AN: Hey, I'm switching the Tuesday/Wednesday post to Monday/Tuesday. Hope nobody minds. Tuesday and Thursday were just a little too close together for me.

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Chapter Eight: The Shadow Deepens

"Good afternoon, Luni."

Luinlothiel grimaced at her younger sister. "I have told you, only Legolas and Gilfaroth can call me that."

"Oh, but your real name is so long," Meluial complained jokingly, sitting in the chair at her brother's bedside. "How is he?"

The older she-elf smiled and looked down at the sleeping elfling who was cuddled up against her. "He's been asleep for almost an hour. Celebalqua gave him something for his fever, but she said he should be over it soon."

"Where's Ada? I thought he said he was going to be here all day?"

"He was...until the ambassadors from Dale insisted on speaking with him."

Meluial frowned. "Couldn't he have told them to wait?"

"Did you meet them?" Luinlothiel asked, arching a dark brow in amusement. "They're not exactly the patient sort."

"Is it because they're human?"

"Meluial!"

"Their lives are so short...if Legolas were to meet a human child of a comparable age the human would die before Legolas even comes of age."

Luinlothiel sighed. "They're just a bit impatient. They were scheduled for a meeting with Ada two days ago, but he cancelled when he learned that Legolas was missing. They had already waited two days for an appointment, so it is understandable that they felt Ada was merely wasting their time."

"Luinlothiel," Meluial groaned. "Do you have to see the good in everyone?"

The older sister just smiled sweetly. "It's better than always seeing the evil."

"And what about Amarthwen? What's the good in her?"

Luinlothiel paused for a moment, gently pushing a strand of Legolas' hair back behind his ear. "She has never given us reason to doubt her before."

The younger she-elf shook her head. "I cannot believe that."

"Until two days ago we never had reason to believe there was anything amiss in her behavior toward Legolas. She was always polite and courteous—"

"And cold!" Meluial interjected. "I never once saw her smile, and she's always acted as though she was unhappy."

"I will admit, she has seemed unhappy," Luinlothiel said with a nod. "But I always assumed it was homesickness, for her family back in the village. I believe her parents are dead, but Ada always let her go back to visit her brother every few months."

"And that cheered her up?"

"For a few days, at least. But she hasn't been back for a while, almost a year, I believe."

Meluial leaned forward in her chair. "Did something happen to her brother?"

"I don't know," Luinlothiel sighed. "The first visit she missed was during the autumn festival last year, I believe. Ada simply couldn't spare her, and asked her to wait a week but she never went, and I don't think she's gone back since."

The younger princess sat back and mulled over this for a moment. "Do you know where Ada is?" she asked suddenly, remembering that she had needed to speak with her father.

"I'd imagine he'd be in his study."

"Ah," the younger princess stood up, stretching a bit. "If he wakes up before I get back tell him I stopped by?"

"Of course," Luinlothiel smiled.

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Thranduil glanced up as the tutor entered his study.

"You wanted to see me, My Lord?" Thilator asked, bowing deeply.

"Sit down," the king commanded, not bothering to hide the steel in his tone. He waited for the dark-haired elf to comply, then rested his elbows on the desk, steepling his fingers together, and leaned forward. "Can you help me understand something?"

"I shall try," Thilator replied, straightening up just slightly.

"I have received a complaint about one of my warriors," the king explained. "His captain has reported him as acting belligerent and malcontent, refusing orders or following them only haphazardly."

The tutor nodded, confusing dancing in his ice-blue eyes. "What does this have to do with me, My Lord?"

"Wait," Thranduil held up a hand. "I heard a report from a different captain, who has had opportunity to observe this same warrior and has found him to be nothing like the first captain described, instead being a model warrior."

"Whose opinion do you trust more?" Thilator asked.

Thranduil's eyes glittered dangerously. "The second captain's, to be sure."

"Then I would say the first captain is lying," the tutor replied, falling right into the trap Thranduil had set.

"Thank you, Thilator," the king said with a smile, reaching for a quill and scribbling something on a parchment.

Thilator frowned in confusion. "For what, My Lord?"

Thranduil looked up, mock astonishment in his eyes. "For confessing."

The tutor's eyes widened, and his mouth worked in one or two mute protests before he finally found his tongue. "Confessing?" he asked. "Whatever do you mean?"

In reply, Thranduil pushed a piece of parchment across the desk, smiling tightly as Thilator paled. "Th-this is Legolas' assignment," the younger elf stuttered.

"Is it?" the king asked. "But I found this," he added, lifting the second and placing it beside the first. "I had forgotten that Legolas had already shown me his letters," Thranduil added in a dangerous tone.

"My Lord," Thilator said with a nervous laugh. "Surely you held his hand while he wrote this...anyone can see that the two hands are different, and he does not have the control yet to manage a pen like this."

"I sent Belegdur to search the classroom," Thranduil interjected smoothly. "Do you know what he found?"

Thilator shook his head, biting his lip in a nervous gesture.

"Nothing."

The tutor blinked. "I don't understand."

"Nothing," Thranduil repeated, his voice raising. "No parchment, no scrolls, no record at all of my son's work for the past four months save what you see on the desk! Now," the king's voice dropped again, his tone growing deadly, "I can understand losing papers, or destroying the older ones...but why would you destroy all records of his work if you were keeping track of it, as you said you were, to inform me of his progress or lack thereof?"

Thilator stared at the king, pale blue eyes wide in astonishment. "I-I...are you accusing me of treason?"

The king sat back. "I never said a word about treason," he replied. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"

The tutor shook his head, his face extraordinarily pale. "I have done nothing wrong," he protested feebly.

"Haven't you? What else are you guilty of?" Thranduil mused, standing from his desk to look out the window, careful to keep his profile to the tutor rather than turning his back, lest the treacherous elf prove dangerous. "Did Legolas tell you where he was going two days ago?"

"He-he said his friends were going to teach him how to climb a tree," Thilator explained.

"And did he say where it was?"

"Beyond th-the gate."

"Where?" Thranduil demanded, whirling to face the tutor with fire in his eyes. "Where did he say it was?"

Thilator was trembling now. The wrath of Thranduil was a terrible thing to behold. "U-up against the w-wall."

"Then explain," Thranduil growled, resting both hands on the desk and leaning forward, "why you told Belegdur that he was going out into the forest?"

"B-but you have forbidden Legolas from leaving the grounds."

"Did you know he would be within sight of the guards?" the king asked sternly.

Thilator looked away, unable to hold the king's livid sapphire gaze. "Yes," he said in a small voice.

"Did you know he would stay in the clearing at the gate?"

The tutor nodded miserably.

"Then why did you tell Belegdur that he was going into the forest?"

"P-please," Thilator begged, looking up at the king with fear in his eyes. "I am sorry, I thought I was protecting your son. There are many dangers in the forest."

Thranduil's eyes glittered. He had no doubt that Thilator was lying, but he had no real proof. "I want the truth, Thilator," he said, his voice soft yet edged with authority.

The tutor shook his head. "There is n-nothing more...I thought I was protecting your son."

"That is a lie," the king shouted, pounding his fist on the table with enough force to make the younger elf jump. "Why?"

Thilator could not meet the king's gaze, his pale blue eyes dropping to the floor.

"The truth, Thilator," Thranduil said quietly, but with an edge to his voice.

"I..." the tutor swallowed, fidgeting with his robe nervously. "I am miserable here," he finally said, his voice cracking in grief or fear. "I do not like living in the palace and tutoring your son. I wish to return to the village and I just thought that if I failed as a tutor you would release me."

Thilator looked back up, honest grief in his eyes. "I swear to you, My Liege, had I known my comments to Belegdur would lead to this I would not have said anything. I was unhappy, but I never wished for Legolas to come to harm."

The king sighed, shaking his head. The tutor had already proven himself treacherous, so Thranduil was not so ready to believe this story as he might have been a few days ago. "If that is the truth," Thranduil said quietly, "you could have come to me and I would have released you."

Shame stole into the younger elf's cheeks and he dropped his head. "I did not think you would let me," he replied.

Thranduil turned away, focusing his gaze on the far wall. "Haudhel," he called, glancing over as the dark-haired guard entered the study. "Take Thilator to his quarters. He is confined there under my orders until I can decide on the proper punishment for him."

Haudhel bowed and strode forward to take the tutor by the arm.

"I am sorry, My Lord," Thilator said quietly.

The king nodded. "Your presence as tutor in this palace will never be required again," he said coldly. "Were I the only one wronged I would not hesitate to banish you from these walls, but I will reconsider should any step forward in your defense."

Thilator nodded, his eyes downcast. "Thank you," he whispered, quietly letting Haudhel escort him from the study.

Thranduil sat back at his desk with a deep sigh, resting his head in his hands. After all that had happened, he now had to explain to Legolas why his tutor would never come back.

And while the Thilator's treachery had hurt Thranduil, in a way, he knew it would be infinitely worse for his son.

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Legolas felt his sister sigh as the servant grew more insistent.

"It is urgent, My Lady," the elf said again. "Your husband needs to see you immediately."

Luni frowned, flipping a lock of dark brown hair over her shoulder. "He knows where I am," she said, her voice puzzled. "Why does he not come here?"

"I do not know," the servant replied. "Perhaps he is unable."

The princess groaned. "Can you excuse me for a moment, Little One?" she asked quietly. "I will be right back."

Legolas didn't mention that that was what Ada had said, and simply nodded.

Luni smiled, gently hugging him. "I will only be gone a moment, and Meluial should return soon, or Ada."

The prince nodded again, his eyes downcast. He caught Luni's sad face as she followed the servant out—he knew she didn't want to go, just like Ada didn't, but his family and his tutor had taught him that duty always had to come first.

He wriggled further under the blankets, studying the bandage around his right hand. It still hurt, and Celebalqua had said that it was infected and that's why he felt bad. He sighed and turned over onto his side, curling up a little, to try to sleep. Everyone told him to sleep as much as he could, and he really didn't feel like doing anything else.

The door to the ward opened, and he could hear soft footsteps coming toward his bed. He figured it was either a healer or Meluial, and he hoped it was the latter because his sister always knew what to say to cheer him up.

The bed shifted as someone sat down on it, and a light hand rested on his shoulder.

"Oh, Legolas."

The prince froze, his heart pounding.

It was Amarthwen.

"You haven't told anyone our little secret, have you?" she asked, her voice strangely light.

He miserably shook his head, panic rising in his throat.

"I know," she said with a sigh, pulling her hand away and standing up. "I don't want to have to carry out my promise," she added. "But I will."

Legolas sniffed back a tear. "Why?" he whispered.

The nurse suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder, rolling him onto his back and digging her fingers in. The elfling cried out feebly, trying to pull away as her bruising grip twisted into his skin.

Amarthwen leaned closer, her ice-blue eyes holding deadly malice. "Because I can," she whispered.

She suddenly released his shoulder, standing up straight and smoothing her skirts. "Pleasant dreams, Legolas," she called sweetly, sweeping out of the ward.

The prince rolled back over and curled up, tears leaking out through tightly-closed eyes. Why did she hate him so much?

A healer returned a moment later, but Legolas didn't move until Ada finally came back.

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AN: Hey, if you read and liked Bad Company, you might want to go to my homepage and check out the "Coming Soon!" link. No, it's not the sequel...but it might tide you over until I can start working on the sequel. Either that or you'll be convinced that I'm completely insane.