DANGEROUS LIAISONS
Aethriel was passing through corridors until she reached kitchens and found Leuthalen. She dragged her out of kitchens in a corridor, Leuthalen was puzzled by Aethriel's actions.
"What is the matter with you, dragging me like that, now everyone will wonder what is happening!"
"My dear, I don't care because I have something important to do and I will need help. When is lunch to be served?"
"Well someone is extra secretive today! Who cares about the lunch, I can serve it whenever I want to cause our cherished king isn't here!
"Oh, great! When you most need him he is who knows where..."
"He is on a hunting party with some of elf-lords. Why do you even need him?"
"Well... you know that new elleth of whom half of the palace is talking about?"
"The one that is said to have a streak of blue hair?" Leuthalen's eyes grew wider.
"Yes, anyhow, to make long story short, I must ask the king to grant me permission to borrow a book from the royal library."
"You will have to wait a day longer since the king is to return tonight, anyway I need to go back to kitchens, but we'll see each other during the lunch and talk about it!" Leuthalen swiftly strode off to kitchens.
Some 200 meters outside of the palace was a glade where training took place. There were about 30 elves engaged in different disciplines. In one corner there were some elves engaged in swordplay, in the other corner were spearmen, while archers were isolated on the opposite side of the glade further to forest due to specific needs of their training techniques. Targets were directed from one another by 2 meters and archers chose on their own the distance they would shoot from. Of course Legolas and Tauriel were on the longest distance possible from the target. Legolas was showing off in front of Tauriel and it was slowly beginning to get on her nerves. He was almost always doing that and most of the times she did not mind it since she got used to it long time ago, yet today she felt differently. Everything Legolas did was done in a strange manner, he was full of energy but in a way which showed that he was easy-going flirtatious and above all cocky. He was smirking more, laughing more, talking more, he even touched her more in that coincidental manner when he was showing her how something was supposed to be done or when retrieving arrows. The good thing about the whole thing was that they were approaching to the end of their training and Tauriel was repeating that thought in her mind knowing it would help her ease her state of mind. Then when she thought it was enough for today she heard Legolas' voice shouting her name from above. She turned and cocked her head up only to see the prince high up trying to tame branches of an old oak tree. She laughed and murmured under her breath:
"What in the name of Arda..? Hey Legolas are you trying to imitate a squirrel?"
"Very funny but no, I am not, I am going to shoot from up here when I find a suitable branch." He was jumping around on branches looking for one from which he could see the aim and have a clear shoot at.
"You are a foolish lunatic! Just don't fall."
"Whatever, still, I am a better archer than you are!"
"Yeah sure!"
He found a suitable branch some 4 meters above the dusty forest ground, he positioned himself and was steadying his arm. He took a deep breath and upon exhaling released an arrow. It hit the target.
He turned to Tauriel and smirked.
"I cannot believe that you actually made it! Unbelievable! Tauriel exclaimed, her tone sounding more irritated than before, he will be rubbing her nose in it. Just in that moment there was a loud crack piercing the air around and before Legolas knew what has found him he was falling towards the ground. Luckily for him he had hit every bushy branch on his way down. Tauriel laughed spontaniously upon seeing the scene but as Legolas did not stand up she cursed under her breath rushing to him while he laid still on green bushy branches, few acorns were strewn around him. She bent down looking at his immovable body her palm reached his cheek.
"Legolas can you hear me?" Nothing happened. She started to shake him hoping it would make him come around but to no avail. Then after several seconds when she almost lost all hope and wanted to call for help a loud shout scared her to death and she both jumped back as well as screamed.
"BOO!"
"You idiot! Nostad lin sui orc! / (you stink like an orc). You scared me to death you really are not yourself today!" Legolas laughed loudly and merrily.
" I am not sure what scene was better; me falling down from a tree or you being scared to death and screaming like a little elleth!"
"It was definitely you, you should have seen the look upon your face, the utter horror your eyes blazed and the way your face twisted. I will never forget that expression!" Tauriel laughed heartily.
"That may be the truth and in the other hand you panicking around was a worthy scene too! Come and help me remove these branches somewhere. Hopefully no one will notice them."
"Perhaps no one will notice branches but only the blind would not notice the state of the tree after your glorious encounter with it. There is missing one third of it!"
"We will pretend that nothing has happened and if anyone notices then I will take care of it."
"Fine. You know... It would be hilarious if your father was to notice: Hahaha. I can imagine him at the dinner table and one elf-lord telling him of that novelty, his face slowly beginning to change shape, he turns to you dead serious but inside he is boiling, wondering what in the Ea was on your mind... I do not know why I firmly believe that that situation would be almost epic as this one when you fell."
"Tauriel there are times when I wonder how ruthlessly twisted your mind can be and this is one of those times. Moreover, I doubt my father will ever find out about this since it is not a big deal after all."
They picked up branches, walked over to a nearby evergreen shrub and thrown them in there. Then they went back to the palace for a lunch during which they decided to pay a visit to lady Aegeria since they felt obliged to watch over her, in a way they considered themselves as her guardians.
There was a knock on Aegeria's healing room...
"Who is it?"
"Tauriel and Legolas, may we come in?" Aegeria was surprised because she did not expect anyone to visit her especially not these two anyway she was happy that someone actually did care about her.
"Yes, of course." Once they came in Aegeria told them to take a seat which they did.
"So what brings you here?"
"We wanted to see how you are doing." Legolas spoke.
"I myself cannot believe how better I feel. So much better than yesterday, I am still taking some medicine for headaches that healer Aethriel left me. Besides that I am eager to get out of this room and bed as soonest as possible because I feel like I will rot away due to doing absolutely nothing." The three of them giggled.
"You almost got a roommate today!" Tauriel exclaimed her eyes upon Legolas and her lips forming a smile.
"What, how?"
"Our prince here wanted to prove how of an excellent archer he is so since training grounds are not sufficient he climbed up a tree and aimed at a target from there..." Legolas could feel his face reddening from embarrassment but did not interrupt Tauriel since he saw how light-heartedly she was recounting the silly incident.
"And did he hit it?"
"He did but briefly after he fell down. " Both elleths were laughing hard and if Legolas could turn into something I am convinced that we would be now seeing a tomato on that chair instead of him.
"But that is not even the half of it. While he was falling down he hit every possible branch that was on his way down oh, and the look upon his face when the branch upon which he was standing made a cracking sound, just unforgettable!" They were still laughing.
"Legolas are you usually that clumsy or was that a really rare opportunity when you were?" (I imagine the tomato on the chair answering to this question).
" Absolutely not...but you may think otherwise after hearing this." Legolas aka tomato barely managed to speak.
"I believe you but still I will have to see it for myself."
"Um, Aegeria concerning your memory... Do you recollect anything?" Tauriel cautiously asked. Upon hearing this Aegeria looked away.
" I do, just this morning when Aethriel asked me where do I hail from I remembered some of it, though I still cannot recollect that essential part; how I managed to come here."
"That is really great. To be honest, there was a sparkle of doubt that you may never remember who you are but as I can see you are almost fully recovered and you remember majority of things therefore, I assume that even that last part which you cannot remember at the moment will eventually be uncovered. You only need to be patient."
"Hopefully it will come to me. I am glad that you are here, it means so much to me and I cannot wait till we spend some time outside on a training field!"
"Well we are going to, you just rest. The more you rest the sooner you will be outside with us! Said Legolas reassuringly then they greeted her and left, when they were walking through faintly lighted corridors of the palace Legolas began:
"Tauriel why did you mention my little incident to lady Aegeria?" She stopped and looked straight into his sea-blue eyes.
"I do not know, it just came to me and judging by lady Aegeria's reaction she enjoyed it as much as I did. Moreover, you have to admit that it is a too hilarious incident and it would be a sin not to recount it!"
"In a way you are true but I will admit you that I felt embarrassed and awkward mainly because you two were laughing hysterically and it made me feel like I was not supposed to be there."
"Oh... I haven't thought of it, I apologize if my foolish behaviour has offended and assure you that it will not happen again!" She patted him on a shoulder.
"I would appreciate it very much and on the other hand I have to tell you that you looked quite remarkable while recounting the incident!" Cocky smile appeared on his face and then he abruptly left her all alone in a corridor, she was stupefied by his words and stood there for a few seconds then she left to her bed chamber thinking what he meant with those words he said.
Somewhere in the deep woods of Mirkwood the king and his company were on a hunting party and the past hour it has been a real nightmare for the king. He could hear from behind him three elf-lords rambling on about new elleth, each one had a theory of their own and soon it turned into a heated debate. Thranduil pondered over the notion how quickly a rumour can be spread. It has been merely more than a full day since lady Aegeria was brought to the palace and yet everyone already knew about it.
"Why do they even take notice of such unimportant things? It would be much easier if they would not stick their noses into other elves' businesses. It is solely my business since I am their king, still it is amusing how each one considers himself competent enough to comment and debate on the matter."
The aim of the hunting party was to relax, to keep business matters and formalities inside the walls of the palace where they rightfully belonged and not the other way around. The cacophony continued only to mark an end to Thranduil's desperate craving for a piece of serenity. His only wish now was to see a creature whether an animal or an orc, anything actually that would redirect his thoughts from the rubbish those ellons were blabbering about. Then the inevitable happened.
"My lord what is your opinion on this matter?" One of elf-lords asked. Slightly annoyed Thranduil waited the elf-lord to come next to him and turned to look him straight in the eyes, answering placidly.
"Lord Finnelon the lady you are talking about has a name and it is Aegeria. Furthermore, I cannot see an obvious reason why would you unnecessary concern yourself with such things. As a matter of fact, lady Aegeria is merely our guest in the Woodland Realm and it was a grave misfortune that she and her small escort were ambushed by orcs. Unfortunately for her the escort fulfilled its cause while on the other hand, we should be really happy that the same fate did not find her too, and that she managed to escape with only a minor injury. She is being tended to and I sincerely hope that her recovery will be swift so I could present her to all in the palace sooner rather than later. Lastly, for the time being I wish not to speak any further concerning the matter since I have heard enough of your arrant nonsense."
Thranduil urged his elk forward while lord Finnelon's lips twitched. He stood there shocked not believing what he just heard. He thought that the king would gladly join their debate but he was so wrong and he felt disgraced. Other two elf-lords emphasized with him and gave encouraging looks. The rest of the time was spent in an uneasy silence, here and there broken by the hum of the elf-lords. Thranduil wanted to be in the palace doing whatever it was to be done, but above all else he wanted a glass of good wine. Things those elves said were intolerable yet his reply was even more surprising, but what else was there to say? As he was thinking about it more and more he began to realize that he was in deep shit, truly deep shit. Like when you accidentally walk over a shit and then you see that half of your shoe is shitty but that is not even close to how our Thranduil managed to fuck it up. It was as if he jumped into raw sewage up till his throat, luckily he was smart enough not to dive head first into it. Nevertheless, the problem was there and he must fix this double-edged sword. Elf-lords will be off his back thinking that Aegeria is a notable guest on the other hand, he must make up a backside story about her (which will be almost hard as acquiring a PhD degree), then talk Legolas and Tauriel into it and pray to Eru it would all work out. Just great, since when he became so stupid to mar his daily life?
Back in the healing room Aegeria was eating her dinner while Aethriel was telling her about the king's whereabouts and their further plans of gaining the permission for the library.
"So tomorrow morning I am going over to the king, I will say that you feel bored and wish to read a book to pass the time. What kind of books do you like?"
"I don't know... Do you have a collection of elvish legends or poetry written in the common tongue?"
"Truthfully I really have no idea and it even does not matter since we do not need that sort of books that is just in case if the king asks what you prefer. Our main goal is to find something which will explain your appearance and possibly enlighten us about your ancestors."
"Sure, it is sad that I have never actually talked about it with my parents. Aethriel is there any chance that you could borrow 2 books?" Aegeria asked looking with her puppy eyes at her.
"I cannot promise anything but I will ask. What would you like me to bring you?
"If you find a collection of elvish poetry it would be great, and my second choice would be something satirical in case you do not find any poetry."
"Alright, then we have a deal, I will bring you breakfast tomorrow before I visit the king and return to you as soon as I find right books. I have a good feeling about it but I won't bother you anymore. Have a good night!"
"Ok, see you in the morning then. Sweet dreams!"
Aethriel left to her bed chamber and Aegeria watched the dim lights and their shadows playing upon walls and other surfaces of her room until she fell in a deep slumber.
So here is the new chapter, hopefully you'll like it, apologies for the delay I've been busy last weeks but now I'll have more time for writing this story. =D