A/N – Welcome to my very first LotRs fic! There I both het and yaoi (slash) present here so if either upset you please move along. This is basically my attempt to portray the relationship between Legolas and Aragorn without dismissing Tolkiens writings of Arwen.
Disclaimer – The Lord of The Rings belongs to Tolkien, not me. A couple of lines are lifted or adapted from the appendxies as I wanted to remain, in this prologue at least, as trues as possible to the story line. I apologise.
All you need is love.
All you need is love.
All you need is love, love,
Love is all you need.
"Elbereth, bless this union. Let our love prosper and grow to over come all which threatens the peace and beauty of Arda," The voice of an Elven Prince whispered the small prayer into the night as his luminous eyes gazed up at the stars so beloved by his kindred. In his arms he held the slumbering form of Estel. The mortal foster son of Elrond, Lord of Imladris. The moonlight bathed their bare forms as the warm summer breeze caressed their skin in a clearing of Mirkwood forest. To the eyes of its Prince it appeared that the darkness which had been steadily growing in this portion of his fathers domain had vanished in the wake of his union with the Man.
Not doubt King Thranduil would be furious when his son announced what had come to pass. For above all others of his kindred Thranduil desired the gold and jewels of the Earth in a manner more associated with the Dwarf Lords. The Prince of Mirkwood was beautiful in his own right and it was well known that the King of the Realm was simply waiting for a maiden with a large enough dowry before marrying off his son. Legolas Greenleaf however, had always been regarded as a strange Elf and the events which had unfurled since his meeting with Estel merely one month ago had led to him being the first male Elf, in his knowledge at least, to bind himself to a mortal Man. Unlike the Elf-maiden Luthien, Legolas retained his immortality for there was no mortal blood which flowed through his veins. He spared not a thought for the future when Estel would grow old and eventually succumb to that fate which was viewed as both blessing and curse.
Legolas began to sing softly in the tongue of his people, the joy of their union overwhelming him as he thanked the Valar for guiding him to the young mortal. In all his years the Sindar Elf had never known anyone like Estel. The Man shone with the life in such a way that he eclipsed even the glow of the First Born. Legolas had fallen fast and hard, as is the way of his people. A wise woman had passed through Mirkwood many years before and spoken little more than to tell the Prince that he was to have a strange fate. It seemed that her foresight proved true for there are few of his kindred willing or able to love the Second Born in the manner he loved Estel.
Fate was to become both crueller and stranger to the Prince of Mirkwood. Estel was forced to return to Rivendell the very next day, leaving Legolas to face the wrath of Thranduil alone. The Prince would have followed his husband but was delayed for a long while as the dark forces in the forest multiplied while the shadow in the East grew broader. Estel did return to Mirkwood but once, to deliver unto Thranduil's keeping the creature called Gollum. He stayed but briefly, explaining to Legolas that he had gained a new identity. He was Aragorn, Son of Arathorn, destined to become the one to reunite the race of Men. He was learning the ways of the world and the paths of Middle-Earth as to be prepared when the day came. As such there was no time to re-establish their bond before the Man once again departed. Between the never ending fight to secure Mirkwoods borders and the keeping of the wretched creature his beloved had entrusted to their keeping Legolas had no time to visit his love. He did not miss the irony of an Elf wishing for more time. So it came to be that two summers passed before Legolas found himself free to visit Imladris and Estel, though he feared he would bring the Man more disappointment than joy, for Gollum had escaped Mirkwoods keeping.
Long years had passed since Legolas had felt the sanctuary of Imladris for he rarely journeyed from his forest. He longed to surround himself in the peace of Rivendell and the love of Estel, for his father had yet to forgive him and the darkness of Mirkwood was ever threatening to overwhelm him. As Legolas urged his horse forward into a trot and he passed through the gates of Lord Elrond's haven the Princes' keen eyes caught sight of his beloved gazing out over the valley from a balcony. Legolas felt emotion sweep through his veins. He felt he had come home.
* * *
From the second he had seen the Prince of Mirkwood Estel had been enraptured by his beauty. For a month the sons of Elrond had enjoyed the hospitality of the Northern Elves whilst he enjoyed the company of Legolas Greenleaf. It came to pass that on the last night of his stay Legolas had led him deep into the forest, to a clearing safe from harm. There the Prince had declared his love and Estel returned in kind. Upon the lush grass, witnessed by the stars, the two made love. It had torn the Man's heart when he was forced to return to Imladris. Thus when he arrived he wandered the passages of his home looking lost and forlorn, though he told no one what had come to pass within the dark of Mirkwood. He was but a Man, though he felt it not and thought himself unworthy of an Elven Prince.
Yet his mind was not to remain solely on the Greenleaf of Mirkwood for Elrond called him to his chambers and there he called Estel by his true name and presented to him the heirlooms of his house. Aragorn's heart became light, for he was to one day be the King of Men and surely that made equalled him to any Elf of royal birth or no. He wandered through the woodland so different from that of Mirkwood and he sang, for he was full of hope and the world was good. It was here, as dusk approached that he discovered the fair Lady of Rivendell, the Evenstar. The pride he had felt in discovering his high birth paled, for naught could compare to her dignity and grace. Thoughts of Legolas Greenleaf vanished with the setting of the sun and from that hour he loved Arwen Undomiel daughter of Elrond.
He set forth to learn the ways of the world and the paths of Middle Earth as to be prepared for when the day came, for the Lady Arwen would be wed to no less than the King of Gondor and Arnor. He met and became friends with Gandalf the Grey and at times they would hunt for the creature Gollum through Middle Earth. Eventually he came upon his quarry in the Dead Marshes and took him to the nearest strong hold; Mirkwood. There he was once more greeted by his first love and he felt the stirrings in his heart. Yet his bond with Arwen was new and fragile and he would do naught to harm it. As such he kept the visit strictly formal; delivering his burden and telling Legolas of his true heritage before taking his leave.
Not long had passed before Gandalf bid him to aid in the quest of four Halflings and guide them to Rivendell if he should be delayed. He did as asked and guided and protected the Hobbits to his home, all the while a warning grew in his mind that Isildur's bane was found and his time was soon come, though he took action on this point preferring to wait for the counsel of those older and wiser than himself. Through much hardship they journeyed until they made it to the Last Homely House with the assistance of Lord Glorfindel. His foster father bid him to rest and take food for he would soon be required to sit upon a counsel made up of the free peoples of Middle Earth. The time had come to answer the threat of Mordor. He wandered out onto a balcony and gazed out over the valley. Aragorn felt determination sweep through his veins. He would answer the call of his fate.