Reasons to Hope, Reasons to Live
Chapter: Fourteen
Beta: Aubrey'Snape
OoO. OoO. OoO.
Two weeks passed since the little Princess' birth; however, the air that reigned over the White Castle wasn't that of joy and happiness. Rather, it was an air of melancholy and pessimism. Rhircyn let out a deep sigh of despair as he made his way through the corridors of the citadel on his morning routine of inspecting the security of all the checkpoints of the castle. Although the King hadn't said it clearly, it was obvious to all the guards that there was a threat to the lives of the Prince Consort and the little Princess. Feeling the danger looming over their rulers, the elite royal guards vowed to do anything to protect them. Rhircyn wondered how they could do it without knowing whom they were against, though.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Rhircyn sighed in relief as he finally finished inspecting the last checkpoint. After giving his instructions to the guards, he headed back to the Royal Wing; eager to be present at the time the King and the Prince would leave their chambers to attend to their royal duties. He had to be there when the two royals left the Royal Wing, making sure the guards assigned were there to escort them.
"Have their Majesties left the wing?" he asked one of the guards as soon as he reached the wing's entrance.
"No, sir," The guard replied. "The servant just left with their breakfast. I think they are getting ready to leave the quarters."
Rhircyn nodded, relieved that he had reached before their departure. Entering, he made his way with utmost haste to the King's chambers. There he saw two guards in addition to the ones who guarded the chambers' doors, standing in attention waiting for the King and his spouse.
The captain nodded his head in self-satisfaction upon seeing the waiting escort. The two guards were ones of the best among the elite group of the royal guards.
"Are their Majesties inside?" he asked no one in particular, certain that he would be answered.
"Yes." One of the guards standing at the doors replied. "They've just returned from the dining room."
"Were there guards standing while they had their breakfast?"
"Yes, sir," One of the waiting guards replied. "Two stood at the entrance and we stood inside the room."
Rhircyn nodded in approval.
Suddenly the large door opened and Aragorn appeared in his full king attire.
"Good morning, Rhircyn." The King greeted.
"Good morning, sire," The captain replied with a bow, before looking up, awaiting his orders.
"Legolas will be attending the Council in three hours," Aragorn informed. "I expect that he'll be well-guarded while he's out of the Royal Wing."
"Of course, my liege."
"I don't know if Lady Gwîneth will take the Princess out for a stroll today but I want you to ensure that an escort will be provided if she was indeed intending to take the Princess out."
"Certainly."
Nodding his appreciation, Aragorn strode away without another word. He knew that the Captain would do everything possible to ensure that his ordered were carried out to perfection.
OoO. OoO. OoO.
Legolas gently stroked Míreth's cheek as the little elfling slept peacefully in her cradle. Her flesh still felt hot under his touch but there was nothing he could to reduce it. His little daughter had been suffering from a wave of fever for two days without any apparent cause. Lord Elrond had assured him that all babies, human and elves, endure such fevers but still Legolas couldn't shake the fear that filled his heart for his daughter. The Prince sighed, looking down at his napping daughter. Míreth had been sick for quite some time now. Merely two days after her birth, she developed a fever but recovered shortly due to Lord Elrond's potions. However after that, her health swung between healthy and sickness almost sending him mad with fear. Aragorn, also, seemed to share his terror. The man went almost hysterical every time Míreth's health failed. He had insisted that she slept in their bedchamber when she became ill for the first time.
Another issue that worried him was the fact that his daughter wasn't putting on any weight. Legolas had been feeding her in accordance with Elrond and Dior's instructions and Lord of Imladris had been giving her some special nourishments but she still remained small and thin like she was the day she was born.
Legolas bit his lower lip as anxiety rose in his heart. Ever since Míreth got ill for the first time, the Prince feared that the fact of Míreth's premature birth would affect her health and growth.
He was snapped from his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, his eyes met with Gwîneth's reassuring smiling face.
'Don't worry, Legolas, Míreth will be fine.' She assured. 'Her temperature had decreased since last night. The potion Lord Elrond had given her is working.'
Legolas smiled weakly at the elven lady but said nothing. He looked down at his slumbering daughter.
"When are you going to give her again?" he asked.
"At lunch time," Gwîneth replied. 'I'll be taking her out today when you leave. Lord Elrond said that she needs sun and fresh air in order for her body to fight off the illness.' Her voice held a hopeful tone that sent a slight shudder through Legolas' body for no reason. He didn't know why but the last two weeks had been very stressful on him and everything around him felt melancholy and gloomy.
'I should go and prepare myself for the council.' He said suddenly as he stood up. As much as he wanted to stay by his daughter's side, he knew that there was an important meeting waiting for him to attend with the council. Whenever their daughter was ill, Aragorn would usually attend those meetings alone but Legolas was required in today's meeting since the lords would be discussing the possibility of furthering Gondor's relation with Mirkwood. He had to be there to talk on behalf of Mirkwood's court. The blond Prince took a last glance at his sleeping baby before he turned around and left.
OoO. OoO. OoO.
'Are you certain you don't want to come with me to visit Legolas and Míreth?' Mallorn asked his lover for the tenth time as he dressed up.
Elrohir looked at the Mirkwood Prince and shook his head in response.
The blond elf frowned deeply. His lover had been acting strangely for almost two weeks; treating him with indifference and coldness. The Peredhil had stopped following him everywhere he went, stopped pestering him whenever Mallorn flirted with another maiden, and stopped arguing with him every now and then. In fact, the dark-haired elf wasn't talking to him unless it was absolutely necessary.
Mallorn wondered about the sudden change in his lover's behavior and suspected that Elrohir had a change of heart towards him but the half-elf hadn't said a word about ending their affair or about what was bothering him, no matter how much Mallorn insisted on knowing what was going on with him.
'As you wish,' The Mirkwood Prince finally said, not really knowing what else he should say. After kissing his lover softly on the cheek, Mallorn left their chambers.
OoO. OoO. OoO.
Mortardur was on his way to the meetings hall when his eyes caught a hooded shadow lurking in one dark corner, waiting. The man's heart almost stopped as he realized who it was. He looked around to make sure that no one was around; and he marched to the shadowed figure.
"What in Mordor's name are you doing here?" he hissed as soon as he was near the elf. "Someone may see you!"
Shadow snorted. "No one would see me unless I wanted them to see me, human."
"Your arrogance knows no limit, elf!"
"Neither does yours, my lord." Shadow sneered back.
"What do you want?" the young lord hissed, losing his patience. The last weeks were more than straining for everyone. The alert state in the castle was driving everyone to their limits, with all the questionings, the searches and the security that was placed around the royal family. Numerous times, he had expected the soldiers to burst into his house, accusing him of attempts to murder the Prince Consort and the Princess, or that they would arrest Shadow and link the elf to him somehow.
"Relax, Lord Mortardur. I'm here to see how Legolas and the little Princess are faring." Shadow gave him a smile that sent shudders down the man's spine. "I saw you coming and I thought to myself, I should at least greet you."
"They are both fine, will you please go now?" the young lord urged impatiently. "Soon the rest of the lords will be coming this way."
Shadow shook his head, completely ignoring the lord's last sentence. "They are not fine," He said. "The little Princess has been sick with fever for some time. Lord Elrond has been practically sleeping in the royal chamber for the past two days."
"All babies get sick, and then they get better." The lord retorted, before remembering something. "How do you know all of this?"
Shadow smirked strangely at him but said nothing. "Go your meeting, my lord. I would hate to delay you any further." With that, he walked pass Mortardur and disappeared into the shadows, leaving the bewildered lord behind.
OoO. OoO. OoO.
"Here I am!" Pippin exclaimed happily at Míreth's face as he revealed his face from behind his hands.
The young hobbit, along with Merry, Mallorn, Gwîneth, Glorfindel, and of course Míreth, were sitting under a huge tree in the elven garden.
The hobbits and two elves had joined Gwîneth and the Princess on Míreth's daily walk. Now, they were all seated under a huge tree, enjoying the sunny weather.
"It's my turn now," Merry protested, shoving his cousin away and taking his place in front of the little princess.
Glorfindel laughed at the Halflings' antics before his gaze traveled up to the lady holding the baby. A warm smile graced the ancient lord's face as he stared admiringly at the beautiful maiden. He still couldn't believe how the Mirkwood lady had captured his attention from the first moment of their meeting. But that wasn't a mystery at all. Gwîneth had a strong yet kind personality and despite her young age, she had a wise and intelligent mind that surpassed her 5,383 years.
'Is something the matter, my Lord?' Glorfindel cursed himself mentally as Gwîneth looked at him expectedly. He never thought he would be caught staring at someone before.
'Umm…I was wondering if you would be kind as to join me on a walk, Lady Gwîneth?'
'I'd be honored, my Lord. But what about Míreth?'
'I'm sure that Prince Mallorn wouldn't mind holding his niece for a while. Do you, Prince Mallorn?' the lord gave the Mirkwood Prince a pointed look as he gently took the baby from Gwîneth and placed her in the quiet Prince's lap before he could object.
Smiling, Gwîneth took Glorfindel's hand and stood up before walking away with the blond elf.
OoO. OoO. OoO.
Legolas let out a sigh of relief as he stepped out of the Meeting Hall. The air that hovered over the meeting was so thick, he was sure he would've been suffocated by it if the meeting went any longer. As he walked through the corridors, leading to his chambers, his mind went through the meeting. He couldn't put it into words but there was something strange going between Aragorn and the lords of his council. The usually loud and disagreeable lords were quiet and meek for quite a while now. He hadn't attended many meetings after Míreth's birth but in those that he had attended, he noticed that the lords' behavior's had changed dramatically. They stopped arguing with his husband completely, in fact, they wouldn't say a single word if they could help it. They would merely nod their agreements to whatever their King suggested and when they were forced to talk, they talked in low submissive tone. They acted as if they feared their King and didn't wish to evoke his anger.
Aragorn, on the other hand, treated them formally and coldly. When looking at them, his eyes spoke of buried anger and resentment. It was as if he was distrusting them for some reason.
Legolas wondered if this change in the lords' behavior was linked with the new security measurements his husband had enforced in the Castle. Thinking of this, the blond Consort heaved another sigh. He had thought that all his worries would be over after Míreth's birth but he was proven wrong. A mysterious melancholy and gloom hung over the castle and their lives. He wasn't blind to the tension that resided between Aragorn and the lords of his council nor was he unaware of the changes around them; the tight security that his husband had ordered around him and his daughter, not to mention the elven servants who replaced all the original servants. He had asked Aragorn about the necessity of those changes but the man managed to evade answering him every time. None of the others seemed to know the reasons or wished to give him a satisfying answer. Legolas stopped suddenly in his tracks upon feeling unseen eyes watching him. He looked around the huge corridor but his eyes couldn't find anyone, except for the guard, following him. An unexplained apprehension filled his heart suddenly at the sense of being watched.
"Your highness is something wrong?" the young man asked.
"Nothing is wrong," Legolas said in an even voice. "I just thought I felt something..." Despite what he had said, he still couldn't shake the feeling that someone was indeed watching him from the shadows.
"Legolas!" Legolas flinched in fright as a hand was suddenly placed on his shoulder. His right hand quickly pulled the small dagger he always carried between the folds of his tunic and turned around ready to defend himself when his eyes met with Aragorn's surprised face.
"Aragorn, is that you?" he breathed deeply, returning the dagger back. "You scared me to death."
The man raised an eyebrow at his elf. "Now that's a first," He commented. "I've never seen anyone sneak up on an elf before, especially if that elf is you."
Legolas frowned. "I was lost in my thoughts," He said sharply. "I didn't sense you coming, even through our bond."
"Obviously, or else you wouldn't stand in the middle of the corridor like this."
At that, Legolas blinked several times, gazing around him. He was indeed standing in the middle of the corridor without any reason. He looked at the young guard who was following him, wanting to ask him how long had he been standing but then dismissed it.
"Do you want to tell me what were you thinking of, Meleth?" the elf was brought back by his husband's voice.
"It's nothing," He said, shaking his head. "I'm just worried about Míreth."
"How was she when you left her?" Aragorn asked anxiously.
"Her temperature had dropped but not very much." Legolas replied. "I have left her with Gwîneth."
Aragorn nodded. "Let's go and see our daughter, Meleth."
Smiling slightly, Legolas nodded his head before wrapping his arm around his husband's and heading back to their chambers.
OoO. OoO. OoO.
'I'm still unconvinced that it's a good idea, Elladan.' Elrohir grumbled as he paced in front of the fireplace in his brother's chamber.
Elrond's oldest son rolled his eyes in annoyance as he continued to pack his belongings.
'Ignoring Mallorn is driving me crazy and it's not improving our relationship. I feel I'm giving him a good reason to go and trifle with Lady Gwîneth all day!'
Elladan took a deep breath in an attempt to keep his temper in check. Elrohir had been whining about the same matter for two weeks, ever since Elladan had suggested that he should change his attitude towards Mallorn and the way he handled his lover's flings.
The Rivendell heir was starting to think that offering his advice was a huge mistake. He shouldn't have tried to meddle between Elrohir and Mallorn; each one of them was a synonym for trouble. But then again, this suggestion wasn't his in the first place. Elrohir didn't know but Elladan's advice to ignore Mallorn's inconsiderate flirting with every maiden within his sight was in fact, Gwîneth's.
FLASHBACK
'You want me to stay away from Mallorn, my lord?' Gwîneth asked, almost sarcastically, as she stared coolly at Elladan.
'Yes.' He replied solemnly. 'Your presence between my brother and Mallorn is causing a deep grief to him. I want you to stay away from them.'
Seeing how his brother was suffering from Mallorn's insensitive behavior, Elladan came to Míreth's bedroom specifically to try and remove Gwîneth out of his brother's path. But the blonde maiden wasn't an easy person to scare off. Instead, she smiled cheekily at the young lord before standing from her seat and walking to him.
'I stand between no one, my lord. Mallorn is my closest friend before anything else. You can't expect me not to simply ignore his presence when we've known each other our whole lives.' She stood in front of Elladan, staring directly into his eyes challengingly.
The two stared at each other for few moments, neither one willing to withdraw.
'If you are in love with him, then why did the two of you relinquish your affiliation?' he suddenly asked.
'Oh, I see.' Gwîneth said, smiling as she looked away. 'You think that I'm trying to seduce Mallorn or steal him away from your brother? Rest assured, my lord, I'm not trying such a thing.'
'You flirt with him openly in front of everyone.' Elladan snapped, his temper reaching its limits with the lady's coy attitude.
The she-elf sighed deeply, looking away from the Peredhil. 'I'm only trying to help Mallorn to find his happiness.' She said earnestly. Upon seeing Elladan's questioning look, Gwîneth smiled. 'Lord Elladan, allow me to talk to you openly. Mallorn is not as simple as you may think him. Please, do not be fooled by his cheerful and reckless attitude, for underneath it all lays a different and more complex person.'
'I've known Mallorn for three thousand years,' Elladan protested. 'I think I knew him well enough.'
'Is that so?' Gwîneth asked challengingly. 'Then pray tell me, why do you think that Mallorn is flirting with me while he is supposed to be your brother's lover?'
'It's obvious that Mallorn doesn't love Elrohir. But my brother is so in love with him that he's refusing to give up. I think that your Prince likes to play with others' hearts before he tosses them away like old clothes.'
'You're wrong.' Gwîneth said sharply. 'Mallorn would never hurt someone on purpose and he never tossed anyone away. You obviously do not know Mallorn at all, if that was your opinion of him.'
Elladan felt his cheeks heating up as he pressed his lips into thin line, feeling embarrassed at his own accusation. He knew very well that Gwîneth was truthful about Mallorn. It wasn't in the nature of his blond friend to hurt or use anyone in any way, least of all in such a callous way. But Elladan couldn't find any other explanation to his behavior in regard of his relationship with Elrohir.
Gwîneth looked Elladan with stern eyes before turning around and walking to the nearby couch. Upon making herself comfortable, she looked up at him.
'Mallorn and I aren't lovers and never will be. Those flirts as you like to call them are merely acts of jest between the two of us. I don't blame your brother for being jealous but if he continued to behave like a spoiled child around Mallorn then he'll certainly loses Mallorn's interest very soon.'
'What do you mean?'
'I mean that Mallorn is flirting with me and with others merely to find an excuse to end his involvement with your brother. One day, he'll simply tell your brother that he's weary of fighting all the time and wishes to end their affiliation.'
'I don't understand.' Elladan said. 'Why would he do that?'
Gwîneth sighed deeply. She knew that she was betraying the confidence and trust her liege had put in her but at the same time, she had to do something before the elves she considered as her family destroy themselves with their stubbornness and pride.
She gestured to the young lord of Rivendell to sit beside her on the couch.
'Mallon is afraid of falling in love.' She began softly as Elladan sat beside her. 'In fact, with the exception of Legolas, all of King Thranduil's family is.'
'What?'
'King Thranduil's love for Queen Aarien was unimaginable. He loved her more than life itself and her untimely death had shocked him to no end. Many believed that if it weren't for the presence of his sons, he would've faded shortly after her death. Nevertheless, the shock was too great for him to bear. Aredhel and Mallorn witnessed their strong and seemingly unemotional father collapsed under the pressure of his grief. This left them with deep scars towards love. Aredhel shut himself and his heart off for a long time before the Valar blessed him with Lady Tarawiel. He was lucky to find her and fall in love with her. As for Mallorn, he dealt with the matter in a different way. He had never gotten involved with anyone long enough to fall in love with them; even our short affair was some sort of sport for him. He is flirting with every maiden he sees despite being with your brother, because he wants an excuse to end this affair before it gets too deep. If Lord Elrohir wishes to truly win Mallorn's heart, he should change the way he treating Mallorn.'
'How so?'
'First, he shouldn't always run after Mallorn, criticizing him about his behavior. Mallorn will try to evoke Elrohir's anger but your brother shouldn't fall into it so easily. He might even find that ignoring Mallorn would be helpful. Mallorn likes to be the center of attention; he would be running after Elrohir just to gain his attention.'
Elladan stared at the elven lady, unsure whether to be afraid of how neutral she was speaking about her childhood friend or amazed at her good judgment of his personality.
'Why haven't you stayed together if you knew him so well?' he found himself asking.
'We weren't truly in love, my lord.' Gwîneth replied. 'Our relation was simply to humor a silly notion that many around us hoped to happen. Besides, Mallorn's childish personality doesn't attract me. I don't want to spend my days, spoiling him.'
END FLASHBACK
'Elladan, are you listening to me?'
Elrond's oldest son took a deep breath in attempt to not lose his already thin temper.
'Elrohir,' he began slowly and carefully. 'If you're not pleased with not fighting with Mallorn all the time, then by all means, go back into pestering him about everything he does until he ends your relationship which would be a bliss considering that it has brought me nothing but a severe headache!' By the end of his sentence, Elladan's voice had turned into annoyed hissing.
Elrohir blinked several times at his brother, surprised at his tone. Elladan had never spoken to him with such malevolence before. Shaking his head, the younger twin decided not evoke his brother's anger any further.
'Why are you packing?' he asked, trying to change the subject.
'Ada told me to return to Imladris.' Elladan replied, taking a deep breath, as he returned to his packing. 'It seems that Lord Cَlellon is having trouble fulfilling Adar and Lord Glorfindel's place for such a long period.'
'I see.' His twin said softly. 'When are you leaving?'
'In the morning.'
'I wish you a safe journey, brother.' Elrohir said softly.
Sighing, Elladan put whatever was in his hands down and turned around, facing his brother.
'Listen, Elrohir.' He said gently. 'I know it's not easy to pretend that you don't care about Mallorn's flirting with others, but you also have to learn not to be obsessive. Mallorn is not sure of his feelings and you have to attract him to you, not scare him away.'
'I understand, Elladan.' Elrohir said gently, nodding his head. 'And I promise that I'll try my best to win his heart.'
Smiling, Elladan took his brother into a tight embrace.
OoO. OoO. OoO.
Mallorn was in a very foul mood. He glared in annoyance at Gwîneth and Lord Glorfindel who were strolling around the garden while engaged in a seemingly very interesting conversation. Mirkwood's second Prince rolled his eyes, huffing in irritation. He had been trying for quite some time to be alone with his childhood friend but it seemed that the Valar was determined to keep them apart; no matter how much he tried to be alone with her. Always there had to be someone standing between them; if it wasn't Míreth, then it was Legolas, the two hobbits, Elrohir, Elladan or Lord Glorfindel.
Thinking of the lord, Mallorn's cheeks felt suddenly hot. He had noticed how Imladris' first advisor had been showering the elven lady with his attention since her arrival to Gondor. It was true that he hadn't openly courted her but it was obvious that he had always sought her company. Plus, there were those moments when his hands accidently would brush against hers.
Mallorn's chest heaved in anger at those thoughts. What made things worse was that Gwîneth was accepting the lord's flirts with smiles and laughs, while her behaviors towards Mallorn's own advances were swinging between cold and warm. At times, she would return his dallying with flirting of her own, and sometimes, she would simply ignore him altogether. At other times, she would coldly reject him, reminding him that he had a lover already. Mallorn had never felt so ignored and humiliated in his entire life.
He had hoped that talking with Gwîneth today would ease the foul mood that had been hovering over his soul for the past few days. Elrohir had strangely become indifferent all of the sudden when it came to their relationship; the dark-haired elf had stopped following him everywhere all the time and had stopped making a fuss every time Mallorn flirted with a maid or looked at one. At those times he would merely glare at him before looking away as if nothing had happened. Strangely, this annoyed Mallorn for some reason. He was indeed getting bored with fighting Elrohir every time he was caught flirting but knowing that his actions had no effect on Elrohir whatsoever was equally annoying. The Mirkwood Prince feared that the Peredhil had grown out of his love.
OoO. OoO. OoO.
Lord Glorfindel continued to relate to Gwîneth one of his adventures as the two walked around the gardens. The elven lady smiled as she listened attentively. She was truly enjoying the company of the blond lord. He was wise, gentle, kind, captivating and with a wicked sense of humour. Gwîneth never felt something like this towards anyone before.
'You've been through so much, my lord.' She said as the lord concluded his tale. 'I wish I has the chance to go on such adventure.'
'Why would you want that?' he asked.
'I simply yearn for a change from the life in courts.' Gwîneth said, swinging around to face the lord.
'Then you'll need someone to protect you in such journey.' He said, stepping closer to her.
Taking a step back, Gwîneth smiled shyly. 'I require no protection, my lord. I can defend myself.'
'Really?' he asked, taking another step towards her and making her lean on the trunk of a nearby tree. 'A delicate flower such as you can't possibly face Yrch or Uruk-Hai by herself. I'll protect you.' He whispered the last sentence as he leant down in attempt to kiss her but he suddenly stiffed as a sharp object was pressed against his stomach.
'Even a delicate flower has thrones, my lord.' Gwîneth whispered, pressing her small knife against the lord's torso. 'And I'm a Mirkwood Elleth, trained to face the foulest creatures in Middle-Earth.'
'So I keep forgetting.' He said, pulling away a little with a teasing smile on his face. 'However, I do love a challenge.' With a swift move, Glorfindel grabbed Gwîneth's wrist, twisting it up and pressing her knife against her neck.
The lady smiled as the sharp blade touched her flesh. 'Your road is filled with more than Yrch, Uruk-Hai, spiders or even Balrogs, my lord.' She whispered seductively as her other hand suddenly seized the lord's hand and twisted it, forcing him to release her wrist. 'I dare say that you may end up facing King Thranduil himself.'
Glorfindel smirked, gazing at her with an obvious admiration. Feeling a little shy of her boldness, the elven lady released a soft laugh before she leant forwards and planted a quick kiss on the blond elf's cheek, then dashed towards the rest of their company just as Aragorn, Legolas and Lord Elrond appeared, heading towards them.
Smirking, Glorfindel followed.
OoO. OoO. OoO.
Hate…
That was all he could feel at the moment…black destructive hate.
Hate towards those who denied him what he had desired for very long years. He even had the audacity to feel hatred towards him for having the privilege to be the blond Prince's lover, despite their blood relation. The desire to claim the Prince's beauty as his own was more powerful than any compassion he had felt towards his own kin.
Shadow took a deep breath as he continued to observe the group that gathered under the tree, having their lunch and talking merrily to each other. They were Legolas' family and friends who stood between him and Legolas for so long. Now, they all had the nerve to sit and enjoy themselves as Legolas bounded himself to a mere human.
Shadow snorted. They had given one of the firstborn to a mortal while denied him the right to court the beautiful Prince.
Shadow still remembered how angry and raged he was when the announcement of Legolas' marriage to Elessar had been made. But this would change now. He would make sure of it. The first step to get to Legolas was to get rid of his little mixed-blooded spawn. He had thought of it thoroughly. In his current state, it would be difficult to abduct Legolas and get out of Gondor unnoticed. The young Prince of Mirkwood had a strong will and Shadow doubted that he could best him like he had once, especially after he had endured a great war such as the war of the ring and emerged from it a hero. So, Shadow must first lower Legolas' defenses and what better than grief to break an elf's will, especially a parent's grief over their own child?
After he managed to kidnap the blond Prince, Shadow could take him to some place isolated where he could break him in peace until Legolas become completely his.
Carefully and silently hopping from branch to branch, Shadow made his way through the gardens until he reached his destination. Luckily for him, the guests' quarters were in a lower level. It wasn't any trouble for him to climb upon the rising plants that ran up the walls until he reached a certain balcony. Jumping soundlessly on the terrace, Shadow peeked inside the chamber before gently pushing the doors open and entering.
He smirked upon seeing the vial that was placed on the small table. Lord Elrond was feeling so secure that he was leaving the potion that he was giving to the little Princess in plain sight. After all, no one could enter his chambers without his direct permission, according to the King's orders, or that what they all thought.
Taking a small pouch from between the folds of his tunic, Shadow uncapped the vial, poured the golden powder into it, and then recapped it again.
With a satisfied smile, Shadow left the chambers the same way he had entered it.
OoO. OoO. OoO.
Legolas rested his head upon his husband's shoulder as the two lied down in their bed that night, sighing deeply. For some reason, he was feeling so distant from his Aragorn, despite being together. His husband had changed a lot since the birth of Míreth. He became more reserved and secretive than before. The man simply refused to confine on him on whatever it was bothering him, no matter how much he asked. Legolas thought that after their shy love declaration, they would be more open to each other in regard of their feelings and thoughts than before. But, it was completely the opposite. The man was more open to him when they were just friends.
"Brooding again, Coramin (My heart)?" the King asked as he planted a soft kiss upon the blond head, snapping Legolas from his thoughts.
"Bad habits die hard, Aragorn. You should know that better than anyone." The blond elf laughed softly.
"Indeed. What were you thinking of? Míreth?"
"Among other things," Legolas replied as looked up at his husband.
"Other things? What other things?"
"You, for instance."
Aragorn gave him a teasing smirk. "I'm vastly honored." He said. "For being the occupant of His Royal Highness Prince Legolas Greenleaf Telcontar's deep thoughts."
"Is it truly farfetched that I would be thinking of my husband?" the blond elf asked, playing along with the man's teasing.
"No," the King replied, tightening his embrace around the elf's waist. "I just like the concept of me being the center of your undivided attention." He slowly closed the gap between their mouths as he continued to whisper softly. "I don't want you to think of anything or anyone but me and me and me…"
Legolas felt his heartbeats racing as Aragorn's hot breaths caressed his lips. His eyes unconsciously closed as he was pulled into a deep kiss.
OoO. OoO. OoO.
To be continued…