Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable characters in this story and make no money from them. This story is purely a work of fanfiction and written for fun. However, I do own the OC's.

The consensus from last chapter was that 99% of reviewers did not want Tauriel to come into this story. I'm fine with that, and it saves me the job of writing her in. Just expect a couple more OC's. I also do not intend to so much as mention any events of the Hobbit trilogy, and I will only touch on the events of the LOTR Trilogy as much as I need to. This story is a story about the special relationship between a father and son, and that will remain the focus. So, no Tauriel will be appearing.

Thankyou for letting me know what you wanted, Issy, Ne'ith5, FanatsyFan101, aficionada-de-libros, TryniS, Hawaiichick, Guest and CoffeeRanger! It saved me having to make the decision for myself.

And so, with this chapter, we leave the elfling behind and welcome in the adult elf. *TISSUE WARNING* you might need it, as Thranduil tells Legolas the secret.

Enjoy?


Chapter 9: Secret no more

Legolas has just come of age.

The Crown Prince of Mirkwood was practically beaming as he returned from his first official multiple day patrol of the forest with some of his father's warriors. He'd reached his majority the week before, and so had finally been allowed out on a real patrol. He'd been training in all the skills needed for a warrior of the Woodland Realm for years, but had not been allowed to do anything official until he'd come of age. Now that he was finally considered an adult elf, those restrictions had been lifted, and Legolas was thriving on his newly-found freedom.

However, Legolas wasn't a stupid elf. He knew that the life of a warrior of the Woodland Realm was hard and dangerous. No matter how old he was, or how much freedom he was given, he had to be sensible and careful or he may very well end up hurt or killed. Mirkwood, as the once Greenwood the Great was now called by the wood elves, was rapidly becoming a dangerous place to be. Orcs and more recently giant spiders had started to encroach on the darker parts of the forest, and in certain areas there was a fowl presence in the air. In these circumstances, one wrong or careless move may very well end in disaster. Not only for him, but for any who were with him at the time.

That is why he had to listen to and obey the orders of the older and more experienced members of the patrol at all times. Legolas might be the Crown Prince, but his father had been very firm in his decision that the Prince should start at the bottom of the military hierarchy and work his way up, just like any other young elf training to be a warrior had to do. He was to be given no special treatment just because he was the king's son, which actually suited Legolas just fine. He wanted to earn his place and the title of Warrior of the Woodland Realm, he didn't want to just be given it. He wanted to prove to everyone that he was worthy of taking his place among his father's guard, and being counted among the warriors, based on his own merit.

The Captain of their patrol had gone to report to the king as soon as they'd gotten back to the barracks. Once they had all been dismissed by the Captain's second-in-command, Legolas wearily trudged towards his rooms in the royal wing of the palace. During his initial training, he had spent a fair bit of time practically living in the military barracks in the palace grounds. Partially by choice, and partially because he'd heard whispers from the young wood elves training to be warriors that he wasn't as tough as them because he was a pampered Sindar prince. They'd said that he wouldn't be able to survive the harsh life of a Woodland warrior, and did not deserve to be one. Legolas had sure shown them the error of their judgements, and still managed to score higher than average in all his evaluations whilst living as they did. He hadn't heard anyone say a word against his abilities based on his heritage since. Rather, when it had become clear that Legolas wasn't going to boast or be arrogant about his achievements, they'd accepted him as one of them.

Legolas arrived at his suite of rooms and entered them to find a hot bath and clean clothes had been prepared for him. There was also a note from his father, requesting that he dine with the King in his private quarters that night. The wording of the letter was formal, as all the king's correspondence to his subjects tended to be regardless of the subject, but he'd signed it with your loving father. Legolas smiled softly at what those three simple words signified. He might be a warrior of their lands, but he was also a son. Legolas loved his father with all his heart, and knew that the king loved him, even though Thranduil could act rather cold and distant at times. While Legolas sometimes wished that his father would be a bit freer with his emotions, especially when they were alone, he still knew his father loved him very much.

Legolas was blissfully unaware of just how deep his father's love for him ran. However, he was not to remain ignorant for long.


Thranduil didn't say much during their meal, and Legolas was too tired and hungry to keep up much of a conversation, so dinner passed in a pleasant silence. It wasn't until the plates had been cleared away, and they were both sitting out on the balcony of Thranduil's rooms with twin goblets of his favourite wine, that Thranduil finally admitted to himself that he didn't have a clue how to tell Legolas the secret that he'd kept the prince's whole life. He'd promised himself he would tell Legolas the circumstances surrounding his (birth? finding? adoption?) as soon as the elf came of age. That event had been over a week ago now. Thranduil had put off telling Legolas until he came back from the patrol, hoping that some extra time would help him to formulate a plan. He had no idea how he was supposed to tell his son that they weren't actually related, and that he had no idea who Legolas's birth parents had been, or what had happened to them.

It hadn't worked, but Thranduil knew he couldn't put this off any longer. Legolas was an adult now, he deserved to know the truth. Thranduil was just terrified that the truth would prove to be too much for the sensitive young elf. There weren't many things that Thranduil feared, but Legolas rejecting him was high on that list. He'd lost one son already; he did not want to lose the only one he had left.

Legolas was watching his father with a frown, noting the pensive expression on the king's face and the slight tightening of the muscles around his eyes. Something was bothering the Elvenking, and Legolas just knew that it was something to do with him. He hoped it wasn't something bad, but the worry evident on the older elf's features was starting to make him twitchy. It also didn't escape Legolas's notice that his father had only had a few sips of wine since they'd come out here. Normally, he would have had at least half-a-goblet by now. Finally, Legolas could take the awkward silence no more.

"Ada, what is it that has you in such a state? Have I done something, or has something happened while I was gone that I should know about?"

Thranduil sighed and turned his full attention to his son. There was no easy way to say this, so he would just have to use every ounce of diplomacy he possessed and tread extremely carefully. Hopefully, what he was about to say wouldn't alienate his son from him.

Thranduil wasn't sure he would survive if Legolas rejected him.

"Nothing has happened while you were away that concerns you ion nîn, and no, you have not done anything wrong either. In fact, I am very proud of you. I am told that you performed admirably while out on patrol. You did everything you were told to do by the Captain without question. Even when a small group of spiders attacked, you barely hesitated before fighting them. In spite of your relative inexperience in real combat, you did not stop fighting until they were all dead or had fled. I am very proud of you this night, my son."

Legolas looked vaguely uncomfortable by the praise the king was heaping on him, and to distract himself took a sip from his own goblet of wine. There was a prolonged pause in their conversation. When it became clear that Legolas wasn't about to say anything, Thranduil spoke softly. There was a slight tremor in his tone that caused Legolas's worry to go up a notch.

"I have something very important to tell you son, something that I've been keeping from you your whole life, something that you deserve to know about now that you are an adult. Before I tell you, however, I just want you to remember this. You are my son in every way that matters Legolas, and I love you. I promise that nothing will ever change that, no matter what you do I will always love you as my son, heir and prince."

Legolas was now looking very confused and more than a little bit unsettled by the sheer amount of emotions his father was showing. He'd often wished in the past that the king wouldn't be so uptight around him; but, now that he was showing emotions, Legolas did not quite know how to respond. He'd never seen the king behave like this…

Oh.

Legolas blinked.

This was not the stern Elvenking talking, this was a loving father talking. Feeling calmer after that revelation, Legolas face his father and smiled gently.

"Well, what is it that you have to tell me that has gotten you so emotional, Ada? You are not exactly renowned for showing emotions, you have to keep up appearances, remember? It wouldn't do for people to think that their stern King actually cares."

"But I do care about you Legolas, and I don't give an orcs shit about what people may think of it."

Legolas's eyebrows rose practically into his hairline. It wasn't often one heard the Elvenking swear, and he would dearly have loved to comment on that fact. Before he could voice that thought, Thranduil continued speaking.

"But we have dallied around the real point of this conversation for too long. Normally I love drawing things out, but this is one of those rare times when a more direct approach is needed. What I am about to tell you is something that only a hand-full of people know, and it will be up to you what you do with this information. Legolas, what do you know of my wife, the late queen?"

Legolas frowned.

"You mean my mother? I know that the people loved her very much, that you obviously had to have loved her to have married her, and that she died from wounds inflicted on her by orcs not long after my birth. At least, that is what the stories say. Why, is that not true?"

Thranduil sighed. There really was no easy way to say this.

"No, it is true. What most people don't know, is that her unborn son also died with her. And that I almost faded from grief within a few hours of their passing."

Legolas was looking at the king blankly as he tried to piece together what the older elf was implying. It suddenly came to him, and he took a big gulp from his goblet of wine as the full implication of his father's words sunk in.

"But…that means I'm not…how?"

Thranduil sighed as a single tear run down his cheek.

"My wife and son both died in the orc attack. The healers said he was killed instantly as the blade struck her in the stomach; Tathardis succumbed to her wounds less than an hour later. As a result, I went into a state of shock, and almost succumbed to grief. Lagoron managed to pull me back from the edge that time, but I was terrified that I would eventually fade completely from my grief. Elven grief is a very strong thing Legolas, and I pray to the Valar and any other being that cares enough to listen that you will never experience the death of a loved one. Not a lot can kill an elf, but grief can make the strongest among us fade away to nothing."

"That was happening with me. Lagoron could see this, and convinced me to go for a walk in the forest with him. It was while I was out there that I found you."

Legolas was leaning forward in his chair, his bright blue eyes wide as he listened to Thranduil's tale, his wine completely forgotten. His gaze never left the Elvenking's face as Thranduil continued speaking, more than one tear running down his cheeks by this point.

"You were wrapped in a blanket and resting in a small hollow in the roots of an ancient oak tree. You were so young and frail, only a day or two old at most, and when you opened those blue eyes and looked at me I fell completely in love for the second time in my life. I did not have to think twice about taking you home and naming you as my son. I know that Tathardis would have approved wholeheartedly of my actions."

"I want you to know that, while we might not be related by blood, I consider you my son in every other way. And I always have done, right from the start when I named you Legolas Thranduilion."

Legolas's face was a canvas of emotions as he processed what his father had just told him. Finally, he looked at Thranduil with turbulent eyes.

"I don't suppose that you have any idea who my birth parents are? Or were? Or why I was there?"

Thranduil felt terrible as he shook his head.

"No, I don't. Initially, my only thoughts were making sure you didn't die. Lagoron did conduct a search to see what he could find out before I officially named you Crown Prince. However, he found nothing to suggest anyone knew anything about you; it is like you just appeared. It is selfish of me, but I am glad he found nothing. To this day, I don't regret my actions, not since it was your presence that saved my life."

Legolas's facial expression was now unreadable, even as his eyes bored into Thranduil's.

"How?"

"You prevented me from fading away in grief at my wife and unborn son's deaths. You gave me something to live for and be strong for, and have bought me some of the greatest happiness that I have ever known in my many thousands of years of life. I love you more than you will ever know, my dear Greenleaf, and far more than can ever be expressed through mere words or actions. You mean more to me than anything else ever has, apart from my wife, and even then you are precious in an entirely different way. She was my wife and my beloved yes, but you are my son. Given to me by some miracle just when I thought I'd lost everyone I could ever care about. You may not have my blood flowing in your veins, but that does not make you any less of a prince or any less my son. Blood is not everything."

There, the secret that Thranduil had carried and kept hidden for so many years was finally out. His son knew; it was now up to him what he chose to do with that knowledge. If he chose to try and find his real parents, Thranduil wouldn't stop him. As much as it would pain him to do so, he would ever give the endeavour his blessing, if that was what Legolas wanted to do. Thranduil just hoped that, no matter what happened, Legolas would not abandon him completely.

For a very long time there was complete silence on the balcony as father and son sat there, each deep in their own thoughts. Legolas eventually broke the silence. His voice was barely above a whisper, and his eyes still portrayed his emotional torment.

"Could you show me the place sometime, Ada?"

Thranduil jerked up at that and stared at his son for a moment. Legolas looked slightly panicky.

"What? Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

Thranduil found his tongue.

"No; and yes, I can certainly show you. I will support you in whatever you decide to do with this information."

Legolas just sighed. He wasn't as surprised or upset over this as his father seemed to think he would be. Truth be told, as he'd gotten older, he'd suspected some dark secret hung over his birth. But he had never been game to ask Thranduil about it. To finally have his suspicions confirmed and explained was actually a relief. Legolas faced his father, who refused to look him in the eye, and spoke carefully.

"Ada. For as long as I can remember, you have been my father and sole parent. I could not have asked for a better one, and I still can't. I have no intentions of looking for whoever abandoned me. But I would like to see where you found me, if only to try and understand myself better. Also, who else knows about this?"

Thranduil did not look up, even as he spoke in a very soft voice.

"Lagoron, Tuchon, & Tunith know, as does Malfinnor as he was there when they died. Lord Elrond also knows thanks to his foresight, as does the Lady Galadriel, apparently. I am unaware if anyone else knows, and just haven't said anything. Our subjects believe, or choose to believe, that my son somehow survived, a rumour that I had a hand in spreading. For my son indeed lives in you, but my other son was taken from me before he was even born."

Legolas's voice was even softer than Thranduil's when he next spoke.

"Ada, why are you crying?"

It said a lot for Thranduil's current state-of-mind that he had not even realised he was. Through his whirling emotions, Thranduil slowly became aware of strong yet slender and gentle hands resting on his shoulders, and raised his head to see Legolas looking at him with concerned blue eyes. Eyes that could have easily belonged to Oropher, or one of his blood. Thranduil was just so confused right now.

Thranduil tried to smile to let his son know he would be okay. If the expression on Legolas's face was anything to go by, he didn't quite succeed. Abandoning all attempts at formulating an elaborate answer, Thranduil instead went for honesty.

"I don't want to lose you ion nîn, you are all I have left that I care about in this world."

Now it was Legolas's turn to look very confused.

"Why would you lose me?"

He sounded honestly perplexed, and encouraged by this reaction Thranduil continued.

"It was always my fear that, when I finally told you the secret, you would reject me for some reason. I've lost so much already, and don't want to add you to that list."

Understanding slowly dawned in Legolas's eyes at the king's words. He was better at hiding it these days, but he still possessed the same perceptiveness that he'd had as a young child. Legolas knelt down in front of his father, and gently took Thranduil's shaking hands in his currently much steadier ones.

"Ada, please look at me."

After a brief pause, Thranduil did. He was half-afraid of what he might see in those identical pools of bright blue, but the only thing he could detect when he did look was love and acceptance. Once he was sure he had his father's attention, Legolas spoke carefully.

"It may seem strange to you Ada, and perhaps it is strange, but I am not as upset about all this as you seem to think I am. I can't be upset about something that I don't remember, especially when all I've ever known is your love for me. No matter what has happened, I've never doubted that you love me more than anything. However, I had no idea that your love for me is so strong that I was enough to prevent you fading. I do know that I love you more than anything in this world, and the fact that we do not have shared blood does not diminish how I feel about you. If it pleases you, I wish to continue to be known as your son; I see no reason to tell anyone else what you have just told me. I have no wish to search for those who bought me into this world, when it was you who gave me my life. You are my father in every way that matters, and I am proud to be called your son."

Thranduil smiled tenderly at his son as he ran a still slightly shaky hand through Legolas's long silky hair, loosed from its usual braids and still slightly damp from his bath. On impulse, Thranduil ran his forefinger over the tip of his son's ear, and the resulting giggle made him smile even wider as his hand was batted playfully away. Legolas's ticklish ears never ceased to amuse his father.

"Hey, that tickles! Hands off my ears, I don't touch yours!"

Thranduil smiled in a way he hadn't for a long time.

"That is because I am a good head taller than you are ion nîn; you don't touch them because you can't reach them easily. And, now that you've passed your majority, you won't be getting any taller either. My ears are safe."

Legolas raised an eyebrow.

"Do you really believe that? I'm pretty sure I could find a way around that obstacle if I wanted to."

"Ah, that may be so, but my ears aren't ticklish like yours. It would be a waste of effort."

Father and son smiled tenderly at each other, both enjoying the light-hearted banter. They'd had far too few of these moments together, especially in the last decade or so. Now that the burden that Thranduil had been carrying for years was out in the open and had been accepted by Legolas, the king felt lighter than he had since before his wife's death. His son loved him and accepted him as a father, in spite of the fact they weren't related by blood.

Though Thranduil did wonder sometimes if Oropher had had a brother or another son he'd never known about, as the Elvenking could swear that bloodline run in the prince's veins. He knew it didn't come from him, or at least he didn't see how it could, as he'd always been faithful to his wife. Though Legolas was also more gentle and caring than Oropher's bloodline was wont to be. Thranduil wondered if he got his even temperament from his father or his mother. He suspected mother, simply because that temperament reminded him so strongly of Tathardis. If he didn't know better, Thranduil would have probably believed that his son had somehow been sent back to him.

Pushing all thoughts of his slain wife and son out of his head, Thranduil gave into impulse and hugged his living son, who was half-kneeling, half-standing in front of him. After a brief pause, Legolas returned the embrace. There were tears in Thranduil's eyes again as he hugged his son tightly, but this time they were tears of joy rather than of anguish. Resting his cheek on his son's head in a way he hadn't done since the latter had been an elfling, Thranduil murmured, trusting Legolas's sensitive ears to pick up his words.

"I love you, my son."

Legolas's reply was so soft that, even with his own sensitive hearing, the Elvenking almost missed it.

"I love you to, Ada. I have always loved you, and always will. No matter what may happen in the future, that will not change."


Many miles away in Lothlórien, the Lady of the Light saw them in a vision. Smiling gently, she observed the peaceful and heart-warming scene between father and son. Legolas was indeed a remarkable elf. Galadriel was beginning to suspect the Woodland Prince would play a much larger part in the War she knew was coming then she had previously thought.


So, I hope that lived up to your expectations. I apologise if Thranduil seemed overly emotional, but this was a big deal for him. His whole relationship with Legolas was built from this foundation.

Also, remember that Thranduil does not know the truth. He is also naturally sceptical of the Valar, and anyone else who meddles in affairs that are not their own. He has major trust issues and is extremely proud. He does not like meddling. I can't wait until he meets Gandalf in a few chapters. *grins*

Don't forget to let me know what you think of this chapter by leaving a review!