Summary: Estel leaves a lasting impression on a visiting Legolas
Disclaimer: I do not own them, sad but true
A/N: Yes it is AU.
The lone elf sang as his horse carried him closer to the Last Homely House. It had been two years since last he had come, and, to be honest, he was glad to be nearing its borders. He missed the tranquility that his home of Mirkwood no longer held thanks to the spiders. He had not gotten two hundred yards in through the gate when two dark haired elves approached.
"Legolas! You made it here in under two weeks; that is a feat not done often."
"You can actually get here in less time, if you do not stop every hour to get into various amounts of trouble, Elladan."
The three of them rode into the courtyard chattering away, none of them noticing the small adan standing on the steps.
Legolas handed off his horse to the stable hand, but he was unprepared for the small blur of dark hair coming for him until he found himself pinned down and looking into the grinning face of Estel. "Estel, is this how you greet all guests?"
"I have missed you, Legolas. It has been a long time since you came here."
Legolas quirked his eyebrows at the twins and then looked back to Estel.
"It has not been that long, Estel, since last I saw you."
Estel folded his arms and huffed, poking his lips out in a pout.
"It has to! I have had another birthday since the last time you came."
Legolas wanted to kick himself for his slip of the tongue. He had forgotten that adans felt time much more than elves.
None of them heard the door open, but the Lord of Imladris let it be known he was there. "Estel! Have we not spoken on the appropriate way to greet guests, and I do not believe sitting on them was one of the options given."
Estel grinned up at his Ada as he backed off of Legolas. "Honest Ada, I was just so happy to see him, I couldn't help it."
Elrond went over and picked the still grinning Estel up off of Legolas and then greeted his guest. as well. "It is good to see you here again young prince. How long will your visit be this time?"
Legolas was about to answer when he found something clinging to his leg. Glancing down, he saw that Estel was indeed wrapped around his leggings and even had the nerve to look innocently into Lord Elrond's glare.
Again, Estel was pulled away from Legolas, but this time his father was not foolish enough to set him back down. He, instead, held him in his arms.
"I think a meeting in the study in an hour would give you ample time to freshen up, yes?"
"As you wish, Lord Elrond, but, yes, that would be plenty of time."
Legolas and the twins took off down the hall towards the guest room, but Estel was still being held by his Ada. Pouting soon followed, and he found himself near tears by the time Elrond set him on his own bed.
"Why couldn't I go with them, Ada?"
"Legolas needs time to freshen up, Estel, and having you clinging to his leg, I believe, would deter him from that. Dinner will be served in an hour; perhaps you should take a nap so you will be rested for it."
Estel could tell his Ada would not budge on the matter, but he had to try. "Ada I am four years old now, I do not need a nap."
Elrond quirked his eyebrows and held in a chuckle at Estel, who was sitting on his bed, arms crossed, trying to look very serious. "I will come and collect you for dinner, Estel."
Estel lay down on his bed. He was not about to fall asleep now; Legolas was here, and he wanted to play with him like last time. Legolas had found him by the lake watching archery practice and had shown Estel how to hold the bow, and later they had gone for a ride, just the two of them, Legolas holding Estel in front of him on his horse. Estel's favorite part had been when Legolas had come into his room and told him a story of Mirkwood and how it used to look.
Estel tried not to fall asleep, but soon he found himself being shaken awake by his Ada.
"Come, Estel, it is time for a bath before dinner."
"A bath? Ada, I just had a bath two days ago!"
"And it is high time you had another, so, come, we must not keep our guest waiting."
Estel grumbled about how he was already clean through the entire bath and did not stop until he was taken out from the tub. Afterwards, he cried out as his hair was brushed and the tangles yanked free. Elrond had been careful, but Estel's hair had always been unruly and today was no exception.
"I think we shall braid your hair today to keep it from returning to its former state."
Elrond braided Estel's hair and then took him by the hand and led him to dinner. It was a joyful occasion, and the twins and Legolas recalled many pranks and fun they had on their many hunts. Estel had tried to get into the conversations, but he knew nothing about orcs and wargs and slaying the foul creatures of Mordor, so he did the only thing he knew to do; he stood up in his chair and starting singing to get everyone's attention.
The ploy worked, more than Estel had even wanted, as he had wanted Legolas' attention, not everyone at the table. When he saw the angry look on his Ada's face, he knew he was in trouble.
Elrond stood to gather Estel for a rather severe talk, when Legolas spoke up. "Lord Elrond, if you would let me escort Estel to his room."
Elrond did not understand what Legolas wished, but he knew Estel was very lucky the prince had asked, for his patience was gone.
Legolas led Estel up to his room and, once the door was closed, his eyes saddened.
"Estel, I am afraid I forgot to spend anytime with you today, and I hope you can forgive me."
When Estel smiled, Legolas knew he was forgiven. He, like all elves, forgot the childhood of an adan passed quickly and that they didn't have the luxury of living for all eternity as elves did.
Estel did not hear the door open, nor did he see his Ada poke his head in; his whole world was wrapped up in the story that Legolas was telling him, and that is how he drifted off to sleep, hearing about King Oropher and his lands.
The next morning, Legolas, true to his word, took Estel outside, They first went down to the small lake, and Estel showed Legolas how he had learned to swim since last time he had been there. After that, they had a light lunch, and were about to leave when they saw Elladan and Elrohir on the other side of the lake. Legolas was about to call out, but Estel hushed him.
"Look at what Dan and Ro do to the she elves." And, as Legolas watched, he saw four she elves enter the water, but, much to his amazement, they had flung their tunics to the embankment and then took off for a swim across the lake.
"See, watch Dan and Ro," Estel said, pointing to the twins.
Legolas watched as the twins snuck out to the embankment and took the clothing left by the she elves, flinging it about ten yards away. Legolas watched as both of them climbed the tree nearest to the edge of the lake and waited.
"Perhaps we should go now, Estel," Legolas suggested, not wishing to be anywhere near the she elves when they came out, more than likely, furious.
"Leave now, but they are coming out of the water. Can you tell me why Dan and Ro like to be mean to the she elves? Legolas!" Estel yelled out. "Look, they are coming out of the water!"
Legolas quickly slapped his hand over the adan child's eyes and rushed away from the lake just as screams were heard. He did not stop running until they reached the archery field. Sitting Estel down, as he had picked him up sometime during the run, Legolas knelt down.
"How about I see how much you remember about the bow from last time?"
Legolas was glad Estel was still very young and without questions, as he knew he would rather fight an army of orcs than try to explain anything about the naked she-elf the child had just seen.
They spent the better part of the afternoon practicing, and Legolas was amazed at how quickly Estel picked up on using the bow, but was even more astounded when he found the adan child swinging one of his daggers like a sword. Instinct had him move to snatch it from the hands that dared to touch them, but as he watched, he saw the child was at ease with the dagger, almost as if he were born to wield a blade. When Estel's grip failed and he dropped it, Legolas knew then it was time they headed back.
Legolas went up to his room to bathe before the formal dinner, and Estel sat on his bed and waited for his elven friend.
"Estel, it is your turn, and please hurry, the dinner will be starting in just a few minutes."
"I took a bath yesterday, I do not need one today."
That was the wrong thing to say to Legolas, for he cherished cleanliness as one of the most important things -- even Elladan and Elrohir jested him about it.
"You will take a bath, Estel, or I will not be escorting you downstairs for dinner." Legolas said firmly.
Estel sighed, but got undressed and jumped into the bath. Soon he was dunked under the water, and Legolas lathered his head with the lavender soap, washing all the dirt and grime out. Then, he gave Estel the cloth and let him wash himself while he turned away.
"All clean now, Estel! I shall go and get your clothes, as it seems your father has left them on the bed."
Estel waited, towel wrapped around him in the bathing chamber, for Legolas to return with his clothes, but when Legolas came through the door holding the formal tunic with the frilly cuffs, Estel started shaking his head.
"I do not want to wear that one; it makes me look like a girl!"
"Your Ada laid this out for you, and I expect you to hurry along and get dressed, or I am leaving without you."
Estel stamped his foot, but he was not about to put on his formal tunic. He asked his Ada many times to take the ruffles off the cuffs, but his Ada forgot every time.
Legolas was growing hungry and the wonderful smell of a venison roast wafting upstairs was making him even more hungry. "Estel, I am going downstairs now. You can come along when you have finished getting dressed."
Legolas turned and left the still naked Estel standing in the room arms folded.
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When Legolas got to the formal dining room, all stood upon his arrival. Sometimes he really loathed being a prince, this was one of those times. He sat down quickly, after nodding in the direction of the others. The room was full of dignitaries and that, in itself, was reason to want to be anywhere else, so when Lord Elrond asked of Estel's whereabouts, Legolas excused himself to go and collect Estel.
Once out of the room, Legolas breathed a sigh of relief and started walking up the stairs to Estel's room. When he went inside, he found Estel still undressed, sitting on the bed, but now a scowl was placed firmly on his face.
"Estel, do you plan on sitting here all day in nothing but your skin?"
Estel glared up at Legolas. "I am not wearing that, and you can't make me!" he shouted, and then, before Legolas could stop him. Estel bolted out the door.
"Estel, stop right there! You cannot go running about naked!"
Estel did not care. He did not care that the servant on the stairs was now clutching her heart as he streaked past. He didn't care that there were gasps. He only knew he was not putting on the frilly tunic.
Legolas ran as fast as he could, but it seemed that Estel could move quite swiftly when he had his mind set, and Legolas was amazed that the child's feet didn't even seem to touch the ground he was running so fast. Legolas did not want Estel to make it to the dining hall, though, so he picked up his pace, pushing past the still gaping servant.
He almost had a grip on Estel when the child flung the doors to the dining hall open.
Lord Elrond stood, thinking that Legolas would be returning with Estel, but when Estel streaked past the men from Laketown and jumped on top of the table to get away from Legolas, he was appalled.
Elladan reached for him but missed, and, in the process, sent an entire bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy onto Erestor. Elrohir had also reached for his brother, but he, too, had to watch in horror as a bowl of fruit went sliding off the table and landed on a man from Dale
Elrond had seen quite enough, and he stared his son right in the eyes. "Estel!" he shouted.
Estel immediately stopped, but his feet slipped out from under him and he found himself sitting down on the plate of strawberry tarts. The filling of the tarts went everywhere. One dribble landed in Elrond's hair, and Glorfindel was trying to remove the bits of strawberry filling from his nose. The entire room looked like a herd of oliphants had run through it.
The sound started out small, but soon grew louder, and it was coming from the man from Dale, who now was trying to wipe potatoes from his beard.
"Lord Elrond, I came here to speak with you about the rising problems of orcs, of hordes of these ruthless creatures entering our town, but I see you have a terror right here, under your roof. I was to ask about a simple solution to this problem today, some help from you, our friends. As I ponder it now, I see that one day spent with this small one would have them all running back to Mordor and the safety of Sauron."
Elrond was still too stunned to move, and Legolas was still standing in the door, his hand still stretched out as if he thought he could have caught Estel in the end.
Estel was removed by the cook and escorted back to his room by her. He knew he was in big trouble, but looking at the tunic made him forget the trouble he was in.
Elrond showed up sometime after dusk to address the issue of punishment. When he walked in, he saw Estel sitting on the bed and a swipe of his hand across his face told him that Estel had been crying. Elrond did not speak to Estel, he simply told him to go to bed. He knew if he chose to speak now harsh words would be spoken.
As he walked away from Estel's room, a blond elf stepped out into the hall and motioned him inside.
Two weeks had gone by and Estel was finally off punishment. He had been made to go to bed at sundown, but he had thoroughly enjoyed his days with Legolas. They had ridden horses together, and Legolas had even let him practice with his daggers -- but it was to remain a secret between them. Estel did not wish for Legolas to leave, but he had promised to return before Estel's next birthday. As Estel watched the last glimpse of his horse riding away, Elrond took his hand and knelt down.
"Someone explained to me why you refused to wear the tunic. Estel, why did you not come to me and tell me the other elflings made fun of you because of it?"
Estel shrugged in response, and Elrond pulled him into a hug.
"How about a picnic, just you and I today?"
This brought a smile to Estel's face, for it was not often his Ada had time away from his duties to do things with him.
"Yes, Ada, I would like that very much!"
Elrond picked Estel up and started walking back to the house. "Is there anything else you wish to tell me, Estel? Anything you wish to ask me, and how about where you would like to have this picnic."
"Ada, can we have the picnic at the lake? There is something I wish to show you because I am confused."
Elrond agreed to the picnic by the lake, and all was quiet in Imladris once again, until screams from the she-elves rang through the quiet day, and Lord Elrond saw three naked she-elves run past him in horror. When he looked across the lake and spotted his sons in the tree, he thought his day could get no worse. That was until Estel tugged on his sleeve, asking the one question that Lord Elrond, wielder of Vilya, could not make himself answer.
"Ada, why do girls have those, and we don't?"