Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, and no copyright infringement
is intended.
Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil and heir to the throne of Mirkwood, bit his lip. It was frustrating, he mused, how quickly events changed. His father had never seemed concerned about his apparent lack of interest in marriage- indeed, he had even encouraged it! But all that had suddenly changed overnight, and Legolas had been given no warning of the plans until a mere second ago.
He frowned. He truly had not wished to startle the servant so, but the news had been more shocking, more surprising then he imagined, and he had simply reacted. Now, he wished he could do things differently and accept the news without nearly fainting. But at least the servant was trustworthy and would not tell his father......
Or would he? Legolas shook his head grimly. If his father ever received word of his reaction then things would get interesting..... to say the least. No doubt he would send the healer, force Legolas to stay in bed to 'recover,' and then send many guards with him on his journey to Rivendell- if he himself did not accompany Legolas. The thought was enough to make him smile; if he was to meet his betrothed-a man he had only heard about but never met- then he would certainly rather do it by himself, without his father.
At his best, Thranduil could be rather intimidating, but while concerned or upset his mood would be considered anything but just 'intimidating.' Legolas did not know much about his betrothed, but he certainly didn't want to give the poor man a heart attack from their first meeting.
The slight sound of footsteps caught his attention and he turned. His father was coming toward him, face expressionless, but his steps were determined. Inwardly, Legolas allowed himself a grimace. He knew what that walk, what that carefully masked face meant; there would be a discussion shortly, one that neither would much enjoy, but it would be necessary.
"You hide away under the trees as when you were an elfling," Thranduil said quietly, and Legolas nodded.
"The trees bring me peace. When I feel upset or unsettled, I listen to their song and feel calm once again."
"And now? Has their song worked again, or is their magic no longer working? For I sense that you remain unsettled, and I fear it is the news of your betrothal that has made you so."
His betrothal.....Legolas sighed. There it was, the reason for his brooding and his unrest. But while he was not pleased with the arrangements, he could not be too angry with his father. And perhaps, if asked, Thranduil would cancel the arrangements.
"Indeed, the news was quite unexpected, and though I do not wish to insult you, it was also quite unpleasant. Please, father, is there any way this arrangement can be avoided? Why must I suddenly marry now, with no warning or freedom of choice?"
Thranduil smiled gently. "I thought you would reply in such a fashion. Polite, yet firm, as if you don't wish to harm my feelings. But as to your question. Why the sudden rush? I do apologize, but I myself did not decide until a few days ago, when I sent Elrond the message. He will have received it by now, and is probably wondering the same thing..... but listen to me, Legolas, and listen carefully. What I am to tell you now cannot be repeated to anyone- not to Elrond, not to Aragorn, not even to your best friend. Do you understand?"
The King of Mirkwood waited for his son's nod before continuing. "Very well. Since you have agreed, I will tell you, but you must make certain no one overhears our meeting. Call upon your tree friends to help if you must, but be careful in doing so, for too much urgency in your request would warn other Elves.
"Darkness is stirring in the world once again; I have felt it, felt as the wind shudders in horror and the trees whisper in terror. Evil arises in Dol Guldur, though what form I do not know."
"Do you believe it to be Sauron?" Legolas whispered.
Thranduil nodded. "There is no other explanation. At first I hoped otherwise, but when the trees dared not speak the name of this evil my hopes were quenched. And with Sauron's return war will come to our land- not just to Mirkwood, but to Middle Earth itself- and we will be hard pressed to stop it. But stop it we must, and in order to do so our people must have faith. It will ease their hearts-and mine-to see you married with the chance of producing an heir. For as the only two members of the royal family, we will be targeted by the evil; it is for this reason that you must wed, but it is not the only one.
"Many kings and queens have asked permission to court you, but most were far from kind. Those that were lived far away, and you would not have enjoyed it. But Aragorn is kind; he was raised by Elrond and knows our type. He is the future king of Gondor as well, and such a union would be powerful...... the darkness would be hard-pressed to defeat such an alliance."
Thranduil laughed. "And now that Elrond received the letter, it is too late to retract the offer. He would claim insult and relations would be more tense. But I am truly sorry for not informing you before hand, yet I did not have a choice. I wish you could marry for love and not necessity, but this darkness leaves me with no choice."
Legolas shook his head. "It is all right, Ada. I understand your choices and I understand your dilemma. But do not worry; I will marry Aragorn if he accepts me."
"He must. If this marriage is not completed then war will be declared between Mirkwood and Rivendell. Relations between our two nations have been poor ever since Isildur's treachery, and if you are refused I'd be forced to declare insult. And though elves fighting elves would be a terrible evil, it cannot be helped. But hopefully the threat will be enough, and Aragorn is rumored to be very kind. You should be happy enough with him, even if you remain only friends."
"But what about heirs? You implied earlier that you expected heirs to be produced, yet if we are only friends......"
"Then how can you possibly conceive?" Thranduil shook his head. "That is the only part that worries me. But it is my hope that you become more than friends- in which case that would no longer be a problem. But if a problem it becomes, then it will be dealt with accordingly. Perhaps Mithrandir might have a solution.... he usually does."
Legolas sighed. "Very well. I will do as you wish, and marry Aragorn, but will you promise to visit me frequently? For if he is to be crowned King of Gondor I will be forced to reside behind stone walls. Beautiful as they may be, I will continue to yearn for trees and Mirkwood. Seeing you would at least put my heart at ease and make my time more enjoyable."
Thranduil nodded. "It is the least I can do. And I will make certain to arrange trips for you to visit Mirkwood frequently, and Aragorn may come along if he so desires. But now you must prepare for your journey; it is several days to Rivendell, and you need to be there several days before the celebration. I shall arrive the day before Aragorn's pre- coronation ceremony, and we shall discuss our plans in further detail. Until then I wish you a safe journey..... your escort is waiting at the palace gates, so you must hurry."
He pulled Legolas into a tight embrace, and the younger elf allowed himself to be comforted. Perhaps Aragorn wouldn't be so bad, he thought wistfully as he hugged his father. But if that were so, why did he have this feeling of impending doom, of unavoidable disaster? He didn't know. As he stepped away from his father and headed toward his rooms to pack, he hoped he would never find out.
*A/N: So that's it with Chapter two! I know it's still pretty short, but with finals coming up it's all I could post for now. Please review and tell me what you think!!*
*Response to Reviews:*
Wow! I *never* expected to get such a response! You guys are great! I'd just like to thank each and every one of your for all your wonderful reviews! You really inspired me and encouraged me to continue the story! Once again, thank you all very much!!
*Lady of Dreams* : LOL! I loved that scene between Aragorn, Legolas, and you! It made my day!
*Angel of Hope * Vala en' estel* Wow, you added my story to your favorites list? Thanks! I hope I don't disappoint you!
*Hey.*: No offense taken! I know the first chapter was *extremely* short- it wasn't even a full page! Hopefully the chapters will start getting longer, and hopefully the updates will become more frequent.
*WePo*: I always have problems getting spaces between my author's note and the beginning of the story. I don't know if it's my computer being weird or if it's just me (it's probably just me), but I'll try to fix it. Thanks!
*Stranger in Paradise*: 1. *Nobody among Middle-Earth's good guys forces anybody to marry anyone else, not even royalty.*: That's actually debatable. True, Elves usually don't behave in such a manner, but there have been a few exceptions to their behavior. As to no one among the "good guys" would force anybody to marry anybody else, that could also be debated. There are reasons behind Thranduil's logic (not all of them were addressed in this chapter, but they will be in later ones), but there is also another matter to consider. Elrond was going to refuse Arwen's hand to Aragorn unless he became King of Gondor. Even then, when Aragorn became King, Elrond did not want Arwen to marry him, because he had Arwen's best interest at heart. That's basically what is going on here. Thranduil is only trying to do what he thinks is best for Legolas and Mirkwood-even Gondor and Aragorn, too.
*2: Elves don't engage in wars for such petty and stupid reason. They're not humans, after all.* You're right. They are not humans, but they also are not perfect. Remember, Oropher was killed during the War of the Last Alliance of Men and Elves, and relations that were strained before then only became worse. Add that to the tension of racism and the rising evil and even the tolerance of Elves would be low.
*3: Aragorn became king with minimal help from Elrond. Elrond may have brought him up, but he no longer tells Aragorn what to do.* That statement kind of depends on one's definition of minimal help; Elrond raised Aragorn, taught him the ways of Elves, and told him his history. He influenced Aragorn greatly and encouraged him to become king. If being raised and taught by someone is minimal help, then yes, you're correct. However, you are missing an important part in chapter one: Elrond never *told* Aragorn what to do; he suggested and asked, but he did not attempt to force Aragorn to do anything.
*4: The King of Gondor has no reason to be afraid of war with King Thranduil, who has a small, lightly populated kingdom over a thousand miles away.* Aragorn is not king yet. To have a war because he refused to make sacrifices-something a king is expected to do-would be a very bad start to his ruling. And though Thranduil's realm may not be the largest, fighting a war would have dire consequences. Remember, Elves are faster, better warriors, more experienced, and have many advantages over men. Thranduil's elves would indeed be a serious threat, especially when Aragorn just became king.
*5: What kind of horrible coronation gift is that? It's like giving someone a kitten for Christmass without bothering to find out if they want one, or even like cats!* Once again, it kind of depends on one's view point. Royalty often decided marriages at birth, when the two weren't even old enough to walk or speak. So the idea of sending someone to be married as a gift is not so far-fetched. Also, the fact that the two kingdoms would be strengthened is reason enough for marriage, so it was more a matter of necessity and protecting the two royals.
*I could go on forever with reasons why this story doesn't work for these characters (and may yet), but I think I've made my point.* If you do decide to do this, please email me so I can respond more efficiently. I would be happy to discuss these with you, but please remember that until the story is finished, not everything will be explained. I would also like to thank you, however, for bringing up good points against my chapter instead of simply saying it sucked.
*To all my other reviewers, thanks again! I enjoyed each review, and I hope to hear from you some more! Until next time!*
Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil and heir to the throne of Mirkwood, bit his lip. It was frustrating, he mused, how quickly events changed. His father had never seemed concerned about his apparent lack of interest in marriage- indeed, he had even encouraged it! But all that had suddenly changed overnight, and Legolas had been given no warning of the plans until a mere second ago.
He frowned. He truly had not wished to startle the servant so, but the news had been more shocking, more surprising then he imagined, and he had simply reacted. Now, he wished he could do things differently and accept the news without nearly fainting. But at least the servant was trustworthy and would not tell his father......
Or would he? Legolas shook his head grimly. If his father ever received word of his reaction then things would get interesting..... to say the least. No doubt he would send the healer, force Legolas to stay in bed to 'recover,' and then send many guards with him on his journey to Rivendell- if he himself did not accompany Legolas. The thought was enough to make him smile; if he was to meet his betrothed-a man he had only heard about but never met- then he would certainly rather do it by himself, without his father.
At his best, Thranduil could be rather intimidating, but while concerned or upset his mood would be considered anything but just 'intimidating.' Legolas did not know much about his betrothed, but he certainly didn't want to give the poor man a heart attack from their first meeting.
The slight sound of footsteps caught his attention and he turned. His father was coming toward him, face expressionless, but his steps were determined. Inwardly, Legolas allowed himself a grimace. He knew what that walk, what that carefully masked face meant; there would be a discussion shortly, one that neither would much enjoy, but it would be necessary.
"You hide away under the trees as when you were an elfling," Thranduil said quietly, and Legolas nodded.
"The trees bring me peace. When I feel upset or unsettled, I listen to their song and feel calm once again."
"And now? Has their song worked again, or is their magic no longer working? For I sense that you remain unsettled, and I fear it is the news of your betrothal that has made you so."
His betrothal.....Legolas sighed. There it was, the reason for his brooding and his unrest. But while he was not pleased with the arrangements, he could not be too angry with his father. And perhaps, if asked, Thranduil would cancel the arrangements.
"Indeed, the news was quite unexpected, and though I do not wish to insult you, it was also quite unpleasant. Please, father, is there any way this arrangement can be avoided? Why must I suddenly marry now, with no warning or freedom of choice?"
Thranduil smiled gently. "I thought you would reply in such a fashion. Polite, yet firm, as if you don't wish to harm my feelings. But as to your question. Why the sudden rush? I do apologize, but I myself did not decide until a few days ago, when I sent Elrond the message. He will have received it by now, and is probably wondering the same thing..... but listen to me, Legolas, and listen carefully. What I am to tell you now cannot be repeated to anyone- not to Elrond, not to Aragorn, not even to your best friend. Do you understand?"
The King of Mirkwood waited for his son's nod before continuing. "Very well. Since you have agreed, I will tell you, but you must make certain no one overhears our meeting. Call upon your tree friends to help if you must, but be careful in doing so, for too much urgency in your request would warn other Elves.
"Darkness is stirring in the world once again; I have felt it, felt as the wind shudders in horror and the trees whisper in terror. Evil arises in Dol Guldur, though what form I do not know."
"Do you believe it to be Sauron?" Legolas whispered.
Thranduil nodded. "There is no other explanation. At first I hoped otherwise, but when the trees dared not speak the name of this evil my hopes were quenched. And with Sauron's return war will come to our land- not just to Mirkwood, but to Middle Earth itself- and we will be hard pressed to stop it. But stop it we must, and in order to do so our people must have faith. It will ease their hearts-and mine-to see you married with the chance of producing an heir. For as the only two members of the royal family, we will be targeted by the evil; it is for this reason that you must wed, but it is not the only one.
"Many kings and queens have asked permission to court you, but most were far from kind. Those that were lived far away, and you would not have enjoyed it. But Aragorn is kind; he was raised by Elrond and knows our type. He is the future king of Gondor as well, and such a union would be powerful...... the darkness would be hard-pressed to defeat such an alliance."
Thranduil laughed. "And now that Elrond received the letter, it is too late to retract the offer. He would claim insult and relations would be more tense. But I am truly sorry for not informing you before hand, yet I did not have a choice. I wish you could marry for love and not necessity, but this darkness leaves me with no choice."
Legolas shook his head. "It is all right, Ada. I understand your choices and I understand your dilemma. But do not worry; I will marry Aragorn if he accepts me."
"He must. If this marriage is not completed then war will be declared between Mirkwood and Rivendell. Relations between our two nations have been poor ever since Isildur's treachery, and if you are refused I'd be forced to declare insult. And though elves fighting elves would be a terrible evil, it cannot be helped. But hopefully the threat will be enough, and Aragorn is rumored to be very kind. You should be happy enough with him, even if you remain only friends."
"But what about heirs? You implied earlier that you expected heirs to be produced, yet if we are only friends......"
"Then how can you possibly conceive?" Thranduil shook his head. "That is the only part that worries me. But it is my hope that you become more than friends- in which case that would no longer be a problem. But if a problem it becomes, then it will be dealt with accordingly. Perhaps Mithrandir might have a solution.... he usually does."
Legolas sighed. "Very well. I will do as you wish, and marry Aragorn, but will you promise to visit me frequently? For if he is to be crowned King of Gondor I will be forced to reside behind stone walls. Beautiful as they may be, I will continue to yearn for trees and Mirkwood. Seeing you would at least put my heart at ease and make my time more enjoyable."
Thranduil nodded. "It is the least I can do. And I will make certain to arrange trips for you to visit Mirkwood frequently, and Aragorn may come along if he so desires. But now you must prepare for your journey; it is several days to Rivendell, and you need to be there several days before the celebration. I shall arrive the day before Aragorn's pre- coronation ceremony, and we shall discuss our plans in further detail. Until then I wish you a safe journey..... your escort is waiting at the palace gates, so you must hurry."
He pulled Legolas into a tight embrace, and the younger elf allowed himself to be comforted. Perhaps Aragorn wouldn't be so bad, he thought wistfully as he hugged his father. But if that were so, why did he have this feeling of impending doom, of unavoidable disaster? He didn't know. As he stepped away from his father and headed toward his rooms to pack, he hoped he would never find out.
*A/N: So that's it with Chapter two! I know it's still pretty short, but with finals coming up it's all I could post for now. Please review and tell me what you think!!*
*Response to Reviews:*
Wow! I *never* expected to get such a response! You guys are great! I'd just like to thank each and every one of your for all your wonderful reviews! You really inspired me and encouraged me to continue the story! Once again, thank you all very much!!
*Lady of Dreams* : LOL! I loved that scene between Aragorn, Legolas, and you! It made my day!
*Angel of Hope * Vala en' estel* Wow, you added my story to your favorites list? Thanks! I hope I don't disappoint you!
*Hey.*: No offense taken! I know the first chapter was *extremely* short- it wasn't even a full page! Hopefully the chapters will start getting longer, and hopefully the updates will become more frequent.
*WePo*: I always have problems getting spaces between my author's note and the beginning of the story. I don't know if it's my computer being weird or if it's just me (it's probably just me), but I'll try to fix it. Thanks!
*Stranger in Paradise*: 1. *Nobody among Middle-Earth's good guys forces anybody to marry anyone else, not even royalty.*: That's actually debatable. True, Elves usually don't behave in such a manner, but there have been a few exceptions to their behavior. As to no one among the "good guys" would force anybody to marry anybody else, that could also be debated. There are reasons behind Thranduil's logic (not all of them were addressed in this chapter, but they will be in later ones), but there is also another matter to consider. Elrond was going to refuse Arwen's hand to Aragorn unless he became King of Gondor. Even then, when Aragorn became King, Elrond did not want Arwen to marry him, because he had Arwen's best interest at heart. That's basically what is going on here. Thranduil is only trying to do what he thinks is best for Legolas and Mirkwood-even Gondor and Aragorn, too.
*2: Elves don't engage in wars for such petty and stupid reason. They're not humans, after all.* You're right. They are not humans, but they also are not perfect. Remember, Oropher was killed during the War of the Last Alliance of Men and Elves, and relations that were strained before then only became worse. Add that to the tension of racism and the rising evil and even the tolerance of Elves would be low.
*3: Aragorn became king with minimal help from Elrond. Elrond may have brought him up, but he no longer tells Aragorn what to do.* That statement kind of depends on one's definition of minimal help; Elrond raised Aragorn, taught him the ways of Elves, and told him his history. He influenced Aragorn greatly and encouraged him to become king. If being raised and taught by someone is minimal help, then yes, you're correct. However, you are missing an important part in chapter one: Elrond never *told* Aragorn what to do; he suggested and asked, but he did not attempt to force Aragorn to do anything.
*4: The King of Gondor has no reason to be afraid of war with King Thranduil, who has a small, lightly populated kingdom over a thousand miles away.* Aragorn is not king yet. To have a war because he refused to make sacrifices-something a king is expected to do-would be a very bad start to his ruling. And though Thranduil's realm may not be the largest, fighting a war would have dire consequences. Remember, Elves are faster, better warriors, more experienced, and have many advantages over men. Thranduil's elves would indeed be a serious threat, especially when Aragorn just became king.
*5: What kind of horrible coronation gift is that? It's like giving someone a kitten for Christmass without bothering to find out if they want one, or even like cats!* Once again, it kind of depends on one's view point. Royalty often decided marriages at birth, when the two weren't even old enough to walk or speak. So the idea of sending someone to be married as a gift is not so far-fetched. Also, the fact that the two kingdoms would be strengthened is reason enough for marriage, so it was more a matter of necessity and protecting the two royals.
*I could go on forever with reasons why this story doesn't work for these characters (and may yet), but I think I've made my point.* If you do decide to do this, please email me so I can respond more efficiently. I would be happy to discuss these with you, but please remember that until the story is finished, not everything will be explained. I would also like to thank you, however, for bringing up good points against my chapter instead of simply saying it sucked.
*To all my other reviewers, thanks again! I enjoyed each review, and I hope to hear from you some more! Until next time!*