Chapter 7: Of cowardice and courage

Thranduil's horse cantered across the moonlit path on the Green and straight to the barn. Everyone else followed through the barnyard gates close behind him. No one was there to greet them and that was exactly what Thranduil had intended. He had purposefully timed their departure this morning to ensure that they would arrive at the stronghold far later than anyone would still be awake. Legolas and Anastor both were reaching the end of their endurance. Legolas's increasingly short temper was evidence enough of that. It was completely understandable, but it also meant that Legolas did not need to face questions from the entire populace upon his return. Anastor certainly had no idea how to handle that sort of attention.

Legolas slid off his horse with a sigh and looked out onto the Green, relief plainly evident on his face when he saw it deserted.

Thranduil tossed the reins of his horse to Conuion. "Could you make sure that someone sees to the horses. Legolas and I will accompany Anastor to his cottage." Anastor was standing alone in the middle of the yard, still resolutely ignoring his father. "Tulus, can you come with us and help Dannenion?"

Since Tulus had been relieved of the duty to guard Legolas, he rode with Dannenion to steady him. He was already helping Dannenion to dismount. And they were still whispering. They had whispered the entire day, sometimes quite heatedly.

Tulus and Dannenion made to follow after Thranduil, who held out his arm, gesturing for Anastor to come to him, but Lanthir interrupted their departure. "Dannenion's family, and Dolwon's, are currently staying in the stronghold," he said, leading Legolas's horse to the barn and taking the reins of Thranduil's stallion as he passed Conuion. "The queen invited them to stay in the stronghold for their safety," he explained in response to both Dannenion and Thranduil's surprised expressions.

"Then we will all go to the stronghold, if you do not mind, Tulus," Thranduil replied.

"I do not mind, my lord," Tulus said, bringing Dannenion along side the king. "But...may Dannenion and I speak to you for a few moments before you retire? We realize that it is very late, and it had been a difficult journey, at best. Still, we think you would prefer not to put off this discussion. It is about Manadhien and this incident."

Thranduil raised his eyebrows. That confirmed the topic of Tulus and Dannenion's whisperings. "I cannot refuse that request, as you well know," he answered. "Give me a few moments to get Legolas settled and I will join you in the Hall."

"We can go straight to the Hall. I am staying for this," Legolas said. His tone brooked no argument. Not waiting for a response, he cut across the yard towards the Gates. Anastor took off after him.

Thranduil scowled and watched them jog away. Arguing with Legolas would only delay even further the time it would take to get him into his bed and it was unlikely that anything Tulus might say would be worse than what Legolas had already experienced. He gestured for Tulus and Dannenion to follow Legolas and Anastor, who were already leaping over the stone fence that enclosed the yard.

Tulus nodded his thanks to Thranduil and helped Dannenion towards the gate in the fence.

Thranduil did not miss the dread in Dannenion's eyes.

They walked swiftly across the Green, past the table and barrel still there from the night's merrymaking, and straight to the bridge. The guards at the Gates had been watching them since they road into view. Now they smiled broadly at Legolas.

"We are relieved to see you returned uninjured, my lord," one of them said. "Relatively so," he added. They both almost succeeded in concealing their dismay upon noticing the bruises and bandages that Legolas and Anastor bore.

By law, the guards at the Gates were not supposed to speak with anyone while on duty and Legolas had been instructed not to distract them since he had learned to walk, but everyone silently agreed that this occasion merited a temporary suspension of that rule.

"Thank you. I am very relieved to be back, I assure you," Legolas responded, speaking in the same tone that he would use to return any greeting. He sounded completely normal, merry even, and the guards were clearly reassured by that. They saluted him, their pleased smiled returned to their faces, and bowed to Thranduil, returning to attention as he passed them.

Thranduil's estimation of how his son had handled himself throughout this incident rose yet again.

Once they were inside the stronghold, Legolas said goodnight to Anastor and asked Lanthir to escort him to where ever his family had been housed, without giving Anastor time to protest, thus preempting any argument that he should be exposed to anymore shocking news about his father. Thranduil had no doubt that shocking news -- or at least news that would further shock Anastor -- was about to be revealed. Then Legolas walked straight to the doors of the Great Hall and opened them, holding them for Thranduil, Tulus and Dannenion.

Thranduil nodded his thanks to him and walked up the center aisle of the Hall. He stopped at the meeting table where he normally met with his council and seated himself there, gesturing for Legolas to take Hallion's place to his right. In response to that choice, some of the tension left Legolas's shoulders and both Tulus and Dannenion bowed their heads to conceal their surprise. Thranduil had no doubt that the throne would be a more fitting place from which to hear this confession, but that was not something he would impose upon Dannenion at this moment.

Tulus and Dannenion did not sit. They stood along side the table, facing Thranduil and Legolas. Neither of them had managed to meet the king's eyes since leaving the barn yard.

"I gather that this is going to be a conversation I will not enjoy," Thranduil said quietly. "Normally, you would be quite right to stand for it, but given Dannenion's injuries, I would prefer that you both sit."

Instead of accepting that invitation, they hesitated. Finally, Tulus stepped forward and pulled out the chair across from Thranduil. He sat on its edge, hands in his lap, his gaze fixed on them. Dannenion sat next to him. Thranduil stifled a snort. He hid behind Tulus, in truth.

"What was it that you wanted to tell me?" Thranduil asked, as calmly as he could manage.

They glanced at one another. "Me first," Dannenion whispered, "while I can still do it." Then he shifted about in his chair. "My lord," he began after a long moment of silence.

That was as far as he got. He took a long, shuddering breath and let it out, tugging a bit at the bandages on his arm. Several moments passed in silence as Dannenion struggled for words.

"Clearly, whatever you are about to confess to me is very serious, but you have come to me willingly and that always goes a long way towards earning my mercy, Dannenion," Thranduil said softly.

Dannenion slumped back in his chair, his uninjured hand grasping the edge of the table for support. He still did not look up, but he did finally speak. "My lord, you trusted me to serve Lord Golwon. To help him manage correspondence from the villages and the shipment of supplies between them." Dannenion stopped there.

"Yes, I do trust you to do that," Thranduil said when Dannenion said no more.

"Since Maidhien and Lord Galithil were betrothed..." Dannenion continued, his voice fading to a whisper, "Since you exiled Demil when he confessed that Manadhien had actually..." he only managed to mouth the phrase 'killed Amglaur.' "Since then," he continued in a slightly stronger voice, "I have executed the duties Lord Golwon gave me faithfully." Dannenion took a deep breath. "Before then, I did not," he whispered and finally he looked up at Thranduil.

"How do you mean?" Thranduil asked, beginning to wonder if Fuilin had told him the full extent of Dannenion and Dolwon's treachery, given how frightened Dannenion was.

"I...took reports. Sometimes copies, sometimes originals." Dannenion replied. "Ones that described how the southern patrol was deployed. Ones that described when Lord Celonhael or Lord Golwon or Lord Dolgailon would travel south." He drew another long breath. "Ones that described Legolas and Galithil's travel plans -- when they hunted, for example." He swallowed. "I sent them to Manadhien."

"You know how to find Manadhien?" Thranduil asked. Nothing in Dannenion's confession, thus far, surprised him and not only because Fuilin had already told him everything Dannenion just said. He had always suspected Dannenion of sending Marti information. But if Dannenion could tell him where to find her, that would be very satisfying indeed.

Unfortunately, Dannenion immediately looked down and shook his head. "I sent the reports...several ways. If all she wanted was information--movements of the patrols--I copied those and there was a hawk. Her hawk. It carried a message saying what she wanted and then I sent that information back with it. Sometimes she wanted original reports. In that case, she sent someone. Most often Demil. Sometimes another elf. I did not know his name." He looked at Thranduil again. "I think she wanted the originals not for the information in them, but to use them. Against people. She often asked me for Tulus's reports, even though the information in them was old--where Legolas had gone, not where he was going. And she wanted them to be in his hand."

Thranduil looked at Tulus. His expression was hard. Angry. But not surprised. A glance at Legolas showed he was equally angry and unsurprised.

Legolas leaned closer to Thranduil. "I told you there would be an explanation," he said so quietly that Thranduil barely heard him.

He nodded in acknowledgment, but remained focused on Dannenion. "Why did you stop aiding Manadhien, Dannenion?" he asked.

Danneion's brows drew together sharply and he faced Thranduil fully. "Because she is obviously insane!" he exclaimed. "She killed..." he glanced at Legolas and cut himself off. "I will not participate in such evil. I will do nothing to aid it. Nothing at all." He looked down. "And besides, I realized that she does not want to help the forest, she wants to hurt you. I may not like you much. I still do not agree with all of your decisions, especially about the southern realm. But I confess that I do not see how I could do better, if I were in your place. And I admit that when I did have suggestions, Golwon took them to you and sometimes you implemented them. You do not deserve...I did not treat you fairly. I have regretted for a long time now much of what I did, and my part in the queen's abduction and your guards' deaths not the least of all. It is very likely that I would have stopped aiding her long ago, if I could have."

"Why could you not?" Thranduil asked, voice rising slightly in surprise.

Dannenion loosed a frustrated breath. "I could not simply walk away from her. It is not that easy. When you arrested Dolwon and I and brought us north, she sent Fuilin to remind us that we still have cousins in the south. Nothing more. Just to say that. But we knew what it meant--that we had better not forget her. At the time, we were resentful that you imprisoned us and we would have helped her if we had a way to do so. When you employed us in the stronghold, she sent Fuilin again. He told us what she wanted us to do and I admit that we did it mostly willingly, without the need for threats. She said she wanted the information about the Southern Patrol to live in peace and avoid arrest, which we sympathized with, since we were still prisoners ourselves. And when she started asking for information beyond the reports of the patrols, we tried not to think what she might be using it for. By the time it became undeniable that she was using the information we sent her to plot against your family, we could not see a way out. When we finally did refuse to send her any more reports--and I swear we never sent her another single piece of information after that attack in the south--she openly threatened us. She sent her hawk with messages saying she had letters in our hand, incriminating ones, that she would find a way to give to you if we did not continue aiding her. She said that once you saw what she would send, the least you would do to us would be to exile us and then, she promised, she would find us and make us pay. We still refused, so she threatened us again, saying she would send Fuilin to bring us to her. She said the moment our families were undefended, she would take them. That is why we have never traveled again, even though you gave us leave to do so years ago. We were afraid to go away from the stronghold where he could hunt us. After a while, we thought she gave up. We had not heard from her for years. Two years."

Thranduil leaned back in his chair. There was more information in that monologue than Dannenion had intended.

"So you believe Manadhien lives in the south, if she was threatening your cousins who still live there and if she was interested in the reports of the Southern Patrol?"

Dannenion frowned and kept his gaze focused on his lap. "Yes, I think she lives somewhere in the south," he admitted.

"And when you said 'we,' I assume that you meant Dolwon and yourself? Or did 'we' refer to you and someone else?"

Dannenion cringed and cursed himself under his breath. "Please let me tell Dolwon that I told you this before you confront him," he pleaded. "I am willing to speak for myself, but I did not intend to implicate him. It is his place to come forward on his own, and I think he will, after this, if given the chance."

"If you can convince him to do that, it would be the wisest choice he could make," Thranduil said. "One you both should have made sooner. Why would you not come to me before this, Dannenion? If you have believed since she killed Amglaur and Limmiel that she is evil, why would you not help me capture her, so she could no longer threaten you and your family?"

Dannenion laughed. "By confessing this to you, the best outcome I can hope for is exile--and I will beg you to send only me from the forest. My wife had nothing to do with any of this. You could see from Anastor's reaction that he knew nothing, and of course, you know Maidhien is completely loyal to you." He shook his head and looked down. "I already told you what Manadhien said she would do to me if I am sent outside the protection of this forest. And when she has me, she will come again for my family. If she can get to them, she will kill each of them before my eyes before finally killing me. Who will protect them now that I will not be able to?"

"I will, Dannenion," Thranduil replied. "I will not allow Manadhien to harm any citizen in this realm, whether they are a member of my family or yours or anyone else's. And with your help, while she still trusted you, we could have formed a plan to capture her."

"It is not a matter of just capturing Manadhien. It is a matter of capturing all of her servants as well," Dannenion said, punctuating his words by poking a finger on the surface of the table. "But you will go straight for Manadhien, not realizing the threat her servants represent and not listening or believing us when we try to tell you the threat they are. You never listen to us. But I warn you, my lord: her servants are completely loyal to her. If you kill her, they will disperse, you will never find them, and they will keep coming after you and your family to the last person. Only death will stop them. Yours or theirs. And I do not believe Fuilin and Mauril are her only remaining servants. Remember, I told you already that sometimes she sent other messengers to me for reports and we know from Legolas and Anastor that two other elves aided in their capture. Manadhien may be the spider, but she has a web that must be destroyed along with her."

Thranduil took his time to consider all that Dannenion said, both the words and the accusations behind them. Some of the accusations were not veiled at all--specifically that he never listened to Dannenion. Thranduil could not deny that was true. He had not listened to Dannenion, or questioned him, as Lindomiel did, at the start of this incident, and if he had, they might have found Legolas before he was subjected to whatever the man had done--Legolas still avoided discussing that--and before he was forced to kill Demil. Thranduil had been haunted by that realization for days.

Moreover, Dannenion may be right that he would have dismissed his concerns about Manadhien's servants. Dannenion was certainly correct that he would go straight for Manadhien, personally, if he had the slightest idea where to find her. Nothing would stop him. And perhaps that would be a mistake. He had always assumed that if Manadhien were eliminated, her servants would be of little consequence without her leadership. After learning that Fuilin and his brothers had served her family since the First Age--and these unknown servants for even longer--he could not deny that it was unlikely they would simply drift away.

As Thranduil had contemplated this, Dannenion made a valiant effort to meet his gaze. Finally, now, he flinched away, looking down and frowning. Thranduil frowned also. Dannenion tried to hide it, but he was plainly frightened. He had just confessed, again, to treason, so fear was certainly what he should be feeling. Thranduil had the responsibility to punish those that threatened the peace in his realm. But Dannenion clearly believed Thranduil would go beyond punishment. Dannenion believed that Thranduil would allow the innocent--Eregeth, Anastor and Maidhien--to suffer at Manadhien's hands. And he stated that the least he expected for this confession was exile. Exile was the harshest punishment Thranduil would impose on any of his citizens, and then only on those he considered an irredeemable threat to the forest. What worse punishment could Dannenion fear? Surely he did not think he would execute him along side murderers like Fuilin and Mauril! And if he did, how had he come to such ideas?

Thranduil stifled a sigh. Nothing he did had ever influenced what Dannenion thought of him, but he might still be able to make some use of him. "If I asked you to help me catch Manadhien," he asked, "and I promised you that I would do everything within my power to keep your family safe if you helped me, would you do it?"

"Yes," Dannenion answered, without hesitation. "But only if you agreed to go after her servants too, because I believe them to be an equal threat." He looked down. "But I do not know what help I could be. She clearly no longer trusts me."

"No, but you might still be able to communicate with her and that communication might lead us to her. And even if you cannot communicate with her, if you tell me where you have met her hawk and her messengers, I can have those locations watched. Perhaps we can begin to identify her servants."

Dannenion nodded. "I will do as you ask."

"One more question," Thranduil said. "Would you be serving me, this forest or only yourself if you gave me that help?"

Dannenion's eyes filled with grief. "I know it is too late for me, my lord. But I swear to you, if it were not, I would never betray you again. I know what I did was stupid and I would undo all of it if I could."

Thranduil nodded, satisfied. That was the most honest Dannenion had ever been with him. Tragic as this incident had been, at least some good came of it if Dannenion would now work with him against Manadhien. He turned to Tulus, who, supposedly, was already working with him against Manadhien.

"I already have seen these reports, written in your hand, that Dannenion sent to Manadhien," he said quietly and watched both Tulus and Dannenion's eyes fly open. "Fuilin told me that Dannenion had been sending reports and he claimed that you were as well, Tulus. Are all the reports that I was shown ones that Dannenion sent?"

"I swear that they were, my lord. I would never betray you or Legolas or any other member of your family by conspiring in such a way with Manadhien," Tulus replied quickly.

"Then why are you here?" Thranduil asked.

Tulus took a deep breath and his gaze flicked to Legolas. Legolas nodded at him. "First, I need to tell you how Legolas and Anastor were captured," he began.

Thranduil's brows drew together and his pulse quickened. He had never truly believed that Tulus sent the reports about Legolas's movements that his guards had retrieved from the box Fuilin described. Indeed, he could not imagine what Tulus wanted to speak to him about when he asked to do so in the barnyard. Surely Tulus was not about to confess to him that he had some part in in Legolas's abduction! That was impossible. Legolas was clearly present to support Tulus and he would not do so if he suspected Tulus were truly guilty of treason.

"As you are undoubtedly aware," Tulus continued. "Legolas and Anastor should not have been partnered together in this drill. They should have been partnered with adults."

Thranduil tensed. How could that have never occurred to him? He insisted on that law himself when the training program was designed. "That is certainly true. How did you and Anastor come to be partnered?" he asked, looking Legolas. His brow furrowed more. "And why would you allow it?" he continued, turning back to Tulus.

Legolas remained silent and looked at Tulus. "Glilavan changed the pairings for the drill at the last moment, my lord," Tulus answered. "I reminded him that his change was against policy. He offered an excuse for his decision and told me that if I did not like it, I could take Legolas back to the stronghold. I chose not to."

"Initially, Tulus intended to take me home, but Anastor and I begged him not to," Legolas interjected quietly. "We thought that passing this exam was too important." His tone made clear how disgusted he was with that judgment.

Thranduil did not acknowledge him. He continued studying Tulus. "Is this why you had Glilavan escorted back to the stronghold? Because his violation of this policy contributed to Legolas's capture? You thought the presence of more skilled adults might have prevented this?" Thranduil prayed that was all Tulus wanted to tell him, but from Tulus's expression, that could not be the case.

Tulus looked down a moment and appeared to gather himself. Then he looked back at Thranduil, squarely. "No, my lord. I had him arrested because I believe his violation of the training program's policy was intentionally planned in order to make Legolas and Anastor one target."

Thranduil struggled maintain a neutral expression. "Are you saying that Glilavan was part of this plot to abduct Legolas and Anastor? Are you accusing Glilavan of treason?" he asked.

Tulus managed, with obvious effort, to hold Thranduil's gaze, but his voice was just a whisper. "Yes, my lord, I am."

Thranduil did not bother to conceal his reaction to that. He leaned forward, forearm resting on the table, and studied Tulus until Tulus looked back down at his lap. "Do you have any evidence?" he asked. "Other than the fact that Glilavan partnered Legolas and Anastor?"

Tulus placed on hand on the edge of his chair and lifted himself up, slightly, giving Thranduil the distinct impression he would like to flee. He glanced at Dannenion.

"I have known," Dannenion said, "since my initial arrest, that Glilavan was one of Manadhien's supporters. A conspirator, as I was, from the beginning. Glilavan used his position as a warrior and later as an officer to get information about troop movements to send to her."

Thranduil's eyes widened and his gaze darted between Dannenion and Tulus.

"When I was arrested," Tulus continued, "you asked me if Glilavan had conspired with Manadhien and I gave you the most honest answer that I had the facts to support at the time: that I prayed he had not. After my trial, when you sent me to Glilavan's cottage to live with him, I confronted him and he swore to me that he did not support her. I never believed that claim. Not entirely. But I wanted to. What father would want to believe that his son was involved with someone who was a murderer?" Tulus stopped and again faced Thranduil fully. "When Lord Amglaur and Lady Limmiel were killed, I confronted Glilavan again and he confessed to me that he did support Manadhien."

Thranduil's jaw fell open. He pressed himself against the back of his chair and gripped the table's edge in an effort to occupy his hands. Then he waited until he was certain that he would respond to what Tulus had just said with words only. "Let me make certain that I understand what you are telling me, Tulus. You, a member of my Guard, have known for six years of the existence of a person that is a threat to the family that you have sworn an oath to protect, and you have not told me or Conuion about that threat? Is that correct?"

"Adar, please listen to everything he has to say," Legolas whispered.

"Be silent or leave," Thranduil snapped without taking his eyes off Tulus.

"Yes, my lord, that is correct," Tulus answered.

"Tell me why, Tulus," Thranduil ordered, his voice low like a wolf's growl. "Why would you allow such a threat to continue? And why are you telling me now. Now that the damage has been done."

"To prevent worse damage from being done, my lord," Tulus whispered. "When Glilavan admitted it to me...when I could no longer deny it to myself, I hoped to pull him out of it, away from her, before anyone was hurt--Legolas, you, Glilavan or anyone else. I wanted to save my son. He is my last son. I have lost two others and a daughter..."

Thranduil frowned. He thought Glilavan was Tulus's only child.

"...I lost my wife. I could not bear to lose Glilavan too. I had to get him away from her. I reminded him that if Legolas were attacked, I would be injured. That for any attack against Legolas to be successful, I would have to be killed. I thought surely that would be enough to wake him up." Tulus closed his eyes and appeared to steel himself to continue.

Thranduil felt a hand close over his wrist. He looked down to see Legolas's hand gripping the arm closest to him--his right arm.

"When I told him that, Glilavan told me that he hoped a plan could be made to finish Legolas without injuring me too badly, but regardless, Manadhien had decided to target him next, since Legolas shot her when she was trying to kill the queen after killing Lord Amglaur and Lady Limmiel."

Half way through that admission, Thranduil arose from his chair and leaned across the table, ignoring Legolas's grasp tightening on his wrist and towering over Tulus. "Are you telling me that you knew that Manadhien and Glilavan were plotting against Legolas, specifically--my son, who you are assigned to protect--and you did exactly nothing? Is that what you are telling me?"

Tulus's mouth opened, but no sound escaped it.

"He protected me, my lord," Legolas said, speaking firmly. "And when Glilavan acted, so did Tulus. He fought Lagril. Even after Demil shot him and Lagril disarmed him, he continued fighting, until he was defending himself--and me--with only an arrow tip. And he surrendered when I did, with no expectation that his life would be spared. When, against all hope, it was spared, he arrested Glilavan and came after me, despite being injured himself. He fought almost ten men to give me time to escape...."

"And if he had done his duty and told me six years ago that Glilavan was conspiring with Manadhien, he would not have had to do any of those things. Two Sixth Years would not be dead. Dannenion would still have his arm. And you and Anastor would not have been beaten, cut or forced to fight and kill elves," Thranduil retorted, glaring at Tulus.

"That is absolutely true, my lord," Tulus whispered. "I swear I wanted to put an end to this, but I could not see a way to do it."

Thranduil pulled his hand free of Legolas's grasp and slammed it down on the table, making Tulus, Dannenion and Legolas all jump. Tulus and Dannenion shrank away from him. "That is precisely what you told me when Himion and Candirith were killed. Do you remember what I told you then? I told you that if you had trusted me...if you had  come to me with what you knew, I would have helped you. When Himion and Candirith were killed, I was merciful in my reaction to your crimes because you convinced me that my own treatment of you when I dismissed you from my guard was partially to blame for your attitude towards me and your unwillingness to come to me for help. Now that I have entrusted you with what is most precious to me--my son's life--how is it that you still do not return that trust? Explain to me why you would not come to me and tell me that Glilavan was involved and ask me for help to extricate him from Manadhien's influence."

"I have no excuse, my lord," Tulus whispered. "I was wrong, exactly as you say, to not trust you. I was a coward. Again. I deserve whatever you will do with me."

"Tulus," Legolas whispered, his tone both admonishing and pleading.

Tulus shook his head at him. "I will make no attempt to excuse my failure, my lord."

Thranduil straightened and turned to face Legolas, jaw clenched. "Speak," he ordered.

Legolas looked from Tulus to Thranduil, his eyes widening as he registered the king's expression. But he said nothing.

"Legolas, so help me, if you know anything that Tulus has not told me and you withhold that information..." he left that statement, that obvious threat, hanging.

Legolas blinked. "I..." he glanced at Tulus. "Tulus told me the reason he did not come to you about Glilavan. Nothing more. He told me when he confessed all this to me in Maethorness's village."

Thranduil's back stiffened. "Tulus confessed treason to you, but not to me. How did that happen? And how is it that you, Legolas, did not come directly to me the moment you heard this?"

Briefly, Legolas appeared as if he might answer those questions as he would any others Thranduil asked him. Then he froze, mouth partially open and he stared at the king as full understanding of what Thranduil had just implied hit him.  

As Thranduil watched that realization turn to fear that Legolas could not hide, Thranduil felt a stab of regret for his words. Their implied accusation was absurd under any circumstances and he knew it. Under the current circumstances, given all that Legolas had endured, they were wholly unjust.

Legolas stood, apparently rendered speechless. He merely shook his head.

Thranduil could not remember ever seeing his son unable to speak.
 
"I swore to Legolas that I would tell you myself, my lord," Tulus hastened to defend Legolas. "He was only giving me time to come forward myself. And I told him before you because, after everything else he has been through, for him to hear this in court would be too much. I wanted to spare him at least some of the shock by telling him in private."

Thranduil turned back to Tulus, the more appropriate target for his fury. "You wanted to convince my son that you deserve mercy. Again," he retorted. "So that he would defend you. But that will not serve you, Tulus. The last time we spoke on this topic, specifically on the topic of Glilavan, I told you that if you betrayed me, my wrath would be beyond your worst imagining, and I assure you that it will."

"And that threat is precisely what prevented him from trusting you, my lord," Legolas whispered.

"Legolas, do you not understand how angry...? Be silent. Do not involve yourself in this any further," Tulus begged.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Thranduil said, speaking over Tulus and directing himself to Legolas.

"When Tulus told me this," Legolas answered, now managing to mask his emotions and meeting the king's gaze squarely--Thranduil still saw tension in his posture, "I told him that you would kill him where he stands. His response was, 'me before my son, so I do not have to watch that.' That is a quote, my lord. I will never forget those words. Tulus feared to come to you about Glilavan because he did not want to watch you execute his son. I do not deny that he still should have come to you. I see now that I should have insisted that he speak to you immediately after he spoke to me. But surely you can see that threats of violence are, at least in part, to blame for this incident."

"Legolas, do not be a fool," Thranduil exclaimed. "How many elves have you seen me execute? Or read in court records that I executed? Tulus and Dannenion both were convicted in my court, Tulus of sedition and Dannenion of treason, and they both yet draw breath. There is no reason Tulus would fear that I would execute his son, much less before his very eyes. He is manipulating you."

Legolas frowned. "I am neither a fool, nor so terrible a judge of character, nor easily manipulated, my lord. May I respectfully remind you that you had your knife in your hand, prepared to execute Demil, before Mithrandir intervened. Tulus was the person restraining Demil. He saw that. Presumably only days before Glilavan first confessed his sympathies to Tulus. And you held a sword against Fuilin's chest and threatened to execute him before Celonhael intervened only days ago. Tulus also saw that. You are still considering if you will execute Fuilin, for the exact incident that Glilavan is guilty of taking part in. If I were Tulus, I would conclude that there is a strong possibility that you might execute Glilavan. In fact, as I already mentioned, I, myself, thought you would execute Tulus. What else could the threat of 'wrath beyond your worst imagining' possibly refer to?"

"Legolas, please be silent," Tulus whispered.

Thranduil glared at Legolas, but he could not refute what he had argued.

"You told Dolwon and I that you would execute us," Dannenion said softly when Thranduil did not speak.

"I never said any such thing," Thranduil responded.

"You did, my lord, when you first questioned us," Dannenion insisted. "You told us that conspiring with enemies of the realm was treason and Fengel had recently executed men for that crime. You said there was a precedent for elves doing the same. From the court of a king whose sister was murdered by an elf. He executed the elf, apparently. You more than implied that you would do the same to us if we hurt your family. We have always expected you would when you finally learned we were still betraying you."

Thranduil stared at him. That was why Dannenion was so disproportionately frightened to confess sending information to Manadhien? He could not deny Dannenion was telling the truth. Thusly reminded, he did remember telling Dannenion and Dolwon that he would execute anyone that threatened his family. He did it hoping to frighten them into a full confession.

He had frightened them. That was certain.

He looked slowly from Legolas to Dannenion and Tulus. Legolas met his gaze steadily. Both Dannenion and Tulus flinched away from it.

Fear of such a punishment might force someone who was normally honest to silence, or force someone to attempt to manage a situation beyond his authority. That was Legolas's argument in Maethorness's village against executing Fuilin and Mauril. It had moved Thranduil then.

"Tulus look at me," he ordered.

Tulus complied, almost managing to hide his fear.

"The truth," Thranduil demanded. "Did you decide against speaking to me about Glilavan because you feared I would execute him?"

Tulus nodded. "I expect nothing else, my lord. I know that you cannot allow such threats against your family, and thus, this realm, to continue."

Thranduil studied him for a long moment. He believed him. He slowly re-seated himself, gesturing for Legolas to sit as well. He closed his eyes briefly when Legolas sank, rather than simply sat, into his chair.

"Very well," Thranduil said. "Is there any more that either of you need to tell me?"

"No, my lord," they both said at once.

Thranduil released a long breath. "I need to consider what you have told me before I can decide how I will respond to it. I can tell you this much, and I confess myself utterly horrified to have to say it: while there will definitely be consequences for what you have done, I do not intend to execute either of you. Or Glilavan. My reaction to him will depend greatly on how he responds to me when I question him, but, thankfully, I have other options with him, that I do not with Fuilin and his brothers, that make execution unnecessary. I sincerely regret that you both have the impression that I would use such a punishment so lightly. I have seen elves kill elves. I have been forced to do it myself. It is definitely not something I could easily do again. I would only consider such a punishment if I had no other option and if I considered the criminal a grievous, persistent threat to this realm." He paused, trying not to be offended by Dannenion and Tulus's obvious relief. "Since you both came to me voluntarily, may I assume that you will not flee my judgment? Or must I set guards upon you?"

"I am going no where, my lord. I am resigned to what ever will come," Tulus said.

"I will also accept what ever your judgment will be. May I tell Dolwon that I spoke to you and tell him he needs to do the same?"

Thranduil nodded. "You may," he said, knowing Dannenion would do exactly that, with or without permission. "You may go do so now. The guards at the doors to the family quarters should be able to direct you to where ever Galion has housed your wife and Maidhien. Tulus, stay one more moment, please."

Dannenion stood and bowed. Then he walked slowly down the center aisle and through the open doors of the Hall.

Thranduil waited until he was gone and then turned to Tulus. "I have one more question for you that I am hesitant to ask, but I must know the answer: did you speak to me willingly about this or did Legolas say something to you that led you to do so?" From the corner of his eyes, he saw Legolas draw himself up in his chair.

Tulus's expression was immediately and completely neutral. "Lord Legolas took me aside in Maethorness's village and reminded me that he would have to tell you what Glilavan did--changing the conditions of the drill. He suggested it would be better for me to tell you about that. I told him that I intended to tell you and had already arrested Glilavan. As we explained, then I told him why I arrested Glilavan, to spare him the shock of hearing it in the public court."

Thranduil looked at him appraisingly. "What, precisely, did Legolas tell you when you had this conversation?" he pressed.

Tulus affected a confused expression. "Tell me, my lord? I told Lord Legolas about Glilavan. He told me nothing, except that he thought your reaction to this information would be...harsh. I knew that, without being told."

"Tulus," Legolas intervened, "I do not expect you to lie for me to anyone, much less to the king. I told him nothing of what Fuilin told us, my lord. I did not tell him Fuilin's claims that he could produce evidence to incriminate Tulus. I did not even mention Fuilin's name when we spoke. But I did warn Tulus that if there was anything he had failed to tell you about his dealings with Manadhien, he had better tell you now. And I implied there was a reason that I said that--I told him that you had ordered me not to speak to him. I am aware that what I said bordered on disobeying your order to say nothing to Tulus. I do not expect you to be pleased by that. I knew when I was doing it that there would eventually be consequences for it."

"Legolas did not say any more than what he just told you, my lord, but, I swear, it had no impact on what I would have told you tonight. With or without his warning, I would have asked to speak to you and I would have told you exactly what I told you," Tulus hastened to add.

Thranduil looked up at the ceiling. "Well, Legolas, you were clearly right about one thing: Tulus is indeed every bit as loyal to you as you are to him. He will not betray you, not even to me." He focused a stern glare on Tulus. "In addition to knowing what Glilavan was plotting, did you also know what Dannenion and Dolwon were doing?"

Now Tulus appeared genuinely startled. "Know it, my lord? I knew it exactly as you did. We all suspected them, I think. None of us could prove anything. I never saw either of them steal reports or send messages, either with birds or with couriers. And they certainly never confessed anything to me."

"Then what were you and Dannenion whispering about during the entire ride today?" Thranduil asked.

"I told him what I had to tell you. He had the right to know, after all. His son was injured by Glilavan's actions. He lost an arm, as you mentioned. Then he told me what he just confessed to you and I encouraged him to simply tell you. I told him that we could go together to speak to you, if it would help him. But I told him that if he did not tell you himself, I would be forced to tell you."

"Do you think that threat is the only reason he spoke to me?"

Tulus shook his head. "We want this over, my lord. He wanted to tell you. As did I."

"We have that one thing in common, then--wanting this over," Thranduil said dryly. "Tulus, I will say this to you privately: I am utterly disgusted and furious beyond words with you. I trusted you. With my son. My son. Yet you could not trust me. My own trust aside, do you have any idea how completely Legolas trusts you? You exposed him..."

"My lord, please. This is unnecessary and cruel," Legolas whispered as grief contorted Tulus's features.
 
Thranduil pointed to Legolas. "Do you see how he trusts you? Even still, he would not hesitate to trust you to guard him if I were to allow it. If you feared speaking to me, why not tell Legolas? You obviously trust him. And you have seen that he has some influence over my actions. It was he, and not Mithrandir, that stopped me from executing Demil. Why not ask him for help?"

"I have been wondering that myself," Legolas said quietly.

Tulus addressed Legolas when answering that question. "At first, I hoped to get Glilavan away from Manadhien, as I said. I hoped I could convince him to betray her to Thranduil himself, by making him see that he would have to kill me to kill you. When it became obvious that he would not turn away from her, I considered if I could ask you for your help to tell the king, but I still feared for Glilavan. If you went with me to confess, and if the king held his temper because we told him before Glilavan harmed anyone, then, rather than executing my son, he would likely have exiled him. Frankly, I would rather see him sent to Mandos. If he were exiled, he would go straight to Manadhien and her servants. He would fall completely under their influence. I want him kept away from her, not sent into her clutches to become a worse person. I even threatened to drag him to the Havens myself, to keep him away from her. But I feared for you if I left. Glilavan is only one threat. One I believed I could manage, since I was at least aware of it. If I took him and left, eliminating that one threat...well, Manadhien has many servants, as Dannenion said. I have seen how you behave with other guards. I do not trust any of them to keep you safe while Manadhien and her servants are still at large." He sighed and slumped against the back of his chair. "I failed to find a way to help Glilavan. And now, there will be nothing I can do to protect you either. Promise me, Legolas, that you will try to work with whomever the king assigns to guard you."

Legolas managed a sad smile. "I think the king will expect the same promise, Tulus. But I promise you also. I will be safe."

Thranduil was shaking his head. "Enough. I have had enough of this. Tulus, go home and stay there. Tomorrow morning, after breakfast, return to the Hall. I want you here when I question Glilavan. You have my word that if he provokes me, I will not lay hands on him in your presence." Without waiting for a response, he stood, raising Tulus and Legolas to their feet. He nodded to Tulus and then placed a hand on Legolas's shoulder, turning him towards the dais and the door to the family quarters behind the throne.

Legolas cast a reassuring look over his shoulder at Tulus as he walked away from him.

*~*~*

Thranduil sat at the head of his dining table, trying to at least eat, if not enjoy, his breakfast. His stomach rebelled at the sight of it. He would have thoroughly preferred to have a normal, peaceful meal, but normalcy eluded him. The bandages peeking from under Legolas's tunic and the stark bruises still plain on his face saw to that. So did the discussions and decisions looming over his head.

"Do you have petitions scheduled for this morning?" Thranduil asked, looking at Hallion as he passed a plate of sausage to Lindomiel.

Lindomiel gave him a cool look. She did not approve of discussing affairs of the realm at table, unless there was a very serious concern to be addressed. Neither did Thranduil, but unfortunately, there was a very serious concern.

"Yes, my lord," Hallion answered him. "I had planned to begin petitions at the normal time. I can delay them. Or cancel them, if you prefer."

"Cancel them. I want you and Dolgailon in the Hall this morning. We are speaking with Glilavan." He looked between his steward and nephew. "Which of you took responsibility for him? I want him brought to to the Hall immediately after breakfast."

Dolgailon glanced at Hallion. "Took responsibility for him, my lord?" he asked. "I spoke to him when Morillion brought him back to the stronghold with the First and Sixth Years. He explained to me that he had altered some of the conditions of the training drill and he feared that had contributed to...this incident by doing so," he said, looking at Legolas. "But he had sound reasoning for his decisions. I gave him a reprimand, though I might have made the same choices myself under the circumstances, to tell the truth."

Thranduil could not believe what he was hearing. "Where is Glilavan?" he asked when Dolgailon finished speaking. He enunciated each word.

Dolgailon shook his head. "In his cottage, I imagine," he answered.

"Tulus sent him back to the capital, under arrest, and you send him to his cottage?" Thranduil asked, voice rising.

Dolgailon looked at him with wide eyes.

"There did not appear to be any reason to do anything else, my lord," Hallion intervened, now looking at Thranduil with obvious concern.

Thranduil stood from the table, forcing everyone else in the family to rise as well, some of them with forks of food half way to their mouths. He stalked into the corridor and pointed to the guard at the doors that led into public areas of the stronghold. "Send someone to Tulus and Glilavan's cottage and make sure Glilavan is in it. If he is not, begin searching for him." He turned back into the dining room. "When did either of you last see him?"

"Two days ago, my lord," Dolgailon answered.

"Your search should cover a two day travel distance from the stronghold. If you must search, awaken Conuion immediately, tell him Glilavan is missing, and send him to me."

"Yes, my lord," the guard answered, rushing through the doors to comply with that order.

"What is wrong, my lord?" Hallion asked as Thranduil returned to the table. Everyone was still standing and they all looked both alarmed and confused.

"Glilavan was a party to this attack on Legolas. He helped to plan and execute it," Thranduil answered, re-seating himself. He looked at the food on his plate and pushed it away.

Dolgailon leaned forward. "You have proof of that?" he asked. "What proof?"

"Tulus implicated him when he confessed to his own role," Thranduil answered.

Everyone at the table stared at him in response to that statement. Everyone except Legolas. Legolas scowled and pointedly ignored Galithil's whispers.

"Enough of this," Lindomiel intervened quietly. "It belongs in the Great Hall, not in the dining room."

Thranduil nodded to her and everyone, save Thranduil, returned their attention to their plates.

They ate in silence for several minutes. Then the doors to the family quarters opened.

Thranduil looked at the entrance to the dining room as soft footsteps drew nearer in the corridor, willing the person approaching to be the guard coming to inform him that Glilavan had indeed been asleep in his cottage.

Instead Berior entered the dining room.

Thranduil made an effort to smile at him. He had undoubtedly heard Legolas was home and had come from his father's cottage to see for himself that his cousin was in one piece. Despite their late arrival last night, all Legolas's cousins, aunts and uncles that lived inside the stronghold had awakened to welcome him home.

Berior did indeed look first for Legolas as he stepped into the room. Spotting him at his normal place at the table, Berior's eyes widened and darted between bruises and bandages.

"It is nothing, Berior," Legolas assured him quietly, as he had everyone else the night before.

Berior went straight to him and gave him a strong enough embrace to make Legolas wince. "Thank the Valar you are home safely," he said. Then he straightened and looked at Thranduil. "Nana, sent me to speak to you, uncle," he said. "She is very upset. She seems certain that something has happened to adar. Can you tell me where you sent him, so I can tell her? Surely you saw him? We saw that Lanthir and Heledir are back with you and they went with him."

Thranduil made an effort to keep his expression neutral as he listened to Berior. Legolas looked at Thranduil. His face was turned away from Berior, and no one could see it except Thranduil, so Legolas did not bother to conceal his fear.

"Your adar has not returned?" Thranduil asked. He did not add 'with Fuilin and Mauril.' He doubted those names would mean much to Berior, but they would cause an explosion amongst his council members.

Berior shook his head. "Should he have?" his voice starting to sound a little panicked. "Honestly, I do not want to say this in front of nana, but I feel as if something is wrong with him too."

"I sent him ahead of Legolas and I, but he must have been delayed," Thranduil answered. "I will send some guards to look for him. Dolgailon, Hallion, can you come help me with that?" He signaled for everyone else to stay seated as he again arose from the table and hurried from the room.

If something had happened to Celonhael...if Fuilin and Mauril had somehow.... Thranduil would make them wish that he had left them to rot in that root cellar.

*~*~*

It was near the end of the day, rather than immediately after breakfast, that Thranduil entered the Great Hall to speak to Glilavan. Legolas, Dolgailon and Hallion, already seated at the meeting table in the Hall, stood at his approach. So did Galithil. Thranduil frowned. He had not invited Galithil to this interview. Legolas had the right to witness it. He was the injured party. But Thranduil was not certain he wanted to expose Galithil to what might be said. Or done. He clenched his jaw and held his silence, accepting his nephew's presence. For the same reason Legolas attended court, Galithil had always joined him. Galithil had studied law exactly as Legolas had. He might as well see this. He would eventually see something like it. Valar forbid, he might be so unfortunate as to preside over something like it one day.

Coming to stand in front of his chair, Thranduil nodded to Tulus and Dannenion, pleased, and not surprised, that they had kept their words, remained in place and agreed to aid in this interrogation. He was certain they would be needed. Glilavan would never confess. The guards had quickly found him in the forest. Hunting, he had claimed. He did have some small game with him, but he was no where near the normal places the people around the stronghold hunted. He was further south and east. It did not appear that he was trying to escape the capital--he was not nearly far enough away to accuse him of that--but his hunting story made no sense either. Regardless, he had been found and had, apparently, returned willingly. Thranduil did not care if he were trussed up like the game birds he had shot, as long as he appeared in his court to answer his questions.

Hallion signaled the guards at the door and they admitted Glilavan. He walked up the center aisle of the Hall without hesitation.

Thranduil could not suppress a scowl as Glilavan reached the meeting table and immediately dropped to one knee. Not that Thranduil would have failed to order him to his knees, at least eventually, in this interview. It simply seemed as disingenuous as it would to see Dannenion offer the same obeisance willingly.

"My lord, I am so sorry," he said, without waiting for leave to speak. "I was in command of that training exercise. I take complete responsibility for everything that happened during it." He looked up, but faced Legolas, not Thranduil. "I am only relieved that Lord Legolas returned safely. And Anastor also, of course."

Thranduil studied him until Glilavan's gaze dropped back to the floor. Very well, if that was how Glilavan wanted to play this.

"Stand, Captain," Thranduil said, waving him up. "Naturally, I wanted to meet with you about this incident. I might have waited a bit, since Lord Dolgailon already spoke to you, but Tulus and I have being speaking and one conversation leads to another." He paused to give Glilavan time to wonder what that meant. "How can you take responsibility, Glilavan?" he finally asked.

Glilavan's gaze darted from Thranduil to Dolgailon and back. "My lord, I planned the drill and I was its captain. That makes me responsible. Unfortunately, I cannot think of any way we could have prevented this attack. We patrolled carefully for enemies before the drill, but never imagined the enemies would be elves."

"So said the warrior from the patrol, as well," Thranduil replied in a carefully conversational tone. "And naturally that is true. It would occur to almost no one that an elf would attack an elf. An elf other than Manadhien or her servants, that is. Do you know Manadhien? I was under the impression that you did." He finished that statement by looking at Tulus.

Glilavan resolutely did not look at his father. "Of course I know her. I know her very well--since I was a little child. I was around fifteen or so, I think, when I met her. She moved into Dolwon's village at the same time adar and I did. Since nana had so recently sailed, Manadhien was like a mother to me..."

When Glilavan said that, Tulus spun around in his chair to face him, his carefully neutral expression contorting to astonished rage in an instant. He pushed himself up from his chair, took a step towards Glilavan and pointed a finger into his face. "Do not compare that elleth to your naneth in my presence. Your naneth was gentle. She endured incredible hardships with great grace--your sister's disappearance, the loss of our home in Cuivienen, long travels here, your brother's death and her father's in this forest when the orcs came...."

"And my uncles' and oldest brother's deaths on Dagorlad. I am all too aware of these hardships, adar, though they happened before my birth. They took my naneth away from me. Manadhien helped me understand how those hardships drove nana away. She understood because she endured many similar things. She lost her brother in Menegroth and her father in Sirion. Her sister died in Ost-in-Edhil and she barely escaped the House of Mirdain herself with her life."

Thranduil listened to those details with great interest.

"Your naneth is nothing like that elleth," Tulus said. "And Manadhien understands nothing. Nothing but seeking revenge, which is a concept that would never have occurred to your naneth. I warn you that if you compare them again, you will not soon forget the consequences of doing so."

Glilavan looked over his father's shoulder, scanning the meeting table. Thranduil returned his gaze.

"I was only answering the king's question, adar. The simple answer is, yes, I know Manadhien well," Glilavan said quietly.

Tulus stepped back from Glilavan and turned away from him to face the king. "I beg your pardon, my lord," he whispered. Then he dropped heavily into the chair he had occupied before, but now he held his head in his hands, propped up on the table. Legolas laid a hand on Tulus's shoulder and Tulus managed a sad, but clearly appreciative, smile in response.

Glilavan watched that exchange through narrowed eyes.

"Do you know where I could find Manadhien now?" Thranduil asked in an effort to refocus his interrogation.

Glilavan's attention returned to the king. "I have not seen her in years. Since I before I moved to the capital," he replied.

Thranduil sighed. "Six people conspiring with her and not one of them knows where she is. That is completely incredible," he muttered under his breath. He decided to try a different line of questioning to see if Glilavan could be drawn out. "Did you know that the elves that took Legolas and Anastor asked for Anastor by name, Glilavan?"

Glilavan's brows shot up and he shook his head. "No, my lord."

"Indeed," Thranduil replied. "Anastor, along with Legolas, was a target of this attack, not just an unlucky bystander." He paused. "Why were Legolas and Anastor together, Glilavan? I was under the impression that underage members of the training program were paired with adults when participating in drills outside the range of the Capital Guard. In fact, I am quite sure I wrote that law myself."

"That is my responsibility, my lord," Glilavan answered swiftly. "Legolas and Anastor were not supposed to work together, but I decided to change the assignments. My reasoning was that their partners had worked together on a previous drill and conflicted badly. They were reprimanded for their actions."

Thranduil glanced at Legolas. "True?" he mouthed.

Legolas nodded, so Thranduil turned back to Glilavan, who had not stopped speaking.

"I was interested to see if they could manage to work together better on this drill. Since Tulus--an adult--was with Legolas and Anastor, and the Sixth Years were all adults, I deemed the law satisfied. In retrospect, that was obviously not a good decision. It made Legolas and Anastor one easy target...." Glilavan drifted to a stop and adopted a shocked expression.

Tulus openly covered his eyes with his hand.

"Are you suggesting that I was part of this plot to abduct Lord Legolas and Anastor? That I put them in one place, together, for that purpose?" Glilavan asked with an offended tone.

"Yes, I am," Thranduil responded.

Glilavan's jaw dropped. "That would mean I was willing to put my own adar in harm's way," he said.

Thranduil nodded. "Indeed, my next question for you is: why do you suppose Tulus was not killed? The Sixth Years were disposed of. If I were Demil, my first action, after securing Legolas and Anastor, would have been to kill Tulus. He was a witness to the attack and, as a trained member of my Guard with over an Age of experience in it, he would be far more effective and dangerous in a pursuit of Legolas than any member of the patrols. Demil was perfectly willing to kill. Why not kill Tulus?"

Glilavan shook his head. "I have no idea, but I am exceedingly thankful that Demil did not reason as you do. We are speaking of my adar, my lord. I am not sorry to see him alive."

"I believe that, Glilavan. In fact, I think Demil limited his actions against Tulus because that was one of the conditions you bargained for when you agreed to assist in this attack," Thranduil said, now speaking coldly.

Glilavan stared at Thranduil. "My lord, what possible gain would I derive from attacking Legolas? I have nothing against him..."

"A lie," Dannenion muttered.

Thranduil, Hallion and Dolgailon looked at him, eyebrows raised. Glilavan cast him a scathing glare, before trying to appear startled.

Dannenion looked at his hands. "I beg you pardon. I did not intend to interrupt," he said.

"Explain what you meant," Thranduil ordered.

Dannenion shrugged. "It is only...well, even I have heard how Glilavan treats the king's son in the Training Program."

Glilavan turned a betrayed look on Dannenion. "You are right," he said angrily. "That," he pointed at Legolas, "is our king's son. He may, one day, be our king. It is currently my duty to train him to defend this realm. If I am hard on him--and I am--I am very hard on Legolas--it is because he, of all people in this realm, does not have the luxury of learning just enough to stay alive in the patrols. Legolas must learn enough to command this realm's defense. Its entire army. Possibly in battles before the Black Gate. I would like to think him capable of commanding me properly if that should happen." He turned to Legolas. "I assume that is your goal as well, Legolas?" he asked sharply.

Legolas straightened automatically. "Yes, sir, it is."

Glilavan looked back at Dannenion, his expression challenging him to say more. "I stand by my treatment of Legolas. If he has a complaint, he knows he can approach me or any of the other officers or the Troop Commander. Lord Legolas does not have any problems speaking his mind." He turned to Thranduil. "I was not involved in this. If anyone has any proof that I have conspired with Manadhien, Demil or Fuilin to injure the king or his family, let me see it."

Thranduil studied Glilavan silently for a long moment. Then he turned to Tulus. "Do you remember when we arrested Demil?"

"Yes, my lord," Tulus answered, raising his head from his hands to answer. He made an obvious effort to appear respectful, but he was clearly surprised by that question.

"He was speaking to someone," Thranduil continued, watching Glilavan from the corner of his eyes. Glilavan did not flinch. "But no one could see with whom. Where did this conversation take place? Where did you arrest him, Tulus? I believe I remember, but I want to be certain."

Tulus closed his eyes and sank against the back of his chair. "By the training field," he answered. "We arrested Demil by the training field."

Thranduil turned to Glilavan. "Who was Demil speaking to by your training field, Glilavan?"

"Me," Glilavan answered, matter-of-factly. "I knew him and spoke to him when he visited the capital--before learning from adar that he was involved in the murder of the queen's parents, but I did not know that yet when I saw him by the training field that day while walking home for the evening. He said he had come to visit cousins that lived here near the stronghold."

Thranduil laughed. Cousins again! "Are you the cousin he was visiting?"

"No, my lord, my only remaining cousin was killed by men in this forest," Glilavan responded, coldly. "The same men who attacked the queen."

Thranduil sighed. "I am finished with this. Glilavan, tell me how you are associated with Manadhien. How did you and she and her other servants plot this attack against Legolas and Anastor? Where can I find her?"

"I did not plot it or anything else with them, my lord. And I have not seen Manadhien in many years. I cannot answer those questions," he responded without hesitation.

Thranduil turned to Tulus. "Say now what you told me last night," he ordered.

Tulus took a deep breath and complied, eyes fixed on the table. "Glilavan is guilty of treason, my lord," he began, his voice dull.

Glilavan's eyes widened and he stared at his father in disbelief.

Dolgailon sucked in a sharp breath, leaning forward to better see Tulus as he spoke. Tulus did not look up.

"He confessed to me after Lord Amglaur's death that he was plotting with Manadhien. Specifically, he told me that he hoped to devise with her some way to eliminate Lord Legolas while injuring me as little a possible. And that is what Glilavan did when he arranged to put Lord Legolas and Anastor together on the forest border."

"Elbereth!" Dolgailon whispered, before covering his mouth with his hand.

"Adar, what are you doing? How can you accuse me of treason! In the presence of half the court! Without any evidence to back up that accusation!" Glilavan exclaimed, speaking over him.

Tulus looked at his son, tears welling in his eyes. "I had hoped you could be saved, but I no longer believe that is possible. That being so, I can only prevent you from doing more harm. To yourself or others."

"If that is true, adar...if that is what you truly believe...take the final step," Glilavan said, his tone now bitter.

"I intend to, but not in any way that you have ever imagined," Tulus responded.

Thranduil studied them narrowly. "What does that mean, Tulus?" he demanded.

Tulus remained silent.

Thranduil's jaw clenched, but he turned to Dannenion. "Now you repeat what you said last night."

Dannenion's voice trembled when he spoke. "I have known since before my arrest for treason that Glilavan conspired with Manadhien by sending her information about troop movements. I have known the entire time that I have lived in the capital that Glilavan has continued to use his position as an officer to obtain information to send to Manadhien. He occasionally gave me his reports to her to send along with my own."

Glilavan glared at him.

Hand still covering his mouth, Dolgailon shook his head. His other hand, resting on the table, was balled into a fist.

"Tulus and Dannenion have both denounced you," Thranduil said. "You were seen speaking to Demil. And you are responsible for making Legolas and Anastor one target. I judge that is enough evidence to convict you of treason. Of plotting to kill Lord Legolas. I gave you an opportunity to confess to your crimes because I will be far more merciful if you do so. One last chance, Glilavan: explain to me why you committed these crimes, at the very least. If you truly want my mercy, tell me how to find Manadhien."

"I have nothing to confess," Glilavan stated, back straight and chin raised. His face had gone as still as the carvings on the pillars in the Hall.

Tulus turned away from him. "I cannot comprehend how you could help to plot an attack in which an elf, any elf, but especially your own adar, might have been killed. Was likely to be killed. One in which children were to be taken from their families and given into a life...a life that would not have ended quickly enough. You are not my son. I have no son that would do such a thing willingly."

"Tulus," Legolas admonished in a whisper. "These might be the last words you share with Glilavan outside of Aman. Think carefully what you want them to be."

Thranduil ignored them all. "Before I decide how to sentence you, Glilavan, tell me if you are being forced to act against your will. Manadhien threatened Dannenion with Anastor and Maidhien's lives. Is she threatening you somehow? Threatening your adar, perhaps? I know, for example, that she has reports that he wrote. About Legolas. Did she threaten to incriminate your adar if you did not obey her?"

Glilavan shook his head. "She has never threatened me. I had nothing to do with this attack. I expect punishment for allowing it to happen, because I commanded the drill. It is my responsibility. But I am not confessing to treason today, because I have not committed that crime. If she has reports in adar's handwriting, and you know that--you have proven it--how is it that I am the one being accused of treason? Perhaps it was adar that plotted with Demil to betray Legolas. The evidence supports that: he is in a far better position to betray Legolas, as his guard; he has communicated with Manadhien, apparently; and if he helped plot the attack, that would explain why he received only a token injury. How am I to be convicted on the word of two people who are known to have committed treason--their word and nothing more--when the evidence points to a much more logical explanation?"

Thranduil glared at Glilavan silently. Refusal to speak was foolish. Involvement in these crimes was appalling. But trying to shift blame to his own father....

"You are truly more foul than a maggot on an orc's corpse, Glilavan," Legolas said before anyone else could speak.

Thranduil blinked and turned sharply to his son. "That language has no place in this court," he said.

"I beg your pardon, my lord," Legolas responded, but he did not take his eyes from Glilavan, or change his tone in the slightest. "Your adar has concealed your crimes for years," he continued without pause, "exposing himself to a conviction of treason, all in the interest of trying to extricate you from the trouble you caused yourself, and this is how you repay his love for you? By agreeing with Demil that getting shot in the arm and stabbed in the shoulder would be 'token injuries?' Shall I give you the same wounds and see if you still feel they are tokens? But worst of all, you would falsely accuse your own adar when you are caught? I cannot imagine how, with a father like Tulus, you came to such thoughts or deeds. What witchcraft does Manadhien weave to twist your mind so?"

"My own adar has accused me of treason. If that is how he demonstrates his love for me, I would prefer to not have his love. If that is how he demonstrates his love for me, I prefer Manadhien's love."

Tulus rose from the table. "What did you say? Look at me and say it again."

"Tulus, sit back down," Thranduil ordered. Legolas grasped Tulus's forearm, but Tulus took a step closer to Glilavan, pulling away from him.

"Manadhien would protect me, or anyone else, from the sort of love the king will soon show me because of what you said, adar," Glilavan responded, facing off with his adar. "You were offended that I compared nana to Manadhien earlier? How do you think nana will feel when she finds out that you sent her last son to Mandos Halls?"

Tulus took another step towards Glilavan, raising his right hand as he did.

"Tulus!" Thranduil called. Legolas stood and made another effort to restrain his guard, but Tulus would not be stopped.

Neither would Glilavan. He shrugged in a dismissive manner. "I imagine that she will feel the same as she did when you sent your oldest son to Mandos Halls yourself, by standing him in front of Oropher in Mordor. At least nana cannot fade, again, in Aman, when she learns of my death. But I..."

Tulus stopped his son by slapping him across the face with his open hand. Not hard. Not even enough to turn his head. But the sound rang out in the silence that followed, as Tulus looked at his son, grief-stricken, and Glilavan glared back at him.

Legolas stepped between them, facing Tulus and put a hand on each of his shoulders. "Do not listen to him," he whispered. "Just sit down and let the king finish this." He pushed Tulus back a step. Tulus let his hand fall to his side and yielded ground.

Thranduil watched them, tensely, something tingling at the edge of his senses.

"The king will finish this...," Glilavan said quietly.

Thranduil stood, eyeing Glilavan's posture.

"...but not before I finish something else."

The sound of a knife sliding from its sheath sent everyone in the room into a flurry of motion. Thranduil drew his own knife. In his peripheral vision, he saw Hallion, Galithil and Dolgailon do the same. Hallion moved to defend the king. Galithil rushed towards Legolas. Dolgailon lunged at Glilavan. They were both too far away to do any good. Neither could Thranduil help his son. Legolas stood between Thranduil and Glilavan, making it impossible for Thranduil to even throw his knife to stop Glilavan, or at least force him back.

Tulus shoved Legolas aside. He and Conuion dove towards Glilavan and Legolas spun to face him, his right hand grazing the hilt of his own knife. Too late. Thranduil, not breathing, pushed Hallion aside, meaning to go over the table at Glilavan, as the knife in Glilavan's hand slashed at Legolas's throat. Legolas raised his left arm to deflect the attack and the knife bit into his forearm. He sucked air across his teeth, but he did not draw his arm down.

Hand on Glilavan's chest, Tulus pushed him back, away from Legolas. With his other hand, he reached for Glilavan's wrist and twisted it sharply. With a cry, Glilavan dropped the knife. Tulus kicked it away and pulled Glilavan's arm behind his back, holding him in place.

Hands on the surface of the table, Thranduil froze. He first assured himself that Tulus was, indeed, properly restraining Glilavan. Then he scanned Legolas, whose back was still partially towards him as he faced his attacker. Blood dripped to the floor at his feet. Thranduil's breath caught in his throat.

Legolas held his arm against his body, his opposite hand clutched over the wound Glilavan had inflicted. Blood seeped between his fingers. He looked from it, to Glilavan and then he half turned to face Thranduil. "I suppose there is no longer any doubt, my lord, who, between Tulus and Glilavan, is guilty of treason," he said with far more calm than Thranduil felt himself, looking at the deep gash on Legolas's arm. It could have been his throat.

As Tulus shifted Glilavan into Conuion's grasp, Legolas turned his back to them all to return to the table. He unbuttoned his tunic with the fingers of his right hand, pulled it off and wrapped it around his arm, holding it tightly in place. Tulus followed him closely.

Thranduil was drawing a breath to tell Legolas to go to the healer when Glilavan erupted into motion again.

Conuion was still adjusting his grasp on Glilavan. He held his right arm twisted behind his back, as it was when Tulus passed Glilavan to him. Conuion grasped his left arm above the elbow, pinning it to his side. Glilavan twisted in his grasp to distract him. At the same time, he raised his right foot enough to reach for his boot knife with his left hand. In a swift motion, he drew the knife and balanced it to throw at Legolas's back. Conuion struck his arm as he released the knife, but it still flew towards its target.

"Legolas!" Thranduil, Hallion, Galithil and Dolgailon all cried out.

Legolas had already turned sharply to again face Glilavan in response to the sound of the knife sliding from its sheath.

Tulus did not waste time turning to look behind himself. He grabbed Legolas's shirt collar and dragged him in front of him, so that he stood between Legolas and Glilavan. Then he pulled Legolas against him, forced his head down and hunched over him, holding him in place with a bear hug. He did not release Legolas even when his body jerked involuntarily as the knife stabbed into his upper back. Legolas staggered under Tulus's weight as he slumped forward.

"Tulus!" Legolas whispered, twisting in his grasp enough to use two handfuls of tunic to prevent his guard from falling to his knees.

Conuion now had Glilavan face down on the ground, his knee on his back, pinning his right arm behind him. Galithil's boot crushed Glilavan's left wrist to the stone floor.

Thranduil rushed to Legolas's side and pulled him back as Dolgailon took Tulus by both arms and eased him to the edge of the nearest chair. Legolas dodged out of Thranduil's grasp and around Galithil. He ran to Tulus's side. Dolgailon had him leaned forward, inspecting the knife protruding from his back.

"It does not appear to be too deep," Dolgailon breathed.

That was true. The knife sagged under the weight of its hilt.

Dolgailon's fingers probed around the tip of the knife, causing Tulus to stifle a moan. "It was not a solid hit. Not strong enough for the blade to turn between his ribs. I think it is safe to pull it out." He looked at Hallion and Thranduil, for their opinions.

Thranduil came closer, both to better see Tulus's wound and to put an arm around Legolas.

"Just do it!" Tulus grunted. "Take it out!"

Thranduil nodded to Dolgailon, who was now pulling off his own tunic and wadding it in his left hand as his right eased out the knife. Blood flowed from the wound, but did not spurt from it. Nor did Thranduil hear the sucking sound that almost always signified a mortal wound. Dolgailon handed the knife to Legolas and used one hand to hold his tunic against Tulus's back, while placing the other on Tulus's chest to press him back and keep pressure against the wound.

"Get Nestoreth," Thranduil ordered the guard from the doors. He had raced into the room, sword drawn, when Glilavan first pulled a knife. Then Thranduil turned to look at Glilavan, still prone on the floor. He felt his blood rising at the sight of him and restrained himself from descending upon him there and then with an effort that he was not entirely certain would be sufficient.

Focused entirely on Glilavan, Thranduil did not notice that Legolas had righted his grasp on the bloodied knife that Dolgailon had handed him.

In one swift motion, Legolas dropped onto one knee, next to Conuion, and gathered a fist full of Glilavan's hair, pulling his head back. Then he pressed the tip of the knife against Glilavan's neck, under his ear. "You are a coward," he snarled. "Attacking my back not once, but twice. An utterly contemptible coward."

Not even breathing could be heard in the Hall.

"Legolas, come here. Now." Thranduil ordered, keeping his voice firm and calm.

Legolas jerked Glilavan's head back a bit further, forcing a gasp from him as he drove the tip of the knife just deep enough to draw a trickling stream of blood.

"I am responsible for administering justice in this court, Legolas. Not you," Thranduil said. "Come here, now."

Legolas ignored him and spoke into Glilavan's ear. "Fortunately for you, I respect your adar far more than you do. When he confessed to treason for protecting you, he told me that his wish was to die before you so that he did not have to witness your execution. I will not dishonor the sacrifice he just made by forcing him to witness me kill you." He pulled the knife away and released Glilavan's hair, allowing his head to fall forward and hit the floor. "You are very fortunate, Glilavan. If you had killed your father while trying to kill me, nothing, not even the king's command, would have held my hand. You are not worthy of a father like Tulus. Your cowardice starkly, and most unfavorably, contrasts with his courage. You would do well to set him as an example for your actions rather than that witch that you have followed until now."

Saying that, he stood and tossed away Glilavan's knife, sending it skittering across the floor to the far side of the Hall. He scooped up his tunic, which had fallen from his arm, and walked to Thranduil's side while wrapping it around his wound.

Thranduil drew his son against himself, an arm solidly around his shoulder. Then he looked at the wide eyed stares aimed at Legolas from Hallion, Dolgailon and Galithil.

"I find you guilty of treason, Glilavan," Thranduil said quietly. "And as Lord Legolas said, you are very fortunate. Fortunate that Tulus pleaded with me yesterday for your life and fortunate that I gave him my word that I would not lay hands on you in his presence. Since I made that promise, perhaps I will manage to rein in my temper before I decide what I will do with you. In the meantime, I am ordering you held in the stronghold." He signaled for Conuion to remove him.

Conuion hauled Glilavan to his feet by his belt and the back of his tunic collar, spinning him to face the doors of the Hall.

"I cannot believe what I just saw with my own eyes," Tulus whispered as Glilavan was led away, "I cannot bear to see my son fall in this manner. The king offered you mercy today, Glilavan. I wish so desperately that you had accepted it."

Glilavan shook his head and did not so much as glance back over his shoulder.

*~*~*