The sun awoke Aragorn the next morning. It filtered in through the muslin curtains, still damp from the storm of the previous night, of the prince's bedroom and lay in a shaft across his face. A cool breeze ruffled his hair; everything was fresh and clean from the storm. Lying beside him across his arm, head resting on his chest, was Legolas. Aragorn smiled as he stroked the gold blonde locks, which were spread across the pillow. A contented smile curved the lips of his lover, and his open blue eyes glittered unseeingly. Even as Aragorn watched, the prince blinked a couple of times, and raised his eyes to look into Aragorn's face. He smiled a lazy smile as he stretched his arms in a fluidly feline manner above his head, his muscles rippling beneath his pale skin.

'Tis not often you awake before me.' He smiled indolently, and idly traced the curve of Aragorn's muscled chest with one finger.

'I must have tired you out last night.' Aragorn replied teasingly. Legolas grinned in reply.

'I daresay.'

Aragorn chuckled, and even as he did so, a knock at the door made him look up sharply, and Legolas rolled over to face the door, propping himself upon his elbow. There was another knock.

'Legolas? Legolas, are you there? The king requires an immediate audience with you, and the human.'

Legolas' eyes widened frantically.

'Just a moment!' he called to the door. 'It is Prollen!' he hissed to Aragorn. 'He hates me! Hide!'

Aragorn did not need asking twice. He leaped from the bed and dived beneath it, even as Legolas wrapped the sheet about his waist and the door opened. Aragorn could only see the green boots and buttercup yellow leggings of the other elf.

'Still abed, master Legolas? Tut tut. Your father will be displeased. He wishes to speak to you and the human Aragorn immediately. It would appear there is some kind of trouble…no doubt you will be able to shed light on the matter. Do you know where Aragorn is?'

'No.' replied Legolas calmly, with only the barest quiver in his voice. 'I have not seen him this morning. I will dress and find him, before attending my fathers business.'

The other elf looked suspicious.

'Very well. I will take your soiled clothes then, Master Legolas.'

The elf took a step towards the wet clothes strewn across the floor, and Aragorn realized with horror that his own were mixed up with the princes. Legolas clearly realized too, for his stepped forward immediately.

'Do not bother, I will do it myself…'

Prollen hesitated, and Legolas saw suspicion grow in his face. He moved quickly to the clothes and pulled from the pile Aragorn's shirt and shorts.

'They are mine.' Legolas spoke quickly. Aragorn waited with baited breath.

'So.' Prollen's voice had a note of malicious delight in it. 'This is the truth in the relationship between you and that man. Oh, master Legolas you are in trouble now. How you degrade yourself! Could you chose no better mate?' His voice was mocking, sarcastic.

'Be quiet! You know nothing of which you speak.'

'Lying as well? There is no use in it, Prince, they will find you out anyway. Come out Aragorn! The consequences will be far more dire if you do not!'

Aragorn did not move, unsure of what to do.

'He is right. Come out Aragorn, there is nothing you can do.' Legolas sounded resigned.

Aragorn crawled out from beneath the bed, dragging the blanket about his waist as he did so. He looked into the angry face of Prollen and felt a surge of hatred, which he quickly suppressed. The elf was only doing his duty.

'Dress, both of you. The king will know of this before his court is full.'

'Prollen, please. He should not find out this way. Let it be, he will know when the time is right.'

'The right time is now, Prince. Dress, both of you.'

Prollen left, still holding the wet clothes. Legolas cried out in despair once he had gone, throwing his boot at the closed door. He turned to Aragorn. Grief was in his eyes.

'I would not have had my father find out in this manner.'

'I know, me neither.' Aragorn's voice was soothing as he wrapped the prince in his arms. 'But there is nothing we can do now, except face what is to come with honour and courage. Let us dress, and meet our fate with our heads high.

Legolas smiled. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

Silently, elf and man dressed, Aragon borrowing clean clothes from the elf. They did not perfectly fit, but Aragorn would not have faced the King any other way - he carried a physical reminder of the elf with him now. Together they exited the room and began to make their way to the hall of Thranduil. Aragorn began to feel more and more queasy the closer they got, but Legolas looked ahead with stony resolve. In all too short a time, they reached the hall. Legolas turned to Aragorn.

'Be truthful. Deny nothing and embellish nothing. It is the best way.'

Aragorn nodded, and the two entered the hall together. It was entirely empty bar two chairs at the far end of the hall, where sat Thranduil and Elrond. Aragorn's heart skipped a beat. His adoptive father sat with his fingers steeped, staring intently at the two as they walked down the long aisle among the seats. Thranduil held Aragorn's still wet clothes in his lap. The two came to stand in front of their fathers, who regarded them heavily for a long while. It was the golden-headed Thranduil, so like his son, who broke the silence.

'Is it true?' The weight of his words rang through the hall. 'Say it is not so and I will believe you, my son. I will not question your word…'

'It is true.' Legolas looked straight at his father, who would not return his gaze. Aragorn stared at the floor, hands folded behind his back. Elrond said nothing.

'Why? Tell me it is only a game, experimentation, anything…'

'Father, we play no game.' Legolas spoke without hesitation, his honour making him tell the truth.

'Why?'

'Because I love him, father. And he loves me. I would not have chosen for you to find out in this manner, but perhaps it is best that you now know.'

Thranduil met his son's gaze for the first time.

'How long?'

'Does it matter?'

'To me.'

'For almost as long as he has been here.'

Thranduil covered his eyes and looked away. It was Elrond's turn to speak.

'What say you, Aragorn?'

Aragorn met the gaze of his father for the first time.

'Every word he speaks is true.'

Elrond continued to look at him, lips pursed. Legolas broke in again.

'Father, Elrond, this is a good thing. It is not some flight of fancy, some dalliance – it is real. Father I love Aragorn, truly I do. And I am willing to die for him.'

At Legolas' words Thranduil sat bolt upright in his chair and Elrond unsteeped his fingers and leaned forward.

'Legolas, you will not. This…this tryst must end, now, today. Elrond's company departs upon the morn, and Aragorn with them. You will not see each other again. This union brings shame upon both your families. Aragorn, how can you try to take my only son from me? And Legolas, a union such as this from a prince…a mortal would bring despair enough, but a mortal man on top of that…it cannot be. This ends now.'

'Father, no!' Legolas' cry echoed through the hall, but Thranduil ignored it.

'The session is closed. You will go now. This day is your last; spend it as you will, for its memory will be all you have of each other. Go, now, or I will have you removed.

'Father, you cannot do this! It is not your choice! Please, don't do this…'

'Ssh, Legolas! Come now, me must leave with the honour you have thus far shown.' Aragorn talked quietly over the strangled sobs of the Prince, and led him out of the hall. Once the doors were closed behind them, they hurried to Legolas' room, where they collapsed on the bed. Legolas sobbed furiously into his sheet, fists balled.

'It's so unfair! It is not their choice! How could they…how dare they…'

Aragorn shushed him gently, stroking his back until his cries receded into hiccups and finally he was quiet.

'How can you bear it Aragorn?'

'I cant.' Replied the human bitterly. 'I can't. I didn't know it was possible to feel this bad. Oh, how could we have fought like we did? Wasted so much time! Oh I can't take it, truly I can't!'

Legolas curled up on Aragorn's lap. How long they sat there they did not know, but it must have been hours, because before long an elf maid was knocking on the door, and long shadows were cast across the floor of the room.

'Master Legolas?' she asked softly as she opened the door. 'Aragorn has to return to his room to pack his things. I have a soothing draught for you here.'

Aragorn leaned over and kissed Legolas on his blonde head.

'Do not fear, things will right themselves in the end, and I promise we will meet again. This is not the end. I will see you in the morning before I go. Goodnight. I love you.'

'I love you too.'

Aragorn left the room. Legolas took the cup of liquid from the elf maiden and, with a vague word of thanks, drank the contents. Within seconds he felt his mind receding into blackness, and he hardly had time to place the goblet upon his bedside stand before he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.