"Are you alright, Legolas?" Thranduil's softly-spoken question appeared to bring Legolas out of his bewildered thoughts.
"I … I think I need to go for a walk," he said, unable to think of anything else. He badly needed to sort out his thoughts now. Everything was so confusing. But…what had she, his Nana, said? She had been in Dol Guldur. And her hands, somebody had mutilated her. Legolas had observed that she covered all parts of her body. Was that the reason why? And, she mentioned a babe…oh…what had been happening?
"Legolas..." his Ada's hands were on his shoulders and he was looking at him with concern.
"I...I need to go now, please," he excused himself in a hurry, the hurt look on his Ada not lost on him. But, he could not face his Ada yet.
Legolas ran out of the castle into the woods, ignoring the greetings and the bows of the soldiers. He had come back to Mirkwood's borders nearly two weeks ago but had not had the courage to go back to his Ada's lands, his lands, too. His brief travels after leaving Dale had shown him much – lands and people suffered under inept and greedy kings, orcs constantly attacked in small groups on any unsuspecting traveller and in a small village that he had sought refuge for a day, the inhabitants had told him of the raids from the Wildmen of Dunland. Men were living in fear and danger, some of their own making, others of their ill-luck to have less than prudent rulers. And he had thought of Mirkwood. Never once had he feared his life or future there. It had always felt safe and he knew that it was not just him. Many a Mirkwood elf who travelled out would always enter the Woodland Realm with a prayer that he had returned home safe. Safety had been within his Ada's realm. "Close the gates. No one enters Mirkwood and no one leaves." His Ada's aim had been to protect those who had made Mirkwood their home. Everything else came later. He was the King of Mirkwood, not all of Middle Earth.
Legolas ran faster as he zipped through the trees and jumped over the rocks. This running – it felt good against the agitation that was palpitating in his heart. When he finally came to a stop against a few large rocks, he leaned his back against it and took deep breaths. Even the air felt different, sweet and clean, carrying the fragrance of autumn.
"Will you let me go, King Thranduil?" Was that not what he had told his Ada before he left. His Ada had not said anything, merely telling him to be safe. And, then sent soldiers after him to ensure he was safe. No, that would have been Commander Aradan, who was now lying injured, thanks to him. Legolas let his head rest against the smooth surface of the rock and closed his eyes, not to sleep but to forget the world for a minute.
When he awoke, it was to hushed whispers coming from behind. "The Prince is back! Thank Eru for that! We can all finally be at peace," a soldier was saying. "Aye, Filvendor. It is indeed a cause for joy. To not have him here and have to wonder if he was safe, awaiting news from the Captain had been a cause for great anxiety."
"Still, he ought to apologise to the King. How could he have so foolishly raised his sword to the King in the battlefield? First Tauriel, then him. It is the kindness of the King that he broke only her bow and not her head. A lesser King would have thrown her in the dungeons for disrespecting him,"
Legolas realised that it was Lieutenant-General Eroan talking now. He was another of Commander Aradan's direct deputies. "Aye, Lt.-General Eroan is correct. Not all Kings are so forgiving. Tauriel is lucky that King Thranduil did not take her ill-behaviour personally. He was mad though when she shot the Queen. 'Twas the Queen, who requested the King not to punish her, for her Ada had been the Queen's guard. Poor Airion, he was so worried and so mad at Tauriel. It seems that Commander Aradan did not really fault him though but warned him to be more alert."
"Ill-behaviour? She was downright rude, foolish, irresponsible…don't get me started. I could go on Rhothomir. I was most upset with her. If you leave now, the dwarves will die. And what of us elves? The King was devastated as he saw the bodies of his own strewn across Dale. His decision was not wrong. Continuing to fight there would have been fruitless. We had to reconsider our strategy.But Tauriel had to point her arrow at our King, her King in the middle of the battlefield."
"And to accuse him of not having love in him. I never expected such dim-witted talk from Tauriel. Did she not see his love when he raised her from an orphan in his castle after her Ada was taken prisoner? The King does not forget his elves or their kin. The Woodland Realm had been merely a patch of land with trees. King Oropher did build it up but it was under King Thranduil that we built up our gardens, fields, mills, farms, armoury and now, even forts. And to have thought of building underground.. Had it not been for King Thranduil's determination and prudence, we would have wasted away."
"Not to mention his decision not to save the Queen coz the army did not have the strength then…" All the soldiers were quiet then as they remembered the dark days after the fall of King Oropher.
"I hope our Commander recovers soon. The King and Queen are really upset."
As the soldiers resumed talking, Legolas moved away as silently as he had arrived. What had the soldiers been talking about? Could it be true? Why hadn't Tauriel told him anything about it? He had been feeling guilty and wrong but now, he felt downright foolish. And she had shot Nana? His Ada had let her off?
Turning back, he made for the castle, seeking out Tauriel. She was nowhere to be found. When he went to the Commander's room, he saw Ceridwen at his Commander's side, feeding him some liquid. He was not ready to see Commander Aradan yet. He turned and left, looking for Tauriel.
He was greeted by Elda, upon entering the kitchen. "Prince Legolas," she bowed, "would you like anything to eat? You must be tired."
"No, Elda. I am fine.." Legolas' words trailed off as he saw the other elf. Wasn't that Tauriel's Nana?
Elda caught his look and nodded as Meldiriel bowed to Legolas shyly and quickly looked away. She was busy washing the dishes.
"Meldiriel is helping me, Prince Legolas. Why, she helped the Queen with the strawberry tarts earlier. Would you like some?"
Legolas was surprised. "Nana baked the strawberry tarts, Elda? She gave me some earlier. They were delicious."
"Now there, Prince Legolas. There you go breaking my heart."
Legolas knew that Elda was joking as she smiled and packed some tarts for him. "I have made some lemonade for you, if you want. My lady had made the peach cobbler for the Commander but.." Elda teared then and Legolas felt terrible.
"Awww, Elda. Do not be upset. Our Commander will be fine."
"Aye, he will be, Prince Legolas. We all need him."
Legolas left after comforting Elda and found Tauriel near the stables. She was checking the horses and brushing them down.
"Are you working in the stables now, Tauriel?" Legolas was surprised.
Tauriel shook her head. "I am supposed to guard the kitchen and the outer parts thereof. 'Tis my punishment, I guess after I shot the Queen."
"'Tis not a bad punishment, don't you think?" Tauriel did not miss the irritation in Legolas' voice.
"You are angry I shot your Nana, Legolas?"
"You should not have shot any innocent elf, Tauriel. We ought to be prudent. Action without thought is dangerous. That was always Commander Aradan's advice and expectation. I failed him in that too."
Tauriel was silent and Legolas continued. "I thought Ada had banished you, Tauriel? How did you come back?"
Legolas did not know why he was asking this question. He had known all along that Tauriel would return for her Nana was here. His Commander would not have let Tauriel be away from Mirkwood for long. Tauriel's Nana often came to the castle and his Commander had always been kind to her. His Ada never really spoke, just let her be.
"The Commander told me to come back." Legolas nodded, Tauriel's answer affirming his thoughts.
"Oh," Legolas did not know what to say now and he decided to come straight the point.
"Is there anything else you would wish to tell me, Tauriel?" he asked carefully.
This time, Tauriel looked away. "What would you wish me to tell you, Legolas?"
"The truth of what happened in Dale. Why did Ada hold you at sword point?"
Tauriel swallowed, "The King was going to leave. He..he said that too many elves had died. I .. I had raised my arrow to the King," Tauriel's voice caught, "I told him that there was no love in him. " After a brief paused, she finished, "He was furious and broke my bow and..and.. held me at sworpoint. You came then."
Legolas looked at her. He wanted to hide his hurt but couldn't. "Why didn't you tell me then? Why didn't you stop me? I thought you were my friend, Tauriel. From young, I had stood up for you to Ada, to Commander Aradan. You allowed me to make a mistake. I had pledged to defend my land and my elves yet I abandoned my King and my Commander in the middle of a battlefield. I shamed them both," Legolas bowed, the tears spilling out.
"Legolas.." Tauriel did not know what to say. "I didn't want him to leave. The dwarves would have died.."
She was cut off by Legolas, "And they did… My Ada did not kill the dwarves. They died in battle. We cannot fight all battles. He merely wanted to protect his own elves. That was what he had pledged to do. I was wrong ..I was so wrong." Legolas was muttering to himself now. He could not blame Tauriel. The decision had been his to make. He had to take responsibility for them.
"Legolas..," he turned around and looked at Tauriel, "mayhap, I was wrong. 'Tis only hit me so late after our Queen spoke. I am sorry, Legolas."
Legolas nodded. "Take care, Tauriel. I need to go." Pausing awhile later, he said, "Tauriel, if I had half the love in me as that my Ada has in him, I would consider myself worthy of him." With those words, Legolas sped off, faster than usual, leaving Tauriel to her own thoughts. For she too was ashamed of herself after hearing the Queen's words. Briefly, she wondered who the Silvan elf the Queen had loved was.