***Chapter 18***
**Deirdre's POV**
I drummed my fingers in annoyance against the black stone arm of my throne. It was small in comparison to the one the level higher on the dais, where Lord Sauron would sit, yet it still brought fear to all those who came before me. The orc mage who knelt before me, cringed at the tapping sound, looking down to avoid my gaze.
"How much longer will you make me wait?" I snarled at the mage.
"Mistress, it will take more time to bring back the form of one lost so long ago." He stated, not meeting my eyes. "Especially a form adequate to meet the strength that our Lord requires."
"And yet you said that the ring was all it would take to bring back his form." I growled as I rose from my throne, towering over the figure kneeling before me. "Why must we keep waiting?"
"Mistress, we believed that the will of the ring would produce the form necessary. It is just taking longer than anticipated." The mage offered.
"That's not good enough." I snapped, fire burning in my eyes as I looked with hatred at the orc.
Suddenly the doors to the throne room swung open, standing there was a man about 6 feet tall, cloaked in a black tunic and black breeches, his boots shone as he strode forward across the glossy black floor. Dark hair hung down over his shoulders, framing his aquiline face. But the most shocking thing about this man was that his eyes burned like fire, black in the center and flaming throughout the rest of the eye that was visible.
A gasp tore through me as I realized that this was my Lord incarnate, my knees dropped to the floor and my head fell down so that I was only staring at the shining black boots that approached me.
The orc, which was on the floor below me, whimpered as a chuckle cut through the air. A pale hand dropped to my chin and lifted it to look at his face. His lips pulled up in a smirk when he looked at me and I cast my eyes downward. An instinctual fear burned through my deference for a moment before it faded away. I was lifted to my feet as he took my hands in his own. He looked down at me, the smirk never leaving his face.
"You have done well, my queen." His voice was silky, in an almost painful manner. So perfect that it was unnatural.
"Thank you, my king." I responded, my voice coming out calm yet forceful without a hint of fear.
"Mage," he began, causing the orc on the ground to look up at the two of us. "You are dismissed."
The orc wasted no time in bowing and scurrying to the door, sliding them shut as he departed. Silence filled the air after the echoing boom of the doors closing dissipated. I was now standing alone with Lord Sauron himself. He released one of my hands but used the other to lead me through a side door which contained a private dining hall. He sat me down at the right hand side of the head place, pouring me a glass of wine before sitting down at the head chair.
"Tell me of the prisoners kept in the dungeon." He ordered, filling his own cup of wine and taking a drink.
" They are the group that tried to destroy your ring. However, I felt that we should keep them alive until you could decide for yourself. In the end cell is Gandalf the White." I informed before taking a sip of my wine.
"And what do you propose that we do with them now?" he asked.
"Within our dungeons are the very hope of middle earth, the leaders of two separate kingdoms and lords of many others. The allegiance of their people will come should they give us their allegiance. Do you not agree my lord?" I returned.
He paused for a minute, staring into his wine glass before taking a drink. Then his gaze shifted over to me in a scrutinizing manner. It seemed as though he was trying to read into my motivations for keeping the prisoners alive. But then his gaze lost the searching intensity and he gave a slight nod of approval.
"That seems a reasonable idea, at least for the most part." He began. "However, there is the problem with the wizard."
"What is your solution, my lord?"
"The wizard will have to die." Sauron said flatly. "It will prove an example for the rest of the prisoners. Do you agree?"
I couldn't help but hesitate when I was asked that question. I could understand why he would say that. Gandalf was a dangerous player, powerful enough to make trouble.
"Of course, my lord." My voice came out clearly, keeping the regret from my tone as best I could. "And the rest of the prisoners?"
"I suppose we can keep them on so long as they don't try anything." With that he finished his wine, and placed the empty goblet back on the table.
**Saffy's POV**
There was a heavy silence filling the air after Deirdre left. During that time, Gandalf had retreated back into his cell, murmuring occasionally and stroking his beard. Deciding that there was nothing better to do than wait, I moved over to the cot that had been placed in my cell, sitting and leaning back against the hard stone wall. Hours seemed to pass, before the sound of movement filled the hall once more. I moved from the cot and to the bars once more to get a look at what was coming down the hall.
Between the hunched forms of two orcs came the soft footsteps of a small hobbit. Frodo's head was bowed down and he looked like the world was resting on his shoulders. The door to the cell down past Sam's was opened and Frodo was ushered in. The guards walked back up the hallway, until the sound of a door shutting left us once more in silence.
"Frodo!" cries came from the hobbits around him, as they all moved to the bars trying to get closer to the dark haired hobbit.
There was a soft mumbling coming from Frodo's cell, but his voice was too far away for his words to be clear. I saw Gandalf moving to the front of his cell once more, trying to get closer to Frodo, so perhaps he could hear him.
"Frodo?"Gandalf asked.
"I'm sorry, Gandalf." Frodo said, loud enough this time for his voice to carry over to my cell. "I thought she was there to help."
His words made my head snap in his direction, shocked by what he was saying. Before, I shifted my gaze back towards Gandalf.
"Deirdre?" I questioned, having to clarify what he was saying.
"Yes." Sam's voice cut in this time. "She said that she would take care of everything and that we should sleep. Then I remember a pain and nothing more."
The words hung in the air for a moment in pure silence, before Gandalf cleared his throat. "When she approached you on the slopes, was she wearing the necklace?"
I turned my attention to the wizard, shock crossing my face at how inane his question seemed. I couldn't think why her wearing a necklace could be important. But I wasn't about to question the wizard.
"The flower with the red stone?" Sam questioned. "Yes, I think she was wearing it on the slopes."
A frown crossed Gandalf's face as he took in this information. Aragorn seemed to sense that this information was important as he moved back to the bars on the side nearest to Gandalf and had his face nearly pressed between them.
"What importance does the necklace have, Gandalf?" Aragorn questioned.
The wizard seemed to take a moment considering if he should answer or not. His eyes looked straightforward towards the entrance of the cells, as if making sure that what he said would not be passed along back to Deirdre.
"If I am correct, which I fear I am. Then that is a bloodstone." Gandalf stated solemnly.
Legolas shot up as soon as the word bloodstone left Gandalf's lips, rushing towards the bars and gripping them so tight that I could see his knuckles whiten.
"I see you recognize the term." Gandalf commented, noting Legolas' extreme reaction to the word.
"I don't understand what you mean." I stated, hoping that the wizard could do something to get rid of the confusion.
"A bloodstone creates a connection by blood to command another being. The person wearing the stone would pick up characteristics of the ruler, as well as being bent to the will. They have not been used in thousands of years, but I fear that somehow Sauron or another force had given blood to that stone and is now using it to bend Deirdre to his will."
I could feel my brain whirling at a mile a minute trying to understand the ramifications of what he just said.
"So everything that she has been doing has not been Deirdre's decision?" Legolas questioned, hope seeping through his voice.
"It's possible, Legolas. She might have moments of clarity. However, they will not last long. And the longer she wears the necklace the rarer they will become." Gandalf informed.
"What happens if we take the necklace off of her?" I questioned, hoping that maybe it could help me get my best friend back.
"It will wear off in time." Gandalf reasoned.
"So we get it off her and hope that she comes to her senses before Sauron gets his form back." Aragorn determined, trying to come up with a plan of attack.
Gandalf gave a nod before heading back into the shadows of his cell. I decided that now may be the best chance to get some rest for the coming trials, I also slipped back into the shadows and laid down on the bed in hopes of coming up with a plan.
***End Chapter***