Disclaimer: None of the characters in this chapter belong to me. The actions taken by Thranduil are of my own making and this does not reflect Tolkien's work in any way!!!

Chapter 10

Estel knocked on the prince's door for the third time that morning. Feeling frustrated as continually getting no answer, the Ranger turned the handle and let himself in. The sight that greeted him was certainly unexpected. Bed sheets and a pillow littered the floor and a nightshirt had been draped over a nearby chair. Legolas would never leave a room like this. It looks like there was a struggle or something.

Finally, Estel's senses returned and he spun on his heel and left the room in search of his friend, Halfway down the corridor, a thought struck him. The archery range!

Bright sunlight made the Ranger blink as his eyes fought to adjust. The Sun was beating down, bringing Estel to undo his tunic slightly against the heat. As he got closer to the archery range his best friend was so fond of, the sounds of and arrow being released and hitting a target could be heard.

Legolas stood exactly 100 paces away from the wooden target. He notched yet another arrow to the bowstring and fired, splitting the previous arrow right down the middle. Sweat glistened on the archer's brow but without a second thought, he sent an additional missile sailing towards the bulls eye.

Thranduil stood at the edge the range, arms crossed over his chest. A frown played over the already stoic face. Estel watched as the blonde prince, panting, drew another arrow but faltered slightly as the heat threatened to take over. Legolas could only look on with disappointment as it struck a few millimetres below the centre. He's never going to be happy with me now. He had been practising since the Sun first rose that morning and all his arrows had been true, until now.

At this, the King glared at his son and turned, striding away. Legolas dropped, rather ungracefully, to his knees, his head bowed. Despair and exhaustion showed clearly on his face, as was unnatural for an Elf as they were taught from a young age to hide all emotion. The Ranger rushed over to aid his friend.

"Legolas! Mellon-nin, look at me." Estel said, putting two fingers to the prince's wrist; his heart raced abnormally.

"This is it, Estel. He's never going to accept me as the future King after that. One arrow and my whole future is now undecided. Mayhap I can still win his trust through the Tournament. Perhaps there is still hope." The archer muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

"Of course there is still hope. There is always hope. Your father loves you, Legolas. Even if he does not show it very often." The Ranger decided quickly that the archer needed to see Elrond as soon as possible. "Can you stand?"

"Yes, I believe so." Legolas gasped between breaths. He pushed himself up from the ground but his knees buckled against his will. Estel managed to catch the Elf and draped the exhausted archer's arm around his shoulders.

"Come on. I'm taking you to see my father. How long have you been out here?" The Ranger asked, turning Legolas to face him.

"Um, since just before dawn...I think..." The Elf trailed off. The two managed it up the stone steps and into the Entrance Hall. Lord Elrond stood talking to one of the Lothlorien warriors but his face dropped as he took in the sight before him.

"What has happened?!" The Elven Lord cried, taking Legolas and supporting him as Estel had.

"He's dehydrated, Thranduil had him practising for the past 3 or 4 hours with no rest." Estel informed his foster father. The prince was now struggling to stand on his own, Elven pride getting the way of the help being offered.

"Leave me be! If my father finds out, he'll kill me for accepting anyone's help." Legolas pleaded as Elrond and Estel took in the prince's words in total disbelief. To hear his best friend in this state of almost panic was not the usual and the Ranger was getting worried. The archer's eyes darted around in complete anxiety of anyone finding out. Elrond kept his hold on the struggling prince, knowing what was going to happen next.

Right on cue, Legolas' eyes rolled back in his head and the Elven Lord caught him as he fell, too exhausted to stand. Estel and his father took Legolas to his room and gently laid him on the bed.

Immediately, the Ranger began sponging down his friend in an attempt to restore some of his bodily fluids lost through the heat. Elrond pulled the prince into a sitting position and Estel sat in behind Legolas before resting him against his chest.

Unsure of whether Legolas could hear him or not, Estel began talking to his friend with the hope of getting the prince to breathe more evenly.

"Listen to me, mellon-nin. You breathe too quickly, feel my heart against your back. Breathe with me." The Ranger coaxed, hoping that this would work. Estel closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing evenly, despite his worry. At first, it seemed as if the Elf could not hear anything, but very slowly, they noticed a change in the inhale and exhale of air. Their patient was inhaling normally, still at a slightly uneven pace but he wasn't gasping as before.

Opening the archer's mouth, Elrond poured a tiny drop of water in and carefully watched for the swallowing reflex.

Legolas opened his eyes after a few minutes. Two concerned faces looked down at him. Almost as if it were an instinct, he tried to sit up after Elrond had laid him flat again.

"I...need to go... and practise. My father-" Legolas began before he was interrupted.

"-will do nothing. Not while I am here. Right now you will lie there and rest before the Tournament tomorrow. I understand the King's urgency in trying to make sure you are ready, but to push you to this extent is not natural for a father." The Lord of Rivendell pushed his patient back down onto the bed.

TBC

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