Pie Anyone?
"Do not touch that for it is not to be served until after the midday meal." His hand was slapped away. The elf gave a boyish grin at the warning finger waved in front of him.
"Please, Dalorien? Surely one slice will not be missed," he tried to reason.
"I do not serve half eaten items on my tray to anyone, especially not to the king and queen. Coming to the kitchens so often you should have picked up on this a decade ago."
"But, Dalorien, their Majesties do not delight themselves in your pies as I do! I would savor it like it was the last meal of an elf sentenced to death. Or better yet, an elf dying right before your very eyes, requesting to be fed his favorite dessert." He pretended to be struck through the heart by an arrow. He opened an eye to see her reaction.
Dalorien shook her head, clearly not convinced, but smiled anyway at his dramatics. "Such an imagination you have—but no. You will not receive special privileges during my time in these kitchens. The only authority I accept here is the king and queen's words."
"Having authority here will take a lifetime to accomplish." The elf mumbled to himself.
"Either that or when you become king one day," she raised an eyebrow. "But until then, especially after your last misfortune, I am surprised the king still allows you to enter my kitchen doors."
"I believe the king still asks himself that question to this very day," Legolas smirked. "It took almost seven winters to convince him to let me back in here…said I was some sort of a distraction?"
"No, I believe the king said we were some sort of a distraction." Another elf suddenly walked in.
The elf took off his helmet revealing blonde locks falling past his shoulders and a smidge of dirt on his right cheek. The tantalizing aroma of the pastry caught his attention after placing his horse back in the stables.
"Ah, captain, back from patrolling the borders so soon?" asked Legolas.
"Tis nesting season for the giant spiders. Most have retreated near the eastern borders of Mirkwood to tend to their off springs. Besides, the prince was not with us to give the command of when to end our morning patrol so I took it upon myself to give the order," Captain Keldir answered with an accusing stare at him.
"Well, as Captain of the Guard, surely the prince trusts you in your ability in making such decisions."
"He should," the captain agreed. "Serving alongside the son of Thranduil for almost a century and a half, the prince should know that I out best him when it comes to certain responsibilities."
"You? Very bold words, my friend," Legolas scoffed. "Whose advice did the king favor concerning the Old Forest Road? Yours or the prince's?"
"The prince's, but..." the guard quickly added, "every elf in the Woodland Realm know that the Orcs are making the Road more dangerous to cross. That is the only reason why his Majesty agreed to summon the guards to patrol the area. The prince's counsel had little to do with it."
"Your memory must be failing you," Legolas answered back with a grin. "The prince is a much wiser elf. I believe I specifically heard the king say that only his son could think of something so clever."
The guard placed his elbow on the table and leaned in toward his friend. "My memory, you say? Well, if my memory serves me correctly, I believe that the Prince of Mirkwood was also absent from that tour of duty. And, come to think of it, when the king asked about his whereabouts, who was it that covered for him? Now, let me think..." Keldir pretended to reflect on the subject. "Oh, yes! Me."
"You will not let that go, will you?" He sighed exasperatedly.
"Why would I when it works so well to my advantage?" Keldir winked and glanced at Dalorien who suppressed a smile.
Legolas rolled his eyes. "Yes, I have not forgotten how you told my father that I was teaching the elflings how to use a bow and arrow in case they stumbled across an Orc or spider."
"Good. For I made quite an impression of your merits to your father when in reality, you overslept in a chamber that did not belong to you," Keldir smirked. "He would have had your head had I told him, 'Sire, I apologize that the prince cannot patrol with the company this day for he is tied up from walking an elf-maiden home last night and has forgotten his way home...'"
"My father would have placed me under house arrest—or worse—had he learned the truth." Legolas thought on the idea and shuddered. "I thank you for being quick minded," he jokingly bowed.
"Speaking of maidens…Lady Varien seemed to be beaming last I saw her in court this first light."
"My intentions were purely innocent. Before the miruvor…" the prince began to explain, "Twas her, not I, who requested for a tour of the palace..."
"Assuming she has never been to the palace, of course. And then was it a tour of your chambers?"
The elf-prince shrugged as if he didn't know what Keldir was referring to.
"Maidens in court should know the palace grounds as well as you do. But yes, yes, blame it on the elven liquor as you often do," he chuckled.
"Make fun if you will, but I know for a fact that you, dear captain, have been placed in the same situation before."
"Perhaps…" the elf slyly grinned.
"That is enough chit-chatting." Dalorien interrupted their teasing after she finished chopping vegetables for the soup. "I do not need to hear of your…conquests. And do not forget the trouble you caused last time you lost yourselves in each other's stories."
"Twas Legolas's fault, milady, I assure you." Keldir bowed.
"My fault? Whose duty was it to maintain the fire for the cauldron?"
"Who was the elf that placed more wood into the hearth without realizing the dangerous sparks it would create?"
"Enough!" interrupted the head cook. "You are both at fault for not paying attention to what you were instructed to do. Thank Eru that the buckets of water were brought in time before this entire kitchen burned down."
Legolas and Keldir were always fascinated in the culinary arts, but never really had the knack for it. After much begging, Dalorien allowed them to feed the fire to boil the water, thinking they could manage such an easy errand. While waiting, they swapped various stories to pass the time and grew an audience.
The other servants were so captivated in their tales that no one noticed the table on fire until smoke filled the air. Their Majesties, especially Dalorien, were furious at their irresponsible behavior and banned them from setting foot inside any of the four kitchens from that day forward. Compared to the prince's parents, it only took three winters for the cook to forgive them, provided that they no longer offered their assistance.
"Go now so I may finish preparing the food that will be served for the midday meal. And no touching that pie!" She glared her warning at the prince and captain before walking away. They gave each other mischievous grins then depart before anyone else saw them.
I I I
"Le'ariel? Are you listening to me?" asked Sirawen. "We still have these tablecloths to wash."
"Shh! Stay quiet for a moment…" replied Le'ariel, her gaze set firmly toward the distant part of the outside courtyard.
Sirawen shook her head and walked over to her. "What are you doing? Minar will scold us if we do not finish washing these before lunch. You agreed to help me after cleaning the royals' chambers. And unlike you, I still have to sweep the courtyard after this."
"Do you not hear it?" she asked, ignoring her friend's words.
"Hear what? I hear nothing." The servant girl looked around.
"Listen carefully."
"Fine. I hear something...cracking?" Sirawen said after a few moments, eyes closed to get a better sense of what was around her.
"Yes. An egg hatching," smiled Le'ariel. "Look." She pointed to a branch that was slightly hidden from normal sight. A tiny head poked its way through the shell, making its first appearance into the world.
Sirawen sighed at her friend. "You know, Le'ariel, you are the only one that I know of who pays attention to such things. Come and help me finish before Minar checks on us."
Minar was the servant in charge of various stations around the palace. She was a strict elf that liked to keep a tight schedule for those under her authority. Servants who did poorly and were lazy with their given duties received extra work. Minar held no real titles and didn't come from a noble family but she was still addressed as Lady Minar. Her rise to power came from years of diligent work in the Underground Kingdom.
"Tis a new life being born, do you not find it interesting?" Le'ariel asked Sirawen's retreating form.
Sirawen sat back down and gathered the rest of the items that still needed attention. "Yes, of course I do. But, I do not have the time to stop and enjoy the outdoors today. I really must finish my chores or I will have no time to eat."
"Very well then…I will hang the clean cloths and napkins to dry then help you finish washing the rest so you may complete your other obligations." Le'ariel took the bundle into her arms and was about to turn the corner when someone in a hurry knocked into her. The chambermaid fell against the stone wall with the damp fabrics and dropped them on the muddy ground. "Oh, no…" she whined. "It took almost the whole morning to get them cleaned and only mere seconds to dirty them again."
"I am very sorry. Please forgive my haste!" the culprit bowed.
Le'ariel looked up from the disheartening sight and was taken aback at who was apologizing to her. "Prince Legolas?"
He gathered the fabrics she dropped and wrapped the stained areas inward to keep her own dress from discoloration and shoved them back into her arms. "Yes, once again I—"
"Legolas Greenleaf!" He heard his name called out by a very angry voice.
"I must go! Please do not say you saw me. I will be in your debt!" And with that, he rushed off around another corner.
Le'ariel stood there speechless.
Dalorien marched up to her daughter with a rolling pin in hand. "Where is the prince?" she asked with a grim look.
"Why mother?"
"I specifically told that elf to leave my pie alone and when I returned, it was missing two slices!" exclaimed her mother. "I dealt accordingly with Keldir but the prince got away from me. I know he came this way. Where is he?"
Le'ariel tried to hide her smile. So, those were crumbs on his face I saw. "I believe he went that way, mother." She pointed toward the courtyard where she left Sirawen. The chambermaid knew firsthand of her mother's wrath and decided not to subject the prince to it.
He, after all, is now in her debt.