Unlikely Rescue

Chapter 3 - Guests

Huddled in the corner of a tiny cell, an elfling rocked back and forth, hands over his slender ears, muttering and murmuring to himself.

Murderer, the voice whispered over and over. Murderer.

"No! No! I didn't mean to, it was an accident! Please, please just leave me alone!" The young elf whispered through tears of anguish.

It doesn't matter if you meant to. Your evil killed her, murderer. Your evil. You are weak, and you didn't deserve her. What you do deserve is what your father gives you as punishment! You are worthless, worthless and you should be dead for your crimes!

"I know, I know, I'm sorry-"

Sorry isn't good enough, Prince. You can't undo what you have done. You should be grateful for your punishments!

"I-I am, I kn-know I'm w-w-w-worthless, but I can't take it any more!" His voice rose to a hysterical scream. "LEAVE ME ALONE! I HATE YOU! I hate you." The last sentence came out as a weary and terrified sob.

Silence fell once more over the tiny cell, but Legolas still rocked, still murmured, still tried to drown out the terrible voices in his head which whispered horrible truths that he constantly tried to keep buried, despite his father's constant reminders.

Thranduil paused outside the door to his son's cell, a cruel smirk on his face as he listened as what appeared to be a one-sided conversation started up again.

"No, you're lying! I'll get away some day, you'll see! Just go away! GO AWAY!"

The king stepped into the cell, smirk in place, having heard enough to confirm his suspicions.

"Thinking of running away, are we?"

All remaining colour drained instantly from Legolas' face. He knew! Somehow, he knew. Waves of despair assaulted the elf from all directions, leaving him feeling sick to his stomach and hardly able to breathe. There was no hope of escape now. Not now that Thranduil knew his biggest, his only secret.

"No, sir, I would never..."

"Ah. Perhaps I misunderstood. What was it you were just taking about?" A cold light had entered Thranduil's chilling, icy gaze.

"I...umm...I was...er-"

"I thought as much! You lying, disobedient wretch! How dare you run from the punishment you deserve? How dare you!" The words were punctuated with harsh slaps and belt-strokes.

Legolas' knees buckled under the abuse and he huddled in the corner, but still made no move to stop the blows from falling.

When Thranduil's temper had cooled somewhat, the elfling dared to look meekly up again, fear of his father's wrath reflected in the huge blue eyes. Huge blue eyes which were quickly filling with desperately choked back tears.

Thranduil spoke. "As a matter of fact, I came with news to accompany your... punishment. We are to be having guests here: representatives of Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel of Lothlórien, and also of Lord Elrond of Rivendell. I expect you to be completely silent, do you understand? If you are not I will drag you up there myself and you can sit at my feet like the dog you are! And I shall double, no, triple your punishment. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir." Legolas knew that he deserved everything he was given, but that didn't make it any easier to bear. He was sure that without the small, barred window set high in the wall through which he could just see the stars, he would have faded by now, and died. Even if the window was more bar than actual window. If only I had died.

"Good. Not a word!" Thranduil spat.

And with a last disgusted look at his only son, he swept out of the dungeons, the door banging closed behind him.

As the last echoes of his footsteps died away, the voices set in and the elfling began to silently weep once more.

Sorry about the short chapter! I want to thank everyone who has read this story! Also especially EstelElfstone for commenting and Jaya-Avendel for commenting and voting! It means a lot to me. See you next chapter :)

Oh, don't forget to vote :P