We finally reached the hall that would soon lead us to where our interrogation would begin. The red head elleth was there at the end and when she saw us nodded to the guards and walked in front of us leading us around the corner of the hall and up the stairs that lead into throne room.

As we ascended the stairs more of the palace was visible. We soon reached the top, and the guards held us back while the red haired elleth bodly approached the throne. My eyes followed her up to the throne where, on a majestic looking chair that was made out of giant elk antlers, seated a strong built elf. Seated atop his head was a crown of berries that sat on top of silver hair that fell over magnificent robes.

It was obvious that he was the one in power. As he scanned the room with his blue electric eyes, he handled a carved twisted piece of wood as a scepter in a decorated hand, the rings elegant and priceless. His head slightly turned to see who had come into his presence,

The elleth bowed as he gracefully stood up, his robes seemed to fall about him, not wrinkled at all from his sitting position.

"The prisoners you requested my lord." she said.

He nodded his head as his eyes held an unusual look. "That will be all. Please continue with your other work."

"Yes my lord." She bowed again, then turned to walk between Jack and I, nodding to the guards holding onto us. She cast me a hopeful glance before descending the stairs, disappearing out of sight.

"Bring them forward," he commanded. The guards shoved us into a kneeling position, making me wince as I crashed into the ice cold floor. He descended the stairs slowly, his gaze fixed on us.

"Why are they still cloaked and appear to be untouched? Did you not search them?"

"All their  weapons were taken when we encountered them in the forest my lord," replied the guard next to Jack.

"That doesn't not explain why they are still cloaked and their faces hidden."

"Well... um... I guess we... it never occurred to us. I suppose we never thought too," said the guard cautiously, afraid of what he might say.

"I do not have you to think. You are to carry out your duties and orders and nothing else." the King said sharply.

"Y-yes your majesty. Of course." The guard said looking down shame and to avoid the King's glare.

"Well?"

The guard raised his eyebrows not understanding. "Is there something you are needing?"

 "Yes. I want you to take off their cloaks and scarves so I may see their faces." he answered coldly.

"Y-you want us to remove their cloaks and scarves?"

"I believe that is what I said."

The guard looked uneasy at the other one, seeming unsure about doing the task.

"Well? I'm waiting." he said, growing impatient.

The guard cleared his throat. "Yes my lord." He reached to pull back Jack's cloak but stopped before he touched the fabric. He tried again but failed to remove it.

"What's the matter? Has your hand fallen off?" the King clearly wasn't a person to be made to wait.

"I-I'm sorry my lord. I just cannot seem to bring myself to do it."

"That's not a reasonable excuse. You there! Unmask them!"

"Me?" said the guard who was behind me.

"Do you see anyone else?"

"No... I mean yes my lord right away." You think it's that easy? I'd like to see you try, I thought slyly.

He moved to touch my hood but as his fingers barely brushed against the fabric he shot his hand back. He seemed a little taken back, but tried again. This time he couldn't even touch it, he let his hand fall to his side in shock.

"And what's the matter with you? Have you too become inable to move?"

"Yes... I mean no your lordship, well yes... I mean..."

"You mean what?" the king narrowed his gaze.

"I'm not sure how to describe it. I'm sorry your majesty I just can't..." the guard finished hanging his head in shame.

The king sighed exasperatingly, obviously unpleased at the guards' attempts. He shouldn't be too hard on them really, of course he would have to find that out himself.

"Fine, you leave me no choice. I shall do it myself."

"Your Majesty-"

"Silence!" The king interrupted the guard. "We shall end all these excuses and find out who exactly we have here." The king walked to Jack and just as he was about to take off the hood of his cloak, but when he moved to do so he stopped his hand and stared at him in disbelief. He glanced at me and then back to Jack, then taking a step back he said, "Go, leave us at once."

"But my lord, are you sure-"

"Go!" the guards reluctantly left leaving, leaving just us and the king. He turned away from us and took a step forward, clasping his hands behind his back, appearing to be thinking about what to do. After a few moments he turned around again and looked back and forth between us.

"Would one of you care to tell me who you are?" Thranduil said surprisingly pleasant. 

I raised my eyebrow slightly and glanced at Jack confirming our approach to this.

"It would be in your best interest to answer, and the truth." he added while walking slowly around us, but all he received was a stone blank look from Jack, and me looking down as if I hadn't heard him.

"Who are you?" He repeated as he stopped in front of Jack.

Jack said nothing, so he moved on to me.

"Since your friend seems to have lost the ability of speech, why don't you tell me who you are?" I could tell Thranduil was trying to stay calm but was not doing a good job of it. He waited "patiently" for several minutes before finally deciding to try another way to get information.

"Guards! Bring their friends in." Thranduil demanded.

The guards came in a few moments later with Celebron, Kelebron, Apellus, and Phelius. The red haired elleth again was leading them.

"What have you found out from them?" Thranduil said sharply.

She seemed to be unaffected by his manner and took a step forward and nodded at the guards to move the new comers to the left.

"We questioned them thoroughly as ordered my lord."

"That's not what I asked." Thranduil said with his anger rising which he managed to somewhat control, "Did you find out any information from them?"

"No. They're very tight lipped, even when we left them alone they did not speak to each other. We tried everything we thought of, but remained unsuccessful. The only thing that we know is that one there..." She pointed to Celebron, "... seems to have a very witty tongue."

Thranduil raised an eyebrow while I was silently in my head saying "bravo" for Celebron. Him and me always loved to be interrogated for the sole purpose of irritating the interrogater and making witty and sarcastic replies driving them nuts with our clever avoidance of answering the questions.

Thranduil seem to be in thought for a few moments before going towards Celebron.

"You-"

"Who me?" said Celebron interrupting him.

Thranduil narrowed his eyes at him trying to keep his cool nature. "Yes." he said very unamused while Celebron grinned, no one could see but I could sense it.

"What gender are you? Are you male or female?"

"One or the other I'm pretty sure." Man, he really has been in a witty mood, I thought to myself.

"Race?" said Thranduil with his jaw starting to tense.

"I'm a living being."

"Man, elf, or dwarf?"

"You forgot orc,  goblin, troll, and easterling." Celebron said sarcastically.

"Do we look like dwarves?" said Kelebron clearly affended by the insinuation, but stayed quiet and looked down after receiving a icy glare.

"Well hardly think it's highly improbable that you are any of those." Thranduil continued coolly.

"Is it? Then why are you asking? Cause if you ask me, you don't look too sure of what race we are." I smirked at that comment and wanted to laugh at Thranduil's blank face clearly not expecting that reply.

He shrugged it off and tried to cover it up but I could tell he was having a hard time thinking of a comeback. "Well I didn't ask you so it doesn't matter."

"Actually, unless I've gone deaf, I'm pretty sure you just asked-"

"Silence!" Thranduil spatted, obviously starting to lose it.

"If you want to know who we are you could just take off our hoods and scarves and easily find out your answer." mumbled Apellus.

"An excellent idea, why don't you?" said Celebron, I could see where this was going easily.

Thranduil seemed dumbfound, unsure of how to answer.

"It's just like my friend here said, all you have to do is take off our hoods and scarves, it's as simple as that. You do it and it's done, you can see who we are and what was underneath them..." Celebron stood up from kneeling and made a step forward, "...or is that what's holding you back?"

There was no answer and the guards seemed to get more anxious.

"Is that what you're afraid of? What's underneath our hoods?" Celebron took another step forward and Thranduil too seemed to get nervous.

"Go ahead, take it off and end all this horse play and suspense." Celebron took two more steps forward and Thranduil took one back. The guards looked as if they wanted to do something but they were too held back by fear themselves.

"Why don't you do it?" Celebron taunted and took another step forward. "Or are you not wanting to because you already know who we are and you're afraid of being right."

Celebron smirked, this time I could see it in his eyes. Thranduil  was trapped like a rat and walked himself into that one.

Thranduil put on a smug look, "He's just bluffing," Thranduil said with more confindence then he felt. "Take them back." He turned to ascend the stairs to his throne again.

"Am I?" interrupted Celebron. "If I really am "bluffing" as you say then why don't you take off my hood and prove before everyone that I am." Thranduil stopped in his tracks, "... Or you could just ask us. Unless you really don't want to know who we are or why we are here."

"Of course I want to know." Thranduil turned around and spatted before he could catch himself.

Celebron smirked again, "Then why don't you ask us right now?"

Thranduil opened his mouth about to say something but caught himself and stopped rethinking the reply. "Look here, I'm the superior here, this is my kingdom and I will be telling you what to do not the other way around."

Celebron shrugged, "As you wish... your majesty." he added sarcastically and gave me a subtle wink before turning and walking back to the others.

"Guards, bring them back to their cells." Commanded Thranduil.

"He really is scared then." I mumbled under my breath, but made it loud enough so the King was sure to hear.

"...except those two." he added before the guards hauled Jack and me away. He was doing exactly what I wanted him too.

The guards bowed slightly and started to move the others down the stairs, however two guards and the red haired elleth remained behind but Thranduil did not seem to care.

He walked up to Jack and me and seemed to be thinking.

"Are you or are you not the Jack allied forces?" He said suspiciously. Perfect, now just to get him more edgy.

I gave Jack a side glance telling him not to say anything, it went unseen by Thranduil since I was looking down.

He stood there waiting, and waiting, and waiting, until finally he lost it, not being able to take the silence any longer.

"ARE YOU?!" He grabbed my shoulders forcing me to stand up. "ARE YOU?!" he shouted shaking me, but I kept up my silent streak looking down.

"Look at me!" I ignored him, he need to be more angry.

"Now I say!" He jerked my chin up and I finally looked at him with my eyes. They had know turned blue, which they only do when I'm cornering my prey. A very useful thing to distract and side track them, making them think why they changed. Something I intended no one to find out for a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, did I mention very?, long time. Anyways, back to my goal...

Thranduil was indeed very taken back as I continued to stare at him right in the eyes.  "Look down." He said, having had enough after searching my eyes. But I only kept looking at him, staring even more.

"Look away." He said, I could tell he was getting nervous and close to the point I wanted him to be at. I could feel Jack looking at me trying to figure out what in the world was I doing.

"Stop looking at me!" He said, pushing me back hard, causing me to fall. I sat there on the floor (criss crossed except one leg is up and bent.) waiting patiently, it was just a little further, I was so close to what I wanted.

Meanwhile Thranduil composed himself and glanced at the red head before trying one more time.

"Answer the question."

I kept silent, hoping I was right at what his next move would be.

"Very well then. If this one who is obviously female won't talk then she'll have her way." I held my breath, waiting for him to continue. "Guards, take her friend back to his cell with the others." The guards moved towards Jack hesitantly obeying the King's orders.

"Take her deep into the dugeons, maybe she'll be more eager to talk if she's separated from her friends and wants to see them again." He said to the red head.

Bingo, I was right. This is exactly what I need to get us out of here.

The red head came and brought me up to my feet and grabbed my arm moving me towards the stairs. As we walked pass the guards who had Jack I could tell he was slightly confused, and probably not very happy at the moment, but he would be when he sees my plan and why I did this.

The elleth was silent and lead me through the dugeons and past the others who had already been put in their cells. Some of them came close to the bars trying to see where I was being taken.

We went deeper into the rows of cells until finally reaching one so far down it was quite close to the cellars and kitchen of the King.

The elleth opened the door and pushed me in. "What are you thinking?!" she said in a low voice with her eyes narrowed.

I shrugged giving her an innocence look. She studied me then turned and walked out of the cell. "Fine, but you better have a good reason for going and doing that."

"Don't I always?" I whispered back smirking.

She smirked herself and closed the door. "We'll talk later."

"As usual." She shook her head, still smirking and walked out.

I sat down on stone bed and lead back against the wall listening to the sounds and echoes coming from the elves close by. I sighed to myself thinking this couldn't be going any better, and relaxed waiting for the time to come when I would find out more information for my plan from our informant.

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Hey mellons! Sorry I haven't been writing that much, I've been really busy and so updates will be longer. Anyways I hope you liked it, more will be coming soon hopefully although I can't promise anything. Let me know what you think about the interrogation and Jules' mysterious plan to get out of Mirkwood, without fighting their way out. XD Also this chapter is dedicated to GerithorDunedain, thanks for all the support and encouragement throughout all this story and the motivation to write this chapter.

      Navaer Mellons.

                                    ~Jules

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