A/N: Remember to read the previous chapter. This yet another quick update,
and some say I should stretch it out over more days, but after a vacation
without my computer, I find that I cannot stop writing. So it is all good
for you who like fast updates!
WARNING: This jumps quite a bit forward from the previous chapter, but all important issues are addressed!
Chapter 15- The Way Things Are
22 Hísimë 3019- Mirkwood
Legolas found a rather uncomfortable seat in a tall beech, but it was the most he could do to escape the ever-present timbre of his father's voice bothering him about matters of his court. There had been many things upon his return that Legolas had gladly taken up as his tasks, those being mainly rebuilding the forest guard since it suffered such a depletion during the war, and also overseeing the reconstruction of some homes and other things that were destroyed from the foul beasts from Dol Guldur. These things needed to be done, and he would do anything to help his people, but it seemed now that his father was placing more and more demands upon his time so that he could not leave Mirkwood again. Legolas had been blatant when he told his father about his plans to go back to Gondor with a contingent of their people, and become a Lord of Ithilien and ally of the new King.
That was, of course, after his father was finished thanking each of the Valar his son had made it out of the war alive and then yelling at Legolas for even accepting his place among the Nine Walkers. His father had been very angry that he had not been in Mirkwood to execute his spot as guard captain, but soon realized that had Legolas not gone with the Ringbearer, than something far worse could have befallen the world. It was that group that worked nearly as one, even if they were separated by leagues of land, that led the battles and defeated Sauron. But now his father was making up for his absence in his duties.
Legolas took from the pouch around his waist the small piece of wood he had collected in Fangorn. It had been a good sized branch laying on the ground; he figured that it was probably from an orc marauder who met his end after cutting it down, but Legolas could not stand to see such a fine piece of wood go to waste. So he took the large branch and cut off a small end to it, taking it with him to carve when there were chances and times for him to be alone. He had not spent much time on it, and now it was pretty much whittled into a pitiful ball, but it had started to take it's own shape from the long hours he had spent on it. There had been no plans for what exactly he was going to make of it, but it appeared now in his mind as he gazed down at it, it could only be one thing.
A bird.
He smiled to himself, but let out a long, heavy sigh. Why was he still thinking like this? Emlin was far too young to be a wife, much less understand love, and that was apparent when she had arrived in Minas Tirith against her parents' wishes. He had not realized until the moment he saw her and knew what had happened between her and her parents, that she was very naïve and very immature. He was almost three millennia old, and far more knowledgeable of the ways of the world than she was. There was no way that he could possibly bind with someone like her, despite how lovely her personality was and how beautiful her features were.
And he could not forget about Haldir and Indilisse. Now, on top of his minor indiscretion in Lórien and Haldir's wariness of him, he would also have to contend with the fact that Emlin would never see land outside of Lórien again because of what she had done. It was horrible enough to not speak with her the entire time she was in Minas Tirith and when they were traveling back to their homes. He had wanted to take her with him, to show her the lands of Mirkwood, but now he knew he could not because of Emlin's just punishment. There were just too many things prohibiting them from doing so.
Legolas pulled a small knife from his boot and began to carve slowly on the wood, forming it more into a bird. In this piece of wood went his infatuation and whatever type of love he had for her, so that he could one day store it away and move on with his life. It was a wish and nothing more that he could have such a young elleth.
No, his future rather laid in a silken bed next to the dark-haired princess of Lindon.
Also upon arriving back in the city, the top priority for his father was to see Legolas wed to the princess and the betrothal made complete. There had been plans made for the Lindonian royal house to make a visit to Mirkwood, as there had also been preparations made for the wedding feast. Oh how he had argued with his father about this since his return. As a matter of fact, many of his views had changed since he last had seen his father. They disagreed on almost everything now, and it seemed to Legolas that the only way to still retain his love and devotion to his father was to continue with his plans to move his life to Ithilien. It would be better for everyone.
Except the princess.
"Legolas?"
He started at the voice, so deep in his thoughts that he had been caught unawares. Legolas looked up at the guard standing in front of him. "Yes, Valandir?"
"Círdan and his daughter have arrived with a great number." Valandir replied, "Your father told me to find you to welcome them."
Legolas hung his head and put away the piece of wood into the pouch. "So my unwanted fate has finally arrived?"
Valandir nodded his head, "You could always leave now. I will fetch Arod for you."
"I cannot do that, Valandir. My father would hunt for me, and when he found me he would still hold to the old Eldarin customs of the betrothal." Legolas replied. "I will have to marry this princess one way or another."
"He cannot make you marry unless it is of free consent, Legolas." Valandir reminded.
Legolas nodded, "But I am ready to make it my free consent to marry the princess."
Valandir shook his head and looked at Legolas for a long while, "Legolas, this is no way for you to live your life, and you know that in your heart. You would be unhappy with the princess, and truthfully I would to after speaking with her a few times."
He laughed lightly, "She cannot be so bad."
"You did not hear what I heard." Valandir replied. "Some things that were said hurtfully about your father, you and her father."
Legolas raised his eyebrows curiously, not believing that Valandir had heard such things come from the Princess. Aye, she was very distant and centered her life around propriety, but never could he see her saying evil things. "Tell them to me now Valandir, or I will send you to the borders for an extended period of time."
"She was speaking with the handmaid Nindë." Valandir said and looked at him, taking a seat in a branch facing Legolas. "By the way, do you have something with the handmaiden?"
"Why do you ask, Valandir?" Legolas questioned.
"Well, Nindë was saying that she was yours and that the princess could not have you." Valandir said, "And the princess responded that she would never have anything to do with such a jewel-obsessed king and his horridly mannered son."
"I am horribly mannered, but that has always suited me well." Legolas sighed, shaking his head at the thought of Nindë, not believing she would be so impertinent to royalty like that. But then again, she had promised vengeance on Indilisse in the most despicable of ways.
Valandir chuckled, "Aye, it has."
Legolas laughed and jumped down from his seat, landing on his feet. Valandir joined him quickly and they started to walk back to the cave meeting hall. Legolas turned to his friend and smiled, "I could always act horribly mannered to Círdan. Maybe that would break the betrothal."
"You are a wishful thinker, Legolas. I have known you long enough to know that you would never intentionally disrespect a friend or higher ranking person than yourself." Valandir said, giving his friend a suspicious look. "It will be easy, Legolas. I can still go fetch Arod for you."
"No, Valandir. This is my duty." Legolas replied quietly.
"Since when has Legolas Greenleaf mixed the meaning of duty with the meaning of insanity?" Valandir questioned.
Legolas shrugged his shoulders and continued on his way, Valandir stopping and heading someplace else. It was his duty, and Legolas would see one more time if he could do this. If he could not, then there would be no wedding and he would live the remainder of his days alone in Middle-earth, and possibly even in Valinor. But he would never leave his father without telling him anything. It would only aggravate his father more...
Elbereth, it sounded as if he were Emlin. They had both been presented with the opportunity to leave without question, and whatever happened, happened. But the difference between them was that he knew it would only work if he could stand and face his lot in life, and try to go against it at all costs. Emlin did not know this.
He turned down a long corridor and stopped before entering the audience chamber. Taking a deep breath, he walked in slowly to find that his father and Círdan were in heated debate over something. His father looked extremely vexed by the information Círdan was feeding him, his head resting his hands. Legolas cleared his throat and caught their attention, the princess turning quickly to look at him. There was something odd about her, but he could not tell exactly what it was. He did not know her well enough to see and know exactly why she looked different.
"Legolas, good, you have arrived!" His father called, motioning with his hand for him to join them.
Legolas nodded and walked over to the small council, bowing slightly to Círdan, then taking Lóme's hand in his, and kissed the backs of her fingers. He straightened himself and smiled, "My lady."
She smiled. The princess actually smiled at him! Legolas stopped and waited for all of Arda to split apart and fall into oblivion. Wait, maybe he had imagined it... she curtsied slightly, "My lord."
This was too odd, even for him. Legolas looked to his father and motioned for him to take a seat beside him. Thranduil waited for a long while and then gazed at Legolas. "Círdan brings distressing news with him."
"What is it?" Legolas asked.
"My daughter has gone against your betrothal and bound with another." Círdan said very frankly and cast a rather heated glare at his daughter who only smiled politely.
Legolas did not know if he should act as if he was heart-broken or joyous. Would it have been too horrible if he jumped up from his seat and pulled the princess into a long kiss, just to thank her for ending this betrothal? He tried to mask his joy, though, with a hand covering his mouth. "Then I shall say congratulations to the princess and whoever the lucky ellon is."
"Legolas?" His father questioned, "Do you not understand what this means?"
Legolas nodded his head, "Aye, I do. It means that you will have to find some other way of securing ties with Lindon, because you can no longer use your son as pawn to do such a thing."
He regretted saying that from the glare his father gave him, but he had always had that trouble of saying things before he thought through them completely. Thranduil looked at Círdan and then at Lóme before sighing. "I do think, Círdan, that it is a child's prerogative, no matter how long they have walked this land, to vex us."
Círdan chuckled lightly and nodded his head, "I am sorry that all of this had to happen, Thranduil. I should have minded where my daughter slept more often than I did."
Thranduil raised a hand to stop the impending argument that would erupt between the princess and her father. "Come, mellon, let us walk about and discuss other means of accordance with each other."
With that, the two rulers disappeared and Legolas was left looking at Lóme. He stood up and smiled widely at her, "Thank you."
"For what, my lord?" Lóme asked.
"For going against custom and not waiting." Legolas replied, "With all do respect, but I did not want to bind with you."
Lóme chuckled, "Nor I with you, Princeling."
Legolas laughed and offered his arm to her. She took it and he looked down at her, "It serves them right that they would try to create a betrothal between us. No one does than anymore, do they?"
"Not that I have heard of." Lóme said, "Well, except for a few extreme cases... listen, Legolas, I am sincerely sorry for how I have acted around you in the past. You did not deserve it, but it was my only defense against the marriage."
He nodded his head, "I accept your apology only if you accept mine for being so churlish."
"Accepted." She said.
Legolas led her out of the hall and to the woods surrounding the cave. "So who is the lucky ellon, my lady? I guard from Lindon?"
"Nay." Lóme smiled, "He is a harbormaster of the Grey Havens."
"And your father is angered about that?" Legolas questioned, "I am nothing more than a glorified warrior, with the title of Captain of the Guard."
Lóme shrugged her shoulders, "Ada loves my husband very much, but he seems to think that ties outside of the realm would be more beneficial to him."
Legolas listened to her talk, and found that she really was not so distant as she had initially been. Now she was more than warm with their conversation. "They will have to find a new way to share things without marriage. I think it is a dated tradition anyway."
"I agree, Legolas." Lóme nodded. "But something niggles at my mind... is there a love for you here in these woods or beyond?"
He shook his head, "Nay, my lady. I am the farthest thing from it."
"I find that hard to believe, Legolas." Lóme said, stopping and looking at him. "I was speaking with the handmaid..."
"Nindë, yes." Legolas chuckled. "She is merely an elleth with wishful thinking. She moved from Lórien because she could not have the March Warden."
Lóme giggled and nodded her head, "I have heard that the March Warden is quite handsome, but also quite arrogant and aloof."
Legolas smiled to himself, thinking of Haldir. "I guess you could call him handsome, but I am not the expert judge on ellyn. As far as arrogance goes, he is very much so, but I think marriage and children have mellowed him quite a bit."
"He has children?" Lóme questioned, "I did not know that."
"One elleth called Emlin. She is fifty." Legolas replied and let the name rest in the air between them as he thought of her. "And an ellon called Thoron. He is still but an elfling."
Lóme was quiet for a long while, but let a smile cross her features. "You enjoy this Emlin?"
"My lady?" He questioned.
"Do you have feelings for her?" Lóme asked.
Legolas shook his head, "I do not."
She giggled and placed a hand on his cheek, looking deeply into his eyes. "But your eyes belie your mouth, Legolas. I do not know you that well, but I can tell that what you seek is the love of a young elleth named Emlin."
"She is too young and naïve." Legolas replied and walked away from her to rest against the wooden railing on a nearby bridge. "I am her father's age for Elbereth's sake!"
Lóme chuckled and joined his side. "Age does not matter when one is in love, Legolas."
"But I am not even in love with her." Legolas said, "I have a very healthy infatuation with her, but I am not in love with her."
She smiled and nodded her head, "She is only fifty, you say? That is quite young."
"Aye, I know." Legolas nodded, "And her father does not much like the fact I do have an eye for her."
"Well, then, you shall look elsewhere." Lóme said, "There are many eligible elleths that would not mind taking your mind off of the problems around you."
Legolas nodded his head, though he did not just want someone to take his mind off of things. He did not want some distraction. He wanted to be in love, to have a wife, call her princess and have children with her. He wanted to watch them grow and experience the world. Legolas was almost sure, though, that Emlin was not the one for that role, but he could always dream about.
Somehow they had made it back into the cave and his father was beckoning him into the private study. Legolas stepped in and shut the door behind him, "You asked for me, Ada?"
"Ion," he began with a deep breath. "I am extremely angered that such a thing has happened with your betrothal, but also exceptionally glad that you did not marry someone you could not stand to be around. You did not deserve that, and I fear that was an oversight as both your King and your father."
Legolas smiled, "Ada, I was not planning on completing a binding with her unless she warmed up to me. She did, though it came after her real binding."
Thranduil chuckled and rested his elbows on the high desk in front of him. "I suppose her father has more things to worry about than I do... with a child completely disregarding custom."
"Since when is my father so large on propriety and custom?" Legolas asked suspiciously, slumping into a chair lazily across from his father.
"You do not wish a customary wedding?" Thranduil asked, "I would hope that you would at least bring your intended back to Mirkwood so that I could properly crown her."
Legolas smiled, "Since times are once again happy, I will have a customary wedding. That is, of course, if I do find an elleth that I love."
His father laughed and nodded his head, "Very well then. You will promise to visit often, even though you are going to Ithilien, and especially when you bind with another?"
"You do not mind if I go to Ithilien, Ada?" Legolas questioned, almost as excited as a young elfling, unable to wait for a new adventure.
Thranduil shook his head, "Legolas, ion, you have had your mind made up since Aragorn asked for your allegiance and help. It is how things are. I will not stop you. You will be a wonderful lord of your own lands."
"Thank you, Ada." Legolas smiled, "Thank you for your blessing."
Legolas smiled even wider as he thought to himself of all the wonderful things that could happen to him in the coming years. But first he had to concentrate on getting elves to come to Ithilien with him and create their own village. That would be his first task.
----
Hisime- November
Ada- Dad
Ion- son
Here ends the first part of this tale... think of it as a REALLY long prologue, and a lot of back history. Now on to the real story and concentrating mainly on Legolas' new life in Ithilien and Emlin's life after her huge screw up. There will be nominal parts for Haldir and Indilisse to play in the coming roles, but please forever look back on the rest of this story and Love Me, Just Leave Me Alone as fond memories of their relationship. They are my most favorite characters to this day....
Now on to Chapter 16!
WARNING: This jumps quite a bit forward from the previous chapter, but all important issues are addressed!
Chapter 15- The Way Things Are
22 Hísimë 3019- Mirkwood
Legolas found a rather uncomfortable seat in a tall beech, but it was the most he could do to escape the ever-present timbre of his father's voice bothering him about matters of his court. There had been many things upon his return that Legolas had gladly taken up as his tasks, those being mainly rebuilding the forest guard since it suffered such a depletion during the war, and also overseeing the reconstruction of some homes and other things that were destroyed from the foul beasts from Dol Guldur. These things needed to be done, and he would do anything to help his people, but it seemed now that his father was placing more and more demands upon his time so that he could not leave Mirkwood again. Legolas had been blatant when he told his father about his plans to go back to Gondor with a contingent of their people, and become a Lord of Ithilien and ally of the new King.
That was, of course, after his father was finished thanking each of the Valar his son had made it out of the war alive and then yelling at Legolas for even accepting his place among the Nine Walkers. His father had been very angry that he had not been in Mirkwood to execute his spot as guard captain, but soon realized that had Legolas not gone with the Ringbearer, than something far worse could have befallen the world. It was that group that worked nearly as one, even if they were separated by leagues of land, that led the battles and defeated Sauron. But now his father was making up for his absence in his duties.
Legolas took from the pouch around his waist the small piece of wood he had collected in Fangorn. It had been a good sized branch laying on the ground; he figured that it was probably from an orc marauder who met his end after cutting it down, but Legolas could not stand to see such a fine piece of wood go to waste. So he took the large branch and cut off a small end to it, taking it with him to carve when there were chances and times for him to be alone. He had not spent much time on it, and now it was pretty much whittled into a pitiful ball, but it had started to take it's own shape from the long hours he had spent on it. There had been no plans for what exactly he was going to make of it, but it appeared now in his mind as he gazed down at it, it could only be one thing.
A bird.
He smiled to himself, but let out a long, heavy sigh. Why was he still thinking like this? Emlin was far too young to be a wife, much less understand love, and that was apparent when she had arrived in Minas Tirith against her parents' wishes. He had not realized until the moment he saw her and knew what had happened between her and her parents, that she was very naïve and very immature. He was almost three millennia old, and far more knowledgeable of the ways of the world than she was. There was no way that he could possibly bind with someone like her, despite how lovely her personality was and how beautiful her features were.
And he could not forget about Haldir and Indilisse. Now, on top of his minor indiscretion in Lórien and Haldir's wariness of him, he would also have to contend with the fact that Emlin would never see land outside of Lórien again because of what she had done. It was horrible enough to not speak with her the entire time she was in Minas Tirith and when they were traveling back to their homes. He had wanted to take her with him, to show her the lands of Mirkwood, but now he knew he could not because of Emlin's just punishment. There were just too many things prohibiting them from doing so.
Legolas pulled a small knife from his boot and began to carve slowly on the wood, forming it more into a bird. In this piece of wood went his infatuation and whatever type of love he had for her, so that he could one day store it away and move on with his life. It was a wish and nothing more that he could have such a young elleth.
No, his future rather laid in a silken bed next to the dark-haired princess of Lindon.
Also upon arriving back in the city, the top priority for his father was to see Legolas wed to the princess and the betrothal made complete. There had been plans made for the Lindonian royal house to make a visit to Mirkwood, as there had also been preparations made for the wedding feast. Oh how he had argued with his father about this since his return. As a matter of fact, many of his views had changed since he last had seen his father. They disagreed on almost everything now, and it seemed to Legolas that the only way to still retain his love and devotion to his father was to continue with his plans to move his life to Ithilien. It would be better for everyone.
Except the princess.
"Legolas?"
He started at the voice, so deep in his thoughts that he had been caught unawares. Legolas looked up at the guard standing in front of him. "Yes, Valandir?"
"Círdan and his daughter have arrived with a great number." Valandir replied, "Your father told me to find you to welcome them."
Legolas hung his head and put away the piece of wood into the pouch. "So my unwanted fate has finally arrived?"
Valandir nodded his head, "You could always leave now. I will fetch Arod for you."
"I cannot do that, Valandir. My father would hunt for me, and when he found me he would still hold to the old Eldarin customs of the betrothal." Legolas replied. "I will have to marry this princess one way or another."
"He cannot make you marry unless it is of free consent, Legolas." Valandir reminded.
Legolas nodded, "But I am ready to make it my free consent to marry the princess."
Valandir shook his head and looked at Legolas for a long while, "Legolas, this is no way for you to live your life, and you know that in your heart. You would be unhappy with the princess, and truthfully I would to after speaking with her a few times."
He laughed lightly, "She cannot be so bad."
"You did not hear what I heard." Valandir replied. "Some things that were said hurtfully about your father, you and her father."
Legolas raised his eyebrows curiously, not believing that Valandir had heard such things come from the Princess. Aye, she was very distant and centered her life around propriety, but never could he see her saying evil things. "Tell them to me now Valandir, or I will send you to the borders for an extended period of time."
"She was speaking with the handmaid Nindë." Valandir said and looked at him, taking a seat in a branch facing Legolas. "By the way, do you have something with the handmaiden?"
"Why do you ask, Valandir?" Legolas questioned.
"Well, Nindë was saying that she was yours and that the princess could not have you." Valandir said, "And the princess responded that she would never have anything to do with such a jewel-obsessed king and his horridly mannered son."
"I am horribly mannered, but that has always suited me well." Legolas sighed, shaking his head at the thought of Nindë, not believing she would be so impertinent to royalty like that. But then again, she had promised vengeance on Indilisse in the most despicable of ways.
Valandir chuckled, "Aye, it has."
Legolas laughed and jumped down from his seat, landing on his feet. Valandir joined him quickly and they started to walk back to the cave meeting hall. Legolas turned to his friend and smiled, "I could always act horribly mannered to Círdan. Maybe that would break the betrothal."
"You are a wishful thinker, Legolas. I have known you long enough to know that you would never intentionally disrespect a friend or higher ranking person than yourself." Valandir said, giving his friend a suspicious look. "It will be easy, Legolas. I can still go fetch Arod for you."
"No, Valandir. This is my duty." Legolas replied quietly.
"Since when has Legolas Greenleaf mixed the meaning of duty with the meaning of insanity?" Valandir questioned.
Legolas shrugged his shoulders and continued on his way, Valandir stopping and heading someplace else. It was his duty, and Legolas would see one more time if he could do this. If he could not, then there would be no wedding and he would live the remainder of his days alone in Middle-earth, and possibly even in Valinor. But he would never leave his father without telling him anything. It would only aggravate his father more...
Elbereth, it sounded as if he were Emlin. They had both been presented with the opportunity to leave without question, and whatever happened, happened. But the difference between them was that he knew it would only work if he could stand and face his lot in life, and try to go against it at all costs. Emlin did not know this.
He turned down a long corridor and stopped before entering the audience chamber. Taking a deep breath, he walked in slowly to find that his father and Círdan were in heated debate over something. His father looked extremely vexed by the information Círdan was feeding him, his head resting his hands. Legolas cleared his throat and caught their attention, the princess turning quickly to look at him. There was something odd about her, but he could not tell exactly what it was. He did not know her well enough to see and know exactly why she looked different.
"Legolas, good, you have arrived!" His father called, motioning with his hand for him to join them.
Legolas nodded and walked over to the small council, bowing slightly to Círdan, then taking Lóme's hand in his, and kissed the backs of her fingers. He straightened himself and smiled, "My lady."
She smiled. The princess actually smiled at him! Legolas stopped and waited for all of Arda to split apart and fall into oblivion. Wait, maybe he had imagined it... she curtsied slightly, "My lord."
This was too odd, even for him. Legolas looked to his father and motioned for him to take a seat beside him. Thranduil waited for a long while and then gazed at Legolas. "Círdan brings distressing news with him."
"What is it?" Legolas asked.
"My daughter has gone against your betrothal and bound with another." Círdan said very frankly and cast a rather heated glare at his daughter who only smiled politely.
Legolas did not know if he should act as if he was heart-broken or joyous. Would it have been too horrible if he jumped up from his seat and pulled the princess into a long kiss, just to thank her for ending this betrothal? He tried to mask his joy, though, with a hand covering his mouth. "Then I shall say congratulations to the princess and whoever the lucky ellon is."
"Legolas?" His father questioned, "Do you not understand what this means?"
Legolas nodded his head, "Aye, I do. It means that you will have to find some other way of securing ties with Lindon, because you can no longer use your son as pawn to do such a thing."
He regretted saying that from the glare his father gave him, but he had always had that trouble of saying things before he thought through them completely. Thranduil looked at Círdan and then at Lóme before sighing. "I do think, Círdan, that it is a child's prerogative, no matter how long they have walked this land, to vex us."
Círdan chuckled lightly and nodded his head, "I am sorry that all of this had to happen, Thranduil. I should have minded where my daughter slept more often than I did."
Thranduil raised a hand to stop the impending argument that would erupt between the princess and her father. "Come, mellon, let us walk about and discuss other means of accordance with each other."
With that, the two rulers disappeared and Legolas was left looking at Lóme. He stood up and smiled widely at her, "Thank you."
"For what, my lord?" Lóme asked.
"For going against custom and not waiting." Legolas replied, "With all do respect, but I did not want to bind with you."
Lóme chuckled, "Nor I with you, Princeling."
Legolas laughed and offered his arm to her. She took it and he looked down at her, "It serves them right that they would try to create a betrothal between us. No one does than anymore, do they?"
"Not that I have heard of." Lóme said, "Well, except for a few extreme cases... listen, Legolas, I am sincerely sorry for how I have acted around you in the past. You did not deserve it, but it was my only defense against the marriage."
He nodded his head, "I accept your apology only if you accept mine for being so churlish."
"Accepted." She said.
Legolas led her out of the hall and to the woods surrounding the cave. "So who is the lucky ellon, my lady? I guard from Lindon?"
"Nay." Lóme smiled, "He is a harbormaster of the Grey Havens."
"And your father is angered about that?" Legolas questioned, "I am nothing more than a glorified warrior, with the title of Captain of the Guard."
Lóme shrugged her shoulders, "Ada loves my husband very much, but he seems to think that ties outside of the realm would be more beneficial to him."
Legolas listened to her talk, and found that she really was not so distant as she had initially been. Now she was more than warm with their conversation. "They will have to find a new way to share things without marriage. I think it is a dated tradition anyway."
"I agree, Legolas." Lóme nodded. "But something niggles at my mind... is there a love for you here in these woods or beyond?"
He shook his head, "Nay, my lady. I am the farthest thing from it."
"I find that hard to believe, Legolas." Lóme said, stopping and looking at him. "I was speaking with the handmaid..."
"Nindë, yes." Legolas chuckled. "She is merely an elleth with wishful thinking. She moved from Lórien because she could not have the March Warden."
Lóme giggled and nodded her head, "I have heard that the March Warden is quite handsome, but also quite arrogant and aloof."
Legolas smiled to himself, thinking of Haldir. "I guess you could call him handsome, but I am not the expert judge on ellyn. As far as arrogance goes, he is very much so, but I think marriage and children have mellowed him quite a bit."
"He has children?" Lóme questioned, "I did not know that."
"One elleth called Emlin. She is fifty." Legolas replied and let the name rest in the air between them as he thought of her. "And an ellon called Thoron. He is still but an elfling."
Lóme was quiet for a long while, but let a smile cross her features. "You enjoy this Emlin?"
"My lady?" He questioned.
"Do you have feelings for her?" Lóme asked.
Legolas shook his head, "I do not."
She giggled and placed a hand on his cheek, looking deeply into his eyes. "But your eyes belie your mouth, Legolas. I do not know you that well, but I can tell that what you seek is the love of a young elleth named Emlin."
"She is too young and naïve." Legolas replied and walked away from her to rest against the wooden railing on a nearby bridge. "I am her father's age for Elbereth's sake!"
Lóme chuckled and joined his side. "Age does not matter when one is in love, Legolas."
"But I am not even in love with her." Legolas said, "I have a very healthy infatuation with her, but I am not in love with her."
She smiled and nodded her head, "She is only fifty, you say? That is quite young."
"Aye, I know." Legolas nodded, "And her father does not much like the fact I do have an eye for her."
"Well, then, you shall look elsewhere." Lóme said, "There are many eligible elleths that would not mind taking your mind off of the problems around you."
Legolas nodded his head, though he did not just want someone to take his mind off of things. He did not want some distraction. He wanted to be in love, to have a wife, call her princess and have children with her. He wanted to watch them grow and experience the world. Legolas was almost sure, though, that Emlin was not the one for that role, but he could always dream about.
Somehow they had made it back into the cave and his father was beckoning him into the private study. Legolas stepped in and shut the door behind him, "You asked for me, Ada?"
"Ion," he began with a deep breath. "I am extremely angered that such a thing has happened with your betrothal, but also exceptionally glad that you did not marry someone you could not stand to be around. You did not deserve that, and I fear that was an oversight as both your King and your father."
Legolas smiled, "Ada, I was not planning on completing a binding with her unless she warmed up to me. She did, though it came after her real binding."
Thranduil chuckled and rested his elbows on the high desk in front of him. "I suppose her father has more things to worry about than I do... with a child completely disregarding custom."
"Since when is my father so large on propriety and custom?" Legolas asked suspiciously, slumping into a chair lazily across from his father.
"You do not wish a customary wedding?" Thranduil asked, "I would hope that you would at least bring your intended back to Mirkwood so that I could properly crown her."
Legolas smiled, "Since times are once again happy, I will have a customary wedding. That is, of course, if I do find an elleth that I love."
His father laughed and nodded his head, "Very well then. You will promise to visit often, even though you are going to Ithilien, and especially when you bind with another?"
"You do not mind if I go to Ithilien, Ada?" Legolas questioned, almost as excited as a young elfling, unable to wait for a new adventure.
Thranduil shook his head, "Legolas, ion, you have had your mind made up since Aragorn asked for your allegiance and help. It is how things are. I will not stop you. You will be a wonderful lord of your own lands."
"Thank you, Ada." Legolas smiled, "Thank you for your blessing."
Legolas smiled even wider as he thought to himself of all the wonderful things that could happen to him in the coming years. But first he had to concentrate on getting elves to come to Ithilien with him and create their own village. That would be his first task.
----
Hisime- November
Ada- Dad
Ion- son
Here ends the first part of this tale... think of it as a REALLY long prologue, and a lot of back history. Now on to the real story and concentrating mainly on Legolas' new life in Ithilien and Emlin's life after her huge screw up. There will be nominal parts for Haldir and Indilisse to play in the coming roles, but please forever look back on the rest of this story and Love Me, Just Leave Me Alone as fond memories of their relationship. They are my most favorite characters to this day....
Now on to Chapter 16!