"Immortal Forever"
Written by Lady Secor
Chapter One
A/N: This was all made possible by the woderful J.R.R. Tolkien and all recognisable characters are his. Alas, I own none of it but my plot bunny and my few original characters.......
In Middle Earth, in the beginning of the third age, lived an elven king and his much beloved queen in the beautiful forest that was their realm, Greenwood the Great. King Thranduil, son of Oropher who had fought in the Last Alliance, watched his lovely wife, Alexia, grow larger with each passing month. The anticipation of his first child being born was growing stronger with the passing of each moon cycle. The great cave palace of Menegroth seemed to hum with excitement at the prospect of welcoming the royal elfling. The best healer in all of Middle Earth, Lord Elrond of Rivendell, had even come to assist with the birth. All of the preparations were made and everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of the latest addition to the royal family……..
Queen Alexia woke lying next to her husband. At first she did not know what had disturbed her slumber. It did not take her long to discover what had awakened her though for suddenly another contraction wracked her abdomen.
"Thranduil!" she said nervously shaking her still sleeping husband. He rolled over to face her with an incoherent mumble but she continued speaking, "We need to call for Elrond. I think our elfling wishes to present itself this night."
"What?" Thranduil exclaimed jumping out of bed now very much awake, "You mean now? As in right now?" Alexia nodded as another contraction rendered her speechless, "Ai! All right! Oh yes! Elrond! I shall get him! Do not move! I shall return shortly!" And with that Thranduil, king of Greenwood, scurried from his bed chamber in naught but his leggings.
Lord Elrond was staring out the window of his guest chambers thinking of his wife, Celebrian, and their young twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir, when Thranduil burst into his room in a rather unceremonious fashion. He breathlessly skidded to a halt in his leggings. Whilst Thranduil attempted to catch his breath enough to explain Elrond exclaimed, "What is wrong, mellon nin?(my friend) Is all well?"
"No,…. It is not….. Alexia says now…...the elfling! It's coming now!" Thranduil finally managed. Elrond grabbed his things and followed Thranduil at a dead run. When they reached the royal chambers a few of Greenwood's healers were already there preparing things. Elrond gave them a few more last minute instructions and set to work.
Two hours later a loud wail was heard as a little male elfling was born. Elrond cut the umbilical cord and handed the newborn elfling to Thranduil, "Thranduil, you should take your son out into the corridor. I will be with you shortly. Please ask no questions now. I shall explain in a bit," Elrond said and ushered Thranduil out.
Fearing the worst for his wife, Thranduil paced nervously awaiting news. He was about to charge in and demand answers when another wail was heard. He looked down at the elfling sleeping in his arms in confusion. Before he had too long to ponder, Elrond stepped out of the room and into the corridor in which Thranduil was standing still holding the peacefully sleeping elfling.
"Now I shall explain. Your wife is fine and you should come see your other son. Twins, Thranduil. Alexia had twin boys. The second boy is a little smaller but fine just the same. Come," Elrond said. With that the king walked in to meet his other son. Alexia was holding him. Thranduil sat on the edge of the bed with their other boy still in his arms.
"What shall we call them?" she asked her husband.
"I think that the elder should be called Lorolis," Thranduil said for the name meant 'noble one' in elvish.
"And the younger will be Legolas. My little Greenleaf," Alexia said as that name meant 'green leaf'. The couple smiled down at their children happily. It was the year 147 of the third age.
(Year 157) Ten Years Later…….
"Legolas! Come back here!" yelled Rainier, Legolas and Lorolis' tutor. The young elfling, that was the human equivalent of five years old, had finally gotten tired of trying to master the Tengwar alphabet and bolted out the library door. Lorolis sat quietly continuing his work whilst Rainier chased Legolas. The elfling had a head start though and had managed to hide himself amongst the branches of a high oak. Legolas, being a wood elf, asked the tree to help hide him and his coconspirator The Oak obliged. It folded the branches and leaves around him making him nearly invisible to observers. Rainier ran directly underneath him yelling but never seeing the elfling.
"Hannon le, mellon nin," (thank you, my friend) Legolas whispered with his little hand on the bark of the tree's trunk. The young elf prince sat there staring around and listening to the birds for almost an hour before Thranduil and Alexia were heard approaching. Legolas winced at the tone of his father's voice. He sounded angry.
"This is the third time this month that he has run off! I will bet he is in that blasted Oak! I ought to cut it down for assisting him!" Thranduil growled.
"He would simply find another to help him. He is one of the few wood elves left with the ability to talk with the trees. They make friends with our Greenleaf. He has a way with plants and animals. Legolas is very gifted for one his age. I wish you could see that," Alexia commented.
"Gifted? He is clumsy, disobedient, rebellious, and refuses to put any work into scolarly pursuits. Lorolis doesn't act this way. He is graceful and well behaved. Lorolis doesn't run off and hide from his studies," Thranduil replied angrily.
"Legolas and Lorolis may be twin brothers but they are each different elves. They are identical only in appearance and not even then are they truely identical. Lorolis has dark eyes while Legolas' are bright blue. And I hate to point it out but Lorolis has his faults, too, my love. He is awfully cold and alloof while Legolas is warm and playful. We must appreciate each of them for who they are," Alexia said.
"Yes, well, when I get my hands on that miscreant elfling I am going to wallop him. I have had it with that boy. I am going to swat his bottom and send him to his room for the next week. Perhaps then he shall do as he is told," Thranduil said as the couple reached the base of the oak tree that contained the escaped fugitive elfling. Thranduil glared up into the branches overhead, "All right, Legolas! Come down out of that tree now!" Legolas scowled but did not move. His father continued after waiting a moment to see if his son was going to obey him, "I said NOW! Legolas, if I have to climb that tree after you I can assure you that you will regret it! Now come down this very instant!"
When Legolas still did not come down or reveal himself Alexia sighed and said, "Greenleaf, come down. There is nowhere to go and you are only making things worse. We know you are up there dear one."
The elfling very nearly whimpered as he began descending the tree knowing full well what awaited him on the ground. When he set his little feet upon the ground Thranduil cuffed him upside the head. Legolas glared angrily up at his father in response.
"What do you think you are doing? Did I not tell you to stop acting as a renegade and running away from Rainier?" Thranduil questioned with a glare of his own, "Why do you refuse to act as I wish you to?"
"You do not care what I wish. I do not want to sit in the stuffy library. Why should I care what you wish?" the little elfling bravely prompted.
Thranduil's eyebrows shot up in surprise and rage. He grabbed Legolas' arm and swatted him hard, "THAT is why. I am your father, ion nin. (my son) For your behavior and your impudence you will be confined to your quarters, except for meals, for the next week. I will personally escort you there to make sure you go and stay!"
"I will take him, meleth nin. (my beloved) I'm sure you have to find a gaurd to assign to our little escape artist's bedroom door. Come Greenleaf," Alexia said leading an irate elfling away from his equally irate father.
Once out of earshot Legolas looked up at his mother petulantly, "Why does adar (father) like Lorolis so much better than me? Lorolis is not perfect, you know."
"Lorolis is just more like your father and you are more like me, Greenleaf. That's all," Alexia replied trying to calm her son. He would only show anger but it was obvious to her that Legolas was also somewhat hurt.
"Well that cannot be it. Adar likes you naneth, (mother) so if that was it he would like me too. What is so wrong with me?" the elfling asked much too logically for his mother's liking.
"Worry not, darling. I will speak to your father. For now, stay here and do what you are told. Be good for me, Legolas," Alexia replied before she shut the door leaving him alone in his bedchambers. Legolas flopped down on his bed and stared at the door angrily. He stayed there for a few hours. Then he got up and went to the door with the intention of escaping. He opened the door and was peered at by two gaurds, one on each side of the door. He sighed and went back into his room shutting the door behind him. That attempt was officially foiled. It became clear to legolas that he was trapped into actually minding his father this time.
At dinner time one of the gaurds escorted their new 'prisoner' to the dining hall. Legolas was silent the entire meal glaring at his father. Thranduil ignored the angry elfling and chatted with Lorolis and Alexia. When the meal was finished, Legolas was escorted back to his chambers. A couple hours later the door opened and Lorolis entered the room he and Legolas shared.
"In trouble again? See this is why ada likes me more. You are naughty all the time," Lorolis said gleefully, "A bad elfling."
"Be quiet or I shall find something far worse than a frog to put in your bed this time. There is a nice big spider up in the corner of the wardrobe that I could talk into sleeping with you, gwador nin." (my brother) Legolas said threateningly. Lorolis, remembering the 'frog incident', knew Legolas would do exactly what he had threatened and silently went to bed without any more jibes directed at his brother.