Chapter 3 – Feasting And Challenges
Thranduil's children were sat on the floor in a circle around the teddy bear Lin in silence, dressed in their second set of new, clean robes in one day, having changed already for the feast prepared for later that night. As usual, Calensil was sitting on Legolas' lap, her tiny fingers entwining themselves with his hair, resolute in making a mess. At last, Thellind broke the silence.
"I still do not believe that those twins are so arrogant! It is just our luck to get lumbered with such a pair of fools. I wish they would have been more like us."
Oroweth shrugged his shoulders and sighed softly in a way that, had he known it, was reminiscent of his mother. It was not just looks in which he was a carbon copy of her, but the way he acted as well.
"They seemed to find it hard to believe that we are not like them at all. It is possible, I suppose. However, you say 'us'. We are not all rule breaking delinquents, I may remind you. That is left to you three, and sometimes Calensil if the mood takes her."
"I say we challenge them to a game of dares," said Nilwethion thoughtfully, fiddling with the fine gold embroidery on his hated white sleeve. Why white? Of all colours, it had to be white. The easiest shade to get dirty. It would certainly be a challenge to keep clean all evening. His suggestion was greeted by gasps and chokes.
"No! Nilwethion you idiot, we can't! We promised adar to behave for three whole months! Whenever you play Dares, somebody ALWAYS ends up in trouble of some sort. Do you hear me? No Dares!" Thellind, forever trying to persuade his younger brothers not to get in trouble so often, was often ignored. He tugged at his the high collar on his robes uncomfortably.
"Why are you panicking, big brother? Scared? The shade of your face is almost equal to your maroon robes!"
"Maroon is better than white, at least, although I do not see why we could not have stuck to normal greens and greys and browns." came the retort, "I am not scared! I just know that whenever you suggest something, everything goes wrong,"
Astaler spoke at last, shifting position so he could lounge more comfortably. He did not look at any of his siblings, but instead he focused a point somewhere in the middle of the circle that only he could see.
"I know we promised adar to behave, but those two half bloods came over as being rather full of themselves. I say we play Dares, as Nilwethion suggests. After all, we know Mirkwood better than we know each other. We have the upper hand. There is no way we could loose," His brothers gaped at him. Was this Astaler speaking? Astaler, the nice, quiet, obedient warrior, who never broke his word and had never been in trouble his whole life? Astaler? Surely not! It looked like him, but he would never in the past take such a risk of upsetting Thranduil and the elders.
"No," moaned Thellind, "No Astaler, no! Why are you agreeing with Nilwethion?" he was blatantly ignored. Astaler and Nilwethion, it seemed, were not the only two who thought a game of Dares was a good idea.
"When do we give them the challenge?" Legolas' eyes were gleaming brightly in the candlelight, eager at the prospect of a challenge and revenge for the earlier display given by the twins. Thellind groaned loudly and gave in.
"Tonight, at the feast, whilst nobody is paying attention. Tell them to come here tonight, as soon as the feast is over,"
"I shall bring them," smiled Calensil sweetly, "They do not know where this room is, after all. Could I offer the challenge? Please? Oh, please let me!"
Nilwethion grinned at his sister. She was becoming a proper little troublemaker, and with a little more practise she would be able to cause endless amounts of havoc and yet never be in trouble, using her charms to claim innocence.
"What about Lin?" Legolas suddenly remembered the earless teddy bear shut in its old oak box.
"Little Greenleaf, what are you talking about?" asked Astaler
"Lin has lost an ear. We cannot make any challenges if Lin has not got an ear. Its bad luck. Do you remember what happened last time?"
They remembered all right. They winced at the memory, trying valiantly to forget it. That time, however, it had not been an ear missing, but an eye. The day before the challenge had been set the eye had come away and rolled down a small hole. Not one of the princes had been able to reach it, the hole being too small, and Calensil had not yet been born. They had left the eye, set the challenge, and suffered an embarrassing defeat. Never again would they take part in a challenge if Lin were not whole.
"How are we supposed to get the thread to sew it back on?" he calmly repeated the question as he saw the pained expressions of his brothers. For a while, nobody seemed to know, and the Legolas realised his little sister had moved on from knotting his hair, to picking at his clothes. He pulled away her tiny hands in distress. The sleeve of his new outfit, detested as it may be, was in shreds at the cuff.
"Calensil! What have you done?" he cried. In anguish, he touched the little loose threads.
A tear trickled down the little girls face and dropped on to her lilac dress, followed by another and another. Fake tears, of course. She had not really cried for weeks now. A long time, for a small child of her age. She held out a small collections of the threads she had picked away.
"I was only trying to get thread for Lin," she sniffed, wiping her eyes on his other sleeve. Legolas bit his lip, feeling guilty for making his sister cry, even though he was sure that the tears were not real.
"I'm sorry Calensil, please do not cry. I just – failed to realise what you were doing. That is all. I am really, really sorry,"
Calensil carried on giving small sniffs of fake upset. Nuryävié rolled his eyes to the ceiling, but got a filthy glare from Nilwethion. Their little sister was, after all, the most beloved thing on the earth in the opinion of the princes.
"Legolas?" Through fake sniffs, Calensil looked up at her brother with big, water eyes.
"Can I sit on your knee at the feast?"
"You always do,"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thranduil was sitting back in his seat in the middle of the forest clearing where the feast was taking place, worried. He had every right to be. Not even an hour, and things had gone wrong. Legolas and Nilwethion had turned up late, earning raised eyebrows and even mirth from the Imladris Elves. What would happen next? He shuddered, even the thought of it scaring him. The king was sure the pair had not meant to be late, thus embarrassing his parents, but they still had been. He was certain something else was going to go, and if not wrong, then at least not right.
"Darling, the children are here," the voice of Imlammthien brought Thranduil back to the present. He closed his eyes fearfully for a moment, and then opened them, dreading what he would see.
When he opened his eyes, it was not as bad as he suspected it was going to be. His children had assembled themselves before him in age order before they sat down, as was their custom. Thranduil looked them up and down one by one.
Oroweth, yes, he was immaculate as always. Nothing less was expected. On reflection, perhaps he ought to have been the one in white, not Nilwethion. Oroweth would be far more likely not to stain the clothes given to him with wine or juice from the berries.
Astaler, like his brother, perfect. With a flick of his sharp eyes, however, Thranduil took in the dagger at his second sons side. Not so perfect. This would not do. It may be a fancy, showy dagger, but it was a dagger nonetheless, and was not acceptable around guests. If the lords and ladies of Imladris were to see the dagger, they would be most upset at the thought of not being trusted by their hosts.
"Astaler," he sighed, "Why are you wearing a dagger?" Astaler bit his lip uneasily, aware of all the eyes now upon him.
"I do not feel comfortable without it Adar. I do not mean to offend you, or any of our guests, nor do I intend to use it," his clear voice rang through the clearing in to the night, appearing confident. Thranduil frowned.
"It is, however, a dagger. I do not believe we will need it. Give it to me,"
Slowly, Astaler took the dagger in its sheath away from his belt and handed it to Thranduil. He stepped back in to line, and as he did so was eternally grateful his father had not noticed the sharp knife in his boot.
The king moved on to Nuryävié. As with Oroweth, there was nothing wrong. There was a slight sheen in his eye that Thranduil was not used to, but he passed over it as a reflection from the large bonfire in the centre. The sheen had seemed almost rebellious, but there was nothing that Thranduil could think of to make him want to rebel in any way.
Thellind next. Now were the children whom worried him most. The clothing appeared to be in order, however the princes sleek hair was over his face, hiding his expression as he stared down at the floor.. Not good. Was Thellind hiding something, perhaps?
"Thellind dear, please take your hair out of your face. How are we to see your hansom features if they are covered?" the queen trilled, saving Thranduil from wasting his breath. Reluctantly, and blushing brightly, Thellind removed the hair from his face, tucking the long locks behind his pointed ears. He turned even redder as a group of local maidens started giggling close by.
As the king turned his eyes upon Nilwethion, he winced. Yes, he should definitely put Oroweth in the white, and Nilwethion in Oroweth's colours. Any colour would do, actually. Brown would have been best. The leggings were already dusty from dirt that had been picked up on the way from the halls. If it were Oroweth in the white, the clothes would still have been spotless. Well, there was nothing to be done about it. Nilwethion also, like Astaler, had his dagger at his side. The king glared meaningfully. Without needing to be asked, the prince handed over the dagger to his mother. 'Not me,' noticed Thranduil, but the king said nothing.
He slid his eyes along to Legolas, and then he shut them in despair.
"Why, Legolas?"
"Why what, Adar?"
Thranduil groaned down and put his head in his hands, not bothering to answer. Instead, the queen took over.
"I think your father means to say, is why the cuff of one sleeve completely ruined? You were only given those robes an hour or two ago, little Greenleaf."
Prince Legolas stood there, staring blankly at his Naneth. Heads turned to see what the prince had done this time, and what excuse he had. He must be running low on excuses by now, the amount he and his siblings had used. The young prince always managed to surprise them, however, by churning out excuse after excuse, each as fabulous as the last.
"Well Naneth, I must have caught it on a branch or thorn on my way here without realising. I am very sorry."
Every Elf from Mirkwood could tell he was lying, but seemingly none of the Elves from Imladris had noticed. Imlammthien shook her head sadly, but did not press the matter.
Running her eyes quickly over her only daughter, and seeing there was nothing wrong with her, she nodded at the siblings to sit down. They did so, choosing a place at the opposite end of the table.
Thranduil observed his children with a tingling feeling. Not one of them had chosen to sit anywhere near their parents. In fact, they had sat as far away from the royal couple as possible. It was strange. Usually, at least one of the princes would take their place by the side of their mother or father. The king wondered about this sudden change, and it worried him. It was also very unusual for all of his children to get on. Perhaps they were just making a special effort.
Next to him, Lord Elrond leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Thranduil nodded, and Elrond settled back in to his seat. The king stood up, and looked around to make sure every elf coming was present, and then raised his goblet. Projecting his voice around the clearing, he called loudly, "Let the feasting begin!"
The statement was greeted with cheers, and immediately the musicians set up a lively tune. Barrels of fine wine, white and red, were broken open and Elves began to eat, chatting happily to each other and mingling. Everything was so much more relaxed than the arrival of the party, earlier in the day.
On their table, the royal children sat quietly and in solitude for once, as if segregated from the rest of the feast. Thellind had taken the hair out from behind his ears again to cover his face, ashamed of the fancy clothes he was wearing. He was far more comfortable in his leggings and tunic, but he had been told that for such an occasion those clothes were inadequate. Nilwethion continuously ran his fingers along the inside of his collar, pulling it away from his throat.
"I cannot stand these things!" he moaned quietly, "I can hardly breathe! Give me my hunting clothes and I shall never ask for anything again," his brothers and sister smiled, the mood around the table lightening slightly.
"Can you see the twins anywhere?" asked Legolas, craning above the crowds to try and see. Already, couples were dancing around the bonfire, giggling and flirting, moving swiftly in time to the fast beat being played like leaves on the wind in autumn.
"No . . . wait, yes I can. They are over there. Calensil, go and deliver the message now, before they disappear."
Calensil slipped off Legolas' lap daintily, taking a handful of berries from a bowl in the centre as she left. Sidestepping the dancers and serving Elves, she made her way across to the dark haired twins who, like the royal children, were sitting alone and talking quietly.
Her brothers watched anxiously as she spoke to the sons of Elrond, popping a berry in her mouth every so often. She was turning slightly, this way and that, holding the skirt of her dress, moving it almost subconsciously to make the dress swish loudly.
"Look at her charming them," laughed Oroweth, "she will become a heartbreaker when she is older,"
His brothers joined in with the mirth. As Calensil and the twins turned to look at the princes of Mirkwood, Legolas looked up from his laughter and threw a smug grin. The other five princes noticed, and turned to look, also smirking in a way that the twins would have described as arrogance.
As they watched, Calensil turned back to the twins and licked her fingers, the last of the berries finished, but the juices still staining her hands. Legolas watched as the twins nodded, flicking another quick glance at him, and then Calensil turned back and skipped over to her brothers again. She flumped down on to Legolas' lap and ate another berry before saying, "They accept the challenge,"
Thellind sighed inwardly. They were his last hope of staying out of trouble, and that hope had just been blown away like a lone cloud in the wind. The others, however, did not seem to notice, laughing again and pouring wine, already planning difficult dares.
As he reached for a bread roll from the basket in the middle of the table, the prince realised that his sibling were not the only ones close by laughing. Looking sideways, he saw a group of young Elven maidens looking at them, giggling. A mix of Mirkwood ladies and Imladris ladies, he noted, they seem to be getting along well. As soon as he looked at them, all five of them snatched their heads away, looking in the opposite direction, giggling even harder and turning a bright shade of pink. Thellind shook his head and turned back to his food.
"It would appear you have admirers, little one," grinned Nuryävié, also noticing the maidens.
"I do not!" he protested
"You do. I dare you, Thellind Thranduilion, to go and ask the one in the rose pink dress with the blonde hair to dance!"
"No!" he gasped, "I cannot do that!"
"Coward!" sniggered Legolas. Thellind bit his lip. Why did it have to be him? Out of six brothers, and a lot more male Elves, why him? Making a decision, he turned to Legolas.
"Alright then, little brother, I accept the challenge, as long as you come with me."
Legolas stopped laughing instantly, and the jovial grin left his face to be replaced by a frown.
"I dared you!"
Thellind smiled and took a sip of wine.
"I am aware of that little Greenleaf, however I am not asking you to ask one of them to dance, merely to accompany me, as I ask one to dance."
Legolas frowned. There was something not quite right about this, but he was not sure what it was. He was, however, afraid of his brothers calling him a coward, as he had done to Thellind, so he lifted Calensil from his own knee on and placed her on the wooden bench. Getting up, he walked over to the maidens, slightly behind his older brother.
"My ladies," he heard Thellind say. The maidens began giggling in to hands and handkerchiefs, "Or should I say my lady," he continued, singling out the allocated elf in the rose pink dress, "My brother wishes to ask you for a dance, however, 'tis a shame, he is too nervous to ask you himself."
It took Legolas a couple of moments to realise what had been said, and by then it was too late. The Elven maiden had stopped giggling, instead her cheeks flushing a shade of pink to match her dress, and was stood in front of him, smiling nervously. She held out her hand for Legolas to take, and, having no other option, the youngest son of Thranduil took it politely, with a small bow.
The tricked prince gave the smug Thellind a pleasant yet fake smile, and led his new companion in pink out in to the centre of the clearing where the other couples were dancing. The musicians set up a new tune, faster and merrier than the previous one. To Legolas, it seemed unreal. He had set his brother a dare, and ended up dancing himself! Revenge was on the menu for later, but now? Now, he had a different problem. The maiden he was dancing with was, admittedly, quite lovely, smiling at him and staring deep in to his eyes, but it was unnerving him. Prince Legolas was unused to girls, apart from his little sister. He had been taught how to behave around this alien species, and how to dance, of course, but his lessons had never been put in to use up until now.
He gulped, and gazed back at her. In his head, a little voice was saying, 'relax, just relax you fool!' and another voice was saying, 'ask her what her name is, you idiot!' whilst another was saying, 'ai Valar, ai Valar, ai Valar, ai Valar!'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Back at the tables, Thellind had sauntered back over to sit with his brothers and sister, leaving four maids disappointed that they had not been asked for a dance. He sat down smugly.
"I thought Legolas dared you to ask her for a dance," questioned Oroweth, swallowing a lump of meat. Thellind shrugged his shoulders.
"I was under the impression the Dare game had not yet begun," he replied simply, "So I turned the tables on the little one,"
They burst in to laughter.
"You must admit, Thellind, that he is a very good dancer," smiled Astaler, "Better than you, perhaps,"
Again that evening, Thellind felt as though he was being picked on. He clamped his teeth together and tried to rise above the taunt. Instead, he smiled nastily at his elder sibling and carried on sipping red wine and eating meat. The others though, did not seem to want to let him have any peace.
"Astaler is right, you know. Legolas is a better dancer than you. I'm sure of it," said Nilwethion, trying valiantly to keep a strait face but just not managing he turned away to hide his wicked laughter.
"You are quite a . . . how can I put this kindly? Quite a poor dancer," agreed Oroweth, teasingly. Calensil sat shaking with mirth on the bench, and popped another handful of berries in her mouth. She took a small sip of her brothers' wine, ignoring her goblet of water, and made a small cough.
"I think you should have a dance competition," she smiled sweetly, "In fact, I declare that there will be a competition in two dances time. To her brothers surprise, and to her fathers shame from where he watched a few at the other side of the large glade, she carefully stood up on the bench, still holding the goblet of wine which did not belong to her, and then clambering up on to the table itself, she picked up a knife and banged it on the side of the goblet, drawing attention to herself from all the elves in the feast. Everything stopped, as people turned to look at her.
"Lords and ladies of Imladris and Mirkwood," she called in her high, piping voice, "I declare a dance competition, in two dances time. The king and queen of Mirkwood, and the lord and lady of Imladris, shall be the judges, helped by an elf each of their own choice. The prize is to be a fine amphora of Dorwinion wine,"
She climbed daintily down from the table, helped by her two eldest brothers, and then sat back down.
Around them, elves seemed to be suddenly pairing up, as if by magic.
"Well," muttered Oroweth, "I suppose we had better find ourselves partners then,"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: I wasn't planning on having a dance competition, but it adds to the fun and Calensil wanted one. If Calensil wants something, who am I to refuse it?
PERSONAL REVIEW THING
ELFAER GILIELL ~~ As you see, it supposed to be Calensil. I blame the spell check. That is why they made them promise. As you can see, the promises didn't even last a day.
LOTR FAN ~~ Thank you very much for your review, I'm glad you like it.
FAN81981 ~~ Thranduil has seven children. In order of age; Oroweth, Astaler, Nuryávië, Thellind, Nilwethion, Legolas and Calensil. The few extra mischievous elves are Legolas' brothers and sister. I'm VERY sorry about the modern language; I'll try very hard not to let it happen again. LEGOLAS4ME ~~ I was going to make the three oldest princes sincere and reserved, but as you can see, it just didn't happen.
DAW THE MINSTREL ~~ The teddy bear, Lin, is very special to the Mirkwood royal children. It was first given to Oroweth when he was born by Mithrandir, and then when Astaler was born Oroweth gave it to him, and then Astaler gave it to Nuryávië and so on and so on until it came to be Calensil's. By then, it was extremely loved by all of them, had been lost and found various times, and had acquired lots of characters, as toys etc. do. Even though they knew that Lin was a child's toy, and though they were not all adults, they were all fully grown apart from Calensil, they still loved the teddy bear to pieces because they had told it all their deepest secrets and it had been there for them, as not all people are, in times of need. They realised they were all far too close to Lin to let him be thrown away or similar when their little sister outgrew toys (as all children do for a few years before realising how wonderful cuddly toys are), rescued it, and kept it safe in the little box where nobody outside the siblings knew about it. Lin is like a whole character, as important to the story as any of the others. It's like their mascot, lucky charm and secret keeper and beloved friend.
IMBEFANIEL ~~ Thank you SO much for pointing out the mistakes. I am eternally grateful.
GREENLEAFGRL ~~ They should fit in perfectly, and will do soon, but they have not quite yet. Then royals still don't trust the twins.
NILMANDRA ~~ Yes, they are the same girl. No, Mirkwood won't ever be the same. Nobody ever said that was a good thing though. Don't forget about the little princess! Also, this time it seems as though all the princes are joining in the havoc. It certainly will be havoc when the Dare game gets under way.
NIENNA ~~ I'm glad you found this funny. It's my first attempt on ff.net at comedy writing.
JEBB ~~ That makes two of us. I have no control over these characters, so I only have a basic idea of what will happen. The dance competition, as I said previously in the A/N, was not planned. It just turned out that way because Calensil wanted it to.
Thranduil's children were sat on the floor in a circle around the teddy bear Lin in silence, dressed in their second set of new, clean robes in one day, having changed already for the feast prepared for later that night. As usual, Calensil was sitting on Legolas' lap, her tiny fingers entwining themselves with his hair, resolute in making a mess. At last, Thellind broke the silence.
"I still do not believe that those twins are so arrogant! It is just our luck to get lumbered with such a pair of fools. I wish they would have been more like us."
Oroweth shrugged his shoulders and sighed softly in a way that, had he known it, was reminiscent of his mother. It was not just looks in which he was a carbon copy of her, but the way he acted as well.
"They seemed to find it hard to believe that we are not like them at all. It is possible, I suppose. However, you say 'us'. We are not all rule breaking delinquents, I may remind you. That is left to you three, and sometimes Calensil if the mood takes her."
"I say we challenge them to a game of dares," said Nilwethion thoughtfully, fiddling with the fine gold embroidery on his hated white sleeve. Why white? Of all colours, it had to be white. The easiest shade to get dirty. It would certainly be a challenge to keep clean all evening. His suggestion was greeted by gasps and chokes.
"No! Nilwethion you idiot, we can't! We promised adar to behave for three whole months! Whenever you play Dares, somebody ALWAYS ends up in trouble of some sort. Do you hear me? No Dares!" Thellind, forever trying to persuade his younger brothers not to get in trouble so often, was often ignored. He tugged at his the high collar on his robes uncomfortably.
"Why are you panicking, big brother? Scared? The shade of your face is almost equal to your maroon robes!"
"Maroon is better than white, at least, although I do not see why we could not have stuck to normal greens and greys and browns." came the retort, "I am not scared! I just know that whenever you suggest something, everything goes wrong,"
Astaler spoke at last, shifting position so he could lounge more comfortably. He did not look at any of his siblings, but instead he focused a point somewhere in the middle of the circle that only he could see.
"I know we promised adar to behave, but those two half bloods came over as being rather full of themselves. I say we play Dares, as Nilwethion suggests. After all, we know Mirkwood better than we know each other. We have the upper hand. There is no way we could loose," His brothers gaped at him. Was this Astaler speaking? Astaler, the nice, quiet, obedient warrior, who never broke his word and had never been in trouble his whole life? Astaler? Surely not! It looked like him, but he would never in the past take such a risk of upsetting Thranduil and the elders.
"No," moaned Thellind, "No Astaler, no! Why are you agreeing with Nilwethion?" he was blatantly ignored. Astaler and Nilwethion, it seemed, were not the only two who thought a game of Dares was a good idea.
"When do we give them the challenge?" Legolas' eyes were gleaming brightly in the candlelight, eager at the prospect of a challenge and revenge for the earlier display given by the twins. Thellind groaned loudly and gave in.
"Tonight, at the feast, whilst nobody is paying attention. Tell them to come here tonight, as soon as the feast is over,"
"I shall bring them," smiled Calensil sweetly, "They do not know where this room is, after all. Could I offer the challenge? Please? Oh, please let me!"
Nilwethion grinned at his sister. She was becoming a proper little troublemaker, and with a little more practise she would be able to cause endless amounts of havoc and yet never be in trouble, using her charms to claim innocence.
"What about Lin?" Legolas suddenly remembered the earless teddy bear shut in its old oak box.
"Little Greenleaf, what are you talking about?" asked Astaler
"Lin has lost an ear. We cannot make any challenges if Lin has not got an ear. Its bad luck. Do you remember what happened last time?"
They remembered all right. They winced at the memory, trying valiantly to forget it. That time, however, it had not been an ear missing, but an eye. The day before the challenge had been set the eye had come away and rolled down a small hole. Not one of the princes had been able to reach it, the hole being too small, and Calensil had not yet been born. They had left the eye, set the challenge, and suffered an embarrassing defeat. Never again would they take part in a challenge if Lin were not whole.
"How are we supposed to get the thread to sew it back on?" he calmly repeated the question as he saw the pained expressions of his brothers. For a while, nobody seemed to know, and the Legolas realised his little sister had moved on from knotting his hair, to picking at his clothes. He pulled away her tiny hands in distress. The sleeve of his new outfit, detested as it may be, was in shreds at the cuff.
"Calensil! What have you done?" he cried. In anguish, he touched the little loose threads.
A tear trickled down the little girls face and dropped on to her lilac dress, followed by another and another. Fake tears, of course. She had not really cried for weeks now. A long time, for a small child of her age. She held out a small collections of the threads she had picked away.
"I was only trying to get thread for Lin," she sniffed, wiping her eyes on his other sleeve. Legolas bit his lip, feeling guilty for making his sister cry, even though he was sure that the tears were not real.
"I'm sorry Calensil, please do not cry. I just – failed to realise what you were doing. That is all. I am really, really sorry,"
Calensil carried on giving small sniffs of fake upset. Nuryävié rolled his eyes to the ceiling, but got a filthy glare from Nilwethion. Their little sister was, after all, the most beloved thing on the earth in the opinion of the princes.
"Legolas?" Through fake sniffs, Calensil looked up at her brother with big, water eyes.
"Can I sit on your knee at the feast?"
"You always do,"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thranduil was sitting back in his seat in the middle of the forest clearing where the feast was taking place, worried. He had every right to be. Not even an hour, and things had gone wrong. Legolas and Nilwethion had turned up late, earning raised eyebrows and even mirth from the Imladris Elves. What would happen next? He shuddered, even the thought of it scaring him. The king was sure the pair had not meant to be late, thus embarrassing his parents, but they still had been. He was certain something else was going to go, and if not wrong, then at least not right.
"Darling, the children are here," the voice of Imlammthien brought Thranduil back to the present. He closed his eyes fearfully for a moment, and then opened them, dreading what he would see.
When he opened his eyes, it was not as bad as he suspected it was going to be. His children had assembled themselves before him in age order before they sat down, as was their custom. Thranduil looked them up and down one by one.
Oroweth, yes, he was immaculate as always. Nothing less was expected. On reflection, perhaps he ought to have been the one in white, not Nilwethion. Oroweth would be far more likely not to stain the clothes given to him with wine or juice from the berries.
Astaler, like his brother, perfect. With a flick of his sharp eyes, however, Thranduil took in the dagger at his second sons side. Not so perfect. This would not do. It may be a fancy, showy dagger, but it was a dagger nonetheless, and was not acceptable around guests. If the lords and ladies of Imladris were to see the dagger, they would be most upset at the thought of not being trusted by their hosts.
"Astaler," he sighed, "Why are you wearing a dagger?" Astaler bit his lip uneasily, aware of all the eyes now upon him.
"I do not feel comfortable without it Adar. I do not mean to offend you, or any of our guests, nor do I intend to use it," his clear voice rang through the clearing in to the night, appearing confident. Thranduil frowned.
"It is, however, a dagger. I do not believe we will need it. Give it to me,"
Slowly, Astaler took the dagger in its sheath away from his belt and handed it to Thranduil. He stepped back in to line, and as he did so was eternally grateful his father had not noticed the sharp knife in his boot.
The king moved on to Nuryävié. As with Oroweth, there was nothing wrong. There was a slight sheen in his eye that Thranduil was not used to, but he passed over it as a reflection from the large bonfire in the centre. The sheen had seemed almost rebellious, but there was nothing that Thranduil could think of to make him want to rebel in any way.
Thellind next. Now were the children whom worried him most. The clothing appeared to be in order, however the princes sleek hair was over his face, hiding his expression as he stared down at the floor.. Not good. Was Thellind hiding something, perhaps?
"Thellind dear, please take your hair out of your face. How are we to see your hansom features if they are covered?" the queen trilled, saving Thranduil from wasting his breath. Reluctantly, and blushing brightly, Thellind removed the hair from his face, tucking the long locks behind his pointed ears. He turned even redder as a group of local maidens started giggling close by.
As the king turned his eyes upon Nilwethion, he winced. Yes, he should definitely put Oroweth in the white, and Nilwethion in Oroweth's colours. Any colour would do, actually. Brown would have been best. The leggings were already dusty from dirt that had been picked up on the way from the halls. If it were Oroweth in the white, the clothes would still have been spotless. Well, there was nothing to be done about it. Nilwethion also, like Astaler, had his dagger at his side. The king glared meaningfully. Without needing to be asked, the prince handed over the dagger to his mother. 'Not me,' noticed Thranduil, but the king said nothing.
He slid his eyes along to Legolas, and then he shut them in despair.
"Why, Legolas?"
"Why what, Adar?"
Thranduil groaned down and put his head in his hands, not bothering to answer. Instead, the queen took over.
"I think your father means to say, is why the cuff of one sleeve completely ruined? You were only given those robes an hour or two ago, little Greenleaf."
Prince Legolas stood there, staring blankly at his Naneth. Heads turned to see what the prince had done this time, and what excuse he had. He must be running low on excuses by now, the amount he and his siblings had used. The young prince always managed to surprise them, however, by churning out excuse after excuse, each as fabulous as the last.
"Well Naneth, I must have caught it on a branch or thorn on my way here without realising. I am very sorry."
Every Elf from Mirkwood could tell he was lying, but seemingly none of the Elves from Imladris had noticed. Imlammthien shook her head sadly, but did not press the matter.
Running her eyes quickly over her only daughter, and seeing there was nothing wrong with her, she nodded at the siblings to sit down. They did so, choosing a place at the opposite end of the table.
Thranduil observed his children with a tingling feeling. Not one of them had chosen to sit anywhere near their parents. In fact, they had sat as far away from the royal couple as possible. It was strange. Usually, at least one of the princes would take their place by the side of their mother or father. The king wondered about this sudden change, and it worried him. It was also very unusual for all of his children to get on. Perhaps they were just making a special effort.
Next to him, Lord Elrond leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Thranduil nodded, and Elrond settled back in to his seat. The king stood up, and looked around to make sure every elf coming was present, and then raised his goblet. Projecting his voice around the clearing, he called loudly, "Let the feasting begin!"
The statement was greeted with cheers, and immediately the musicians set up a lively tune. Barrels of fine wine, white and red, were broken open and Elves began to eat, chatting happily to each other and mingling. Everything was so much more relaxed than the arrival of the party, earlier in the day.
On their table, the royal children sat quietly and in solitude for once, as if segregated from the rest of the feast. Thellind had taken the hair out from behind his ears again to cover his face, ashamed of the fancy clothes he was wearing. He was far more comfortable in his leggings and tunic, but he had been told that for such an occasion those clothes were inadequate. Nilwethion continuously ran his fingers along the inside of his collar, pulling it away from his throat.
"I cannot stand these things!" he moaned quietly, "I can hardly breathe! Give me my hunting clothes and I shall never ask for anything again," his brothers and sister smiled, the mood around the table lightening slightly.
"Can you see the twins anywhere?" asked Legolas, craning above the crowds to try and see. Already, couples were dancing around the bonfire, giggling and flirting, moving swiftly in time to the fast beat being played like leaves on the wind in autumn.
"No . . . wait, yes I can. They are over there. Calensil, go and deliver the message now, before they disappear."
Calensil slipped off Legolas' lap daintily, taking a handful of berries from a bowl in the centre as she left. Sidestepping the dancers and serving Elves, she made her way across to the dark haired twins who, like the royal children, were sitting alone and talking quietly.
Her brothers watched anxiously as she spoke to the sons of Elrond, popping a berry in her mouth every so often. She was turning slightly, this way and that, holding the skirt of her dress, moving it almost subconsciously to make the dress swish loudly.
"Look at her charming them," laughed Oroweth, "she will become a heartbreaker when she is older,"
His brothers joined in with the mirth. As Calensil and the twins turned to look at the princes of Mirkwood, Legolas looked up from his laughter and threw a smug grin. The other five princes noticed, and turned to look, also smirking in a way that the twins would have described as arrogance.
As they watched, Calensil turned back to the twins and licked her fingers, the last of the berries finished, but the juices still staining her hands. Legolas watched as the twins nodded, flicking another quick glance at him, and then Calensil turned back and skipped over to her brothers again. She flumped down on to Legolas' lap and ate another berry before saying, "They accept the challenge,"
Thellind sighed inwardly. They were his last hope of staying out of trouble, and that hope had just been blown away like a lone cloud in the wind. The others, however, did not seem to notice, laughing again and pouring wine, already planning difficult dares.
As he reached for a bread roll from the basket in the middle of the table, the prince realised that his sibling were not the only ones close by laughing. Looking sideways, he saw a group of young Elven maidens looking at them, giggling. A mix of Mirkwood ladies and Imladris ladies, he noted, they seem to be getting along well. As soon as he looked at them, all five of them snatched their heads away, looking in the opposite direction, giggling even harder and turning a bright shade of pink. Thellind shook his head and turned back to his food.
"It would appear you have admirers, little one," grinned Nuryävié, also noticing the maidens.
"I do not!" he protested
"You do. I dare you, Thellind Thranduilion, to go and ask the one in the rose pink dress with the blonde hair to dance!"
"No!" he gasped, "I cannot do that!"
"Coward!" sniggered Legolas. Thellind bit his lip. Why did it have to be him? Out of six brothers, and a lot more male Elves, why him? Making a decision, he turned to Legolas.
"Alright then, little brother, I accept the challenge, as long as you come with me."
Legolas stopped laughing instantly, and the jovial grin left his face to be replaced by a frown.
"I dared you!"
Thellind smiled and took a sip of wine.
"I am aware of that little Greenleaf, however I am not asking you to ask one of them to dance, merely to accompany me, as I ask one to dance."
Legolas frowned. There was something not quite right about this, but he was not sure what it was. He was, however, afraid of his brothers calling him a coward, as he had done to Thellind, so he lifted Calensil from his own knee on and placed her on the wooden bench. Getting up, he walked over to the maidens, slightly behind his older brother.
"My ladies," he heard Thellind say. The maidens began giggling in to hands and handkerchiefs, "Or should I say my lady," he continued, singling out the allocated elf in the rose pink dress, "My brother wishes to ask you for a dance, however, 'tis a shame, he is too nervous to ask you himself."
It took Legolas a couple of moments to realise what had been said, and by then it was too late. The Elven maiden had stopped giggling, instead her cheeks flushing a shade of pink to match her dress, and was stood in front of him, smiling nervously. She held out her hand for Legolas to take, and, having no other option, the youngest son of Thranduil took it politely, with a small bow.
The tricked prince gave the smug Thellind a pleasant yet fake smile, and led his new companion in pink out in to the centre of the clearing where the other couples were dancing. The musicians set up a new tune, faster and merrier than the previous one. To Legolas, it seemed unreal. He had set his brother a dare, and ended up dancing himself! Revenge was on the menu for later, but now? Now, he had a different problem. The maiden he was dancing with was, admittedly, quite lovely, smiling at him and staring deep in to his eyes, but it was unnerving him. Prince Legolas was unused to girls, apart from his little sister. He had been taught how to behave around this alien species, and how to dance, of course, but his lessons had never been put in to use up until now.
He gulped, and gazed back at her. In his head, a little voice was saying, 'relax, just relax you fool!' and another voice was saying, 'ask her what her name is, you idiot!' whilst another was saying, 'ai Valar, ai Valar, ai Valar, ai Valar!'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Back at the tables, Thellind had sauntered back over to sit with his brothers and sister, leaving four maids disappointed that they had not been asked for a dance. He sat down smugly.
"I thought Legolas dared you to ask her for a dance," questioned Oroweth, swallowing a lump of meat. Thellind shrugged his shoulders.
"I was under the impression the Dare game had not yet begun," he replied simply, "So I turned the tables on the little one,"
They burst in to laughter.
"You must admit, Thellind, that he is a very good dancer," smiled Astaler, "Better than you, perhaps,"
Again that evening, Thellind felt as though he was being picked on. He clamped his teeth together and tried to rise above the taunt. Instead, he smiled nastily at his elder sibling and carried on sipping red wine and eating meat. The others though, did not seem to want to let him have any peace.
"Astaler is right, you know. Legolas is a better dancer than you. I'm sure of it," said Nilwethion, trying valiantly to keep a strait face but just not managing he turned away to hide his wicked laughter.
"You are quite a . . . how can I put this kindly? Quite a poor dancer," agreed Oroweth, teasingly. Calensil sat shaking with mirth on the bench, and popped another handful of berries in her mouth. She took a small sip of her brothers' wine, ignoring her goblet of water, and made a small cough.
"I think you should have a dance competition," she smiled sweetly, "In fact, I declare that there will be a competition in two dances time. To her brothers surprise, and to her fathers shame from where he watched a few at the other side of the large glade, she carefully stood up on the bench, still holding the goblet of wine which did not belong to her, and then clambering up on to the table itself, she picked up a knife and banged it on the side of the goblet, drawing attention to herself from all the elves in the feast. Everything stopped, as people turned to look at her.
"Lords and ladies of Imladris and Mirkwood," she called in her high, piping voice, "I declare a dance competition, in two dances time. The king and queen of Mirkwood, and the lord and lady of Imladris, shall be the judges, helped by an elf each of their own choice. The prize is to be a fine amphora of Dorwinion wine,"
She climbed daintily down from the table, helped by her two eldest brothers, and then sat back down.
Around them, elves seemed to be suddenly pairing up, as if by magic.
"Well," muttered Oroweth, "I suppose we had better find ourselves partners then,"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: I wasn't planning on having a dance competition, but it adds to the fun and Calensil wanted one. If Calensil wants something, who am I to refuse it?
PERSONAL REVIEW THING
ELFAER GILIELL ~~ As you see, it supposed to be Calensil. I blame the spell check. That is why they made them promise. As you can see, the promises didn't even last a day.
LOTR FAN ~~ Thank you very much for your review, I'm glad you like it.
FAN81981 ~~ Thranduil has seven children. In order of age; Oroweth, Astaler, Nuryávië, Thellind, Nilwethion, Legolas and Calensil. The few extra mischievous elves are Legolas' brothers and sister. I'm VERY sorry about the modern language; I'll try very hard not to let it happen again. LEGOLAS4ME ~~ I was going to make the three oldest princes sincere and reserved, but as you can see, it just didn't happen.
DAW THE MINSTREL ~~ The teddy bear, Lin, is very special to the Mirkwood royal children. It was first given to Oroweth when he was born by Mithrandir, and then when Astaler was born Oroweth gave it to him, and then Astaler gave it to Nuryávië and so on and so on until it came to be Calensil's. By then, it was extremely loved by all of them, had been lost and found various times, and had acquired lots of characters, as toys etc. do. Even though they knew that Lin was a child's toy, and though they were not all adults, they were all fully grown apart from Calensil, they still loved the teddy bear to pieces because they had told it all their deepest secrets and it had been there for them, as not all people are, in times of need. They realised they were all far too close to Lin to let him be thrown away or similar when their little sister outgrew toys (as all children do for a few years before realising how wonderful cuddly toys are), rescued it, and kept it safe in the little box where nobody outside the siblings knew about it. Lin is like a whole character, as important to the story as any of the others. It's like their mascot, lucky charm and secret keeper and beloved friend.
IMBEFANIEL ~~ Thank you SO much for pointing out the mistakes. I am eternally grateful.
GREENLEAFGRL ~~ They should fit in perfectly, and will do soon, but they have not quite yet. Then royals still don't trust the twins.
NILMANDRA ~~ Yes, they are the same girl. No, Mirkwood won't ever be the same. Nobody ever said that was a good thing though. Don't forget about the little princess! Also, this time it seems as though all the princes are joining in the havoc. It certainly will be havoc when the Dare game gets under way.
NIENNA ~~ I'm glad you found this funny. It's my first attempt on ff.net at comedy writing.
JEBB ~~ That makes two of us. I have no control over these characters, so I only have a basic idea of what will happen. The dance competition, as I said previously in the A/N, was not planned. It just turned out that way because Calensil wanted it to.