Naneth-Nin Man-Ore

By Ar-Elenriel

I do no own Lord of the Rings, the Silmarillion, or any other works of Tolkien. I am only borrowing them for the purposes of this tale. I do however own Silvrien and Lothwen.

It was late at night on a spring evening and five year old Legolas had just gone to bed. He had suffered some injuries resulting from an altercation between his pony Silvrien and his favorite beech tree. He had broken his left arm and received a concussion. He was so seriously injured that he had been in the infirmary for nearly a week recovering. His naneth Lothwen and his Adar Thranduil, King of the Greenwood had just brought him home to the family chambers earlier that day. Legolas still did not feel good the pain medication that he was taking made him feel rather foggy.
Just as Legolas was about to drift off to sleep he realized that this was the first Oranor (S. Sunday) of Lothron (S. May). This was Naneth Man-Ore, the day in which all Eldar honoured their naneth's for having given them life. Legolas began to cry. He had not gotten his Naneth anything at all, not even a single flower. His big blue eyes suddenly filled with determination. He would get his Naneth a gift even if it took him all night.
He slipped out of his small trundle bed and put on his slippers, and his robe. His arm was still in a cast so dressing was a little awkward. He quietly snuck past his parent's bedroom door and out the glass door into the walled gardens of Eryn Lasgalen. It was then Legolas saw it, a single perfect pink tulip. He went and carefully plucked it then he gathered some violets and daffodils. He dampened his little blue handkerchief in the water in the bird bath and wrapped it around the stems. Then he went back through the glass doors into the palace. It was then he noticed that his Naneth and Adar had heard him sneak out and had been watching for him at the door. He smiled, and was happy at the thought he could give his naneth her gift now. He would not be too late after all.
"Legolas what were you doing outside this late ion-nin?" said King Thranduil with a worried look in his eyes. "You know you are not supposed to leave the palace after dark. I don't want you getting hurt." Legolas hung his head in shame at having disobeyed his Adar.
"Adar I forgot Naneth Man-Ore and went to the garden to gather a gift for Naneth. I am truly sorry I worried you." Legolas stepped forward and presented the spring bouquet to his Naneth. "Happy Naneth Man-Ore, I did not have a gift so I picked flowers Naneth." Legolas hugged his Naneth around her knees.
Lothwen bent down and hugged her little son. She was happy that her only child had remembered her special day. "Thranduil, do not be angry with him. He is only doing as we taught him. A good ruler must always think of the needs of others even if it means putting himself in danger. You are the one that taught him this." She leaned her head upon Thranduil's shoulder and smiled up at him. "Legolas, Ion-Nin thank you for my gift. But, you did not need to get out of bed when you are still injured to get me a gift. You are the greatest Naneth Man-Ore gift that I could ever have received. The Valar blessed your father and I the day we conceived you. I love you Legolas Thrandullion. Legolas snuggled sleepily into his Naneth's arms.
And even 2,000 years later when Lothwen had been killed in an attack on the palace by orcs Thranduil would awake to find that his son Crown Prince Legolas had placed a fresh bouquet of tulips, violets, and daffodils on the table below his mothers portrait in the Great Hall. Legolas would also continue this practice 1,120 years later when King Ellessar died, and he finally was reunited with both parents in Valinor. No matter what he had to do even if it meant raiding Lord Irmo's gardens in Lorien he always found his Naneth flowers for her special day.

Lothwen- Legolas mother, Queen of Mirkwood

Thranduil -Legolas Father, King of Mirkwood
Silvrien- Legolas Pony

Naneth -Mother

Adar- Father

Naneth Man-Ore, Mothers Blessing Day

Oranor- Sindarin, Sunday

Lothron- Sindarin May

Ion-nin- Son
Eryn Lasgalen- The palace at Mirkwood, the Entire woodland Realm in the Fourth Age

Lord Irmo - The Valar in Charge of the Garden's of Lorien