Disclaimer: LOTR belongs to the creative genius of JRR Tolkien, not me.
Midsummer Melancholy.
Midsummer's Eve was one of the Wood Elves favourite celebrations and the merrymaking under the light of their beloved stars lasted until dawn. There was always much singing, dancing and feasting in the glades under the trees, and it seemed as if the leaves added their own voices when rustling in the warm evening breeze. Prince Legolas was normally one of the most eager participants, but this year his heart was not in the mood for joviality, for a strange melancholy had taken hold.
Legolas could hear the echoes of music and laughter coming from the forest, but had ignored the pleas of his friends to come and join them in the fun. Instead he had made his way to his mother's room and seated himself in her favourite armchair. Although it had been many years since she had passed into the West, he could still feel her presence. He missed her sorely and took consolation in the fact that they would meet again someday, however she was not the present cause of his sadness. It was Aragorn and Arwen who were responsible for his mood. He had never seen a couple so completely in love as those two and he found himself wishing that he had someone with whom he could share his heart and soul.
"Shall I never know the love of a maiden?" he sighed giving voice to his thought.
"Love will find you one day, my son." Legolas started, he had not heard his father enter "just as it found me." Thranduil's face had softened at the thought of his beloved wife and Legolas wondered how he could bear to be apart from her.
"Why did you not travel to the Undying Lands with Mother?" He dared to ask.
"It was she who was being slowly devoured by the sea longing of our people and could no longer remain here, but she did not wish me to abandon my kingdom. I loved her, how could I ignore her wishes? She was possessed of a deep insight and insisted that you had an important role to play in the affairs of Middle Earth. Once that destiny is fulfilled she knew we would both be free to join her. I look forward to that day."
"How did you meet?" Legolas asked, he had often wondered. Thranduil smiled, this was the first time that he and his son had discussed such a personal topic, and he enjoyed the closeness that they shared at this moment.
"Her father was a general in Oropher's army and she would sometimes accompany him to the practice field. I usually took little notice of the maidens at that time as we were preparing to go to war. Anyway, one day she was watching her father and I practising the sword and something caught my eye and I glanced in her direction. The sunlight glittered in her golden hair and I was so mesmerised by her beauty that I dropped my guard and was knocked unconscious. When I awoke she was placing a wet towel on my brow and as I looked into her eyes I knew instantly that I had found the one whose soul sang the same song as mine."
"Is that the way for all of us?"
"The love of an elf runs as soul deep as all our emotions do, and it is forever. Your life songs become an intertwined melody, and should part of the music die, the remaining tune fades into oblivion. That is why grief at the loss of a lover is often fatal. I would die of grief if I could not still hear your mother's melody in my soul."
" There have been a few maidens who have caught my eye, but I have never felt as you describe," said Legolas with a melancholy smile.
"Do not despair, you will find love one day, probably when you least expect it" Thranduil said returning his son's smile "but I think you are more likely to find it out there with the merrymakers than in this room."
Midsummer Melancholy.
Midsummer's Eve was one of the Wood Elves favourite celebrations and the merrymaking under the light of their beloved stars lasted until dawn. There was always much singing, dancing and feasting in the glades under the trees, and it seemed as if the leaves added their own voices when rustling in the warm evening breeze. Prince Legolas was normally one of the most eager participants, but this year his heart was not in the mood for joviality, for a strange melancholy had taken hold.
Legolas could hear the echoes of music and laughter coming from the forest, but had ignored the pleas of his friends to come and join them in the fun. Instead he had made his way to his mother's room and seated himself in her favourite armchair. Although it had been many years since she had passed into the West, he could still feel her presence. He missed her sorely and took consolation in the fact that they would meet again someday, however she was not the present cause of his sadness. It was Aragorn and Arwen who were responsible for his mood. He had never seen a couple so completely in love as those two and he found himself wishing that he had someone with whom he could share his heart and soul.
"Shall I never know the love of a maiden?" he sighed giving voice to his thought.
"Love will find you one day, my son." Legolas started, he had not heard his father enter "just as it found me." Thranduil's face had softened at the thought of his beloved wife and Legolas wondered how he could bear to be apart from her.
"Why did you not travel to the Undying Lands with Mother?" He dared to ask.
"It was she who was being slowly devoured by the sea longing of our people and could no longer remain here, but she did not wish me to abandon my kingdom. I loved her, how could I ignore her wishes? She was possessed of a deep insight and insisted that you had an important role to play in the affairs of Middle Earth. Once that destiny is fulfilled she knew we would both be free to join her. I look forward to that day."
"How did you meet?" Legolas asked, he had often wondered. Thranduil smiled, this was the first time that he and his son had discussed such a personal topic, and he enjoyed the closeness that they shared at this moment.
"Her father was a general in Oropher's army and she would sometimes accompany him to the practice field. I usually took little notice of the maidens at that time as we were preparing to go to war. Anyway, one day she was watching her father and I practising the sword and something caught my eye and I glanced in her direction. The sunlight glittered in her golden hair and I was so mesmerised by her beauty that I dropped my guard and was knocked unconscious. When I awoke she was placing a wet towel on my brow and as I looked into her eyes I knew instantly that I had found the one whose soul sang the same song as mine."
"Is that the way for all of us?"
"The love of an elf runs as soul deep as all our emotions do, and it is forever. Your life songs become an intertwined melody, and should part of the music die, the remaining tune fades into oblivion. That is why grief at the loss of a lover is often fatal. I would die of grief if I could not still hear your mother's melody in my soul."
" There have been a few maidens who have caught my eye, but I have never felt as you describe," said Legolas with a melancholy smile.
"Do not despair, you will find love one day, probably when you least expect it" Thranduil said returning his son's smile "but I think you are more likely to find it out there with the merrymakers than in this room."