~ Part Eleven ~
The Mirkwood prince and his guards led the group through the forest and into the gates of the city. "Hol-i fin." Legolas called as he walked at the back of the line with a tight grip on Ellía's arm. The young elf jumped slightly when the massive stone gates slammed shut behind them.
As they followed the dwarves, Ellía took in the natural beauty of Mirkwood. She had not been here for about 30 years and had secretly missed it. She was snapped out of her admiring state when she heard the prince call for someone named Parisa.
A beautiful brown-haired she-elf hurried down a staircase and bowed to the prince. "Please take Lady Ellía to bathe and find clothing more fitting for a high-elf. My Ada will wish to see her." Legolas instructed and turned Ellía to face him.
"I will need your blades if you wish to roam freely." he told her and held out his hand that wasn't holding Orcrist. She ignored what he said and looked to he companions to see them whispering amongst themselves and glancing at her. "I wish to stay with my friends." she said firmly.
Legolas narrowed his eyes and took a step closer. "That is not an option. A granddaughter of the Lady of Light does not belong in a cell with dwarves. Now, hand over your blades. All of them." He commanded once more. Ellía bit her tongue as she unbuckles her back harness that carried her dual blades as well as the daggers on her legs and handed them to the Prince.
"Mab-hen." Legolas said to Parisa and the she-elf glided forward and gently guided Ellía past the dwarves. As she went by, Ellía sent the dwarves a reassuring smile, before she has lead up the stairs and disappeared from their view. "Ceri-ú-thír se a ara ellas tallë." Legolas growled and shoved Fili roughly into his brother. The young dwarf bristled and would have lunged at the elf if Kili had not restrained him.
"What did that mendûnost vanyali say!?" Gloin roared and tried to shove his way towards Legolas but the guards quickly shoved him back in place. "Take them to the cells." The Prince called to the red-haired she-elf. She nodded and ordered the guards to follow her with the prisoners.
~~~~~
"This is not necessary." Ellía said for the hundredth time, but Parisa simply shake her head and continued to braid the she-elf's damp hair. Ellía sighed and looked at herself in the vanity mirror in front of her. Parisa had applied a healing salve to some of the cuts around her face, as well as the almost healed cut on her back. The poor elf had nearly had a heart attack when she saw the wound on Ellía's back while she washed her hair.
"How do you like it, nin hiríl?" Parisa asked lightly as she finished Ellía's hair. She looked at the soft braids Parisa had made and smiled. "I like it very much. Thank you, Parisa." She replied. Her happiness at the familiar feeling of being pampered faded quickly though. "Do you know where they have taken my friends?" Ellía asked as she turned on the cushioned stool while Parisa laid out a few dresses.
The elf shook her head no and said, "I do not know, nin hiríl. And it would be best if you do not ask. It is not wise for a lady, such as yourself, to travel with twelve dwarfs." Ellía had to stop herself for almost mentioning their thirteenth traveling companion, who was still missing. She was hoping Bilbo was going to pull off another miraculous escape like he did in the goblin kingdom.
"They are not as bad as everyone claims them to be. Those dwarves have become dear friends of mine." Ellía defended them as she walked over to stand next to Parisa. "I would keep that to myself when you go see the Aran." The elf-maid warned as she laid out the last dress. "So which dress would you wish to wear for the meeting? I will have a much more ornate one for the feast tonight, so just pick which one you would be most comfortable in until then." Parisa advised.
Ellía looked down at the dresses and quipped, "If you do not call these ornate, then I am worried to see the dress for tonight." Parisa shook her head and prodded the girl into hurrying up so she wouldn't be late. She pleaded with Parisa for a more simple gown, but soon realized that the effort would be fruitless, so she settled on the least extravagant.
~~~~~
Parisa was rushing through the halls and towards the platform where the king's throne sat with Ellía struggling to keep up and not trip over her billowing skirts. The two she-elves came to an abrupt stop at the bottom of the last staircase before the throne, where guards were stationed. "She is late. The meeting has already begun." A guard stated as he and the other guards gave Ellía a small bow. "Do not antagonize him, nin hiríl. The Aran dislikes dwarves more than others." Parisa gave her one last warning before the guards led her up the steps and announced her arrival.
"The Lady Ellía of Rivendell, daughter of Lord Elrond and the late Lady Celebrian, granddaughter to the Lord Celeborn and the Lady Galadriel of Lothlórien." The guard called loudly, alerting everyone of her presence. She always hated being presented, and especially now that she was without her father or siblings.
Ellía took a deep breath and forced her feet to move towards Thorin and King Thranduil. The king had always scared Ellía since she first saw him. He was a very old and very beautiful elf who seemed to always be watching you like a predator watches its prey.
"Alatulya, nin hiríl." King Thranduil said as she came to stand next to Thorin. The two glanced at each other to see if they were ok, before looking back at the king. "Hannad cin, Aran Thranduil" she said respectfully and bowed. Once she straightened, Ellía kept eyes on her slipper clad feet, not daring to look at the intimidating king.
She heard very light footsteps as the king's boots appeared in her sight. A smooth hand gently lifted her chin up and she was met with Thranduil's intense blue gaze studying her face. "You have grown into a very beautiful elleth. Much like your sister. Though you are a picture of your amal and haruní." He said before lowering his hand.
Ellía gave him a small small and a thank you as he stepped away. "We were just discussing what this quest's true motive is." Thranduil said as he clasped his hands behind his back and continued. "I suspect a more prosaic motive then just simply reclaiming the dwarves homeland. Attempted burglary or something of that ilk."
Ellía felt her heartbeat quicken and was sure the king heard it. "You have found a way in." he said quietly as he moved closer to Thorin and studied his face. "You seek that which would bestow upon you the right to rule. The King's Jewel. The Arkenstone. It is precious to you beyond measure. I understand that. There are gems in the mountain that I, too, desire. White gems of pure starlight." The king said as he circled around them.
Thorin glanced at Ellía and she meet his gaze with worry in her eyes. "I offer you my help." Thranduil said with a slight bow of his head. Ellía heard Thorin scoff lightly before saying, "I am listening." The king came to stand in front of them and say, "I will let you go, if you but return what is mine."
"A favor for a favor." Throin thought aloud as he began to walk around the platform a bit. Ellía watched he and the king closely, not liking the tension that was building. "One king to another." Thranduil called as Thorin stopped, facing Ellía and his back to the other elf. The young elf pleaded silently for Thorin to accept the offer so they may leave the woodland realm, but she saw the stubbornness in his eyes.
"I would not trust Thranduil, the great king to honor his word should the end of all days be upon us! You, who lack all honor! I have seen how you treat your friends. We came to you once, starving, homeless, seeking your help, but you turned your back! You turned away from the suffering of my people and the inferno that destroyed us. Imrid amrâd ursul!" Thorin yelled as he turned to the king, making Ellía flinch away from him.
Thranduil lunged forward and got in Thorin's face and seethed, "Do not talk to me of dragon fire. I know its wrath and ruin." Ellía's eyes widened as the king closed his eyes for a moment before the skin on one side of his face began to shimmer and reveal it to be scarred a burned. "I have faced the great serpents of the north!" He yelled before backing away, his face becoming flawless, once more.
"I warned your grandfather of what his greed would summon. but he would not listen. You are just like him." Thranduil said as he walked up the steps to his throne and pointed towards Thorin. Suddenly, guards hurried forward and roughly grabbed his arms. "Take him back to the others. Stay here if you will and rot." The king said flippantly.
"Wait! Stop! Where are you taking him!" Ellía cried as the guards began to drag him away and she ran after them. She grabbed onto one of the guards arms and tried to stop him, but that elf was most likely a couple hundred years older than her and had no issue breaking free of her hold. "He is not done speaking with you, Lady Ellía." a new guard said as he placed a firm hand on her shoulder to keep her from chasing after Thorin.
"A hundred years is a mere blink in the life of an elf. I'm patient. I can wait." Thranduil said as he elegantly sat down in his throne. "I'll get us out." Ellía mouthed to Thorin, who gave her a slight nod, but did not seem to have any hope as he was roughly lead down the stairs. She could feel herself begin to panic when she realized that now, she was alone with the terrifying king.
Ellía slowly turned to face him, and had to look up due to how high up his throne sat. "Come closer, hína." Thranduil said smoothly as he reclined in his throne. She took tentative steps towards the king and stopped at the steps that lead up to his throne. Thranduil motioned for her to continue up the steps, and she felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest.
"My son was quite surprised to find you wandering around our forest with twelve dwarves in tow, especially since it is well known that your father does not allow you to venture outside of Rivendell much these days." The king observed as the young she-elf stopped a few steps away from him. "I am assuming that he did not know of your departure?" The king questioned with a knowing look.
"You are correct." Ellía said quietly. "And he would be shocked to see whom you have chosen to be your traveling companions, no?" Thranduil asked with an arched brow. Ellía was young, but knew when someone was digging for information. She was not going to expose to the king that her father now knew of her involvement on the quest and has made no efforts to bring her home. He has accepted that she must do this, and she was not going to get him into any kind of trouble over it.
"Yes, I'm sure he would be." she responded. Thranduil nodded and studied her for a moment. "Well, as a father, I know how distraught Lord Elrond must be over his youngest going missing in the night, so, you will remain here until I can send a messenger to your family informing them that you turned up at our gates. And in the mean time, you will not go around those milca engwës." The king decided and waved his hand.
Ellía's eyes widened and she began to say, "Nin Aran, please the dwarves only wish to-" but he sent her an icy look, silencing the her immediately. He stood up, towering over the young elf, and hissed, "Those dwarves have poisoned your mind with lies. They are a greedy people and only wish to get into the mountain and keep everything to themselves. Whether it is theirs or not. The gems that I wished to strike a deal for not only belong to my family, but yours, hína. You would be wise to begin to see the dwarves for what they truly are."
The girl could not form any words, but only stare up at the king fearfully. Thranduil collected himself and stepped down to stand right in front of her. "Go with Parisa, and get ready for the feast tonight. My son will escort you. Perhaps the two of you will get along as your father and I had hoped he and your sister would." The king said as he raised a hand and gently brushed his knuckles across her cheek. Ellía took a shaky breath and bowed her head to him before hurrying down the thrones steps and down the large staircase to where Parisa was waiting for her.
~ Elvish Translations ~
Hol-i fin - Close the gate.
Parisa - "like a fairy"
Mab-hen - Take her
Nin hiríl - My lady
Aran - King
Alatulya, nin hiríl - Welcome, my lady
Hína - Child
Milca engwës - Greedy things
~ Dwarvish Translations~
Mendûnost vanyali - Beardless elf
Imrid amrâd ursul! - Die a death of flames!