Sorry! I completely forgot to put the ages in for the last chapter. So I'll just put them both here:
Second chapter: Legolas is four, Arwen is one
Third: Legolas, Elladan, Elrohir are five, Arwen is two
"
-
Elladan and Elrohir were coming to visit the Greenwood and Legolas was so excited that he could not sleep the night before. His father laughed at his impatient son bouncing around the study, setting papers and quills spiralling to the floor. The King sent him to the Queen, who sighed and picked him up and promised that the emissaries from Imladris would be there soon enough.
The next day brought the two identical elflings, along with a host of others who were tall and strong and gave Legolas gifts of sweets and carved toys when he ran among them. When he caught the two Peredhel they seemed as excited as he and Legolas immediately grabbed their hands and pulled them towards all his secret places in the palace gardens.
Halfway through a game of Corsairs and Captains, right when Legolas the Scourge and Elladan the Dreadful had Captain Elrohir about to surrender, Celebrian walked into their corner of the gardens with Arwen on her hip.
Elladan and Elrohir rolled their eyes, complaints ready on their tongues. Celebrian cut them off with a look and set Arwen down on the lawn. "Your sister wants to be included in your game," she gave the twins a stern look, "and she will be, correct?"
Legolas found himself nodding along with the dissatisfied brothers.
"Good." Celebrian smiled and looked much softer. Her gaze turned to Legolas. "Ah, Prince Legolas, you have grown so much since I last saw you. I daresay you are becoming quite the handful for your royal parents, yes?" Legolas smiled shyly. His mother liked to call him that when he did things like paint his nursery. "Well, I do not pity them for there is but one of you, while I must contend with double the force and twice as much clean-up when my sons decide to misbehave." Rather than look properly admonished at her words, Elladan and Elrohir beamed proudly. Celebrian laughed at them, then kissed them all on the forehead and tousled their hair before walking back indoors.
The three boys simultaneously turned their eyes towards Arwen, who sat happily pulling out grass and sprinkling it in the air.
"She can be…" Elrohir began, then trailed off as no way to include his sister came to light. "Oh, blast it. Mother always makes us play with her when she knows Arwen cannot do anything." Legolas could see how it would be hard, because Arwen still seemed much shorter and tinier than him and would have no chance at keeping up. But when Arwen sensed she was being disparaged and began to sniffle he felt guilty.
Her face crumpled. Elladan immediately rushed over and put his arms around her, promising she could play if only she would not cry. Arwen beamed at him, tears drying on her cheeks and she stood up and walked unsteadily over to the others.
She stuck her tongue out at Elrohir and stared at Legolas, not sure where she had seen him before. He smiled and reintroduced himself. "I am Legolas."
She looked shyly at the ground and mumbled, "My name is Arwen."
Elrohir laughed. "She is shy around new people. Do not worry, when she gets used to you she will go back to her normal self and chatter your ears off. Now, Arwen, you have to be on my team because the sides are unfair. She can be boatswain, I guess."
Later in the evening, when the dinner bells were tolling and four very muddy elf-children marched back indoors to face their parents' wrath, Arwen walked next to Legolas and told him about her dresses and dolls and all the games they would play when he came to Imladris. Elladan looked askance at the sudden change in his sister, while Elrohir just mouthed the words I told you so and began voicing ideas for the next day's excursion.
-
Thank you so much Nieriel Raina, Clodia, and DipDab500 for your reviews!