"Orlando! You were watching? Ugh..I wish it would heal immediately." He sighed, but gave a smile to his friend in thanks for the encouragement. "You know my father will see this and just make comment again. Can't I come out with you on your night watch? " It was said only half joking.
"Of course you can come!" he said it automatically. There was nothing Orlando would have ever denied that boy, though he cursed himself for agreeing so readily. Orlando wished sometimes, he could tell the prince the extent of his feelings for him, but he never could. "Ahhh.. that is, the cut will be no more than a scratch by the time we return, and your father will never notice it. But yes, of course I was watching. You are a joy in action. You have more skill than most of the elves in the guard, and you know it. You'll have my post soon enough! "
Shelley laughed, clapping a hand on Orli's shoulder and turned to walk with him in the direction of the watch. "My father wont ever give me a position that puts me in danger Orlando. You know that. Until my mother produces another heir, he will treat me like glass and forbid me to even wipe my own arse."
"I'm amazed he hasn't forced a bride on you, yet." Orlando tried to sound casual, "You're a bit young, yet, but younger than you have chosen a life's mate. In any event, I'd have you at my back any day -- you're a rare talent with both bow and sword."
"And you know I would be there. I don't understand why my father saw fit to send you off so often with these rides of his, but its left me lonely for your company." He sighed, his fingers straying to the hilt of the golden sword hilt at his waist in a nervous habit. "He has tried Orlando.. He has at least a dozen maids that have been hanging around the court. Every time I turn around, I am tripping over one of them."
"But you find none that suits you?", he said, his voice raising an octave in strangled nervousness. Orlando forced himself back under control, but he couldn't help thinking what hell that wedding day would be for him, when that day came. No there was no hope in the prince ever loving him as more than a friend and deep down, he knew that, yet still he couldn't help his desire. The pair reached the stable and Orlando headed for his horse, Debruk that was quartered in the rear most stall. Beside his, stood Valok, a delicate dappled gray stallion most favored by the prince.
"I'm not ready to settle for a life-mate Orlando. No more than you are! Look at you, any maid in the city faints at a glance from you, yet you take none." Shelley slid back the door to his own mount's stall and slipped the bridle over the white mare's head. "Rumor is you don't even take them to bed.."
Orlando blushed, and hid it behind the large black stallion that came with the post of Captain of the Guard. "I don't want to litter the city with my bastards." It sounded like a sorry excuse, even to his own ears and bit back a curse, mounted the steed and trotted out of the stable. Shelley smiled and swung up into the saddle of his horse, following close behind. They were silent until outside the gates of Mirkwood, Shelley breaking the silence. "There is rumor that dark forces move to the South.. If its true, you and the rest of Mirkwood's army will be called into action.. I wonder if my father will let me be the prince I am supposed to be, then."
Generally another guard accompanied Orlando on his watch, but he was always glad to slip away and keep his mouth shut when Orlando took the young prince with him instead. Who would say no to a free night off? Orlando nodded, considering his prince's words carefully. "I have heard these rumors. And I am ready to fight if we must. But as for your father, I cannot say. "
"Nor I my friend. But I grow restless. " He spurred Valok on, picking up the pace as they topped a hill that looked down over the city on one side and the forest of Mirkwood on the other. "The world is so endless. I'm a prisoner in my own homeland Orlando. Just once, I would like to ride out with you and your men and meet the enemy. Or go into the men's world.." This last was most forbidden as elves slowly were pulling themselves away from mortal men. His father knew of Shelley's desires and as of late, had tightened his rein on the young elf.
"The men's world? The world that lies beyond this? Forgive me, my friend, but that is not something to long for.", he looked at Shelley, and added with a serious tone, "I never wanted to be a warrior, Shelley. What I want most is not adventure, but peace for our people." Shelley smiled, his eyes twinkling in the moon's light. "And that, my friend, is why father made you the Captain of the Guard and not his son. He knows I am reckless. He knows I want to make a mark in this world for myself and lets face it, unless he is somehow murdered, I will have centuries before I am King."
"I pray that is so, young one. Being King is a responsibility that both of us are far too inexperienced to fathom. And your father is a good King, a just King. I have no doubt you will make that mark, Shelley, and be just as good a King as your father -- but let it happen in the time it needs." He looked out with his sharp eyes across the great plain, automatically performing his duties, checking for danger.
"Listen to you.. you sound so logical and grown up!" Shelley laughed then fell quiet as the Captain looked out over the plains. The truth was, Shelley had already been slipping out under the cover of dark and making his way to villages that bordered the Mirklands. He'd been as far as the town of Beorn and heard tales of the world beyond the Grey Mountains. "Orlando.. What would you say if I told you that I left the palace a few nights a week and went to the villages up stream?"
"Alone?" Orlando looked and sounded alarmed, but then he broke out in a grin and punched Shelley in the arm playfully. "I'd say you were cruel for not taking me along. And what purpose, these outings?"
Shelley winced in jest at the punch and grinned. "I didn't think you would want the Captain of the Guards to be so reckless. Besides, if I had gotten caught, I wanted it to be only my head on the platter. " He moved his horse down the hill toward the river, slow and waiting for Orlando. "Of course now that I have perfected my escapes.. I might take a companion along with me if someone were interested...."
"I was your best friend long before I was the Captain of the Guard. I suppose your father thought assigning me the role would keep me out of trouble. And, you're right, I ought be more responsible." Turning in his saddle to look his prince square in the eye, "You would be safer with the Captain of the Guard along, after all... "
"And you'll be my best friend long after, Orlando." He lightly bumped his horse into the other and then galloped the rest of the short way to the river. Jumping down from Valok, he let the gray drink from the cool water and inhaled, looking up at the stars. "I miss having you around watching over me. When we were children, I got into so much trouble, but you were always there to bail me out. What will I do with you gone, Orli?"
"The King's work keeps me busy." Orlando said, sounding a little more irritated than he meant to, because he knew the king did it deliberately, kept them apart. Shelley didn't know, and Orlando couldn't tell him. With is mind so lost on these anguished thoughts, he slipped as he dismounted his horse and nearly fell into the river, catching himself at the last moment. Concern washed over Shelley's face and he stepped closer, moving the black horse to stand with his own and turning back to his friend. "Your tired. I can see it in your eyes Orlando..and there is something else there that I don't quite understand. You should tell my father you need more help. We have a whole new class of cadets coming up that could relieve you some."
"I've watched the cadets training, Shelley. They're younger than you, and they're not ready for active duty. They need time to be the best that they can, and if the rumors are true, we are going to need them. Until then I can pick up a few extra night watches." He looked away, adding "Yes, I'm tired, that's all it is. It will pass." Resting a hand lightly on his comrade's shoulder, Shelley whispered in his Elven tongue "A Pelitha ab 'wanath i dulu i amar. ~ A tired and wounded soul is no good to anyone." He paused, then slowly dropped his hand from Orlando's shoulder, sighing. "We should head back.. Its late and I will be missed soon. "
"And your cut is nearly gone, so the purpose of this ride, aside from my duties, has been well served." The touch of the prince's hand on his shoulder was like electricity, but Orlando didn't let this show and when it let go of him, he turned and remounted Debruk. The sudden cold that seemed to come from Orlando was mistaken and Shelley was confused by it. He remounted his own horse and turned to toward home, silence filling the space between them. Orlando hadn't meant to seem cold, but this was his only mechanism against fighting the improper advances he knew that if he made towards the young prince, would spell a death sentence from his father, King. As they grew near to the gates, Orlando spurred along side the gray and challenged, "Race you to the stables!" and shot off on Debruk at a speed that would rival the winds themselves. The challenge caught Shelley off guard but he was soon taking up the call and thundering after the other elf. They passed the gates, a swirl of dust the only sign they had been there. As they neared the stables, Shelley slowed..panic on his face.. for there at the stable gate, was his father, Lord Thranduil.
Orlando reigned in his horse sharply as he saw the King standing before the stable gate. His eyes widened in horror, knowing the King wasn't going out riding at this hour, so his presence here could only mean darkness. He leapt off his steed and fell to one knee before his lord. "It is my fault, sir. I took him with me on my watch. I thought he should learn how such things are done, first hand. I should have spoken to you about it first."
Shelley reined in Valok as well, dismounting and coming to stand beside Orlando, kneeling out of respect, but with both electric blue eyes locked on his father's. "Father.. If I may speak?"
The King's scowl only grew as the pair knelt together and his reply was short and to the point. "You disobeyed me again Shelley Greenleaf! What were you doing outside the gates at this hour??"
Shelley's jaw clenched. "Only riding Father. Sharing time with a friend. Is that a crime now?"
The King narrowed his eyes as he looked from Shelley to Orlando and kept his voice low. "As Captain of the Guard, you should know better. What would happen if that band of orc ambushed the pair of you?" Shelley stood up, looking about to speak when his father raised his hand and spoke again, silencing him. "Orlando, there is to be a hunting party for that orc band and I want you to head it. I expect it will keep you away for some time, so pack well. Shelley, i will see you in my chamber as soon as you get back and clean yourself up. Understood?"
Orlando nodded slowly, too stunned to speak. It might take weeks to hunt down the orcs, but it had to be done. He'd only been waiting to be given the command in truth, yet to be given it now, it was obvious twofold in purpose. It would mean weeks before he saw Shelley again and with that weight in his heart, he slowly got to his feet, bowed to the king, and accepted his command. The lavender eyed elf couldn't even look at his prince. He didn't dare.
Shelley was far too angry to put the two and two together and he wouldn't until he was in his bower and laying in his bed later that night. Then, soft tears would fill his eyes for reasons he didn't quite yet understand, until the night stole him away into slumber.