"Viistan?" Elrond repeated with furrowed brows. "What are the marks on your neck?"
Elrond placed his fingers on the column of my throat and lightly rubbed it with the pads of his fingers. "Who did this to you, Lea?"
"Viistan. He is here, Elrond." I said as I grabbed hold of his robes and looked directly into his eyes.
"Viistan is long since dead, Lea. He didn't survive the massacre." Elrond said soothingly.
"No! You're wrong! He was here! I felt his vile hands on me, and I saw him. One sense can deceive but not multiple senses." I replied. "When my amulet fell to the floor, the magic was released, and he was forced out. Please, you have to believe me, Elrond. I am not mad."
"Let us speak about this after dinner, Lea." Elrond said as he looked at me worriedly.
"You think I am mad, don't you?"
"No, my dear, I do not think you mad. Tired and confused maybe but not mad." He replied tossing me a towel. "I'll wait outside."
He turned and left. I stepped out of the tub and looked at my neck in the mirror. Across the center of my throat was finger imprints. How could Elrond not believe me if he saw the proof? I dressed quickly in a royal blue gown and walked into the bedroom. When I entered, Elrond was pacing back and forth before he stopped to look at me. "I can't go to dinner, Elrond." I said.
"And why not? You must eat."
"My amulet…I can't…I'm not ready." I replied. "I can't think of eating when I have just been attacked."
"Are you sure that you saw Viistan?" He asked.
Frowning, I nodded. "Come, Ileana. Let us eat, and we will discuss everything afterwards." Elrond offered me his elbow, and I reluctantly placed my hand in the bend of his arm.
"You look beautiful, Ileana. Amulet or not, hold that pretty head of yours up." Elrond said smiling down at me.
"It has been a while since I have not worn the amulet for an extended amount of time. I do not know if I can entirely control my magic without it. When the necklace was enchanted, there was also a small restriction spell placed on it to ensure that I would have full control of my powers." I said as I came to a stop in the hallway.
"It will be fine. You can do it. I am sure of it." Elrond started walking again.
I took a deep breath as the doors to the dining hall were opened. "How nice it is of you both to join us." Thranduil said without looking up from his plate.
"I apologize for our delay." Elrond replied.
"Dinner starts at a specific time, Elrond. It is rude to be late." Thranduil said as he looked up.
I avoided the stares of those that had never seen my scars and focused primarily on the faces of those that were familiar with them. Celeborn gave me a brilliant smile as I looked at him. He would not be too happy if he knew that it was not by choice, but rather a stroke of bad luck that left me without my amulet. Haldir's eyes overlooked the scars, and he smiled at me. There were two empty chairs. One beside Thranduil himself and one beside Haldir. Thankfully, Elrond motioned me towards the open seat beside the Marchwarden and pulled out my chair. I smiled gratefully and began to sit down.
"No." Thranduil said.
I furrowed my brows and everyone's eyes landed on the king awaiting his next words. "The Dorian will be seated next to me."
"Is that a command, my lord?" I asked with a well-placed glare at the pompous man.
"Perhaps it would be best if Lady Ileana were to be seated next to Haldir, Ada." Legolas said.
"The Lady will be seated next to me." Thranduil replied glaring at his son.
"As you wish, my lord." I replied and mock curtsied to the man.
I begrudgingly took my seat next to the man and promptly turned to the unknown man on my right.
"May I ask your name, my lord?" I asked as a way of making polite conversation.
"My name is Guron, my lady." He replied shyly.
"A strong, terrifying name. It means 'death'. Surely, you are a warrior?"
"No, my lady, I am not a warrior." He answered.
"Lady Ileana, why don't you share with my guests where you have been since the decimation of your people?" Thranduil said looking at me.
"I would be happy to share that I have been honored refuge in Imlardis by Lord Elrond." I replied staring at him.
"Is it true that you spent some time in Lothlorien with the highly respected Marchwarden?" Thranduil asked.
"No. It would be more accurate to say that I was offered hospitality by the Lord and Lady." I said dismissively.
"And yet it would be even more accurate to say that while you were taking up the Lord and Lady's hospitality that you were more inclined to enjoy the bed of the Marchwarden." Thranduil said.
How would he even know that the Marchwarden and I ever enjoyed each other's company? More importantly, why was he airing dirty laundry at dinner? I took a deep breath to control the anger that I felt rising. The wine glass that I was holding began to be covered in frost.
"If you hope to shame me, my Lord, I dare say that you better choose a different angle. I am quite sure that your dinner guests are not enjoying what should have been a pleasant and uneventful meal. If you hope to earn my ire, I can assure you that you have already earned that some years ago. To fall to such a level of desperate and unwarranted insults, you must be keen on displaying your hatred for me in front of all of your invited guests in whatever way you can manage that will not make you seem spiteful or petty." I said.
"Ileana." Celeborn warned.
"It is quite alright, Celeborn." Thranduil replied. "Perhaps I overstepped my bounds."
Thranduil turned his eyes to me. "Retract your witchcraft from the glass. It simply would not do if you shattered it."
Saying nothing, I set the glass back on the table.
"Lady Ileana, if you do not mind my asking, how did you obtain those dreadful scars?" A scowling elleth asked from across the table.
"I would not want to ruin anyone's appetite. Therefore, I will not share that information at the dinner table." I replied.
"No. Do indulge Lady Raenel with your story." Thranduil commanded.
"I do not think that necessary, Ada. Ileana may not want to talk about the circumstances that led to those scars." Legolas said.
"I must agree, Thranduil. I see nothing good to come of this." Lady Galadriel said softly.
"If she will not share then I will as she lamented her tale to me earlier this eve." Thranduil said. "Upon the deaths of her people, her father commanded that she flee with what few of her guards remained. Of course, the Lady refused such a command and had to be dragged from the battlefield by her guards. The Lady and her guards were followed by wargs and their riders. I suppose they gave good chase but ended up being caught in the end. The Lady witnessed her guards slaughtered in front of her, and then the orcs were upon her, taking what pleasure they could of her flesh. The Lady never told me if she enjoyed it though I am quite certain that she did. I have it in confirmation from a very reputable source that the Lady enjoys being forced into submission."
The room had chilled considerably by then. The breaths of those at the table were clearly visible as they listened to the words coming out of their king's mouth. Elrond quickly stood from his seat and placed his hand on my shoulder in what could have only been an attempt to calm the growing storm that was raging inside of me. I stood from my seat and leaned over the table towards the Great King of Mirkwood.
"As I said before, my liege, I would not need my blades to end your miserable and wretched life. It is best that you remember that." I growled.
With a twirl, I headed out of the dining hall with Elrond following after me. As I made my way down the corridor, the walls were slowly beginning to frost over. I suppose it was good thing that fire was not my preferred type of magic.
"Ileana!" Elrond yelled. "Do not allow his jabs to infuriate you."
"How could they not?" I asked as I spun around to face him. "He has made a mockery of my people's extermination! He has made a mockery of all of the good that has been shown to me since their slaughter! Who is he to decide what is right and what is wrong? That creature would not know what was right if it hit him in his thick skull!"
Elrond took a step back as my magic extended from my body, making the floor hard and slick with ice. "To what bounds must he go to further humiliate me and my people? It was he who needed our aid. We did not need his! My people suffered the consequences of forming an alliance with this wretched kingdom! Their blood is on his hands yet he acts as if he was not responsible or that he had no means to aid us against them! We both know that was not the case at all!" I, unknowingly, had backed Elrond into the wall. I looked at his face and saw no fear. Perhaps in only that aspect was he unwise. I was more than capable of causing him harm especially when my magic was running rampant.
"Ileana, calm yourself." Elrond commanded softly.
I slammed my palm into the wall beside of his head, and solid ice spread against the cold stone walls. "Do not make the mistake of assuming that you can command me of anything." I said as my eyes narrowed. "I am under no one's control but my own. You hold no power over me, and he most certainly doesn't. At what point, will that fact be clear to you all? I have nothing to lose anymore. I could cause so much destruction with so little effort, and yet, he makes the mistake of angering the beast. The consequences of that mistake could be dire."
"Lea." A familiar voice behind me said. "Your anger is not focused on Lord Elrond. He is undeserving of your ire."
My head whipped around in the direction of the voice. "Dear Haldir, you know better than anyone that you should not interfere when my magic is uncontrolled."
"It is because I know how dangerous it can be that I made the decision to intervene." Haldir said. "Do not let Thranduil's words negatively influence you. You know better than anyone else that what happened during the tragedy. He nor anyone else has the right to pass judgement on the situations that surrounded the deaths of your people if they were not there and experienced it firsthand. Lea, he is enjoying toying with you because he knows that your emotions are volatile. He knows how little it takes to toss you into anger. You are too open with your emotions. You may claim that you are not, but all of your emotions flash through your eyes plainly. He will not stop until you do not allow yourself to react to his petty jabs."
"It is easy for you to say, Haldir. You don't have to look at him and see what I do. When I look at him, all I can recall is the disinterested look on his face when he refused to aid my people. That ellon deserves nothing but to suffer the way that my people suffered."
"You are talking treason, Ileana." Elrond said. "The best approach would to be to stop reacting to his words with anger and your unrestrained magic. You will find that it will get you much closer to moving on from what he has done."
"For what it is worth, I appreciate your words, but I am much less willing to follow them to the letter." I replied. "If you would excuse me, I have a little matter to attend to."
With a sweep of my gown, I continued down the hallway. My control over my magic was returning swiftly, and the hall began to return to its normal temperature. The frost that covered the wall began to vanish as if it was not even there seconds prior. The sound of boots moving along the floor reached my ears from behind me. The Marchwarden was following me.
"Haldir, I am not in the mood for company at the present time. Therefore, I would be appreciative if you would allow me to be alone and to pursue my own endeavors." I said without turning around.
"Lea, you and I both know that it is not good for you if you are alone after one of those outbursts. I have helped you through recovering from many before. Allow me to help you. You are weak. I can sense it. You may not want to show it, but your powers take a toll on you when you do not have control over them. It will take you a while to adjust to not having your amulet. Elrond told me that it was broken, and as much as he may like to think, it may not be for the best."
"And I have helped myself through recovering many times on my own. I am perfectly capable of doing so this time." I replied. To my infuriating dismay, a wave of dizziness descended upon me seconds after the words left my mouth, causing me to stumble slightly.
"Shall I leave you lying the hall, Lea? If you do not take my help, that is where you will remain because the effects will get much worse before you make it back to your room." Haldir said as he grabbed my elbow.
"I shall not have them seeing me weak. I will make it to my room on my own feet." I replied.
"Requiring help does not make you weak. I believe it was you that said that is important for everyone to have at least one person whom they can rely upon. You are that person to me so allow me to be that person to you, Lea. We have been through much together over the years. Though we may have been separated for some time due to your residence in Imlardis, I do hope that you know that I will always be there for you no matter what you may need. I will be whoever or whatever you want me to be."
"I am well aware of what I told you. However, I do not require assistance." I said firmly.
The elleth, Raenel, who was present at dinner, stopped beside Haldir and I. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Ileana. Tis such a shame what you endured during the massacre of your people."
No compassion was present in her voice. Instead, her words were dripped with the slightest hint of venom as they passed her wine stained lips. "Forgive me, Lady Raenel, but your words are hollow and meaningless. You hold no compassion or sympathy for me. I, frankly, do not even know why you stopped to speak with me." I said with a glare.
"You are rude and arrogant." She hissed. "No wonder your uncle decided to betray your people. You probably wore on his last nerve, you wretched woman!"
Before I could react, Haldir stepped between us. "Lady Raenel, please forgive her. She is feeling unwell at the moment."
The elleth licked her lips as she looked up at Haldir's face. "If you say it so, Marchwarden, then it must be. Surely, a handsome ellon such as yourself would not lie to an innocent elleth."
"Surely, you would not be dumb enough to think that the Marchwarden would be even slightly interested in a coddled brat such as yourself." I said with a scowl.
"I am afraid that Lea is right. I do not take kindly to those that would so blatantly insult a dear friend of mine." Haldir replied.
Lady Raenel frowned and turned on her heels, heading back the way she had come minutes earlier. Another wave of dizziness washed over me. I grabbed Haldir's arm as I swayed on my feet. "I think I will take you up on that offer, Haldir." I said.
Haldir helped me to my room, and I sat on the edge of the bed. My head was spinning terribly even as I sat on the bed.
"Perhaps I should collect the necessary items for you to charm another amulet?" Haldir suggested.
I shook my head. "I do not think that I will be able to perform the charm as needed. When the original amulet was charmed, it was done by a group of people rather than a single person. A charm is a tricky thing to perfect. If one thing is off balance, the charm could easily end up being a curse. Magic is a tricky thing, Haldir."
"Does Thranduil not conceal his scars with magic?" He asked.
"He does. However, that amulet was a gift from my father as a wedding present." I replied. "Charmed by the most powerful Dorians of his time. The amulet had been in my father's possession for several centuries prior to my birth. The amulet that I wore had been the sister to the one that Thranduil wears around his neck."
"So you are doomed to suffer when your magic is out of control?"
"I will regain control of it. I lived without the amulet for centuries before the attack. The problem is that my magic is closely tied with my emotions. This is not exactly the best time for me to be without the protection of the amulet."
"Then we just have to keep your emotions in check."
"Easier said than done, my friend." I said with a small laugh.
"What was it that you used to say to me?" He paused for a few seconds. "Oh, yes! Something about emotions being like a wild animal. That they seemingly are impossible to control, but once you learn to control them, they will be loyal to you."
"If I remember correctly, I was a bit out of my head with wine when I made that statement." I laughed.
"Perhaps, but it is does hold a great truth to it." Haldir said smiling.
"It also helps if one is not constantly being verbally attacked." I replied. "I can't help but feel that I am alone here."
Haldir looked hurt as his brow furrowed. "Alone? You are anything but alone, Lea." He said. "Am I not your friend?"
"Of course, you are my friend, Haldir." I replied. "I am alone in the fact that I can relate to no one about the issues that I am facing. I appreciate your company, Haldir, but there are just things that you will never understand."
"I understand enough." He replied. "I don't have to understand everything completely in order to be able to help you."
A wave of dizziness hit me once again, and I clutched Haldir's shoulder to keep me balanced. Despite the fact that I was sitting down, the dizziness was disorienting.
"You need to rest, Lea." Haldir said with concern.
"I dare say that I cannot rest with all of the things that have happened."
"I know that it has been difficult for you, but you need your rest."
"You don't entirely understand. It is not just dealing with Thranduil…"
Before I could finish, Elrond came through the door. He looked at me with an expression that I couldn't entirely make out.
"So Viistan?" Elrond said as a conversation starter.
Haldir shot to his feet. "What are you bringing that monster up for?"
"Lea claimed that he assaulted her in the tub prior to dinner. Did she not mention that to you, Haldir?"
I scowled at Elrond. "Why are you making it sound like I made it up? Why would I use one of my darkest moments to fabricate a story?"
"Does it not seem extremely convenient that when you arrive here that you somehow make contact with Viistan, who, I may add, is long since dead?"
"And does it not seem extremely convenient that the barrier is nearly failing, and Thranduil is suffering from what I could only call multiple personalities?" I asked.
"Viistan died during the initial attack of your people."
"Did he? I don't remember ever seeing that snake's body. I only remember seeing the bodies of the innocent littering the ground."
"How would Viistan have survived the assault?" Elrond asked.
"He was a necromancer. You know very well how he could have survived. He practiced black magic openly throughout Middle Earth. It was no secret that my father was wary of what he was capable of. It seems that his fears were not misplaced where my beloved uncle was concerned."
"Viistan was your father's brother. He would have never have instigated the attack against your people."
"He was taken in by my grandfather. His origin is unknown. He was abandoned as a child. Who knows where the beast might have come from? He could have hailed from Mordor itself."
"You are making unfounded assumptions."
"Forgive me for questioning the character of my rapist." I narrowed my eyes at Elrond. "Valar knows that I probably deserved it."
"Would you stop being so melodramatic, Lea?"
"Melodramatic? Perhaps being in Thranduil's company has clouded your judgement, Elrond, because if there is one thing that I am not that is melodramatic. Viistan could very well still be alive at this present time, and I will not believe that he is dead until I see his rotting corpse. If you could be so kind to provide me with that evidence, I would be happy to believe that I have gone completely mad."
"I find it very off-putting that you would so blatantly disregard Lea's words, Elrond. Do you have no trust in her? Surely, you would believe that that there is, at least, some truth to her story." Haldir said.
"Do I believe that someone who is long since dead is coming back to haunt her? Surely, you must realize that what she is saying is impossible. Even if he were alive, which I doubt that he is, how would he have gained entrance into the castle. He is of elven blood, but he does not appear that way. Someone would have noticed him." Elrond replied.
"He is a necromancer for Valar's sake. Do you think that something as simple as gaining entrance into Mirkwood would be that difficult for him? You saw the bruises. You know that there is something going on here, Elrond. Even you would not believe that I would make something like this up. You know that something is amiss here in these halls. The barrier's falling at an alarming rate. My mother's death should have sustained the barrier for much longer than it has."
"And you think Viistan is responsible? Both you and I know that he is powerless where the barrier is concerned."
"He was powerless, but has he remained so? If he is alive, his power would have grown substantially from annihilation of my people. All of that power being released at once could have been captured by him. Do you honestly believe that he would simply let it go to waste? No. You don't know him like I do. He would have absorbed as much as he could to sate his power lust."
"I will talk to Celeborn and Galadriel, but I don't think they will be too convinced of it." Elrond said.
"Lady Galadriel saw something dark within the walls of Mirkwood. It was one of the reasons that she insisted that we make the trip." Haldir said.
"And does she typically share such information with you?"
"Not typically, but it is the reason that Rumil and Orophin were instructed to join us here. You may ask her if you like."
"I will." Elrond said. "Lea, do get some rest. I know that you are exhausted."
With that, Elrond left the room and I sighed. "Why must I have to deal with this at the same exact time that I am having to deal with Thranduil?"
"Sometimes things just happen like that, Lea."
"I suppose you're right. Though, I must say that it happens more often to me than others." I said with a small laugh.
"Perhaps it is because you attract so much attention." Haldir said smiling. "Would you like me to leave so that you may rest?"
"Oh, Haldir, I welcome your company no matter the circumstances. If you would like to stay, you can, but I daresay that I won't be very good company when my exhaustion fully sets in." I replied as I cradled my head in my hands.
"It would put my mind at ease if you allowed me to stay especially considering all that you have been through today."
I unlaced my dress by reaching behind my back. Carefully, I slipped out of it, leaving me only in my slip.
"If you so wish it then so it shall be." I said as I settled beneath the sheets.
"Now, scoot over so I can have some room." Haldir laughed while pushing me over to the other side of the bed.
He started to climb in the bed, and I held up my hand to stop him. "Haldir, since when do you sleep with your boots on?" I asked with a chuckle.
Haldir looked down and noticed that he was still wearing his boots. "It's been a long day." He laughed.
"As you say, but even I managed to appropriately disrobe before climbing into bed." I said as he slipped off his boots.
Haldir once again started to climb into the bed, and I made a noise of disapproval. "I cannot remember a time that you have slept while still wearing your tunic. Remove it, Marchwarden."
"Lea, for Valar's sake, you are one demanding elleth. I don't remember you ever being so forward with wanting me to remove my clothes." Haldir said in mock shock.
"Please…it's not as if I'm asking you to strip completely. Simply remove your tunic so that I don't have to feel the buttons digging into my flesh as I sleep. If I wanted you naked, dear Marchwarden, you would indeed have no qualms about it, or have you forgotten all of those times we spent together in Lorien?" I said with a mischievous smirk.
Haldir disrobed and climbed into the bed. He shifted on his side and propped himself up on his elbow. "Indeed I have not forgotten. Many a nights I had a certain elleth begging and pleading with me to give her release as she squirmed under me."
"And just exactly what elleth would be so depraved?" I asked in fake horror.
"Hmm, well, the elleth in question just so happened to be so fond of the legendary Marchwarden that she threw herself at his feet." Haldir replied with a smile. "Perhaps you have heard of the her? The Dorian princess? Of course, who could blame the raven-haired minx? She clearly had very good taste in men if I do say so myself."
"You are full of yourself, Marchwarden." I said as I lightly hit him with a pillow.
"But, alas, the princess would not accept the poor Marchwarden's offer to remain in Lorien with him despite his clear admiration, desire, and love for her. Rather she left a few days afterwards to return to Imlardis. Never to visit Lorien again until 2 years later."
"Haldir, it was a time of chaos. There was nothing but destruction heading for Middle Earth. There was no time to be sentimental and abandon our posts." I replied seriously.
"You are correct. However, there was time for it after the war, but, instead, you chose to hide in Imlardis with Elrond and the twins for an obscene amount of time. What did you accomplish while you were there?"
"Imlardis is my home, Haldir. Elrond and I…we're good friends. We are one and the same. He has felt despair just as I have. Without his guidance, I daresay that I would not be here today. I would have passed over long ago."
"I am not implying that you do not belong in Imlardis rather I am merely saying that you would have found just as much comfort in Lorien as you would have in Imlardis if not more." He said with a sigh.
"Perhaps I am merely terrified of commitment." I replied laughing. "The first time didn't go so well if you remember."
Haldir rolled me onto my back and leaned over me—his blonde hair acting as a curtain around our faces. He smiled at me. "Perhaps, but I did not hear mention of any forced betrothals in our situation, did you? It would be of your own accord if you decided to become my wife. There would be no politics or powerplays. It would just be me, you, and however many children I was able to fill your belly with."
I stared up into his eyes as he looked down at me. He was right. More than right actually. It would ultimately be my decision, but…was I ready for that? I thought I had been ready for marriage with Thranduil all those years ago, but I never once felt as comfortable with him as I do with Haldir. Thranduil was forced upon me to forge a supposed long-standing alliance between the two kingdoms. It was out of duty that I even considered the idea of marrying him. Though, I suppose I didn't have much choice in that regard. No, Ileana! Stop. What are you thinking? You are in the snake's home, and you're wondering if you should take the Marchwarden up on a long since expired offer? He's not being serious. You lost your chance a long time ago. My thoughts bounced around inside my skull as lay there. My hand moved of its own accord as my fingertips lightly grazed his jawline.
"Dear Haldir, surely you are well aware that this is not the time or the place to be speaking of such things." I replied.
He only smiled slightly at me. "You mean that I shouldn't be bringing up our past when you have finally returned to your betrothed?"
The laugh that escaped my lips was nothing short of manic. "Rather I was more concerned with the inevitable fall of the barrier and the psycho phantom of Viistan. Oh yes, and let us not forget the little matter of the Mirkwood nobility being ecstatic about my return to presumably wed their King."
"I would not let you marry him." Haldir replied seriously. "He is not right for you, and I don't think he ever was."
"As much as I would love to continue this conversation, I must admit that I don't think it possible for me to hold my eyes open for another second. Perhaps we can pick up where we left off at another time, Haldir?" I said as a yawn escaped my lips.
Haldir smiled down at me and moved back to his side of the bed. He wrapped his arm around my abdomen and pulled me to his chest. With a sigh, I settled in and resting my cheek on his chest.
"Good night, Lea. Sleep well." He said as he kissed the top of head.
"Good night, Haldir. Forgive me if I kick you in the middle of the night." I mumbled.
He only chuckled, and within seconds, I was peacefully sleeping in the arms of a man that I knew would let no harm come to me.