As it turned out, we spent another night at the old woman's hut. After I
tucked Bria in and whispered a story to her, watching her eyes droop shut
with every word, I carefully and silently scooped up the shawl and left the
hut, wrapping it around my shoulders.
I walked around the remains of my palace, appalled at the ruins that had been made of it. I had been picking my way through the wreckage when I dislodged a piece of charred wood. It slipped to the side, and revealed an equally charred and blackened corpse. Despite the burns and soot, I could still recognise Ella, one of Bria's nursemaids. I stepped back in horror, aghast at the thought that Ella's corpse could have been mine, or worse, Bria's. I stumbled back, away from the body.
"Easy." A strong hand caught my elbow, and another rested in the small of my back, steadying me. "Easy. Are you alright?" I nodded in answer to Legolas' question. He led me out the ruins, steadying me and guiding me as wracking sobs shuddered through me and tears ran down my face, the first time I had cried since the fire.
Once out of the wreckage, he took me in his arms, and I sobbed into his chest, my hands clutching at his tunic. He whispered in elvish to me, stroking my hair, and I tried desperately to ignore our closeness, and the love that bloomed in my heart. A love I had thought long dead and gone.
After a while, I pulled away, wiping my tears on my sleeve and sniffing.
"I'm sorry." I said with a shaky smile. "She was Bria's nursemaid and a good friend. She...sorry." I had been about to say she had been the midwife at Bria's birth, but the old saying came back to me, 'when you're in a hole, stop digging.' I waited for the inevitable question about Bria and her parentage, but it didn't come.
"Losing friends is always hard." Was all he said, and I nodded.
"My lady! My lady – oh!" I have far too many guards, and a fat lot of good it did me. All they do in barge in at the exact wrong moment.
"What is it?" I asked. The guard's eyes flicked between Legolas and myself. "Go on." I urged. "He's an old friend."
"Your daughter is asking for you. And we've captured one of the archers." I nodded, and Legolas and I started back to the village.
At the hut, Bria ran out, flinging her arms around my waist. I knelt before her, taking her into my arms and hugging her.
"Bria, sweetling, what's wrong?" I asked.
"I dreamt of you and Ada. Only Ada made you mad and you cried." Almost involuntarily, my gaze rose to Legolas, and locked with his piercing stare. His eyes darkened in anger, and I tightened my hold on Bria. Without saying anything, I had answered his unasked question. And I would not release my daughter without a fight. I risked my sanity for Legolas, but I would risk my life and the lives of all I held dear for Bria.
"It's alright, sweetheart. Your Ada and I have argued before." I comforted her.
"But he made you cry!" Bria protested, her eyes rising to Legolas, who stood above us, his height intimidating.
"Many things make me cry, pet, but what doesn't kill me makes me stronger, eh? Are you sure you're alright?" I tucked her red-gold curls behind her pointed ears, ignoring Legolas' swift intake of breath at the elven shape. She nodded.
"Be careful, Ama. Goodnight Ama." She murmured. She looked up and Legolas. "Goodnight Ada." Then she disappeared into the hut. I started walking towards the guard post. Legolas grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him.
"Why did you never tell me?" He demanded furiously. I don't think he has ever been this mad at me before.
"You never asked, did you?" I retorted angrily. "Just stormed off without a word, leaving me pregnant with twins!" His jaw dropped in disbelief. "Yes!" I spat. "Twins. Raiza was born stillborn. And I had no one but my new-born daughter to look to!" Legolas and I glared at each other, our wills meeting and clashing between us. I sighed and looked away, suddenly very tired of the whole affair.
"Can we talk about this after we deal with the prisoner? I promise you we'll talk then." He nodded reluctantly.
*&*
The prisoner was one of the folk of Rhûn, the land directly north of Anorondor. He was clothed in black, and his dark skin and hair made him hard to see in the dark. He smirked when Legolas and I walked in. At my gesture the guards left.
"What was your pay?" I demanded bluntly.
"Ah, your majesty. Sweet little daughter you have. Is he her sire? Strange. I thought the queens rarely let the fathers of their offspring near the children, to prevent contamination." Legolas took a menacing step forward, but I put my arm out and he halted.
"Shall we make this easy, Rhûnman, or shall we make it hard?" I asked sweetly. My palms itched with the gathering palm-fire. He suddenly lunged for me, his bonds somehow undone. My palms shot out, and two twisting, sparking ropes of purple fire wrapped around his wrists and hauled him off the ground. He screamed.
"Listen to me, Rhûnman." I demanded, and he looked down at me. "This fire will consume you, slowly and painfully, unless you answer my questions. You heard what happened to Arkor, did you not? He was a Rhûnman also, as I recall." The man nodded frantically. I had sent Arkor back to Rhûn alive, though his burns would scar him for life. He had attacked Bria and Janor, Kera's son, while they played years ago. That was when Bria had first demonstrated her own deadly palm-fire. I had not burnt Arkor – Bria had, and she had been as cruel and merciless as I planned to be.
"What was your pay?" I demanded.
"You, and your bitch daughter!" He gasped. There was a low growl behind me and I realised it was Legolas.
"Me and Bria? And what makes you think you can keep us, Rhûnman?" I asked mockingly.
"Morgoth would return. Sauron also. Then I would have you. They would cage you like a mockingbird!" He grinned, and so did I. His screams abruptly increased in both pitch and amplitude, as the fire burned hotter.
"No one cages the Queen of Anorondor, fool!" I hissed. "Not without getting burnt." There was a great flash of purple, then the wind caught the ashes of the Rhûnman, and sent them far to the north, back to his country. I turned to Legolas.
"Now. We need to talk." He stared at me in shock, and I shrugged. What was the use of having the ability if you never used it?
"You killed him in cold blood!" He exclaimed. I shrugged, my eyes locked on his.
"Don't tell me you would not. Have not." I amended. He opened his mouth to argue, and I held up my hand to stop him. "If he had attacked your family, would you not defend them and take revenge on their assassin?" Legolas nodded slowly.
"I would. How did you-"
"Know of your wife and daughter? Much news comes into Anorondor, though little leaves. No, I wasn't spying on you-" I said hastily as his face slowly contorted into anger. "My friend Naera comes from Mirkwood, although she lives here now. She returned to Mirkwood to visit her friends and family. During her stay you were married and Isolde was born. Congratulations, by the way." I added. His marriage to Mairra and the birth of Isolde had hit me hard, and I would freely admit it was one of the reasons why I had not told him of Bria. I had already lost my soul mate; I would not lose my daughter also.
"Legolas, no matter what mistakes we have made in our lives, I would like to remains friends. We've known each other for many years, and I-"
"Agreed." He interrupted. "For such friends as we are, a quarrel would be unwarranted." He took my hand and kissed the back of it gently, and I could have sworn I saw a spark of the feeling he once held for me. Perhaps he still loved me after all. But then he bade me goodnight and left me, and I went to bed.
Aragorn and Legolas, plus their respective entourages left a couple weeks later. The plans for the new palace were well underway, and Bria and I were very busy getting things organised. Legolas and Aragorn called us childish more than once before they left. Bria and I were enjoying ourselves far too much to care.
That's the end of chapter 3, and we should get some decent action started soon. I hope you still like this; I'm trying to make it good for the people who managed to plow through all of Queens of Mordor. I'm so sorry it took so long, but I've been helping my friend fix up her new house in France (and it is bloody freezing there!) . Tell me what you think, love Istalindar
I walked around the remains of my palace, appalled at the ruins that had been made of it. I had been picking my way through the wreckage when I dislodged a piece of charred wood. It slipped to the side, and revealed an equally charred and blackened corpse. Despite the burns and soot, I could still recognise Ella, one of Bria's nursemaids. I stepped back in horror, aghast at the thought that Ella's corpse could have been mine, or worse, Bria's. I stumbled back, away from the body.
"Easy." A strong hand caught my elbow, and another rested in the small of my back, steadying me. "Easy. Are you alright?" I nodded in answer to Legolas' question. He led me out the ruins, steadying me and guiding me as wracking sobs shuddered through me and tears ran down my face, the first time I had cried since the fire.
Once out of the wreckage, he took me in his arms, and I sobbed into his chest, my hands clutching at his tunic. He whispered in elvish to me, stroking my hair, and I tried desperately to ignore our closeness, and the love that bloomed in my heart. A love I had thought long dead and gone.
After a while, I pulled away, wiping my tears on my sleeve and sniffing.
"I'm sorry." I said with a shaky smile. "She was Bria's nursemaid and a good friend. She...sorry." I had been about to say she had been the midwife at Bria's birth, but the old saying came back to me, 'when you're in a hole, stop digging.' I waited for the inevitable question about Bria and her parentage, but it didn't come.
"Losing friends is always hard." Was all he said, and I nodded.
"My lady! My lady – oh!" I have far too many guards, and a fat lot of good it did me. All they do in barge in at the exact wrong moment.
"What is it?" I asked. The guard's eyes flicked between Legolas and myself. "Go on." I urged. "He's an old friend."
"Your daughter is asking for you. And we've captured one of the archers." I nodded, and Legolas and I started back to the village.
At the hut, Bria ran out, flinging her arms around my waist. I knelt before her, taking her into my arms and hugging her.
"Bria, sweetling, what's wrong?" I asked.
"I dreamt of you and Ada. Only Ada made you mad and you cried." Almost involuntarily, my gaze rose to Legolas, and locked with his piercing stare. His eyes darkened in anger, and I tightened my hold on Bria. Without saying anything, I had answered his unasked question. And I would not release my daughter without a fight. I risked my sanity for Legolas, but I would risk my life and the lives of all I held dear for Bria.
"It's alright, sweetheart. Your Ada and I have argued before." I comforted her.
"But he made you cry!" Bria protested, her eyes rising to Legolas, who stood above us, his height intimidating.
"Many things make me cry, pet, but what doesn't kill me makes me stronger, eh? Are you sure you're alright?" I tucked her red-gold curls behind her pointed ears, ignoring Legolas' swift intake of breath at the elven shape. She nodded.
"Be careful, Ama. Goodnight Ama." She murmured. She looked up and Legolas. "Goodnight Ada." Then she disappeared into the hut. I started walking towards the guard post. Legolas grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him.
"Why did you never tell me?" He demanded furiously. I don't think he has ever been this mad at me before.
"You never asked, did you?" I retorted angrily. "Just stormed off without a word, leaving me pregnant with twins!" His jaw dropped in disbelief. "Yes!" I spat. "Twins. Raiza was born stillborn. And I had no one but my new-born daughter to look to!" Legolas and I glared at each other, our wills meeting and clashing between us. I sighed and looked away, suddenly very tired of the whole affair.
"Can we talk about this after we deal with the prisoner? I promise you we'll talk then." He nodded reluctantly.
*&*
The prisoner was one of the folk of Rhûn, the land directly north of Anorondor. He was clothed in black, and his dark skin and hair made him hard to see in the dark. He smirked when Legolas and I walked in. At my gesture the guards left.
"What was your pay?" I demanded bluntly.
"Ah, your majesty. Sweet little daughter you have. Is he her sire? Strange. I thought the queens rarely let the fathers of their offspring near the children, to prevent contamination." Legolas took a menacing step forward, but I put my arm out and he halted.
"Shall we make this easy, Rhûnman, or shall we make it hard?" I asked sweetly. My palms itched with the gathering palm-fire. He suddenly lunged for me, his bonds somehow undone. My palms shot out, and two twisting, sparking ropes of purple fire wrapped around his wrists and hauled him off the ground. He screamed.
"Listen to me, Rhûnman." I demanded, and he looked down at me. "This fire will consume you, slowly and painfully, unless you answer my questions. You heard what happened to Arkor, did you not? He was a Rhûnman also, as I recall." The man nodded frantically. I had sent Arkor back to Rhûn alive, though his burns would scar him for life. He had attacked Bria and Janor, Kera's son, while they played years ago. That was when Bria had first demonstrated her own deadly palm-fire. I had not burnt Arkor – Bria had, and she had been as cruel and merciless as I planned to be.
"What was your pay?" I demanded.
"You, and your bitch daughter!" He gasped. There was a low growl behind me and I realised it was Legolas.
"Me and Bria? And what makes you think you can keep us, Rhûnman?" I asked mockingly.
"Morgoth would return. Sauron also. Then I would have you. They would cage you like a mockingbird!" He grinned, and so did I. His screams abruptly increased in both pitch and amplitude, as the fire burned hotter.
"No one cages the Queen of Anorondor, fool!" I hissed. "Not without getting burnt." There was a great flash of purple, then the wind caught the ashes of the Rhûnman, and sent them far to the north, back to his country. I turned to Legolas.
"Now. We need to talk." He stared at me in shock, and I shrugged. What was the use of having the ability if you never used it?
"You killed him in cold blood!" He exclaimed. I shrugged, my eyes locked on his.
"Don't tell me you would not. Have not." I amended. He opened his mouth to argue, and I held up my hand to stop him. "If he had attacked your family, would you not defend them and take revenge on their assassin?" Legolas nodded slowly.
"I would. How did you-"
"Know of your wife and daughter? Much news comes into Anorondor, though little leaves. No, I wasn't spying on you-" I said hastily as his face slowly contorted into anger. "My friend Naera comes from Mirkwood, although she lives here now. She returned to Mirkwood to visit her friends and family. During her stay you were married and Isolde was born. Congratulations, by the way." I added. His marriage to Mairra and the birth of Isolde had hit me hard, and I would freely admit it was one of the reasons why I had not told him of Bria. I had already lost my soul mate; I would not lose my daughter also.
"Legolas, no matter what mistakes we have made in our lives, I would like to remains friends. We've known each other for many years, and I-"
"Agreed." He interrupted. "For such friends as we are, a quarrel would be unwarranted." He took my hand and kissed the back of it gently, and I could have sworn I saw a spark of the feeling he once held for me. Perhaps he still loved me after all. But then he bade me goodnight and left me, and I went to bed.
Aragorn and Legolas, plus their respective entourages left a couple weeks later. The plans for the new palace were well underway, and Bria and I were very busy getting things organised. Legolas and Aragorn called us childish more than once before they left. Bria and I were enjoying ourselves far too much to care.
That's the end of chapter 3, and we should get some decent action started soon. I hope you still like this; I'm trying to make it good for the people who managed to plow through all of Queens of Mordor. I'm so sorry it took so long, but I've been helping my friend fix up her new house in France (and it is bloody freezing there!) . Tell me what you think, love Istalindar