Disclaimer: I don't own any character (although the elves own me)
Author notes: English is not my mother language, sorry for the mistakes.
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Chapter II
Galadriel and Celeborn smiled warmly at Thranduil when the Elvenking bowed in front of them. Rumil and Orophin were looking amused at his elder brother who was looking intently the door to the gardens.
"Not that it would be useful" Haldir thought, "For knowing those four it is probably that they jump from a window. Fortunately one of those insane children is inoffensive at the moment"
"Glad to see you Thranduil" Celeborn said "And I hope to see your crazy son soon"
"He is tormenting Erestor and Glorfindel at the moment" answered the Elvenking taking sit next to the Lord of Lorién.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" a shout was heard
"It seems that Lindir as well" Rumil said smiling amused.
"I wonder who will be next..." Orophin commented lightly looking at Haldir, who threw him a deadly glare. Elrond, Thranduil, Celeborn and Galadriel chuckled amused. They continue chatting enjoying the company of the others, sharing tales (mostly about the latest pranks of the princes) and catching with each other. Because the reason of the gathering was a celebration, they tacitly avoided the sad or bitter things like the menace of the shadow that was growing near and gaining more power with each day. The several shouts and laughs of the younger elves helped.
Hours passed and they could have continued if not for three laughing princes that ran passed them as fast as they could followed by a chasing Glorfindel, Erestor and Lindir, the last one was dripping water and with little petals of flowers, wet as well, in his long and beautiful hair. They disappeared in the woods as fast as they came into view.
"Are they still at that?" said Celeborn incredulously
"It seems so" Galadriel said smiling while Thranduil and Elrond shocked their heads. Haldir, Rumil and Orophin had gone long ago giving their lords privacy. "You know children" the queen of the Galdrim continue playfully, the king and the younger lord turned to see her, used to being address like that by her and her husband " I think that behavior is a problem of parent guidance"
"WHAT?!" Thranduil and Elrond said in unison, Celeborn and Galadriel laughed so hard that tears showed in their eyes.
*****
All this time, caterpillar Estel was trying with all his might to reach someone who could help him, but annoyingly nobody passed his way in all day. At the end of the afternoon he had manage to reach the stairs and started climbing them in the direction to his rooms.
"Just wait insane brothers" he thought "Just wait till I get untied and you will see.... "
Just when he reach the top of the stairs, a little silver bell announced it was dinner time... in the dinning room... downstairs.
"Oh yes. Wait El2 ... Just wait" and turning around he prepared to climb down the stairs.
*****
When dinner was served Elrond and Thranduil rolled their eyes unable to keep from smiling a little; Galadriel and Celeborn were grinning openly while Haldir, Rumil and Orophin were exchanging amused glances and comments. In front of them the twins and Legolas wear their most innocent faces and were looking at the paintings that decorated the dinning room with raping interest, while Glorfindel, Erestor and Lindir were talking to themselves, occasionally nodding in agreement and throwing deadly glances at the princes.
"The more innocent they seem, the more suspicious" Haldir commented to his brothers
"Own experience dear brother?" Orophin said evilly
"Imp" was all his elder brother said. Rumil chuckled.
"Well, dear friend. And where is the object of this happy reunion?" asked Thranduil.
"Yes Elrond, where is the young human?" Celeborn asked as well. The lord of Imladris turned to see his twin sons, but before they could answer a loud thud! Was heard followed by some rather... high-flown curses.
"There" was all they said, at the same time. Galadriel raised an eyebrow.
"You did not left him tied, did you?" Elrond asked almost afraid of the answer.
"Father..." Elladan started
"This is one of those things you would not like to know" ended Elrohir with the same seriousness as his brother. Legolas fight hard not to laugh.
"How could you do that!" Elrond almost shouted. Next to him and so quietly that only Elrond could hear, or so thought Thranduil, the Elvenking said "Elrond, is it not what we did?" The lord of Imladris almost choked. Of course Thranduil didn't count with the sharp hearing senses of the two elder elves, sharp even for an elf, and so the lords of Lothlorién hurried to drink some wine to hide their chuckles.
"They were chasing us!" Elrohir pointed to Glorfindel, Erestor and Lindir.
"They just wanted to torment me, any excuse is good" complained a new voice from the door. The elves sat in the table turned to found Estel with a highly amused Mithrandir.
"Mithrandir!" The twins and Legolas said cheerily.
"Glad to see you my friend" Elrond said grinning, a perfect excuse without giving any trace that he was having a great time with his twins' behavior.
"It seems that I arrived at the perfect time" the istari said smiling and taking a sit in the table. All of them bowed greeting him. Estel took his place too.
"Well Mithrandir" said Legolas looking impishly at his human friend "A little longer and Estel could have actually sprung wings" The twins catching immediately the jest with that bond only the best friends have, and added "Just like a little butterfly!" Estel fall from his chair.
"brats" said Glorfindel good naturally helping the human take his sit and breath again.
"Very proud of" Elladan nodded.
"Cynic" Rumil laughed
"Proud of that too" Elrohir smiled.
"Like fathers, like sons" Celeborn said with an air of seriousness. Galadriel nodded.
"It is good to be here" Mithrandir said laughing. Dinner was served.
After a long dinner, each of them retired to their rooms. It was almost midnight and the party was in two nights. When the twins were leaving the room, Elrond, who put a strong hand in each twin's shoulder to hold them in place, stopped them. Legolas was chatting animatedly with Estel and remained siting at the table. The twins look hopefully at the prince, but before they could voice their plea for help, their father threw them 'the glare'.
"My dear sons" he started sweetly, changing 'the glare' for a tender look in his eyes, eyes that shone strangely familiar to the twins. They weren't deceived by his father's behavior. "Want to come with me to my study?" as they left the room, they threw a worry glance, they were in troubles.
They reach the study and after closing the door with a disturbing sound, "the sound of doom" as the twins, Legolas and Estel called it, Elrond turned to see them.
"So, tell me..." he started with the same sweet tone of before "WHERE IN THE NAME OF THE VALAR DID ESTEL LEARN THOSE WORDS!!!" he ended shouting with all his lungs. He was, obviously, more than furious.
"Why father! How should we know" Elrohir said. Elrond just looked at them. They gulp.
*****
The next morning Legolas went to the twins' room. He had talked with Aragorn past dawn and he was sure the human would sleep till late morning.
"Are you still alive?" he said as he opened the door.
"Morning to you too" the twins said stirring from the bed they shared. Since they were elflings they got used to sleep in the same bed. As they grew up, their parents tried to moved them, first to a different room, but after many sleepless nights, they just tried different beds, but all mornings they awaked in one bed. Finally Elrond decided to let them have their way, after all he and Elros, his twin were the same, codependent. Legolas smiled.
"It ended late, I am not awakening you, am I?"
"No, no." The younger twin said waving a hand "It is unfair!" he then said pouting
"Estel says the high-flown words and we get the speech!" Elladan finished
"Actually we all got the speech" Legolas teased
"Right" the twins smiled sheepishly
"My father went to my room when I was already laid" Legolas started while he sat in the bed, the twins moved to make him space "I was almost asleep when I sensed him. Imagine my surprise when I focused my eyes and I saw him stood on one side of the bed! He was staring at me with a raised eyebrow"
"Creepy" the twins said
"You get used to" Legolas smiled
"We hardly though it. If father do that..." Elladan started
"...we will already be dead" Elrohir continue
"From a heart attack" Elladan finished. Legolas laughed merrily.
"We prefer the shouting" the two said nodding.
"Well, I'm sure Glorfindel, Erestor and all Rivendel would differ" the twins smiled.
"So, why your father was scaring the life of you this time?"
"He just wanted to know if I was involved in Estel's broad vocabulary"
"You are" Elrohir said grinning
"So what did you tell him?" Elladan asked.
"Neither yes or no" Legolas said triumphal
"And he will let you have your way?" The twins couldn't believe it.
"Of course no! Some day I will need to answer him"
"Some day, right" the twins rolled their eyes.
"Estel will sleep the best part of the day, so what we do?"
"We want to show you our presents for Estel" Elladan said getting up
"We will need to go into the woods, past the waterfalls" Elrohir said yawning. He always yawn in the morning even if he wasn't tired.
"It is getting hard to keep things secret to the little human, is it not?" Legolas said smiling.
"You don't have an idea. You are his friend and so he thinks twice before registering your belongings, but with us..."
"... he just register everywhere and everything he thinks it have what he is looking for" there where two closets in each side of the bed and each twin headed to his respecting one and peeking their cloths they started dressing... with the same cloths. Legolas smiled amused, he knew it was another habit Elrond and Celebrían couldn't made them quit.
"I remember when he was younger and left all your room in a mess... not that it was noticeable" Legolas moved swiftly to avoid two flying pillows.
"But he had improved" Elladan said passing the brush to his twin. Elrohir started combing his hair.
"After all, you are a bad influence" Elrohir said impishly
"Me?"
"You!" the twins said laughing.
"Very good, I admit it, but then you must admit that indirectly you influence him too"
"Oh, and how?"
"Well..." the blond prince crossed his arms in his chest "You influence me first" no one moved for a moment and then the three went out the room running.
In the dinning room the Elvenking, the lord of Imladris and his counselors, the lords of Lothlorién and their guardians and Mithrandir were having breakfast, enjoying their company and talking eagerly when the three princes ran past them like a summer breeze.
"Isn't too early for that?" Mithrandir said amused.
"Better between them than to get us involved" Thranduil said putting honey in his bread.
"You must admit it is amusing when they caught a victim" said Celeborn cutting a piece of melon
"As long as you are not the victim, my lord" Glorfindel said raising an eyebrow.
"Haldir will certainly agree" Orophin said cheerily, he was sure that if the lords weren't there his older brother would have throw him the grape he was eating, but instead he just turned around pretending to be annoyed. It was well known that Haldir had been the center of the twins' and Legolas' pranks even when Elladan and Elrohir didn't know Legolas. The reason, nobody knew. But it was well known as well that he was very fond of them.
"This will be a merry celebration" Galadriel said in her chatting to Elrond "Even if for us Aragorn is a mere child, to his kind he is a man already"
"A young man" Elrond said emphasizing the word young. "But you are right, my last child is growing up" two merry laughs, that the elves and istari identify as Legolas' and Elrohir, broke in the room "but although they grow up I doubt they will mature" ended the lord if Imladris with a smile, for the laughs were contagious.
"Thud"
"Thud"
"Thud"
"Thud, thud, thud"
"Crash" Elrond moaned softly at the sound of broken porcelain
"No, not again" Erestor said and Glorfindel sighed
"What have they broken this time?" Mithrandir wonder with an amused grin
"Knowing them, a vase" Thranduil said raising an eyebrow to Elrond.
"Without doubt" Celeborn agreed.
"What have they against vases anyway?" Elrond said standing up "They always broke a vase"
"I remember once when they broke a crystal candlelight" said Galadriel, she rested her face in her hand and kept quiet for a few seconds "Mmmm no, now that I think it I got wrong the elflings friends that broke it." She finished with a grin and looking in the direction of certain elf lord and elvenking. Elrond and Thranduil looked suspiciously away.
"Well, I need to go and see what those crazy children did this time" Elrond said
"I can go, my lord" Glorfindel offered.
"No, no. No need to" the lord of Imladris said waving a hand "Are you coming?" he asked Thranduil who nodded and stood up quickly. The two soon left the room, that was filled with the sweet sound of Galadriel's laugh.
"Valar, I can not believe that she still remembers that" Elrond said
"I can not believe that she keeps reminding us that" Thranduil shocked his head
"And we were not playing"
"Exactly, it was a discussion that became quite aggressive, nothing more" they arrived where the sound had come from. Nothing was visible at first sight, but the carped was suspiciously swelled. Both looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
Elrond step ahead and kneeling he lift the carpet founding... a broken vase.
"I knew it!"
Far away the three princes were siting in the border of a fountain.
"Like Glorfindel the balrog slayer we should call you Elladan the vase slayer" Legolas said amused.
"It was not my fault!" the older twin protested "Ro pushed me" the younger twin pointed to himself with surprise.
"One way or the other Dan, you always are breaking all vase that cross your way" Legolas said grinning and playing with the silver and golden fishes of the fountain.
"I am not" Elrohir and Legolas raised an eyebrow "Fine I am" the younger elves smiled triumphal.
"Legolas that fish is looking oddly at you" Elrohir said
"What?! Ro it is a fish" Elladan said looking closely at said fish. Suddenly it jumped out of the water and because it was king of big, it splashed the trio.
"Great!"
"Anyway, we better hurry before Estel awakes" Elladan said
"And with the noise that vase made, he certainly would not take long" Legolas agreed.
When they were in the way, they crossed with Erestor, Orophin and Rumil that were chatting merrily.
"A fish attacked us" they said at the questioning glances.
"You know" started Orophin "Sometimes they really scare me" the other two just nodded in agreement. That was almost as odd as the time when they complained about evil pillows. Of course that time Glorfindel and Haldir had had a lot to do with, but even then... Mithrandir had proven his wisdom again when he named them the crazy son of Thranduil and the twinsanes sons of Elrond.
TBC...
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