Into the Night

"What is the matter with you this day?"

"What? Nothing."

"Nothing, you say?" he let out a laugh. "You seem to be pouting."

"And why on Middle-earth would I be pouting? Furthermore, pouting about what?"

"That a certain elf cannot come out to play?" He suppressed a laugh this time.

"Silence your tongue, Keldir." Legolas glared.

For the last several weeks, Adanion seemed more preoccupied with other matters that kept him from riding or spend time with Legolas. Earlier that day the prince thought they could do some sort of sport together, but Adanion already made other plans.

"I would love to go the archery range with you, cousin, but I promised Le'ariel that I would teach her how to play one of the wooden instruments today," he told him. The only thing Legolas could do was say he understood and that there was always a next time.

"What is on your mind now?" Keldir looked at the elf-prince's pensive state.

"What? Nothing."

"Again with the nothing. You know, Legolas, you are not a very good liar."

"What would I have to lie about?" Thranduil's son looked annoyed.

"Very well, you Highness, have it your way. I need to go on patrol in a few minutes. If you ever decide to let that brain of yours rest, come join me and maybe if we are lucky enough, we can shoot some spiders tonight!"

"What are you referring to now, Keldir?"

"My dear prince..." he shook his head with disappointment, "you think too much." He then gave him a light punch in the arm and walked off.

Legolas shook his head at himself. He admitted to himself he missed his cousin's company. He grew accustomed to becoming Adanion's center of attention—so to speak—as he was an only child as well. The two were much closer as elflings, getting into trouble with both their parents. When Adanion's studies took priority, he visited less and less. Soon, they grew apart. Adanion still managed to visit when possible but never stayed for long.

Over time, Adanion's visits became less frequent as he focused on the life his father wanted for him. Now that he appeared to have found a new interest, the prince was somewhat disappointed that they couldn't relive some of their childhood memories together.

"I suppose I will go see what Dalorien is up to. She has always been good company..." Legolas said aloud to himself and headed in the opposite direction.

I I I

"Much better! You are a very quick learner, I must say."

"Thank you. Being a quick learner helps when you are doing multiple things around the palace," Le'ariel smiled then placed the wooden instrument on the grass and looked off in the distance. It was another sunny day with a light breeze blowing their way. She closed her eyes as the wind passed by.

"How do you do it?"

"Pardon? Do what?" she opened her eyes and blinked at him.

"Do so many things around the palace and do it so willingly? Are you not satisfied with merely being a chambermaid?" He playfully added.

Le'ariel rolled her eyes with a smile. "Yes. I am satisfied being a chambermaid...very much actually. I like to keep things organized and in its place and being a chambermaid allows me do that. However, since I am only stationed in the mornings and sometimes the afternoons to take clothes to the washers, I have nothing to occupy my time for the rest of the day. If Lady Minar saw me wasting time staring at the clouds, her assigned chores would not be pleasant. So, it is better I find other things I actually want to do," she sighed. "Besides, I like to keep myself busy, which is why I do not mind helping out where I can. We have very friendly servants in the palace and they are all my friends so it makes the tasks more...bearable, I suppose you could say."

"You truly are amazing..." Adanion smiled at her, almost in awe. She blushed at his comment and because he was staring again. The female elf's eyes dart to the ground and to the trees to avoid his gaze, hoping Adanion would realize how uncomfortable he made her.

"My apologies, milady. I do not mean to stare..." he chuckled, embarrassed, looking away himself. "I just find you to be so different from most of the elf-maidens I have met, and you as a servant have nothing to do with it. You are also very beautiful, Le'ariel."

The all too familiar feeling of being uncomfortable swept through her again. She wasn't used to receiving compliments, if anything, the chambermaid was the one giving them to the nobles. Le'ariel also didn't know how to respond except in a form of another blush. "You are too kind..." she replied, her eyes still focused on the grass.

"Good day, Adanion." A voice interrupted their awkward conversation.

Adanion used the back of his hand to shield the sun as he looked up at the elf standing in front of him. "Lady Varien?"

"I am so glad you remembered me from the Gathering!"

Le'ariel's uncomfortable mood turned into irritation. She kept quiet and avoided direct eye contact with Varien. Knowing her, she was going to find some way of ruining her day as she often did. The female elf picked up the wooden instrument and examined it to keep herself occupied until the elf-maiden left.

"Of course, milady, I cannot forget such as memorable face such as yours and your handmaid, Fiolen." He also addressed the other female beside her with a smile and a nod.

She curtseyed. "Good day to you, sir."

"What brings you ladies to this part of the garden?"

"Well, I saw you sitting here and wondered if you would like to join us in the market square where some of the actors are putting on a play. You, being a writer and all, I imagined you would enjoy it," she smiled sweetly, completely ignoring Le'ariel as if she was invisible.

"What sort of play is it?" he asked curiously.

"I am not quite sure what type of play this one is? I suppose you will have to accompany me to find out," Varien smirked at Le'ariel who still avoided eye contact. "Shall we go?"

"Only if Le'ariel would like to go." He looked at her for a response.

Varien inwardly rolled her eyes but smiled to seem polite.

Le'ariel finally looked up from the instrument in her hands, hiding her surprise from his comment. "The plays that are preformed are usually for the highborn...and..."

"Yes, they are performed for us," Varien quickly butted in, "and we only have one seat left open for you right up front next to me. It is not wise to stand while everyone else is seated during the play. It could distract the performers. However, some do end up standing…like the servants who watch through the palace windows because it is not a common practice for them to occupy a seat. Le'ariel is more than welcomed to join them."

The chambermaid stood, ready to shove the instrument in an unpleasant place inside the maiden. She eventually loosened her grip and smiled politely, turning to Adanion, who also stood after her. "She is right, Adanion, you should go to the play. We have very talented performers here in Mirkwood. I only now remembered a few things I need to finish. Please, go enjoy yourself..." she walked away.

"But, Le'ariel..."

"Oh, do not worry about her, Adanion...come." Lady Varien snaked her arm around his before he could go after Le'ariel. "She even said to enjoy the play. Knowing Le'ariel, her chores come first above all else. That is how dedicated she is as a servant." Adanion let Varien drag him slowly to the market square, Fiolen walking quietly behind them. Legolas's cousin watched Le'ariel's figure grow smaller and smaller until she disappeared into the Underground Kingdom.

I I I

"What did I say to you, boy?"

"I do not remember." He swallowed the last piece of pie.

"Clean out your ears well!" She poked him with her wooden spoon.

Legolas laughed at the sudden assault. "You know I cannot wait until the evening meal knowing you baked your famous pie for dessert. I would simply go mad if I missed it!"

"There will be no extra dessert for you later." Dalorien shooed him away from the counter.

"Extra dessert?"

"Yes, is that not what I said?"

"What extra dessert?"

"The extra pie I baked for the king and queen, and only for king and queen."

"What?" Legolas exclaimed. "You did not tell me you were hiding an extra pie somewhere?"

"Precisely," Dalorien nodded. "Since I knew that pie would not make it out of this kitchen with you lurking about, I baked two. I was going to bake a third but I received word that Keldir is on night patrol."

"You are a clever one, milady..." the elf-prince chuckled.

Just then, Le'ariel stomped her way into the Western Kitchen in a big huff. She took a step back and quickly composed herself when she realized was the prince beside her mother. "P…prince Legolas..."

"Hello, Le'ariel."

"I will be in the Eastern Kitchen if anyone is looking for me." Dalorien exited, leaving them alone. "Do not be late for dinner tonight, Legolas. You know your parents do not like waiting for you."

"Yes, milady," he gave the cook one last smile.

"What are you doing here?" Le'ariel gave him a sternly when they were finally alone.

"Do you really need to ask?" the prince softly laughed, showing her the empty pan.

"I suppose not…from the crumbs on your face." Legolas wiped them off in hurry with his sleeve looking embarrassed. "I though you would be in the market square with the rest of the nobles watching the play."

"Yes, that was originally one of my plans earlier but I lost interest," he responded, setting his napkin down. "They perform the same plays every year and after centuries of watching it, it can get quite boring. I had Varien give my seat to some other elf that could manage to stay awake long enough through the fourth act."

"Like your cousin Adanion?" Le'ariel raised an eyebrow thinking he had some part do with the elf-maiden's unpleasant visit earlier.

Legolas stood perfectly straight from slouching against the counter. "She gave my seat to Adanion?" Le'ariel only nodded. "But I heard you two were supposed to...spend the day together?" He saw the wooden instrument in her hand.

She placed it on the counter next to the empty pan and shook her head. "Spending the day together would be impossible with the chores I have. Our time together was only enough to teach me the basics of the instrument," she explained.

"So, how did it go?"

"All right, I suppose? I did not have enough time to learn the other notes before Varien came..."

"It had to be Varien..." he grinned knowingly at the thought of her.

"What do you mean?" Le'ariel sagged against the counter next to him.

"I know the way she likes making your life miserable." Legolas leaned closer to her with a sympathetic smile. "It is not hard to see. Honestly, it makes her seem...pathetic."

"Pathetic?" His words were still registering in her ears.

He softly laughed again from the look on her face. "Yes, I said it...pathetic. I do not understand why she likes to pick on you? You have done nothing to shame her or hurt her mentally or physically in any way—which, I am guessing you would if given the chance—therefore, she seems pathetic. Why bother wasting your time making someone else's life miserable when you could focus more on the beautiful things around you? For instance…nature. Varien was born to privilege. You think that would at least make her happy…but it never seems enough."

"Lady Varien will not happy until she..." Le'ariel let her words trail off, realizing what inappropriate thing she might say to the elf-prince.

"Until what? Go on..." Staring at the instrument again, Le'ariel didn't know how to continue. "Please, Le'ariel. Tell me." Legolas soft voice and curious blue eyes got to her.

She traced the outline of the instrument and sighed. "Until she is made queen. Your queen to be exact." The chambermaid looked him dead the eyes.

Legolas gave her a pensive nod. "Just between you, Keldir and I...she will never be queen," he whispered, looking around in case someone else heard his secret.

"What?" Le'ariel blinked at him. "But I thought you and her..."

"We are nothing. I do not have those…sort of feelings for Varien. Nothing about her makes me want her to be my queen, and Lady Varien Redbirch is not queen material. I do not need a tyrant beside me on the throne."

"Do you not find your words somewhat…harsh toward her, your Highness?" Never in a million centuries would Le'ariel ever think she would be standing up in Varien's defense. The elf-maiden had many flaws with her character, but was she really that terrible?

"Would you want Varien to be your next queen?" Legolas raised an eyebrow.

She was stumped for words. "Well…what sort of feelings do you possess for her then when you sneak off late at night with her? Desire and lust and only those things?" The chambermaid said her spiteful words forgetting for a moment the elf she was talking to. She quickly apologized for her outburst and bowed. An insult from a servant directly at the king or queen or their son could have unpleasant consequences depending on their mood. "Forgive me, your Highness! I did not mean to say such things—I only..."

"Do not apologize..." The elf-prince looked away, somewhat hurt, but appreciated her candor. "Your words speak the truth."

Legolas proceeded to walk away until she called him by his name. "Listen, I only meant that—"

He stopped where he was without turning around. "There is no need to explain, Le'ariel. I know my faults better than anyone. And the things I do which look badly upon others...especially the king and queen if they knew their real son. Sometimes I feel if I stay this perfect prince everyone wants me to be, I will go stark raving mad," he said quietly. "We were created perfect by Eru, yet given many flaws. I am not perfect and cannot be perfect. The things I choose to do with my time outside of my birthright gives me some sort of control. Control over my own life. Something I cannot fully claim by being a slave to my crown."

"I…I am sorry. Truly. I did not know you felt that way," she whispered, feeling like the worst creature in all of Middle-earth. Now would be a perfect time to dig herself into a deeper hole underground.

"Well…now you do." Legolas finally turned and faced her, his features unreadable. He learned to mask his emotions well, which worked to his advantage when dealing with political figures. However, Le'ariel saw the pain and remorse in his eyes. "Why do you still carry such bitterness toward me? What have I done to you to make these thoughts still linger in your mind? After helping me with Adanion's chamber, I thought that we had put the past behind us? That you finally considered me as a...friend."

"I do, your Highness. I merely..." Le'ariel finally sat down on a stool with her head bent low. "I did not know much about you except for what I saw and heard for centuries. Forgive me, but my way of thinking cannot be changed over a matter of months after seeing the same thing for so long..." She slowly looked up and met his eyes. "I do not mean to offend you now that I have heard what you have said, but still—you cannot have me suddenly deem you as a good prince without taking everything else into consideration."

"Fair enough," he sighed. Thinking for a moment, he gave her a hard stare. "Come with me."

"Pardon?"

"If you want to understand me better, then come with me."

"Come with you...where?" The female elf cautiously stood.

"Will you follow me or not?" he sighed wearily. "I will not ask again." Le'ariel hesitantly nodded and slowly followed behind. It was dark already once they got outside the Mountain. Legolas took Le'ariel by the hand and led her to a path they had been to before. "Come quickly. Before someone sees us..."

Why is he taking me there...again?

Unknown to the two, someone did see them. Adanion was about to enter the Mountain when he saw them on the opposite path. He thought to see Le'ariel and apologize for leaving her to see the play but now it seemed that he was the one who was too late.