The Elf was sitting in his chair, tracing the etching on his glass with his fingers with a palm under his chin and elbow resting on the wooden table.
Once again, he lifted his gaze up and looked at Aragorn who was sitting and peacefully eating his food.
Legolas rolled his eyes on this silly custom among Men. The table was far larger that it was needed, enough for at least 20 people and still he had to sit opposite from Aragorn, staring at him over the table and feeling quite displeased and bored because of this thing that was not needed.
The servants were standing near them, leaned against the wall, patiently waiting for some commands, although none have been spoken for a long time.
He sighed again and leaned back on his chair, crossed arms on his stomach and looked at the floor.
Aragorn looked up and saw Legolas' gone face.
"You are quiet."- he spoke and took another bite.
Legolas jerked slightly and moved his head up. Aragorn' s grey eyes were benevolently tracing the lines of his elven face but they were curious.
"Yes?"- Legolas asked and straightened himself up a bit, removed his hair back and tried to follow the path of Elessar's thoughts.
"And obviously somewhere else. "- the man finished his previous sentence and smiled at the Elf.
"Oh.."- was all Legolas uttered. He closed his eyes tightly and opened them again in order to shake his numbness off and desperately trying to participate in this forced conversation.
"What is troubling you?"- Aragorn asked and studied Legolas carefully.
In that moment, another servant came in with the food so Legolas was spared.
The young maiden was walking very slowly, trying not to break anything she was carrying.
Legolas absently moved his chair back and waited for his plate.
The food was laid before him with care and the girl took few steps back. At first, Legolas paid no attention to her but then he throw one uninterested look on his plate and frowned.
"I cannot eat this."- he declared suddenly and instinctively pushed the plate filled with few pieces of meat.
The girl jumped on the sound of his voice and almost ran towards him to see what she has done wrong.
Her face went red and afraid.
"What is it?"- she asked in voice that was higher than a normal one would be.
"I don't eat meat."- Legolas explained in gentler tone but the girl shuddered once more.
"I am very sorry, I assure you this won't happen ever again! I-I am a new servant and so is the cook, I didn't know if.."- she continued to speak but Legolas couldn't but see how she was throwing scared looks at Aragorn, as if she was apologizing to him, not to the Elf.
"No, it is fine, I understand."- Legolas spoke in order to draw her attention back.
Her eyes were almost wet.
"I am very sorry, my.."- and then she stopped talking. She looked a bit confused.
Legolas raised his eyebrows and curiously watched her.
"Go on, continue."- he smiled.
"I am not sure how I should address you."- she mumbled and looked down.
After this, unpleasant silence filled the room.
Legolas blinked few times and looked before himself.
Aragorn coughed and the girl jumped again.
"You can take the plate with you. Bring something else."- he calmly spoke but Legolas didn't look up.
"Yes, my lord."- she whispered and ran away.
"Legolas?"- Aragorn gently started but the Elf remained still.
Aragorn stood up, left his plate and headed towards the end of the table but in the corner of his eye, Legolas saw how the servant's faces went sour in shock and disbelief.
Legolas hurried and lifted himself up before Aragorn managed to make more steps towards him.
"Can I sit next to you?"- he asked and walked to the chair.
Aragorn only nodded his head and touched smooth frame of the chair in order to pull it back but Legolas quickly covered the man's hand with his palm.
"No."- he whispered loudly enough for Aragorn to hear him. The man looked at Legolas with disapproval and opened him mouth but Legolas whispered one "please" with weariness in his blue eyes.
Aragorn took a deep breath and sat on his chair.
If Legolas thought he had fixed something, he was sure he was wrong when he caught expressions on the servants' faces. They tried to hide it, but Legolas could easily see that they thought his movement was for some strange reason faulty. Either way, none of them spoke a word.
Legolas was drawn back when Aragorn touched his hand. He looked at him and saw pure worry in the man's gaze. He pulled the elven arm nearer, gently caressing Legolas' back of the hand.
"Aragorn, can you please send them away?"- the Elf asked quietly as his eyes were roaming across the table, seeing nothing.
Legolas didn't see but he knew they were discharged when he heard unsure, small steps moving across the stone floor.
The door were carefully closed but he heard someone hissing in low tone.
"Not in my twenty years of working here I was.."- Legolas sighed and tried to silent her voice in his head.
"Legolas, look at me."- the man demanded, but his tone was still worried.
Legolas obeyed unwillingly and met the asking gaze.
"You have been acting strange since this morning."- he said.
"It is nothing."- Legolas tried to cheer himself up and bring some vividness back into his body but his hand seemed lifeless in the man's grip.
"Your mouth are saying one thing, yet I see everything in your eyes."- Aragorn smiled but deep in his eyes Legolas could see a pure question.
Legolas stared at the kind eyes he loved but instead to answer, he leaned in and tenderly moved his nose over the rough skin. He kissed the man's lips and pressed their forheads together.
"You won't fool me."- Aragorn whispered but he closed his eyes and smiled a bit when he felt small shudders caused by Legolas' silent laugh.
Legolas touched the man's neck with his fingers and moved his lips slowly in unison with Aragorn's and they have both forgotten about the food, hall, servants and every other trivial thing for a moment.
Soft hair was caressing his face and Aragorn, although he didn't want it, was indeed fooled. He pulled one long lock playfully.
A hard knock on the door pulled them back into reality and Legolas went slightly grim.
Aragorn pulled back and turned his body around but the strand of silver hair was still curled around his finger.
"Yes?"- he called out in habit.
Legolas licked his lips once, pulled his hair and sat formally.
Lord Borghild went in but Legolas' eyes went narrow when he saw his companion- Devon.
"My apologize, but steward Faramir calls for you, my king."- Borghild bowed and Devon bent down a bit and lowered his gaze.
Aragorn frowned.
"Is something wrong again?"
"I don't know, my liege."
"Well.."- Aragorn uttered and stood up.
"Sit, Borghild, give yourself a break."- he murmured when the man started to follow.
Borghild nodded and headed towards the table.
"Devon."- Aragorn said as a greeting when he passed by the necromancer. He walked through the door.
Legolas eyes were nailed-up on Devon. His back was as straight as an arrow and he immediately felt tensed. His pale hand grabbed the lean frame of the chair.
Devon turned around.
"Oh, my lord, but where will you sit? Your seat is already, although unfairly, taken."- he faked a worried tone and lanced Legolas. A small smile was dancing on his thin lips.
Borghild coughed a bit but either way he sat next to Legolas like nothing has been spoken.
"Excuse me?"- Legolas said in confused tone, looking around and seeing many empty chairs.
Devon's smile went even wider. He walked to the table and throw his pale hand over one chair and leaned over.
"My lord, correct me if I speak wrongly, please."- he said but he was staring at Legolas.
"My… Elf. Forgive me for I don't call you after your father's name, but no one in this palace knows anything about him or about your title so I have to call you by your race. Although crude, but true."- the necromancer didn't look he was sorry at all. His dark eyes were glistening with pure joy.
"You see, there is a custom over here. A part of tradition. Every seat in here has its name and every seat is intended for a special man or a woman in this palace, depending on their rank, of course. On the king's left side"- he patted the chair he was leaned over-" sits the steward, or lord Faramir who is absent at the moment. And there where you sit, on the king's right side, sits the first man of the army and the one in charge for the king's personal safety or lord Borghild. And there"- he pointed on the end of the table- "where I can see a glass and cutlery, where you seem to sit, should sit the person who is married to the king. The king's wife or consort, and none of them are living in this palace. None of them even exist."- he finished, looking quite satisfied with his speech.
Deathly silence lanced through Legolas' and Borghild's ears.
"Am I wrong, my lord?"- Devon smiled.
"No."- Borghild whispered.
Legolas quietly played with his fingers.
"As I can see, Devon, you know much about customs among the Men. So be kind and enlight me.. Show me where is your seat."- Legolas lifted his dreadful gaze up.
Devon seemed confused.
"My pardon?"- he laughed.
"I said, show me your seat."- Legolas clearly pronounced every syllable as if he was speaking with a child.
Devon's smile faded away and he was silent.
Legolas patiently waited.
"I don't have one."- Devon spoke calmly.
The Elf looked surprised.
"Oh really? Then what are you doing here?"- Legolas spoke in plain voice.
Devon stood silent. At last, he turned around and left the room, without a word.
Borghild chuckled.
"This could have been much worse."- he smiled.
"Who is he?"- Legolas asked.
"Oh, Devon. One of the eleven necromancers in this palace. Very intelligent man, although closed and unfriendly. He has been absent for many years, somewhere out with his tutor. They always search for some plants, runes and knowledge all around this Earth. They came back recently."
"And that.. thing which follows him in step?"
Borghild made a grimace.
"Yes, that.. I am not sure what is his name, most of people call him "it". He has been Devon's servant since I was a child."
Legolas was confused. He raised his eyebrows.
"Since you were a child?"- he asked, not even trying to hide his surprise.
Borghild nodded.
"Yes, Devon is a bit older than me although you cannot say that by looking at us. He is a necromancer and I think he has found a way to extend his life a bit."
Legolas' jaw dropped down.
"What?"- he muttered.
Borghild squirmed.
"Well, yes.. Quite a dangerous thing, there are only few of necromancers who dare to do that. It is like selling your soul. It costs them much. More than I know. And, I think, you can feel it too."- Borghild finished and gazed at the blue eyes.
"What do you mean?"- Legolas whispered.
"When he comes near you, you must feel.. out of control. You are an elf, after all. I heard from Elessar that Elves can feel it slightly.. They can feel black magic. And necromancers use it."- Borghild explained.
Legolas seemed frozen in his chair. He was blinking rapidly.
"I cannot even.."- he shuddered.
"He is using black magic?!"- Legolas shouted when he pulled himself together.
Borghild jumped and throw one shocked look, not used to seeing the quiet Elf like this.
"Does Aragorn know?"- he was shaking.
"Yes, everyone knows. Try to understand.. The age of Elves has passed.. It is the age of Men. And mortals do everything to conqer. Some are more daring than others and they start to learn things from the old, left books. And they can manage to control magic on some level. That's how the first necromancer was born. They use it to help. All the necromancer in the palace are probably the best ones, with high level of self-control and I guarantee you that none of them have ever used their powers to harm anyone."
"It is not given to them! It is given to the wizards! And not even they are absolutely safe. Mortals are only playing with fire."- Legolas hissed.
Borghild sighed.
"That's why none of them dares to go deeper in it. But we must know. Because of the Orcs or any other foul thing on our good Land coming from Mordor."
"The risk is too high."- Legolas wouldn't let this go.
"They won't use it against us."- Borghild was persistent.
"Humans only desire power. It is only a matter of time when some of them will fall."- Legolas bitterly spoke.
Borghild looked up.
"You don't understand."- and Legolas felt lashed.
"Your world is much different than ours."- Borghild continued.
All of Legolas' rage drifted away when he understood the man's words.
"Yes, I know."- he told quietly and his voice was lost.
One woman walked in with the food. She walked towards the Elf and put the plate filled with fruit before him. Few more servants followed her.
Legolas looked at her and remembered their shock when they were sent away.
"Ma'am, I am sorry if I have offended you when I told Elessar to.."- but Legolas soon stopped when the woman stared at his face in obvious horror. Others were frozen behind her as well, all staring at the Elf in pure disbelief.
Borghild whispered: "Noble men cannot apologize to the servants.. It is just not right."
And it was the drop that overflowed Legolas' glass. He desperately shook his head and stood up.
Without a word, he almost ran outside, going through the hall. Aragorn appeared before him and Legolas saw how his grey eyes went wide for a second.
"Legolas what.."- Aragorn asked but before he could finish Legolas passed by the man, not uttering a word or showing any sign that he recognized him.
Aragorn was left in the empty hall, with no explanation. He only stared after the Elf.
For the first time in eight years Legolas has done such a thing.