Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the Lord of the Rings.
Note: Thanks for the reviews. This is of them leaving. I am sorry that it took so long to update. I have a time management problem I think. Let's begin.
"Lothen, keep still."Castiel spoke in a soothing voice to her horse, one hand tangled in the dark manes as the young horse nervously trampled about. The pack on her back shifted and threatened to slip off and Castiel once more spoke softly to the frightened animal.
The conversations around them continue and none seemed aware of the way she was struggling to get the young horse under control. She had spent the winter time training the horse, preparing it for the long journey to Ithilien.
Arod snorted behind her and Castiel turned to look at her husband's horse. The horse merely butted her hand with his nose and snorted again, searching for some sweets that she had stowed in her bag.
"No, not until we are on the way." She told him but the horse simply butted her hand again.
"I would not mind a sweet now, my dear." The soft voice behind her, light and filled with laughter made her smile.
She turned and scowled at the twinkling blue eyes. "Yes, you are famous for your sweet tooth. In Rivendell, you are not known for your legendary archery skills but for your taste for sweets. It is well known in the elvish parts of Middle Earth."
"Good we are going to a new place then, isn't it? I can make new stories then." The arms wrapped around her and Lothen gave a soft snort, moving closer to Legolas and causing Castiel to move along for her hand was still wrapped up in the horse's manes.
"You daft horse, stay where you are! I am not done packing yet." She signed, hearing the lull in conversation moments before the big doors opened, admitting Thranduil and the council.
The council took their place on the stairs as Thranduil walked forward, towards his son as Legolas turned away from his wife and to his father. The prince glanced around at the people that joined them and Thranduil raised his hands, asking for silence as he said, his voice filling the courtyard.
"This day, our realm loses their prince again, this time not to do deed in battle or to return home with a wife but to become lord of his own land and to become a leader to a portion of our people. Today we set forth to do a new duty, a duty our people haven't done in centuries, to purge the woods of evil and to make them clean again like we are doing with our own woods. Today, our children travel towards their own future and their own destinies. May the light of Anor and the stars shine upon their path and light it, bringing them to their new woods and new adventures."
The king smiled and the people cheered. "Come, we will talk in private." Thranduil beckoned them.
Castiel signaled to one of the other elves to take Lothen from her and then followed in her husband's steps. Soon they entered the palace, dark light harsh on their eyes as small colored dots appeared before their eyes since the fresh sunlight.
Thranduil walked into the deserted throne room where he turned around to meet them. Legolas stood beside Castiel, his hand lightly rested on his shirt clad arm and he nodded at his father.
"What I said in the courtyard is just as true for you as it for every other elf out there. You now go to your own adventure and to start your own family. This is a difficult time but a wonderful time as well. You will feel that you are out of your depth but you will do well. There is only advice I can give you and that is to follow your hearts for the advice that comes from a pure place is often good."
"Then we go with your consent, Atar?" Legolas asked his voice soft.
The green eyes of the elven lord lifted from one young elf to the next and then Thranduil smiled as he nodded and said. "Yes, Legolas. I may not always have agreed with your ways and your point of views but I always supported you. It is what a father does."
"There must have been times when I frightened you when I did not return from a patrol like you had expected me to do or not returned in a state in which you send me." There was laughter in his voice and Castiel felt like she was intruding on something very private.
The past six months had seemed to fly by since they had informed the council of their decision. In the end many elves had been pleasantly surprised by their decisions and many had agreed to go, wishing to see more lands and to meet their own people again who they had not seen in centuries because the roads had been unsafe.
"Well, I do seem to remember a time when you did not return from a council I send you to. I send you as a messenger but instead you send me one to say that you are going to join a certain fellowship. If I had known that you would have come home married, well, I would never have sent you on your way."
Thranduil winked at Castiel who merely smiled in responds. She knew that the older elf was merely joking. The king merely brushed his son's cheek as Legolas said. "And here I thought that you were pining away for grandchildren and a daughter in law."
"Of course I was. I never told you to marry Glorfindel's daughter. I had assumed you would have at least stayed here to take over the throne but instead you have seen more of the world then I have and you even have suffered from the sea longing. It will be hard to be here without you."
"Would you rather have that I stay?"
"No, ion nin, you deserve to have a life of your own and I will not begrudge you that." The green eyes softened and then Thranduil walked towards Castiel.
"You are a very remarkable elf, my lady."
"And you are a very remarkable elven lord, king Thranduil. I heard many stories about your famous temper and I am glad that most of those stories are unfound."
"Not all, my dear. If you have children you will find that your temper is not yours to command anymore and perhaps even Glorfindel will be afraid of his daughter."
"Glorfindel is not afraid of anybody."
"I know that, Castiel. I am glad that you have found happiness with Legolas and that you will continue to give my son what he craves most, the freedom he desires to do as he wants and to love like he is meant to. Legolas was never meant to be trapped here in a role he did not want."
"Is that the reason he has always sought ways to escape." Her smile was friendly and sweet and Legolas sighed. Thranduil laughed softly.
"It is one of the reasons. The other one is that my son wishes to see the trees and he has always claimed that he cannot see it in the palace. So the best way for you is to build a Talan."
"I am sure that I will accommodate Legolas one way or another." Castiel smiled at Thranduil and then the king drew her closer. He gave her a hearty embrace.
"I will miss you my dear. You made the council sessions that you attended very lively."
"I do have a way of brightening up every day." She joked and then pulled away. There was still a lot that they needed to do before they left at first light. Thranduil gave a nod and then squeezed Legolas' shoulder as the prince walked past them. They walked out of the room, leaving the king alone in the throne room, looking after his children.
Outside there was still chaos and for a blissful quite moment, one that would be the last in the long months ahead of them Castiel turned to Legolas. The prince's eyes were glittering with tears and she brushed up to wipe it away. "He will come to visit soon."
"I know, meleth nin but I will be leaving the place that I have known all my life."
"You do it because you want too. There is no other explanation possible, Legolas. We can always return if necessary."
"There is something terrible exiting about this; of course, I never had to be a leader before." Legolas was smiling; his eyes wide and locked with her own. Castiel nodded and as she pulled him down for a kiss, she knew that despite the long and hard month ahead of them, they would eventually be alright.
Sorry the chapter is so short but I was trying not to make you wait any longer. I hope you liked it. Next chapter will be them when they first come across the woods and I will try to make it a bit longer but please bear with me. Review of course.