Sorry this took so long, ff.net wouldn't let me on. Here's chappie 10,
tell me if you like it. Istalindar
We let the camels go at the base of the mountains, and started our way through on foot. We were all barefoot, apart from Chian, and the rocks hurt our feet, hardened as they were by the sand. I led them through the southern pass in the mountains, little more than a narrow passageway, and soon we were through, and looking down over Anorondor. But something was wrong.
"It's changed, Ama." Bria said from behind me, frowning as she regarded the view. "It looks...sadder somehow." I shrugged.
"Come on. The faster we get home the faster we can do something about it."
"You live here?" Chian asked. "Where?" I pointed to the palace by the lake, which looked tiny from our vantage point. "You must be wealthy to live there."
"Well, yes." I agreed. I grinned at him. "But then...I am the Queen of Anorondor." Chian nearly fell off the cliff in shock, and Bria dragged him away from the edge.
"That wasn't very nice, Ama."
"Sorry." But I grinned nearly all the way home.
&
It was night when we finally reached the palace. The guards at the gates were different, and we slipped past them without a word. I paused by the window to the kitchens and listened.
"Well, you know Queen Kiele. Can't trust her with anything."
"Jané didn't come back, though, and with Bria gone too..."
"Then rulership should have gone to Kera. Not to some upstart courtesan."
I passed from the window, furious. The others were waiting for me outside the side door to the palace.
"Kiele's made herself queen. I don't know where Kera's gone." Bria grinned, and green fire flashed in her eyes. I grinned back, and Éowyn drew back.
"Jané, your eyes..."
"What about them?"
"They just went purple." I smiled at Éowyn, then pushed past her.
&
I stood outside the doors to the throne room. The guards were asleep on the floor. I could hear Kiele inside with someone else.
Then I used magic to throw both doors open at once, and I strode in, Bria and Éowyn on either side of me, but a little behind, and Legolas, Chian and Aragorn in a line behind them.
"Kiele. So lovely to see you." I drawled as I strode up to the throne.
"How dare you- guards!"
"They wont come and save you, Kiele." I said matter-of-factly.
"You killed them?" she gasped.
"No. but I'm highly tempted to kill you. That's my throne, Kiele, and I don't appreciate you sitting on it."
"I'm Queen now." She said imperiously.
"No, Kiele." I said slowly, as though she was a small child. "You're an upstart courtesan that I picked off the streets. Now get off that throne!" I demanded, and all the torches blazed purple. Suddenly guards surrounded her, and she looked awfully pleased with herself. "Kiele, dear, dear Kiele. What a child you are." I took one of the swords from the guard's belts and used fire to raise it above her. Her gaze rose with it, and she watched as the purple fire blazed and melted the sword. A drip of the molten metal landed by her hand, and she shrieked. "I will tell you one more time, Kiele. Get off my throne."
"Or you'll be facing a war." Éowyn added. I smiled at her.
"Please! Relations with Gondor-"
"Will deteriorate if you don't get off the damn chair!" Aragorn exclaimed. Kiele's gaze fell on him and her mouth dropped open.
"I can't imagine Mirkwood would be too pleased to see an usurper on the Eastern throne, either." Legolas added. Kiele's fce drained of colour.
"The Haradrim..." she began.
"Aren't very happy with you anyway." Chian put in. she looked at him and fled, shrieking. We watched her go.
"Fond of dramatic exits, isn't she?" Éowyn asked. I laughed.
&
It was late at night, and everyone had gone to bed. I sat alone in the throne room, draped over the huge chair. I stared into space, and was startled when a cool hand touched my shoulder.
"What are you still doing awake?" Legolas asked quietly. I looked over my shoulder at him and sighed.
"I don't know. Just thinking, I guess."
"You guess?" he teased, coming around so he faced me. He was wearing brown trousers and a white shirt, which contrasted with his light bronze skin, so different from his original ivory, and near enough matched his sun- bleached hair. I gave a tired smile.
"Don't tease me, Legolas." I protested weakly. "I don't know, its just...I didn't really expect Anorondor to go downhill as swifly as it did. We've been gone, what, nine months?"
"Ten. I asked one of the servants." I was surprised, I could have sworn it was only nine.
"Ten then. I guess...I'm still in shock from Kiele. I trusted her, Legolas!" he put his hand on my head, running his fingers through my hair.
"There will always be someone who wants your throne, Jané. Its part of the danger in being a ruler. There will always be someone who wants the power they believe you have."
"Power!" I snorted in a most un-ladylike way. "Responsibility."
"They don't see it like that. Its seeing the difference that makes a good ruler." I smiled.
"Thanks." He grinned.
"It wasn't directed at you, its just a fact." I swatted his head, and he chuckled. "You need to go to bed, Jané. Come on." I slipped off the throne, and walked beside him through the palace. I would miss him when he left again, as I knew he would.
We came to my door and I turned to face him. He smiled at me, and impulsively I rose on my toes and kissed him.
His reaction was surprising. He didn't back away, as I thought he would, but wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to him and deepening the kiss. I did not complain, although I did reach behind me and open the door.
Legolas walked in, half pushing, half carrying me before him. He laid me on the bed, and I looked up at him.
"Legolas, are you..."
"Sh, melamin. Be quiet." Then he kissed me, and the world I though crumbled was rebuilt.
We let the camels go at the base of the mountains, and started our way through on foot. We were all barefoot, apart from Chian, and the rocks hurt our feet, hardened as they were by the sand. I led them through the southern pass in the mountains, little more than a narrow passageway, and soon we were through, and looking down over Anorondor. But something was wrong.
"It's changed, Ama." Bria said from behind me, frowning as she regarded the view. "It looks...sadder somehow." I shrugged.
"Come on. The faster we get home the faster we can do something about it."
"You live here?" Chian asked. "Where?" I pointed to the palace by the lake, which looked tiny from our vantage point. "You must be wealthy to live there."
"Well, yes." I agreed. I grinned at him. "But then...I am the Queen of Anorondor." Chian nearly fell off the cliff in shock, and Bria dragged him away from the edge.
"That wasn't very nice, Ama."
"Sorry." But I grinned nearly all the way home.
&
It was night when we finally reached the palace. The guards at the gates were different, and we slipped past them without a word. I paused by the window to the kitchens and listened.
"Well, you know Queen Kiele. Can't trust her with anything."
"Jané didn't come back, though, and with Bria gone too..."
"Then rulership should have gone to Kera. Not to some upstart courtesan."
I passed from the window, furious. The others were waiting for me outside the side door to the palace.
"Kiele's made herself queen. I don't know where Kera's gone." Bria grinned, and green fire flashed in her eyes. I grinned back, and Éowyn drew back.
"Jané, your eyes..."
"What about them?"
"They just went purple." I smiled at Éowyn, then pushed past her.
&
I stood outside the doors to the throne room. The guards were asleep on the floor. I could hear Kiele inside with someone else.
Then I used magic to throw both doors open at once, and I strode in, Bria and Éowyn on either side of me, but a little behind, and Legolas, Chian and Aragorn in a line behind them.
"Kiele. So lovely to see you." I drawled as I strode up to the throne.
"How dare you- guards!"
"They wont come and save you, Kiele." I said matter-of-factly.
"You killed them?" she gasped.
"No. but I'm highly tempted to kill you. That's my throne, Kiele, and I don't appreciate you sitting on it."
"I'm Queen now." She said imperiously.
"No, Kiele." I said slowly, as though she was a small child. "You're an upstart courtesan that I picked off the streets. Now get off that throne!" I demanded, and all the torches blazed purple. Suddenly guards surrounded her, and she looked awfully pleased with herself. "Kiele, dear, dear Kiele. What a child you are." I took one of the swords from the guard's belts and used fire to raise it above her. Her gaze rose with it, and she watched as the purple fire blazed and melted the sword. A drip of the molten metal landed by her hand, and she shrieked. "I will tell you one more time, Kiele. Get off my throne."
"Or you'll be facing a war." Éowyn added. I smiled at her.
"Please! Relations with Gondor-"
"Will deteriorate if you don't get off the damn chair!" Aragorn exclaimed. Kiele's gaze fell on him and her mouth dropped open.
"I can't imagine Mirkwood would be too pleased to see an usurper on the Eastern throne, either." Legolas added. Kiele's fce drained of colour.
"The Haradrim..." she began.
"Aren't very happy with you anyway." Chian put in. she looked at him and fled, shrieking. We watched her go.
"Fond of dramatic exits, isn't she?" Éowyn asked. I laughed.
&
It was late at night, and everyone had gone to bed. I sat alone in the throne room, draped over the huge chair. I stared into space, and was startled when a cool hand touched my shoulder.
"What are you still doing awake?" Legolas asked quietly. I looked over my shoulder at him and sighed.
"I don't know. Just thinking, I guess."
"You guess?" he teased, coming around so he faced me. He was wearing brown trousers and a white shirt, which contrasted with his light bronze skin, so different from his original ivory, and near enough matched his sun- bleached hair. I gave a tired smile.
"Don't tease me, Legolas." I protested weakly. "I don't know, its just...I didn't really expect Anorondor to go downhill as swifly as it did. We've been gone, what, nine months?"
"Ten. I asked one of the servants." I was surprised, I could have sworn it was only nine.
"Ten then. I guess...I'm still in shock from Kiele. I trusted her, Legolas!" he put his hand on my head, running his fingers through my hair.
"There will always be someone who wants your throne, Jané. Its part of the danger in being a ruler. There will always be someone who wants the power they believe you have."
"Power!" I snorted in a most un-ladylike way. "Responsibility."
"They don't see it like that. Its seeing the difference that makes a good ruler." I smiled.
"Thanks." He grinned.
"It wasn't directed at you, its just a fact." I swatted his head, and he chuckled. "You need to go to bed, Jané. Come on." I slipped off the throne, and walked beside him through the palace. I would miss him when he left again, as I knew he would.
We came to my door and I turned to face him. He smiled at me, and impulsively I rose on my toes and kissed him.
His reaction was surprising. He didn't back away, as I thought he would, but wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to him and deepening the kiss. I did not complain, although I did reach behind me and open the door.
Legolas walked in, half pushing, half carrying me before him. He laid me on the bed, and I looked up at him.
"Legolas, are you..."
"Sh, melamin. Be quiet." Then he kissed me, and the world I though crumbled was rebuilt.