Hey all! So, You might know this if you've read any other LOTR, or Hobbit Fanfiction of mine, but I will say it again. I have not read or watched all of the books or movies. I have read and watched all of the Hobbit, but LOTR is beyond me, at the moment, lol. So most of my information is either from what I have read and watched, or what I read in other people's fanfictions. Either way, it's not like it makes much difference, since Thranduil and Legolas's relationship isn't really explored in canon a lot. So my lack of information isn't too relevant, hopefully. I do have translations for the elvish words I use listed below, and those are also from other people's fanfictions, and they are as accurate as I can tell.
I hope you enjoy! This is definitely one my favorite fanfictions that I wrote.
Elvish translations as as well as I know:
Nay: no
Aye: yes
Adar: Father
Ada: Dad
Ion nin: my son
Hannon le: thank you
Saes: please
The great King Thranduil of Mirkwood was walking through the halls at a very unkingly pace. It had just been reported that his son's troop had come back from patrol, and he was on his way to greet his kin, who had been away for the last four weeks.
In fact, as Thranduil thought about it, he realized, not for the first time, that Legolas hadn't taken more than three days off in between patrols for at least three months. He always made sure his men took longer breaks once in a while, but he would ride out with a fresh group without a vacation for himself.
King Thranduil made up his mind that he would force his son to take a break of at least a week this time, if not two.
By this time, his speed walking had gotten him to the courtyard swiftly, where he saw the large group of men that had just come back, some greeting family members, others being led off to the healing room for some well needed treatment, and among them, he saw the tall, straight form of his son, his golden hair reflecting the sunlight. Thranduil felt a jolt of pride course through him, as it always did when he saw his son return home after leading a successful patrol to keep their kingdom safe. He was as good a son as anyone could ask for.
He quickly made his way through the crowd towards his son, ignoring his two personal guards who scrambled to keep up with him a few steps behind.
"Legolas!" He called out, watching as his son turned to him upon being called, but scooping him up in a hug before he had fully turned. Legolas was startled at first, but slowly returned the embrace, sinking into his father's arms, happy to finally be home and with his father, the most important person in the world to him. Ever since the death of Legolas's mother many years ago, the two had become closer than ever, and being apart for so long was hard on them both. However, it was Legolas's duty to lead the patrols, one which he took seriously.
"Legolas, are you well, or have you gotten injured as always?" Thranduil said, gently pulling away from his son.
Legolas laughed, a sound which brought joy to the king's heart. "Nay, Adar, this time I have surprisingly not managed to get more than small cuts and scrapes. And none of them were poisoned either. You can't get rid of me that easily." His smile was large, but it also betrayed the tiredness that the rest of him also portrayed.
There were dark circles under his eyes, and his posture was slightly more slouched than it usually would be. Thranduil noticed this in a glance, and mentally changed his son's forced period of rest to two weeks at least before another patrol. Even though he didn't have any major wounds that needed rest to heal, his body still needed to regain some energy, and the two weeks would do him good.
Not to mention father and son hadn't been able to spend much time together as of late, with the gathering darkness growing more and more, hence the need for more patrols. Yes, Legolas would rest even if Thranduil had to force him. This decided in a second, Thranduil smiled back at his son.
"We shall be holding a feast in the great hall for those of your men who wish to partake." Thranduil said, glancing around quickly at all the men who were still gathered. The number had decreased as some more soldiers had been taken to the healing rooms, but there was still a large number of warriors chatting together. He turned back to Legolas. "I imagine that you wish to see that your men are taken care of, and then you probably wish to refresh yourself. However, I request that you meet me in my private sitting room after this so we can catch up before dinner tonight."
Legolas nodded his head at his father. "I will be there, Adar."
Thranduil smiled fondly at his son one last time. "I'm glad you're back, ion nin," he said softly, before turning away and walking back into the castle, leaving his son and captain to take care of his men and relax for a while.
Legolas sighed as his father walked away, and his shoulders sagged from the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm him. He turned and gave some orders to his men, preparing himself for another half hour of work before he could go to his chambers, have a bath, and sleep.
After that assumed half hour, sure enough, Legolas found himself walking towards his chambers. He had finally allowed himself to feel the exhaustion once he had finished with his duties to the warriors. Now he just had to survive his bath before he could sleep.
He almost decided to just go to sleep without bathing, but quickly dismissed the idea, knowing he would be more comfortable and able to sleep easier once he was clean.
When he stepped inside his bathing chambers to prepare for his bath, he was pleasantly surprised to find that someone had already drawn a bath for him, and set everything out, including a fresh change of clothes. And these were not his patrol clothes either, but his fancier prince clothes. Still less regal than the types his father wore, of course.
Speaking of his father, Legolas realized that it was most likely him that had ordered the bath prepared, and made a mental note to thank him later. For now though, he set about undressing and sinking into the warm water, letting it soothe his muscles and push all his worries and stress away.
When he had sufficiently relaxed in the warm water, and scrubbed himself clean, Legolas climbed out of the bath, put on a change of sleeping clothes for now, and climbed into bed, letting himself fall into the elven dreaming state.
Legolas awoke slowly, his body having decided that he had napped long enough. Legolas craned his head slightly as he raised, looking out of his balcony window.
He jumped up slightly when he saw the position of the sun. He estimated that it was around three thirty in the afternoon, which meant that he had slept for over two hours. His father had probably been waiting in his sitting room the whole time, and they only had a short time to spare for chatting before the dinner tonight.
He got out of bed quickly and donned the clothes which had been laid out for him before his bath. They were simple and thus easy to put on, but he also took some to time re-braid his hair, as he had taken out all the braids before his bath.
It had been another fifteen minutes since he woke up by the time he rushed out of his chambers for the short trip down the hall.
The royals had their own section of the castle reserved for their separate chambers and other small rooms. Thus Legolas's sleeping chambers were right next to his father's, and their small sitting room was extremely close to both of those as well. No guards were directly stationed outside any of the doors, but there were several outside of the whole section, within calling distance if either of the royals needed them.
In another minute Legolas was opening the door to the sitting room, cautiously swinging it open, to see his father sitting in a chair before the fire, wine glass in his hand.
Thranduil turned as Legolas stepped into the room, smiling at his son and standing to embrace him, putting his glass of wine down on a small table in the process.
"Legolas, how did you sleep? Come, sit down," he said, gesturing Legolas towards the other chair by the fire, placed beside and at an angle to the one the king was sitting in. As Legolas moved to take a seat, Thranduil went to the table where there was a bottle of wine and some glasses, to the left of the doorway in the room, and poured a small glass of the red wine for his son. He handed it to Legolas before reseating himself and picking up his own glass again.
Legolas accepted his glass with thanks, and then said, "I am sorry for sleeping so long, Ada. I did not mean to keep you waiting. And I know you have to prepare for the feast tonight." His tone held some slight worry in it, but he was pretty sure that his father wouldn't berate him for sleeping.
Thranduil waved his concern off. "It is no matter, ion nin, I imagine you must have been exhausted. In fact, I counted on the fact that you would have a rest after your bath, and so I did not come here until a half hour ago."
Legolas looked over at the king, smiling slightly. He loved being a warrior and leading patrols, but he always missed his father. "I expect I have you to thank for that bath being prepared, Ada? I truly appreciated it, hannon le"
"You are welcome, Legolas. But now, I was wondering when you were thinking of going on your next patrol. I would like to know."
Legolas hesitated. His body was screaming at him to take a week to rest and regain some energy, but his mind was telling him that he had to get back out there to protect the borders if Mirkwood. And, as always over the last few months, his mind won. "I was thinking I would head back out in a couple days with a fresh troop."
He made the mistake of looking away from the fire, and instead focusing on his father. He saw Thranduil's eyes go hard, and knew that he had said the wrong thing.
"Legolas, you need to give yourself a break," Thranduil said. "You haven't taken more than a few days off in months, you're going to get hurt. You need to take a couple weeks off."
Legolas couldn't hide the shock from his face. He knew that his father would argue and push him to take a few more days, but two weeks was a lot. He said as much. "Adar, I cannot make myself take two whole weeks while my men are out there fighting for my kingdom! I will take one week if you insist, but two is way too much!" As he was talking he started to get more impassioned, and ended by banging his fist lightly against the arm of the chair.
"Legolas, you need to take some time off. There are plenty of warriors to hold the boarders without you. You admit that you will take new and refreshed men, so you obviously acknowledge that your men need more time off. I imagine they would take a week before they were sent back out, but you have been out there far more often in the past few months, and you have been continuing your princely duties on top of that while you are here! You need to rest, you will be taking two weeks off, even if I have to order you, and that is final! Do you understand?" The king was getting passionate about this as well, and the last sentence sounded more like a growl than anything else.
Legolas looked away from his father, knowing that he would not win this fight, not when his father played the king card. "Yes, Adar," was all he said, but his voice left no doubt that he did not like being forced to rest.
Thranduil relaxed, his hands unclenching from where they had been formed as fists, and his eyes losing that hard glare that had been in them for the last couple of minutes. "I only do this for your sake, ion nin. I care about you, and I don't want you to work yourself to the ground. It is dangerous."
"I know," was what Legolas said. He didn't look at his father again, and the short sentence indicated that he was still not happy with the situation. Thranduil sighed, and attempted to change the subject.
"How did your patrol go?" It wasn't quite changing the subject, but Legolas understood, and appreciated it. He acknowledged that there was nothing he could do, that he would have to stay at the castle for two weeks. And now that it was settled, he was incredibly grateful, even of he would never tell his father that. Even after his long nap, he was still tired, and just hoped he could remain in a good mood for the party tonight, before he would crash onto his bed again.
Turning his head to face his father, and taking a sip of wine, he started describing his patrols, and all the ups and downs and bumps along the way.
He didn't notice, what with him being so intent on the retelling of the tale, but Thranduil would smile proudly, and his eyes would shine whenever it was told of good and heroic things his son had done during the skirmishes they had faced. Of course, Legolas tried to skim through those parts, and Thranduil had to fill in many missing details, but he was incredibly proud of his son none the less, and nothing his son would do could change that.
Legolas sat at the top of the dinner table next to the king. The warriors that had been on patrol with him were lined up down the two sides of the table. He, as both the captain and the prince, held this place of honour next to his father. It was always that way, and he was used to it by now.
However, this was not what Legolas was thinking about as sat listening to the chatter surrounding him, having long since finished his food. Right now, he was thinking about his bed, and how much he wanted to be there. He would wait another half an hour, and by then hopefully everyone would have left, and he could go to bed.
"Legolas, are you well?" He heard Thranduil murmur from beside him, quietly so that only he could hear.
Legolas turned his head and smiled softly at his father. "Aye, Adar, I am well. I am merely tired."
"Of course, ion nin," Thranduil said, returning the smile, before turning to listen to what one of the men was saying to him.
Legolas looked over his group and prepared himself to be amiable and happy among the soldiers. His sleep could wait for another hour.
By the time the last soldier had said his farewells and thanks to the king for the dinner and departed, Legolas was starting to regret the dinner which was keeping him from his sleep. He didn't understand why he was so singularly tired, as none of the other warrior had seemed tired, and they had had the same patrol as him.
Maybe his father was right and it was just because he had not had a long break, and the other soldiers had.
His train of thought was cut off as his father approached him. "Legolas, are you now going to retire to your room?"
"If you would not mind, Ada," Legolas replied, the relief evident in his voice, and his eyes showing his tiredness. What he didn't let show was the mild headache that was throbbing behind his eyes; from tiredness, he assumed. He hoped it would pass after he got some rest.
Thranduil nodded and, after coming closer and kissing Legolas on his forehead, he bid him goodnight and shooed him out of the room.
Legolas walked to his room, and, once again, he tiredly changed his clothes, and climbed into bed.
With his headache still present in the back of his head, it took him quite a few minutes to get to sleep. However, even the headache couldn't compete with his exhaustion, and he eventually slipped into sleep, his eyelids slightly closing over his eyes.
Legolas woke abruptly. He wanted to find out what had woken him, but he was distracted by the fact that his headache hadn't disappeared after his sleep. It was still just slight and in the background, but it was there, and he was painfully aware of that. Elves don't normally get sick, but he knew that he didn't have an infected or poisoned wound. The only other reason he could have a headache was from exhaustion, but he had just had a good night's sleep. And, from the look of the sun, he had slept in a couple hours more than he usually would.
This realized, he swung the blankets off his legs and turned in the bed to stand up. The sudden lack of the warm blankets made him shiver, another thing which was highly unusual. He decided that if he was still feeling off tomorrow, then he would go see a healer about it. For now, he would just keep it to himself.
As he stood up suddenly from the bed, his head throbbed more painfully for a few seconds, and the room seemed to tilt in front of him. After that had passed, Legolas went around his room doing his usual morning routine. The sun's position in the sky indicated that it was around nine in the morning.
Legolas opened the door of his chambers and walked down the hall. As he walked through the set of doors that sealed off the royal wing from the rest of the castle, he stopped to talk to the two guards stationed there.
"Do you know where the king is this morning?" He asked, watching as both guards bowed politely before one of them replied.
"I believe His Majesty was sorting some paperwork for trade agreements this morning, and then had a council meeting later in the morning that would go through lunch. He told us to inform you that you were free of any duties, and that he was sorry, but would not be able to meet you for lunch, or probably any time before dinner, Prince Legolas."
Legolas inclined his head at them in thanks, as well as saying the words, before he walked off. He considered heading to the kitchens to grab some breakfast, but didn't feel very hungry, and so decided to forgo that idea. Instead, he made his way down the halls that led outside, and headed towards the training grounds, intent on practicing the morning away.
Legolas veered towards the archery part of the grounds, and greeted some old friends who were also there, either practicing or as teachers for the apprentices.
The prince was well liked and respected by his people, but he also spent enough time among them so that they were not ill at ease in his presence. In fact, both members of the royal family were familiar with their subjects, and well loved by all.
As Legolas picked up his bow, he noticed that, even though he had done no more than walk through the halls of his home, his earlier chill from his awakening was gone, and instead he felt an oppressive heat surrounding him. He shrugged it off, ignoring it in favour of focusing on his practice, but it hovered around him all the time.
After Legolas had switched from his bows to practicing with his twin knives, the heat was gone, and the chill had appeared again, making him shiver even as he sweated from the exercise. This continued switching all morning throughout his many training exercises.
By the time he had finished his last practice, which involved throwing small knives from many different angles and positions, he was fully annoyed with his fever, and also incredibly worried, as it didn't seem like something that would be caused by just exhaustion.
He knew that it was about noon, and considered going to find some lunch, but decided that he really wasn't hungry. Just another thing to add to his list of symptoms. The list was getting so long that his reserve finally crumbled, and he realized that he should go see a healer. He had had enough experience with hiding injuries and their results to do different by now, and when it was this serious especially.
He walked off the training field, shaking from the force of the chills, which had intensified for a few moments as a cool breeze blew by. He walked through the halls towards the healing rooms, and by the time he got there he had switched to hot again. This, however, did not stop the occasional tremble in his body, caused more from fatigue or weakness than from cold.
Legolas knocked on the doors and entered. He saw one healer in the room, mixing herbs together into a paste, but he turned as soon as he heard the knock at the door.
"Ah, Prince Legolas," he said, bowing slightly. He was the old royal healer, and thus was more friendly with the royal family than even most other elves of Mirkwood. "What can I do for you? I understand that you managed to come back from this patrol uninjured." A small smile played about his lips as he thought about the prince and his reckless behavior, which generally ended up with him having at least one minor injury.
"Yes, that is true. I was either very lucky, or I have finally gained some sense," Legolas replied, mirth lighting up his eyes as he interacted with his old friend. It was nice to be able to put aside the reason he was here, but it wouldn't last long. His pounding head brought him back to the task at hand. "Kallion, I need your professional advice," he admitted, somewhat hesitantly. He did not like admitting weakness, but he did realize that it was necessary at times.
Kallion's face grew more serious as his healer side kicked in. He gestured to a chair near where he had been standing, indicating that Legolas was to sit down, which he did gratefully. The healer took the chair across from him.
"Tell me what you need, my prince," Kallion said, clasping his hands in front of him and resting them on the desk between the two elves.
Legolas hesitated again, but he forced himself to talk. "Ever since I have gotten back from patrol, I have been tired. It was normal last night, but I was still exhausted this morning after I woke up; and I even slept in for two extra hours. I had a small headache last night that I thought could be the result of exhaustion, but it was still there this morning and has even grown worse. I feel like I have a fever, hot one minute and cold the next, and I have no appetite, even though I did not partake in breakfast this morning. I don't understand why. Elves don't get sick, I have no infected injury, and I don't believe it is poison." Having said his part, Legolas leaned his elbows on the table and placed his head in his hands, breathing heavily and not trying to suppress the shiver that racked his body.
Kallion got up from his chair, and Legolas picked up his head to look at the healer, who walked quickly around the desk and placed his hand gently on Legolas's forehead.
"You do have a fever, but luckily it is not very high yet," the healer said. He then proceeded to do all his other medical checks, which included checking Legolas's heart rate, of course. He also continued asking Legolas questions to complete his examination. "So, Legolas, how many days do you normally take off in between patrols?" Legolas answered a few, and he continued. "How long has it been since you have taken a longer break. Preferably a few weeks?"
Legolas looked down at that, as Kallion was getting pretty close to the words the king had said regarding Legolas's vacation times. "I can't really remember. It must have been a few months now," he replied vaguely. "However, my father has ordered me to take a two weeks break this time. I can't say I'm arguing," Legolas replaced his head in his hand as Kallion finished his examination and thought process, and walked back around the desk to sit in his chair again.
The healer again steepled his fingers and leaned forward in his seat, and Legolas looked up once again. "Your father did the right thing to force that. Elves have a high tolerance for lack of sleep and nutrition, and it is true that we don't just get sick like other races do. However, even we need to sleep and eat," the healer explained. "You pushed your body to its limits, and it became exhausted. You should know this better than anyone since you would have felt the exhaustion. Since you pushed past your limits, your elven tolerance and healing ability was exhausted as well. So, your body was weekend and tired, and my guess is that you became ill. Before you say that it is impossible, let me assure you that it is not, just highly improbable. You are now experiencing a common sickness, and will be experiencing it for a few days at least. And this is just the beginning. Since your body is unused to fighting illnesses, it will hit you harder than it would a man or a dwarf."
Legolas sat quietly, and slightly dumbstruck, through this speech. It was not what he had been expecting, but he was at least slightly happy to know that there was nothing seriously wrong with him. He was strong, he would be able to get through this no problem.
Kallion continued after letting that information sink into the mind of the prince. "I can't do anything to help you except to give you herbs to make you more comfortable, or reduce fever. However, I will not use any of those until it becomes necessary, which it is not at the moment. I will suggest that you take it easy and sleep as much as you can until this passes, and try to take more breaks in the future to prevent this from happening. Do you have any questions, concerns, or otherwise?" He asked innocently at the end. At least he still had his sense of humor.
Legolas was about to shake his head, but he did think of something. "Please don't tell my father about this. I don't want him to worry," he said.
The healer cocked an eyebrow at him, and said, "Are you sure that is it, or are you afraid of showing weakness? You know your father is always proud of you, and loves you."
The prince bowed his head to hide. "You know me too well, Kallion. Yes, I know, but I still don't like admitting weakness, especially to him. You should know that. And it is true that I don't want him to worry. He has enough on his mind with ruling the kingdom, he doesn't need to worry about a cold."
Kallion's face grew more grave. "As I told you, Legolas, your body is going to take this harder than most. I wouldn't pass it off as a simple cold so quickly. I expect you to come see me the day after tomorrow, and to come sooner if you need me. And I will be telling the king if I feel it necessary, or if he asks me."
Legolas nodded, and stood, ignoring his dizziness at the movement. "Thank you, Kallion, for everything."
The healer nodded back at him and bowed respectfully, as was proper for the prince.
Legolas smiled at the healer before turning and walking out of the rooms, also deciding what he should do next. He decided that he should eat something, even if he wasn't hungry. And meanwhile, he would just take it easy until this sickness passed. The concept of being ill was strange for him, but he figured he would just act normal and not let anyone know. With that in mind, he made his way towards the kitchens.
He walked through the halls to the kitchen to grab something quick, since he wouldn't be dining with his father. At the kitchen he quickly maneuvered around the cooks and servers, grabbing a piece of bread with butter on it, and an apple, and then retreated from the kitchens and out of the cooks' ways.
He made his way back outside and sat under a large oak tree in the castle gardens. He took a bite of his lunch and sat enjoying the cool breeze and the peace. He never got much peace or quiet when he was out in patrol, and he was going to take full advantage of it now.
He took bites of his food regularly until it was part way gone, but he was more driven by reflex and force, rather than by any desire to actually eat the food. For some reason, he still wasn't hungry. Sicknesses were awful. He didn't know how humans bore them all the time.
He wondered what to do next with his day off, but he didn't feel like doing anything right now. His stomach was full, albeit slightly unpleasantly, he was still tired, and the cool breeze, while slightly uncomfortable, was helping to keep the heat from his fever at bay. He was reclining against an old oak tree which was sending soothing feelings into him through their connection, and before he knew it, he was drifting off to sleep, his eyes still slightly drooped.
King Thranduil wandered through the gardens a half hour before dinner was to be served for him and his son. He had just finished his duties for the day, and was enjoying the peace of the gardens while the sun was still up.
As he walked towards the large oak tree in the middle of the garden, he saw a figure slumped at the base of the tree, asleep. Thranduil would know that figure anywhere, and he headed that way, intent on waking his son up so that he could be awake for supper.
Thranduil could not stop the worry gnawing at him as he saw his son sleeping so deeply. He knew that he was tired, but the prince did not normally take naps. Also, as the king drew nearer, he could see half of an apple on his son's lap, supposedly dropped from his hand when he fell asleep. There were also bread crumbs on his clothes, and these two things together told Thranduil that his son had been asleep since lunch time. The whole afternoon, asleep, after going to bed early the night before and waking up late that morning? It worried the king greatly.
He walked over to his son, and managed to crouch down before him before Legolas stirred and blinked his eyes into awareness.
"Ada?" Legolas murmured, reading a hand up to rub his eyes free of sleep. Thranduil's worry increased when he saw how pale Legolas was, and he barely resisted the temptation to feel his forehead for a fever, knowing that there was no reason his son should have a fever. He was just tired; at least, that was what Thranduil told himself. He tried to trust his son to take care of himself, especially since he knew of Legolas's pride, but it was hard sometimes.
"Are you well, ion nin?" He asked, unable to disguise his worry from his voice. "You seem to be sleeping a lot."
Legolas straightened himself against the tree trunk, moving the half eaten apple in his lap so that it didn't fall off. He looked up at his father and smiled, replying, "Yes, Adar. I am merely tired. I suppose you were right about me needing some more time off. I'm sure that after a few days of proper rest I shall be as good as new."
"Legolas, even if you were tired, you normally don't sleep this much," Thranduil said. "Perhaps you should go see a healer." His face was twisted with worry by now, but Legolas once again smiled at him reassuringly.
"Ada, I am fine. I am tired, but I will try to rest more over the next few days to catch up on sleep, if it makes you feel better." What he didn't tell his father was that he had been to see a healer already, and he had suggested sleep. But, he had seen a healer, so there was nothing to worry about, and as long as he rested, he would be fine.
Thranduil looked like he wasn't quite ready to accept that, but he finally relaxed and nodded at his son. "Of course, ion nin. It is almost dinner time. If you wish to refresh yourself before dinner, I suggest that you do it now. I will meet you in the dining room when you are finished." The king stood up and, with one final worried glance at Legolas, he walked away and back towards the castle.
Legolas rose to a crouching position, and eventually to his feet. He blinked a few times as his vision swam once again, as it had that morning, and then he grabbed his half an apple, brushed his tunic of the bread crumbs, and walked over to a grove of trees to toss the remains of his apple. Some lucky animal would eat it most likely, or it would decay and feed the trees.
He then walked into the castle and up to his room, where he proceeded to undo the braids in his hair, and redo them once more. They had gotten frazzled by his sleeping against the tree, and he liked to be neat. Not to mention that as the prince of Mirkwood he had to be presentable, even if he was just dining with his father.
By the time he was walking down the short hall towards the family dining room, it was just a few minutes shy of the appointed dinner time. His father was already seated at the table, and the food was laid out in a nice spread.
Legolas tipped his head to his father, and then they proceeded with their meal. Legolas wished that he could be hungry, but he wasn't. In fact, the food didn't look appetizing at all. He wished that he could claim it was just because he hadn't done anything but sleep since eating lunch, but he knew it was probably because of the nauseous feeling building up inside him.
These symptoms were getting harder and harder to hide as the day went by, as he now has a pounding headache, a slight fever that at the moment was making him cold, and the nausea.
Halfway through their desert, after exchanging some pleasantries and asking about each other's days-to which Legolas merely mentioned that he had slept in and done some training-Thranduil put his fork down and looked at Legolas, his face slightly more serious than it had been before.
"Legolas," he said, "something is obviously the matter. You did not take much food, and what you did take you did not eat much of! Tell me what is wrong this instant."
Legolas looked up, startled, as he rarely heard his father speak that strongly to him, just as his son. Sure, Thranduil would speak more coarsely to him when it was a matter of the kingdom he was talking to the prince about, or even when he was talking to him as one of his captains, but this subject was more personal and seemed different to Legolas. He decided that he should be honest with his father, while still trying not to cause him to worry.
"Ada, you are right that I am not quite well, but I assure you that I am fine. I didn't mention it, but I did go to speak to Kallion earlier today, before lunch." He looked down at his plate with a pastry on it. He had been trying to take small bites to keep up the pretense of eating, but figured that he didn't need to keep that up if his father had noticed anyway. He shouldn't have expected anything different, really. Thranduil was smart, and he was observant.
Thranduil's eyes narrowed slightly at that. Legolas was not one to admit defeat easily, so there must have been something seriously wrong for him to voluntarily go see a healer. "What did Kallion say? And what made you go see him?"
As much as Legolas wanted to tell his father the truth, he still didn't want to admit to weakness. However, he knew that Thranduil would be even angrier if he found that Legolas had hidden the truth from him "I had been feeling off, just more tired than usual, and a little feverish. Plus a minor headache. I went to Kallion and told him this, as well as the fact that I hadn't been taking longer breaks recently. He told me that I had exhausted my body, and so I got a normal illness which my elven strength would have just warded off if I had been in top health. He said that it is nothing to worry about, and should go away on its own. It will get worse than it is now, and I am to go see him two days from now, or if it gets really bad. But truly, Ada, it is nothing to worry about."
Thranduil swiped a hand across his face and rubbed at his eyes. "I should have realized something was wrong, or made you rest sooner."
Legolas jerked his head up to look at his father, and winced as the motion sent pain through his skull. He also found that he had to clear his throat before speaking. Just another symptom beginning. "Nay, Adar, it is my fault. I should have taken better care of myself. I was not thinking right."
Thranduil nodded, saying, "I cannot deny the truth in that, ion nin. I hope you have learned a lesson from this, and if you haven't yet, I have no doubt that you will by the time this is over."
Legolas grimaced and placed his head in his hand, no longer bothering to keep up the facade of health. "I fear I am already regretting my choices," he said, laughing slightly at himself.
Thranduil abruptly stood from his seat and walked around to his son, who raised his head groggily from it's position, cupped in the palm of his hand. "Legolas," the king said, "you should get to bed. You look exhausted, and the more you rest the healthier you will become."
Thranduil grabbed Legolas's arm, and the prince needed to push on the table to help himself up, even with the support of his father's hold. "Aye, normally I would object to going to bed so soon, especially since I slept in and had a nap, but right now the idea is most definitely not unwelcome," Legolas smiled wryly at his father, while that same person turned him towards the door. Thranduil took a step after him, but Legolas looked back at him and continued, "Ada, I am fine. I can make it there on my own, there is no need for you to come."
Even while ill, Legolas had a strong will, and Thranduil only hesitated briefly before giving in. He nodded at Legolas, gave him a kiss on the forehead, and wished him a good night.
Legolas smiled tiredly back at his father, and walked out of the room, grabbing the doorframe to steady himself as he went out.
Once in his room, Legolas quickly changed, washed, and did his other nightly preparations. He was about ready to climb into bed and fall asleep, but he had one last thing to do. He was still feeling slightly nauseous and, while not strong enough to induce vomiting at the moment, he grabbed an empty bucket and put it on the floor beside his bed, just in case.
After this was done, he climbed in between the sheets, pulled the blankets up to his chin as he shivered, and his eyes slipped almost closed as he went to sleep.
The sky was still dark, and the moon bright in the sky when the Mirkwood Prince woke again. He rolled onto his side with a groan, barely noticing that the bed sheets were all bunches in a ball at the bottom of the bed, where he had supposedly kicked them to. What he did notice, however, was his headache which persisted even while he was laying down, and the nausea that had grown since the evening before, and was almost unbearable.
Before Legolas was even fully awake yet, the nausea grew too strong, and he instinctively sat up and got out of bed, falling to his knees on the floor even as he reached for the bucket that he had luckily placed there before. The impact of his knees on the floor made a large thump sound as well as jarring Legolas painfully, but he did not pay any mind to either the sound of the pain.
His fingers grabbed the rim of the bucket and he pulled it closer to himself, having gotten it beneath his chin mere moments before he started vomiting.
His stomach convulsed as he threw up into the bucket, and he could not stop long enough to take enough breath. His head was still pounding painfully, his throat now felt raw, and was hurting as the vomit rose up it. Tears sprang to his eyes as he was overwhelmed by the pain, discomfort, and strangeness of it all, and he gasped for breath in an eventual break from expelling the contents of his stomach. He was so preoccupied with breathing, trying not to throw up more, and crying in his misery, that he didn't notice his bedroom door opening and someone walking in.
Thranduil woke up suddenly and stared into the dimness of his room, trying to figure out what had awoken him, and if whatever it was would happen again. He waited a few seconds, straining his ears for any noise, when he heard a sound coming through the hall the connected his room to his son's: the unmistakable sound of a person gagging and throwing up suddenly.
The king quickly threw his blankets away from him, ignoring the sudden burst of chilly air as he got out of bed and hurried to light the candle that rested on his bedside table. He grabbed the handle of the tray that the candle rested on, and hurried out if his room, still clad in his nightclothes. His only goal was to make it to Legolas's room and help his son in whatever way he could.
When he made it to the prince's chambers he burst the door open, hardly pausing to turn the handle before he rushed in. The sight of his son on his knees by the bed, heaving into a bucket and trembling, was one that Thranduil didn't think he would ever forget.
"Legolas!" The cry escaped his lips before he could even think, and he himself could hear the grief in his voice.
Ignoring the emotions tugging at his heart and making him want to hug all of Legolas's worries away like he did when Legolas was a child, Thranduil rushed across the room and dropped down to his son's side, albeit gentler than Legolas had met the floor. He placed the candle down on the floor far enough away that it wouldn't fall or be pushed over.
Legolas had paused in his heaving at this point, and he turned his head towards Thranduil as the king got on the floor. Thranduil could see that his son was extremely pale, and that there were tears flowing down his face and mixing with the sweat already there. "Ada," Legolas whimpered, sounding much younger than he actually was.
"I'm here, ion nin," Thranduil said, reaching out a hand and placing it on his son's forehead. He had a fever, which had been obvious before. He then moved his hand and placed it on Legolas's shoulder, feeling his son trembling. The king grabbed the bucket and gently pried Legolas's fingers away from it. Legolas let go himself when he knew that was what Thranduil wanted. Legolas hung his head as he gasped for air, still lacking breath after being mostly deprived of it for a few minutes.
Thranduil gently squeezed Legolas's shoulder with the hand still there. "I am here," he repeated. Legolas started shaking even harder, and Thranduil realized that they were no longer trembles, but shivers; Legolas was cold.
"Legolas," Thranduil said quietly. "Are you finished?" He asked, gesturing to the now partly filled bucket once he had gotten Legolas's attention. At first it seemed that Legolas did not understand him, just staring blankly at the bucket, but then he slowly nodded his head.
"I will be right back, little leaf," he said, using Legolas's old nickname that he hadn't used since the prince was still a child. He grabbed the bucket and stood up before making his way to the adjoining bathroom of the prince's chambers. He rinsed out the bucket in there, and then walked back into the main room. He placed the bucket beside the bed, and grabbed the glass of water that was on the side table, next to a full pitcher of water.
Legolas had moved, and was now sitting back against his bed, still on the floor, with his elbows propped up on his knees and his head in his hands. He looked so pitiful that Thranduil almost cried. He shook himself out of the moment, however, and walked over to the bed, putting the glass down again on the small bedside table, careful around the candle which was still on the floor. He then reached over and picked up the candle and put it on the table as well, grabbing the glass of water once more before crouching down next to his son.
Legolas lifted his head lethargically, and stared at his father for a moment. Sorrow in Thranduil's eyes and on his face would have been clear to see for any watching, but Legolas didn't notice over his own misery.
"Ada, it hurts," he said quietly, before letting his head drop back down into his hands. Thranduil reached out and grabbed Legolas's chin gently, raising his head so that he could see Legolas's face, which immediately clenched in pain.
"I know it does, my little leaf," Thranduil said softly. He brought the glass of water to Legolas's lips, and gently tilted the glass up after Legolas parted his lips enough to drink. "Drink this, get back in bed, and I will summon a healer," Thranduil continued, still helping his son to drink.
Legolas shook his head, almost spilling the water, before Thranduil pulled the glass away with a frown. "No, I don't need a healer. I told you, I saw Kallion earlier. I just need to let this pass. There's nothing he can do, and so there is no need to bother him." Legolas was speaking quietly, and Thranduil could easily see how exhausted the prince was. He also knew how stubborn Legolas could be; he had inherited that trait from his father, of course.
Thranduil frowned at his son again. "Legolas, he can help you be more comfortable. He may have painkillers and something to reduce your fever. I don't want to take the chance of something happening to you!"
Legolas looked up at his father and tried to smile, but he was so tired even that act seemed impossible to keep up. "Adar, I promise that I am fine now. Nausea is normal in an illness, and I don't need any herbs or foul tasting concoctions. I just want to sleep," everything Legolas said ended in what was almost a sigh, and his eyes were drooping already.
Thranduil accepted defeat once more, and acquiesced. "Alright, let's get you to bed then, ion nin." He slid an arm around Legolas's back and rose up off the ground, lifting most of Legolas's weight with him. When they were in a standing position, Thranduil lowered Legolas onto the bed, pushed him down so he was laying with his head on the pillow, and covered him up with blankets, which he worriedly noticed had been crumpled at the end of the bed. Legolas must have kicked them off in his fevered state.
Legolas's eyelids closed once more, and stayed that way for a few moments before he slowly dragged them open again. "Hannon le, Ada," he whispered.
"Sleep, ion. The bucket is beside the bed if you need it. Call me if you need me. I will check on you in the morning, and I will have a healer check on you tomorrow to make sure you are fine. For now, just sleep," Thranduil murmured, tucking the blankets securely around Legolas, and laying his hand on his son's head one last time, before kissing his forehead, and smoothing his hair out with one hand.
"Mmmm," Legolas hummed, too tired to formulate a better response. His eyes closed and he fell into sleep. Thranduil could not deny that he was worried about his son's eyes being closed, but he would have a healer look at him in the morning.
Thranduil straightened up from where he had been leaning over the prince, grabbed his candle, and made his way out of the room, closing the door softly behind him. He made his way back to his own bed, and went to sleep.
Thranduil woke up slowly the next morning, and was glad to see that he had been woken by the sun, and not by his son again. He went about his morning preparations, and then walked out his door and stopped in front of his son's. He grabbed the knob and slowly opened it, not wishing to disturb his son.
Legolas stirred, however, and rolled over in his bed. Thranduil had made his way over to his son's bed by the time the prince opened his eyes, and he gently sat down on the edge of the bed as Legolas adjusted to the bright light and got his bearings.
Thranduil reached out a hand and felt his son's forehead. Legolas blinked a few times, trying to adjust his vision, and swallowed thickly, then he closed his eyes again and sank back into the pillow.
"Good morning, ion nin," Thranduil said, removing his hand and placing it in his lap. "You still have a fever; how do you feel?" Legolas couldn't see the concern on his father's face since his eyes were closed, but he could clearly hear it in his words.
"I feel better than last night," Legolas laughed at his former misery, "But my head still aches, I am exhausted still, and sore, but right now I can only focus on how thirsty I am." The prince raised a hand from where it rested at his side, and placed it over his face in a casual way. However, Thranduil could see the drama in it.
Chuckling at his son, who could be dramatic even when ill, Thranduil grabbed the still half full glass from the bedside table. Legolas, hearing the action and the slight slosh of water, opened his eyes and rose to a semi-sitting position. He reached out for the glass, and his father reluctantly handed it to him, keeping an eye on the prince to make sure he had a good hold on it.
Once Legolas finished the water he handed the empty glass back to Thranduil, and slid back down in his bed, closing his eyes. Thranduil took this as a sign that he was done, and rose from the bed. He filled the glass again from the pitcher, but just left it on the table this time, within Legolas's reach in case he needed it.
"I have a meeting to attend to, Legolas. But I will go and tell Kallion to come check on you, and I won't be long. I expect you to listen to Kallion and do as he says. I will also have the kitchen staff send up something light for your breakfast."
Legolas nodded at him, trying to raise himself in the bed. Thranduil hesitated a moment before moving to assist his son. Once Legolas was sitting up comfortably against the pillows, Thranduil kissed his brow, and walked out of the room.
The king strode down the hall. His first stop was the kitchen, where he asked one of the maids to bring up a light breakfast for the prince in his room. Next, he went to the healing halls.
When he walked in, he went straight for Kallion's work space, hoping that the healer would be in. The king was in luck, as the royal healer was sitting at his desk doing some paperwork. It seemed it was a part of every job, no matter which.
Kallion looked up at the sound of someone entering his workroom, and stood when he saw Thranduil, bowing his head in respect to the king. He was an old friend of Thranduil's, and didn't need to perform a whole bow, but he liked to show some respect to his king.
"My Lord, what can I do for you?" He asked, gesturing for the the other elf to sit down, as he did so himself.
Thranduil took the seat offered to him, and said, "Kallion, it is good to see you. I understand that my son came to you yesterday."
Recognition flashed in Kallion's eyes, but he merely nodded.
"He told me what he told you, and consequently, what you told him. " Thranduil went on to explain the events of the night before, and then stated his request that Kallion go examine the prince while Thranduil went to his meeting. Kallion eagerly agreed, and soon after, Thranduil was in his office talking with his secretary about what needed to be done that morning.
Thranduil made a list of the things that couldn't wait for his attention, and was pleased to find that it was rather small, and so shouldn't take too long.
Even so, he was very impatient as he discussed minor issues with several people of his kingdom, and of his court. When he was finally done, he took leave of his secretary and made his way back to the royal chambers, and into the prince's room.
He released a small breath he did not even know he was holding, and smiled at the sight of his son sitting in his bed and reading a book. Legolas looked up as his father strode in and smiled at him. He put a marker in his book and closed it, laying it down on she sheets beside him as Thranduil made his way over to him.
The king immediately placed his hand on Legolas's forehead, pleased to find that the fever had not risen, and indeed seemed to be a little lower.
"I feel much better, Ada, truly," Legolas said. "Kallion stopped by this morning, and said that I would make a complete recovery in about two days."
Thranduil smiled, but this time it was more evil. "Good, ion nin. Now I need only determine what your punishment shall be for working yourself to the ground. Perhaps an extra week off duty would be punishment enough, although, I might still throw in some stable duties."
Legolas's eyes opened wide, horrified. He knew that his father would not hesitate to put him in the stables, even if he was a prince. Legolas had done every job in the kingdom at some time, and stable duty was one of his least favorites. If only his father didn't know him so well, he thought ruefully.
Just as predicted, Legolas was completely recovered in two days, although he was changed some: he knew that, as long as he could help it, he would never push himself to being sick again. Not only was the experience not pleasant, it also worried his father, made him get forced to be off patrol duty for two weeks, and it caused him to have the most unpleasant duties.
Legolas made this resolve, and then went back to work, shoveling some hay into the mangers for the horses, and regretfully remembering his other chores in the stables that he had to do for the next three days. No, never again.
Kallion is my own made up character, in case any of you were wondering. ;)
So, yah, I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope someone out there enjoys it. I just love soft fathers, and sickfics, and just...yah, I love em. lol. Have a good day, or night. It's past midnight where I am right now, as I am editing this for posting, so...Imma head to bed now, after I post this.