The Eastern Woman

Betrayals

Legolas looked at her.  His blue eyes glowed with anger.  "Why do you care about my brother?"

"Not much, to tell the truth. As far as I'm concerned, your father could have half a dozen bastard children scattered around Middle-earth. It's not my problem. Of course, it's curious that he betrayed the  memory of your mother. I thought the Elves were absolutely monogamous. It's quite amazing that he rediscovered the joy of love with a woman ... a mortal woman. "  she smiled.

"This is not your business. My father loved that girl very much. She saved him from loneliness and despair." retorted Legolas.

"And where is she now? In Dale?" Goneril continued, merciless.

"Maybe she's not even alive anymore. You talk about past events, and I don't understand why you insist on asking." Legolas answered. He was starting to have enough of that conversation. For all the last decades, he had kept his father's secret in his heart. He had managed not to even talk about it with Aragorn, despite the deep friendship that united them.

And suddenly that mercenary warrior, emerging from some kind of hell, brought up a story that should have remained confined within Greenwood.

"Because you see, even if I don't care what your father does in his bed, and I don't even care about the consequences of his lust, someone else can be interested ... and a lot, from what Amon told me. " she explained. "... he told me that the child generated by that union is very important. He is a creature who in the future will probably become a tool in Morgoth's hands, through which the ancient evil spirit will subdue the Earth."

Legolas feigned surprise. "Amon would have told you such a lie? Did you believe him?"

"Yes." she answered simply. And she didn't add anything else. Goneril wanted to see how the prince would react, how he would reply to her questions. She had put him in a corner, she knew it.

"Listen, dear elf, I have a problem now. I had come to this realm hoping to earn another couple of heavy gold chests, but my project failed, thanks to Gandalf. Those damned sorcerers ..." she complained. Legolas had the impression that she was mocking him.

"But the fact is that I need that gold. I need it, a desperately need it. And I'll get it somehow. Certainly not here, at this point." the woman continued. "But maybe ...in Mordor."

She turned to look at Legolas, who in the meantime had paled. He began to understand her horrible blackmail.

"What would you do if I went to the Orcs and informed them that in Mirkwood there is an Elf descended from a human woman, a unique creature in the world, who might be interesting in the eyes of their supreme master? Do you think they would pay such information a good price?" she asked.

"You evil creature. The Valar should punish you ..." hissed Legolas.

But she continued.  "Or ... I could reach your realm with my soldiers, and offer your father an agreement. I will keep this secret with me forever, but ... your father will pay for my silence. Thranduil is the richest and most powerful ruler of the North. Nobody can compete with him in terms of treasures, isn't it? "

Legolas interrupted her: "Don't even think about it. My father will kill you if you only dare name his human lover and their child."

"... I imagine that for him it would not be a great sacrifice to open his chests, and give me some gold or silver or diamonds. Your father loves diamonds very much, right? As your mother loved them in life."  she added.

Legolas could not hold back a gesture of anger.  He was about to grab Goneril by the arm, but then his elven wisdom stopped him.  "... your life will end the day you'll go to my father with a similar proposal."