"Oh, um…" Legolas sprang up and dusted himself off. Avery and Nib also got
up, all three trying not to laugh or smile.
"The Prince of Mirkwood, rolling around on the ground like a little child," Elrond said, his face stern.
1 Legolas played his part well, looking like a small child getting caught doing something he should not have. He stared at the ground, trying very hard not to laugh.
"What would someone think if they saw you? You have a reputation to uphold. You are supposed to be proper and noble."
At this point Avery and Nib could hold it no longer, and they fell to the ground laughing. Elrond stared at them for a minute before breaking into a rare smile.
"What would your father say?" Elrond said, turning back to Legolas.
"I… I will tell you what he would say," Nib said getting up and controlling her laughter. "It would go something like this…" Nib puffed out her chest and strutted about regally. "Now Legolas, you are my only son, you are all I have left. My only heir. How can you expect to inherit my throne if you insist on acting in this foolish way and hanging around with these… disreputable people? You are a prince and you had better start acting like it. You must understand son, this is for your good as well as mine. It is about your reputation son. If you do not have a good reputation you do not have anything."
Legolas shook his head and laughed, and even Elrond had to smile at Nib's antics.
"Now be a good boy and bring your father some nice gold and jewels. Forget about those female elves, they will not get you anywhere," Nib continued.
"Highly exaggerated, but with some truth," Elrond commented dryly.
Nib, however, kept going. "Especially that no good daughter of that-"
"All right, " Legolas cut her off, "enough. He is still our father."
"Your father," Nib corrected.
"He is still your father too, whether you admit it or not," Legolas said.
"I am not the one having trouble admitting that."
"You make this out to be all Thranduil's fault. You never take responsibility for your part in all this."
"My part? The only part I have is having a drop of dwarf blood in me."
"Common Nibin, you know he does not really mind that. That is only your excuse. It is your excuse for everything. He acts like he does not like you because you are too much like him and that frightens him. And also because you completely defy his authority; the only person who has ever done that and lived, completely physically unharmed."
"Because he does not care! If he cared it might be different."
"He cares," Legolas said, non-convincingly.
"Sure," Nib said. They both looked at Avery, who was still cracking up.
"What is wrong?" Legolas asked.
"You two," Avery said, "it is so obvious now that you are brother and sister."
Legolas smiled. "Why is that?" Nib asked, wrapping her arms around Legolas' neck from behind and pretending to choke him.
"It's because you get along so well," Avery said.
Legolas jerked forward suddenly, flipping Nib over his head, but catching he before she hit the ground. "Real well." He set Nib down. "In fact I think Thranduil has always been the only thing we have ever disagreed about."
"Now that is not true," Nib said. "We have disagreed about plenty of other stuff."
"No we have not," Legolas said. "We always agree."
"No we don't."
"Yes we do." They looked at each other for a moment before breaking into laughter again.
"I think I shall go send a message to the King to inform him that his son has gone quite mad," Elrond said dryly.
"Oh, I am fine," Legolas said. "From the feel of things there are some bad times ahead, and it is good to laugh while we can." This was said with such solemnity that no one doubted it was true.
"But Legolas is right," Nib said, changing the subject back to comfortable grounds. "Thranduil is the only thing we argue about. Except maybe arguing about arguing about him. And I am sorry for it Leggy, I know you love your father, but I have never felt anything but strong dislike from him. No," Nib amended thoughtfully, "it is not exactly that. It is more a feeling that he cannot stand to be in the same room with me or even look at me."
"He is ashamed," Avery said suddenly.
"What?" Legolas and Nib both turned to her.
"He is ashamed," Avery repeated. "Not of you Nib, but of the fact that he sent your mother away. He probably blames himself for your mother's death and thinks you do too. That is why he cannot stand to look at you."
Legolas and Nib stared open mouthed at her, as the realization of the possible truth in this set in.
"No," Nib said suddenly. "No, he is not like that. You do not know him."
"Neither do you," Legolas said quietly.
"If you two are finished I need to speak with you," Elrond said.
"Sure," Nib said.
"We will talk later," Legolas said to Avery.
"You're in trouble," Avery whispered. "Have fun at the principal's office."
Legolas grinned and followed Nib and Elrond.
"Oh, and Avery, I will want to talk to you too." Elrond said.
Legolas smirked at Avery as they walked off.
"Legolas has told me about your dreams."
"He has?" Nib asked.
"Yes."
"Well?"
"Very interesting. I have thought about this for a long time. I never actually considered sending Legolas. He is the heir of the throne of Mirkwood. I would not want to endanger him. Now I think it may be a good idea. Legolas, do you wish to go?"
Legolas thought for a minute before answering. "Recently, it seems, Elves have been concerned with their own affairs, not bothering with others' problems. Many have journeyed to the Haven. But this concerns the fate of all Middle Earth. I could not be a good king if I did not see to this. I want to go."
Elrond nodded. "I have to ask you to speak with Thranduil, before I officially name you to go."
"I have to ask permission?" Legolas asked, with a hint of sullenness.
"Yes. Thranduil is your father and your king. I believe it would be best if you had his blessing. And I think you should leave right away, so you can be back as soon as possible."
"All right," Legolas agreed, reluctantly. "I shall leave in the morning."
"You are leaving?" Nib asked.
"I think you should come with me," Legolas said.
"What?"
"Come with me to Mirkwood."
"You know I--"
"I know. It does not matter. I want you to come. For me? Please?" Legolas did his best puppy dog face.
"Legolas, you know I cannot resist that face."
"I know," Legolas said. "Why do you think I do it? So you will come?"
"Yes," Nib said. "I will come. No guarantee I will be talking to Thranduil, but I will come."
"Good."
"The Prince of Mirkwood, rolling around on the ground like a little child," Elrond said, his face stern.
1 Legolas played his part well, looking like a small child getting caught doing something he should not have. He stared at the ground, trying very hard not to laugh.
"What would someone think if they saw you? You have a reputation to uphold. You are supposed to be proper and noble."
At this point Avery and Nib could hold it no longer, and they fell to the ground laughing. Elrond stared at them for a minute before breaking into a rare smile.
"What would your father say?" Elrond said, turning back to Legolas.
"I… I will tell you what he would say," Nib said getting up and controlling her laughter. "It would go something like this…" Nib puffed out her chest and strutted about regally. "Now Legolas, you are my only son, you are all I have left. My only heir. How can you expect to inherit my throne if you insist on acting in this foolish way and hanging around with these… disreputable people? You are a prince and you had better start acting like it. You must understand son, this is for your good as well as mine. It is about your reputation son. If you do not have a good reputation you do not have anything."
Legolas shook his head and laughed, and even Elrond had to smile at Nib's antics.
"Now be a good boy and bring your father some nice gold and jewels. Forget about those female elves, they will not get you anywhere," Nib continued.
"Highly exaggerated, but with some truth," Elrond commented dryly.
Nib, however, kept going. "Especially that no good daughter of that-"
"All right, " Legolas cut her off, "enough. He is still our father."
"Your father," Nib corrected.
"He is still your father too, whether you admit it or not," Legolas said.
"I am not the one having trouble admitting that."
"You make this out to be all Thranduil's fault. You never take responsibility for your part in all this."
"My part? The only part I have is having a drop of dwarf blood in me."
"Common Nibin, you know he does not really mind that. That is only your excuse. It is your excuse for everything. He acts like he does not like you because you are too much like him and that frightens him. And also because you completely defy his authority; the only person who has ever done that and lived, completely physically unharmed."
"Because he does not care! If he cared it might be different."
"He cares," Legolas said, non-convincingly.
"Sure," Nib said. They both looked at Avery, who was still cracking up.
"What is wrong?" Legolas asked.
"You two," Avery said, "it is so obvious now that you are brother and sister."
Legolas smiled. "Why is that?" Nib asked, wrapping her arms around Legolas' neck from behind and pretending to choke him.
"It's because you get along so well," Avery said.
Legolas jerked forward suddenly, flipping Nib over his head, but catching he before she hit the ground. "Real well." He set Nib down. "In fact I think Thranduil has always been the only thing we have ever disagreed about."
"Now that is not true," Nib said. "We have disagreed about plenty of other stuff."
"No we have not," Legolas said. "We always agree."
"No we don't."
"Yes we do." They looked at each other for a moment before breaking into laughter again.
"I think I shall go send a message to the King to inform him that his son has gone quite mad," Elrond said dryly.
"Oh, I am fine," Legolas said. "From the feel of things there are some bad times ahead, and it is good to laugh while we can." This was said with such solemnity that no one doubted it was true.
"But Legolas is right," Nib said, changing the subject back to comfortable grounds. "Thranduil is the only thing we argue about. Except maybe arguing about arguing about him. And I am sorry for it Leggy, I know you love your father, but I have never felt anything but strong dislike from him. No," Nib amended thoughtfully, "it is not exactly that. It is more a feeling that he cannot stand to be in the same room with me or even look at me."
"He is ashamed," Avery said suddenly.
"What?" Legolas and Nib both turned to her.
"He is ashamed," Avery repeated. "Not of you Nib, but of the fact that he sent your mother away. He probably blames himself for your mother's death and thinks you do too. That is why he cannot stand to look at you."
Legolas and Nib stared open mouthed at her, as the realization of the possible truth in this set in.
"No," Nib said suddenly. "No, he is not like that. You do not know him."
"Neither do you," Legolas said quietly.
"If you two are finished I need to speak with you," Elrond said.
"Sure," Nib said.
"We will talk later," Legolas said to Avery.
"You're in trouble," Avery whispered. "Have fun at the principal's office."
Legolas grinned and followed Nib and Elrond.
"Oh, and Avery, I will want to talk to you too." Elrond said.
Legolas smirked at Avery as they walked off.
"Legolas has told me about your dreams."
"He has?" Nib asked.
"Yes."
"Well?"
"Very interesting. I have thought about this for a long time. I never actually considered sending Legolas. He is the heir of the throne of Mirkwood. I would not want to endanger him. Now I think it may be a good idea. Legolas, do you wish to go?"
Legolas thought for a minute before answering. "Recently, it seems, Elves have been concerned with their own affairs, not bothering with others' problems. Many have journeyed to the Haven. But this concerns the fate of all Middle Earth. I could not be a good king if I did not see to this. I want to go."
Elrond nodded. "I have to ask you to speak with Thranduil, before I officially name you to go."
"I have to ask permission?" Legolas asked, with a hint of sullenness.
"Yes. Thranduil is your father and your king. I believe it would be best if you had his blessing. And I think you should leave right away, so you can be back as soon as possible."
"All right," Legolas agreed, reluctantly. "I shall leave in the morning."
"You are leaving?" Nib asked.
"I think you should come with me," Legolas said.
"What?"
"Come with me to Mirkwood."
"You know I--"
"I know. It does not matter. I want you to come. For me? Please?" Legolas did his best puppy dog face.
"Legolas, you know I cannot resist that face."
"I know," Legolas said. "Why do you think I do it? So you will come?"
"Yes," Nib said. "I will come. No guarantee I will be talking to Thranduil, but I will come."
"Good."
