AN: I'm still not Tolkien. Shoutout to Cuthalion97 for beta-ing this chapter and saving my poor writing day.

Chapter 10: Coronation

Aragorn sighed as he gazed out the high windows of his room. He thought once more about what he was going to say at the coronation. His thoughts were interrupted by slightly raised voices outside of his door.

In the back of his mind, he knew he had guards outside to keep him safe, but out of habit he reached for his sword and moved toward the door. Once he got close enough to hear through the thick door he recognized the annoyed voice trying to reason with his guard.

Aragorn, trying unsuccessfully to hold back a smile, quickly swung the door open causing the guard to turn in surprise. The elf who had been trying to gain entry to the king's rooms looked at Aragorn annoyed.

"Sir, I—" the guard attempted to explain. He was not normally guard at the King's door, but with the coronation, the guard schedule had been changed.

Aragorn held up a hand gently to stop him, "Worry not. You were just doing your job. This is Legolas, he is family to me and is always welcome."

The elf's irritation was instantly replaced with a smile as Legolas stepped into the room and Aragorn placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Hannon-le, Legolas; I am glad you are here, though you must wish to return to your home soon."

Aragorn would not have blamed him if the elf had returned to Mirkwood as soon as the final battle had been won. With Mordor fallen, there was much to rebuild in the Elf's forest home.

Though Aragorn had not said he was surprised Legolas was there, Legolas could tell there was more meaning behind what his friend had said than he had spoken aloud. He sought to reassure his friend, "There is nowhere else I would rather be mellon-nin."

Legolas thought back to the first time he had seen the human. At the time, the youth of the human had surprised Legolas. Even before he had known the man's true heritage, Legolas had seen glimpses that now he recognized as characteristics of a king.

Legolas blinked back to the present, and looking at the king-to-be, he could see the marks of time on his face compared to when they had first crossed paths. He could also see that the spirit inside his friend was unchanged.

The elf could not resist the urge to tease his friend even on a serious day, so in a solemn tone he added, "Besides, this is a diplomatic visit. The Woodland realm is interested in becoming allies with you, Elessar." He finished his sentence with an exaggerated bow as his mouth twitched.

Aragorn rolled his eyes. "As though we need such formalities, though after you have visited your home as needed, you are welcome to come back and we can draw up an actual agreement. The first requirement of such would be that you may not call me Elessar. Please continue to call me Aragorn or Estel."

Both friends grinned, as they knew the formal agreement would simply be an excuse to spend time together in between Aragorn's new responsibilities. Legolas nodded his agreement, "Very well Estel, but the second requirement will be regular visits between the kingdoms. To maintain peaceful relations between our respective kingdoms, of course."

The two heard a knock and turned towards the door when a guard stepped in. "My lord, it is time for your coronation."

Aragorn nodded quietly and turned to his friend one last time as a simple ranger, "It's time to start our new adventure then."

Legolas' voice filled the air with melodic laughter and he replied, "Filled with council meetings and trade agreements? An adventure indeed." His eyes shone with mirth as the human crinkled his nose at the thought of being trapped in meetings.

Legolas chuckled to himself as he remembered how his friend had teased him mercilessly whenever he had complained about meetings. Repayment of those times would be quite enjoyable for the Elf.

Aragorn relaxed slightly but also became more serious. "I am glad you will be here mellon-nin. I will certainly be glad for your insight and company."

Aragorn tugged at and shifted his coronation outfit. While he had chosen to wear the traditional outfit for a king's coronation; he was not completely comfortable in it. He was more used to blending in than standing out in a crowd. The ornate stitching and engraving on his coronation outfit was sure to stand out. It was too formal for his taste, and the stiffness made it far less comfortable than the tunic of the elven styles he had grown up wearing. He would much prefer his worn-in ranger boots and coat which in addition to being comfortable also allowed him to blend in wherever he went.

Legolas noted this discomfort with a small smile. The smile was not because his friend's discomfort, but rather because of the recognition that the man would always be his friend, the ranger, inside. He would always be most comfortable out in the wild, just as Legolas was.

"Estel." Legolas gently placed his hand on Aragorn's shoulder once more, this time in encouragement and turned him towards the door. "You will do great things, mellon-nin. Long live the king!"

This ending has me in my feels.

This was the last chapter for this story. WOW. Okay I'm not sure how my one idea turned into 10,000-ish words. Thank you to those of you who read all of this and stuck it out with me! I hope you enjoyed it! I am planning to write more full stories. If you have thoughts or ideas let me know! Thank you to all who reviewed, favorited, or followed seriously yall are the best. See you soon!