Legolas woke early the next morning, as he always did. He loved the stillness of the morning, the glowing mist from the many snaking waterfalls, the dew winking at him in the sun as it peeked over the tops of the valley. He sat up on the floor, forgetting for a moment why he was there, but looked to Estel and the memories of last night's frivolity rushed back to him. He smiled, silently chuckling to himself as he looked at the boy. His hair was a mess, in his face and splayed around his head. He was laying on his stomach, with one leg bent up by his side, the other straight. His arms were at his sides like a soldier, his palms facing up to the sky, backwards for the way he was laying.

The little Elf did not understand how one could twist in such a way while sleeping. Elves were always still when they rested, and settled peacefully on their backs with their hands clasped over their chests. It was not a law that they must follow, but for some reason or another, all of the Elves slept that way.

Legolas climbed carefully onto his high bed and retrieved his satchel, searching through it for the clothes he wished to wear. Though his bag was relatively small, he kept quite a bit inside of it and had to rummage through his favorite books, his pencils, and the extra tips for his arrows he had stored in a small leather pouch. He eventually found what he was looking for: a pale green, silken tunic with a sky blue border, decorated with leaves around the collar, the bottom, and the cuffs. He pulled it on over his head, then began his search again for a matching set of bottoms. After a few moments of searching, he retrieved a pair of blue bottoms to match the hems of his tunic and yanked them on, enjoying the way they swished and waved around his knees before coming to a tie closure just in between his knees and ankles.

Pleased that he was in comfortable, clean clothes, he tiptoed out of the room in his bare feet, carrying his shoes in his hand. He was not sure of the proper etiquette to use in such a place, and so he decided to leave his shoes off until he knew for sure. Shoes were not always required in the Woodland Realm and Lothlorien, but Rivendell was a bit different, with its polished marble floors and elegant archways.

He hadn't walked for very long when he came to a large central sitting room where his father was speaking with Elrond, both of them laughing and smiling. The little Elf ran on his toes to his father's chair and climbed into his lap with a smile. Thranduil laughed at the surprise and gave Legolas a hug.

"Good morning, iôn nín! How was your sleep?"

"Very well, Adar, but Estel moves around quite a lot when he's sleeping." He answered, rubbing the morning haze out of his silvery blue eyes. Elrond chuckled a bit.

"Men are strange in the ways of slumber. Estel was very pleased to hear you were coming to visit. He's been in need of a playmate."

"You and Estel had a sleepover last night, didn't you?" Thranduil asked his son. Legolas nodded.

"We slept on the floor near the window. It was lots of fun, though I would have never thought of sleeping on the floor."

"Sounds just like us, Thranduil." Elrond said with a smile. Legolas shifted in his father's lap uncomfortably, suddenly realizing that he was famished. He hadn't eaten anything since Lothlorien at midday the day before.

"Adar may I have something to eat?" the young Elf said quietly to his father, not wanting to be rude. He wound his fingers through Thranduil's long, pin straight hair, as light and delicate as spider's silk. Legolas' father and mother were both Sylvan Elves, but his mother's hair was dark, as was that of most other Sylvan Elves. Thranduil's golden head was something of an enigma, an oddity. Legolas himself was often called odd, not because of his hair, but because of his build and his looks. He could have been mistaken for a girl, with his slender features and slim, willowy stature.

"Patience, Legolas. We must wait for Arwen and Estel, and then we will all eat together."

"Oh let him have something. The poor little thing is already thin." Elrond laughed, and then leaned forward, reaching to the round table in the middle of the sitting room, between the chairs. He retrieved a shiny gala apple from the bowl on the table and tossed it to Legolas, who caught it from his father's lap. He smiled, but looked up at his father before eating it.

"Go on." he said with a joking roll of his silver-blue eyes. His son smiled broadly, biting into the dewy flesh of the fruit, enjoying how crunchy it was. A good crunchy apple is hard to come by, but this one was perfect.

"Thank you." He chirped quietly in between bites.

Estel wondered groggily into the room a few moments later, yawning loudly and wiping the morning from his eyes with his sleeve.

"Estel, do remember what I told you? Yawning loudly is…" he paused, waiting for the little boy to finish his thought.

"Rude and…um…"

"inconsiderate." He finished with a smile.

"I'm sorry. I forgot…I'm so very sleepy. I had a funny dream last night, about an Ent and a Wizard holding a very strange conversation about a field of daisies…" Legolas smiled, trying to hold back a laugh. Elves did not dream while they slept, for they did not truly sleep. They simply lay suspended between awake and asleep. Legolas didn't understand dreaming in your sleep. Men talked of such strange things about what they experienced in their slumber. Legolas often dreamed while awake, thinking of funny things, letting his creative mind wander, but couldn't imagine doing so while at rest.

"That is strange indeed, Estel." Elrond agreed as the little boy sat on the floor in front of him. Elrond took small sections of Estel's hair in his fingers and began to braid and twist, in the fashion of the Elves, pulling his dark hair up and off of his face.

"Do mine too, Uncle Elrond!" Legolas cooed, slipping off his father's lap, still holding his half-eaten apple, and sitting patiently next to Estel.

"Legolas," Thranduil demanded sharply. "Come here." The young Elf stood up timidly, realizing what he had done wrong immediately. Elrond hadn't offered to assist Legolas in braiding his hair, and Legolas hadn't asked in an acceptable fashion. "Legolas that is no way for a prince to act." He whispered harshly, reprimanding his son's misbehavior, more for the sake of Elrond. Thranduil didn't want to give the impression of aloofness in the face of misbehavior, though he normally was very lenient with Legolas. He was a good boy, and rarely did anything worthy of discipline.

"I'm sorry, Adar…Forgive me, Uncle Elrond…" He recited obediently, feeling tears sting behind his eyes. He didn't let them show on his face, for all Elves showed little emotion, but he wasn't spoken to in a harsh tone often.

"Oh Thranduil, he's a little boy!" Elrond said with a smile. "Legolas, there is nothing to apologize for. Come, I'll do yours as well." He gave Thranduil a smirk, which he meekly returned. The King of the Woodland Realm was a formidable opponent in war, and his army was a force to be reckoned with. He could be stubborn and terribly frightening in the face of an argument or wrongdoing. He was not, however, capable of disciplining his son. Legolas had seen his father's rage. He remembered when his father had rode into battle in an attempt to aid the Dwarves and how he had chosen to save his own people and turn back. The wrath of the Dwarves was incredible. Thorin, and what was left of his people, had to cross into the Woodland Realm, and Thorin was convinced he had to give Thranduil a piece of his mind. There was nearly a war right then and there, and Legolas had been allowed to sit and witness the meeting along with a collection of his father's advisors and Dwarves Thorin had brought with him for council. Many ungodly names were called by both sides, but Legolas had never seen his father in such a frenzy before. Though he had no desire to do ill before, he was certain he didn't want to be on the other end of his father's rage. Luckil, Thranduil, one of the most formidable Elf Lords in all of Middle Earth, couldn't bring himself to really and truly holler at his son.

"Thank you, Uncle Elrond!" Legolas chimed, sitting next to Estel, smiling up at his father.

Arwen woke just as soon as Elrond finished braiding Legolas' hair. He and Estel had been given an identical twirl of braids and twists, and both were very pleased with their matching hair. Arwen darted to her father's side on tiptoe, drifting like a silken cloud. Elrond stood just as she arrived at his side, and motioned for the entire company to follow him into the dining pavilion. They were greeted with a garden of the most beautiful plants: Irises, orange nasturtiums with beautiful, circular leaves climbing up the pillars, and lily-of-the-valley, all in full bloom around a relaxing little waterfall that wound its way down the hillside garden.

"Will Elladan and Elrohir be joining us?" Thranduil asked. Legolas did not enjoy the time he spent with Elrond's youngest children, the little twin boys. They idealized him in such a way that he never seemed to be able to get rid of them. They worshiped him as one worships a king or a god. They insisted he shoot arrows at this and that, small targets that were far away, because he always hit them. He was well trained in archery, but the twins thought it was some sort of divine gift. They would not give him the privacy even to bathe or dress or use the bathroom. He hoped the twins were not invited to breakfast.

"Oh no…They've already eaten…They're probably about playing in the garden. We shall have a…peaceful breakfast." Elrond laughed, sitting at the head of the table, Thranduil taking the other end.

"Adar what are we going to eat?" Estel asked, keeling in his chair. Legolas sat next to him quietly, sitting correctly in his chair, his hands rested politely in his lap.

"Estel," Elrond said, motioning down with his hand. Estel sat down correctly, looking to Legolas for guidance, imitating the fashion in which he was seated. "Well, there will be quite a selection. Fruits, breads, jams…I've even arranged for drop scones, Legolas." The boy smiled. The sweet, circular cakes were one of his favorite things to eat, but he had been under the impression that they were something that could only be found at home, in Mirkwood. His eyes shined as everything was laid out before him on the table, a drop scone as big as the little Elf's head was placed in front of him on a perfect little dish. He sat still, not daring to move until he had been told he was allowed to. Everyone was given a dish and silverware, and after what seemed like an hour, Elrond finally began eating, allowing everyone else to eat as well.

Eating was a happy and tranquil experience for Elves, and breakfast was no exception. Flowers were arranged in the middle of the table in every color, wafting a fresh scent around the room. A trio of Elves, one playing a violin, one a flute and a third seated at a harp, heightened the mood of calmness and content. They sang beautiful songs, most of them about the great Sundering of the Elves long ago, or tunes reflecting the beauty of Lothlorien, the forest their lyrics depicted.

Lórien laurë

A laiga alcar!

O Ehtele lisse Nimrodel!

A nyére auta!

A Lórien laurë!

A Lórien laurë!

Lórien laurë

A laiga alcar!

Orë áro!

Lothlórien!

They sang, their voices full of feeling and wonder, precisely how one feels when passing through the Forest of Gold.

Legolas cut his pancake in careful triangles, drizzling them in honey and strawberries before he began eating them daintily and politely with his long silver fork. Thranduil ate in a similar fashion. It was clear that the two were father and son by their mannerisms. They were both rather quiet souls, wise in their own way, and delicate in everything they did. The Sylvan Elves are said to be 'less wise' than the High Elves, like Elrond and his family, but the Sylvan Elves most certainly knew how to have fun and throw parties. They were lighthearted and enjoyed games and stories, finding pristine carvings and long, polished stone hallways stark and uninteresting.

Elrond and Arwen were also neat eaters, like most Elves, but were far cleaner in their habits at the table than Wood Elves. Legolas was prone to licking his fingers clean should they become sticky with syrup or jam, something Arwen wouldn't have dreamed of doing.

Estel, on the other hand, did his best, but was very clearly not fully elf-kind. He began eating with his fork and knife, but slowly began eating with his fingers, becoming frustrated when his blueberries wouldn't stay in his spoon. Thranduil smiled watching him, for his behavior was something only very young Elfish children did. Legolas was still a very little thing, but he wasn't a baby. Estel was acting something like an Elfish toddler, and he found it quite amusing.

"Estel," Elrond said quietly to the boy. When Estel looked at him, Elrond simply lifted his fork and the boy understood. "You arrived quite late last night, mellon nín." He continued, looking to Thranduil. "Was there trouble on the road?"

"No, but there was a bit of a delay…" he said looking to his son in obvious mock-exasperation. Legolas smiled and bit his lip.

"What happened?" Estel asked, not catching the sarcasm and hoping for a dramatic recounting of swordfights and legendary Elfish archers.

"Legolas decided to go swimming with some of the other boys, but he did not return with them. They said he had been with them, and they thought he had run ahead." Thranduil continued. "I was quite frightened, as one could imagine, and Celeborn sent out the scouts to look for him. It took them a good while, but they found him in a clearing and…would you like to tell the rest, Legolas?" The little Elf shook his head, his cheeks turning a rosy shade of red. "They found him in great distress in the spring where the boys had gone swimming. They thought it would be rather funny to take his clothes and leave him." Elrond let out a hardy laugh, as did Estel. Even Arwen was giggling. Legolas smiled, embarrassed, but finding his ill fortune rather humorous as well; he wasn't one to hold a grudge, and he had played many similar tricks before on other boys.

"Whatever did they do? Surely they didn't take him back in that state!" Elrond asked, still chuckling lightly.

"Haldir returned without his shirt and Orophin without his cloak which they used to cover the rest of the poor thing." He looked to his son, who was laughing as well at this point. Elves were not ones to hold grudges towards each other, and their lives were so very long, meaningless mishaps and silly pranks and things were hardly remembered and seldom affected the rest of their lives. Wood Elves, especially, were quick to forgive each other. They found joy in making jokes, and everyone must be on the losing end every now and then.

"Legolas are you finished?" Estel asked after a few moments. Legolas nodded, pushing away his empty dish.

"Could I come?" Arwen piped, her eyes threatening to become tearful if they said no. Estel looked to Legolas.

"Yes you can come." The little Elf said with a smile. Arwen allowed a grin to cross her pale face as she left her seat at the table.

"Legolas," Thranduil called. He turned his head to look at his father.

"Yes, Adar?"

"Promise me you will not leave the valley. Goblins have been known to lurk out beyond the rim."

"Yes, Adar, I promise." Thranduil smiled.

"Do not leave Arwen behind!" Elrond added, knowing she wouldn't be able to keep up with Estel and Legolas, for she was quite a few years younger than Legolas, and the Elf equivalent to probably four or five years in a Man's eyes. Elrond didn't exactly trust the little boy. He was adventurous and brave, but could become lost in his adventures and forget his responsibilities, however small they were. Legolas, though appearing similar in age, was far older than Estel. Elrond placed his trust in him, for he was more attentive and mature than the rambunctious little boy.

"We won't leave her behind. Come, Arwen." Legolas smiled, taking the little girl's hand. "We'll be home before midday, Adar!" he called as they left, running down the garden path at Estel's heels.

Translation

"Golden dream, O green glory, Sweet springs of the Nimrodel (the river Lothlorien is located on) O grief passes, O golden dream, O golden dream, golden dream, O green glory, Heart of the dawn, Lothlorien" (The word for green, 'laiga', is the word Legolas' name is derived from. 'laiga' meaning green, and 'galenas', meaning leaf, together form his name, which is why he is sometimes referred to as Legolas Greenleaf, though that is not his surname.)

Lyrics taken from the Quenya portion of the song 'Lothlorien', included in Lord of the Rings the Musical