So it's a drinking game…why Legolas could drink so much and not fall over.
Unfortunately, I own nothing, but I hope you enjoy this! This is first in a series of 'Lines that Had to be Expanded Upon'.
And for this, it is from (I believe) the Extended version of RotK. The scene in Edoras where everyone's getting drunk, just before the Palantir mess with Pippin.
"So it's a drinking game?" Elladan asked as Aranel set the goblets down on the tables.
The elf-maid laughed. "Indeed 'Dan. You, versus your brothers and mine."
"Why aren't you drinking?" Elrohir asked suspiciously.
"Because you need a barmaid 'Ro."
"That is not a role I ever saw a Princess of Mirkwood falling into," the young Estel noticed. Aranel laughed and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
"He's so sweet!"
"I still can't believe you agreed to this 'Dan," Legolas smirked. "After last time."
"I have to regain my honour somehow," Elladan protested.
"Of course you do," Aranel soothed gently. Then she filled the goblets. "Alright, here's the rules. You have to finish the glass. I'll refill it. Last elf standing wins."
"Has no-one ever considered that perhaps a man could win this game?" Estel asked curiously. Aranel laughed, reaching out and resting one slender hand on his cheek.
"Estel love, I meant nothing by it. I simply forget you are a man. Often, you move with the grace of our own. I do not mean to offend. I simply consider you one of my own."
"Aw!" the three other elves in the room cooed. Aranel shot them distinctly annoyed look and they all became very interested in their goblets.
"Are we ready to begin?"
They all nodded.
"Very well then. I wish you all the best of luck."
The wine poured freely after that – the best Dorwinion wines if they weren't mistaken, although as the night drew on, they found they couldn't care less. Aranel and a few of her friends laughed as the group slowly got more and more intoxicated. Estel was the first to go, lulled into a drunken sleep by the heady wines. Aranel very gently laid him down on one of the couches in the room, covering him with the cloak she'd been wearing when she'd come in. Elrohir fell next, and was simply laid out on the floor next to where he'd been sitting, but given a cushion for his head.
And so it came to this. Legolas and Elladan furiously downing each goblet of the heady wine that they were poured. Aranel had her own views on who would win – barring the arrival of Gilrion before this contest finished. However she knew how slim that chance was. Gil was off hunting orc and spiders in the woods, he wouldn't be back for days, she knew it.
So it was, when Elladan fell off his chair to join his brother and Legolas was left sitting looking pleasantly intoxicated rather than completely drunk. Aranel handed him a final glass.
"The winner must take his prize," she insisted, knowing that this last one would send Legolas into unconsciousness.
And it did, leaving Aranel to tidy up the goblets that had been left. She did so, taking them down to the kitchens before returning to the small room in which they had been when the drinking game had been proposed. She entered to find Thranduil staring at the four figures laid out snoring gently.
"Elves are not supposed to snore," he reminded her.
"This is true, ada," she agreed smiling up at him.
"My finest vintages were wasted in a drinking game?"
The question was a little plaintive.
"Don't blame me," Aranel held up her hands. "They are the ones who hauled it up, not me. I did tell them to not bring up the good stuff. It's not my fault they didn't listen to me."
"This is true. And I'm sure that the hangover's they will all have will be punishment enough for that."
"And rest assured ada, I will be waking them up bright and early…except perhaps Estel. He's such a sweetheart."
"You have a soft spot for the boy do you not?"
Aranel laughed quietly as she and her father left the room, blowing out the candles to leave the boys in peace.
"Indeed I do," she admitted. "As both myself and my cousin Arwen have noted, he is undeniably…adorable. Although I'm sure that once he matures, Arwen will find another word to describe him…I am sure he will grow up to be strong, and handsome and brave…just like his father."
"Arathorn was a good man," Thranduil agreed. "And I'm sure Aragorn will be the same."
"To me he will always be Estel ada…you know that."
The next morning Aranel practically bounced into the room they had been in the night before.
"Good morning gwador nîn!" she greeted happily as she threw open the drapes, gaining herself muted groans.
Legolas forced himself up blinking blearily at her. "How much did we drink?"
"Enough. Ada is furious that you took his best wine. I did warn you."
"I should've listened."
"Indeed you should've."
The twins forced themselves into sitting positions, rubbing their foreheads.
"At least you now all have two claims that you can make, at least, the elves among you," Aranel smirked. "One: You have snored."
"We did not!" Elrohir protested.
"You did."
The three elves groaned.
"Two: No human ale will ever knock you out in the quantities which would fell lesser men, dwarves or elves my lords."
She gave a mocking little curtsey and crossed over to Estel.
"Come tithen penn," she told him, gently caressing his face. "Let's find you something to take away the ache that is in your head."
With that she escorted the human out of the room, leaving the three elves to their musings.
Many years later...
"So it's a drinking game?" Legolas checked with Eomer. The man nodded as Gimli went on to take the offered mug with a superior grin.
If only the Dwarf knew, Legolas thought to himself, remembering his sister's words after one of the more furious drinking games he'd had with Elrond's sons.
"No human ale will ever knock you out in the quantities which would fell lesser men, dwarves or elves."
And so it was that he embarked on the drinking game with his friend with a light heart, and a supposed naivety to alcohol.
When Gimli finally keeled over, he'd been playing the slightly tipsy elf.
"Game over," he remarked to Eomer as Aragorn appeared. "Hello Estel."
"Have you been playing the elf who's never touched alcohol before?" Aragorn asked curiously.
"Yes."
"Drinking game Aranel presided over?"
"Yup."
"Makes sense. She's right. We can now withstand most alcohol."
"I guess drinking ada's best wine had its advantages."
"Am I missing something?" Eomer asked curiously.
"Just a few years history," Aragorn shrugged as Legolas nodded. "We got drunk on very good wine in a drinking game some years ago. Human ale just doesn't have the effect it once did."
"You lured your friend into a drinking game you knew he wouldn't win?"
That was directed at Legolas who shrugged, smiling contentedly.
"As I recall," the elf commented. "It was the Dwarf who suggested it. Not me."
Aragorn clapped his friend's shoulder as they all laughed.