In the art of war, if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the approaching battles. But if you know only yourself and not the enemy, for every victory, there will also be defeat.
***
Just as my monster, who at times had the privilege to peer through a blind spot where my mind was vulnerable, I sometimes did get a sneak peek at hers too.
Among the crowd of people of Rohan who were travelling together with us towards Helm’s Deep, a figure stood out the most like a sore thumb.
It was in the middle of the day, yet as usual, my surroundings were always dim and gloomy. And if it was even possible, the figure coming their way towards me only made the sun shone even darker.
The cloaked figure came forward. They pulled down their hood. I thought my eyes were deceiving me, but I couldn’t determine if they were a male or a female, because their face were ever changing.
It constantly flickered between a face of a red haired girl, then a middle aged man, then of a plump lady. An old man. A little boy. A pregnant woman. A soldier. An orc. A shepherd. A lady with a child–basically it changed way too fast and way too much that my head began to hurt badly as I stared at them.
“Ungol,” I said, dragging every letter with my tongue in an unfamiliar, sultry but solemn tone. “What an amazing surprise. Took you this long before showing yourself before me.”
“Many apologies, your majesty. ‘Tis but my projection that you are seeing. I am not here. My Lord Sauron is not yet strong enough to grant me another pass back home,” he, or she–I still didn’t know–replied in solemn respect.
I heard myself let out a scowl.
“Then why have you summoned me, Ungol?” I demanded. “Speak quickly!” I snapped.
I didn’t know what angered me so much, but it made me sound very upset and very short tempered. And the most obvious: unstable. Ungol flinched a bit and bowed his or her head at me with slight fear emanating from him.
Let’s just assume that Ungol was a he for now.
“My Queen,” he began. “It has come to my attention that you are ready–“
“YOU THINK I DO NOT KNOW THAT?!” I screamed with rage, feeling my eyes widened with uncontained anger. Red began to cover my eyes.
Ungol recoiled in horror at my sudden, horrifying outburst. He flinched and curled down on the ground, his whole body trembling in fear.
“Sshh…” I heard myself cooing softly this time. I took a step forward and gracefully crouched in front of Ungol. I gently took his chin with my fingers, forcing him to face me. “Do not fret, my dear Ungol,” I said in a renewed, soft tone, though red still lingered in my eyes.
“My Queen,” he nodded his head in thanks. “If I may be so bold to ask–“
I heard myself growling lowly, but Ungol continued staring at me in fear and also determination in his eyes.
“…Why haven’t you take over? Surely now your majesty is strong enough to do so.”
“We have you blamed for that,” I replied sharply in resentment. Ungol’s eyes widened in shock and fear.
“Y-your majesty??” he recoiled, looking both fearful and confused.
I stood back up and looked down at him in contempt. Like the worthless little snake that he was.
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Thorns & Roses (Legolas Love Story)
FanfictionLEGOLAS/OC. MOVIE VERSE. Desperate to save her father, Anastasia made a grave choice and struck a deal that eventually led her to be banished to Middle Earth. In grief, she thought all that was left of her was hatred. Revenge drove her to set on a j...
