if it had just been her reaction in a need to feel safe in the moment of fear. But it was not only the way the lady seemed to be pressed to her oldest brother what was igniting her intrigue, it was also the barely noticeable way in which Arahaelon seemed to hunch almost protectively over the lady's delicate frame, his tall body slightly angled in a way that placed his sword hand before Indilene.
The Crown Prince was the first to move, silently rushing to where the injured maid lay, Tadion at his heels. She followed some seconds after along with Indilene, Legolas walking close behind them as she saw Tadion and Arahaelon quickly assessing the maid's vitals. Her thoughts almost instantly travelled to Elladan, fear still building at the pit of her stomach as she imagined a sharp hard blade pressed to his neck, and more than anything she wished she could do something to help him, to at least make sure that he and Elrohir were unharmed. Her anxiety was going to devour her. All she wanted was to see Elladan safe and by her side, to let her fingers slide down his long dark hair, her eyes to drown on his liquid silver irises, her lips to press against his in a long gentle kiss.
On the floor, the maid was shaking uncontrollably, fair hair splattered carelessly around her innocent face. She looked pale, almost ashen, and suddenly she was hit with the cruel realization that there was nothing neither of her siblings could do to help her, the wound was simply too deep. Even thought she tried her best to not look at the evident injury in the maid's middle, the coppery smell of blood stained her nostrils, making her feel dizzy and faint and she closed her eyes in a fail attempt to escape the sight before her.
"Y…You…Your…Hi…High…Highness…" The maid stuttered between her trembles, wide terrorized eyes staring at the Crown Prince who was kneeling closest to her face.
"Do not speak. Save your strength" Arahaelon's peaceful voice commanded gently, so calmed and at the same time carrying that serene authority that no living creature would dare to question. Next to his brother, she could see Tadion's clear blue eyes desperately scanning over the wound, as if frantically trying to figure out a way in which the maid could possibly be helped. But she knew her brother would find none. There was too much blood, the maid's breath too labored, and it only made her feel somewhat better to see that the maid did not seem to be feeling as much pain, she was above all frightened.
She saw Tadion gently slide his arms underneath the maid's shaking body as if to attempt to carry her but the second he lifted her not even an inch from the floor the maid gasped loudly, blood flowing quicker from her wound. She closed her eyes tight once more only listening the muted echo of Tadion gently laying the maid back down on the floor. They could do nothing to help, and she could see that same realization staining her older brother's clear blue eyes as finally dared to glance around her once more.
"H…He…t…took…the…k…keys." The maid muttered, her scared eyes looking firmly at Arahaelon, who seemed to immediately understand what she was trying to say. The Crowm Prince's emerald eyes remained patient, gentle, and as impenetrable as ever a he calmly nodded his head. The maid's breaths were coming more and more labored by the second and she could see fear only increasing in her wide amber colored eyes as she stared terrified at her Prince, as if looking at him would somehow maker her feel less alone.
"Where were you taking that?" Arahaelon spoke in a gentle voice, his pale face remained as serene as before, welcoming.
The maid opened her mouth to answer but was forced to gasp for breath instead as her breathing suddenly became more and more shallow. Her heart sank deeply to her stomach as she saw the utter fright that suddenly burned on the maids amber eyes as her shaking intensified. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Arahaelon carefully gripping the maid's hand in a comforting gesture. The maid seemed surprised at first, but whatever formalities, whatever protocols and difference in status and titles seemed quickly forgotten as the maid's shaking hand quickly gripped Arahaelon's all the more tightly, fear consuming all of her features as she struggled to breathe.
"You are all right." Arahaelon's steady voice spoke reassuringly, even though every single elf in the narrow passage knew those words were not true. Nonetheless they seemed to somehow calm the trembling maid, whose terrorized eyes stared at the Crown Prince as if life would slip away from her if she dared look anywhere else.
"T…To…my…King." The maid's voice was barely even audible and yet she felt fear rushing once again through her cold veins as she understood what the shaking elf was trying to say.
"You were taking the tray to my father?" Her eldest brother seemed to have understood as well, his face as passive and gentle as ever, eyes staring calmly at the maid like swirling emeralds. The latter merely nodded, not finding breath in her to answer with words.
"D…don't…le…leave…me…alone." The maid managed to croak, silvery tears now rolling down her sickly pale cheeks, wide eyes pleading at Arahaelon.
"No." The Crown Prince's gentle voice reassured her again, still so serene, waves of calmness seeming to emanate from his very presence as he held the maid's trembling hand like one would a friend's, an equal's.
It happened fast after that. Quickly, the maid's struggled breaths became slower and shallower, trembling hands gripping at the Crown Prince for her life. And then, just like that, the maid stopped breathing. She did not know what she felt, could not name a specific feeling. A life, an elven life, meant for immortality, just fled away right before her eyes for no just reason but an act of cruelty. And it had been so quick, so unceremonious that it made it hurt all the more. The Moon had not stopped shining, the trees had not stopped swaying, not even the elves at the Palace had stopped whatever they were doing, not even aware that another life had been lost.
She diverted her eyes, not able to look at the lifeless young body lying inertly on the floor. She had not known the maid, had never seen before, had never even known existed, and it enraged her to think that anyone, no matter who they might be, would suffer such an unjust fate when they had nothing to deserve it. It was sickening, maddening, and it made a sudden burst of ire burn through her veins.
Her thoughts once again travelled back to Elladan, praying with all of her strength to the Valar that he an Elrohir were safe. And then what about Lossenel? What about her missing sister? Where was she? Was she all right? She did not even know what else to think, her ire, fear, and despair were all too overwhelming.
Looking back at her siblings she discovered that Tadion had closed the maid's unseeing eyes, and risen to his feet, clear blue eyes looking at the floor, the same rage she felt dancing in his usually open and kind gaze. Arahaelon too had risen to his feet, but while Tadion's face betrayed raging ire, the Crown Prince's handsome face remained entirely unreadable, once again a perfectly composed serene expression clouding his impenetrable emerald gaze.
"What keys was she talking about?" She broke the silence, surprise to find out that she even a voice, let alone a steady one. Her mind was racing, and even though all she wanted was to curl down in defeat, to scream and to make this ever-growing nightmare to disappear.
"The keys to access the Private Quarters. Not all servants of the Palace have access to those Quarters." Arahaelon was the one to answer her, his voice eerily calmed, making her shudder at how cold and distant it sounded. She noticed how her eldest brother's impenetrable emerald eyes flew to Indilene for a split second, as if to make sure that the Lady was still standing there before focusing on her own green eyes once more.
"Then that…elf…is headed there." She voice her thoughts as they came, hesitating on how to call that sick cloaked figure that had just killed an innocent being right before her eyes. So the elf would go search for the King, would go pass as a servant elf, delivering the tray that the maid was to deliver. But why? Would he attack the King as well? Lord Elrond was already being held back by arms, along with his sons, and no one in the Palace seemed aware of that yet. What would happen to her father? Would this maddened elves dare to…kill him?
"I do not think Ada's life is in any danger." Tadion's spoke as if he had been able to read her fears through her eyes, his voice trembling his ire. "No elf, no matter how stupid and mad they might be, would be foolish enough to threat Ada's life. The whole control on the forest and the magical barriers that protect the realm would fail if anything were to happen to the King, and every elf in the Palace has already seen that, they will not risk that again. Ada was injured last time something like this happened and you saw how that went, how the panic rose and it only created chaos, not to mention that Ada is the only elf who has control on the people of Mirkwood, they will not follow anyone other than him, and the entire realm will react if anything happened to him. Things were very close to becoming chaotic last time, and part of that fear and close uprising has not yet died down. If Ada is so much as scratched…I am afraid all of Modor will break lose."
She knew Tadion spoke the truth, it all made sense. She remembers her sudden anxiety, her fear when the protective aura that floated over the realm suddenly vanished not too long ago, making her no longer feel secure in her own house. She had felt the panic that reigned over the Palace, had seen the elves scared eyes, had witnessed as Arahaelon tried to control the threat of the probable revolt outside the Palace. But then what was the cloaked elf going to do? What was his plan? Were more elves hiding inside this many labyrinthine service corridors with the same purposes in mind?
"They want to control him" Legolas voice surprised her from her right, bringing up a thing that had not yet occurred to her. Her brother's soft blue eyes looked straight at Tadion before shifting to Arahaelon, as if to confirm that they too were thinking the same thing. "He is being followed and observed. They want him out of their way for whatever it is they plan to do."
And then it clicked. Of course. The King was the only elf in the Palace that this crazed elves could not afford to be a casualty. That had already happened and she remember how the sight of the injured King had created panic even among the attacking elves, turning one against the other in a complete bloodied chaos. If their intention was not to hurt her father, then it was to keep him out of their way. It suddenly made sense, even though it was all still so messy and incoherent. They were isolating the powerful figures, keeping them under their controlled eye. For all she knew Lord Elrond was already out of the way as long as the elves managed to keep him and his sons locked in that room with swords to their necks.
Then another thought crossed her mind. But of course, why had she not thought about it before. That cloaked elf had been here, hiding in the shadows of this forgotten dark corridor. How many other elves used these hidden pathways? To which rooms did they lead? She remembered the time Lord Agoron had led them through these corridors after they arrived through the cavern passages, remembered seeing and listening to conversations of other elves through cracks in this whispering stone walls and floors.
"How many corridors like this one exist in the Palace?" She asked, her eyes looking directly at Arahaelon, not sure why but feeling as if he would be the one to know the answer to her question.
"Thousands, maybe millions. Only a fragment of them are open and in use, the greater part of them are the old corridors of the Palace before it had to be reconstructed. Some I do not even know where they are, and I am sure many of them are blocked or have crumbled down." Tadion spoke, his eyes narrowed in thought.
Arahaelon's impenetrable green eyes flew in her direction, piercing through her with a sudden realization, and she knew that he had immediately picked up on where she was headed. "It is a network." He said, his serene voice making every elf turn in his direction, carrying that soft yet powerful authority that would make any elf follow him with their eyes closed. "They all connect to one another. Whoever knows how to access these passages and where they all lead can move entirely unseen throughout the Palace. They can have eyes and ears in every room."
She was about to open her mouth to speak, but a sudden familiar tug in her mind made her stop before she could even say a word. The sensation was all too familiar to her, even though it was at the same time it was strangely knew. She suddenly felt her mind being pulled by a powerful source, and she let herself follow, her mind and body immediately recognizing the calling presence, not fighting back as she let her mind being pulled into the overwhelmingly powerful connection.
A new set of images suddenly materialized before her eyes, and she found herself no longer standing on that humid and dark narrow corridor but inside a large grandly decorated room, bright under the orange light of hundreds of flickering candles upon golden chandeliers.
She was sitting on an elegant comfortable chair by the splendid fireplace, and even though she could see the bright flames dancing and cracking vividly, she could not feel their warmth, not physically present in the scene but only allowed to witness it through someone else's eyes, someone else's mind. Her father's slender fingers held on to an empty cup, and out of the edge of her vision she could see a small group of elves standing quietly in a corner. She recognized Galion, the King's butler, almost immediately, and another one she had never seen before, but was a servant by the looks of it.
Her heart nearly stopped and her blood turned to ice as her eyes fell on yet another elf standing quietly next to the butler. The features on the sickening face were perfectly relaxed, looking almost innocent and small, like a quiet servant elf. And yet she knew he was not a servant elf. He was the elf she had just seen only some minutes ago, the elf that had just killed that innocent maid in the dark service corridor. Her eyes – her father's eyes really- remained focused on the elf's face, as if memorizing every single feature before turning to also study the face of the other servant elf she had never seen.
A voice sounded to her right ear and she felt her vision turn to look at the speaker. An elf with long dark hair and bright green eyes was standing next to the King, saying something quietly in that beautiful song-like language she could not understand. She was also able to identify the elf instantly as Lord Agoron, the high-ranking elf who seemed to be constantly with her father now, and she did not know why but suddenly, the presence of that elf next to the King made some of her initial fear dissipate.
The Elvenking's voice echoed in return, the patient sound able to command nature with its peaceful cold authority, even though she once again did not understand the words that were being spoken. The Lord's piercing green eyes met hers, and for a spit second there seemed to be something in them she did not really catch, as if in that single exchange of look something crucial had been silently communicated between her father and Lord Agoron. And then, without another word, the high-ranking Lord turned on his heels, leaving the room in complete silence, two elves that only now did she notice had been standing at the door following his footsteps.
The King remained sitting there in complete silence, and out of the corner of her eyes she could see the two servant elves focused on him, as if waiting for something to happen, but she could not find out what. And then, unexpectedly, the fine cup slipped from her father's ever steady fingers, meeting the exquisite carped with a deaf crash, shattering to pieces.
"My Lord?" Galion was the one to react. She saw him slowly approach the place where she sat, a sudden concerned look on his quiet grey-blue eyes as the butler instantly picked up the pieces of the broken cup, kneeling in front of his King.
Her father had not moved, the hand that had been securely holding the cup now lying limply on his lap. Her vision slowly turned to look at the kneeling butler, and perhaps too slowly for her liking, staring at the kneeling elf for long silent seconds. Her eyes closed for a second before opening them again, repeating the same action for three times, as if trying to get her vision to focus, but her vision was not at all blurry. No. It was perfectly clear.
"My Lord?" Alarm grew on the butler's voice when he got no reaction from his King, who seemed to be trying to focus on his face. "My Lord, are you well?"
"I feel…strange." The sound of her father's voice made her feel a tight knot of fear in her stomach. It was low as if distant and distracted. The butler's eyes widened, worry clearly visible in his face, only making her own anxiety to grow.
"I will go get a healer, my Lord. You do not look well." Galion's voice sounded urgent now, only making her fear intensify as she saw her vision blink multiple times once more, as trying to straighten a spinning world. But her vision was not spinning at all, no, her father's vision appeared perfectly clear, not even slightly foggy, every object and elf in the room perfectly neat. She did not understand.
"No…I…" Her father's voice echoed feebly through the room again, once again sound distant, weary and confused, as if he could not really focus on what was happening around him. "I want to…lie down. I feel…tired…very tired."
"Of course, my Lord" She heard Galion adding immediately as she felt herself shakily rising on unsteady feet, as if her limbs had gone stupid, swaying dangerously as a spinning world did not permit her to find her balance. But nothing was spinning.
"My Lord, let me help you." The butler added in a worried urgent tone as she saw his hands instantly steadying her father, who seemed to desperately need aid to even stay upright, stumbling on his own feet as he tried to walk, leaning heavily on the panicking Galion.
She could see Galion leading her in the direction of a majestic pair of door that adjoined the elegant room with what she assumed would be her father's bedchambers, when her vision shifted, as if her father had suddenly sunk to the floor, his knees giving away unexpectedly. He never hit the ground though, Galion's arms supporting him upright as one of the two servants in the room suddenly rushed to help as well, supporting the King by his other side. She did not know which feeling was most overwhelming, if the fear at her father's suddenly unsteady appearance, confusion at the fact that her vision remained perfectly clear and steady and the sounds completely neat and defined even though her father seemed about to collapse, or her raging ire at the sight of that maddened murderer elf who was seemingly innocently helping her father stay upright now.
"Almost there, my Lord." She could hear Galion saying, trying to sound reassuring even though his voice sounded evidently scared, as he with the aid of the elf she despised so much managed to slowly lead the stumbling King into the vast bedchamber and towards the bed.
"Go get a healer, quickly." She saw Galion ordering the other elf, the fake servant, out of the corner of her eyes as her vision shifted once more, suddenly lying down looking up at a high intricate ceiling, the butler hovering over her. She saw the elf head out of the door through the periphery of her vision, not seeming at all alarmed, not even a fragment of the worry she could see in the butler's eyes apparent of this elf's face. And suddenly she got the feeling that the butler's order would not be carried out. The healer would never be summoned.
Instead her vision turned to glance at the door, watching as it was slowly pushed closed, the worried butler not even noticing as he continued to hover urgently over his King. And then, all of a sudden her father's hand flew up to grab at the butler's wrist with an unexpectedly strong grip, her vision focusing on the worried grey-blue eyes, the blond butler suddenly going completely still, taken by surprise.
"Leave." The King whispered urgently, not a trace of the weariness and confusion that had bathed his voice seconds ago lingered as she felt herself piercing through the stunned butler's wide eyes. "Leave, Galion. Disappear. Flee from the Palace while you still can."
The butler's wide eyes continued to look straight into hers, confused, scared, not really understanding what was happening, and she suddenly had the feeling that the King no longer looked about to collapse. "But, my Lord…you…what…?"
Galion's voice was as low as her father's had been, urgent and scared, not seeming able to find his words coherently. But her father gave the blond elf no time to ponder on what was happening, one of his hands suddenly retrieving something from his robes' pocket and handing it to the perplexed butler.
It was a crystal flask, she could see it held in the blond butler's fingers as the grey-blue eyes observed it with puzzlement, looking at its dark liquid content for a fragment of a second before looking back at the King, not seeming to understand anything that was happening.
"What is it?" Galion asked quickly, his voice not rising from a mere whisper.
"The tea they brought me." Her father explained, only for the stunned butler to look all the more confused.
"But you drank the tea."
"No, I did not." The Elvenking hissed quickly as she saw Galion's fast hands opening the flask and bringing up to his nose before his eyes widened suddenly.
"It is drugged!" The butler exclaimed in a stunned whisper, her father quickly taking the flask back from him and placing back on his robes' pocket.
"Yes. I know what it is, I have seen its effects before, and it can last for days." Her father's low voice echoed again, speaking so fast she had to concentrate to make out the words, his eyes piercing through the loyal butler's astonished ones. "Now leave, Galion. You know too much. Disappear before they find out just how much you know. Your life they will not spare."
The butler's eyes remained wide, like pale orbs underneath the dim light that washed the vast bedchamber, nodding his head once, swallowing once before he spoke. "And you, my Lord?"
"I was feeling unwell and so you helped me lie down on my bedchambers where I now rest." Her father's steady voice stressed his words seriously, and she understood that was the story the butler was to tell. "Now go. Leave and do not come back."
She saw Galion nod obediently, the expression in his usually quiet and patient face one of pure terror, shock and worry, and she could see in his wide eyes that even in his fright the loyal butler did not entirely want to leave, even if he recognized and order when he heard one. And then, without another nod, with only a faint nod of the head, the blond elf turned around, heading out of the room in a haste, her vision suddenly turning black, the dimly lit room disappearing from her sight as the dark narrow corridor appeared before her once more, finally returning to her senses.
She felt shocked, not knowing what to think, her thoughts racing wildly, but she did not have time to think for long. A loud scream rang from her right, and she turned quickly, barely even registered that Legolas had jumped at something, her heart stopping as her eyes caught sight of figure jumping at Indilene in the darkness, more dark silhouettes materializing along with the first one, a sudden metallic sound echoing where a sword suddenly met another one. It happened too fast for her to see what was happening, the darkness too black for her to really make out anything other than black shapes. Someone pushed her, whether accidentally or on purpose she did not know, and she fell to the cold stone floor, adrenaline driving her actions as she suddenly crawled to the side, trying to escape the sudden chaos around her. She could not distinguish her siblings anymore through the bunch of figures, and she suddenly felt overly stupid for staying where they were, right on the dark path in which they had just seen an elf kill that innocent maid. Why had they not gone somewhere else! Why had they stayed there! But she had not time to think now.
She stumbled to her feet as quickly as she could, starting to run as she collided with a broad chest, strong hands suddenly grabbing her by the shoulders pushing her in another direction as she saw mow dark silhouettes starting to come. It was Arahaelon, she recognized him immediately. But where were Legolas, Tadion and Indilene? She could no longer see them, she could not recognize the figures that were suddenly around her as she ran, following Arahaelon who seemed to desperately be trying to pull her away from the sudden ambush. And she ran, separating from her other siblings, following Arahaelon to what seemed to be their only possible escape, her brother's sword finding an adversary every once in a while but always managing to dodge it.
And then, another feeling overwhelmed her, so sudden that it did not give her time to prepare beforehand. A sudden feeling of despair, wild irrational fear and overwhelming pain crashed through her like a wall of brick, barely aware of Arahaelon continuing to pull her along with him, leading her the Valar knew where through these forsaken corridors. The feelings had come so intently, invading her so suddenly, so deeply, so real, crushing her, making her feel as if she was going to break, to collapse, and then, as suddenly as they had come, they disappeared.
And yet, the fear remained in her frozen heart once the wave of crushing feeling had vanished. The feelings had not been hers, she had merely partaken in them, and she felt her heart sink in terror as she immediately recognized the source of such feelings. It was Elladan. She had felt what he felt through their bond, and she felt her world seem to stop as she immediately reached to him, desperate to know if he was all right and only feeling partly relieved when she felt that he was indeed unharmed. But then comprehension reached her mind, her heart nearly stopped beating as she suddenly knew that there was only one thing that would make Elladan feel a fear as intense and irrational as what she had just felt: Elrohir. Something must have happened to Elrohir…
Well, so here is chapter 40! I hope it can make up for the long wait! So many things yet to happen and so many mysteries to solve! I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please let me know what you think!
Again, thank you so much to those of you who reviewed my latest chapter! Really I can't tell you how much I loved your comments, and so know that this story is for you! Obsidianglasses, The Lead Mare, Coco99, mMy, Martine9295, .750, Tintcalad, DeLacus, Elves are awesome, and my guest reviewer!
Also, I wanted your opinion on something, would you all like to see an Ar/Indilene romance developing in the story?
I hope you like the chapter and that it can brighten your day even if only a little bit!
Love,
Elena