A/N: It ain't mine, don't sue. Due to a certain person's comments, ever heard of constructive criticism? It's much more helpful then blatant slamming. Also I would like to take a moment to tell you whom I do own. Arathia? Yep she's mine. Miriel? Last I checked this Miriel was mine. Calawen and Thalionsul? Both are mine. Also I would like to make it very clear that I have never, ever said that in the event of Arathia's death, she would go to Mandos. She would go to wherever the souls of Men go. And if you haven't noticed, Legolas is about to give up his immortality. Now that I have taken this moment, let's continue with the story.
A Father's Love
Legolas hadn't slept all night. He had been wandering the woods while a light drizzle had come down. Before he had married Arathia, this was how he had often spent his nights. But when he did marry her he had started sleeping in the same way mortals sleep so he would be used to it by the time he too would be mortal. And that time had come. Miriel was old enough to travel. He and Arathia did not want to wait any longer for his father's blessing. The time for all their hopes to come to fulfillment was now. Legolas had thought he would be fully ready to give up the only life he had known and start a new one with the ones he loved more then this life. And he was ready. But a part of him was sad. He would miss Mirkwood, his father, his friends, and especially his mother whom he would never see again. But in giving up this, he would have the greatest gains in the entire world.
The rain was letting up as Legolas went back to the house. Arathia and Miriel were still asleep. In her little cradle, Miriel was as peaceful as could be. Legolas knelt by her and gently traced his finger along her cheek. She stirred a little before clutching her father's finger tightly. Legolas smiled. Yes, the rewards of a mortal life were much better then those of an immortal one. Legolas was so deep in admiring his perfect daughter that he did not notice Arathia until she had placed her hand on his shoulder. He turned to face her.
"By Eru, the rewards are greater," Legolas thought to himself as he rose to face his wife. Arathia looked like an angel in her white gown and her hair falling like a waterfall onto her shoulders. She placed her hand on his cheek as she spoke.
"When you come back, Miriel and I will be ready." Her voice was sad; she shared too in her husband's sorrow.
Legolas took Arathia's hand and kissed it before kissing her luscious lips. And with that he departed for the palace to receive Thranduil's blessing.
The rain had completely stopped, but the sky was still an ugly gray when Legolas came to Thranduil's private chambers. Thranduil was speaking with his counselors when Legolas arrived. Thranduil turned to him and spoke:
"Mae govannen, amin yondo *. Is there something you need?"
"Mae govannen, amin Atil **. Yes there is," Legolas replied. He waited for the counselors to leave, but they did not until Legolas said, "Alone, if it pleases you Father."
With a wave of his hand, Thranduil dismissed the counselors and gave his full attention to his son. His face was as stern as ever, he must have been discussing something very important, but what Legolas had to say was even more important. Legolas took a deep breath and prayed to Elbereth before beginning.
"My Father, I must ask your blessing."
"My blessing?" asked Thranduil, "For what?"
And with that everything came pouring out of Legolas. That the elf Thranduil had known as Anorwing was really Arathia daughter of Arathorn and a mortal. How they had met in the Wood and had fallen in love with each other at once. How they had kept Arathia's mortality a secret. How she had lived in the Wood all these years with only three elves knowing who she truly was. How they had loved each other for so long, that finally they had secretly married with those other two elves as witnesses. And finally Legolas told Thranduil of Miriel.
As Legolas spoke, Thranduil's expression turned from being its normal sternness, to anger, to fury, till finally he could no longer look at his son. He was gripping the railing of his chamber's balcony when Legolas spoke of Miriel. Thranduil almost broke the railing at this.
"Now I ask you, Father, to grant me your blessing so that I may join my wife and daughter in mortality."
Legolas could clearly see his father's reaction as a suffocating silence filled the room and for the first time doubt crept into his heart. He had never considered it, but what if Thranduil didn't give Legolas his blessing? What would he and Arathia do? Never mind. Legolas would think of something. If worst came to worst, then he, Arathia, and Miriel could flee to Lothlorien. It was the closest elf kingdom and the Lord Celeborn and the Lady Galadriel were his kin. They would help him and Arathia.
Thranduil did not speak for what seemed an eternity; he let the silence devour them. When at last neither could take it, he spoke:
"Do you remember Firithlas?" Thranduil's voice contained all the fury of the raging sea as he spoke of his eldest son. He turned to face Legolas as he spoke. His face was a mix of pure fury and unimaginable love. For a moment, Legolas didn't recognize him.
"Do you remember Firithlas?" Thranduil reiterated his question when Legolas didn't answer immediately.
"Of course I do." Legolas replied indignantly. No one had spoken of Firithlas so openly since it happened.
"And what happened to him?"
"You know what happened to him," Legolas replied angrily.
"Say it," hissed Thranduil.
Legolas took a breath; this wasn't going the way he expected at all.
"He was killed in the Battle of Five Armies." Even now the words were unreal to Legolas.
"And Ethuilas***? What happened to him?"
"He was killed the same day." Why was Thranduil doing this? The death of Legolas' brothers had no relevance to what Legolas was asking; it only brought back painful memories and a fault that Legolas had yet to forgive himself for.
"And Luinelen ****, your mother? What happened to her?" Thranduil stepped closer to his last son as he spoke.
"She departed over the Sea, the grief was too much for her." Legolas could barely look his father in the eyes. The sorrowful fates of his mother and brothers were too much for him to believe even now.
"And do you think that when I depart for the Sea, that I will be able to tell her that she will never see any of her sons again? Do you think that she would live? Do you think I could live with that?"
Legolas did not reply.
"Therefore my son, I will not grant you my blessing. I will never see my last son suffer the Curse of Men."
Legolas couldn't speak. He saw what his father had been getting to now and it infuriated him. How could he do this? What of Arathia and Miriel? They were Thranduil's kin as well! Would Thranduil leave them without a husband or father?
"What of my family?" Legolas asked. "They are your kin as well!"
"No, they are not. That woman is a whore and that child a bastard. I will never acknowledge them. But I acknowledge you my son and I give you this chance to seek my forgiveness for your promiscuous behavior and recant your relationship with them."
Now it was Legolas' turn to be infuriated. "Promiscuous behavior? Recant my relationship with them? They are my wife and daughter and I refuse to do any such thing for as long as I live!"
"Then you force me to incarcerate you until you see the error of your ways and do as I have spoken. Guards!"
Two guards entered the chamber waiting for Thranduil's command.
"Take my son to the strongest of our dungeons. Do not release him unless I personally command it."
The guards were startled by this command and hesitated for a moment. But their love for their king outweighed the love of their prince and they did as Thranduil commanded.
TBC...
*Well met, my son.
** Well met, my Father.
*** Spring Leaf
**** Lonely Star
A Father's Love
Legolas hadn't slept all night. He had been wandering the woods while a light drizzle had come down. Before he had married Arathia, this was how he had often spent his nights. But when he did marry her he had started sleeping in the same way mortals sleep so he would be used to it by the time he too would be mortal. And that time had come. Miriel was old enough to travel. He and Arathia did not want to wait any longer for his father's blessing. The time for all their hopes to come to fulfillment was now. Legolas had thought he would be fully ready to give up the only life he had known and start a new one with the ones he loved more then this life. And he was ready. But a part of him was sad. He would miss Mirkwood, his father, his friends, and especially his mother whom he would never see again. But in giving up this, he would have the greatest gains in the entire world.
The rain was letting up as Legolas went back to the house. Arathia and Miriel were still asleep. In her little cradle, Miriel was as peaceful as could be. Legolas knelt by her and gently traced his finger along her cheek. She stirred a little before clutching her father's finger tightly. Legolas smiled. Yes, the rewards of a mortal life were much better then those of an immortal one. Legolas was so deep in admiring his perfect daughter that he did not notice Arathia until she had placed her hand on his shoulder. He turned to face her.
"By Eru, the rewards are greater," Legolas thought to himself as he rose to face his wife. Arathia looked like an angel in her white gown and her hair falling like a waterfall onto her shoulders. She placed her hand on his cheek as she spoke.
"When you come back, Miriel and I will be ready." Her voice was sad; she shared too in her husband's sorrow.
Legolas took Arathia's hand and kissed it before kissing her luscious lips. And with that he departed for the palace to receive Thranduil's blessing.
The rain had completely stopped, but the sky was still an ugly gray when Legolas came to Thranduil's private chambers. Thranduil was speaking with his counselors when Legolas arrived. Thranduil turned to him and spoke:
"Mae govannen, amin yondo *. Is there something you need?"
"Mae govannen, amin Atil **. Yes there is," Legolas replied. He waited for the counselors to leave, but they did not until Legolas said, "Alone, if it pleases you Father."
With a wave of his hand, Thranduil dismissed the counselors and gave his full attention to his son. His face was as stern as ever, he must have been discussing something very important, but what Legolas had to say was even more important. Legolas took a deep breath and prayed to Elbereth before beginning.
"My Father, I must ask your blessing."
"My blessing?" asked Thranduil, "For what?"
And with that everything came pouring out of Legolas. That the elf Thranduil had known as Anorwing was really Arathia daughter of Arathorn and a mortal. How they had met in the Wood and had fallen in love with each other at once. How they had kept Arathia's mortality a secret. How she had lived in the Wood all these years with only three elves knowing who she truly was. How they had loved each other for so long, that finally they had secretly married with those other two elves as witnesses. And finally Legolas told Thranduil of Miriel.
As Legolas spoke, Thranduil's expression turned from being its normal sternness, to anger, to fury, till finally he could no longer look at his son. He was gripping the railing of his chamber's balcony when Legolas spoke of Miriel. Thranduil almost broke the railing at this.
"Now I ask you, Father, to grant me your blessing so that I may join my wife and daughter in mortality."
Legolas could clearly see his father's reaction as a suffocating silence filled the room and for the first time doubt crept into his heart. He had never considered it, but what if Thranduil didn't give Legolas his blessing? What would he and Arathia do? Never mind. Legolas would think of something. If worst came to worst, then he, Arathia, and Miriel could flee to Lothlorien. It was the closest elf kingdom and the Lord Celeborn and the Lady Galadriel were his kin. They would help him and Arathia.
Thranduil did not speak for what seemed an eternity; he let the silence devour them. When at last neither could take it, he spoke:
"Do you remember Firithlas?" Thranduil's voice contained all the fury of the raging sea as he spoke of his eldest son. He turned to face Legolas as he spoke. His face was a mix of pure fury and unimaginable love. For a moment, Legolas didn't recognize him.
"Do you remember Firithlas?" Thranduil reiterated his question when Legolas didn't answer immediately.
"Of course I do." Legolas replied indignantly. No one had spoken of Firithlas so openly since it happened.
"And what happened to him?"
"You know what happened to him," Legolas replied angrily.
"Say it," hissed Thranduil.
Legolas took a breath; this wasn't going the way he expected at all.
"He was killed in the Battle of Five Armies." Even now the words were unreal to Legolas.
"And Ethuilas***? What happened to him?"
"He was killed the same day." Why was Thranduil doing this? The death of Legolas' brothers had no relevance to what Legolas was asking; it only brought back painful memories and a fault that Legolas had yet to forgive himself for.
"And Luinelen ****, your mother? What happened to her?" Thranduil stepped closer to his last son as he spoke.
"She departed over the Sea, the grief was too much for her." Legolas could barely look his father in the eyes. The sorrowful fates of his mother and brothers were too much for him to believe even now.
"And do you think that when I depart for the Sea, that I will be able to tell her that she will never see any of her sons again? Do you think that she would live? Do you think I could live with that?"
Legolas did not reply.
"Therefore my son, I will not grant you my blessing. I will never see my last son suffer the Curse of Men."
Legolas couldn't speak. He saw what his father had been getting to now and it infuriated him. How could he do this? What of Arathia and Miriel? They were Thranduil's kin as well! Would Thranduil leave them without a husband or father?
"What of my family?" Legolas asked. "They are your kin as well!"
"No, they are not. That woman is a whore and that child a bastard. I will never acknowledge them. But I acknowledge you my son and I give you this chance to seek my forgiveness for your promiscuous behavior and recant your relationship with them."
Now it was Legolas' turn to be infuriated. "Promiscuous behavior? Recant my relationship with them? They are my wife and daughter and I refuse to do any such thing for as long as I live!"
"Then you force me to incarcerate you until you see the error of your ways and do as I have spoken. Guards!"
Two guards entered the chamber waiting for Thranduil's command.
"Take my son to the strongest of our dungeons. Do not release him unless I personally command it."
The guards were startled by this command and hesitated for a moment. But their love for their king outweighed the love of their prince and they did as Thranduil commanded.
TBC...
*Well met, my son.
** Well met, my Father.
*** Spring Leaf
**** Lonely Star