Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters or settings from Lord of the Rings or Xena the Warrior Princess

Author's Note:

This is a LegoRomance (slow-burn)

~ CII: The Trap ~

Minas Tirith, 3019 TA, June 22nd

The room was peaceful, and the sun was rising slowly. The early light was struggling to break through the heavy drapes into the spacious room. Legolas lay still on the enormous bed, making no sound. He was sleeping soundly, which was unusual for an elf. He laid on his torso, his hair unbraided and loose all over his body, covering the pillows. His clothes, including his tunic, leggings, and boots, were strewn around the room. The delicate white silk blankets covered his button and below, revealing severe wounds on his back. The scars had turned into a fine silver thread that shone in the sunshine. His skin was nothing like it had been before; he could cover most of his scars, but some were visible around his body.

The scars were a source of pride for what he had accomplished as well as a reminder of the darkness he had confronted but did not linger in. It was well known that if an Elf was scarred, it may faint or transform into something different, something darker. Elves were sensitive to lose and grief. They could only be murdered by violence or profound despair. His father was one of the few elves who, after losing his loving wife and facing the darkness, stayed on Middle Earth. Few people are aware of Elvenking's tribulations. However, his son confronted his own and learned not to be overwhelmed by them.

The morning was still early, and everyone in the kingdom had risen and was eating breakfast in the dining room. As the damsel inquired, Xena was already assisting to retrieve the velvet bags from the bedchambers. Arwen had assigned her to fetch the laundry from the guests since the chief maiden was ill. She knew her sister was lying, but she played along. Xena was already aware that since it was breakfast time, all of the visitors might be located in the restaurant. And if she wasn't performing her job, she'd be with them, feasting and slandering the king.

"Beardless pointy-earned pixie, I'll have my vengeance," Xena murmured as she stumbled along the hallways, room after chamber. She would collect the soiled clothing in the velvet bag, open the curtains and windows, and change the bedsheets. The new maiden assigned her a simple duty, but cleaning the guest rooms was insane. They could never open a window while wearing unclean clothes inside the bag.

"You are welcome to..." Elladan stepped in with a bit too much enjoyment as he appeared next to Xena as she stepped outside Gimli's chamber.

"...a little complaint." Elrohir smiled as he finished.

Xena was nearly startled since she hadn't heard the twins approaching her. "What a surprise to see you!" she said ironically. She had already dealt with enough lunacy, and now she had to deal with her brothers. "Thank you, but I can handle my own difficulties," she said as she stuffed the bags into the wooden cart.

Elladan grinned and stepped in front of her, towering over her. "It'll be a simple chore," he said, disregarding Xena's anger.

"... and we'll help you..." Following in his brother's footsteps, Elrohir stated.

Elrond's daughter came to a halt and looked at them. "You are naughty and unlike other brothers, I've met; that is refreshing," she conceded with a tiny grin, "but I - am - not - interested!"

The twins exchanged glances, listened to her praise, and smiled genuinely. "Tell her about our strategy, brother..." Elrohir murmured as he and Elladan drew closer to disclose their grand scheme.

Elladan glanced around to make sure no one was listening and murmured quietly, "You're going to seize Legolas' weapons and toss them out the window at us. Legolas is going to..."

Xena narrowed her eyes and snatched Elladan by the collar. "Of all people, you should know not to touch someone's weapons," she snarled. "That isn't vengeance." She took a peek at the twins. "... it's a cowardly act! Get out of my way," she said as she released Elladan and pushed her way through.

As she entered the final compartment she had to clean, the twins observed her with amusement and a grin on their faces; the sister had impressed them. They exchanged glances before walking away to devise another strategy to entice her.

Xena pulled the door open against the torrent of stuff on the other side's floor. Which of the guests this time left a mess!? She shut the door behind her and walked across the room on tiptoe, careful not to step on any of the clothes. She could almost see into the darkroom. Of course, books were mingled with underwear, a tunic, a pair of jeans, and a few other items. She took them one by one and stuffed them into the velvet bag before moving over to the other side of the room to open the windows.

She furrowed her brow at the distinct aromas of spring rain, damp leaves, Apple Cinnamon, and Black Raspberry. Those were woodland scents, scents that can cure. She soaked in every nuance of the aroma that filled the room. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the familiar scent. Her fingertips scraped against the drapes as she drew them back, allowing the early light to illuminate the room. She opened the window and smelled something different. That was the scent of pine trees, and it made her drowsy.

She halted and opened her eyes in surprise, the fragrance within the chamber familiar since it reminded her of Mirkwood. She realized the clothes she had picked up couldn't have belonged to anybody else; this was an elf's room, and most likely a Mirkwood elf. She smiled, thinking that elves were just as untidy. She then turned to face the light room. Xena remained still. The visitor was still asleep on the king-sized bed.

"Alright, calm down," she said as she saw the man sleeping soundly against the bed. He didn't move or breathed much. Her eyes couldn't take her gaze away from the gleaming he-elf laying there. It was flawless. Then she blinked as if something was wrong. She became aware of the scars. His back is covered with large scars. And those scars were not the result of a war. Strange.

She took a step back as her lips parted wide. The Prince of Mirkwood was the gleaming bastard. Her shoulder connected with the wooden window as she took another step back. She halted again, her face flushed with surprise as she saw the laying figure get up and drape the silk sheets around his waist. He was turning away from her, but she could sense his skepticism in his gestures.

Legolas was startled awake by the sound. A maiden would never enter his room while he was inside. Help maidens seldom made such errors, and if they did, they apologized and exited the room. But not this young lady. She'd already taken his clothes, opened the curtains and windows, and she was still there. Something was completely incorrect. He sat up, covering his lower body. The worst part was still to come when he felt her stare at him. He knew she'd seen his scars, which were part of his secret, which only a few knew.

Tense muscles mirrored her fear, feeding into one another; standing on tiptoe, shoulders pushing back, she began walking away from the window, out of the room. She lowered her gaze, attempting to ignore the enraged eyes that were suddenly pressed against her. Oh, she despised that guy, but she had constructed his personal space at the time. And it was the worst possible moment to pick another quarrel with him.

Legolas' face went blank with astonishment at one point, as if his brain couldn't revolve quickly enough to take in the information from his wide eyes. Xena entered his room, violating his solitude and most likely already noticing his wounds. "Wait," he said, his voice low and menacing, "don't you dare tell anybody about what you witnessed..."

Every muscle in her body froze as a smile crept over her face, quickly stretching from one side to the other, revealing every single tooth. She turned around and looked him in the eyes as she realized the prince was in astonishment. Because she had seen and knew about the scars. He was referring to his scars. "I'm not going to divulge personal information about how dirty the Prince of Mirkwood is," Xena remarked, motioning him not to worry.

It takes a second or two for the new knowledge to sink in, and Legolas looked at her, puzzled. "That's not what I meant," Legolas said as he rose up and approached her, halting barely a step away and looking over his shoulders and down his back.

"I don't know what occurred," she said, "and honestly, I don't care... but I'm not going to talk about it." Then she turned aside and raced out of the room, locking the door behind her and taking deep breaths as she did so. His scent, half-naked physique, and scars all had an effect on her. She had crossed a boundary, and it had an impact on her. He hadn't seen his nude body in a long time, too long he had felt him so near, it was tormenting being so far away from him, she would murder Arwen who had imprisoned her in this.

Legolas could finally breathe when the troublemaker had the courtesy to conceal his scars. He was expecting a more juvenile, perhaps hostile answer. He came to a halt and looked at the entrance; he saw something familiar there for a brief second. Someone he hadn't seen in a long time. He stepped back, wiped himself, and dressed. He looked surprised when he unlocked the wooden trunk in which he had stored his weapons. His weapons had vanished, taken...

Stealing is such an archaic term; it is so intertwined with ideas of property and ownership. But how would the Prince of Mirkwood characterize the theft of his weapons? Who would be foolish enough to get their hands on his weapons? It didn't take long for fresh pandemonium to erupt. The twins discovered out about the weapons and came there right away since they had just proposed that Xena take them to mock Legolas. The old maiden and Xena were also present.

"Who was the last one entering the prince's room?" The elder lady inquired, hoping to learn what had occurred prior to King Elassar learning of the news.

Xena rolled her eyes; she'd previously explained to the head-maiden how this might be happening to her: "I was the last one inside Prince Legolas' chamber..."

"You haven't observed anything unusual," the elderly woman inquired of recent events, "or could it be that you grabbed the princes' weapons?"

"I don't need to take other people's pitiful weapons; I have my own," she snarled. "After all, the princess was here, so you're suggesting I may remove his weapons while he's looking? Who do you believe I am?"

"What?" shouted the head-maiden. "You broke into a visitor's room while the visitor was still inside. Have you told her about protocol?" The elder maiden became disoriented and clutched a nearby armchair to save herself from collapsing.

"You explained how things worked," Xena said angrily. "I never realized the princess here," she stopped, pointing to Legolas, "was still asleep."

The head-maiden sank on the armchair; she had never encountered somebody like Xena in her entire life. If she was called a girl, she was swearing, rebelling, and acting strangely. The young lady was listening and observing the bizarre spectacle that was going on.

Legolas closed his eyes for a while, trying to comprehend what was happening in front of him. The troublemaker acknowledged entering his room while he was asleep. The maiden couldn't stand Xena's antics. And the twins who had just arrived seemed amused. "What are you two laughing about?" Legolas finally ended the ludicrous spectacle that seemed to drag on forever.

"Xena wouldn't take your weapons," Elrohir remarked, smiling at Xena. "Earlier, we discussed pranking you by removing your weapons, and she..."

"And she accused us of being cowards; seizing a warrior's weapons is a coward's deed," Elladan said as he took a step next to Legolas, laid his arm across his shoulder, leaned near to his lips, and whispered, "But you have some explaining to do later..."

Legolas sighed as he pushed his loyal companion away. He looked around again, attempting to figure out who would take his weapons and why. And just when he thought things couldn't get much worse, he saw Arwen enter his room.

"Have your weapons been taken, Prince Legolas?" Arwen enquired, "That is ridiculous! Who would risk stealing your weapons?" Arwen turned to face the twins; it felt like a trick only her twin brothers could do. But Elrohir and Elladan shook their heads, indicating that they had not taken Legolas' weapons. They considered pranking their friend, but they never agreed on whether or not to carry out the plan. Of course, Arwen was aware that the weapons had not been stolen by her twins. She had been plotting this trap for days.

"Who was the last person to enter his chamber?" Arwen inquired as she turned to face the maidens, and the head-maiden pointed to Xena.

When Lady Arwen requested her sister to escort her to her bedroom, there was a little silence, and no one said or intervened. Surprisingly, her room overlooked Legolas' bedroom. Xena opened the door and let Xena come inside, followed by the others.

"Look around!" Xena replied by leaning against the closest wall, allowing the queen to investigate her chamber. She was already swearing under her breath since she had been suspected of stealing. And who told her, her own sister?

The twins stood near the door, watching Arwen investigate their sister's chamber. Things were already in disarray, and Arwen stifled a laugh. But she didn't want to start another argument. Aw, she had missed all the chaos that Xena had caused when she first arrived in Imladris.

Legolas leaned against the door, arms folded over his chest, while he watched Arwen survey the chamber and make a fresh mess. Xena's actions irritated him, and she was already on his bad side, but he suspected she wasn't the perpetrator. Knowing what the twins had told him earlier and how proud the troublemaker was, she was unlikely to take away his weapons.

Thranduil's son read between the lines and admitted that someone else had taken his weapons and was now attempting to implicate Xena. As he realized what had transpired, his fury was visible on his features. However, confronting the perpetrator would set off a chain of events that might lead to worse problems.

The weapons were discovered, and Xena looked at Arwen like a lost kid. Legolas moved in front of Xena and blocked her path as he snatched his swords and offered a tiny bow. "Le fael," [Thank you], he said before taking a step back and motioning towards the door. "Leave us," he said, "I have a meeting with Lady Xena."

The maidens were the first to bow and go without a word. The twins followed the maidens with a shrug of their shoulders. Arwen shot a look towards Legolas, knowing she needed to go and let him handle the situation.

Legolas turned to face Xena, his blue eyes meeting her grey...

((Upcoming Chapter One-Hundred-Three))

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