NEW LEAF (Legolas FF) | ✔️

Chapter 32: High Hopes

There was a soft knock on the young prince's chambers. He groggily pushes himself up, the world seemingly spinning around him. He has never felt this before. It was an odd thing. He glanced around the room to realize it must be late into the evening. He settles himself as the door slowly creaks open and a handmaiden of Calaer steps in with what appeared to be his supper. She was like every other female elleth in Calaer. Bigger and taller than most with arms that could snap things in two so easily. Legolas had found out recently that most of the guards in Calaer were female, simply because they did things more neatly.

The elleth gives him an impassive look as she placed the tray on the bedside table. She gives a short curtsy before Legolas caught the soft melody of music playing outside.

"Thank you," he says quietly as the elleth bows lightly. "Is there a feast happening?" He asked curiously before the elleth could step out of his chambers. She gives him another brief nod before she leaves and closes the door behind her.

Legolas leans back on the beds wooden head board, his mind trying to piece in the scattered memories in his brain. It doesn't take long before another knock was on his door and Lord Elrond stepped in, a tired smile on his wise face.

"You are awake," he says, mildly surprise. Legolas nods as if to clarify that he was indeed awake and conscious. Lord Elrond strode over to him and placed a hand on his head. The wise elf's brows furrowed for the briefest moment before a smile returned to his face once more.

"Laralen must have worked long on you, I can hardly trace the darkness in you. Although we may still need to find a cure."

"Does she not have a cure?" The young prince asked and realized he did not even know why he needed a cure.

"The curse," Lord Elrond explains, choosing his words carefully. "It has reawaken in a way. Turwaithiel is one of the golden witches. A curse lies upon any or who falls in love with one of them."

Legolas could not stop the tightness in his throat or the sudden fear that gripped his heart.

"For now, Laralen is keeping the darkness from traveling all the way through your heart. She can only delay the process but not stop it. Ari has been nothing but furious. Laralen has practically exhausted herself trying to heal Mantheniel and now she has not stopped trying to save you."

Legolas listened and swore he heard something in Lord Elrond's voice that he has never heard in a long time from the Old Elven Lord. Admiration and...guilt?

"Hurry and eat and if you feel like it, perhaps you would like to attend the feast held in the queens honor. For her return and her visit," with a shadow of a smile, Lord Elrond left the room. Legolas sat, staring at the closed door for the longest moment before he finally moved towards the tray of food. First, he had to find Laralen and thank her. It seems he would never run out of debts when it came to that girl. Next, was to find Turwaithiel. Who was no doubt blaming herself and trying to figure out a way to save him. That thought made him smile. As kind as she was, she still seemed to have the same stubbornness that ran through Mantheniel and Lindethiel's blood.

The party was a small one, barely even a party at all. Laralen sat under a pavilion that seemed to be made of moon beams. She sat and watched as Bleon danced in front of her. In the circular dance floor of the city. The elves of the city were kind enough and Bleon was easily drawn to them. As always, he let his curious side win over his shy side. Laralen smiled as Bleon spun on his boots with an elven maid, much taller than him. She clapped and spun in time with him and Laralen wondered for a flicker of a heart beat about Bleon's parents. The same people she had called parents for a short while. True, it was not her decision to take Bleon with her but she felt no ounce of guilt for not returning him of telling him to go home. She could not imagine her life without Bleon. Nothing mattered more than him...but something else now mattered as much as him. She felt the familiar tightness in her chest as her eyes scan the crowded courtyard. He was not there, she knew this for she had been looking for him for almost an hour. Where he was she did not know and by the gods above she wanted to know.