More than Words

"Pardon?" she blankly looked at her friend.

He shook his head exasperatedly and replied, "Have you not heard a single word I have said to you?"

"My apologies, Velhar. Please continue…"

"Never mind," he sighed. "Clearly that handkerchief is still distracting you." The elf eyed her, nodding to the handkerchief in her hand.

"Pardon?" she responded again with a blank expression. Le'ariel looked down at where he was staring and saw her unconsciously twisting the silk fabric in her hands. She quickly stopped and placed it back in her apron pocket.

"You never did really say what happened with the elven-king's son."

The chambermaid ignored his curiosity. Even if she wanted to tell him, she has no words to describe what took place that night. The events that happened caught her off guard. "I will tell you at a later time. I must go now." She left her friend with a blank expression of his own.

For the past few weeks Le'ariel stopped given any kind of snarky remark about the Prince of Mirkwood. When given a chance Le'ariel was always able to reply with something cynical when it came to the subject of Legolas, but after that night, she couldn't think of a word to say. He was a different elf. An elf she never met before, just like the elf that agreed to help her with the washing.

Perhaps deep down the prince was insecure and only showed his true self to those he felt were trustworthy and kept his mask of confidence on to hide the truth. Le'ariel quickly dismissed the idea. What does she know? All the presumptions she had about the elf-prince were turning out to be untrue—or at least the way the prince was presenting himself these days.

I I I

"I think he is absolutely adorable," Sirawen replied dreamily in the courtyard.

Finishing her own chores over in her section, Le'ariel joined Sirawen in the courtyard for the washing as she did almost every day. She rolled her eyes and flicked her friend with soap bubbles to bring her back from her daydream. "I do not talk ill of the prince," Le'ariel said coolly, "I only question his motives."

"Do not talk ill of the prince? Why, Le'ariel…I do believe that is a first!" Sirawen chuckled. The next thing she knew, more soap bubbles graced her cheek. "Do take a joke, will you?" She wiped them off with a sleeve.

Le'ariel laughed. "Yes, I can. Can you?"

The two splashed each other with water. The other servants in the courtyard looked on with smiles, not bothered by their merriment. They were half soaking wet when they finally heard someone clearing their throat. Both looked up from to see Minar standing over them with her arms crossed over her chest and not looking very pleased.

"Is this how table cloths and sheets are supposed to be washed?" she questioned with an eyebrow raised.

"Our apologies, Lady Minar." Both answered with their heads down.

"See to it that it does not."

"Yes, madam."

Minar glared at the other servants who stopped their chores to watch the scene. They quickly continued their work when the head-servant caught them in her vision. Once she was clear from their sights, the two gave each other one last quiet chuckle. Sirawen stuck her tongue out in the direction Minar left and made a face.

"Oh! She always has a way of ruining everyone's fun when they are actually enjoying their chores."

"Well, you cannot blame her. These will not wash themselves," Le'ariel held up a dripping wash cloth for an example.

"Precisely. So do your chores, servants." A different female voice came from behind.

Le'ariel didn't have to turn around to figure out who the voice belonged to. She composed herself and turned, politely bowing. "Good day, Lady Varien."

"Good day indeed," she grinned. "I just had quite a recent interlude with the prince in the archery range this morning. He could not take his eyes off of me." The other maidens in her company giggled. Cleary, she was gloating.

"Tis true, he was truly captivated by your beauty." Another elf-maiden by the name of Morawen included. She was Varien's right hand in helping boost her already high confidence about herself. Varien offered her a high position next to her in the palace if she helped her become the next Princess of Mirkwood. The other elf-maidens with them nodded in agreement as if Varien was the Queen herself. "So tell me servant…Le'ariel is it? How does it feel to know that you will be washing my garments next to Prince Legolas's when I become his bride?"

If a cruel Orc like you gets that far! Sirawen inwardly glared at her.

The chambermaid imagined pouncing on the spoiled Lady Varien Redbrich and ripping her golden locks out. But instead, she kept her cool. "I will be happy to wash your garments milady...with pride," she answered courteously with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "For you must be a very highly educated and well-mannered maiden to catch Prince Legolas's attention." She added with a half grin.

"Do you mock me?" She looked offended. The other maidens gasped at Le'ariel's audacity.

Before Le'ariel could unleash what was really on her mind, she was stopped by yet another voice. "Good morning, ladies."

They all turned and curtsey quickly to the ground. "Good day, your Grace."

The Queen heard the last bits of their conversation during her morning stroll and decided to end an escalating quarrel. "Fine morning, yes?" she smiled. Her ladies in waiting stood silently behind her.

"Oh, yes! It is your Majesty!" Varien burst with the sweetest smile she could muster.

"Will you accompany me on my stroll, Lady Varien? Bring your maidens with you."

Varien's eyes lit up with excitement. The Queen felt it was best to have the maidens come with her so that the servants could go about their business without the disruption of her boastful voice so early in the day. Although servants were below them, the queen treated them with respect since they have always served the Royal Family well.

Varien and her maidens held their heads high with pride as they followed the queen. Terulien gave Le'ariel and Sirawen a soft smile and continued on her way. Le'ariel was steaming with fury inside as she watched them her pass by without a second glance.

"If that pig of a maiden ever becomes the next princess, I will not be surprised if someone poisons her food!" She stormed away.

"Le..Le'ariel? Where are you going?" Sirawen looked on.

"I need to be alone!"

I I I

Legolas laughed cheerfully. "After all these centuries, Keldir, you never cease to amuse me."

"Ha-ha. Laugh all you want. That could have been you," he replied with a grim voice.

"Yes, but it was not." Legolas winked.

Earlier that afternoon Legolas and Keldir decided to go horseback riding to give their steeds a nice exercise in the crisp outdoors. On their way back to the stables, the queen, along with her entourage, greeted them with a rather interesting visit.

The maidens came at Legolas at such a rush that they frightened his horse—once again—knocking aside Keldir. He lost his footing and accidentally stepped in manure. He was seen walking around with only one boot on his foot and the other in his hand mumbling incoherent words under his breath.

"You know how long it took me to clean my boot? And oh, the smell!" he winced. "Please be sure that the next time Varien and her lovely clones decide to throw themselves at you, they kindly do it away from the horses? I deal with enough mishaps with the elflings in the archery range."

Legolas laughed again. "I cannot help where I am or who I am around when they find me. I am starting to believe that Varien has her own spies eying me at all times."

"That—I believe," the captain said while playfully throwing a piece of hay at him that he found stuck in his cloak.

"Lady Varien is beautiful without a question…"

"But?"

The prince sighed thoughtfully. "She has great beauty and is great in many ways," he gave a crooked smile, "but she is quite boring to be honest. All she talks about is my family's wealth and what an honor it is to be in my presence and so on. It is hard to ignore her like all the other maidens. She is most persistent."

"Aye. That elf-maiden could probably bore the Orcs into leaving our territory with a mere sentence," Keldir pretended to whisper as if she was listening in. "Now, what about Dalorien's daughter? She seems to possess a…lively spirit."

The prince chuckled once more. "Yes, takes right after her mother! Le'ariel is the most opinionated servant I have ever spoken to. All the others seem afraid to speak their mind around me as if they think I will smite them if they say something I do not approve of. She is an interesting individual, but I find her to be a bit strange at times."

Keldir squinted at his friend. "Strange you say? And blindfolding Le'ariel and leading her around the corridors is not strange, your Highness?"

He casually shrugged. "I had good reason."

"Oh, come now, old friend, you must give me more than that!"

"Tis all I will tell you for that is all I have to tell. Really." Legolas quietly chuckled with a grin.

By far Keldir was the elf-prince's most trusted confidant and never hesitated to tell him anything. But this time, Legolas chose to wait to give details of their conversation that eventful day until he fully believed he did what he did.

"So you mean to tell me that all you did was blindfold the poor lass, lead her into the gardens and had a talk with her?" Keldir asked in disbelief.

"For the hundredth time, captain, yes!" Legolas rolled his eyes, annoyed at the prying questions. "Tis dark out. I think I will retreat back to the palace. I will see you at first light tomorrow." Keldir left it at that for he, too, was tired. They bid their farewells and walked in opposite directions.

The elf-prince headed to his room locked deep in thought; so deep that he hadn't noticed his father's greeting smile as he passed him in the corridor. Thranduil stopped and stared at his son, watching him walk farther down the corridor without any acknowledgement whatsoever. He shrugged off his son's strange behavior and continued to his own destination.

What did catch Legolas's attention was the figure suddenly standing by his door. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw who it was. "I did not expect to see you here after our last meeting," he whispered.

"Forgive me, your Highness, but I had to speak with you. Please?"

Going against his instincts, he nodded and allowed her to enter his chamber door.