The Dame of Dúnedain

Gears Turning

(THE 40TH CHAPTER AYYE)

November 21st, Fourth Age (22)

Alaina was going to be okay, thankfully. Legolas was by her side everyday, being rather over protective. The hunting party had not returned yet and eventually Legolas began to get worried that there were more Dunlendings in the forest than just what he saw. Hoping that Ilain and Wil were okay.

Legolas paced in front of his and Alaina's bed where she had been sleeping the past two days. He froze in his tracks when he saw her move in the corner of his eyes. Her own blue eyes flickered awake and he rushed to her side without hesitation. Her gently grabbed her small hands, "Alaina... my love."

Her eyebrows raised slightly at the surprise of the pain in her stomach, shifting her body slightly, "Well that's a new feeling.." she muttered, earning a small chuckle from Legolas.

His smile faded quickly as the memory of them in the forest came back to him. "I almost lost you..." he muttered, staring at her with empty eyes.

Alaina's head rolled to look at him, she used as much of her strength to connect her lips to his own before laying flat on her back again, "You never will."

There was a sharp knock at the door and Legolas instantly stood, his lips still curled upwards from Alaina's words, "Come in."

Ilain barged in, followed by Wil, both of them covered in dirt and blood, "We caught the Dunlendings, they're downstairs." Legolas' smile instantly faded, anger filling him as he clenched his jaw. Ilain then saw Alaina, bowing slightly, "Welcome back, my Lady."

Alaina gave him a small wave before Legolas answered, "I will be right down."

Ilain and Wil both left, shutting the door with a involuntary slam. "I'm coming too," alaina said, pulling back the covers and sitting up quickly, wincing at the pain.

Legolas was taken back by her actions, "No, you must rest."

"Like hell," she muttered, swinging her feet onto the floor. Legolas only rolled his eyes, knowing he couldn't change her mind. He went and grabbed a long satin silver cloak, a wedding gift from his father, swinging it around her shoulders.

She slipped her arms into it and stood, taking a moment to keep her balance as Legolas walked to the table near the balcony. Alaina turned to find Legolas in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. He held her crown in his hands and she smiled kindly at him as he gently placed it on top of her head. She walked to his side of the bed, limping to keep the pain off one side of her body, the side she had been stabbed.

Alaina carefully picked up his smaller crown, he walked to her and lowered his head for her to put his crown upon his blonde hair. He put his hands on her arms and kissed her softly. Alaina put her hand on the side of his head in a caring fashion before walking towards the door, turning to watch as Legolas grabbed both of his blades, walking after her.

They walked down the stairs slowly and she used Legolas for support until she got to the lower floors and their whole royal court could now see them. Three men sat on their knees in a line in front of the throne. They seemed shocked to see the queen carefully walk and gracefully sit on the grand white chair. 

Legolas walked to her side, eyeing the men with a glare. He recognized all three, "There was another," Legolas paused, looking to Ilain and Wil for answers, "Where is he?"

Wil put his hands behind her back, "He, uh, didn't make it?" He said, not really believing the lie himself.

Legolas and Alaina couldn't help but smile. All the nobles stood around and room and Alaina called Legolas over, whispering to him for a moment. Legolas nodded in understanding before turning back towards the room, "Leave us!"

The nobles began to scurry out of the room, leaving the three men, Alaina, Legolas, Wil and Ilain in the large grand white hall. Alaina watched as one of the men looked down and seemed to be whispering prayers to himself. The one in the middle sat tall and proud. The other looked around nervously. 

Wil went to stand behind them, looked at his queen and king, "What will we do with them?"

"Give them what they deserve," Legolas said, particularly eyeing the one in the middle. He stepped down to the main level, taking a throwing knife from Ilain and standing in front of the one who sat there confidently, looking up at the elf. Legolas easily recognized him as the man who had thrown the knife at Alaina, and anger boiled inside of him, though he seemed calm on the outside. Legolas turned towards the one on the right, the one who looked nervous, "You, tell me, where did you get these?"

The man spoke quickly, stuttering, "Our Lord has kept them since the slaughter of our people about twenty-three years ago, near the river.."

Alaina then stood, facing the man, "Your people attacked mine and I did what I had to do to defend them. As I always well," she justified herself. "but don't you dare call it a slaughter."

The man stayed silent and Alaina scoffed, "Cowards.. all of you."

"This is an act of war," Legolas stated, walking back up towards the steps, fiddling with the small throwing knife in his hands before handing it to Alaina who examined it.

"You're the ones who started it twenty-three years ago," The one in the middle spoke, raising his chin.

Legolas and Alaina's gaze landed on the man, both of them looking down at the scruffy dunlending. "Wrong." Is all Alaina said, "You started it twenty-four years ago when your people joined forces with Saruman of Isengard during the War of The Ring."

The man who had spoken scoffed, turning his head to the side with a roll of his eyes. He whipped his head back and spit at the floor in front of the steps. 

Legolas watched it land in front of his feet, a disgusted look on his face. "You will get what you deserve, no more, no less." He said as he unsheathed his blade from his belt.

Alaina was so angry that she lost her temper, taking the throwing knife and curve throwing it at the man to the right, hitting him directly in the neck, taking everyone in the room by surprise. Legolas watched the dead body fall to the ground, staining the white floor with blood. 

The man in the middle looked nervous now as Legolas crouched down in front of him. A darkness had come over him as he looked the evil man in the eyes. "You almost killed the queen... my wife..." he looked as though he zoned out, "the love of my life."

Taking even Alaina by surprise, Legolas used his quick reflexes to stab the man in the gut with his blade, holding onto his shoulder. The only noises were the gagging of the man in the middle and the whimpers and prayers from the man to the left. Legolas leaned towards the man's ear, giving him a view of Alaina who stood tall and proud behind him. "I want you to look at her...— I want you to know how hard you failed at whatever attempt you made at life. Because she is standing, alive and well, and you are not." As he spoke, his twist his blade around causing the man to yell out in pain.

With a small jerk, the blade sliced upwards towards the man's chest, causing him to die instantly. Legolas stood, taking out a cloth and wiping his blade off as him and Alaina switched locations.

She walked down the steps towards the last man standing, "Look at me," she said as she towered over him.

"I give you mercy only so you can deliver a message," she spoke as the man looked up at her, tears in his cowardly eyes. "Tell the man you call a Lord that we are coming for him. Ten-thousand men come to find out if the savage stories about your people are the truth." She turned back towards Ilain and Wil, "Get him out of my kingdom."

Wil grabbed the man by the rope that bound his hands, pulling him out of the room. As soon as the doors shut, Ilain looked at Alaina with furrowed eyebrows, "But, my queen, we have twenty-thousand soliders.. not ten."

Alaina looked at him, her hands resting on Legolas' arms, "Exactly." And there, her husband and Ilain could tell that she already had a plan mapped out in her mind, the gears were turning from the moment she was stabbed.