Of the Sons of Kings

Legolas POV

Wherein Estel is 20 and has just found out who he is

'You knew!' Estel called to me, where I was sitting on the branch of the old oak in Imladris.

'Sorry?' I asked, looking down, not having any clue of what he was speaking.

'You should be!' He muttered and was about to kick the tree before he caught himself. I shrugged and jumped down to join him on the ground, apparently something was bothering him.

'Why didn't you ever tell me?' He asked, hurt obvious in his voice.

'Well, if you tell me just what I did not tell you, I can tell you why I did not tell you.' I chuckled and he shook his head, seemingly not up to joking.

'That I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn.' He said and I smiled gently. So Elrond had decided to tell him finally. It had been a secret I had not been too happy to keep.

'Because it was never my place to tell.'

'So you did know?' He sounded betrayed.

'I thought you had already established that?' I teased, but only got an exasperated glare from him.

'Would you stop?' He sighed, exasperated.

'Sorry.' I smiled, and sat down against the roots of the tree. He dropped down next to me with another loud sigh.

'How do you do it?' He asked and had me confused again. 'Being a prince, I mean.'

'It's not really the same. My father is king, and immortal, and it is highly unlikely I will ever take over his kingdom. Prince is just an obsolete title in my case.'

'Not fully! Your people love you, and surely that is partly because you are their prince.'

'They are not "my people", Estel. They are their own people that happen to live in the woodland realm. This puts them under the protection of my father, but they are still not "our people".'

'Your kin, then.' He rolled his eyes slightly.

'It is their love for the woodlands that is being reflected upon me.' I smiled and he looked at me incredulously.

'How is it that such an old creature as yourself can be so blind?' He asked and I stared at him in surprise. 'They love you! You! Not because of the woods, not because of loyalty to your father, but because you're you. You are their prince, and I need to find out how to make the people love me.'

I sighed.

'Estel…'

'Aragorn.' He corrected making me look at him sadly. I hoped he would not lose himself because of this.

'Aragorn, then. While I do not like to identify myself as a prince, I cannot deny that I am one, because I cannot deny that my father is king. I have some more freedom than my king does, I do not have to make the same decisions that he does. As king, I have noticed, it is nearly impossible to be loved by all. My father has achieved the respect of most in the kingdom, but he must always stand strong.' I sighed. So many times had I seen my father on the edge of despair, and yet he stood with his court and took charge. As far as I knew, none other than I ever noticed the very slight changes to his looks and demeanor when he was getting tired. He never let anyone see, and I admired him for it, although I did not agree with it. In my heart, I knew none would blame him, but I also saw that, the ones that did not respect him would surely see it as a weakness. 'As a prince, I am free to do much that my father is unable to do. In fact, he has ordered me, on occasion, to help where he cannot. You, Aragorn, will be a king, not a prince.'

'That's not for sure.' He said, with just a touch of dejection, surprising me further.

'You wish to be crowned?'

'I do. Elrond has taught me much of Gondor, obviously in anticipation of that moment, and I cannot let him down.'

'I see.' I just said, but thinking it incredible that he wished to do it for Elrond's sake. 'Then you surely must fight for your birth-right.'

'I will. And I must leave Imladris, Legolas.' He said, and I turned to look at him, now completely confused.

'Why?'

'I will never learn the way here.'

'What are you missing?'

'Humans, Legolas.' He said, making me frown.

'Why would you need humans, you have us?'

'That's exactly the problem!' He said in complete and utter exasperation. 'You have barely even met humans, Legolas! You cannot teach me of them. How could I rule them if I do not know them?'

'I know humans.' I grumbled, a bit crestfallen.

'You find them to be liars, and cheaters, and torturers.'

'All I have met have been such.' I said, justifying myself.

'I know.' He sighed dejectedly. 'Which is again why I must leave.'

'I do not understand.' I muttered, and looked at him closely, my heart clenching at the thought of him leaving. He was my best friend. He was the only one I could truly speak with. While prince is an obsolete title, it does put me apart from the other elves in Mirkwood. Anything I say can almost be taken as coming from the king. And besides, Estel was the closest to me in age; he's the only friend I have with whom I do not feel like a young Elfling again. I actually feel old in his company. Not right now however. Right now, I felt much too young, unable to grasp the feelings that made Estel wish to leave home, having never felt such a need myself.

'I have to, do you truly not see? You are confined, confined to the realms of Imladris and Mirkwood. Your father would never have you travel further, and you do not wish to. I have to go out, see the world, see the lands that I will rule one day!'

'I could…' I began to say I could come with him, but shook my head. Even though I would have liked to go with him, I could not leave Mirkwood during this time. Even now, as I was in Imladris, I felt guilty for leaving them to fight the spiders alone.

'Even if you could, I would not bring you.' He said stiffly. 'I need to get to know the humans, Legolas. I cannot do that with an Elf hanging around.'

'I see.' I answered, feeling anger rise. I was not just someone who hung around. Estel was twenty years young, he had barely had time to grow up, and he was leaving to see the world. Why was he not just content where he was? Elrond could tutor him, had been tutoring him. But if he did no longer want for the company of Elves, I would not stop him.

'Then I wish you good luck on your journey, Aragorn.' I said coldly and got to my feet.

'Legolas!' He said, also angry, but I turned away, walking quickly towards the gates of Imladris. I would not discuss it anymore.

He would leave. He would leave his family. He would leave me. I would not become someone who merely hung around, but his short years on the face of the earth would be lived without me, and I did not like it.

I had believed that he would never betray me

What a fool I had been.