By the Starlight - by The Pixielady
Disclaimer: I do not own any of this stuff. As much as I'd love to.. All songs belong to Tolkien.
Plot: Legolas finds out the hard way about the bitterness of immortality and mortality. *slash*. Legolas/ Eldarion. Set to the background to the leaving of the elves.
Feedback: Love it! As long as it is good. This may be completely AU, but I don't think it is .
Enjoy!
Chapter One: Masquerade
Legolas Greenleaf was a nice elf once you got to know him.
He often acted compassionately and kindly towards his fellow elf. His fellow elf. If the wood-elves had a fault, it was their distrust of strangers. Many dark and terrible things had happened to their homeland of Mirkwood (as it was now named) since the time when travellers could travel nearly completely unhindered through the forests. But as I said, many things have happened since then. The mighty forest is now a mass of spider's dens and creeping vines, and that has taken a toll on the wood- elves hospitality.
They were wary creatures, more dangerous than their cousins, the High Elves of the West. They spoke with the blade more than the tongue. Wood-elves hate dwarves passionately and originally, Legolas was no exception.
But Legolas was different to his kindred, because of the fact that he had two friends that he held very dear to him. One was a man and the other was a dwarf. King Elessar of Gondor and Arnor was simply known as Strider the ranger when he had first met Legolas, many, many long years ago. Gimli son of Gloin, a dwarf warrior of mighty prowess was the other.
Their friendship had started out in the loathing that was encouraged by the relationship between elves and dwarves. But gradually it grew beyond the bickering and snide comments until they had something very unique. They still argued with each other, and if you asked either of them how they thought of the other, they would both say that they disliked them.
At that moment of time, Legolas was seated in the Great Hall of Minas Tirith, and looking extremely uncomfortable. Burdened with the formalities of his position as Prince and heir to the throne, Legolas had been "cordially invited to the celebration of Prince Eldarion's eighteenth birthday".
A birthday party. They had invited Prince Legolas Greenleaf, to a birthday party! The idea seemed ridiculous. Something that would suit hobbits not elves. But still he went. The invitation also had written in small letters at the bottom: "Please note that the celebration will be a masquerade ball."
~
Legolas crouched in the window seat and prayed that he was somehow invisible. The crown of berries and red leaves that his father had gifted him with, weighed heavily on his head, and Legolas was sure that at several times, Estel had passed him.
On his face was a mask made from some wonderfully light material that was tied behind his head, and the knot was hid underneath his loose flowing hair. The actual mask covered his eyes and from the bottom of it hung some black gossamer that fluttered in and out with every breath he took.
His race was recognisable purely by his golden blond hair and fluid grace, but there was also the Evenstar amongst the men, as well as Elladen and Elrohir the uncles to young Prince Eldarion.
Looking out of the window, he watched the sky. It was the most beautiful time of the day: twilight. The sun was just sinking below the horizon and the sky was bathed in the colours of a painter's pallet. Vivid reds and shocking pinks intermingled with warm oranges and vibrant yellows.
The sky was darkening though, and rapidly. Soon it would be dark. Sunset came late in Gondor, and due to the fact that it was early autumn.
Sighing, Legolas looked back to the party. They wouldn't notice him leaving. Keeping to the walls, he slipped out of the main chamber and onto a balcony that overlooked the Royal Gardens. It was prim and neat. Beautiful in many aspects. But it was unnatural. Legolas could feel the plants straining from their holds, wishing to spread their roots in the moist soil.
In one movement he had slid of the balcony and had landed in the garden silently. The garden too was silent. The only sound was that of the rustling of the trees. They called to the prince, knowing his love for them. He had sat in these trees before, when he had first came to Gondor. The city was unusual and strange so he had wandered into the many gardens, there he felt like he was at home.
Legolas climbed up the nearest tree, a sycamore that had grown tall due to the elves sudden arrival in Gondor. He sat in the uppermost branches and watched the sun set.
"What a large bird," a quiet voice said with amusement in it. "Its surprising that the branches don't break."
Legolas looked down at the human who had approached fairly quietly, but it had not escaped his attention. It was a young man with loose, raven curls that tumbled down until just above his shoulders. His eyes were just visible through the holes in the mask. The mask was night blue and on either side was crafted ears and in the middle, a feline nose. It was meant to be some kind of wildcat obviously. Beneath that his lips were visible. They were thick and at this moment, were curved up into a smirk.
"And what a strange cat, human," he replied loftily. What right did this man have to insult the prince of Mirkwood? He was most definitely below Legolas and therefore not worth talking to. "Now leave me be. I wished to look at the sunset now waste my breath talking to a cat."
The man whistled softly. "Very harsh, elf," he answered back. "And what justified reason do you have for insulting me?" when Legolas didn't answer he called up: "Pray do tell, I promise I don't bite."
At this Legolas stiffened and looked back down, his blue eyes cold. "The same reason for you insulting me."
The man smiled again and leant back against the bottom of the tree. "My intention was not to insult you, it was only to see if I could get such a fair creature to smile."
Legolas shivered slightly at this comment, though he was not sure why. "Why should I want to smile?" he asked.
"Because it would please me immensely if I knew that my guests were enjoying themselves," he answered.
His guests? The man was prince Eldarion. Whose birthday it was today!
"I do not believe that the Prince of Gondor and Arnor would come out into a garden to make an elf smile," Legolas said.
"Ah," Eldarion countered, holding up one finger triumphantly. "But you are no ordinary elf, your royal highness! Prince Legolas."
Legolas scowled at the use of his title. He was many things, but the elf was not very vain and he thought his title: Heir to the throne, Prince Legolas Greenleaf, sounded pompous.
"How do you know my name?" he asked sharply.
"You've found me out!" Eldarion sighed dramatically. "I was sent by my father to retrieve you. He says its time that we heard Legolas sing. And I have to agree with him. I would also like to have you grace our hall with song."
"I don't know how you are such a flatterer," Legolas grumbled as he slid down from the tree. "You certainly didn't get it from your father."
"Oh! Such biting comments!" Eldarion said sarcastically as he followed the elf back in.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of this stuff. As much as I'd love to.. All songs belong to Tolkien.
Plot: Legolas finds out the hard way about the bitterness of immortality and mortality. *slash*. Legolas/ Eldarion. Set to the background to the leaving of the elves.
Feedback: Love it! As long as it is good. This may be completely AU, but I don't think it is .
Enjoy!
Chapter One: Masquerade
Legolas Greenleaf was a nice elf once you got to know him.
He often acted compassionately and kindly towards his fellow elf. His fellow elf. If the wood-elves had a fault, it was their distrust of strangers. Many dark and terrible things had happened to their homeland of Mirkwood (as it was now named) since the time when travellers could travel nearly completely unhindered through the forests. But as I said, many things have happened since then. The mighty forest is now a mass of spider's dens and creeping vines, and that has taken a toll on the wood- elves hospitality.
They were wary creatures, more dangerous than their cousins, the High Elves of the West. They spoke with the blade more than the tongue. Wood-elves hate dwarves passionately and originally, Legolas was no exception.
But Legolas was different to his kindred, because of the fact that he had two friends that he held very dear to him. One was a man and the other was a dwarf. King Elessar of Gondor and Arnor was simply known as Strider the ranger when he had first met Legolas, many, many long years ago. Gimli son of Gloin, a dwarf warrior of mighty prowess was the other.
Their friendship had started out in the loathing that was encouraged by the relationship between elves and dwarves. But gradually it grew beyond the bickering and snide comments until they had something very unique. They still argued with each other, and if you asked either of them how they thought of the other, they would both say that they disliked them.
At that moment of time, Legolas was seated in the Great Hall of Minas Tirith, and looking extremely uncomfortable. Burdened with the formalities of his position as Prince and heir to the throne, Legolas had been "cordially invited to the celebration of Prince Eldarion's eighteenth birthday".
A birthday party. They had invited Prince Legolas Greenleaf, to a birthday party! The idea seemed ridiculous. Something that would suit hobbits not elves. But still he went. The invitation also had written in small letters at the bottom: "Please note that the celebration will be a masquerade ball."
~
Legolas crouched in the window seat and prayed that he was somehow invisible. The crown of berries and red leaves that his father had gifted him with, weighed heavily on his head, and Legolas was sure that at several times, Estel had passed him.
On his face was a mask made from some wonderfully light material that was tied behind his head, and the knot was hid underneath his loose flowing hair. The actual mask covered his eyes and from the bottom of it hung some black gossamer that fluttered in and out with every breath he took.
His race was recognisable purely by his golden blond hair and fluid grace, but there was also the Evenstar amongst the men, as well as Elladen and Elrohir the uncles to young Prince Eldarion.
Looking out of the window, he watched the sky. It was the most beautiful time of the day: twilight. The sun was just sinking below the horizon and the sky was bathed in the colours of a painter's pallet. Vivid reds and shocking pinks intermingled with warm oranges and vibrant yellows.
The sky was darkening though, and rapidly. Soon it would be dark. Sunset came late in Gondor, and due to the fact that it was early autumn.
Sighing, Legolas looked back to the party. They wouldn't notice him leaving. Keeping to the walls, he slipped out of the main chamber and onto a balcony that overlooked the Royal Gardens. It was prim and neat. Beautiful in many aspects. But it was unnatural. Legolas could feel the plants straining from their holds, wishing to spread their roots in the moist soil.
In one movement he had slid of the balcony and had landed in the garden silently. The garden too was silent. The only sound was that of the rustling of the trees. They called to the prince, knowing his love for them. He had sat in these trees before, when he had first came to Gondor. The city was unusual and strange so he had wandered into the many gardens, there he felt like he was at home.
Legolas climbed up the nearest tree, a sycamore that had grown tall due to the elves sudden arrival in Gondor. He sat in the uppermost branches and watched the sun set.
"What a large bird," a quiet voice said with amusement in it. "Its surprising that the branches don't break."
Legolas looked down at the human who had approached fairly quietly, but it had not escaped his attention. It was a young man with loose, raven curls that tumbled down until just above his shoulders. His eyes were just visible through the holes in the mask. The mask was night blue and on either side was crafted ears and in the middle, a feline nose. It was meant to be some kind of wildcat obviously. Beneath that his lips were visible. They were thick and at this moment, were curved up into a smirk.
"And what a strange cat, human," he replied loftily. What right did this man have to insult the prince of Mirkwood? He was most definitely below Legolas and therefore not worth talking to. "Now leave me be. I wished to look at the sunset now waste my breath talking to a cat."
The man whistled softly. "Very harsh, elf," he answered back. "And what justified reason do you have for insulting me?" when Legolas didn't answer he called up: "Pray do tell, I promise I don't bite."
At this Legolas stiffened and looked back down, his blue eyes cold. "The same reason for you insulting me."
The man smiled again and leant back against the bottom of the tree. "My intention was not to insult you, it was only to see if I could get such a fair creature to smile."
Legolas shivered slightly at this comment, though he was not sure why. "Why should I want to smile?" he asked.
"Because it would please me immensely if I knew that my guests were enjoying themselves," he answered.
His guests? The man was prince Eldarion. Whose birthday it was today!
"I do not believe that the Prince of Gondor and Arnor would come out into a garden to make an elf smile," Legolas said.
"Ah," Eldarion countered, holding up one finger triumphantly. "But you are no ordinary elf, your royal highness! Prince Legolas."
Legolas scowled at the use of his title. He was many things, but the elf was not very vain and he thought his title: Heir to the throne, Prince Legolas Greenleaf, sounded pompous.
"How do you know my name?" he asked sharply.
"You've found me out!" Eldarion sighed dramatically. "I was sent by my father to retrieve you. He says its time that we heard Legolas sing. And I have to agree with him. I would also like to have you grace our hall with song."
"I don't know how you are such a flatterer," Legolas grumbled as he slid down from the tree. "You certainly didn't get it from your father."
"Oh! Such biting comments!" Eldarion said sarcastically as he followed the elf back in.