The Realm of the Stars

Chapter Four - The Hall of Memories

LEGOLAS watched with both trepidation and an odd excitement as he inclined his head towards the vine covered doorway that led to his mother's private quarters. It would first take her through the room that would have been her study, after she passed through the hall with its walls painted with murals of his mother's life up until her death. Of various objects displayed on the built in shelves. Finally, at the end of the hallway would be his mother's bedroom. Somewhere, that had his mother lived, his father would have been inclined to spend his time more in than in his own.

Well, it would have been her bedroom here. How long had it been since he, himself had went down that corridor? He glanced upwards, night was beginning to close in. Lights were beginning to be lit. Lanterns were always lit with in his mother's halls so that any who wished to pay homage to her could.

Finally, with trembling hands he seen her disappear within. He resisted the urge to follow her. To make sure she would not steal the gems that were his mother's gift to his father's house. The heirlooms of his family now. The gems that started the last war between the dwarves and elves.

He forced himself to focus on the bag she had left behind on the bottom level. He swiftly made his way around the corner to the smoothed flooring that led to the lower level, and to the bag. He unzipped it quickly, throwing a glance over his shoulder towards the entryway to his mother's chambers though he knew she would not be back anytime soon. He rummaged through its contents and after noting several objects which he had no idea what they were, but decided to ignore, he found a notebook. He pulled it out and examined it for moment, then opened the red cover and leafed through it to make sure it was what he was looking for. Seeing that it was, he closed the bag up again, and stood staring at it. Somehow, it seemed wrong to just take it. Even if he was just borrowing it. The point was that he was taking it without her knowledge. She had spent hours working on this. When she found out that it was missing, he could hardly imagine how she would react.

He sighed and returned to the upper terrace. Nevertheless, the king's order, is his will. There was a reason for this he had to keep telling himself.

"Give this to the king," he ordered one of the guards handing him the notebook.

The guard took it and left in a sprint. After which, Legolas looked over at the opening that the woman had entered. Following her now wouldn't be so strange even if she sees him.

"Keep watch," Legolas ordered the remaining guard and crossed the room and disappeared in the vine covered entrance to his mother's chambers.

Cassandra hesitated at first when she entered the hallway. Unlike the rest of the place so far, the walls here were smoothed out. Pictures were painted upon them. The pictures were beginning to fade in color, but the detail was still there. What caught her eye the most after glancing down the long hallway lit with beautifully crafted lanterns, was that in all of the paintings the same beautiful woman was pictured in some form. Underneath each, was a shelf that housed an object that clearly was feminine in some way or another.

She stepped quietly over to the first painting noting that her footsteps still echoed in the lonely hall. Windows that were somehow kept from letting the elements in (it was so delightfully warm in this hall) peppered the hallway with long draperies.

Cassandra went over to the study the first picture. In it a little girl, ebony haired and lovely was chasing butterflies in a blue dress with what Cassandra assumed were her parents. But these were not humans. The pointed ears and the ethereal beauty that was displayed in evening the painting made it clear that this was a faerie, or an elf. Since the fables told of this being an elf's kingdom she assumed that the lady was of that race. She was also very aware that if she told anyone about what was happening to her now she would be carted off to a hospital and pumped with up with some kind of sedative. She knew she would sound insane. Perhaps she was insane... maybe this wall is just a tree...?