Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood, and son of Thandruil, bathed beneath one of
the kingdom's many waterfalls that cascaded into the large lake on the
outskirts of Mirkwood as he did every morning. The sun was just hitting the
water, showing traces of its blueness through the black ink color it was at
night. The best part of bathing there, and what always kept the Elven
Prince coming back to it was the fact that it was the only natural hot
spring in all of middle earth which meant that the water was always
pleasantly warm. Of course, to Elves, it wouldn't have mattered if the
water hadn't been warm since they can't feel the cold anyway. But hey, it
was a luxury worth enjoying.
Merrily, Legolas began to sing one of his favourite elvish songs that he had known since childhood. His beautiful and entrancing voice carried into the forest around the falls. Soon animals of all kinds gathered around the edges of the lake to listen to the Elf. Legolas noticed them and smiled. He'd always loved wildlife so it pleased him immensely to see them. Just then, his sharp eyes caught the sight of a familiar face he hadn't seen in months.
"Frodo!" Legolas called to him happily and waved. Frodo waved back. "Legolas!" he said once he'd gotten to the edge of the lake.
"I would come out to greet you properly, but I am indecent at the moment. Give me a moment to become so."
Frodo nodded and turned around. Legolas quickly got out and wrapped an Elven towel around his waist. Ducking behind the falls, he quickly dried himself and dressed.
"Ah, there we are." He said, reappearing. "What brings you to Mirkwood my dear friend?"
"I've always wanted to see this place." Frodo admitted. "I heard so much about it from my Uncle Bilbo, I just had to investigate."
"Ever the curious Hobbit." Legolas said, grinning at him. Frodo smiled, knowing it was all too true.
Frodo sighed in contentment as he took in the sweet smells of nature in the air. It was smell he had always loved ever since he had first come to Rivendell years earlier.
"How is your wife, Christine?" Legolas asked, breaking Frodo out of his reverie. The Elf watched a smile spread across his face as one always did when Frodo thought of her.
"She joined me on my journey actually." Frodo sighed happily. "But, she is 7 months with child however. I wanted her to stay behind but she wouldn't have it. She's a spitfire, that woman."
Legolas laughed. "I can imagine." He patted Frodo on the back. "But you love that about her." Frodo grinned shamelessly.
"I do, Legolas, I do. I wouldn't have her any other way."
The two friends began to walk towards the Palace itself. "So, where is your lovely bride?"
"She is inside speaking with Elrond who is visiting with your father."
Legolas raised an eyebrow, remembering the first time the two of them had met. "They didn't have another quarrel did they?"
Frodo shook his head. "No, thank goodness. She wanted to mend things because, having the huge heart that she has, she felt bad for yelling at him. Elrond was very noble about it all and I believe they are friends now."
"That is good news. Let us find her so that I may see her." Moments later, they entered the Palace. Christine greeted them almost immediately. "Oh my God! Long time no see!" Christine said excitedly and hugged Legolas.
"How are you, my dear friend?" Legolas asked, releasing her.
Christine beamed at him. "Very well!" she patted her stomach. "Going on seven months," she said proudly.
Legolas smiled. "So Frodo told me. How wonderful for you both!"
Christine beamed. "I'm very excited about being a mother." She stole a glance at her husband, "I think Frodo could outrank me. He's been beside himself ever since I told him."
Legolas furrowed his eyebrows. "Beside himself?"
"He was overjoyed." Christine clarified. "I see." Legolas said, nodding.
"I hope that I can find the kind of love that you and Frodo share." Legolas confided. That had been something that had been weighing on his mind lately, but he hadn't felt comfortable telling anyone. After all, he was just the "stoic warrior" in everyone's eyes. He thanked whoever had sent Christine to Middle Earth. It was so wonderful to have such a good friend in her. Around her, he always knew that he could tell her anything.
Christine patted her friend's back. "You will, my dear Elf. But the thing about love that most people don't know is that you don't usually find love when you're looking for it. It more often than not comes when you're not."
"Really?" Legolas was finding himself very much intrigued. "So, you were not looking for it when you met Frodo?"
Christine shook her head. "No. All I was thinking about was getting my latest book finished. But," She reached over to run her fingers through Frodo's hair. The hobbit closed his eyes, shamelessly enjoying the attention. "I'm grateful that I was able to find Frodo and fall in love."
"Me aswell." Frodo murmured, melting under his wife's touch.
Legolas caught a hint of sadness in her voice and decided to call her on it. "You miss your home, don't you?"
Christine sighed. "At times I do, but what I've gained here makes it all worthwhile."
A mischievous grin was on her face now.
"After all, how could I not want to spend time with someone who is always an adventure?" She winked at Frodo. Frodo grinned back at her, understanding.
Legolas chuckled at the two of them. "Shameless." He muttered.
Frodo grinned. "No doubt about that."
All three of them burst into laughter. Their merriment was cut short when they heard someone calling for Legolas.
"Legolas! Ah! There you are!" It was his father, King Thandruil.
"Oh, here we go again." Legolas whispered to the two of them. "He's been preparing me for becoming King every chance he gets lately." Before either of them could respond, Thandruil spoke. "I need to speak with you, Legolas." He said, his voice full of the authority that came with being in the position that he was.
The Elf Prince merely nodded and followed his father to a gazebo out on the Royal Courtyard. Inside, he hoped that this wouldn't take long so he could return to visiting with his friends.
"Now, I must tell you that I have made a very substantial decision as of late. I wish to step down in two months time."
Legolas looked at his father, stunned. "Why is it that you do not wish to be King?"
"I have accomplished all that I wanted to. It is time for someone new. Namely you, my son,"
Fear built up inside the Elf. He was far from ready to be King! There was still so much, he wanted to see and do. He didn't want to be bound to Mirkwood, sitting on a throne day in and day out making decisions. Legolas knew in his heart that it would destroy him for he was a free spirit. Why couldn't his father see that?
Thandruil frowned at his son's distressed expression. "What troubles you?"
Legolas wondered briefly if he should tell his father what he was feeling. 'Probably not.' He thought bitterly. 'He would not understand.'
"Nothing." The Elf Prince said simply. Thandruil didn't look convinced. "You do not wish to be my successor, do you?"
Legolas looked up at his father in shock. How could he have known?
"You underestimate me, my son. I may be King and therefore much of my time is taken, but that does not mean that I do not know you at all."
Defeated, Legolas sighed. "You are right," he admitted. "I do not wish to be King. For I do not think my heart would be in it."
Thandruil stayed silent for a moment, contemplating what he was going to say next. "This is because you still wish to travel and explore is it not?"
Legolas nodded, inwardly very surprised. Never had he imagined that his father could be so observant. Then again, Legolas thought mentally smiting himself; his father was an Elf nothing got past them. He had a note not to forget that again.
"It is your birthright. You have no choice. For despite your desires, the fact remains that you are indeed my only son and heir."
Legolas gritted his teeth. That, unfortunately was a fact he couldn't escape. Thandruil put both of his hands on Legolas's shoulders.
"Do not despair. You will make an excellent King." And with that, he departed.
Legolas silently fumed. Why was it that he had to be the only child? Why couldn't he have a brother to pass the burden to? Life wasn't fair. Never had been and never would be. Legolas knew this all too well. After all, he was thousands of years old. Sighing, the Elf felt his heart sink and the burden of what lay ahead of him rest on his shoulders.
Merrily, Legolas began to sing one of his favourite elvish songs that he had known since childhood. His beautiful and entrancing voice carried into the forest around the falls. Soon animals of all kinds gathered around the edges of the lake to listen to the Elf. Legolas noticed them and smiled. He'd always loved wildlife so it pleased him immensely to see them. Just then, his sharp eyes caught the sight of a familiar face he hadn't seen in months.
"Frodo!" Legolas called to him happily and waved. Frodo waved back. "Legolas!" he said once he'd gotten to the edge of the lake.
"I would come out to greet you properly, but I am indecent at the moment. Give me a moment to become so."
Frodo nodded and turned around. Legolas quickly got out and wrapped an Elven towel around his waist. Ducking behind the falls, he quickly dried himself and dressed.
"Ah, there we are." He said, reappearing. "What brings you to Mirkwood my dear friend?"
"I've always wanted to see this place." Frodo admitted. "I heard so much about it from my Uncle Bilbo, I just had to investigate."
"Ever the curious Hobbit." Legolas said, grinning at him. Frodo smiled, knowing it was all too true.
Frodo sighed in contentment as he took in the sweet smells of nature in the air. It was smell he had always loved ever since he had first come to Rivendell years earlier.
"How is your wife, Christine?" Legolas asked, breaking Frodo out of his reverie. The Elf watched a smile spread across his face as one always did when Frodo thought of her.
"She joined me on my journey actually." Frodo sighed happily. "But, she is 7 months with child however. I wanted her to stay behind but she wouldn't have it. She's a spitfire, that woman."
Legolas laughed. "I can imagine." He patted Frodo on the back. "But you love that about her." Frodo grinned shamelessly.
"I do, Legolas, I do. I wouldn't have her any other way."
The two friends began to walk towards the Palace itself. "So, where is your lovely bride?"
"She is inside speaking with Elrond who is visiting with your father."
Legolas raised an eyebrow, remembering the first time the two of them had met. "They didn't have another quarrel did they?"
Frodo shook his head. "No, thank goodness. She wanted to mend things because, having the huge heart that she has, she felt bad for yelling at him. Elrond was very noble about it all and I believe they are friends now."
"That is good news. Let us find her so that I may see her." Moments later, they entered the Palace. Christine greeted them almost immediately. "Oh my God! Long time no see!" Christine said excitedly and hugged Legolas.
"How are you, my dear friend?" Legolas asked, releasing her.
Christine beamed at him. "Very well!" she patted her stomach. "Going on seven months," she said proudly.
Legolas smiled. "So Frodo told me. How wonderful for you both!"
Christine beamed. "I'm very excited about being a mother." She stole a glance at her husband, "I think Frodo could outrank me. He's been beside himself ever since I told him."
Legolas furrowed his eyebrows. "Beside himself?"
"He was overjoyed." Christine clarified. "I see." Legolas said, nodding.
"I hope that I can find the kind of love that you and Frodo share." Legolas confided. That had been something that had been weighing on his mind lately, but he hadn't felt comfortable telling anyone. After all, he was just the "stoic warrior" in everyone's eyes. He thanked whoever had sent Christine to Middle Earth. It was so wonderful to have such a good friend in her. Around her, he always knew that he could tell her anything.
Christine patted her friend's back. "You will, my dear Elf. But the thing about love that most people don't know is that you don't usually find love when you're looking for it. It more often than not comes when you're not."
"Really?" Legolas was finding himself very much intrigued. "So, you were not looking for it when you met Frodo?"
Christine shook her head. "No. All I was thinking about was getting my latest book finished. But," She reached over to run her fingers through Frodo's hair. The hobbit closed his eyes, shamelessly enjoying the attention. "I'm grateful that I was able to find Frodo and fall in love."
"Me aswell." Frodo murmured, melting under his wife's touch.
Legolas caught a hint of sadness in her voice and decided to call her on it. "You miss your home, don't you?"
Christine sighed. "At times I do, but what I've gained here makes it all worthwhile."
A mischievous grin was on her face now.
"After all, how could I not want to spend time with someone who is always an adventure?" She winked at Frodo. Frodo grinned back at her, understanding.
Legolas chuckled at the two of them. "Shameless." He muttered.
Frodo grinned. "No doubt about that."
All three of them burst into laughter. Their merriment was cut short when they heard someone calling for Legolas.
"Legolas! Ah! There you are!" It was his father, King Thandruil.
"Oh, here we go again." Legolas whispered to the two of them. "He's been preparing me for becoming King every chance he gets lately." Before either of them could respond, Thandruil spoke. "I need to speak with you, Legolas." He said, his voice full of the authority that came with being in the position that he was.
The Elf Prince merely nodded and followed his father to a gazebo out on the Royal Courtyard. Inside, he hoped that this wouldn't take long so he could return to visiting with his friends.
"Now, I must tell you that I have made a very substantial decision as of late. I wish to step down in two months time."
Legolas looked at his father, stunned. "Why is it that you do not wish to be King?"
"I have accomplished all that I wanted to. It is time for someone new. Namely you, my son,"
Fear built up inside the Elf. He was far from ready to be King! There was still so much, he wanted to see and do. He didn't want to be bound to Mirkwood, sitting on a throne day in and day out making decisions. Legolas knew in his heart that it would destroy him for he was a free spirit. Why couldn't his father see that?
Thandruil frowned at his son's distressed expression. "What troubles you?"
Legolas wondered briefly if he should tell his father what he was feeling. 'Probably not.' He thought bitterly. 'He would not understand.'
"Nothing." The Elf Prince said simply. Thandruil didn't look convinced. "You do not wish to be my successor, do you?"
Legolas looked up at his father in shock. How could he have known?
"You underestimate me, my son. I may be King and therefore much of my time is taken, but that does not mean that I do not know you at all."
Defeated, Legolas sighed. "You are right," he admitted. "I do not wish to be King. For I do not think my heart would be in it."
Thandruil stayed silent for a moment, contemplating what he was going to say next. "This is because you still wish to travel and explore is it not?"
Legolas nodded, inwardly very surprised. Never had he imagined that his father could be so observant. Then again, Legolas thought mentally smiting himself; his father was an Elf nothing got past them. He had a note not to forget that again.
"It is your birthright. You have no choice. For despite your desires, the fact remains that you are indeed my only son and heir."
Legolas gritted his teeth. That, unfortunately was a fact he couldn't escape. Thandruil put both of his hands on Legolas's shoulders.
"Do not despair. You will make an excellent King." And with that, he departed.
Legolas silently fumed. Why was it that he had to be the only child? Why couldn't he have a brother to pass the burden to? Life wasn't fair. Never had been and never would be. Legolas knew this all too well. After all, he was thousands of years old. Sighing, the Elf felt his heart sink and the burden of what lay ahead of him rest on his shoulders.
