A/N: Thank you all for reviewing you have no idea how thankful I am for it! The reviews actually inspire me! Please, continue! Some have asked why Thranduil doesn't scold the advisors who relentlessly berate his son. The answer is because the advisors aren't lying, and Thranduil cannot scold another elf for telling the truth. I say it's "elven code." I think I mentioned it in the first chapter but if not, apologies. Enjoy!!!
Legolas spent the few hours in his room thinking. He turned over many things in his troubled mind.
I wonder how Mirkwood is right now. Even as I rode out of her farthest borders, I could hear the screams of anguished elves. Too far from me to be saved, their voices silenced within seconds. I can't count the number of times my voice too joined the chorus of agony. I should've died many times. Perhaps I shouldn't have tried to find solace by laying in a bed but rather by laying an attack on a band of orcs. But I've done that for years, I've only known peace for 300 years and here I am nearing 3,000 and still Mirkwood is in constant defense. I've fought almost to the death for so long... It's no wonder I chose that way, but now I hate who I am.. was. At least I didn't try to listen to the sea and convince her to call me home like so many other elves, a lot of help that would've been. There is no honor in reaching those white sands without finishing what the Valar has sent you to accomplish.
But at this rate, with Haldir on the offensive in responses to advances, I fear I may never earn that rest. Just because I have recently led a dishonorable life I wonder if that is why...
A key turned in the lock and Elrohir walked in. He shut the door behind him and locked it with a different key.
"Your brother says you hold a key to every lock in this kingdom," Legolas spoke softly, without effort.
Elrohir ignored the obvious and sauntered up to the prince, "Are you hungry, prince...."
"Legolas," the name came out of his mouth as if it was a curse, some type of naughty word like it had been in Mirkwood for some time.
"Oh, yes, I recall now. But are you hungry?"
"No, but I will go to dinner," Legolas stood up and made his way to the door but Elrohir instead pushed him easily on the bed. The prince lay like a rag doll and Elrohir lifted him to be completely on the bed. He slowly unbuttoned Legolas' tunic and smiled.
"That's a shame you aren't hungry, because I am. I thought it would be nice to have a different type of appetizer," he quickly set his lips on the prince's and let his hands explore underneath his shirt. Terror went through the blond's mind What if someone else walks in to take me to dinner? What if he brags to the other elves? Stop! Stop! How can I stop this? It had been so long, he forgot how to.
"Please," he managed to push the words through his lips before they were again engulfed by Elrohir's mouth.
"What do you want me to do to you now? What do you say 'please' for?" Elrohir let the prince finally speak.
A new thought suddenly popped in his mind, What if he tells all the others to not try to be with me because I am unobtainable? If Haldir hears, he may not even consider to develop an interest in me. His heart beat quickened and he said the first thing that came to his mind, "We must stop now. I hear footsteps coming towards the room. You are a very desirable mate but we should keep this a secret between you and me."
Elrohir considered his words and tried to listen for footsteps, "I think I see your point... but I do not hear footsteps."
Elrohir grabbed the opening of his pants but Legolas immediately spoke up, "No offense to you, Master Elrohir, but I am a woodland elf and have amazing hearing."
Elrohir released the blond's pants and got off the bed, "That is amazing, because Rivendell is designed so that the rooms offer silence no matter what the noise outside."
Legolas, finally free, jumped from the bed and opened the door to peer out, he saw nothing, but, "Elrohir, quickly, an elf approaches from the left. We must quickly exit right and go to dinner."
Elrohir moved with an amazing swiftness and seemed to lift Legolas out of the room and to the right. He didn't even dare look left and they quickly walked off to dinner.
As the two walked into the large dinner hall, Legolas' immediate wish was to sit next to across from Haldir. Haldir however sat at a different table with his guards. The prince almost froze with fear when he examined the men. Elves characteristically were not large, excessively muscular, and burly like men, but these elves were quite different. They were the tallest Legolas had even seen, their shirts barely fit their broad shoulders. Their blond hair was long and tied in the same warrior braids he himself wore. Their faces were mean and their countenances were sturdy and showed no emotions. Intimidating was an understatement in describing these elves.
"Haldir says you wish to observe and train with his elves," Elrohir laughed. "Do you have any idea what you have gotten yourself into?" Elrohir whispered, "By the way I was able to toss you about earlier, I do not know if you have the strength, little prince."
Legolas seethed but did not show it, "Do not exhibit any concern of that sort for me."
Elladan spotted the two and noticed his brother's motives without effort, "Legolas, please, come sit by me!"
Elrohir grimaced at his brother and left the prince to sit at the opposite end of the table. The blond sighed with relief and approached his temporary reprieve.
Elladan smiled and embraced the prince in a friendly manner, "It is good to see you with relief on your face, friend. Please sit."
The two sat down and Elrond sat across from them, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Prince Legolas."
"A pleasure to meet you as well, Lord Elrond," Legolas smiled even though Elrond was not a great fan of the elves of Mirkwood and their 'excessive' relationship with nature. The dinner was pleasant and it was soon time to return to each other's respective quarters.
Elladan rose, "Legolas, I assume you remember how to return to your room?"
"Yes, thank you," he was grateful there was someone there with respect for him.
Elrohir strolled up as the two left and grasped Legolas' hand, "I will help you find your way to your quarters, prince, since I know you are not well acquainted with Rivendell yet.
Before Legolas could regretfully agree, Elladan interrupted, "No, brother, you do not have to. I have already offered to help him find his room." With that, he quickly walked off and Legolas followed. He could feel the angry twin seethe as they walked into the corridors.
When they were out of sight, a loud sigh of relief escaped Legolas' lips by accident, "Thank you."
"For what?" the dark elf smirked slightly as he let the prince see that he was 'confused.'
Legolas suddenly realized, No! I'm so stupid. Now he want to know why I was relieved to be away from his brother. Certainly, he would be incredibly offended if he knew I disliked his kin, especially for the reason why.
Elladan could sense the prince fumbling with his thoughts and did not expect an answer to a question he had asked when he had already known the answer anyway. They had been brothers for nearly 3,500 years, he knew of his habits.
"I hear that you will be tested by Haldir tomorrow?" Elladan asked.
"Yes," Legolas replied simply.
"You have seen his men, I gather," Elladan smirked.
"I've seen better."
"You're lying," Elladan let his lips finally give into a smile.
"Well, yeah," Legolas laughed and smoothed his hair back. "But I feel I can keep up."
"I can barely keep up with them and I have a few hundred years more experience than you do," Elladan spoke in good humor but suddenly the prince's face turned grave and pensive.
They reached Legolas' door but Legolas remained in the same state.
"Good night," Elladan offered, trying to make the blond return to middle-earth.
Legolas slowly and finally returned Elladan's gaze, "Do you understand what it is like to wake up in the middle of the night and hear screaming? Then, after a few hundred years, you learn to sleep through the screaming... but all the screams are different. Do you know what it's like to walk through a beautiful garden and have it suddenly marred by the blood of your friends and family? Maybe you do, but I'm sure it hasn't been one of the only things you have ever known. I was raised with a sword in my belt, a bow on my back, and arrows in my quiver. I'm sure as a child you might have been trained as well. But when I was a child, I was not training, I was battling. I was killing orcs before I could tie a bow on my shoes," Legolas turned to open his door but it was locked. He took out his key and gently fumbled with the lock.
Before he closed the door, Legolas looked to the dark elf once more, the face of a mischievous prince vanished and was replaced by an austere countenance, "I think I can keep up. Rest, young one."
The door slowly shut. Elladan suddenly did not feel in any way superior to the prince he had misjudged so substantially. He no longer felt that his seniority in relation to the prince was significant or even exsistant. By some sort of bizarre happenings, Legolas had managed to fit the time of many elves under his belt. Elladan finally decided to make his way to his own room. But before he did he tried to listen to anything from inside the prince's quarters. Not a sound could be heard, not even his breath. Elladan walked away from the door with a new found respect for 'small' princes of Mirkwood, the only prince of Mirkwood.
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