The Witch of Mirkwood

Chapter 16 - An Unexpected Visitor

Nicassius excused herself soon after the king had left. Leaving the males to their colorful conversation. Legolas had offered to escort her back to her quarters but she declined knowing he was quite enjoying the company of the men and she did not want to drag him away.

The candles in her room had been lit and there was fresh warm water for washing and a beautiful white cotton nightdress laid on the bed. The elves where so considerate, she would be sad to leave. She changed out of her dress and after washing and slipping on the nightdress she lay on the bed thinking about the journey home. To her surprise there was a knock on the door. She was completely shocked to find the king lurking in the corridor

"walk with me?" he asked and she excused herself for one moment while she grabbed her cloak and put on some shoes

They walked through the dimly lit corridors, and he began to tell her a story about The Black Numenóreans, a fallen race of Númenóreans who were descended from those that were loyal to the Númenórean crown that were opposed to the Valar and relations with the Elves. They soon became corrupted by the dark lord Sauron and worshiped the Darkness.
There was a queen, the queen of Gondor before the stewards had taken over, her name was Berúthiel she was a Black Númenórean and the wife of Tarannon Falastur of Gondor. She was noted for being solitary, and loveless, and therefore she remained childless, however it was rumored that she had fallen in love with an elf which was forbidden and in secret they bore a child together, a child who she wanted to be kept secret from the dark lord and from corruption. The child was blessed with immortality and would be of a very rare race, and in the wrong hands could have become all powerful and corrupt. She sent the child into exile with a servant and his wife but the couple were killed along the way and the child disappeared.

"I know what hunts you Nicassius?"

Her blood ran cold. It could not be true, what was he saying, that she was that child? How did he know what hunts her? She knew the elves were blessed with the power of foresight but this was just a ridiculous story, and he knew nothing about her parents. Its probably not even true she thought, maybe he was just trying to frighten her.

He walked her back to her room and she didn't speak much.

"You will be leaving tomorrow?" He asked

"Yes"

"Then I will say goodbye, but I am sure our paths will cross again" he said as he walked away.

She threw herself back on the bed 'immortal?' Ha! If she was so immortal then why had she nearly died after the sickness, she felt exhausted again and drifted off into a restless sleep.

She was running, running through the corridors of Mirkwood, but she was getting nowhere, the doors kept moving away from her as she tried to reach them, she turned to see the darkness creeping fast behind her, and the walls were closing in, she fell and the darkness engulfed her, she opened her eyes and she was in a room. She was lying on a bed and there was a man standing in the corner with his back to her, he was tall and slender with long dark wavy hair just past his ears, he turned and his face was clean shaven and smooth. He had a strong jaw line with thin lips and he smiled a handsome smile.

"Hello Nicassisus, finally we meet" he said in a soft melodic voice

"who are you?" She asked.

"I am your destiny, you and I are meant to be together, and soon we will be"

As he came closer she noticed his eyes, she had seen those eyes before, she noticed the long dark lashes first, then as he looked upwards she saw them, the piecing green eyes she had seen once before. She began to panic, she tried to moved her arms but she couldn't, she looked down and her hands were bound, she was tied down to the bed and she struggled to free herself as he moved closer, she noticed something shimmer in his hand, he raised it above him and she saw a dagger, she closed her eyes and began to scream....

She sat bolt upright in her bed as Legolas came running in. "Another dream" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her. "The guard heard you screaming in your sleep and came to get me"

"I saw his face, I know who he is now" she said as tears began to ripple silently down her cheeks.

"It was just a dream" Legolas soothed, "he cannot hurt you in a dream"
The elf took off his boots and his tunic and climbed on the bed next to her "come" he said holding his arms out pulling her gently, caccooning her in "I will not leave you tonight"