Daughter of DEATH

Chapter 8 - Letters

So this Chapter might answer your questions about the dreaded punishment! Enjoy!

Tauriel watched in despair as Dilemed came around the corner, smirking. He stopped outside the cell and stood, arms crossed, towering above her.

"I see you have finally found your true home. A cell, and perhaps soon, a coffin."

"Let's skip the part with the smart remarks. Why are you here?"

"I wished to see the elfling that nearly killed me."

"You are no less an elfling than me. And I regret that I didn't!"

"I see, you really are your father at heart, then?"

Tauriel instantly regretted that. She sounded just like her father would. Just like the voice. But the voice was kind and helped her and... Kill him. What if-?

"I am nothing like him!"

"Of course, my lady."

Gritting her teeth, Tauriel restrained herself from making the situation worse by losing her temper.

"What are you really doing here?"

"Why, I came to release you."

Tauriel's heart soared, but fell as she saw the pleasure in Dilemed's eyes. He was showing his power over her by letting her out, showing that she had no say in her own life, and the thought of freedom didn't seem so... free.

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Letter from Legolas to King Thranduil, in reply to the King's question in what Legolas had decided the punishment would be. (Written by PackWolfLegolas with only a few words changed by myself!)

To King Thranduil,

I have no intention of hurting Tauriel by deciding her punishment. I have only one idea that seems to me both fair and reasonable. If you were a good King, you would listen to reason. There it is. Perhaps I will add to this later if I think of anything equally reasonable. After all, she is not a murderer. She is only an elfling, and others have done the same to people who have goaded them and received no serious punishments. Not one of them saw the inside of a prison cell. And yet you would do that to an elfling? What you have done already is punishment enough. That, coupled with the fact that the entire palace already hates and distrusts her. It is too much for any elfling to bear! Let her go. She remains innocent. She is not her father, just as I am not mine. I am not like you, Ada, sorry.

Legolas Greenleaf

Letter from King Thranduil to Prince Legolas, in reply to the letter above. (Written by me, this time!)

Dear Prince Legolas,

I believe that you may, in fact, be correct in your judgement. Nevertheless, I have come to a decision. You stated in your letter that the whole palace distrusts her, and that is enough. However, I believe that it is not enough. I believe that the distrust of the entire Kingdom is enough. And we cannot have someone distrusted by the entire kingdom training as Captain of the guard, can we? I have considered your letter, and come to the conclusion that her punishment will be as follows:

Legolas frowned. Why had his father not told him the punishment? Just then, a servant, looking extremely nervous, came in.

"Sire, I-I- have something to tell you. The second half of that letter - the one you were just reading, I believe, it has disappeared! We believe- we discovered a hole in the bottom of the- er- letter bag. We believe that the letter may have been burned - last night!"

And with a frightened squeal, the servant fled the room.

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Tauriel's POV:

Finally, she was free! Until two guards came behind her and escorted her, roughly, to her room. There she found a paper on the bed. It read:

To Tauriel Tarioniel,

Your punishment will be as follows:

Your training with Dilemas will be stopped for 6 months. You will train with the other peasants.

I will make sure that the entire kingdom knows that you are the daughter of Tarion, and what you have done, and they can decide for themselves if they should trust you.

When you are not training, you will be locked in your room.

King Thranduil Oropherion

Tauriel stared at the paper in shock. Then she rose to her feet, trembling, and reached out to try the door. It was locked.

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Tauriel stood at the back of the training hall, arms crossed. About 20 or so other elflings stood around the instructor, a strong looking ellon with a stern expression. Amongst them she saw Dilemed, towering above the rest, and his friends, the other bullies.

The instructor, who had introduced himself as Aithon, followed their gaze to her.

"Miss Tauriel, let's see about you and... Doldir."

Tauriel grimaced. Doldir was one of Dilemed's friends, a strong elfling, a little older than herself, hard and mean.

Like an orc.

This really wasn't the time for the voice. Ignoring it, she turned to Doldir.

Tauriel pushes her arm in deeper to Doldir's throat, asking again,

"Anno?"

Doldir looked around and finally surrendered.

"Anno."

Tauriel climbed up, and looked to Aithon. He seemed angry. Her heart sank. Of course: I will make sure that the entire kingdom knows that you are the daughter of Tarion, and what you have done, and they can decide for themselves if they should trust you.

Well, Aithon didn't.

"Good, but your balance was off just before you pinned him." He turned to Doldir, "and you, I thought better of you. Beaten by an elleth. Pathetic."

Tauriel felt despair. Whatever she did, Aithon would never pay her a compliment. Never.

Okay, so quite a long chapter! Thank you PackWolfLegolas for the letter! Also thank you @AnastasiaR1918 and EstelElfstone and Definitely-Lost and Jaya-Avendel and everyone else who is reading and voting!

Next chapter: Legolas finds out.