A/N: Hi everyone! I've almost finished school for this year, only three days of tests to go (Boo!) before I go to Rome for two weeks (Yay!). I hope I can write something more before I go to Italy, but I'm not sure. I'll try to write as much as possible in the few weeks after Rome, because my computer time is going to be fairly limited during the holiday. Something about going outside. Hmpf. Why would you go outside when there are perfectly good fanfictions waiting to be read/written inside? Must be an adult thing...

Anyways, I've come to realise that I totally forgot to thank all the people who reviewed my story! What an ass am I! So, I hereby offer my humble thanks (and a set of digital cookies, self made!) to anyone who reviewed! You all made me continue writing The Fears of a Prince! Thank you!

Now, for a few reactions to reviews/questions:

Baggyender: I know that The Fears of a Prince is quite similiar to The Truth in Those Sad Eyes (by Fantasia of the Moon), I have mentioned (or should have mentioned) that it is my main inspiration source somewhere in the author's notes of the earlier chapters. I admit, there are similiarities between the two stories, but, in my opinion, there are a lot of differences too. The role of Galadriel is different, as well as the whole of Lothlorien, and I have fighting and orcs in my story (which I plan to form a storyline/subplot with). So yes, there are similiarities, but I think there are more differences between the two stories. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion though, this is just my reaction.

anonymous: With 'betrayal' I meant the fact that Legolas relinquished his weapons to the elf in the forest (Haldir), while the rest of the troupe refused to do so. One of their own broke rank, so they see it (or at least Aerolas sees it) as betrayal.

OhShirleyUJest: You're right in your assumption that it is at least two hundred years before the Fellowship of the Ring. I had planned it to be a bit further even, about 900 years (or so). In my rendition of elven ages, maturity is reached at 1500. Legolas is now (roughly) 900 years old (Aerolas is roughly 700), so in the Fellowship of the Ring, Legolas will be 1800.

Again, thank you all for your reviews. I hope you enjoy the latest chapter!

Matt

The next morning, Legolas woke up by the sound of someone climbing towards his flet. He quickly sat up straight, it wouldn't do for a prince to be caught curled up like a scared infant, especially not for a prince of Mirkwood, where the rulers were renowned for the control over their emotions.

"My prince?" A voice called from just below the flet. Apparently the elf, for it was an elfish voice, didn't want to walk in on a sleeping prince unannounced.

"Yes?" Legolas answered.

The elf climbed the last few sports of the ladder, reaching the flet where Legolas was.

"Lady Galadriel requests your presence in her glade." The elf said. His voice sounded familiar, but Legolas couldn't exactly place it. Suddenly he remembered, it was the same voice that had called to them from the trees. The elven escorts on the way to the city had said his name was Haldir.

"Yes, I will be there momentarily. Thank you, Haldir." Legolas said.

As Haldir climbed down from the flet, his mind was busy questioning what he had heard and seen. He was sure the prince hadn't heard his name being spoken from the guards, and he hadn't been in the city until late last night, when his watch ended, so it was highly unlikely that the prince had heard his name spoken there, given that he had retired for the night fairly early. So how did the prince, prince Legolas, if he remembered correctly, know his name?

And then there was the strange feeling he had around him. First, when the prince had stepped forward with his wounded comrade on his horse, Haldir had shaken it off as being fazed by his actions, but now, in the fresh dawn of morning, he couldn't deny that he felt strange around the prince. Legolas, if that was his name, had had such a haunted – nay, hunted would be a better description – and frightened look in his eyes behind the emotionless mask. It felt off, it reeked of something wrong. But alas, it was not his place to just barge in on the prince's personal life. His only orders now were to escort the prince to the Lady's Glade.

"Haldir?" A voice came from behind him.

"I am to escort you to the Lady's Glade, my prince." Haldir said as he turned around.

The prince was... not what he had expected. It is one thing to see someone on a horse, behind a wounded comrade, and another to see someone only barely awake and half-sitting, but neither of those give an exceptionally clear view of someone. So Haldir was certainly surprised when he saw that the prince would only barely reach to his chest, and even more when he saw that he couldn't have been much broader than an elfling only barely out of his childhood. He had seen the other prince move around Lothlorien yesterday eve, and he was sure that the other prince was much and much taller, and broader too. But, if he had understood Lord Celeborn well, this was the older prince, older by at least a century. So why didn't he look it?

"Very well." Legolas spoke softly, much softer than Haldir would have imagined a prince to speak. Not that he knew many princes save for the princes of Rivendell, Elladan and Elrohir, but neither of them acted very prince-like.

Haldir nodded, and led the prince to the Lady's Glade. It was an honour to be invited there, only very few ever got a chance to see it.

Galadriel sensed that the young prince in front of her was feeling very uneasy, to the point of frightened. She had invited him into her Glade, she felt it was right to let him watch into the Mirror. But the prince looked different than yesterday, though she hadn't seen him up this close then. Not that it should have mattered much, but distance can still be a decisive factor for the sight of elven eyes. Underneath the emotionless mask he wore, he looked like a scared animal – frightened of everything that moved. It was very disconcerting.

"Come, Legolas." She said as she led him into a small clearing.

She could see the young prince looking around in amazement, his eyes soaking up the sight of the small clearing. It was hidden between a group of big boulders –where a small spring was – and a strangely shaped set of Mallorn trees. They were set particularly close to each other, and they had very big stems, which easily obscured the Glade from outside views. Galadriel held a pitcher under a small waterfall formed by the spring, and poured it onto a small slab of solid black stone set upon a small footing, her mirror.

"Come, Legolas. Gaze into the mirror for me, but beware of what you see. It might be the future, the present or the past, or it might not even happen. Judge your visions wisely."

Legolas moved towards the stone uncertainly, and she could easily see that he was frightened. He gazed into the dark depths of the liquid cautiously. At first he saw nothing but the shimmering black of the solid stone, but as he gazed on he saw visions appearing.

A gold-haired elf and a red-haired dwarf riding on a horse together, laughing merrily. They seemed to have a great time together, talking and laughing freely. They were friends. Legolas looked at the elf more closely. He was built quite slender, though not frail like him. He looked to be tall, though that was hard to see since he was sitting on a horse, and he had soft, blue eyes, much like he himself. Legolas realised with a shock that this elf could very well be him, a future version of him.

But before Legolas could gaze further into the vision, another vision appeared. Two brown haired elves, alike enough to be twins, were looking angrily at a very dirty small boy. He stuck out his tongue and ran away, the two brown-haired elves chasing after him. He could hear harsh words being spoken, but he could not understand which ones and to whom.

Legolas tried to see what happened to the little boy and the two brown-haired elves, concerning himself over the fate of the little boy because he knew what it felt like to be spoken to harshly, but he was carried on to another vision. This time a slightly older boy, looking just like previous one – even down to the smudges of dirt on his nose – was running through a forest. Legolas could sense and see dark beasts chasing the little boy, and he could see him running for his life.

The little boy stumbled upon a clearing and sprinted towards the other side. The orcs, dark and hideous beasts, reached the clearing and they let out sounds of evil pleasure as the saw the little boy being trapped by one of their comrades. A very large orc was holding a knife over the little boy's chest, threatening to stab him.

The orc that was holding the little boy suddenly tensed, and Legolas could see two arrows protruding from the creature's head. He fell backwards, taking the small boy with him in his fall.

The remainder of the orcs charged towards where they had thought the arrows had came from, not wanting to let their prize escape. But before they could reach the edge of the clearing, two brown haired elves came setting out. It were exactly the same ones as in the previous vision, but they ran towards the little boy to help him. They picked off the orcs fast and precise, and soon they had formed a protective barrier around him using their bows, swords and bodies. Legolas saw in their eyes that they were willing to die to protect the small boy they had seemingly wanted to harm in the previous vision.

The vision changed, and Legolas moved on. This time, however, there was no feeling of distance between him and the vision. A feeling of lingering darkness became larger and more prominent. It was the same darkness that one felt when approaching Dol Guldur, in the south of Mirkwood. A menacing, threatening darkness that left you feeling helpless and completely hopeless. Legolas got frightened by the feeling, but could not detach himself from it. He fought against the dark fingers trying to invade his mind, trying to keep them out. It was pulling him in, pulling him into the ever-threatening abyss of dark, hate and evil. Even in his darkest nightmares, Legolas had not felt such a despair. He struggled viciously against the tendrils of dark thoughts that threatened to pull him into the dark, into the evil clutches of Sauron, but he was losing the battle. He wasn't strong enough.

With a large, last effort he pushed as hard as he could away from the stone tablet, and this time his limbs did cooperate, for the darkness had already disappeared like it had never been there. The small elf was unable to compensate for the sudden movement, and toppled over, landing ungraciously on his backside.

Galadriel shot the elf a surprised look. In all the years, centuries and aeons that people, elves mostly, had gazed into her mirror, only very few had shown such a physically strong reaction. In fact, she could recall none that had such a heavy reaction to the visions of the mirror. She moved over towards the small elf, stretching her hand out to help him up. He took her hand cautiously and stood up without putting pressure on it. He lowered his gaze to the ground in a habit.

"Do you wish to speak about the visions, Prince Legolas?" Galadriel asked.

"Would that be wise, milady?" Legolas said softly. "The visions I saw in the mirror may have already happened, there is nothing we can do about them. Or they may be happening now, but there is very little we can do. And the ones that have not happened yet will happen, so what can we do to interfere?"

"You speak wise words for someone your age, Prince Legolas. Very few would share your views, but the ones that do are numbered among the wise of Middle Earth." Galadriel said, complimenting the young prince. She had not expected his answer.

"It is better to think and act accordingly, than act and think accordingly, milady."

"That is true, my prince, but sometimes one must act on impulse and feeling, and on the guidance of the Valar. What does your feeling say about the visions?" Galadriel asked.

Legolas thought for a moment, and then started. "I think that the first vision should give hope. A dwarf and an elf riding together like friends will shatter the old grudges and feuds between the elves and dwarves that has lasted much too long, and will open the way to friendship. The second and third vision show that appearances and actions may deceive a person's true intentions, that one's actions do not always match one's feelings."

"Again you speak wise words, young prince. Not many have shown such wisdom after the visions of the mirror. The future will be hopeful if you act as you have just spoken, and you will be part of it." Galadriel said, sensing that the young prince needed at least some encouragement if he were to gain enough confidence to play his part in the grand scheme of Middle Earth.

A/N: Reviews are welcome!