Author's note: Many thanks to my colleague flyingarrow for her fun yet hard work in creating Legolas. I should clarify that her work with Leggy will not end until much later because we have quite a few chapters (which I am still editing!). She is responsible for Tanara as well.

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of Tolkien's characters or places. Any comments on the Elvenking's appearance are likely my own and do not reflect Haldir's thoughts.

A/N: So, I don't know about ya'll, but when I was roleplaying to first form this fanfic, I got a bit tired of all this Leggy angst. The only reason I've included the following is because Thranduil was just too precious to leave out! So after I finish up with this I'm going to attempt to push Leggy back some because this is Life of Haldir after all. And I also needed to let you know I likely won't have many interludes with Feren. I do think this one is relevant though.

Chapter 21

A guard enters the healing wing and goes straight to Tywien, who is wrapping some clean bandages into manageable wads. "Tywien, your brother would like you to meet him in the throne room."

"Why? Is he in trouble?"

The guard looks at her as though she is an idiot. "No. Since when did Feren get into trouble? He and Tanara want to get married."

"Oh!" she exclaims. "Thank you! Don't let them start without me!" She runs out of the room before he can reply and pounds on my door.

"Who is it?" I ask, a bit bothered. I had just settled down with a good book and nice hot cup of tea.

"Tywien! You have to come with me quick! Feren is getting married!"

I hop up and open the door and find myself pulled along to the throne room. Once we enter, she skids to a stop. "You can start now!"

The Elvenking bites back a grin and Feren exchanges a look with Tanara that I cannot discern.

The bride giggles softly and steps up, nodding.

The Elven Royals smile and King Thranduil begins the ceremony. Tywien looks on, attaching herself to my arm like a leech. I try to get her to keep her hands to herself, but she clings tighter so I decide to just go with it. I find I really do not mind her touch and perhaps could learn to enjoy it.

Feren repeats his vows, looking serene and joyful.

Tanara does the same, meaning every word of it, all the while grinning like a lunatic. Maybe his reading her diary was a good thing...

The Elvenking smiles at them. "You may now seal your vows with a kiss."

I look away, hoping Tywien will focus only on them. Sure enough, my wish is granted and she watches, enthralled, as her brother kisses his bride. His lips meet hers in a loving caress, his eyes closed. I hear the Elvenqueen giggle in the background, clearly enjoying it more than I am.

Tanara kisses her new husband, long and deep, before pulling back. She glows with pleasure and deep satisfaction, love sparkling in her eyes.

Tywien pokes my side and I look up, exhaling as I see the new couple grinning at each other. Feren looks a bit dazed and his sister rushes to him. "Why did keep this from me?" she asks.

He gives her a funny look. "I am sorry. I only found out a few minutes before we came here."

She smiles and hugs her new sister-in-law, forgiving them. "Congratulations! Feren needs someone to keep him on his toes!"

They talk and laugh some more and I give them my well wishes before the newlyweds retire to Feren's room. Tywien, the King and Queen, and I all go back to our regular business.

Two months pass and Legolas has been released from his chambers-turned-insane asylum. He runs around the garden, once again after an imaginary puppy.

I cautiously approach him, Byron behind me. "Hi, Prince Legolas."

He looks up. "Hey, Lookie! Friends!" He jumps up and hugs me.

I hug him back, not knowing what else to do. "I brought Byron." The griffin jumps up and licks his face.

"Another Lookie! Nice pet!" He jumps down and pets Byron. He gives me a confused look but lets him pet him.

"Do you need anything?" I try to treat Legolas as normally as possible, but I am at a loss. I am not used to insane creatures.

"Um, hot cocoa, and lemons!" he grins.

"Ok..." I let the guard know I'll watch him. He gets the desired foods and a cook presents them on a tray. "Here you go." I spy some of my new favorite treat: Delovely. The King's favorite mixture of dark chocolate, cookie bits, and mint extract.*

The Prince runs over and grabs the lemon. He immediately starts eating it, making funny faces.

"Is it good?" I ask, getting more chocolate.

He nods wildly.

"Ok..." I am sure I look confused. "Want some chocolate?"

He just looks at it. "Why?"

"Because it tastes good and you have not had any for two months. I am convinced it has healing powers. It makes me happy at any rate," I smile, quite truthful.

"No thank you." He goes back to his lemon.

I stare in shock, unable to speak. Someone not wanting chocolate definitely does not have all their nuts...

Legolas suddenly jumps up, screaming. "Help! Help! Help!"

I run over to him. "What is wrong? Did a bee sting you?"

"Spider! Spider! Spider!" he screams.

"Where?" I draw my sword, looking for one of those huge foul beasts but not seeing any of them.

"There! There! There!" he points to the ground.

I look and see a very small spider and promptly squish it with my foot. "There. It's dead."

He looks at me with big wide eyes. "You killed it! It was my Friend!" He kneels down and baby talks the squashed spider.

I stare again. "I think we need to go back inside now. Come on."

"We stay here! And you not kill good bugs!"

"Look, I am sorry. I thought you were scared of it and I was trying to save you. Now I really think we need to go in." I tug on his arm and Byron gently bumps his back, nuzzling him with his beak.

Legolas spins around. "Where is Daddy?"

"Inside. Do you want to see him?"

"Yes."

"Come on," I say for the umpteenth time, tugging his arm. "I will take you to him. And yes, Byron is coming too."

"Ok. Can I bring the tree with me?"

"No. It lives out here. It will die if we take it in."

"But...but...but!" he whines as we walk in.

"Trust me, Melonnin, it will die. It is happy out there. Now let us see your Ada." I tug him towards the throne room.

"Yes! Daddy!" he shouts, forgetting about the tree.

I make sure Legolas heads in the right direction and follow. I notice poor King Thranduil looks rather flustered. "Yes, Ionnin?" he asks. I have known him long enough to tell his heart aches to cure his son from his insanity, yet he is powerless.

Legolas jumps right up into his lap. "I was going to tell you something, but I forgot! So I'll say hi!" he giggles.

"Hi," he says back. "Did you have fun outside?"

"Yes, but the tree will die. Haldir said so!"

"Oh really?" He raises his dark eyebrows.

"Yes, so we left it outside. It didn't die. But I want it inside."

"No, Ion. Haldir is right. It will die if we bring it in, and it will be sad. You don't want the tree to be sad, do you?"

He shakes his head. "No, it wants to be happy. Right?"

"Yes. It is only happy outside. But you can go and visit it."

"I like that. Can we go and do something?" he asks.

"What do you want to do?"

"Go fishing!" he squeals.

The Elvenking looks puzzled. "Alright. It will take a few minutes to arrange everything. Then we can go. You stay here and be good for Haldir, ok?"

"Ok!" He jumps down and prances over to me.

Thranduil leaves and Byron wraps around Legolas. "Do you want me to come fishing with you?" I ask.

"I want Daddy."

"Just him?"

He nods.

"Alright." It hurts to see him leave me like that since we used to be best friends. However, if this brings him closer to his Ada perhaps everything is worth it.

The Elvenking returns a few minutes later holding two long fishing poles. "Come on, Ionnin."

Legolas squeals and bounces after him, ditching Byron.

King Thranduil gives me a funny look before heading out the door, royal robes trailing out behind him on the dark stone floor. "So you want fish for supper?" he asks his son.

"Yes, and lemons!"

"Fish is good with lemon drizzled over it!" he smiles.

"Yes! And lemons raw!" he grins.

"Yes, but not raw fish. We have to cook those."

"Why?"

"Because only Gollum and orcs eat raw fish. Are you a Gollum or an orc?"

Legolas grins. "I can be Gollum!" He starts hopping around on all fours, doing his best impersonation of the creature's sounds.

"No!" His eyebrows raise a bit. "I have a son named Legolas, not Gollum. If you are a Gollum you have to live out here eating raw fish and wearing nothing but a loincloth."

"Oh." He stands back up and runs over to his Ada. He crawls under one of his arms, grinning up at him.

"Are you a Legolas now? I don't hug Gollums."

"I'm Legolas!" he giggles.

"Good!" he smiles, hugging him. "Are you ready to fish now?"

"Yes!"

He pulls out the poles and settles down, crossing his ankles as his long legs stretch out in front of him on the soft green turf. "Do you remember how to do it?"

"You put one of these on the end, and throw it in the water, then wait?" He holds up one of the worms.

"Yes." The Elvenking does just that.

Legolas manages to get his together pretty well and casts his line out, all the while grinning.

Soon a fish tugs on Thranduil's line and he pulls it up. "Look, Legolas!"

He scrambles over. "It looks shiny!"

"It is." He takes it off the hook and puts it in the bucket. "See if you can catch a bigger one."

The Prince looks at his pole. "It won't catch them!"

"Just wait. Remember, it takes time." He left off the part about him being so fabulous that the fish practically fight each other to bite his hook and behold his beauty before they are cooked and eaten.

He sighs in response and peers down into the bucket. "Ada, I think the fish is sad."

"Really?" He puts another one in there. "Maybe he was lonely."

"It's alive! Shouldn't it be dead? There is no water."

"There is water. See?" He dips a finger in and a drop drips off into the water.

"Oh. It's invisible!"

"Yes. Are you ready to go home yet?"

"No. I need to catch one first."

"Alright. You have to settle down. They do not bite if you keep getting up."

"Oh." He sits down and waits a bit.

Thranduil catches five more fish. "I think that is enough. Are you ready to go?"

"No! I want to play first!" He dashes around wildly.

Thranduil sighs. "Legolas, Ionnin, I have things I must do back at our palace. And these fish need to get to the cooks."

"But play is more important! Chase me!" he giggles.

"No, it is not. Come back now. Play time is over."

"No!" he grouches.

"Yes," comes the firm reply. "Now come on or you may get left behind and the spiders will eat you."

"I like that! Where are they?"

His eyes widen. "You will not enjoy being eaten when your insides melt, then your outsides. Now come back to the palace. There are no Legolas-eating spiders there."

"WAIT! Let me find one!" He dashes off.

"Come back!" he cries, now a bit frantic.

He turns and giggles before running away entirely.

Sighing again, the Elvenking heads towards home, calling over his shoulder, "I am leaving. We will have a funeral since the spiders will eat you. Farewell."

Legolas just hides behind a tree a ways away, waiting.

He continues striding towards home, bucket swinging by his side and the bobbers on the poles swaying from side to side.

The younger elf sits down.

Turning, the Elvenking looks around. "Legolas?"

He yawns and gets comfy.

"Legolas, come out! Did the spiders eat you already? Your Naneth will not be happy when I go home without you."

He turns a little, knowing it won't be long now...

Thranduil walks back to where they fished, looking in the direction he saw Legolas run. "Come on. The game is over."

Legolas holds his breath, ready.

"Legolas Thranduilion, if you do not come out this second I will have to find you. Once I do, I will turn you over my knee and give you the good switching you deserve!" He uses his tone of voice that says this really will happy if obedience is not immediate.

He instantly giggles and jumps out, tackling Thranduil, yelling at the top of his voice.

"Oh no! A spider has me!"

Legolas giggles again and peers around, right in his father's face. "Not a spider! Me! Legolas!"

"Ah. I am greatly relieved. Now are you coming back with me?"

"Ok. Will you carry me?"

A silly adorable grin on his face, he tosses his son up in the air and catches him as he stands. "Yes, my silly little Elfling." He grabs the bucket and poles, heading towards the palace.

The younger elf smiles and cuddles up.

The Elvenking smiles down at his son, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.

Legolas giggles, feeling safe.

He takes him back inside and drops off the fish in the kitchens, requesting they be made with lemon. Then he returns to the throne room where the Elvenqueen awaits. "Did you have fun, Ionnin?" she asks.

He runs up and hugs her. "Yes! We caught lots of shiny fish!"

"Good. And the cooks are going to bake them with lemon?"

"Yes!" he screams, bouncing up and down.

"Do you want to help me work today?" The Elvenking asks, gracefully striding up to his throne, his robes trailing up behind him as though a waterfall of fabric reversed directions.

"Yes!"

"I need to go back to my study. You can use my throne," the Elvenqueen smiles.

"Really?!" Legolas squeals and scrambles up, sitting proudly.

Thranduil smiles. "Yes. Now some elves will come in and I will help them solve their problems. You need to stay quiet and look fabulous."

"Can I have the crown?"

Thranduil smiles and places in crown on Legolas' head, then a guard brings him another one a few minutes later. Finally, his son actually wants to emulate him! Long had he dreamed of his son following him, wanting to become king in his stead if anything happened to him. But up until his insanity, Legolas wanted nothing to do with the throne.

*Yes, Thranduil seriously invented this & of course I have tried it & was rather pleased with the results (I used dark chocolate & crushed mint chocolate cookies rather than mint extract).

A/N: Isn't Thranduil the sweetest thing? As I mentioned, he is the only reason why I left this.