Title: Elven Slave

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me.

Rating: PG

Summary: After a long and bloody war between the Noldor and Sindar/Silvan elves, the Noldor are victorious with the help of the dwarves. As a thank you gift they give the dwarves of Lonely Mountain some elf slaves. Lord Gloin gives one of these to his son. It's a complete AU and the ring never existed so none of the things that happened because of the ring happened.

Notes: British spellings. Thank you very much to Kukabura for the chapter title!
"Gimli! Are you ready? The Noldor are here, and bearing gifts. You must come and greet them with me." My father, Gloin, seemed slightly drunk. Probably still celebrating our victory. I just wanted to get back to work. What place had dwarves got in an elf war?

I didn't speak these thoughts to my father, knowing it would be pointless. He would not listen; and anyway, the war was over now.

"I am coming, father. What kind of gifts have the elves brought?"

"Jewels! And such jewels! Jewels so wondrously shaped and coloured you would not believe it. Pearls as well, and spoils of war." He rubbed his hands together as he spoke, most likely imagining what we could make with said jewels and pearls. However, the last item bothered me.

"Spoils of war? What spoils? The wood-elves barely had enough to feed and clothe themselves. What riches could they have had?"

"Come, and you see, and hurry!" He turned on his heel, briskly leaving my chambers; leaving me to puzzle over what 'spoils' these Noldor elves could be bringing.

* * * * *

I was late to the big hall we were to greet the elves in, and the elves had already started to give news of what was being done with the wood-elves that had been taken as prisoners. The elf speaking did not pause as I entered, but continued to talk.

".and the prince has been taken to Imladris, or Rivendell as you may know it, where he is being imprisoned."

"What of the king?" The speaker elf gave me a disgruntled look, obviously not used to being interrupted.

"The King and Queen have both been executed, as have army generals and captains." The elf paused, clearing his throat. "As I was saying, the prince is being held at Rivendell. We have not yet decided what punishment he merits. The majority of the wood-elves have been." and on he droned.

I felt my eyelids grow heavy as the soothing sound of the elf's voice washed over me. I made a half-hearted attempt to start listening again, but by now he had moved onto a different subject, and besides, it wasn't like I really cared. Why couldn't they just get on with whatever they were going to do, and cease this never-ending chatter?

I was almost completely asleep when some new elves came in. Except these elves were different. They all had pale blond hair that gleamed dimly in the torchlight. They were thinner and smaller than the Noldor elves that had brought them in. And their hands were bound.

Wood-elves.

I was so wrapped up in my inspection of these newcomers I was startled when I heard my name mentioned.

".and I will give him to my son Gimli; who fought long and hard and played an important and vital role in the war; as a personal slave." The assembled company turned towards me, awaiting a response. But what was I to say? And what in Aule's name did my father mean by 'personal slave?'

"That is a fine and generous gift, my lord. Gimli will undoubtedly want to offer you his most sincere thanks." Norin, my father's chief advisor, came to my rescue.

"I do offer my most gracious thanks, father. This is a most generous gift, and I am filled with gratitude for it. I offer my thanks." Aware that I sounded like a fool, I stopped, my cheeks burning beneath my beard. One of the Noldor elves picked up where I had left off.

"At the minute he is very subdued, but I would not expect that to last, Master Gimli. His quietness is most likely due to the shock of seeing his grandparents killed, and of having his father taken from him. He is very young for an elf. By Noldor standards he would not yet have reached his majority." I looked more closely at the elf being gestured to. He did look younger than the others, more innocent, and his eyes had a panicked look to them. But surely my father couldn't be 'gifting' me with an elf.

"Rebelliousness aside, I think he will serve you well, Master Gimli." The Noldor elf confirmed my horrified thoughts. My father was giving me an elf! How could he? What was I to do with an elf? Where would it stay? I didn't want it hanging around my chambers!

Beside me, Norin cleared his throat, and I belatedly realised everyone was waiting for me to speak.

"I.I thank you, Master Elf, for this valuable information. No doubt it will come in very useful when I am dealing with my fathers.gift." I sat down abruptly and the Noldor elf addressed my father again.

I looked at the elf my father had just given me, starting when I met a pair of bright blue eyes that quickly dropped to the floor. So, the elf was curious about his new master. I suppose he had a right to be. But how on earth could he help me? He was far too skinny to be of any use. Probably fall over if you breathed on him too hard. And what was his name? I couldn't just call him 'elf' all the time, especially if the other wood- elves were also staying here. Every time someone yelled 'elf' there'd be a small stampede. And what place did elves have in a dwarf mine? None. They had no place at all. Why couldn't we just return them all to where they came from?

At the next lull in the conversation I asked the nearest Noldor elf what my elf's name was. The Noldor elf blinked at me, obviously surprised at being asked.

"His name? His name is Legolas."
A/N: The ring never existed, so the Last Alliance never existed, so Oropher was never killed until the Noldor killed him. That would make Thranduil prince, and I'm not sure what title Legolas would have had. Legolas' mother was killed in the war.