AN: Hi everyone! As usual, I appreciate all the feedback. It's very cool to
see that people are actually taking time out to review my story. It always
comes as a surprise to see that people are. I, initially, wasn't going to
post this story but the reviews have made doing it worthwhile!
Oracle: I'm glad you like my story. I'm trying! I really am! Interesting name, by the way.
TitanicHobbit: I'm glad you like my story. We're starting to learn more about our performance pieces in my dance classes. I just found out I'm getting to do a nonclassical piece for my private ballet lesson. I'm doing a remake of an old song called "Scarborough Fair." School, for me, is winding down. Science is a favorite subject of mine. I'm a biology major! My mom and sister want to see "Love, Actually." I have to go with my mom to see it because I dragged her to see "Matrix Revolutions" with me. Hope everything's going well with you!
PixiePea000: Well, that reaction is coming up! Let's just say he's not a happy camper. By the way, GOLLUM and watch out for Agent Elrond Smith!
IrethAncalime3791: Thanks and reaction coming up!
Elainor: Thanks for the complement! His reaction is coming up and, let's just say, he's not a merry old soul.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for a handful of made up characters. Tolkien thought up the concept and, as such, it belongs to him. I'm just playing in his world. I'm broke and in college. All I own are Pointe Shoes.
The two entered the throne room without any fanfare. Thranduil did not even take notice of their entrance. He was engrossed in some type of conversation with two dark haired elves. Emma assumed, from the way they stood and gestured, that they were advisors of some type. She stood next to Legolas, trying to imitate his calm, almost relaxed posture.
"You have returned, my son," Thranduil said, finally taking notice of Legolas and Emma, "What news do you have for me?"
He regarded his son fondly but gave Emma very cold stare. She averted her gaze, staring at the floor of the cave.
"I am afraid, father, that you are not going to be pleased with the news I bring," Legolas commented.
"Why would I not be pleased?" the king asked his tone slightly pompous.
He was secure in the knowledge that the only news he would hear would be to his own benefit.
"The news I bring is not going to sit well with you. You sent me to discern Emma's true parentage and I have done just that. Though I cannot remember the name of her mother, I can say that you are her father," Legolas, cautiously replied.
The king shot his son a questioning look. There was doubt in his eyes. Doubt regarding the validity of the information his son was confronting him with. This had to be a mistake.
"How can you be so sure?" Thranduil questioned, his voice not betraying his true feelings.
Doubt was carefully hidden by a well practiced façade.
"The mirror does not show falsehoods about the past. That is the only information it can give with amazing accuracy," Legolas countered.
He met his father's gaze, well aware of the conflict of feelings his father was wrestling with.
"What I would like to know is," Legolas started, traces of anger and hurt in his voice, "did you have any knowledge of Emma's existence prior to your first meeting?"
Thranduil's doubt turned to rage. He had assumed that his son would take his side in this situation. The question posed to him seemed to show otherwise.
"That, my son, is none of your concern. I do not ask about your personal affairs so do not proceed to inquire about mine," Thranduil replied, turning on his son.
"Father, did you know that party was killed just after Emma was born?" Legolas wanted to know.
He fought to keep his voice calm and collected. He did not want to show his father just how much this situation bothered him. That would be discussed at a later time. Right now, what the prince wanted was information and the only way to get it would be if he remained calm.
"I had heard as much," the king replied in a dismissive sort of tone.
That response, from the words used to the dismissive tone they were given in, raised Legolas's ire. He wanted to yell, to berate his father but he could not allow himself the pleasure of doing so. That would defeat the purpose of his quest and, probably, scare the life out of Emma.
"Why were you not concerned about the life of your child? I know, from what I saw in the mirror, that you were well aware of her presence," Legolas inquired.
The king, much to Legolas's surprise, smiled down at his son.
"I sent them away for your benefit. I did not want you to have to share a title with some illegitimate baby. It was done for you," Thranduil replied, putting a great deal of fake piety in his voice.
Legolas shook his head, seeing through his father's visage. This was an act he had seen many times and was not going to fall prey to. He thought of his mother and what the knowledge of this situation would have done to her. That was all he needed to keep his head clear.
Emma, meanwhile, shifted uncomfortable from foot to foot. She did not want to be involved in this conflict. She hated conflicts of any type, from the smallest argument to the largest fight. She wanted nothing more than to will herself to her parent's chambers. She wanted to tell them about everything she had seen and done while they were separated. She was most eager to tell them about how she had danced for a king and queen and that one even was more fun than anything she had experienced in all her years of dancing. Of course, she did not get her wish. She was still standing as the centerpiece in a battle of wills.
"I do believe it is too late for that fact, father," Legolas commented, making direct eye contact with his father.
"Why?" the king asked heaving a bored sigh.
He was tiring of this little game between himself and his son.
"The Lady of the Woods bade me to make a decision regarding Emma's fate. She said she knew that your decision had already been made and I see that she was not lying. I decided that Emma should get what she is entitled to," Legolas started but he was cut off.
"She is entitled to nothing. I hope you see that," Thranduil cut in.
"That is where you are wrong. I decided that she should be allowed the title of princess and receive what she is due. That is the decision my mother would have made," Legolas countered.
The king turned a vivid shade of red. It didn't take Emma much to imagine steam venting from the elf's ears. He turned his gaze and his rage from his son to Emma.
"I want to know what kind of enchantment you put my son under," the king requested of Emma.
"Enchantment, sir? I am not sure what you mean," the little elf replied, her gaze still fixed on the floor and her voice an octave above a whisper.
The king shook with frustration and ranted, "Just like those people who came here with you. They denied what is true. I can not tolerate liars like that."
Emma's head snapped up. She was taken thoroughly aback by that statement. There was something very wrong with what the king had just said. All the years of dancing with people who made fun or you and your family had helped her learn to control her physical responses. She did not allow them to see when they hurt her feelings. That would give them too much pleasure.
She took a deep breath and let it out, centering and calming herself.
"I don't appreciate you calling my parents liars, sir. As a matter of fact, it's very hypocritical of you. You denied truths and lied about things, too. You should not pass judgment on people you don't know anyway," she announced.
Emma's calm, cool, collected---frankly, rational---voice shocked everyone, including Emma. She was shaking like a leaf, whether it was from nerves or anger she could not say.
Her proclamation hung in the air like a heavy cloud for a handful of moments. It created a stifling silence where everything sounded unnaturally loud.
"I am the ruler of these woods, child. It will serve you well to remember that fact. I will pass judgment on whomever I want. Your little speech does not matter anyway. I am sending those people far away from here," Thranduil said, breaking the silence with his threat.
Legolas heaved a sigh and said, "Father, you can not do that."
"Why not?" the king, angrily, asked turning his ire back towards his son.
Slowly and carefully, Legolas explained everything he had discovered about Emma's foster mother.
"As a result of this, father, Shannon and her spouse have every right to be here. You can not send them back," Legolas finished.
Emma thought Thranduil was about to explode. He seemed to be swelling with rage.
"I need to think about these matters. Take this thing back to her parents," the king ordered.
Without so much as a word, Legolas ushered Emma from the room and back to her parent's quarters. No words were spoken between the two of them. There was just nothing to say. Both were emotionally drained, a fate fare worse than being physically exhausted.
Once back with her parents, Emma began to perk up. She had so much she wanted to tell them but she was at a loss for where to start.
"Did you guys worry a lot about me?" Emma asked.
She hated, above many things, making her parents worry.
"We did, pixie, but I knew you were in very good hands. You're very luck to have a big brother like him," Shannon replied, sounding very sad.
Emma picked up on the tone in her mother's voice.
"Mom, what's wrong?" she inquired.
"Nothing's the matter. I'm very happy you've found your family," Shannon answered, placing an attempted smile on her face.
Her heart just wasn't in the smile, though. There was something sad about it. Emma decided to take a stab at what was bothering her mother.
"Are you afraid that I'm not going to love you and dad anymore?" she ventured.
Without waiting for a reply, Emma answered her own question, "That's silly if you d. You guys took care of me and worried about me and gave me all kinds of opportunities even though I'm not really yours. That matters more than anything else. Besides, they guy who's suppose to be my father doesn't even like me. I'd rather two really good parents who love me and stuff but aren't really my parents than one real parent who hates me."
"Well, then he doesn't know what he's missing out on," Shannon said, pulling Emma into a tight hug.
Her fears were dispelled with that embrace.
Oracle: I'm glad you like my story. I'm trying! I really am! Interesting name, by the way.
TitanicHobbit: I'm glad you like my story. We're starting to learn more about our performance pieces in my dance classes. I just found out I'm getting to do a nonclassical piece for my private ballet lesson. I'm doing a remake of an old song called "Scarborough Fair." School, for me, is winding down. Science is a favorite subject of mine. I'm a biology major! My mom and sister want to see "Love, Actually." I have to go with my mom to see it because I dragged her to see "Matrix Revolutions" with me. Hope everything's going well with you!
PixiePea000: Well, that reaction is coming up! Let's just say he's not a happy camper. By the way, GOLLUM and watch out for Agent Elrond Smith!
IrethAncalime3791: Thanks and reaction coming up!
Elainor: Thanks for the complement! His reaction is coming up and, let's just say, he's not a merry old soul.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for a handful of made up characters. Tolkien thought up the concept and, as such, it belongs to him. I'm just playing in his world. I'm broke and in college. All I own are Pointe Shoes.
The two entered the throne room without any fanfare. Thranduil did not even take notice of their entrance. He was engrossed in some type of conversation with two dark haired elves. Emma assumed, from the way they stood and gestured, that they were advisors of some type. She stood next to Legolas, trying to imitate his calm, almost relaxed posture.
"You have returned, my son," Thranduil said, finally taking notice of Legolas and Emma, "What news do you have for me?"
He regarded his son fondly but gave Emma very cold stare. She averted her gaze, staring at the floor of the cave.
"I am afraid, father, that you are not going to be pleased with the news I bring," Legolas commented.
"Why would I not be pleased?" the king asked his tone slightly pompous.
He was secure in the knowledge that the only news he would hear would be to his own benefit.
"The news I bring is not going to sit well with you. You sent me to discern Emma's true parentage and I have done just that. Though I cannot remember the name of her mother, I can say that you are her father," Legolas, cautiously replied.
The king shot his son a questioning look. There was doubt in his eyes. Doubt regarding the validity of the information his son was confronting him with. This had to be a mistake.
"How can you be so sure?" Thranduil questioned, his voice not betraying his true feelings.
Doubt was carefully hidden by a well practiced façade.
"The mirror does not show falsehoods about the past. That is the only information it can give with amazing accuracy," Legolas countered.
He met his father's gaze, well aware of the conflict of feelings his father was wrestling with.
"What I would like to know is," Legolas started, traces of anger and hurt in his voice, "did you have any knowledge of Emma's existence prior to your first meeting?"
Thranduil's doubt turned to rage. He had assumed that his son would take his side in this situation. The question posed to him seemed to show otherwise.
"That, my son, is none of your concern. I do not ask about your personal affairs so do not proceed to inquire about mine," Thranduil replied, turning on his son.
"Father, did you know that party was killed just after Emma was born?" Legolas wanted to know.
He fought to keep his voice calm and collected. He did not want to show his father just how much this situation bothered him. That would be discussed at a later time. Right now, what the prince wanted was information and the only way to get it would be if he remained calm.
"I had heard as much," the king replied in a dismissive sort of tone.
That response, from the words used to the dismissive tone they were given in, raised Legolas's ire. He wanted to yell, to berate his father but he could not allow himself the pleasure of doing so. That would defeat the purpose of his quest and, probably, scare the life out of Emma.
"Why were you not concerned about the life of your child? I know, from what I saw in the mirror, that you were well aware of her presence," Legolas inquired.
The king, much to Legolas's surprise, smiled down at his son.
"I sent them away for your benefit. I did not want you to have to share a title with some illegitimate baby. It was done for you," Thranduil replied, putting a great deal of fake piety in his voice.
Legolas shook his head, seeing through his father's visage. This was an act he had seen many times and was not going to fall prey to. He thought of his mother and what the knowledge of this situation would have done to her. That was all he needed to keep his head clear.
Emma, meanwhile, shifted uncomfortable from foot to foot. She did not want to be involved in this conflict. She hated conflicts of any type, from the smallest argument to the largest fight. She wanted nothing more than to will herself to her parent's chambers. She wanted to tell them about everything she had seen and done while they were separated. She was most eager to tell them about how she had danced for a king and queen and that one even was more fun than anything she had experienced in all her years of dancing. Of course, she did not get her wish. She was still standing as the centerpiece in a battle of wills.
"I do believe it is too late for that fact, father," Legolas commented, making direct eye contact with his father.
"Why?" the king asked heaving a bored sigh.
He was tiring of this little game between himself and his son.
"The Lady of the Woods bade me to make a decision regarding Emma's fate. She said she knew that your decision had already been made and I see that she was not lying. I decided that Emma should get what she is entitled to," Legolas started but he was cut off.
"She is entitled to nothing. I hope you see that," Thranduil cut in.
"That is where you are wrong. I decided that she should be allowed the title of princess and receive what she is due. That is the decision my mother would have made," Legolas countered.
The king turned a vivid shade of red. It didn't take Emma much to imagine steam venting from the elf's ears. He turned his gaze and his rage from his son to Emma.
"I want to know what kind of enchantment you put my son under," the king requested of Emma.
"Enchantment, sir? I am not sure what you mean," the little elf replied, her gaze still fixed on the floor and her voice an octave above a whisper.
The king shook with frustration and ranted, "Just like those people who came here with you. They denied what is true. I can not tolerate liars like that."
Emma's head snapped up. She was taken thoroughly aback by that statement. There was something very wrong with what the king had just said. All the years of dancing with people who made fun or you and your family had helped her learn to control her physical responses. She did not allow them to see when they hurt her feelings. That would give them too much pleasure.
She took a deep breath and let it out, centering and calming herself.
"I don't appreciate you calling my parents liars, sir. As a matter of fact, it's very hypocritical of you. You denied truths and lied about things, too. You should not pass judgment on people you don't know anyway," she announced.
Emma's calm, cool, collected---frankly, rational---voice shocked everyone, including Emma. She was shaking like a leaf, whether it was from nerves or anger she could not say.
Her proclamation hung in the air like a heavy cloud for a handful of moments. It created a stifling silence where everything sounded unnaturally loud.
"I am the ruler of these woods, child. It will serve you well to remember that fact. I will pass judgment on whomever I want. Your little speech does not matter anyway. I am sending those people far away from here," Thranduil said, breaking the silence with his threat.
Legolas heaved a sigh and said, "Father, you can not do that."
"Why not?" the king, angrily, asked turning his ire back towards his son.
Slowly and carefully, Legolas explained everything he had discovered about Emma's foster mother.
"As a result of this, father, Shannon and her spouse have every right to be here. You can not send them back," Legolas finished.
Emma thought Thranduil was about to explode. He seemed to be swelling with rage.
"I need to think about these matters. Take this thing back to her parents," the king ordered.
Without so much as a word, Legolas ushered Emma from the room and back to her parent's quarters. No words were spoken between the two of them. There was just nothing to say. Both were emotionally drained, a fate fare worse than being physically exhausted.
Once back with her parents, Emma began to perk up. She had so much she wanted to tell them but she was at a loss for where to start.
"Did you guys worry a lot about me?" Emma asked.
She hated, above many things, making her parents worry.
"We did, pixie, but I knew you were in very good hands. You're very luck to have a big brother like him," Shannon replied, sounding very sad.
Emma picked up on the tone in her mother's voice.
"Mom, what's wrong?" she inquired.
"Nothing's the matter. I'm very happy you've found your family," Shannon answered, placing an attempted smile on her face.
Her heart just wasn't in the smile, though. There was something sad about it. Emma decided to take a stab at what was bothering her mother.
"Are you afraid that I'm not going to love you and dad anymore?" she ventured.
Without waiting for a reply, Emma answered her own question, "That's silly if you d. You guys took care of me and worried about me and gave me all kinds of opportunities even though I'm not really yours. That matters more than anything else. Besides, they guy who's suppose to be my father doesn't even like me. I'd rather two really good parents who love me and stuff but aren't really my parents than one real parent who hates me."
"Well, then he doesn't know what he's missing out on," Shannon said, pulling Emma into a tight hug.
Her fears were dispelled with that embrace.