You can probably tell what this is about by the chapter. But bear with me,
there is only one more chapter. Then the ending!
Chapter Nine: Discovered
"Legolas Greenleaf," an authoritative voice cried out.
The two separated and saw in horror that King Elessar and Queen Arwen were standing before them.
"Eldarion," Arwen said in a voice that was sadder than that of her husband, almost sympathetic.
"Legolas I am ashamed of you," Estel said. "Taking advantage of my son's friendly nature" -
"Father no!" Eldarion intervened, looking earnestly into his father's hard grey eyes. "It's not like that - at all- if anyone took advantage- it was me!"
"You two must split up," Elessar said, lowering his voice when he noticed the crowd gathered on the wall top. "I will not have the good name of Isildur ruined by a King dallying with an elf prince!"
"Is that all you think we are capable of doing?" Legolas hissed, his eyes cold as the waters of the Frozen North. "Dallying?"
"Yes," Estel said bluntly. "It will not work out. Eldarion will have responsibilities as a King of men. He needs a wife and an heir more than a lover."
The words were harsh, but not unfamiliar to Legolas' ears. He acknowledged the truth in what the man had said. "He is right," Legolas gave in.
"No!" Eldarion said in a voice that was nearly a sob.
Legolas gave a shrill whistle and stood outside the gate.
"No father! You can't make him go away!" Eldarion begged.
Arod galloped out of the city, his mane white as the tip of a wave. Legolas smiled at his faithful stead and mounted him.
"No!" the prince's cries were quieter and more pitiful. He tried to run forward but was held back by his father's arms that held the struggling child against him.
"Ride hard Arod," Legolas murmured. Don't look back, he told himself as he started riding. For he knew that if turned back he wouldn't be able to continue.
Eldarion watched as the golden haired rider sped out over the plain and gave a final sob of "Legolas!"
~
Legolas rode hard for many days before finally finding the person he sought.
"Lad, what brings you here?" Gimli asked. Then seeing the elf's bright eyes he dropped the hammer he was working on, and opened his arms wide. Legolas knelt down and fell into them, resting his head against the dwarf's sturdy shoulder.
"Come on lad," Gimli said encouragingly and moved his hand in soothing circles on Legolas' shaking back.
"E-Eldarion and I broke up!" Legolas sobbed and started to weep.
"Ah, Legolas," Gimli said. The warrior had been told of the relationship in one of the numerous letters that the prince sent him. He had secretly harboured thoughts that the relationship wouldn't work out. But on no account had he wanted that to happen.
"Estel told us to brake up- and he was right! It wouldn't have worked out.. I couldn't bear it again!"
Gimli frowned but said nothing. Legolas couldn't bear what again?
"So I rode away like a coward, so Eldarion couldn't see my tears. I had to get away."
"Did you say goodbye to him?" Gimli asked gruffly.
"Why?"
"Because saying goodbye is the best thing to do while splitting up. You've got to know that you are definitely finished with each other. Now you didn't say goodbye, so Eldarion may still think that there is a chance. You must tell him that there isn't. And explain it."
Legolas leant back to look at his friend with a slight smile. "How do you know so much?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Ah-hah," Gimli said mysteriously, glad to see a smile on his friend's features. "That's something that you'll never find out. Well? What are you waiting for? To take root in my forge?"
Legolas laughed and briefly hugged the dwarf who embarrassedly flapped his hands at the elf, trying to dislodge him. "Thank you master dwarf," he said with a mock bow.
"That's all right, elf. I'll be happy to enlighten you again, it gives me a feeling of superiority that I rarely feel while in your company."
"Don't let it go to your head," the prince said. "It would swell your already big" -
"Go on! Shoo!" Gimli roared, wielding the hammer with a wicked grin on his face.
"I will." Legolas ran out of the forge, leapt onto his horse, and galloped back to Gondor for the final time.
~
"Sing all ye joyful, now sing all together! The wind's in the tree-tops, the wind's in the heather; The stars are in blossom, the moon is in flower, And bright are the windows of Night in her tower.
Dance all ye joyful, now dance all together! Soft is the grass, and let foot be like feather! The river is silver, the shadows are fleeting; Merry is May-time, and merry oura meeting."
Eldarion sung bitterly as he wandered through the woods where Legolas and he had first kissed under the glow of the stars.
"They are all there: Telumendil, Helluin, Soronumë, Anarríma, Menelmacar and the Valacurca still shine brightly on us."
Eldarion looked up at the sky and slumped on the floor with a heavy sigh.
"Let Legolas tell you. He is a far better story teller than me."
"No I am not!" Legolas cried humbly. "Tis not much of a tale to tell anyway. There are seven stars to represent a crown. It is called the Valacurca- the Sickle of the Valar, and a sign of doom. Elbereth set it as sort of a challenge to Morgoth."
Legolas Greenleaf, just his name was beautiful. Full of rolling elven syllables. And such a beautiful character. Modest, humble, caring, wise.... the list was endless for Eldarion.
"Sing we now softly, and dreams let us weave him! Wind him in slumber and there let us leave him! The wanderer sleepeth. Now soft be his pillow!"
Eldarion sung the next verse and a pearly tear dripped down his face.
"Lullaby! Lullaby! Alder and Willow! Sigh no more Pine, till the wind of the morn! Fall Moon! Dark by the land! Hush! Hush! Oak, Ash and Thorn! Hushed be all water, until dawn is at hand!"
The man looked around quickly. He had not sung that verse. Through the woods he saw a lithe figure, almost gliding over tree stumps and branches.
Upon his head was a crown of russet leaves, similar to the one he had worn at the masquerade. But more natural and organic, without the berries on it. The same shining eyes looked on him with wisdom and sadness.
Eldarion gaspd and quickly scrambled to his feet. "Legolas" he cried.
Chapter Nine: Discovered
"Legolas Greenleaf," an authoritative voice cried out.
The two separated and saw in horror that King Elessar and Queen Arwen were standing before them.
"Eldarion," Arwen said in a voice that was sadder than that of her husband, almost sympathetic.
"Legolas I am ashamed of you," Estel said. "Taking advantage of my son's friendly nature" -
"Father no!" Eldarion intervened, looking earnestly into his father's hard grey eyes. "It's not like that - at all- if anyone took advantage- it was me!"
"You two must split up," Elessar said, lowering his voice when he noticed the crowd gathered on the wall top. "I will not have the good name of Isildur ruined by a King dallying with an elf prince!"
"Is that all you think we are capable of doing?" Legolas hissed, his eyes cold as the waters of the Frozen North. "Dallying?"
"Yes," Estel said bluntly. "It will not work out. Eldarion will have responsibilities as a King of men. He needs a wife and an heir more than a lover."
The words were harsh, but not unfamiliar to Legolas' ears. He acknowledged the truth in what the man had said. "He is right," Legolas gave in.
"No!" Eldarion said in a voice that was nearly a sob.
Legolas gave a shrill whistle and stood outside the gate.
"No father! You can't make him go away!" Eldarion begged.
Arod galloped out of the city, his mane white as the tip of a wave. Legolas smiled at his faithful stead and mounted him.
"No!" the prince's cries were quieter and more pitiful. He tried to run forward but was held back by his father's arms that held the struggling child against him.
"Ride hard Arod," Legolas murmured. Don't look back, he told himself as he started riding. For he knew that if turned back he wouldn't be able to continue.
Eldarion watched as the golden haired rider sped out over the plain and gave a final sob of "Legolas!"
~
Legolas rode hard for many days before finally finding the person he sought.
"Lad, what brings you here?" Gimli asked. Then seeing the elf's bright eyes he dropped the hammer he was working on, and opened his arms wide. Legolas knelt down and fell into them, resting his head against the dwarf's sturdy shoulder.
"Come on lad," Gimli said encouragingly and moved his hand in soothing circles on Legolas' shaking back.
"E-Eldarion and I broke up!" Legolas sobbed and started to weep.
"Ah, Legolas," Gimli said. The warrior had been told of the relationship in one of the numerous letters that the prince sent him. He had secretly harboured thoughts that the relationship wouldn't work out. But on no account had he wanted that to happen.
"Estel told us to brake up- and he was right! It wouldn't have worked out.. I couldn't bear it again!"
Gimli frowned but said nothing. Legolas couldn't bear what again?
"So I rode away like a coward, so Eldarion couldn't see my tears. I had to get away."
"Did you say goodbye to him?" Gimli asked gruffly.
"Why?"
"Because saying goodbye is the best thing to do while splitting up. You've got to know that you are definitely finished with each other. Now you didn't say goodbye, so Eldarion may still think that there is a chance. You must tell him that there isn't. And explain it."
Legolas leant back to look at his friend with a slight smile. "How do you know so much?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Ah-hah," Gimli said mysteriously, glad to see a smile on his friend's features. "That's something that you'll never find out. Well? What are you waiting for? To take root in my forge?"
Legolas laughed and briefly hugged the dwarf who embarrassedly flapped his hands at the elf, trying to dislodge him. "Thank you master dwarf," he said with a mock bow.
"That's all right, elf. I'll be happy to enlighten you again, it gives me a feeling of superiority that I rarely feel while in your company."
"Don't let it go to your head," the prince said. "It would swell your already big" -
"Go on! Shoo!" Gimli roared, wielding the hammer with a wicked grin on his face.
"I will." Legolas ran out of the forge, leapt onto his horse, and galloped back to Gondor for the final time.
~
"Sing all ye joyful, now sing all together! The wind's in the tree-tops, the wind's in the heather; The stars are in blossom, the moon is in flower, And bright are the windows of Night in her tower.
Dance all ye joyful, now dance all together! Soft is the grass, and let foot be like feather! The river is silver, the shadows are fleeting; Merry is May-time, and merry oura meeting."
Eldarion sung bitterly as he wandered through the woods where Legolas and he had first kissed under the glow of the stars.
"They are all there: Telumendil, Helluin, Soronumë, Anarríma, Menelmacar and the Valacurca still shine brightly on us."
Eldarion looked up at the sky and slumped on the floor with a heavy sigh.
"Let Legolas tell you. He is a far better story teller than me."
"No I am not!" Legolas cried humbly. "Tis not much of a tale to tell anyway. There are seven stars to represent a crown. It is called the Valacurca- the Sickle of the Valar, and a sign of doom. Elbereth set it as sort of a challenge to Morgoth."
Legolas Greenleaf, just his name was beautiful. Full of rolling elven syllables. And such a beautiful character. Modest, humble, caring, wise.... the list was endless for Eldarion.
"Sing we now softly, and dreams let us weave him! Wind him in slumber and there let us leave him! The wanderer sleepeth. Now soft be his pillow!"
Eldarion sung the next verse and a pearly tear dripped down his face.
"Lullaby! Lullaby! Alder and Willow! Sigh no more Pine, till the wind of the morn! Fall Moon! Dark by the land! Hush! Hush! Oak, Ash and Thorn! Hushed be all water, until dawn is at hand!"
The man looked around quickly. He had not sung that verse. Through the woods he saw a lithe figure, almost gliding over tree stumps and branches.
Upon his head was a crown of russet leaves, similar to the one he had worn at the masquerade. But more natural and organic, without the berries on it. The same shining eyes looked on him with wisdom and sadness.
Eldarion gaspd and quickly scrambled to his feet. "Legolas" he cried.
