This chapter is dedicated to aelin12x.
I can't thank you enough for all your support. Reading your comments and knowing you enjoy my book is the highlight of my day <3
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The Great Hall of Meduseld was usually bustling with activity. But not that day.
As Aragorn briefed the king, Éomer, Gamling and another captain about Sauron's attack on Daeriel's mind, a blanket of silent, creeping dread fell over the largely empty hall.
As Legolas stood beside Gimli at one of the benches, his mind drifted back to the elleth, her golden hairpiece in his hands. She was somewhere below them right now, in one of the heavily guarded cells of this city. That was why Théoden had decided to close off the Great Hall.
His brows furrowed as he mulled over what had happened no less than an hour ago, thinking back to the way she just surrendered after she was exposed.
Why did she just let herself be disarmed and restrained? Why didn't she put up more of a fight?
Legolas was pulled back to the present with a question from Éomer, who stood beside them.
"Can we interrogate her? Perhaps get some information on how to defeat Sauron?"
From beside Legolas, Gimli scoffed.
"I doubt it. Sauron fears no man, no pain, nor death itself."
Théoden pinched the bridge of his nose with an exhale of frustration as he slowly paced in front of them.
"Well what about her ring?"
Legolas frowned, thinking back to how Daeriel, or Sauron, seemed to recoil at the sight of Amarya. It would seem that because of its ability to burn evil, Daeriel had now developed an aversion to it.
"That appears to be the only exception." Aragorn replied, his hand stroking at his chin. "It seems to be able to cause some harm, but I doubt enough."
Legolas pursed his lips. Aragorn was right.
"Plus," Gimli added, crossing his arms, "when we hurt Sauron, we also hurt Daeriel."
Éomer nodded slowly as the dwarf spoke.
Aragorn glanced at Legolas, who had remained silent the entire time.
"Legolas, what do you think?" He asked.
Everyone's gaze turned to Legolas. He just sighed, shaking his head.
"Capturing her...it shouldn't have been that easy."
Théoden's frown deepened.
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that we need to be careful. There must be a reason behind why she did not resist."
There was a moment of silence as everyone collectively processed his words, the sense of dread heightening as the realisation dawned.
Aragorn's voice was low as he broke the silence.
"No one knows what Sauron's plan may be, and now that he's overtaken her mind, we cannot afford to take any chances."
Another captain of the Rohirrim stepped forwards.
"Well then why don't we just eradicate the problem altogether." He glanced around the room. "If she were to escape, it would cause a huge problem. We can't risk that."
Éomer narrowed his eyes. "So what are you suggesting that we do?"
There was a hesitant pause, before the man responded.
"Eliminate the host. Tonight."
Immediately, the hall exploded with protest. Gimli leapt to his feet, brandishing his axe in his hands.
"Over my dead body!"
Rage blossomed within Legolas' heart, and he felt his grip tighten around Daeriel's hairpiece.
Placing a hand on Gimli's shoulder, Legolas stepped towards the captain, his elven height allowing him to tower over the man.
"You touch her and you will not live to see tonight."
Aragorn's voice was laced with anger as he nodded in agreement with Legolas.
"Yes, that's not an option."
The man just threw his hands in the air with frustration.
"Why not? You said so yourself, her mind has been overrun. So what's the point of keeping her alive, just so that sooner or later, she can escape and destroy god knows what. I will not risk that."
"I'm...I'm inclined to agree." Gamling murmured.
Aragorn tilted his head, his eyes narrowed in disbelief as he stepped towards them.
"Have you forgotten how she defended this city in its time of need?"
He threw his hand out, gesturing to the rest of the city.
"Have you forgotten how she healed your men and saved the lives of your women and children?"
"And now, suddenly her life is not worth saving," Gimli added with a scowl.
"We have not forgotten." Gamling fired back. "We know that without her, we may not have won those battles."
"Yes, we acknowledge her role in keeping us safe," the captain added, clearly standing his ground, "but we must think of the greater good."
He turned to face Théoden, who, up until now, had been listening to both sides of the argument carefully.
"Your majesty, we cannot risk the lives of our people just for her."
There was another tension filled silence as everyone awaited the king's response. Before he could reply, Legolas stepped forwards.
"It is not your decision to make."
Everyone's eyes fell onto him.
That was something that he wasn't used to. He usually hated speaking out, stepping out of line. But he didn't care anymore. This was something that he would not tolerate
"I refuse to accept that she is gone forever." His voice trembled with emotion.
"She is strong, and I know that she is still holding on, still fighting. To just give up on her after all that she has done for this kingdom, after all that she has sacrificed for this cause; it is cruel, it is disgraceful and it is the coward's way out.
"Legolas-" Gamling started
"No." Legolas swiftly cut him off. "Daeriel's life should not be a matter of debate."
He lowered his voice, before directing his glare towards the captain.
"If anyone lays a finger on her, they'll answer to me."
Aragorn nodded in agreement.
"And me."
"And me!" Gimli growled.
The three of them turned back to look at Théoden, who just closed his eyes with a sigh.
"For the time being, we will keep her in the cell."
"But-"
The king cut off his captain. "Enough. Go make sure there are two men guarding her at all times. She is not to be left alone."
The man reluctantly closed his mouth, before nodding and walking away to carry out Théoden's order.
"As for the rest of you," Théoden turned his attention back to Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli, "you must try and unravel Daeriel's...possession. Because if you can't..."
He shot a glance at Legolas.
"...I will be forced to make some decisions that I don't want to make."
-
Legolas descended the stone staircase that led to the cells below the hall. Part of him knew that it was a bad idea. He could not foresee any positive outcome to what he was doing.
But the other half of him just wanted to see her. He wanted to know if the sliver of hope he held onto was justifiable and valid, or whether it was all wishful thinking; a fool's paradise.
Legolas approached the cell.
There she stood, in the middle of the small space, her arms chained above her. Her black waves hung lifelessly from her head.
Legolas turned to the guards.
"Can you give me a few minutes of privacy with her?"
The two guards glanced at each other, contemplating his request before nodding slowly.
"We'll be right outside if anything happens."
Legolas thanked them, before hearing the door to the dungeons shut as they left. He sighed, before turning back to the motionless Daeriel.
"I know you're awake."
A small chuckle escaped from the elleth as she slowly lifted her head, revealing her piercing green eyes. "Very observant, I see. I have been anticipating your coming."
Her voice was the same as it had always been, but at the same time...it wasn't. It was colder, with a darker, more unpredictable edge.
"I knew you lacked the willpower to keep your distance."
Legolas exhaled, setting his jaw. He knew this wouldn't be easy, but at this point, he didn't care. He needed answers.
"Really? And why would I want to keep my distance?"
Daeriel raised a single eyebrow.
"Why?"
A cold chuckle fell from her lips. "I suppose we shall see then."
Her chains clinked as she casually readjusted her position. "Tell me, how is Greenwo- my mistake, Mirkwood? How is your father lately?"
Legolas knew that she was only trying to get under his skin. He had dealt with Sauron's associates before, all of them employed the same tactic.
But this time was different. This time he wasn't just talking to a lowly orc.
Everything about her was so painfully familiar; her green eyes which he had often found himself lost in, her black locks that he had run his fingers through not so long ago, right down to the small freckle that sat so perfectly in the middle of her nose.
This time, he was talking to her.
"I did not come to discuss my family," he responded, taking a step closer to the bars of the cell, his hands clasped behind his back.
The elleth's lips twisted into a sickly sweet smile.
"Really? Fine, well why have you come, if not to exchange niceties."
She paused. "Information, perhaps?"
"I want to know what you have done with her." Legolas' kept his voice steady.
"The she-elf? Why do you care?"
Legolas swallowed. Daeriel's smile only widened as a knowing look came over her expression. In that moment, he knew that she had found a weakness.
"Ah, I see. It hurts, doesn't it. Seeing the one you care for suffer, confined to a cruel and surely horrendous fate, and yet only being able to stand by and watch, helplessly. That is familiar to you, isn't it?"
He tried to suppress his anger, but when she spoke that last sentence, his eyes shot up.
"I don't know what you are referring to." He replied, trying to maintain a neutral expression.
However, in the back of his mind, he knew he already gave himself away.
"Oh I think you do." She said with a sly smile. "But if you truly don't, I am talking about your mother, of course. Such a tragic story."
He could feel his fists clench behind his back. She just chuckled.
"Perhaps you would like to know that the orcs were there on that day not for her..."
She leant forwards as far as her shackles would allow her, "...but for you."
Legolas stiffened. He...he did not know that.
Noticing the tension that her words had provoked, the elleth took it as her cue to continue, the calculating smile never leaving her expression.
"But you fled like a dog with its tail between its legs. So instead, we captured the Queen of the Woodland Realms herself. I myself was pleasantly surprised by this turn of events."
Legolas clenched his jaw, feeling his muscles tense as all the traumatic memories that he constantly tried to bury began to resurface.
"Why are you telling me something I already know?"
The elleth just laughed.
"You do not know the half of it, naïve elf."
Her eyes glinted in a taunting manner.
"Did you think we killed her straight away? If you did, then you are sorely mistaken."
Legolas could feel his heart pounding as a surge of anger rushed through his veins.
"Enough."
"Her fruitless cries for help were so pitiful. So pathetic. So...prolonged."
"That's enough." He said, louder.
The moment his mother was taken from him replayed over and over again in his mind. He could hear her pleas for him to run, her cries of anguish as she was dragged away from her only son.
But Daeriel continued to speak, her words only hitting harder, cutting deeper.
"Her screams echoed throughout the entire dungeon. She called out your name with her final breaths, when she finally gave in to the excruciating torment and suffering. But you were not there. In fact, you were the one that abandoned her, weren't you? You did nothing."
"I said enough!" He lashed out as a newfound rage exploded with him.
It was something that he had never ever felt before. His heart pounded violently in his chest as he slowly unclenched his fists in an attempt to calm back down.
Daeriel only displayed a smug look of satisfaction.
"You did nothing for your mother, just like you did nothing for the she-elf."
"Just..." Legolas swallowed his anger, trying once again to return to his question, "...what have you done with her?
"She is not dead, if that's what you are asking." She replied nonchalantly as she straightened her posture again. "As a matter of fact, she is right here-"
She twisted one of her hands in the metal cuff, pointing towards herself.
"-trapped within the cage of her own mind, just...tantalisingly out of reach. It is quite poetic."
All of a sudden, her eyes seemed to light up.
"Perhaps you would like to talk to her."
"What-"
Before Legolas could process what was going on, he was interrupted by her voice.
"L-Legolas...Legolas...is that...is that you?" Daeriel's voice trembled, as if she was freezing cold.
It was a complete shift from her taunting, sadistic tone. For some reason, Legolas knew this was really her.
"Daeriel? Daeriel!"
His hands flew to the bars that stood between Daeriel and himself, gripping them tightly.
"What happened to you? Where are you?"
"I-I-I don't know," she stuttered, her voice fragile. "Please, please, I-I need...I need you."
Legolas could feel the anguish and fear in her voice, and he had to fight against every instinct to refrain from unlocking her cell and freeing her. In the back of his mind, he knew he couldn't. It was not that simple.
Daeriel's voice cracked as tears brimmed in her eyes. "Legolas...please help...help me get out of this place..."
"How?" He frantically asked, his brows furrowed. "What can I do? How can I-"
His questions were cut off by cold, cruel laughter. Slowly, the realisation dawned.
She was back.
"I do hope you enjoyed that show, young prince."
Her expression now carried a much more deranged glint as she tugged at her chains.
"The she-elf may not be dead," she hissed, "but soon she will beg for sweet and merciful relief of death."
Legolas had heard enough.
"Let her go, Sauron."
But Daeriel only threw her head back with laughter.
"Or else what?" She challenged him. "You are young, naïve, and dangerously foolish. You see, I may be behind these bars, restrained by iron cuffs, but you cannot lay a hand upon the she-elf, my host."
Legolas' grip around the iron bars tightened. As much as he hated admitting it, she was right.
"You are held back by your pathetic love for the she-elf and that makes you weak. You cannot hurt this body..."
Her green eyes darkened. "...but I can."
The black-haired elleth began to pull on her hand against the metal cuff around it. As she pulled harder and harder, her hand contorted, twisting in unnatural ways, and Legolas watched as blood began to trickle down her wrist.
A wave of nausea hit him. He couldn't stand it anymore.
He turned on his heel, suppressing the urge to throw up as he walked away.
"You are not in control here, Legolas Thranduillion." Daeriel's self-satisfied voice rang out from behind him. "Do not forget that."
Legolas glanced down at his palm, finding it decorated with bloody, crescent-shaped indentations.