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Denied Rights	By : HPDM4ever Category: -Multi-Age > General Views: 9502 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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An: Are you ready? Here it is! A new, and improved, and rather long chapter.....

The first part is Legolas� point of view, and the second part is Haldir�s. All speech is elvish, unless I mention differently.

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Lothlorien
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The Galadhrim escorted me and my companions through the forest. Golden sunlight filtered through the tall trees, and I upturned my face tos ths the brilliance. All around me I could hear life. Birds flew above me, and rabbits scurried underfoot. In the distance, a deer grazed. I could smell the moist earth, and the perfume of the flowers around us. And the trees! I was always breathless at the sight of the giant mallorn trees. I could also hear the trees speak, as most wood-elves can, and I silently listened to their whispers.

I am not sure how long I stood there, letting the warmth of the sun flow through me, but when I opened my eyes, I saw several elves getting to their feet. I quickly apologized, for I had not meant to delay our journey. The Lothlorien elves looked amused, and I suddenly knew th was was not the first to have suddenly stopped in his tracks to enjoy the forest. We continued to walk. I strode quietly on the path, which would have been unobservable to humans, contently; for these borders were guarded well. It usually soothed my soul to be in Lothlorien. And this visit was no exception, especially after my last meeting with Thranduil. I was shaken from my thoughts by Haldir�s other brother, Orophin, wasn�t it? We were at the river Nimhrodel, and I was ushered across the rope to the other side.

A Lothlorien elf who had been introduced as Uruit��r�o put an arm around me. "It�s said that it has been a long time since your last visit. The others thought perhaps you had forgotten how to cross the river," he said laughing as he motioned to several of the Galadhrim that I had met on a previous trip.

"Ah, although it has been many years since I have had the pleasure of crossing Nimrodel, I fear that I could never forget the way to cross. Especially after my first meeting with her sweet water," I said smiling.

"Why, did some ill befall you?" asked Uruit��r�o innocently.

I looked at him suspiciously. Was he pulling my leg? How could he not know? But then again, I had never seen this elf before. Perhaps he was new to Lothlorien.

Most of the Golden Wood remembered what happened the first time I had gone to cross the river. One of the guardians had stumbled while balan on on the rope and had shoved me off it in his attempt to steady himself. I had ended up meeting the Lord and Lady of the Wood in a humiliating fashion: my clothes were sd, md, my hair was in disarray, several cuts decorated my face, and I was soaking wet. It was mortifying to be standing in front of my hosts while a puddle of water had slowly formed around me.

A loud snort was heard from behind them, and I wheeled back with an accusing glare. Aranreslo, Haldren, and Salaro were politely smiling at us, while Hadeniel was turned away and shaking with laughter.

"Well, one could say that I got a little closer to the water then I wanted to. It is best left unmentioned, however, for I would hate to bring up the clumsiness which led to my �accident�," I said with a hint of a smile. Immediately Hadeniel stopped laughing and turned a peculiar shade of pink. His companions chuckled, and soon as the rest of my company crossed the river, we continued on.

I looked over at Haldir. He was being supported by Rumil and Orophin, and the three of them had their heads close together. Every so often one of them would look up at me and laugh. I was getting rather annoyed and it must have shown on my face, for Hadeniel elbowed me and inquired if I was upset about something.

"It is nothing," I said faking a smile. "I just regret that I will soon have to leave these beautiful woods and return to my king." Although it wasn�t what I was thinking, it wa exa exa a l a lie. In fact, it was most definitely the truth. Once I returned to Thranduil, I was going to be in big trouble. Nothing I could say would get me out of the punishment that was waiting for me.

"You regret that you have to leave soon?" Uruit��r�o looked at me blankly. "But when you arrived, you were most displeased to learn that you had to stay."

I mentally laughed. Of course I was displeased. Displeased was an understatement. Out loud I replied, "I was upset that I would be disobeying my king, not that I would have to stay in Lothlorien."

Uruit��r�o seemed to accept this answer, and we began to talk of things of little impoce, ce, such as the weather, and border patrols. We continued to speak, with the other guardians commenting now and then, until we had reached Caras Galadhon. Veryaserko and I were ushered up the stairs of the great mallorn tree to stand in front of Galadriel and Celeborn.

I touched my heart and forehead to show my respect, and my captain followed my actions. "My Lord Celeborn, my Lady Galadriel," I said respectfully, "although my king was pleased to be able to return to you your March Warden, I must admit that he will not be happy with our tardiness in returning to him."

Lady Galadriel smiled. "That is a rather nice way, Legolas, to say that he will have another reason for disliking me." She laughed quietly. "And I thank you for that."

Lord Celeborn rose from his seat and sharing a glance with his wife, said, "We admit that we are surprised that Thranduil would bother to return one of our own. We are most thankful for his help, and are in his debt. However, you must stay and regain your strength." He looked pointedly at me. "I was informed by Haldir that you are injured. Please allow our healers to attend to your wound properly."

I thought that it was rather tactful of him not to say what Haldir had really told him. I cursed silently, remembering my own words when Haldir saw what the knife had left behind, �I am afraid that someone did not like what I said.�

I smiled ruefully, "I am afraid that we cannot dally. Although we would most welcome your hospitality and assistance, we must return immediately."

Lady Galadriel, spoke again. "It is no secret, Legolas of Mirkwood, that I cannot read the secrets of all minds. You may even be aware, that I cannot reach into the depths of your own mind. However, I need not read your mind to know that you are troubled. For, although your thoughts are hidden well, I can still feel your emotions. Hate�. Anger�.Sadness�." She looked directly into my eyes. "Fear�."

"My Lady," I said quickly, "please---."

"No," she said, cutting me off before I could finish my sentence. Although, later when I rethought the events of what had happened, I do not know what I was going to say, or what she was denying me.

Veryaserko, my ever faithful captain, stepped in front of me protectively. I�m wasn�t sure as to what he felt I needed protection from; however it was soon clear a few seconds later, as several guardians appeared behind Galadriel.

She looked at me. "Remove your tunic, Legolas, and show me this wound that another gave you."

I could not believe what was happening, and struggled not to panic. I could not show them what Thranduil had done; they would know instantly after seeing the shape. I couldn�t understand why Galadriel was being so forceful! Were my emotions that visible? "My Lady, I will not. I cannot," I said as I looked around the room cautiously.

"Remove it, or have it removed for you," she said firmly. "You are well liked here in Lothlorien, and if another has done an injustice to you, then we must remedy the situation." When I didn�t move, she motioned her guardians forward. I saw that Rumil and Orophin were among the four she sent forward, and Haldir was one of those who still stood behind his lady.

I was vaguely aware of Veryaserko being forced out of the room, as my arms and legs were held in iron like grips. It brought back the memory of my father, in the dungeons, and for a quick second I thought that Galadriel held a knife. Looking closer, I saw that she held nothing. "My Lady, please, do not," I pleaded as she came closer. I feared that another punishment from would be waiting for me if this secret was revealed to two of the most powerful beings on Middle-Earth.

I suppose I must have been trembling, because Galadriel caressed my face. "Do not fear us Legolas," she said softly. "We only wish to help you." She unbuttoned my tunic and unraveled the cloth that covered the skin slashed by Thranduil. "There, now tell us who did this to you," she said as she delicately began to clean the wound. "And why would you not show us before?" She peered at it closely, and then staggered back as if in shock.

Lord Celeborn was by her side in an instant. "What is wrong?" he asked her concerned. She waved a hand towards the cut. He studied it intensely and then became quite pale.

I became aware of their powerful gazes looking over my features.

"We must have been blind not to have seen it before," Celeborn murmured.

"His hair is the same shade as his fathers�! And his eyes, exactly like his mothers� were!" exclaimed Galadriel as she waved away the guardians holding me.

I could tell that the guardians were confused. I assumed that they knew not what the mark on my chest meant, or what it told of my parentage.

I confess that I did not know what to do. All my life, I had kept the secret of who my true father was. I had only told Veryaserko, my closest friend. Although I had befriended others, such as Elladan and Elrohir of Imladris, and Hadeniel and Salaro of Lothlorien, no words had ever spilled past my lips of my denied heritage. I had been quick to tell lies about my parents. No one had ever questioned me when I said my father had been killed by orcs, or that my mother had died of grief. Such subjects were just not spoken about.

However, standing here before these two powerful beings, I could not find any lies to tell. Besides what could I say? That someone had done it as a cruel joke? That Thranduil wished I was his son, and had made the mark out of affection? Ha, I think not. They knew of Thranduil and his cruelty. I wouldn�t be surprised if they had guessed I was being abused by him the last time I was in Lothlorien. That time, I had a broken arm, and had passed it off as an accident while training.

Galadriel suddenly gathered me in her arms. "Oh you poor child," she said as she ran her hand through my hair. She released me and looked at me at arms length. "I do not understand how this could have happened. How could we not have known the child survived?" she looked downcast. "Yet, if he denies you, why does he have you as his advisor?"

I smiled faintly. "I was raised by a servant who worked in the palace. She cared for me, as�.. my mother would have. Vorimarao, Anganca, Aranisilo, and Calimara always treated me as a brother. They didn�t blame me for my mother�s death, like Thranduil did. As I grew older, they taught me the skills they learned from their tutors, and it became obvious that I soon surpassed them in almost every form of fighting." I straightened with pride as I spoke again.

"The warriors noticed my skill and I was soon part of the border patrol. I was the youngest ever to join a patrol in Mirkwood, and my skills helped my companions out of trouble more then once. Thranduil had no choice but to commend my accomplishments, and as I was the best for the job, he took me as his tactical advisor. Over the years I have tried to change his attitude when it comes to other realms. In fact, I finally got him to write to your son in law, Lord Elrond, proposing a treaty. Sadly, he still despises Lothlorien. He allows me to travel to other realms, but always seeks to keep me close to him. Not because he loves me, but because he wants to make my life as miserable as he can."

"Why did he send you to rescue and return Haldir to us?" asked Celeborn.

I considered my options, and decided that telling them the truth couldn�t hurt. "He did not. I spoke with my brothers and sisters and they told Rumil, that it would be taken care of. Thranduil never knew that I left. Well, he probably knows by now. That is why I was anxious to leave. The sooner I return, the sooner I can face my punishment. The longer I wait, the more painful it will be."

Galadriel turned away as I spoke this and I was startled to see a tear run down her cheek. "How could I have not seen?" she whispered to herself. "Why would they withhold this from me? Why?" Unexpectedly she screamed curses towards the heavens. The guardians who had been standing outside swiftly entered with their bows drawn, and were surprised to see their Lady begin to weep uncontrollably.

Celeborn motioned for me and the guardians to leave as he gathered his wife in his arms. "Legolas, we will expect you at dinner," he said quietly.

I stood there as the other guardians eyed me warily. I didn�t blame them. My tunic was unbuttoned and my wound was exposed, not to mention that I had somehow made their lady cry. Finally Rumil took my arm and led me out. Veryaserko was waiting and jumped up as soon as I arrived. "My lord," he said, as he grabbed my arm away from Rumil, "are you all right? What happened?"

I replied, "They know. They know that I am the son of my father." I blinked, and all of a sudden realized that I was crying. Turning to the guardians who were still eyeing me, I said, "I did not mean to cause her grief. She blames herself� she must not! It isn�t her fault�. It�s his fault!"

"I made her cry�� I made her cry�..oh I caused her pain. You must tell her I�m sorry!" I burst out again at the guardians surrounding me.

I realized that I was babbling, and Veryaserko had folded me into his arms and was leading me to a place where I could rest. "It�s okay, Legolas. Just rest now. I will guard you while you sleep," my captain said as he pulledlanklanket over my body. "Don�t worry. The Lady will be fine, and maybe she will be able to help you."

I nodded wearily, and without meaning to, drifted off into a troubled sleep.

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My brothers and I had come immediately when we were summoned, and arrived in the chamber to see Legolas� captain step in front of him. I must admit that I was surprised that the Lady was displaying such forcefulness.

I smirked. Perhaps Galadriel had more than a political interest in the advisor. Maybe it was a personal interest. I admit, it would not be the first time that she had taken another into her bed. Not that Celeborn had anything wrong with that. They had both taken the occasional lover on the side. And I could see why she would want this one. He was utterly delicious.

I jumped as I felt the Lady�s voice in my head. "Tsk, tsk, Haldir. I merely want to make sure he is okay. Perhaps you will be the one who warms his bed? Hmm?" she said laughing. I forced myself not to keep a straight face and not imagine that delightful scene in my head.

Galadriel motioned my brothers forward to hold the advisor still. I believed I knew why he struggled, yet I wanted to see my Lady�s reaction to the carved out leaf on his chest. On my return to Lothlorien I found myself thinking more and more about Legolas� cut. The cut, the pain in his eyes, his protectiveness of the princess, and even the colour of his hair led me to believe one thing.

I suppose that she didn�t notice the shape right away, for she kept speaking as she examined it. Then, she swayed dangerously. And I knew I was right. The advisor was indeed a prince of Mirkwood.

His hair was definitely the same shade as Thranduil�s, and I never got close enough to the queen, so I couldn�t compare the captivating eyes.

I was waved away with the other guardians, and I leaned against the door outside of the room. I was not surprised that neither my brothers, nor the other guardians knew what the mark meant. As Marchwarden, I had traveled many places in Middle Earth, learned their different languages, and studied their customs. Upon the birth of the other princes, and the princess, I hadompaompanied My Lady to Lothlorien to celebrate their births, and had seen their leaf shaped marks�which signified that they were of royal birth.

Several minutes passed by, and I deep in thought, ignored the conversation around me. It wasn�t until we heard my Lady screaming that we ran in, fearful that something had harmed her. What we saw was unforgettable. My Lady was sobbing hysterically. Now in all my years of faithful service, I will not deny that I have seen Galadriel cry; however, I had never seen her lose control and cry the way she was now.

Celeborn quickly wrapped his arms around hand and speaking quietly to Legolas, excused us from the room. We stood there for a second, dumbfounded, and then Rumil took Legolas by the arm and led him out. I was surprised to see that he too was crying. But, it wasn�t self pity. No, he stared around wildly at us, as his captain tried to soothe him, and thought only of Galadriel, not of himself.

"I made her cry," he kept muttering over and over again. I was thankful when Veryaserko led him out of our sight, hopefully to put him to bed.

I shook my head. What was to be done about this? Thranduil would not be happy when he found himself called to a council meeting to discuss the abuse of his youngest child. I wondered if he would even come. He could try to deny it; after all, although all the evidence showed signs of kinship, he wasn�t the brightest of elves and would probably come up with some harebrained excuse as to Legolas� parentage and his appearance.

"You know something, brother," came a voice from behind me.

"Orophin, why would you say such a thing? Cannot you see that I am as troubled about the situation as you?" I put my best puzzled look on my face as I turned towards him.

He snorted. "If you truly knew nothing, you would not have such a blatantly obvious confused look on your face. You forget that I know your tricks too well!" He and Rumil each took an arm and we started to walk back to our talan. "Now, what do you know?"

I sighed. Nothing that I could tell them would help the situation. Rumil had the biggest mouth of all of Lorienrien and could never keep a secret. Orophin, on the other hand, could keep quiet; however, when in the midst of passion, he revealed anything you wished to know. It was his only weak spot. He�d do anything to achieve release, and if you wanted information, he gladly gave it in exchange for pleasure. I grunted when Rumil elbowed me in the arm, a little too close to my arrow wound.

"Well if you didn�t insist on poking my injuries, perhaps I would tell you; however, now that I am in pain, I shall have to leave you to once again visit the healer." I squeezed their shoulders. "Good bye brothers!" I cried as I sped off in the direction of the healers.

Once I had gotten far away enough from them I tracked back towards where Legolas rested. I opened the door to his room and immediately a sword was at my throat. "Well, after all that you risked to save me, are you going to kill me now?" I asked Veryaserko softly as he glared at me.

The captain sheathed his sword, but looked at me warily. "I apologize, but you must not disturb my lord while he sleeps. He is deeply in need of rest," he said as he waved his hand to where Legolas slept on the bed.

I nodded. I turned to gaze at him. His face was troubled even in sleep, and when he began to moan, I crossed the room over to him. Veryaserko immediately grabbed my arm. I growled softly, for I do not let just anyone touch me. However, I saw that he only meant to protect his prince, and I forgave him. "Fear not, captain. I only meant to ease his suffering." The younger elf finally released me and stepped back.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and placed my hand on Legolas� brow. I murmured several elvish blessings and stroked his forehead softly. The prince quieted and seemed to be content. I could not help but wish to cry myself, like my Lady had before. Such a young elf, with so much pain.

I could only hope that things would get better, unfortunately, that was not to be.

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AN: Once again, thanks so much to all of you who have reviewed. I�m typing as fast as I can, but I�ve got class picking, college shopping and packing to do�� I hope you liked this chapter, but feel free to tell me if you didn�t. Okay, until the next chapter!!!!!!!
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