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Faded Light: Book II	By : Laurin Category: -Multi-Age > Slash - Male/Male Views: 11944 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Characters and places belong to JRR Tolkien and to his estate. I own only my OC's and twisted storylines.

Chapter List
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(For additional notes and disclaimers, please see top of Chapter 1.)
= Mostly a dark Elf’s thoughts and motivations, in this chapter, and a little bit of Thranduil though his only lines here are in the short flashback...
I know it has been an extremely long time since I had any new chapters, but I really have been working on this story. Between site issues, life issues and computer issues, it’s just taken me awhile. And sometimes you’re sure something should be written a certain way, and it turns out you were totally off and have to rethink the whole thing. That’s sort of what happened with this chapter.
I also hope to finally get a new laptop in the very near future, which will really help. I’ve also been posting this story here the past few months: http://efiction.esteliel.de/index.php
For anyone who has lost track, this is still the night of the wedding. Haldir and company, and Legolas will be back in a couple more chapters, and there is some Elf sexiness in the next one. For the moment, this one has a little more about Mirkwood’s past and the royal family. (And yes, I am aware that Elves do not have extramarital affairs. But Elves also don’t do half the stuff they do in this story, (I have some very naught Elves in my head) so just go with it...)
Anyway, the next three chapters are done, so I hope to be posting those soon. Many thanks as always to all my reviewers, past ones and newer ones. Enjoy. =

Chapter 2.40
Morea Emyl pt. 2

The dark Elf watched his cousin a moment longer, before stepping from the shadows.
Anyone looking in on the Elvenking would have thought he had only dozed off while he rested on his favorite settee...but Esarulir knew better.
Quietly taking the tray and half-empty cup from the small table beside the King, he quickly disposed of the entire contents in the washroom.
He did not often tamper with the Thranduil’s food or drink; it was not prudent with the King’s staunchly devoted attendant, usually about somewhere double-checking everything.
But the faithful old Galion had his weaknesses; in particular good wine, which with the wedding festivities tonight he was no doubt enjoying his share of.
He smiled to himself to think of this triumph tonight at seeing at last his beloved only daughter wed to Mirkwood’s second Prince, who with a bit of maneuvering from Esarulir would be the next King of the Greenwood.
He had waited centuries to see this day...and even longer to see a child of his.
And he allowed his inner smile to reach his lips as an image of Glaerwen’s mother came to his mind. Not the prim and tedious noble lady he had in a foolhardy moment allowed himself to be persuaded to wed, and who was supposed by all to have been his child’s mother.
No, his lady wife never gave him the child he had so desired...
His cousin, the King had been livid at the indiscretions surrounding Glaerwen’s begetting, which had been the result of an unplanned but passionate and ill-advised liaison with one of the Forest Realm’s fairest ladies, who was wed, inconveniently, to one of Thranduil’s leading nobles...
>“...of all the she-Elves on Arda, you couldn’t bed one of lesser station?” Thranduil rubbed his brow in frustration, his anger still focused so intently on his cousin that he could practically feel it.
“Do you realize to whom the Lady is married?”
“Her husband is one of the most insipid Elves in Mirkwood,” he argued. “Everyone knows it. I’m not sure he remembers she exists most of the time...”
“I don’t care what anyone thinks of her husband,” the King exploded. “His is one of the most important families in this kingdom. You know we cannot rule this realm without the aid of the Forest Lords.
“Do you have any grasp of what you’ve done?”
“Believe it or not, Cousin, this was not planned...there is as much marital bliss between them as there is between Braniel and I.”
“That does not excuse your behavior. And what of Braniel? Are you forgetting about your wife as well?”
“Braniel and I don’t get along either; we haven’t in centuries. And it’s clear now she’ll never give me a child.”
“You of all people know what it is to have a barren marriage...”
“I know what it is to want a child.
“But I will thank you to not call my marriage barren,” said Thranduil making an effort to hold his anger. “I would have none other as wife than Thalielwen.
“It is not Eru’s will to give everyone children, but we have a child...”
“Yes,” said the King’s cousin, “you were both content to adopt her brother’s son as your own. But I do not think as you do...
“I won’t raise someone else’s Elfling. I have a right to my own bloodline.”
“Unfortunately, the lady’s husband feels the same way,” said the King. “You know he will never stand for being handed another Ellon’s child...
“So, we had all best find a solution to your indiscretion...preferably one that spares the honor of both our Houses...”

=======================

Esarulir returned the tray to a table by the door for Galion to remove later and looked at his Royal kinsman again.
The one born to all the privileges of Royalty though they shared the very same bloodlines from both their paternal and maternal lines; both the grandsons of the last Silvan King of Mirkwood.
While Esarulir and his mother endured an ignominious exile...and worse...
For centuries, he had watched his mother a Princess of pure Elven Royal blood toil in some rich Mortal’s field or as a servant. But he had used those years to find Human, and a few not quite Human, Masters from whom to learn the Occult lore...
Yet, for all the hatred he nurtured for his wealthier kinsmen, he had not really started out on a quest for the throne; but in time, the path started to seem too obvious for him to ignore.
By the time Glaerwen was born, it had appeared unlikely that Queen Thalilelwen would ever bear any child; the Elvenking’s only heirs were the children of his sister.
But though Princess Meldamiriel did in time marry, she was widowed, and childless, within a few decades and decided to take up a religious life until she could be reunited with her husband again in the Undying Lands...
That left Leralonde and Ethiel, and eventually it became obvious that the elder Prince had no interest in marriage, at least not marriage to any she-Elf, no matter how many fair damsels were thrown his way at the Court or how much in denial that prude Ruthlagor insisted on remaining in about his son’s romantic preferences...
But then two unexpected things happened.
First Queen Thalielwen, after centuries of vain hoping, bore a healthy Elven Prince, the very image of his father...Legolas, who was first in line to the throne before any of his elder cousins.
Though Esarulir congratulated the parents, and pretended otherwise for centuries, he hated the Elfling on sight. And never stopped detesting the very sight of him.
If Prince Leralonde did not wed and have a son, that left only Legolas between Ethiel and the throne, who was only a few centuries older than Glaerwen. The two were often to be seen playing in the gardens together, obviously quite fond of each other, and Esarulir began to imagine a Royal betrothal...
But after awhile it seemed like nothing could destroy Thranduil’s brat, not the childhood ‘accidents’ Esarulir arranged for him to fall into, or his grief when his mother was killed by Orcs...especially, once Thranduil appointed Nardol as the Prince’s bodyguard.
Nothing ever did get past the staunch warrior.
And even when Esarulir made use of Delos’ mad lust for the Prince to encourage and even help in his assault, nothing, apparently, came of it. Life in the Royal household went on as it always had with no mention even of Delos’ unexplained departure.
It took Esarulir some time to unravel the truth of Delos’ fate.
But more unexpected still when Leralonde found an Ellon who could give him a child; though that child at least had been a girl.
If Esarulir had known it would be, he thought, he perhaps would not have arranged so hastily to have Saelbeth fall into that Orc attack...
The dark Elf thought again of the Elfling, Benain, and felt the same unease he had since Feredir had brought that child to Mirkwood...
But time enough to deal with that as well, he thought, and the remote possibility that Saelbeth might still bear the Crown-prince a son...
He turned to his kinsman again and reaching out touched a spot just beside his temple...
“Someone else has been in your head of late, Cousin,” muttered the Dark Elf to himself with a frown. He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind, “We can’t have that can we...what are you hiding...?
“No matter,” he said to himself after another minute of sifting through the King’s mind. “I’ll know it sooner or later...”
He took another moment to reorder the King’s thoughts, as he wanted them.
In all this time, his subtle guidance of the King’s mind had gone unnoticed even by Elrond...
But he had heard passing talk in the past few days that Feredir had some thought to remain in Mirkwood; a filial whim to be of help to his father perhaps, but the King’s adopted son would have to be dealt with if he was inconsiderate enough not to remain as far away as he had been.
No one else might notice any inconsistencies in the King’s actions, and Feredir was certainly no sorcerer or Wise Elf, but the possibility of him noticing something could not be risked...
Over the years, Esarulir’s spies had kept an eye on Feredir’s activities, even having the occasional false lead planted along his way to keep him chasing shadows...
And making sure any accidental real leads met with timely accidents, which had also been the fate of the few warriors Thranduil had kept searching, in those early years when some hope lingered in him that he might find his son...
“After the wedding celebrations are over it would be a good idea to assign Feredir and Leralonde to oversee some of our Southern outposts,” he said as if merely making a suggestion...
Neither the King nor anyone else would doubt the thought had been his own.
“And Lord Elrond will certainly be needed back in Rivendell...
“You should rest now, Cousin,” he said, letting his hand drop. “I’m sure you have grown quite weary...”
The King’s eyes fell closed, and he brought a had to his chest as if in sudden pain...
Someday soon, thought the dark Elf, he would let his spells run their full course and grant his cousin the peace he so yearned for. But not until Ethiel and Glaerwen provided him with the grandson he needed to ensure his own bloodline.
TBC...
Elvish Translations:
Morea Emel / Dark Hearts
Elvish Names:
Thalielwen (Steady, firm) / Legolas’ mother, late Queen of Mirkwood.
Esarulir (ghost, wraith) / Thranduil’s cousin.
Glaerwen (song or poem) / Only daughter of Esarulir.
Hwinith (giddiness) / Mother of Esarulir. Last Princess of Mirkwood’s Silvan Royal House.
Ethiel (well or spring) / Youngest son of Ruthlagor and Mereniel
Galion / In the Hobbit, Thranduil’s butler.
Meldamiriel (Dear Jewel) / Thranduil’s niece; an elven cleric.
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Faded Light: Book II