𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 ➵︎ [ 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘧 ]

5| glaurielle

"Return my hairpiece, Legolas." My voice was low with a hint of annoyance as I held out my hand expectantly.

With a small smile, he obliged, dropping the pin into my palm. Wrapping my fingers around it, I turned around to walk away.

"How, I wonder, did you get your hands on a fire opal?"

I froze mid-step. My mind mulled over how to respond as I slowly turned back around to face him

"What do you mean..." I replied, donning an expression of disinterest and annoyance. "...it's just a normal stone."

"No, it's not." Legolas replied as-a-matter-of-factly, crossing his arms. "Even Thranduil could not acquire them, despite the generous price he was willing to pay. Apparently it was because they were...sacred."

I could feel my entire body growing tense as he took another step towards me.

"So I suppose I'm just wondering how a seemingly ordinary elf of Rivendell got her hands on a 'sacred' fire opal when even the King of Mirkwood could not."

I watched the wheels spin in his mind as I tried to come up with a lie that could satisfy his curiosity and stop his questions, but I just couldn't seem to think of anything.

"I...I don't know what you're going on about." I swallowed, breaking eye contact with the blonde elf and turning away, feeling the cold breeze pick up.

"You're not who we think you are, are you?"

I kept silent, but I knew my expression was all he needed to confirm his suspicions.

"Legolas."

Suddenly, I heard Aragorn's voice cut through the tension, and I found myself relieved at the interruption. I glanced to the side to see the man gesturing for the elf to go over there.

Legolas sent me one last pointed look, before walking away.

When he was out of earshot, I let out a long, shaky exhale. I felt my fingers tighten around the golden accessory as memories of my past began to seep back into my mind, no matter how hard I tried to fight it.

I couldn't do this, not here.

Walking away from the rest of the Fellowship, I found myself standing on a rock overlooking a steep drop, clouds blurring what lay at the bottom, distorting my view.

Holding the pin close to my chest, I let the wind run its cold fingers through my hair as I remembered the way my father pressed the hairpin into my hands as he lay dying.

I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to control the throbbing in my heart at the memory of his final words to me, his voice weak and ragged as he whispered my name.

"Glaurielle...iell nín..."

Never had that name been spoken after the fall of my kingdom, and I had tried so hard to leave that person behind, trying to escape from the demons of the past.

Glaurielle caused the downfall and destruction of her kingdom. Glaurielle watched helplessly as her people were massacred. As her father was slain.

Daeriel would never make the same mistake again. She was not the same weak princess of the past.

A tear threatened to surface, but I blinked it away. I couldn't afford to be fragile. Not now, not ever.

I heard footsteps behind me. Quickly, I wiped my eyes, trying to regain any sort of composure.

Aragorn walked up beside me, joining me as we overlooked the vast expanse of mountainous landscape before us.

I inhaled the cool air.

"So why did you need to talk to Legolas?"

"I didn't." Aragorn replied simply.

I frowned, glancing at him with a confused expression. He just sent me a small smile in response.

"I heard what Legolas was asking you about. I thought you might have needed a distraction."

I nodded with a sigh. Aragorn always seemed to know when to step in and when not to. I had no blood siblings, but Aragorn always proved he was a brother to me in every sense of the word.

"Well...you were right." I turned to look at him. "I suppose I owe you my gratitude then."

There were a few moments of silence as I watched the clouds in the distance crawl slowly across the sky. A single tree stood ghost-like to my right, the silent observer of the distant mountains shrouded by clouds. The only thing bigger than the range of stone peaks was the vastness of the heavens, the light gradually waning as pink and gold hues stained the western sky.

Aragorn was the one to break the silence.

"Are you alright?"

I crossed my arms in front of me, rubbing the backs of my arms as I continued to gaze ahead, my voice now void of any emotion.

"It doesn't really matter, does it?"