Nin Chronicles: My Word

I Told Tales

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Time passed. Within the room without windows, Legolas sat oblivious to it until his candle sputtered and died. The elfling sat up with a startled jerk and the book in his hands dropped to the floor. His heart banged in his chest as he felt his way through the blackness toward the door. He emerged into the dim light of the library and locked the door. Hiding the key under a book on the closest shelf, he fled the place.

No sooner had he set foot in the hall outside the living room then Thranduil snatched him in a distraught hug. "Legolas! I have been so worried. No one could find you."

"I fell asleep in the library," Legolas said, his heart jumping as he spoke the lie.

"For valar sakes, bring your books to the family room and fall asleep on the couch there, if you must, so I will at least know where you are!" Thranduil ejaculated.

"I am sorry, ada," Legolas said, meeting Thranduil's eyes. Sorry for lying to you.

Thranduil squeezed him and kissed his forehead. "It is no worry as long as it does not happen again. Now come eat with us."

With a slight start, Legolas realized it was dinnertime. He followed Thranduil to the dining room, realizing he had worried more then his father as Harune breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Well!" said Onyx as Legolas slid into his seat. "And where have you been, I should like to know? I suppose you were down raiding the larders while we all rang the alarm bells and turned out in full to track you down?"

Legolas turned red. "Of course not!"

"So you have done something worst," Onyx prophesied, as he helped himself to a cut of cold meat. "Why, it reminds me of the time Thranduil—"

Thranduil held up a hand. "Do not speak of it."

Onyx emptied a pitcher into his cup, ice tinkling inside it. "Let me tell you, Legolas, of the crimes of the Great King Thranduil."

Legolas forgot the dark corners of the black magic room and prepared to listen as he chewed his food.

"I cannot bring you under my roof without being blacklisted," Thranduil muttered.

"I do not know why you bother trying," Onyx said. "Why, every student I have instructed in dance has stopped squirming and shut up to listen to stories of your wickedness."

"I notice every elfling at this table has 'stopped squirming and shut up'," Thranduil said sarcastically. "You might as well get it over with now."

Onyx gave a playful tug to Landion's braid as he began. "Several months after my dreadful first meeting with Thranduil (I never could get the ink out of my bedspread), Harune took us up to spend a few days at the palace. While mother and father indulged in parties of the most elegant kind, Jade and I were stuck with a rather snotty prince. Terrible, it was."

He paused to reflect and Thranduil remarked, "I do not recall being snotty."

"He was far from snotty," Jade assured Legolas.

"Stop spoiling the story," Onyx commanded. "Jade wandered off to inspect the splendor of Oropher's halls after an hour in the sitting room. Thranduil and I settled down to play chess. After several games without proper refreshment, Thranduil suggested a quick adjournment for the purposes of acquiring food. We went down to the kitchens and there Thranduil told me of the divine delicacies hidden behind the pantry door and how easy they were to get."

"And you, poor fool, went in to fetch them," Jade said, hiding a smile as she wiped jam off Rocky's face with a napkin.

"Well, I certainly was not going to settle for plain fare after spending life time on practically no sweets at all," Onyx said. "Thranduil played it up very nicely. He talks a fantastic talk about graciously doing his duty and letting guests have the first pick at the larder."

"I told you I was not sure what treats you would like best," Thranduil objected.

"And when I offered to tell you what I liked, you told me half the delicacies in your royal larder were not even known to me and I had better go in and try them for myself. Well, Legolas, I went in and was promptly caught red-handed by a cook with a foul temper."

"I know all about those," Legolas agreed knowingly.

Onyx downed a thoughtful sip of his drink. "Indeed. But the cooks of your generation are much nicer, I assure you, and your King to is much pleasanter. My accoster dragged me up to reveal my sins to Oropher and evidently he was in a bad mood. I have no idea what would have happened to me though I suspect I would have spent a fine time rotting in the dungeons had Thranduil not stepped up and claimed responsibility for my actions."

Legolas glanced at Thranduil and was met with a smile as his father finished his food and pushed back his plate.

"What happened next?" Elladan asked.

"Horror upon horrors," Onyx replied. "Harune had told Jade and I of Oropher's methods of punishment after Thranduil spilled ink across my bedspread and mother already knew but I had never seen it until that day before Oropher's throne. I . . . realized how bad it was as I was marched away to the sound of Thranduil shrieking."

Legolas flinched though the twins winced most visibly. Onyx stared at his plate for a moment before he shook himself. "And that is the charlatan your father is."

"Oh, I do not agree," Jade objected. "Our brother is not without the honor and integrity to claim responsibility for his actions, whether they are good or bad. He knew what would be done to him but he spoke honestly despite the consequences."

"I never done any less," Thranduil agreed. "And now, Onyx, if you must tell another story, let us retire to the family room."

I dare say Onyx will delight in dredging up even older tales of a naughty elfling Thranduil.

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Next Chapter: Onyx tells the story of his tattoos.