Blame my sister :P
The young elfling ran with all abandon down the cavernous halls. His golden hair streamed loosely behind him, glistening when touched by the shimmering beams falling through the ceiling. Two pitter-patting pairs of bare feet echoed in the silent palace. It was late afternoon. Most of the guards were on duty; they saw the two shadows running quickly up many winding staircases as they dashed towards the king's private study halls.
Legolas huffed, coming to a stop in front of the heavy oak doors. He glanced at his furry companion, whom he had found wandering in the forest. He hoped his father wasn't doing anything too important, but he was so excited to show his father this new friend. The young elfling knocked excitedly then stepped back in anticipation…
Thranduil had been going through the annals for a piece of history that could help him in the Greenwood's newest plight: a sudden appearance of spiders in his precious forest. I wish that my father had taken more records from Doriath… a knock on the door broke him from the line of thought. The elven king turned to face the door. "Enter," he called.
When his grinning son stepped through the door, Thranduil felt a smile cross his face... that is, until he saw what was trailing the young elf. It was holding his son's hand, in fact. The king stood quickly. "What is that?"
Legolas beamed up at his father, showing off the little animal. "It is a monkey, ada. I found him in the forest. Remember what Galion said about monkeys? Can I keep him?"
Thranduil almost stuttered. The little primate was dark-furred with gleaming chocolate eyes that roamed to and fro about the room. Thranduil fixed his son with a stern look. "I know what Galion said about monkeys, but they aren't really good luck and you can't keep them as pets…" He trailed off when Legolas' face fell.
"But Galion said a monkey was good luck! I heard him…" The young elfling's gaze reached the floor. "He didn't really mean it, did he?"
Thranduil stepped forward and knelt in front of his son. He gently lifted the boy's chin so that he could meet his son's blue eyes. How was he supposed to explain this?
"No, Legolas. He didn't mean it. Monkeys do not bring good luck." The king added just a small amount of firmness to his next words… He still hated the awful creatures and wouldn't allow his son to keep one. He had to handle this with tact, Thranduil decided. For a moment, he wished the boy had gone to his mother instead of him... "Monkeys also do not make good pets."
Legolas grimaced. "Please?"
Thranduil shook his head. "I'm sorry son, but monkeys belong in the wild where they can run and play… You can still visit your monkey friend but you cannot keep him."
The young elf's head dropped. Thranduil very carefully and cautiously took the monkey's hand, lifting the creature from the floor. He didn't know what he had expected but the animal climbed onto his shoulder and nearly caused him to pull the monkey off its perch. Legolas gave a small laugh. "He likes you!" Legolas exclaimed.
Thranduil gave the boy a sidelong glance. "Come on, let us bring him outside."
He quickly led the way to the courtyard outside the main back gate. Legolas trudged behind his father. Finally, Thranduil stopped next to a large tree. "Okay Legolas, do you want to give him his freedom?"
Legolas sighed, but his smile returned when the monkey leaped back onto the elfling's shoulder. It nuzzled him for a brief moment then happily jumped onto the ground, now scrambling into the tree. Thranduil could have sworn he caught a glimpse of the creature waving back at Legolas… but the king couldn't be sure. Thranduil turned to look down upon his son. "Well, he looked happy."
Legolas' smile grew as he hugged his father's leg. "Yeah… when can we see him again?"