Lead the Way
"A job well done."
"Thank you."
"There may still be hope for you yet in the kitchens. Go wash up now and help me serve the evening meal."
"Yes, mother," obeyed Le'ariel.
When Minar decided to switch helpers around in certain stations—aside from maintaining the rooms—Le'ariel requested to be placed in the palace bakery. In the back of the Western Kitchen where the hot ovens were kept was where Le'ariel thought she could be alone and away from Legolas; the same area where she burned herself so long ago.
Since that day she overheard his and Keldir's conversation, avoiding the prince became a daily task next to her everyday chores, for seeing him only added to her frustration. Le'ariel's duties, first and foremost, were her assigned rooms. Afterwards, she was free to do whatever else was required of her around the palace; which became easy enough to distract herself away from Legolas because of his own daily schedule.
The prince spent most of his mornings in the archery range then usually trained with a tutor using other weaponry. Legolas grew an acquired taste for the elven-blades, but nothing like the sound of a zipping arrow hitting its target through the crisp forest air could satisfy the warrior inside of him.
Although Le'ariel knew it foolish to avoid the prince, avoidance was better than letting her bitterness seep out verbally toward him. She didn't want to think what the punishment for scolding the Prince of Mirkwood would be—especially if her mother was involved in implementing it. And so, Le'ariel quietly carried out her duties with little or no conversation around the hallways. Even Lady Varien was easy to steer clear away from because wherever Legolas is, so was she.
"Le'ariel, did you hear?"
"Hear what Velhar?" she asked without looking up as she finished cutting her freshly baked pie.
"What happened by the stables this morning concerning a certain maiden," he replied with a grin.
Finally looking up to meet his eyes she gave him a blank expression. "I do not entertain myself in knowing what goes on in the life of a maiden, Velhar," she responded dryly. "I have more important things to do than wonder where they learned to flutter their lashes so well."
The servant rolled his eyes at her. "Be cynical all you want, but I know you would enjoy this amusing information."
"Well, what it is then?" she sighed. Whether or not she wanted to hear it, she knows he was going to tell her.
Velhar leaned in, "After the prince's morning ride, Lady Varien, along with all the other maidens that usually wait for him outside the stables began fighting over who would give him his horse's grooming brush..."
"So?"
"So..." the servant annoyingly repeated, "due to their commotion, they frightened the prince's horse causing him to kick his hooves in the air. Varien got mud all over her face!" He laughed whole-heartedly. When he saw the chambermaid wasn't joining him in the mirth, he stopped. "Do you not find that just a tad bit hilarious?"
"I suppose she deserves it for not considering what his horse is capable of doing," Le'ariel simply replied.
"Le'ariel, you are the only elf that I know of who does not partake in the simple pleasures of smiling and laughing as others do. You do realize that there is more to our time here in Middle-earth than working from dusk till dawn, do you not?"
"Of course I do, Velhar." She placed her hands on her hip. "I realize that there is a vast land out there beyond our borders where we do not need to worry about cleaning after others, washing their clothes or worrying if their soup is too hot or not hot enough. If those maidens were able to see what was beyond their title and wealth, maybe they could enjoy their own lives without worrying about what the prince thinks of them. Do you not see, Velhar? The way they act around Prince Legolas is as if they were his own servants. I do not pay attention to those 'simple pleasures' as you call them because I perceive them to be no different. We all end up serving someone."
Le'ariel sighed again and walked over to the other table to place the slices of pie in separate plates. "Or something," someone suddenly said. Le'ariel almost missed the plate for the last slice when the familiar voice hit her ears. She didn't dare turn around, afraid of what might happen. "Just as I am a servant to my crown."
"Pr-prince Legolas!" Velhar quickly stood and gave a low bow. "Your Highness, forgive us we did not know you were there or—"
"Or what, Velhar?" Legolas asked as if the servant was actually going to answer the question. "Will you leave me alone with Le'ariel, please?" He kept his eye on Le'ariel's back as he spoke to the mortified elf.
"Yes! Yes, of course, your Highness." He stumbled away. Not once did Legolas glance at him as he made his exit.
The female elf's heart pounded in her chest. Her face turned the same color as the tomato on the table she planned on cutting after the pie. Le'ariel mentally kicked herself in the head for not telling Velhar to close the doors so that no one would hear their conversation. The chambermaid's eyes frantically searched the ingredients sitting on the shelves in front of her as if she was looking for something to use while she waited for the prince's next words.
"Le'ariel, will you please accompany me for a walk?" he politely asked.
After what just happened, and this elf being the prince, how could she deny his request? She slowly turned, avoiding eye contact, and bowed nervously.
"Yes, your Highness," she softly whispered.
"Ladies first." Legolas motioned with his arm toward the doors. Le'ariel leisurely nodded with her eyes still fixed on everything else but the prince and preceded out of the room.
Even though she couldn't hear his footsteps, she sensed him walking right behind her, making her feel quite uncomfortable. Why must he walk right behind me? Le'ariel asked herself, irritated at the fact that he made the situation worse for her.
Legolas kept a secret grin on his face for he knew exactly what he was doing to the poor chambermaid. Her heart is still beat loudly in her chest, so loud that Le'ariel thought everyone they passed could hear it. Since she was the one leading, he merely gave instructions on where to turn.
The female elf felt as if she knew the palace well enough to figure out where their destination was going to be, yet it seemed that he led her around in circles. Where are we going? Not knowing what Prince Legolas's intentions were made Le'ariel even more nervous. If she didn't find out soon, by Eru...she was going to go mad!