Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

OIOIOIOIOIOI

Summary: After receiving a cryptic message from Mirkwood, Lord Elrond hurries to the aid of the realm's troubled Crown Prince and discovers that things now are so very different for both of them.

Warning: This story is about a romantic relationship between the two main characters – Elrond and Legolas. It concentrates almost solely on the friendship and comfort side of the relationship and there are no explicit scenes or anything that could really be described as slash. However, if you really don't like that kind of thing then please don't read.

A/N: Due to me being a complete idiot, I posted the next chapter (chapter 10) before this one so sorry to anyone who read them the wrong way around. It was a silly mistake and I'm not even sure how I managed to do it. Anyway, this follows on from Chapter 8 and Chapter 10 is up as well.

So sorry for the slip-up!

OIOIOI

As You Were

OIOIOIOI

Chapter 9

OIOI

There were surprised murmurs from the group and the captain smiled slightly. "Any of us who are able are willing to help."

"Good. So, here's what I was thinking: We will leave a couple of guards down here with the children and any of you who don't want to join the…"

"I don't think there are many who wish to remain behind," the captain told him to calls of agreement from the others.

Elrond couldn't help but smile at their loyalty to their kingdom and continued, "Two of you will go to the king's rooms to look after the king until all this is over. The rest of us will storm the Throne Room. They have weapons themselves but the majority of the danger comes from the Elven guards. Obviously we can't kill them but it might become necessary to…disable them." There was obvious unrest at this idea. "Legolas is most likely being kept in a cage in the centre…"

"A cage?" people exclaimed in horror.

"…In the centre of the hall. He won't be able to help us in all likelihood. You should know that those Men have no qualms in killing innocents, even the royal family if given the opportunity." Elrond then remembered what exactly was enslaving the people of Mirkwood and added, "Be on the lookout for a golden staff topped with a ruby; it's what's controlling everyone. Break that staff and we might break the spell over Mirkwood. Any questions?" He barely paused a moment and ignored the barrage of questions from the Elves before saying, "Good, let's get going. Be as quiet as possible as we proceed through the halls. Do not trust anyone; they may look like your friends but they are not right now, they have no control over their actions and these Men will not hesitate in using them to kill you. Disable rather than kill wherever possible. Get the children back in the cells and close all the doors in case anyone comes in. We will come back to get you when it's all over. Do not leave here until then, no matter what happens."

"Everyone understand?" the captain asked.

"All right, let's go," Elrond said, going back to the door.

Along with the extremely determined free Elves of Mirkwood residents, Elrond strode through the corridors. Of course, they all knew where they were going so Elrond didn't need to lead them. He was surprised that there were no more guards or Elves around. He'd felt sure that his actions would have prompted an attack by the Men. Perhaps they just weren't looking for or expecting any trouble. It may have been extremely lucky but it still unsettled Elrond greatly.

When they reached the Throne Room, Elrond and the captain held their hands up to stop the others and they crept up to the door. Carefully pulling it open a couple of inches, they were able to peer inside and Elrond's breath caught in horror at what he saw.

Legolas was standing on a chair, completely naked, his hands tied tightly behind his neck leading up to the ceiling. The rope was already uncomfortably taut and Legolas was having to stand on bruised and broken toes to keep the noose from strangling him. Elrond actually winced at the pain it must have been causing the prince but there was no sign of discomfort on Legolas' face, just mild frustration as the Men laughed at him.

One of the Men, the one Elrond recognised as their leader, came around to the front of the young prince carrying the golden staff in his hands.

"Shut up!" the man gruffly ordered the other humans, who sneered at Legolas but immediately fell silent. "So, you brought that meddling, prissy Elf here and now look what he's done. He's ruining everything!"

Elrond looked up when he heard himself being spoken of and his heart hammered in his chest. Legolas also appeared startled at this but remained cool when answering in a hoarse voice, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me!" the man yelled, hitting Legolas in the hip with the heavy staff. The prince staggered on the chair but his superior balance saved him from falling. "What is their plan?"

"I don't know of any plan," Legolas insisted breathlessly.

"Tell me!"

"I don't know," Legolas ground out.

"Oh, I think you do. And you will tell me." The man walked nonchalantly over to the long table and poured himself a glass of wine before taking a long, slow sip. "Are you thirsty? Hungry?" he asked Legolas, refilling the glass to the brim. "You must be thirsty by now." He placed the full cup on the chair in between Legolas' feet, taunting him with the liquid. Then he placed the rubied tip of the staff on the toes of the prince's left foot, pushing down hard until a small yelp escaped Legolas' lips. "Oh, do your feet hurt too? I am sorry." He lifted the staff up. "Do you have to use the bathroom? You've been up there for hours, you must be needing a break by now." Legolas' eyes remained sternly fixed on the far wall although the Men knew that all of these things must have been true by now. "Come now, are you Elves so very different from us?"

Legolas' eyes drifted down now and his steely gaze met the Man's grey eyes. "No, not so different in some ways but in others we are worlds apart," Legolas answered tightly.

The Men all laughed at this and their leader quirked a smile at them. "Yes? And how is that, Your Highness?" he asked mockingly.

"You are vile, despicable humans who have no sense of propriety and no idea of your place in the world."

Anger replaced mirth on the man's face and he asked, "Is that so?" Legolas didn't reply but his silence was taken as a confirmation of his sentiments. "And yet it is you under my control."

"For now."

"Ah, so you do know something about your friend's intentions."

His eyes as hard as sapphire, Legolas said in a low voice, "Even if I did know something I would rather die than tell you."

"That can easily be arranged, Prince," the man said, slowly circling the blonde Elf. He nudged the chair with the golden staff, tipping it slightly. Legolas closed his eyes against the pain it caused his feet. Even at peak health this would have been difficult to endure but Legolas' body had been put through enough already and he was having enough trouble staying upright as it was. The rope was already pressing uncomfortably against his throat making it difficult to breath, which, combined with his chest, was becoming a real problem. "I really do hope his plan is worth all this trouble, Highness." The man walked back to Legolas' front. "Look, just tell me what he has planned and I will let you down from there. If you don't, then you can stay up there until you fall to your death or strangle yourself. It is entirely up to you."

"I don't know anything. Lord Elrond is in the king's rooms trying to rouse him," Legolas said with false calm.

"Stop lying to me!" the man suddenly shouted, all pretence of calmness gone as his impatience overcame him. "You think you mean anything here anymore? You're nothing! You mean nothing. You are nothing!"

"And yet I am still here."

"Tell me what I want to know!"

"No." Of course Legolas wasn't going to tell his captors anything that would put Elrond in danger. His mind longer for the Lord of Rivendell to indeed be safely in the king's rooms waiting for him to return but in his heart he knew that the Elven Lord was trying something. His heart pounded in terror that something might happen to his friend. He couldn't stand it if he got hurt.

"You're making a mistake, Legolas." This time the Elf didn't react at all and this only made the man angry again. "Tell me what he's doing or so help me I will let you drop!" he yelled. Even though his heart was pounding hard in his tight, aching chest, Legolas ignored the threat, staring coldly down at the Men who were waiting for an answer. The man chuckled and put his foot against the seat of the chair. "Are you sure of your choice, Legolas?"

When the prince didn't answer again, the man smiled cruelly. Legolas closed his eyes and braced himself for what was coming. Instead of a short, sharp drop though there came a loud bang from across the room that made Legolas jump. There were loud shouts from both the Men and the newcomers and Legolas opened his eyes to find Elves pouring in the door and clashing with the Elves under control of the Men.

"Legolas!" Elrond shouted in horror and the prince looked down just in time to see the Man push against the chair. "No!" Elrond yelled as he saw the man kick the chair out from underneath Legolas' feet. The prince dropped suddenly, the rope jerking him to a halt then tightening around his neck and slowly strangling him.

The man watched for a moment before turning to look at the scuffle behind him. "Restrain them," he ordered his Elves and they redoubled their efforts to stop the attacking free-willed Elves.

Even as more hypnotised Elves poured into the Throne Room and started to overpower their attacking kin, Elrond shoved through the fighting, never engaging once. He only had eyes for the slowly strangling Legolas. He shoved the man roughly aside, ripping the knife from his own bed, noting how Legolas' struggling was starting to die down as his body ran out of oxygen.

Reaching the now still prince, Elrond grabbed hold of him, lifting him up slightly in an attempt to loosen the rope around Legolas' neck. With his other hand, he stretched up and tried to slash the rope with his knife but it just wasn't sharp enough.

"Damn it," he swore. "I'm sorry," he breathed to Legolas as he released him making the rope taut once more. Now with both hands free, Elrond reached up, holding the rope still as he sawed through the thick rope. It didn't feel nearly fast enough to Elrond but within seconds the rope snapped and Legolas fell to the floor, free at last. Elrond knelt down next to him, loosening the rope around Legolas' neck. "Come on, Legolas, breathe," he encouraged desperately, checking his pulse at his wrist. It was faint but definitely there. "Breathe. Come on." After a long moment, Legolas took a deep, shuddering breath and Elrond sighed in relief. "That's it, melleth. And another." Legolas' breathing remained worryingly strained due to his constricted, crushed throat and broken chest but it was at least there. "That's good, Legolas," Elrond breathed but suddenly found a blade being placed against his neck.

"Don't move," a man's voice growled.

Elrond looked over to see the leader sneering down at him then he glanced over to find that the free Elves had now been restrained by the guards. He sighed in disappointment that they had so easily been beaten.

"Get up slowly," the man instructed, removing the dagger. Elrond knew there was no hope that he would be able to get out of this by rebelling. There were too many standing against him. He got to his feet slowly as requested. "Good boy. Go," he demanded, pointing towards the far corner where the Men were gathered. Elrond went slowly, alternating between glaring at the human and looking at Legolas in concern.

"You are despicable," he said to the Men.

The leader smiled thinly at him then nodded towards his Men. "Move him," he commanded, gesturing towards Legolas who remained laid on the floor gasping for breath, unaware of what was going on around him. The Men all protested at being told to do something, moaning that the Elven puppets should do it instead. "Just get on with it. Dump him in the corner and let the rebellious healer make sure he doesn't die just yet, I may have a use for him."

"You're disgusting," Elrond spat as the Men kicked Legolas over and started dragging the semi-conscious prince across the floor by the arms.

"And you are in no position to be throwing around insults," the man shot back. "Tie them all up," he told his controlled guards, pointing to the Elves who were restrained on their knees.

As the Elves were restrained resulting in the odd scuffle as they protested, Elrond inconspicuously crawled to Legolas and very gently checked him over. He was worried that his shoulder had been dislocated again but it was still too swollen to be sure. Normally, he would have placed it in a sling and reset it later but that was impossible with Legolas' hands tied behind his back and when Elrond went to untie them the human leader tutted at him. What concerned Elrond far more was Legolas' strained breathing. His chest must have still been tight and his throat had been severely crushed and constricted.

It was an hour before Legolas' eyes slowly fluttered open. He heard sounds close by but they were too muffled and distorted to make out. He thought they were voices but couldn't understand what they were saying. As his vision cleared, he saw a face hovering above him but it was still too blurry to identify. In fact, he found that he couldn't do much at all. Or feel much, for that matter. His head felt as though it were full of cotton wool, making everything fuzzy around him and his whole body felt weirdly disconnected and numb, which he supposed was good.

Unfortunately, it didn't take long for some feeling and sense to return. He knew how much it would hurt and he wasn't disappointed. His feet throbbed terribly, his hip hurt where the human leader of the Men had hit him. His chest hurt more than he thought possible, as did his back which was arched at an uncomfortable angle. His head ached and the world spun dizzyingly making him nauseous. But his throat felt like it was on fire and about to close up completely and he suddenly found himself choking, coughing harshly. He was cold laid on the stone floor and he shivered slightly.

Suddenly, a warm, soft hand was laid on his cheek, soothing him and eventually, his coughs eased but his breathing remained strained. Then he realised who was hovering above him.

"Elrond?" he croaked, wincing at the pain in his throat. He tried to raise his arms to caress his neck but found that his hands were tied together behind his back, hence the discomfort.

The healer whispered, "Shh, don't try to speak yet. Just rest." Legolas' eyes drifted from Elrond's now clearer face around the hall. He vaguely saw the humans – drunk and laughing around the food table – and the Elves on their knees lined up around the walls. Seeing his people, their eyes all seemingly focused on him, Legolas realised that he was lying naked on the floor and he found himself squirming in embarrassment. Once more Elrond's hand soothed over his cheek and he whispered, "I'm sorry, melleth, they wouldn't let me cover you up."

Legolas went to reply that it was all right but then decided against speaking. It hurt too much at the moment so he very gently shook his head. Only then did he realise that his aching, spinning head was gently pillowed on Elrond's lap. It was a rather uncomfortable position to be in and he attempted to lift his head up.

"Don't move yet," Elrond instructed softly. "I understand it must hurt but I need to make sure your airway is open all the time." Legolas nodded once gently then let his heavy eyes fall closed. He felt Elrond's soft, warm hands stroking soothingly over his face. It provided a good distraction and he concentrated for a moment on his friend's touches. Unfortunately, it didn't last long and he suddenly remembered what had just happened. He had been hanged. All of a sudden, his eyes snapped open and his chest and throat tightened further as panic set in and he once again found himself struggling to breathe.

"It's all right," Elrond's voice washed over him. "Calm down, you're all right. You need to slow your breathing a little." Legolas couldn't though. Now he had panicked, it only grew and he found that he couldn't breathe properly. He looked up to Elrond in panic but the older Elf remained calm. "It's all right, melleth. Just follow my pattern of breathing if you need to," Elrond said kindly, his voice calming Legolas down significantly and after a moment he managed to slow his breathing down to a more normal level. "That's it," the Elven Lord soothed. "Better?" Legolas nodded gently. "Good. Just copy my breathing if you have to and try to remain calm."

"Ah, he's awake at last," the leader of the Men exclaimed from across the room, slamming his goblet of wine down on the table, making Legolas wince. The prince heard heavy footsteps across the floor and he felt Elrond's hands move away from his face and come to rest very gently on his arms. "It's about time. I thought you were going to sleep all day."

Legolas longed to get up from his prone, exposed position on the floor so he could at least face the man but not only could he not clear the dizziness from his head enough to get up but also Elrond's hands were subtly holding him down.

"He wasn't sleeping," Elrond ground out, glaring at the man.

"Lazy," the leader tutted, shaking his head.

"Maybe if you hadn't pushed him to the point of collapse then hanged him, he would be able to stand up," the Elven Lord spat angrily.

"Watch your mouth," the leader of the Men warned. He stopped at Legolas' feet and raked his eyes over the prince who tried desperately not to squirm under prying eyes. "Legolas has learned his place, haven't you, Elf?" he said with a crooked smile, his booted foot kicking at Legolas' bare, injured feet.

As Legolas let out a yelp of pain, Elrond yelled, "Leave him alone!"

The man laughed, "Not likely. He's our most valuable asset." Stepping away from Legolas, the human leader ordered, "Get him up and lock him away, where he belongs."

Two human-controlled guards immediately went to obey. Of course the humans would use the prince's own people to restrain him, knowing fully well he wouldn't fight them. Elrond hated them even more for that and it seemed the other free Elves shared his hatred as Elrond felt the tension in the hall grew even more intense.

"No, wait. Please, he needs a proper healing hall and to be treated," Elrond said pleadingly.

"Uh, no I don't think so."

"Please." In a soft voice, Elrond said, "He can't take any more of your punishments. Leave him alone, please."

"No," the man said simply, shaking his head.

"Take me instead," Elrond told him bluntly, not even hesitating. Legolas' eyes widened suddenly and he desperately tried to force words out of his constricted throat. Before he could even croak out a word, Elrond was already rationalising his request. "I am just as valuable as he is. Do whatever you like to me. Just leave him alone, please."

"Interesting offer," the human mused.

When he realised the man was actually considering Elrond's offer, he shook his head sharply, which instantly irritated his throat causing him to cough violently. He wasn't going to let Elrond get any more involved in this than he already was so ignoring the fact that he was struggling to breathe, he pushed himself up, shoving aside all the numerous problems with his shattered body. Elrond's hands supported him, commanding him to lie back down.

"There you go, he's just fine," the man exclaimed happily.

"No!" Legolas forced through his tight throat, which instigated another bout of breathless coughing. "No, don't touch him."

The man's face slowly transformed into a grin and he turned to look at his colleagues who all started laughing both suggestively and in mockery. Fortunately, Legolas' head was too clouded to be angry at this although he was actually aware of all the other Elves in the hall who were hearing this. It wasn't that he was embarrassed about his and Elrond's relationship but he had always been intensely private in every aspect of his life, particularly that part.

"Ah," the man laughed, looking back to Legolas who was by now glaring up at him. "So, this Elf is important to you then, Your Highness." The prince didn't reply, merely staring at him as the man mocked, "I had no idea you favoured males, Legolas. That could have opened up a whole new avenue of exploration."

Legolas felt Elrond bristling behind him but the prince stated blandly, "No, he's no one."

The words were said with such genuine coldness that it actually hurt Elrond to hear them but it also convinced the man as he struggled dismissively and muttered, "Pity." Then his attention returned to the two Elven guards who had stopped mid-step. "Lock him up."

The two Elves strode mechanically over to Legolas, gripped his arms and hauled him to his feet. Elrond's protests fell on deaf ears and when he stood up, two more guards were there to restrain him. With little more than the soldier's vice-like hands holding him up, Legolas staggered between them not even struggling to get free, he was concentrating too hard on breathing through the pain and dizziness to even consider speaking or protesting.

The prince was roughly shoved into his cramped cage, wincing at the pain this action caused. Even though every inch of him ached and hurt, he bowed his head against the mocking laughter from the men knowing fully well that he had done the right thing. He would rather endure this for the rest of his eternal life than see Elrond suffer this punishment. Resting his aching head on his knees, Legolas closed his eyes against the dizziness and pain.

Elrond meanwhile, was shoved up against the wall near the other freed Elves. His eyes remained on the young prince, his throat choked at seeing him in that position again. After a minute, he looked over to the other free citizens of Mirkwood, intending to discreetly tell them to show some respect and not stare at their prince but he noticed that they all had their eyes averted respectfully. They already knew that the purpose of this was to hurt and humiliate in equal measure. They could do nothing about the first but the latter they could at least make a little easier on their suffering prince.

OIOI

Back in the king's rooms, the two guards assigned to guard their monarch were waiting for some sign that things had gone well in freeing the kingdom. Whilst the more experienced one was staring out the window at the now day lit forest, the younger was pacing the large bedroom nervously as he had been doing for the last twenty hours ever since they had overpowered the four guards in the corridor then slipped into the rooms to watch over the king.

"They should have been back by now," the pacing Elf finally broke the tense silence.

"They'll be back when it's all over," the older guard said softly.

"What if something happened? What if they were caught? What if Lord Elrond – or worse, the prince – was killed?" he asked frantically.

"Then pacing will do nothing to help."

"Exactly my point! We should be doing something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Storm the throne room?"

"Just the two of us? Good plan."

"Then you come up with something," the young Elf snapped irritably.

"If you have been recaptured then there is nothing we can do about it. Our orders were to wait here until either Lord Elrond or Prince Legolas relieves us so that's what we'll do."

"But if they…"

"Would you please stop?" the Elf standing by the window demanded, starting to get exasperated with the constant questioning of their duty. "They will return eventually, until then will you please stop pacing, you're starting to make me dizzy."

Sighing heavily, the young Elf collapsed gracelessly into an armchair. "What am I supposed to do then?"

"Just wait patiently."

Another sigh left the guard's lips and his eyes wandered around the extravagant bedroom before coming to rest on the king. He tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair, drawing an annoyed protest from his companion. Stopping the idle drumming, he settled for watching the king's rhythmic breathing. Suddenly, however, he sat bolt upright in his chair, exclaiming, "Did you see that?"

"See what?" the older Elf asked wearily.

"He moved."

"Who moved?"

"The king! His hand just moved."

Turning around slowly with a roll of his eyes, the experienced guard looked at the unmoving king. "He probably just twitched. He's asleep, not dead," he easily dismissed.

"It was not a twitch. He moved – intentionally," the startled Elf insisted, getting to his feet and standing over the king.

"No, he didn't. Just sit down and be quiet."

After a moment of watching the now still king, the Elf sighed in frustration. "I don't like waiting."

"You could have fooled me," the other muttered sarcastically. "Lord Elrond will set the prince free and he'll sort all this out," he stated confidently. "Everything will be fine."

Just as those words left the older Elf's mouth, a low groan issued from the bed, startling them both. They dashed to the bedside where the young Elf crowed, "I told you so!"

"Be quiet! Your Majesty? Can you hear me?" Thranduil groaned softly once more but did not reply.

"What should we do? Lord Elrond said he was drugged; should we dose him again?"

"I…I don't know."

"Perfect! You knew everything just a moment ago."

"You're not helping."

"Legolas," the king murmured gently, shifting very slightly in bed.

"He's asking for the prince," the young guard stated the obvious.

"I heard."

"What do we do?"

The experienced guard shook his head then said to the king, "Prince Legolas is not here, Your Majesty. He's…busy."

"Busy?" his companion hissed.

"Shut up."

"What now?"

"Now we just…we wait."

"I hate waiting," the young Elf repeated his original impatient statement, only this time his companion was forced to agree with him.

OIOI

"Care for a drink, Lord Elrond?" the leader of the Men asked from the feasting table, holding up a goblet full of wine. Of course, it wasn't a genuine offer so Elrond ignored it – although he would have done the same thing if he had been serious – and continued glaring at the Men. Lowering the goblet back to the table, the man laughed. "So, where are you Lord of, Elrond?"

"Imladris."

"An Elven realm?"

"Obviously."

The man smiled, neither impressed nor deterred by the irritated, one word answers. "Interesting. And Legolas told me you were a great healer. The greatest in all Middle Earth, he claimed."

"So they tell me," Elrond said softly, his eyes briefly meeting Legolas'. Ever since the Men had ordered their controlled army to escort their free-minded kin back down to the cells, Legolas had been watching the humans with open hatred.

"The greatest healer ever known," the man mumbled, slowly circling the table and heading towards Elrond. "And yet you are incapable of waking the king of this realm."

"His condition is complicated," Elrond replied simply.

"Indeed? So complicated that you cannot possibly help? You, the greatest healer of all time, are unable to bring the king out of this coma?"

"So it would seem."

"I have a theory. Would you like to hear it?"

"Not really but I doubt I have much of a choice."

"I think that Legolas has been telling lies. I think he brought you here knowing fully well that there was nothing you could do. In fact, I suspect that out clever prince planned this whole thing, which I have to admit, is disappointing. I expected more from you, Legolas." The man kicked the bars of the cage as he passed, causing Legolas to flinch, which sent a ripple of laughter through the other, mostly drunk, humans. "But I suppose this has actually worked out quite well. Now, not only do I possess the richest Elven kingdom on earth but also the means to hold another to ransom. Tell me, Lord Elrond, is your own land as rich as this one?" Elrond didn't answer, already knowing where this was heading. "I suspect it comes close enough to be of use. How much do you suppose…Imladris will pay for your safe return?"

Although Elrond remained calmly silent in the face of this threat, Legolas looked up sharply, choking on a cough at the sudden movement. "Leave him alone," he demanded as loudly and firmly as he could.

"Are you quite sure he means nothing at all to you, Legolas? You are suddenly extremely protective." This time Legolas did remain silent, not about to be drawn into this taunting. "Besides, it's not your decision, prince."

"They have an army. One that could easily overthrow you."

Nodding, the man held up the golden staff, twirling it around in his hand. "I wonder how many of that army can withstand our power. It would be interesting to find out, I think." Legolas lowered his head so he wouldn't have to look at either the man or Elrond. Really, he knew better than to buy into their mind games by now. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to wait and see how it all works out. Like I said, your little rebellion could well have done us an enormous favour," he laughed. "Isn't it ironic? You brought your friend all this way to save your father and now you have ended up most likely killing him and bringing another of your Elven realms to my attention."

"Stop this. Leave him alone," Elrond pleaded.

"And your friend?" the man asked, stepping over and drawing his knife to place against Elrond's neck. "Should I kill him too? Perhaps it would be worth risking a handsome payment from Imladris to rob you of him."

"Please no," Legolas whimpered pleadingly.

"Why not?" the man challenged, pressing the tip into Elrond's skin and drawing a line of blood.

"I told you before, he poses no threat. And you need him alive. He's the only one who can treat the king. You need him. Please."

"You told me when you sent for him that he could wake the king and yet he has failed. My vaults are still locked. And now he is actually working against us. That is not good. I think we should do one of the following: keep him or kill him." Pulling the knife back an inch, he mused, "I just can't decide which."

"You swore you wouldn't hurt him."

Quirking a smile at the prince in his cage, the man drawled, "You didn't honestly think I would let him just walk free from here, did you?"

Legolas looked over to Elrond in horror and apology for what he had done. Elrond knew fully well that this had been Legolas' worst fear, he had confessed as much on that first day. He longed to go to the prince and hold him close and tell him that everything was all right, that it wasn't his fault. In Legolas' eyes though he immediately saw the intense guilt. Of course, he would blame himself for this. And there was nothing Elrond could do at that moment to persuade him otherwise.

To Be Continued…