Bound By Blood {Legolas x Reader}

Chapter Twenty One - The Fall of Darkness

The morning air was cool. Adriel squinted slightly as she emerged from the white stone castle. She had dressed in her usual attire, her green elven cloak fluttering lightly in the wind. Legolas had once again braided her hair, two simple braids running along the side of her head meeting in the back, fading into the long singular braid that she had pulled over her shoulder. She took a deep breath, adjusting her armguards nervously. Legolas silently moved to stand at her side, his taller frame offering her some comfort. Adriel looked down the steps, her eyes landing on Callon and Galena who stood in front of an army of witches, her army. Callon beamed up to her, his teeth bared in a joyful smirk. Adriel held her chin high, pulling her eyes away from her grinning brother.

"We will ride to the black gates," Adriel spoke up from where she stood, her back straightening, "we will draw the Eye away from the ring bearer to give him a chance to make it into the mountain. We will give him a chance to destroy the ring once and for all." She took another breath, her stomach twisting as she looked over all the witches, all of them staring up at her with hopeful eyes. "Today we will be free," the crown of golden light once again adorned Adriel's brow, "today we will defeat darkness!" Adriel drew her sword, holding it high above her head, the mountain emblem shining. The witches cheered, a roar that seemed to shake the white stones of Minas Tirith, "Today we are truly free!"

"Hail the Queen of Angmar!" a witch shouted from the crowd.

"Hail!" the witches echoed. The crown of golden light blazed on her brow.

"Hail the Queen!" another screamed. Legolas's hand wrapped around Adriel's free hand squeezing tightly.

"Hail!" Legolas and Adriel stood side by side as she lowered her sword to her side, she looked up to him with bright golden eyes. A crown of golden light appearing around his head.

"Hail the cursebreaker!" Legolas smiled down to Adriel, placing a firm kiss to her lips earning a rally of cheers from the sea of witches.

"Seems like there's no going back now my love," Adriel murmured as their lips parted. Legolas smiled down at her, a broad loving smile.

"There was no going back regardless," he whispered, a glint of amusement shone in his blue eyes. Adriel turned her eyes back to the still cheering crowd of witches.

"Prepare yourselves!" she shouted, a broad smile etching its way onto her freckled face, "Today we fight!"

It was midday when the army of six thousand men and two thousand five hundred witches marched from the white city, the armies of the two heirs. Adriel rode silently beside Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli riding behind her as they marched through the city gates. Two bannermen rode to catch up with the heirs, slowing their horses to match their pace. Adriel's golden eyes flickered up to the banner on Aragorn's other side, the white tree of Gondor shining against the black background of the banner. She turned her gaze to the bannerman beside her, her breath hitched. Against the black fabric of the banner was a mountain embroidered with golden thread, the same mountain as the emblem on the hilt of her sword, a dragon curled around the mountain's peak, flame shooting from its mouth. Adriel looked over to Aragorn, the top half of his hair had been pulled back into a messy knot, he grinned at her.

"I figured you would need a new banner seeing as you are a queen and all," he mused, returning his eyes to the road ahead, a small smirk stuck to his handsome face. Adriel clenched her jaw in an attempt to staunch the tears that threatened to spill down her face. The banner of Angmar had been blood red, the Witch King's black pointed crown embroidered in the centre, a symbol of darkness and death that his reign bestowed upon the witches.

"Thank you," Adriel murmured, turning her eyes to the road.

The closer they grew to the black gate the greater the feeling of dread grew in the pit of Adriel's stomach. A grim look stained her face as the gate came into view. Black stone towers spiralled up on either side of the gate, the top of the walls lined with jagged spikes that reached into the sky. Dark clouds loomed in the distance, a hot, dry air seeming to flow from behind the wall. Adriel raised her chin, straightening her back as she rode next to Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli on her other side. Aragorn stopped, observing the black gate.