The Serpent's Snare
Chapter Nine
We had been welcomed quite graciously into the realm of Gondor. It was a new age of peace the guards had told us, the King welcomes all others said. We were escorted through each level with care and a joyous demeanor as they pointed out the local landmarks and stories behind various statues and monuments. Even the people seemed to have no trouble offering a slight wave or smile as we made our way through the white stone paths. The king and queen were even more generous in their words to us travelers from Lothlorien.
The king was a rugged man, his face riddled with many cares and the remnants of a beard I was sure he was instructed to keep at bay by his elven queen. Yes, even my eyes had become quite able to spot an elf. They were perfect, their moves were graceful and their features seem to bear no age. Arwen was her name and she looked to her king with such love and admiration as he addressed us that it was almost poetic.
My thoughts strayed away from King Aragorn's words and began to wander back to Lothuialil. Even in the impressive great hall of white and black polished marble, I seemed to be taken with her face above all else. My distracted state seemed to aggravate Granger as she kept clearing her throat slightly in hopes of catching my attention back to the matters at hand.
"Forgive me Lord Estelon, but your company appears to be weary, their thoughts placed elsewhere…may I offer the courtesy of food, perhaps a warm bed to rest?"
"No my lord, your kind offer must go unaccepted this time as we fear time is not a luxury we have. Our search for the missing Lady Lothuialil is quite urgent. But you say that you have heard nothing of her whereabouts in this land? Perhaps you may have heard a rumor? We are desperate my lord, any rumor…any whisper…however far fetched they may be would help us more than you know." Estelon did well to keep the attention off of us and onto our quest, well done my friend. But it did not take long to notice that the king's eyes kept resting upon me despite my best efforts to keep my head bowed and guarded by the hood's shadow.
Suddenly it grew painfully silent in the enlarged space until I heard the king's footsteps approaching. His guards parted with a bow, as did a reluctant Estelon until the king was standing before me. Well this is just great.
"Our company, is quite exhausted my lord they-"
"There is something quite different about your company. Different and yet so very familiar, especially…you."
"May I speak to this young ellon alone my dear friend? Perhaps my wife can show you outside? The white tree is bearing many blooms this year it is truly a glorious sight to behold." No. Estelon. Do not leave me alone in here.
"O-of course my lord." Estelon hesitated.
"Right this way friends." Queen Arwen said sweetly as she began leading everyone out of the space until all that remained was the echo of the grand doors closing, the king, two of his guards…and me.
"You may remove your hood my lord, no need for secrecy." I swallowed hard. I couldn't exactly keep the charade up now could I? I obeying his words and allowed the light to reveal my true identity as well as the surprisingly unsurprised expression of the king.
"You knew I was no elf." I breathed.
"I've spent many years in the company of elves. Long enough to know their mannerisms, their poise…poise that your nervous energy clearly overshadows."
"I take it the two cloaked individuals that are far too short to be that of elf kind…are mortals as well?" His voice was slightly raspy, but still there was a sense of calmness about it. Far too calm to be offended by the realization.
"We did not intend to deceive you."
"Although you have done just that." He chuckled while walking towards the polished stairs leading to the mighty thrones. But he took a seat upon the stairs and gestured for me to do the same.
"You deceive others as well do you not?" He asked me in a stern tone.
"What do you mean?"
"I am no stranger to the item you carry."
"I carry nothing." I quickly lied.
"Indeed." He grinned before turning his gaze back upon me, doesn't miss a thing those eyes. I could tell that much already.
"It's just a ring."
"We both know that to be a deception as well. How deep does your deception run my boy? Do the others that travel in your company know what it is you have in your possession?" It was strange to ponder which made me more nervous the fact that he knew so much…or the fact that I still knew too little. I was starting to feel like a child again, being tossed about to and fro without the slightest idea how to think for myself. The ring had been doing much of my thinking for me, the way it demanded me to keep it so close. However I wasn't about to allow myself to give it over so easily, it may have power over me but with it I had power as well. Power to carve out a new path, a new life…a life where I was the hero; at least that is what I hoped.
"I take your silence as answer enough. There was a time that the dark forces within that golden ring called out to me; it called out with such clarity and determination that it could have easily swayed me just as it had my father. I can still hear it; even now…it wants to be in the hands of someone…anyone who will see it reign over this world." King Aragorn seemed slightly shaken by the proximity he was to the ring.
"What am I supposed to do? I cannot find it within myself to part with it and yet hearing you speak of it makes me wonder if I have been chosen to play the role of a pawn rather than a hero with this in my possession." I felt the strong hand of the king plant firmly on my shoulder.
"Darkness is creeping back into the realm of light that surrounds us still, now that I understand that the ring is to blame I can offer you shelter, knowledge, council…but I cannot take this burden from you for it is yours to carry." Well, at least he seemed as if he wanted to help rather than imprison me for lying.
"Lothuialil." I whispered. My thoughts kept returning to her even now as the ring within my boot grew hot as we spoke of it.
"Do you think I was meant to find the ring? Maybe…Lothuialil…myself and the ring are connected somehow." Now I was starting to sound like Granger.
"Perhaps."
"I saw her…in Osgiliath or whatever the ruined city is called I saw her." There was that look again. The same one Estelon had given me when I said that to him. The look someone gives a complete madman when he speaks. I seem to be getting that a lot lately.
"I believe…the ring has been powers…many ways to deceive its' bearer. Do not be so easily enchanted by it or what the dark lord Sauron has promised you. He is a dec-"
"A deceiver. Yeah, I've already heard that." I scoffed.
"Then you should do best to remember it. My companions and I may have failed in our quest to destroy that ring but perhaps it is not meant to be destroyed. Perhaps you are the one and only person in this world who can keep it close and keep it's will from manifesting. Which is why I say to you again not to be easily enchanted by it; see to your quest to find Lady Lothuialil and then we shall see what it is that can be done about the ring." He spoke with a smile before giving my shoulders a gentle nudge of encouragement as he stood.
"You're awfully trusting towards a stranger, I mean do you really intend on letting me leave with this ring?" The king laughed, sending it echoing through the vast hall.
"I have allowed myself to be free of the fear and doubt that ring has held over me for many years, even in its presence I must allow myself to be free from it still. And if you have the trust of Lothlorien…then I suppose Gondor shall offer the same in the hope that you shall return if you should find yourself in over your head as they say." I offered the man a smile of my own.
"Thank you."
"I do have one last bit of advice I believe you should hear. You need not bear the burden alone. Trust in those closest to you for it is within the company of a fellowship in which you can believe in…that will see you through this. The bearer of that ring before you was a small creature, a child to the eyes of many but when it chose to finally trust in those closest to him…rather than the ring…he found his way through the journey before him." It wasn't the best time to say that I loathed my company and that we would never truly see eye to eye but perhaps that was best kept to myself after his gesture.
"I will." I smirked.
"And I shall hold you to it." He grinned before the doors opened. Queen Arwen glided into the hall like an angel, much like how all elves seem to enter a space. Estelon, the warriors, Potter and Granger quickly followed behind her, I'm sure they were half expecting to see me shackled or worse given the fact that my hood was off and the king had obviously learned the truth.
"My lord allow me to apologize…I-" Estelon started until the king raised his hand to silence him.
"It is quite alright my friend, young mister?"
"Malfoy sir, Draco Malfoy." I said, the man's brow raised slightly in shock of the strange name but his smile remained.
"Young mister Malfoy here has explained it all and I harbor no ill will for your desire of secrecy." Well, I didn't explain everything. I'd hate to see his face if I were to say that Potter, Granger and I were from a different world all together but I think he knew enough to know that we at least weren't his enemies.
"Yes well, I am stilling begging your pardon my lord. And if you will excuse us, we must be off. The road is long and we have much land to cover if we are to find Lady Lothuialil." With a bow, and a skeptical yet hopeful gaze from both the king and queen, we were off. I knew a stern interrogation of our conversation wouldn't be too far behind, poor Granger was itching to hear the details; of course she mainly wanted to make sure I didn't leave the king with any…suspicions. Typical.
Author's Note: Super late update I'm sorry but I hope everyone enjoyed the conversation between Aragorn and Draco. The plot is starting to thicken, more characters are in the mix now and know that the ring has resurfaced; do you think Aragorn will remain calm and keep this a secret or is this the start of something big? Also do you think what Draco said is true? That he, Lothuialil and the ring are all connected somehow? Well, you'll just have to keep following along to find out! Thank you to all the new follows and favorites to the story, please drop a review if you'd like I haven't had any reviews in a few chapters and it makes it hard to know whether or not to continue the story! Thanks!