One thing to note here: The "rhyme" here is from "Aida" as well. "Like
Father, Like Son" is written by Elton John and Tim Rice. Not me!
______________________________________________________________________
It was Legolas who met them at the gates in Mirkwood. After a cheery welcome to his friends and Lord Elrond, he beckoned them into his home and led them down a series of hallways.
"How is your father, Legolas?" Elrohir asked. Something in Legolas' eyes flashed slightly, but Elrond was the only one to notice.
"He is. as he always his," the Prince replied.
"Any word from your brother?" Elrohir's twin continued.
Legolas shook his head. "No, we have had no word of Radames since he left Galadriel's home. He said he was headed towards." he hesitated. ".Rohan, I think he said. Though I do not understand why he would travel there." Legolas smiled slightly, almost sad, but with a quick shake of his head, he was himself again. It was then that Elladan noticed the bruise on his cheekbone.
"Might I suggest to whomever gave you this bruise that the shading is a bit too dark to go with the color of your eyes?" he teased.
Legolas gave him a good-natured glare. "I would gladly let you talk to the Warg who did this, but I already killed it. You'll have to find someone else to discuss color schemes with, Lady Elladan."
"Have you had much trouble with Wargs, then?" Elrond asked as the others laughed.
"We did, briefly, several days ago. But we handled it quickly enough," he answered, stopping in front of their rooms. "I'm afraid I have some business to attend to, but here are your rooms and your are free to go about the grounds as you please. I'll see you at the evening meal."
"And Thranduil?" Elrond asked.
Legolas hesitated again. "I'm sure you can attend to him after evening meal, or tomorrow at the latest."
"Legolas," Elrond said sternly. "Does even know we are here?"
The Prince glanced down at his feet. "By now, I'm sure he does. If you're asking if I told him I had sent you a message, the answer is no."
"Is that wise?" Elrohir asked kindly.
Legolas gave his sad smile again. "There is no other way." With a courteous nod, he disappeared down another hallway. The group from Rivendell stared after him.
"What do you make of that?" Elladan said.
Elrohir shrugged. "You know Legolas. He's probably acting this way on purpose to mess with us. Then again, he can be as moody as Estel sometimes."
The twins dashed into their rooms, laughing as Aragorn chased them. Elrond nodded to his daughter before entering his own chambers. After Arwen was settled into her room, she left the others in search of Legolas. She knew her brothers and Aragorn would look for their friends among the Mirkwood Elves, and her father would most likely stay and rest in his room. However, she wanted to know what was bothering Legolas, for unlike her brothers, she sensed that this was not something to joke lightly about.
She was passing by the King's private library when she heard angry voices inside, one of which she recognized as belonging to Legolas. She glanced around and seated herself on a bench a comfortable distance away from the library that still allowed her to hear what was going on. This way it would not appear that she was eavesdropping, 'even though I am,' she chided herself silently.
The voices broke back through her thoughts as she heard them switch to Meladil Rhyme. From her studies, she knew that Meladil Rhyme was used only by the royalty of Mirkwood when a topic of discussion was of the most important or private. Elrond had a book of Meladil in his own library, so Arwen was familiar enough with it to understand what was being said. She also found that if she positioned herself just so, she could see through the slightly open door into the room. She watched and listened as Thranduil spoke to his son.
"Don't come on so cocksure boy
You can't escape your genes
There's no point in feeling purer boy
Your background intervenes"
The King strode forward and grabbed Legolas' arm, hard enough to bruise. Arwen winced at the tightness of the grip, but Legolas barely flinched. Thranduil continued, his words sounding harsh and angry.
"Now listen good and listen straight
You're not the master of your fate
To this you must be reconciled
You'll always be your father's child
At times acclaimed, at times reviled
You'll wind up doing just as I have done
Like Father, like son"
To the surprise of Arwen, and more obviously to the surprise of Thranduil, Legolas roughly shoved his father's hand away and took a step closer. He too began to speak in tongue.
"Don't assume your vices
Get handed down the line
That a parent's blood suffices
To condemn the child's design
I've done wrong I can't deny
But atleast I know that I
Shouldn't blame that on my stock
Well this may come as quite a shock
But I'm no chip off any block
I wouldn't wish those words on any one
Like father, like Son"
Legolas turned to leave, but Thranduil stepped in front of him and nearly dragged him back into the room.
"Son you're nervous, take my hand
All is settled, all is planned
You've got the world at your command
I don't think you understand"
Legolas shook his head in disgust.
"I appreciate too well
The squalor at which you excel
It isn't very hard to tell
Evil's a distinctive smell"
There was a sudden silence, except for Legolas, breathing hard. Arwen waited a few moments before she fled back to her room. She needed to tell her father what had just happened. Arwen thought that she had witnessed the end of the conversation, but she was wrong. They were just getting started.
Legolas stood, almost calmly, as he waited for a response from his father. He knew his words, however true, had crossed a line and he would probably pay for them. He was right.
With an almost silent roar, Thranduil came at his son, shoving him violently up against the library's wall. Legolas felt his head snap back and connect sharply with the solid mass behind him. But he did not cry out. It had taken him many beatings to learn, but he had taught himself not to make a sound. He would not give his father the satisfaction.
Thranduil hissed at him, "So you decide to bring Elrond? To save me? Or just to save yourself?"
Legolas tried to clear his aching head. "You are not well," he stated firmly but softly. He then felt a sharp pain in his side and abdomen. He wondered briefly if he had torn his tunic, and if he had, how he would mend it before anyone saw. Another pain across his eyes as Thranduil backhanded him brought him back to reality.
"And who do you think you are to decide that I am not well? You are overstepping your bounds, little Prince," he snarled. "Would you like to join your brother?"
At the mention of Radames, Legolas' eyes snapped open. He tried to struggle out of his father's grasp. He wanted to run away, run to his brother, run to Elrond, anything but be here. But he was now so weak that the only thing keeping him standing was his father's bruising grip on his shoulders.
"Ah, you are defying me now? Do I have to teach you another lesson in manners?" Thranduil released from the wall and Legolas sank to his knees. He looked on in horror at what his father pulled out his robes. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for what was to come.
It was Legolas who met them at the gates in Mirkwood. After a cheery welcome to his friends and Lord Elrond, he beckoned them into his home and led them down a series of hallways.
"How is your father, Legolas?" Elrohir asked. Something in Legolas' eyes flashed slightly, but Elrond was the only one to notice.
"He is. as he always his," the Prince replied.
"Any word from your brother?" Elrohir's twin continued.
Legolas shook his head. "No, we have had no word of Radames since he left Galadriel's home. He said he was headed towards." he hesitated. ".Rohan, I think he said. Though I do not understand why he would travel there." Legolas smiled slightly, almost sad, but with a quick shake of his head, he was himself again. It was then that Elladan noticed the bruise on his cheekbone.
"Might I suggest to whomever gave you this bruise that the shading is a bit too dark to go with the color of your eyes?" he teased.
Legolas gave him a good-natured glare. "I would gladly let you talk to the Warg who did this, but I already killed it. You'll have to find someone else to discuss color schemes with, Lady Elladan."
"Have you had much trouble with Wargs, then?" Elrond asked as the others laughed.
"We did, briefly, several days ago. But we handled it quickly enough," he answered, stopping in front of their rooms. "I'm afraid I have some business to attend to, but here are your rooms and your are free to go about the grounds as you please. I'll see you at the evening meal."
"And Thranduil?" Elrond asked.
Legolas hesitated again. "I'm sure you can attend to him after evening meal, or tomorrow at the latest."
"Legolas," Elrond said sternly. "Does even know we are here?"
The Prince glanced down at his feet. "By now, I'm sure he does. If you're asking if I told him I had sent you a message, the answer is no."
"Is that wise?" Elrohir asked kindly.
Legolas gave his sad smile again. "There is no other way." With a courteous nod, he disappeared down another hallway. The group from Rivendell stared after him.
"What do you make of that?" Elladan said.
Elrohir shrugged. "You know Legolas. He's probably acting this way on purpose to mess with us. Then again, he can be as moody as Estel sometimes."
The twins dashed into their rooms, laughing as Aragorn chased them. Elrond nodded to his daughter before entering his own chambers. After Arwen was settled into her room, she left the others in search of Legolas. She knew her brothers and Aragorn would look for their friends among the Mirkwood Elves, and her father would most likely stay and rest in his room. However, she wanted to know what was bothering Legolas, for unlike her brothers, she sensed that this was not something to joke lightly about.
She was passing by the King's private library when she heard angry voices inside, one of which she recognized as belonging to Legolas. She glanced around and seated herself on a bench a comfortable distance away from the library that still allowed her to hear what was going on. This way it would not appear that she was eavesdropping, 'even though I am,' she chided herself silently.
The voices broke back through her thoughts as she heard them switch to Meladil Rhyme. From her studies, she knew that Meladil Rhyme was used only by the royalty of Mirkwood when a topic of discussion was of the most important or private. Elrond had a book of Meladil in his own library, so Arwen was familiar enough with it to understand what was being said. She also found that if she positioned herself just so, she could see through the slightly open door into the room. She watched and listened as Thranduil spoke to his son.
"Don't come on so cocksure boy
You can't escape your genes
There's no point in feeling purer boy
Your background intervenes"
The King strode forward and grabbed Legolas' arm, hard enough to bruise. Arwen winced at the tightness of the grip, but Legolas barely flinched. Thranduil continued, his words sounding harsh and angry.
"Now listen good and listen straight
You're not the master of your fate
To this you must be reconciled
You'll always be your father's child
At times acclaimed, at times reviled
You'll wind up doing just as I have done
Like Father, like son"
To the surprise of Arwen, and more obviously to the surprise of Thranduil, Legolas roughly shoved his father's hand away and took a step closer. He too began to speak in tongue.
"Don't assume your vices
Get handed down the line
That a parent's blood suffices
To condemn the child's design
I've done wrong I can't deny
But atleast I know that I
Shouldn't blame that on my stock
Well this may come as quite a shock
But I'm no chip off any block
I wouldn't wish those words on any one
Like father, like Son"
Legolas turned to leave, but Thranduil stepped in front of him and nearly dragged him back into the room.
"Son you're nervous, take my hand
All is settled, all is planned
You've got the world at your command
I don't think you understand"
Legolas shook his head in disgust.
"I appreciate too well
The squalor at which you excel
It isn't very hard to tell
Evil's a distinctive smell"
There was a sudden silence, except for Legolas, breathing hard. Arwen waited a few moments before she fled back to her room. She needed to tell her father what had just happened. Arwen thought that she had witnessed the end of the conversation, but she was wrong. They were just getting started.
Legolas stood, almost calmly, as he waited for a response from his father. He knew his words, however true, had crossed a line and he would probably pay for them. He was right.
With an almost silent roar, Thranduil came at his son, shoving him violently up against the library's wall. Legolas felt his head snap back and connect sharply with the solid mass behind him. But he did not cry out. It had taken him many beatings to learn, but he had taught himself not to make a sound. He would not give his father the satisfaction.
Thranduil hissed at him, "So you decide to bring Elrond? To save me? Or just to save yourself?"
Legolas tried to clear his aching head. "You are not well," he stated firmly but softly. He then felt a sharp pain in his side and abdomen. He wondered briefly if he had torn his tunic, and if he had, how he would mend it before anyone saw. Another pain across his eyes as Thranduil backhanded him brought him back to reality.
"And who do you think you are to decide that I am not well? You are overstepping your bounds, little Prince," he snarled. "Would you like to join your brother?"
At the mention of Radames, Legolas' eyes snapped open. He tried to struggle out of his father's grasp. He wanted to run away, run to his brother, run to Elrond, anything but be here. But he was now so weak that the only thing keeping him standing was his father's bruising grip on his shoulders.
"Ah, you are defying me now? Do I have to teach you another lesson in manners?" Thranduil released from the wall and Legolas sank to his knees. He looked on in horror at what his father pulled out his robes. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for what was to come.