Where Shadows Breathe [Legolas Fanfiction] :on hold:

Chapter Six: Cacophony

Galion moved nearer to my side. "Yes, they brought it, and yes, I gave it to him."

A string of curses escaped under my son's breath. Suddenly, a looming threat crept into the air. Poison, wine, and cursing never did bode well together, and in this instance there was only one conclusion that Legolas's actions could lead to. Ai, Elbereth...

Galion voiced my feeling. "Legolas. Was there poison in the wine glass?"

Frustration revealed itself in the hard set of Legolas's jaw. He ran his fingers through his hair, his shoulders seeming to shake. "I believe it is what led to the near death of Arthion. How much did you drink, Adar? Do you feel well?"

I waved his concern away. "Hardly any, don't worry yourself." It was not entirely a lie. There were some days that I drank up to three glasses and no one could tell the difference. The few sips now could not possibly be counted as much.

The past weeks sudden onslaught of treason was worrying, as never before had Eryn Galen been in such a state; it was something I had prided myself in. But first the shadows had come, next the spiders. Hope had faded like a wilting flower until the peace of the realm was held only by a façade of what we wished it could be. Everyone knew our fight against the spiders was war, and always had been. That reality was simply denied under pretense that we but only had to drive them back from time to time.

Time to time, however, had become day by day.

I didn't realize that was Legolas speaking to me until I felt his hand upon my arm. When had my vision begun to darken? The dark spots dancing before my eyes had not been present seconds ago. His lips were moving, but it took several seconds for sound to crescendo to full volume; even then there was a muffled quality to it.

"—dar, can you hear me? Galion, help me—"

"No, no, I'm fine." I shrugged Legolas's hand off my shoulder. "I told you not to worry didn't I?"

"Staring into the middle distance, unhearing of your own son hardly constitutes 'fine.' If you would like to make it to the healing ward conscious, I would suggest you go now." Galion's tone left no room for argument and I would have acquiesced. Unfortunately, my legs chose that precise moment to collapse underneath me, and the dark fringe to my vision pounced with sudden ferociousness, sealing a black oblivion to my consciousness.

Few words slithered into my dark dwelling. "Call the healers! The king has been poisoned!"

___________________________

Awareness came slowly and then in an instant.

I lurched, but could not move past that small amount. The rainbow tint of light that filtered under my eyelids made my mind swim. Groaning, I burrowed my face into my pillow, clenching my hand around the sheets. I paused, brow furrowing. How did I arrive here? I distinctly remembered being in the council chamber and then... Ah, yes. Legolas and that Eru forsaken cup of wine. The realization had not yet passed from my thought process when a voice pierced the veil between the path of dreams and wakefulness. "Thranduil?"

That voice. I knew it, did I not? Crawling to the edge of coherency, I opened my eyes and turned onto my back. "Yes?"

"Finally. You surely took your time." His voice faded slowly, focused on a distance not near me. "Legolas, at long last your father has decided to join us."

"Such wit, Galion," I answered slowly. My tongue was heavy, sluggishly articulating my words. Again I found myself questioning what events had led to this point. I felt as if I had been in a drinking contest with half of Greenwood.