The Light Kingdom

Chapter 3:~Eryn Lasgalen~

Elora laid in the four poster bed with silk white sheets that she was sleeping in in her new chambers in Eryn Lasgalen. The clock must be around 10 in the morning and the breakfast had already been an hour ago.
She had locked herself in her room so no one could enter. She felt helpless. The pain from her hidden wounds was unimaginable. Everyone wondered what had happened to her last year after she had disappeared. Especially her little brother and Emersion. Even her biological father Thranduil was concerned. But the truth would only hurt them more than herself.

"Elora? Iellig? Can you open the door?," She was interrupted from her thoughts by her adar's voice. "Iellig, it's adar,"Thranduil tried gently, "Elora! Open the door or I'll unlock it myself!," Thranduil immediately knew it was the wrong thing to say. Threatening his daughter wouldn't help if something was very wrong with her.
He sighed and turned to one of his servants, "Get my keys immediately!," And the servant nodded and hurried away.

Thranduil knocked on the door again gently. "Elora? Are you alright in there?,"He asked again. Again, Elora did not respond. The King Of Eryn Lasgalen became more worried and scared for his daughter's life. "Adar, what's wrong?,"Legolas suddenly interrupted. And Thranduil sighed, "It's Elora. She hasn't shown herself in the whole morning. She's in her room. She doesn't respond when I'm trying to talk to her," And Legolas sighed and knocked on the door. "Muinthel? Elora? Ithildin? You alright?,"Legolas asked, "Elora, it's me and adar,"
Elora still didn't respond. She held back the terrible pain in her body. She couldn't get up. She didn't understand why her wounds had grown worse. They were healing a few days ago.

Suddenly, the servant came back with Thranduil's keys. Thranduil hurried to unlock the door. "Alright, Elora, we're coming in!,"Thranduil said. And he opened the door and what he saw made his heart fill with pain and worry.
On the white royal four poster bed with silk covers laid Elora exhausted, shaking. Thranduil hurried over to his daughter on the bed, Legolas behind him. "Iellig,"Thranduil said gently as he placed his hand on her arm, just below her shoulder. Elora was very cold. She was obviously freezing and she seemed to have fever. "Iellig,"Thranduil said again. "Adar...,"Elora said in a very weak voice. "Shh, adar is here,"Thranduil said gently, "Everything is going to be alright," And he turned to the servant, "Get a healer in here immediately!," And the servant nodded and hurried away.
"Iellig, stay with us. Help is coming,"Thranduil said gently. And Legolas went over to his sister and grabbed her hand. "Elora, why haven't you said anything?,"He asked worriedly. And Elora coughed a little. "Because... I thought... I was healing,"She answered weakly, her voice trembling. "Shh, it's alright,"Thranduil said soothingly, "Help is coming," And a healer burst into the room. "I need to look to see if she has any serious wounds,"The healer explained.
Elora immediately started struggling. "Shh, she's not going to do anything to hurt you, sister, I promise,"Legolas said gently. And the healer started opening the buttons on the back of Elora's white soaking nightgown from sweat from the fever. "Oh, Princess, you're wounds are badly inflected. Why have you been keeping this hidden?,"The healer asked worriedly. Elora didn't respond. Her only responding was her grave shaking and coughing. Thranduil was trying to get her to open their bound. But he soon realised Elora was too weak to respond to his call. The healer cleaned Elora's wounds on her back and Elora let out a small whimper as the wet cloth touched her wounds. "Shh, adar's here,"Thranduil whispered soothingly, "Your muindor and adar is here," And Elora's shaking hand grabbed her father's. She knew she needed to tell them what happened to her now. They deserved to know the pain she endured after she left. What she had endured.
"Adar!,"Elora cried in pain. "Shh, Princess, your adar is right here,"The healer said soothingly, "Princess, I need to put bandages around your wounds. That means I need to put bandages around your upper body. I need you to sit up," And Elora swallowed and Thranduil helped his daughter into a sitting position.
The healer wrapped bandages around Elora's upper body, covering the wounds so they would heal. But The healer had noticed something that she could not speak loud about. "Aran nín, I need to talk to you alone," And Thranduil nodded.

The healer and Thranduil went out of the room. "I didn't want to say it out loud. I may offend the Princess if she doesn't want to talk about it,"The healer began. "What is it?,"Thranduil asked worriedly. The healer sighed, "Aran nín. The wounds Elora have is not injuries from fighting or battle. Her wounds are from torture and beating," And Thranduil swallowed, "But who would?...," And The healer sighed, "I fear your daughter has been whipped, My Lord. She clearly has more fear of being touched than she had a year ago. My Lord, she will not talk if we or any other healer asks her. If she has hidden her wounds for this long, she will not tell any healer of where her injuries comes from. You or Legolas may be the only ones who can get her to speak about it,"
Thranduil sighed and nodded, "What do I do?," And The healer smiled, "First, get her to eat her breakfast and drink some water. She can not eat without help in her condition, you have to help her. And then, ask her gently about it," And Thranduil nodded, "Thank you," And The healer smiled and left.

Thranduil turned and went back into the room. "So, Elora, let's get you something to eat,"He smiled. Elora looked down and did not reply. And Legolas gently put his hand on her shoulder. Thranduil took the glass with water and brought it to his daughter's lips, "You have to drink, iellig," And Elora swallowed and shook her head, but Thranduil managed to get her to drink some water. He then grabbed her plate with food, "Here, my child," And he managed to get her to eat a honeydew melon. "Elora, can you tell us where your wounds is coming from? We both know they're not from battle or fighting," And Elora swallowed as tears started streaming down her cheeks. "Shh, Elora, we didn't mean to hurt you,"Legolas said gently. And Elora swallowed, "Evil men,"She answered slowly.

(Flashback, some weeks earlier)

Elora rode through the open ground. "Snowflake, when we get to The Light Kingdom, you shall have a much better place to live and you will be able to run free in the meadowlands," And Snowflake whined.
Elora got off Snowflake to make camp in the a clearing in a woods. She made a fire and started chocking something to eat. Suddenly, Snowflake started whining loudly. Elora immediately looked up, "Snowflake, what's wrong?," And suddenly, a few men showed up on black horses. "But what do we have here? Isn't it The Rightful Queen Of The Light Kingdom?," And Elora swallowed, "Who are you? What do you want from me!?," The leader only gave her a wicked smile, "We just want to have some fun," And two other men grabbed Snowflake. "Leave her alone!,"Elora exclaimed in fear. The evil man smiled wickedly, "Oh, Elora, we're not going to hurt your horse. We're here for you!," And Elora swallowed and tried to run when the leader grabbed her, "You're coming with us. I think Livia is going to be very happy to see you. She may have your head or she will torture you to death. But first, we're going to have some fun,"

They tied her hands and took her away. Elora felt her fear rise. She was taken to a dark cave. "Where are you taking me!?,"Elora asked in fear. "Shut up and walk!,"The man exclaimed angrily. Elora felt tears starting streaming down her cheeks. What should she do now?,"
The man lead her to a dark chamber that Elora feared was a torture chamber. "Livia asked us to bring you to her. But she didn't say unharmed,"The leader smiled wickedly. And Elora swallowed, "No! Please!," And two of the other men took of the upper parts of her adventure clothes and shackled her wrists in the chains that hung down from the ceiling.
Elora swallowed as the leader brought out a hard leather whip and she screamed out in pain as the whip hit her back. This was going to be a long night.
The men released her from the chains after an hours of torture. "Livia is waiting, Princess!,"
Elora sat tied up at the fire. She sighed deeply. She needed to get away. She used the last of her strength to break free from the ropes that tied her hands together. She then stood up despite her injuries and snuck over to Snowflake and got on her horse and escaped.
She then found protection in a cave that she used the last of her strength to put a protection spell over it.

(End of Flashback)

"Elora, what evil men did this to you?,"Legolas asked worriedly. And Elora swallowed, "Livia's men," And Thranduil looked at her worriedly, "Is she the one who took your throne?," And Elora nodded slowly. And Thranduil gently pulled his daughter into her arms, "We will take back your throne, iellig. You're going to be Queen over The Kingdom your ancestors ruled for centuries over," And Elora swallowed and nodded as she hugged her father tightly back.