Title: The Reason Behind
Author: Kleine Snowdrop
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion are not mine. They belong to he far greater than I.
Summery: "It is far easier to think back on the kin slayings as something in the distant past. Something that has no bearing on today. It is an event that you cannot comprehend, and a mere fact that you only learn about. An oath spoken before you were born. But now, Erestor is it not more difficult to reconcile with your High Noldor values, when you put faces, and lives and even names with those slain? They all were someone's mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, father, grandfather, brother, son, friends and lovers. And every last one of them had dreams and plans and destinies ripped cruelly from them by their own kin. We may have only been Moriquendi, but we are still edhil!"
A/N: Takes place shortly after Greenwood is renamed Mirkwood. The council mentioned is not the Council of Elrond. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review!
The Reasons Behind"Prince Legolas has arrived from Mirkwood, my Lord."
"Thank you," Elrond said dismissing the elf. He turned back to Glorfindel and Erestor and frowned, "I had hoped that Thranduil would grace us with his ever elusive presence."
"King Thranduil seems to becoming more of a recluse in his old age," Glorfindel said with a haughty air, "at least Erestor will be happy, for as long as the prince stays."
"Glorfindel," Erestor snapped, as the advisor blushed fiercely.
"Well, it is true is it not," Glorfindel said as the three Noldor elves left to greet Legolas and his companions. Legolas was regally standing in the main hall awaiting his host. His dark green cloak was draped over his arm.
"Welcome to Imladris, Prince Legolas," Elrond greeted the younger elf lord.
"Thank you, my Lord," Legolas said, "my father sends his regrets that he could not make it here, My father refuses to leave Gre—Mirkwood unless it is a matter of life or death, and I do hope my Lord Elrond that I am a suitable replacement for my father."
"I am sure you will be," Elrond said. "The council will begin in two days."
"Of course, my Lord."
"Erestor will show you to your rooms," Elrond said and then he and Glorfindel left the two lovers to reacquaint. Erestor smiled and he took Leoglas' hand. He then led his lover to his rooms. Once inside Erestor enfolded the young Prince in his arms. Legolas melted into his lover's embrace.
"You smell like travel, beloved," Erestor said as he nuzzled Legolas' hair.
"Then by all means wash me," came Legolas' cheeky reply.
"Why did you father not come, Legolas?" Erestor asked later when they were settled in his rooms.
"My father rarely leaves Mirkwood, Erestor," Legolas sighed, "He believes that it is his place to defend our people against the shadow."
"Oh, I was afraid that it had to do with his unreasonable hatred for the Noldor," Erestor said. He winced when he saw the prince's eyes darken, "Legolas…"
"Auta miqula orqu, Erestor," Legolas snapped, "you are one to talk because if I recall correctly MY father accepted you as my lover without an argument."
"Legolas, I am sorry," Erestor said as Legolas stormed out of his rooms. He advisor sighed and followed the prince. He saw his lover enter the gardens. Legolas sat down on a wooden bench between two large trees. Erestor took a seat besides the younger elf.
"Legolas," he tried, but his prince ignored the plea. But Legolas did turn to him, his eyes hard.
"Have you ever wondered Erestor, why my adar and his before him hate the Noldor high elves, the Calaquendi?"
"No, I have not," admitted Erestor sheepishly.
"Would you like to know why?" Legolas asked sharply.
"Only of it pleases, my love to tell me."
"It is not a happy story," Legolas told the older elf, "in fact it is rather tragic and by telling you this, Erestor, I mean not to justify my father's hatred."
"Did I ever tell you that I only ever had one grandparent?"
"No."
"Well I the only one I ever had is my Nana's adar, her mother had passed into Mandos not long before my brother Uuranor was born, but that is another story. And we both know how Oropher of Greenwood died."
"The last alliance."
"Yes, and all because Gil-Galad hesitated to long."
"I know."
"If it had been different than maybe Mirkwood would have a different king, but I know no elf that would choose another over my father as their king."
"But the real tragedy Erestor, was the death of my grandmother, a lady of Doriath.
"Please continue," Erestor prompted.
"Did you know that Lord Celeborn had a sister?"
"No, I did not, he has never spoken of a sister."
"He did, and she was a fair silver-haired maiden, with light blue eyes that always twinkled with laughter. I have been told that when she smiled the stars shone brighter. Her name was Isilme'lora and she was the wife of Oropher of Doriath. Together they had two sons."
"I was not aware that your father had a brother."
"Not many outside of Gre-Mirkwood do, that is another tragic chapter in the live of Thranduil King of Mirkwood, but one that may explain his dislike for dwarves."
"But my fair advisor, I digress, how well do you know your history?"
"Quite well, as I taught it to the twins," Erestor replied puzzled, "why do you ask?"
"Then you know all about the forging of the Silmarils by Fëanor?"
"Yes."
"And the exile of the Noldor because of the slaying of the Teleri elves of Alqualondë. And then their return to Arda and the lies they told the high King?"
"They kept it a secret, Legolas, that is hardly lying."
"Omission, my dearest friend. Did the elves of Middle Earth not have a right to know," he demanded becoming more agitated with every word, "It was our kin that they slew."
"Please calm down, my love," Erestor said taking his prince's hands in his own. He gently rubbed the knuckles in a soothing manner.
"Then what happened, Erestor," the prince asked rhetorically, "Once they finally admitted their guilt to the king; he was angered, he forbad them to speak their language, but did not exile them. Then their actions, due to an oath on their behalf, and Thingol Greycloak own actions regarding the jewel brought down Doriath, the great, hidden city. There was a kin slaying where Dior the Fair was slain, and his twin sons Elured and Elurin left to perish. And then there was a final and most tragic one at the mouth of the River Sirion. Tell me, Erestor, do they gloss over this or actually make you learn and understand the actions on part of the remaining sons of Fëanor.
Erestor could not look the prince in the eyes as he spoke of this tragedy, so he remained quiet and allowed Legolas to finish his tale.
"It was at the Sirion amongst the exiles of Doriath and Gondolin that Isilme'lora was slain. The beautiful lady of Doriath, beloved of many was killed because of an oath.
Lord Celeborn, his brother Galathil, Oropher, my Ada, and his brother saw her fall. They were too far away to do anything but watch as a jeweled dagger was plunged into her heart. Oropher ran to his beloved and cradled her near lifeless body close to his own as Celeborn dragged my father and his brother out of danger. Oropher carried his beloved wife's body out of harms way. He held her as the life slipped from her body. Lord Celeborn and Galathil had taken hold of her hands and the three lords were crying harsh tears over her lost life.
Oropher nearly succumbed to his grief, but it was Celeborn that told him not to leave his sons here alone, they needed their father, and his sister would not want him to leave them. But Oropher never found the strength with in his heart to forgive anyone for taking his beloved away from him. Not that anyone ever asked for his forgiveness, he held all the Noldor to blame for this, including Lady Galadriel, the wife of his wife's brother. My father was very close to his nana and he took her death hard, he still carries much of that grief with him, and the old pain and wounds only began to heal when he met my mother."
"Then why did they fight in the last alliance?" Erestor asked this was puzzling him all through out the story.
"Their love for Arda supercedes everything. Even their hate for the Noldor."
"I understand."
"Do you? It is far easier to think back on the kin slayings as something in the distant past. Something that has no bearing on today. It's only an event that you cannot comprehend. It is a mere fact that you only learn about. An oath spoken before you were born. But now, Erestor is it not more difficult to reconcile with your High Noldor values, when you put faces, and lives and even names with those slain? They all were someone's mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, father, grandfather, brother, son, friends and lovers. And every last one of them had dreams and plans and destinies ripped cruelly from them by their own kin. We may have only been Moriquendi, but we are still edhil!"
"Aye, Leoglas, please for give me for my earlier words they were foolish."
By the time Legolas had finished his story tears were falling unhindered down the faces of both elves. Erestor pulled Legolas into a hug and he rubbed soothing hands along the back of the Mirkwood elf. Legolas melted into the safe, and strong embrace and fell in to reverie. Erestor carried the emotionally drained elf back to their rooms.
"Sleep untroubled, my dearest," Erestor said placing a kiss on the brow of the sleeping elf. He placed the elf in their bed, "I hope to return before you wake."
Erestor left their room and he walked the familiar path to Lord Elrond's office. He knocked quietly and entered slowly. Elrond rose from his desk as he saw the red eyes of his advisor and the trails the tears had left on his face.
"Erestor, mellon, have you been crying," he asked and Erestor nodded, "did you and Legolas have a fight?"
"No, my lord, well, yes we did, but the tears are not from that, as it was not a fight, really."
Elrond raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"
"I had foolishly said something offensive about Thranduil and Legolas took offence and he left out chambers and after I had found him, he told me some things I never wanted to know."
"That must have been him shouting in my gardens, then."
"Forgive me, my Lord."
"Please continue, Erestor, "Elrond said gently guiding his friend into a chair. Elrond then retook his seat behind the large oak desk, "then what happened."
"What he told me was horrific," said Erestor shaking, he was still digesting the information himself.
"What was it about?"
"Were you aware that Lord Celeborn had a sister?"
"Yes, why is it that you ask," Elrond asked he was confused as to why this would come up, "he is rather loath to speak about her."
"She was the wife of Lord Oropher, and the mother of Thranduil and his brother."
"What happened to her, Erestor," asked Elrond because he knew that there was no Queen of Mirkwood before Thranduil's wife, Nieninque.
"She died, well, was killed," Erestor ran his fingers through his hair, "she was one of the elves slain at the River Sirion."
"That would explain a lot," sighed Elrond, his own memories of that event playing in his mind. He now understood Thranduil's grief. He too felt a great anger at those who took his own mother from him when he was but a child.
"Yes and not only that but her death was witness not only by her husband but her children and her brothers as well and none could do a thing to save her," Erestor said, "when Legolas told me this he meant not to justify his father's hatred, but were I Thranduil, I too would hate those who took my mother from me at a tender age he was not even two-hundred yet. Add to the pain from her death, his brother's at the hand of orcs and inadvertently the dwarves, and finally his father's, he has wounds that may never heal, his only family is his wife and children."
Erestor sighed, "Now I must return to my beloved, lest he wake."
Erestor walked back to his rooms, he smiled when he saw the golden haired prince sleeping still. He removed his robes and crawled into bed with his lover. Legolas looked at him sleepily and turned to face him. The blond wrapped his arms around the Noldor advisor; he smiled sleepily up at Erestor and slipped back to sleep, followed shortly by Erestor.
THE END!
Lots of random info taken from the Silmarillion.
Calaquendi- Light elves, i.e. Noldor, Vanya and Teleri elves
Moriquendi- Dark elves, i.e. Sindar, Silven, and Averi elves
Elvish:
Edhil- elves –sindarn- singular edhel (elf) as seen in Peredhel
Nana- mother
Adar/ada- father, dad
Isilme'lora- lady of moonlight
Auta miqula orqu- go kiss an orc
Mellon- friend