Disclaimer: See all the other chapters thank you.
Legolas looked at his brother in awe as a parcel was handed to the small Elfling. "For me?" Legolas questioned, trying to remember if he had a special day today. Usually he only got presents on his begetting day, but he did not think today was that day.
He looked up at Lomion with wide eyes as the Crown Prince answered. "Of course it is for you, little One. It is a special present so that you can always be safe."
Legolas ripped the paper open, as all eyes were watching the Elfling, one member of the family poured a small amount of liquid from a bottle into the Elfling's milk.
Legolas shouted in glee as he tore the wrapping off of the package to reveal a miniature bow and a quiver full of blunt arrows. Legolas literally threw himself into his brother's arm. "Hannon lle, Lomion. Thank you, my brother, oh thank you! Now the spiders not get me and we all be safe."
Thranduil smiled at his entire family. In the short time that had passed since Laurelin had died, so much had happened, but they were all stronger for it. He knew his sons missed their mother, but they had each other and that was enough.
Legolas was being passed around the table hugging everyone in his excitement. When he reached Drowlin he peered into his brother's face. Drowlin picked him up and sat him on his lap, Speaking quietly he talked to Legolas. "I am sorry for the wrongs I have done you, little One. I love you and I beg your forgiveness."
Legolas returned the hug and replied. "I glad you no go away like Nana, Drowlin, I love you."
"I love you too, little Leaf."
Thranduil felt tears well up in his eyes as his two youngest sons made up and forgave each other for the things both real and imagined that had alienated them.
"Leafie, come here and finish your milk and then maybe we can all have a day off from our duties so that we can practice as a family on the archery field. How does that sound?"
Legolas was once more passed quickly to his father and still clutching his cherished bow on one hand tried to lift the milk with the other.
"No, Legolas, two hands. You need to hands to lift the glass." Legolas reluctantly passed the cherished weapon to his father and went to drink his milk. Before it had even touched his lips he put it back down and backed away as far as he could.
"No, it bad, Ada, it bad. No drink."
Thranduil looked cautiously at his son. "What makes you think that the milk is bad, my Leaf?" The King lifted the glass to smell it, wondering if it had gone off.
"I do not know, but I no drink, it is wrong."
Thranduil sighed; he knew Legolas did not normally make a fuss over nothing. But he knew there was nothing wrong with the drink, he himself had poured it. It was always a struggle to get Legolas to drink his milk, he hated it, and so he just thought that Legolas was trying to get out of having the nourishing drink.
"Very well, then, if you will not drink it, I will and you will go to your room." As he said this the King drank the liquid and felt a sharp burning feeling in the back of his throat. He momentarily wondered if Legolas was correct about the milk before he felt a deep anger begin to build up inside of him.
"I said go to your room, Legolas, NOW!" He bellowed at the Elfling, Legolas in his shock tried to do just that. He picked up his bow and ran for the stairs, but failed his weak legs not able tom take the punishment and he fell, crashing to the floor. Arwen quickly made her way over to the Elfling; the others were too shocked to move. Picking up the crying child she left the room.
"Adar, why did you yell at Legolas?" Drowlin was determined to act like a big brother, just like Lomion did.
"Because he disobeyed me." Thranduil snarled, whirling around on Drowlin and hitting his second youngest child around the face. "Never, ever question me again."
They all watched in shock as he stormed off. Lomion stood and moved to Drowlin's side, checking the damaged cheek. "Drowlin, are you well?"
Drowlin shakily nodded, keeping his hand pressed firmly against his smarting cheek. "I can not believe that he hit me." Even his voice shook.
Arwen was holding the still sobbing Elfling in he arms; she could feel his tears as they soaked through her dress, as he buried his small face in his arms.
"It is well, Legolas. Your Ada did not mean to shout at you, I promise." Arwen had an idea and carried Legolas out of his chamber and down to her own. Sitting on the side of her dressing table was a toy horse. It was all white with a flowing mane and tail. She gave the toy to the sniffling Elfling. "Here I made this for you to be friends with."
Legolas hugged both the toy and Arwen. "What is his name?" The small Elfling questioned.
"His name can be anything you want it to be." She replied glad to see the smile on the small Elfling's face. "What do you think he should be called?"
"I think Snowy." Arwen laughed as Legolas translated the name of his real life white horse into common for the toy.
"Then Snowy it shall be."
Lomion paced in his study, unsure as to what had caused his father to change his attitude so quickly. He knew that his father had been pleased that all the family had been getting on so well. Drowlin and Legolas had been seen with witnesses saying that they loved each other. Then his father had blown up with no apparent reason.
He had passed Legolas' chamber and had heard him sobbing, but he knew that Arwen was with him, so he decided to try and deal with his father and try to get this sorted out before it affected the little Elf again. He decided to go and see his father.
Knocking on the door to the King's chamber, he was let in by his scowling father. "What do you want, Lomion? If it is to talk about your little brother, then I care not. It is high time he grew up."
"No, my King." Lomion had decided that he would be formal until he knew why his father was acting as he was. "I wished to talk to you about the trade agreements we have with Lake Town. You mentioned last night that you would reconsider re-working one of them and I wondered if I could help in some way."
Thranduil rounded on his eldest son in anger. "Oh, you think I am too old to know what I am doing with running my Kingdom? You wish to take my place as King!" Thranduil hit Lomion hard around the head with his clenched fist.
Lomion had not been expecting the blow and had fallen to the floor. His father grabbed him by the shirt and punched him twice more, catching his mouth and nose, which began to bleed. Lomion could feel the blood running down his face and tasted the coppery blood from his split lip.
"No, my Lord, I promise that is not what I meant, honest."
"You need to learn respect, Ion-nin. This is not the first time you have decided to question my rule and the way I run the Kingdom." Thranduil was pulling Lomion along by his arms as he dragged him, down the hallway, blood dripping onto the floor as he was unable to regain his footing. The grip on his arm was hard and he could not break it.
Reaching the library he pushed Lomion through the door by force, sending him sprawling onto the floor once more.
Elrond, Elardion, both sets of twins and Estel were all in the study talking. They stopped shocked at the sight of Lomion being manhandled by his father with blood running down his face.
"I wish you to witness this, Elrond. From this day forth I am changing the position of my sons. Lomion will no longer be Crown Prince, this title will know go to Drowlin. Who, in my opinion, is the only one of my sons to show that they are capable of seeing the truth. Legolas is no longer my son at all. It was recently brought to my attention that Legolas does not look like me or any of my other sons. Therefore I have reached the opinion that Legolas is a bastard and Laurelin had an affair. That is my final say. Legolas may remain in the palace until his next begetting day, then he will leave."
Thranduil left the room. A stunned silence fell broken only when Elrond stood and made his way to Lomion's side to help him into a chair.
Elardion left the room to fetch both his brothers and some healing herbs. Arwen and Legolas came out as soon as they heard Thranduil storming past Legolas' chamber. Drowlin followed soon after, Elardion met them half way and the4y all went back to the library.
Once they were all settled, Elrond was tended to Lomion as Elardion explained to the newcomers all that had happened. Drowlin looked shocked. "You mean I am Crown Prince now?" He was looking at Lomion who nodded. "No, this is not right. I am not the heir, Lomion is."
They all started talking at once, trying to work out why Thranduil's mood had changed so dramatically. All fell silent at the sound of pitiful wails that came from the blond Elfling in Arwen's lap.
"Do I have to go 'way?" He sobbed to Nolvo. "I no wanna go. I wanna stay here, please 'Vo, no send me away."
Nolvo took his brother from Arwen ands hugged him tight to try and let him know he was loved.
"I promise you, Legolas." Alcarnor spoke for every one in the room. "You will never be alone."
Legolas sniffed and Estel stood. "Come on, Legolas, we will go and pack a few things from your room and collect Growly, Pinkie and Elly. You can stay with me in my chambers tonight." Estel picked the Elfling up. "Stop those tears, my Leaf, remember what I said before? If you ever have to leave, you will come and live with me. But it will not come to that, you will see."
"Can Snowy come?" Legolas asked and Estel remembered the white horse that he had witnessed Arwen making only the night before and nodded.
The pair left the room and reached the blonds chambers. Opening the door Legolas' screams echoed through out the hall. There on the bed sat all four of his special cuddly toys. Growly, Pinkie and Elly were all covered in bright red paint. At least that was what Legolas thought it was. Estel, though caught the scent of the fluid and realised it was blood. But the truly horrific sight was Snowy.
His head had been viciously parted from the4 body and the stuffing lay soaked in blood.
Estel held onto the trembling Elfling and carried him down the hall where he was met by Lomion running towards them a grim look on his face. He whispered something into the man ear that made Estel's blood run cold.
"Adar visited the stables. He slit the throats of both Telmenelion and his mother. He gave the groom a message for Legolas. He said, Legolas took something he loved from him, so he has taken something that Legolas loved in return."
Estel held the crying Elfling even tighter to his chest. Legolas was already in hysterics over the death of his toy, how would he react to the death of his friend?
To be continued
I appreciate greatly all the reviews we both do but I a m sorry to say that I do not have time to write replies. I just came in from Walton beach and it was lovely. But I have no time as I have to go out and I want to apologise and please please please do not hit me.
Love
Meisalliam, Shell, Growly, Leafie, Pinkie, Elly and any others we missed.