Hey you guys! It's been a while, I know, and I am so sorry! Well, first thing's first, to the reviews!
Ahsokazami2001:Yes, they're evil women who will eventually steal Legolas's Ada away aren't they? ;) Guess we'll see, but so far, I don't think I'm planning on it. Thanks so much! You ROCK my socks off my darling!
DeLacus: To another faithful reviewer...! Thank you again! Alright, a lot of you have asked about Oropher, I know, it's different, and I hope you'll all bear with me here as we ride this crazy emotional rollercoaster with Legolas, I promise I'm going to try my best to smooth out the rough edges, thanks for all the support!
Newborn Hope: Yay! I'm glad you liked the dolls! You were the first who mentioned them! I was hoping you'd get a kick out of that! And yes, I must say I think I agree with you on the Japanese to Elvish stuff. My Dad lived in Japan for while and now speaks Japanese and is currently teaching me, so I can definitely tell there's quite a few similarities there! Very nice insight! Thank you! :D
Rousdower:And now to you my dear, the one whom always finds some way to make me nearly laugh my head off... ;) Speaking of the Partay-King, I dropped by your story earlier and found myself instantly drawn to the hilarious nature of your writing, I LOVED IT! (snickers) 'Smirkwood'... So, yes, Oropher, its new and different and I honestly do hope you'll all warm up to the idea, I'm working on it myself, so hopefully it won't all backfire before my eyes!:) Thank you! (And sorry, I don't watch Sherlock, I did watch Elementary if that's even somewhat close to what you speak of, it's a modern day Sherlock Holmes and Watson, very intriguing, though now I'm more into NYC cop shows like Blue Bloods) ;)
Alright, so now to the formalities before we get to the chapter, though I doubt most you read this stuff anyways and just skip to the chapter, that's alright, I know I am also guilty of doing so! ;D To quickly address the 'Oropher' question, please bear with me, I'm still working everything out as quickly as I can so that we can get this story running as smoothly as possible, so for those of you actually do read this, I will no longer waste your time and let you get straight to the chapter!
One last thing, I know I haven't named my chapters in the past, but I just felt like this chapter needed one! ;) Have fun reading, see y'all at the end of the chapter!
Chapter 5; Scars
{Legolas's POV}
I didn't breathe; I couldn't.
How could I, when the very essence of all that I feared stood before me, his hands inches from my face...? I stood as still as I could and stared as long as I dared into his steely blue gaze. Those eyes had plagued my dreams many nights when I was younger. Even now, even as old I was, there were still nights when his gaze would wake me during the middle of the night.
His voice, so sickly sweet, formed the words I dared not to utter on his lips, "How wonderful it is to see you again."
I nodded unconsciously, and stared behind him over his shoulder where Ada stood busily conversing with the Lord of Imladris. How desperately I prayed he would gaze for only a moment in my direction! Kyleth stood to his right and smiled kindly to Lord Elrond, bowing her head respectfully before she departed from their prescence. She didn't seem all that comfortable before them. I could tell by the way she had spoken, as if she had forced the greetings to come from her mouth. How stiff she was, meeting dozens of the guests as they flooded into the halls. She was a servant, not used to the ways of welcoming Lords and counselors into the palace as if it were her own...
Kyleth. My eyes widened for a moment as a sudden realization dawned upon me. Perhaps she, if not my father, could rescue me from my sudden predicament! I looked between her and my grandfather subtly, hoping against all odds she would turn her head ever so slightly in my direction.
And she did!
I wanted to cry out with joy but I refrained from doing so. I looked to her desperately, pleadingly, sending her a silent message from my eyes to hers, praying she understood. I almost collapsed with relief when she picked up the skirts of her dress and hurried quickly over to me, bowing before my grandfather and I.
"'Quel undome, My Lord Oropher, My Prince," She said, her voice a bit frantic as she turned to me. "Your father wishes to speak with you Prince Legolas, on matters that are ever so urgent." And then as if she had just remembered my grandfather was still in her prescience she turned and acknowledged him, bowing her head. "My Lord, is it alright if I steal him away for a few precious moments? I understand if you both are already busy-
"No, My Lady," Oropher said softly, flashing her a gentle smile. "We were just in greeting, it is good to see you again my sweet child." He planted a cool kiss upon my forehead then parted from us waving. "Don't worry, we will speak again soon."
As soon as my heart registered that he had left, I nearly fell against Kyleth who steadied me quickly with her hands tight around my wrists. I hadn't realized my body had been as tense as it was. Kyleth brushed her hand gently against my cheek and felt my forehead with the back of her hand. I straightened immediately and tried to shrug her off. "I am fine, Lady Kyleth, please, it's nothing to worry about..."
She didn't seem to believe me but said no more about it, much to my gratitude, and walked me back to my father and Lord Elrond.
The Lord of Imladris took immediate notice of my well being and frowned down upon me. "Well it seems you've either being participating in a snowball war outside with the twins, or you've decided to paint your face a new shade of white." I rolled my eyes at his comment and then and then felt my heart leap at the mention of Elladan and Elrohir.
"They are here?" I asked in a rather childish manner, for which I took notice of shortly after and tried to mask my emotions with indifference as it seemed Ada would. Elrond smiled knowingly at my attempt.
"Yes little leaf, they are here, and they could hardly contain their excitement when I told them we'd be attending the ball." I grinned devilishly at this. But then the thought of only a single night of pranks didn't seem to settle much to well with me. I looked to Ada expectantly. He laughed and turned to me, saying, "Yes Legolas, of course I couldn't invite them to stay without spending the rest of the winter with us now could I?"
My eyes gleamed and I found myself throwing my arms tightly around his neck in an embrace. "Ada, the entire winter?! Do you promise?!" I suddenly felt like a child again, giddy with excitement at the promise of my two best friends in all of Middle Earth staying with us for the entire winter!
Thranduil raised an eyebrow but returned the embrace. "Has someone replaced my son with little Greenleaf of late? I haven't seen you this excited since we spent the summer in Imladris nearly an entire century ago."
I smiled at his joke and pulled from his embrace, suddenly remembering why I now stood before them in the first place. My excitement vanished as quickly as it had come over me and I lowered my voice so that only they could here. "Ada, I...grandfather said hello." Thranduil's eyes narrowed at hearing this and I soon found myself held by the shoudlers as he looked over me in concern.
It was not often that I admitted my discomfort. to others, especially those close to me, but being surrounded by my father, Lord Elrond, and my rescuer, I felt safe in their company. Now, I only begged that my grandfather was no where near to hear me do so.
"Are you alright?" He hissed, anger flooding into his before calm, cheerful voice.
"Ada, he has not hurt me-
"That is not what I asked."
I looked up to him suddenly uncomfortable discussing my grandfather during the middle of the ball. I stared into his gaze with pleading eyes. "Can we please talk about this later?" I asked, my tone hushed. "I do not wish for the ball to be ruined for anyone else." Ada's eyes softened and he gently stroked my cheek, releasing me from his hold. "Yes, we will talk later." The tone in his voice assured me of that.
I sighed softly and raised my head to meet the worried glances of Kyleth and Lord Elrond. Before I had the chance to address their concern a loud crash resonated from the Kitchen and nearly every head turned in that direction. I was hardly able to hold in my laughter as Elladan and Elrohir emerged from the doors of the kitchen, soaked to the skin in a deep red substance which I assumed was wine from one of the barrels, or several, from the wine cellar.
Elrond shot them a deadly glare with widened eyes as they lowered their heads and scurried forward towards their father. My entire frame was now shaking with laughter that threatened to spill from my lips, yet my some miracle I able to withstand the urge.
Elrohir slowly lifted his head when his older twin did not and looked around the ballroom to find many pairs of eyes glued to him and Elladan. He opened his mouth and with an innocent smile, cleared his throat.
"Malia ten' yulna?"
...
I sat on my bed playing a game of cards with Elladan and Elrohir, who had bathed in the past hour and were dressed in dry clothes. However, I thought I could still barely smell the scent of one of Ada's finer wines wafting from their hair as wind from the open window blew threw. I suppressed a smile and looked back down to my hand.
Elladan watched his twin nervously as Elrohir discarded and drew a new card.
"You cheated!"
Elrohir's head sprung up at the accusation and he turned to meet his twin's gaze, flashing an angry glare. "Why, I most certainly did not!"
"Yes you did! I saw you slip another card into your sleeve!"
Elrohir faked mock hurt and pressed his hand to his heart. "I can't believe that after all we have been through together you actually think, that I," He emphasized nearly every word and pointed to himself. "Your faithful twin brother would commit such a crime against you and Greenleaf!" This time when Elrohir threw his hand out to point to Elladan the Ace of Clubs flew from his sleeve into his brother's lap.
Elladan shot an accusingly glare to his twin. Elrohir paled.
"Well, you see-
Elrohir hadn't even gotten halfway through his explanation before his older twin pounced over our cards and onto his brother you yelped and rolled from my bed with him onto the floor. Elrohir struggled beneath his twin and grabbed the pillow he had been laying on and smacked Elladan across the face with it. Elladan in return, calmly stood, took my bow from the corner of the room and proceeded to lunge at Elrohir with it.
I was laughing at the whole ordeal when their heads suddenly turned to me in a menacing glare. Sensing their gazes, I ceased my laughter and swallowed hard, slowly backing away as they crept the tiniest bit closer.
Elrohir was the first to attack and jumped on top of me with his arms pulled tight around my chest. I turned over onto my side and rolled across my bed in an attempt to throw him off but his grip never lessened, much to my dismay. I could feel Elladan behind me now also as he pulled my arms behind my back and tied my wrists together with something that felt suspiciously like the extra coil of string I used for my bow. I frowned at him when he turned me over to face the mischievous glances of him and his brother.
"Seems we've captured our dear Greenleaf," Elrohir mused evilly. I rolled my eyes and attempted to kick at them but they each reached out and grabbed one of my legs as I did. I groaned when Elladan tied my ankles together with more of the string he had used earlier. "I need that for hunting 'Dan!" I exclaimed.
"It can always be reused," He said simply and pretended to think. "Now just what will we do with you now that we've captured you?"
My eyes widened and I felt my face grow pale. "No! 'Dan, 'Ro, no-
"We could dunk him into the pond out in the courtyard!" Elrohir suggested despite my pleading.
"Or we could tie him up into the willow tree!"
Elrohir glared. "I liked my idea better! What kind of punishment is tying Greenleaf to a tree? He loves trees! And no doubt they would free him as soon as we turned our backs!" Elladan seemed to consider his younger twin's reasoning. "I suppose your right." He reached over me and tossed me over his shoulder and had begun to head towards the door with Elrohir when he stopped and turned to his brother. "How long do you leave him in the pond?"
Elrohir shrugged. "We could always dye his hair instead, but we've done that before." I tried uselessly to kick Elladan. "My Ada will have your heads if you do that again!" I exclaimed. "Don't you remember what happened last time?!"
The twins shuddered at the memory.
"We didn't know you had to leave for Lothlorien to represent Mirkwood for meeting just a day after!" Elrohir said innocently. "You should've told us before we did!"
"I did!"
Elladan swallowed. "True...but it was such a lovely violet."
I groaned and looked up at the guests and servants staring in bewilderment as Elladan carried me further through the palace. Luckily, he was heading in the opposite direction of the courtyard. Much to enjoyment, it seemed that he didn't remember where the courtyard was.
I was also just my luck that Ada and Lord Elrond where headed in our direction and stopped us in the middle of the hallway. I fidgeted and tried to knee Elladan in the shoulder but he proved to be stronger in this position and kept a firm grip.
I could hear Ada's laughter as he stepped into my view to look down upon me. I glared up at him which only caused him to laugh harder. "You've done a fine job boys, but where exactly may I ask are you headed?"
"The courtyard!" Elrohir chirped, causing my father to look at him surprised.
"Ah, yes, but the courtyard is in the opposite direction," Lord Elrond told them, pointed down the hallway to the left from where we had been walking from. "Through the double doors." I wanted to glare at him also but I couldn't see him from my position on Elladan's shoulder. Elrohir came into my view and frowned down upon me. "Is that so? Well, I suppose we must be going then." He turned around and headed down the opposite way we had come. When he did, I could finally send the menacing glare towards Elrond who smiled knowingly back to me before turning and leaving the way he had come with my father.
I was surprised at how cold the air felt to my skin as I was carried outside, and could only dread the thought of being dunked beneath the freezing water of the pond. I smiled to myself suddenly. Oh how the twins were going to pay for playing this awful trick.
Elladan lowered me onto the grass beside the pond and cut the string that had held my wrists and ankles before quickly holding me down with Elrohir. Together they lifted me as I thrashed in one final attempt to free myself from them. They only squeezed tighter and sneered at me. I sighed as they lifted me higher and thrust me forward into the icy water.
For which, I was completely unprepared.
...
Ada ~ Dad/Daddy/Father
'Quel undome ~ Good Evening
Malia ten' yulna ~ Care for a drink?
...
And scene! ;) I hope you guys like this little cliffie here! I didn't want you to witness the fate of our dear Greenleaf yet! Sorry it's a little bit shorter, but I hope y'all don't mind too much! Alright, well I'd better get going, I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter, and please leave a review! All are answered to, and I'd like to throw one last great big thanks out to Christine Stein! She helped me come up with plot for this story! Isn't she amazing!? Anyways, I love you guys and hopefully I'll see you soon! :)