After leaving behind the king's study, Legolas and Wolf, no, it was Alandor now as Legolas had to remind himself, took to the hallways for a tour of the palace. Alandor remembered virtually nothing of the place, though as he walked around, shreds of memories came drifting back to him. Halfway through the palace, the two elves came face to face with Aragorn and Gimli, who had both slept in that morning.
"Good morning," Legolas greeted them. "I trust you slept well?"
"Aye," agreed Gimli. "Nothing like elven finery to rest upon, though I dare say it pales in comparison to the finery of the dwarves."
Legolas cracked a small smile at the dwarf's joke. "There is news I must share."
Aragorn and Gimli looked up with interest, searching their friend's face. But they could gather nothing from his expression.
"I would like to reintroduce you to our mysterious elf friend," he said cryptically. "Aragorn, Gimli, meet Prince Alandor, eldest son of King Thranduil of Mirkwood."
Aragorn's mouth opened as if to gasp or speak, but no sound issued forth. Gimli stared wide-eyed, not knowing if he should believe what he had heard Legolas say. Legolas and Alandor stifled a laugh at the comical expressions on the faces of the man and dwarf.
"Let me explain," offered Legolas. He then recounted all of the events that had led up to the revelation of Wolf's true identity. "And there you have it all," he said at the story's end.
Once again, the others seemed to be dumbstruck, at the very least.
"I believe thanks are in order," Alandor said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen. "From the bottom of my heart I thank you both," he said, referencing Aragorn and Gimli, "for all that you have done. Taking me in, helping me to discover my family once more. There are no words to express my gratitude."
"And the same holds true for me as well," offered Legolas, "as I am sure that it does for my father. On his behalf, I am extending to you an invitation for the celebration to be held this night, in honor of Alandor's return."
"And the freedom of the strongholds," Alandor reminded him.
"But mostly Alandor's return," grinned Legolas. "The true celebration of the freedom of the woods will come when all Mirkwood is reclaimed, not just a few southern strongholds."
And so the friends conversed, taking a lunch together in the gardens behind the king's estate. When the noon hour had come and gone, the man and dwarf took their leave of the two princes, allowing them some time to get to know one another. They spoke of many things, Alandor being quite interested in all there was to know about Mirkwood. So Legolas recounted the tales of its heroes and of the evil that lingered in the forest. He spoke of the relationship the elves had with the Lake Men and of Smaug and the Battle of Five Armies. In turn, Alandor offered new information into his own past, going more in depth to some of the less painful stories that he had. It was only after this that he spoke of his apprehension regarding the night's festivities.
"I have lived all my life as a slave," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I do not know how to act as a prince should."
"Rest your mind easy," Legolas replied. "I have survived more than enough of our father's banquets to know what to expect. Just you follow my lead and you shall make it through the night relatively unscathed."
Alandor gave him a sideways glance, questioningly. Legolas laughed.
"Of course I am joking! Though I dare say that it is quite possible that many of the elders shall question you all the night through. Many of them will no doubt remember the circumstances surrounding your capture and will be more then eager to question you about it. I shall do my best to keep them away, if you so wish it."
"No, thank you, let them question me as they see fit. There is no doubt in my mind that they will have need to hear my story sometime. I may as well get it over with tonight."
Legolas nodded. "As you wish then. You are being braver than I had thought about this. In any event, it is likely that the first thing that our father shall do is to announce the reason for the celebration and offer up a toast. Then we shall eat and then the floor is open for wandering about and talking to whom we will."
Now the talk fell to other things as the sun continued its westward journey and began to climb back below the brim of the horizon, plating the world with its golden light. A warm breeze caressed the world, smelling faintly of sweet flowers that blossomed in the gardens.
"Tell me," Alandor finally said, "what was it like fighting in the war? Often times I wished I had had a weapon in hand and been on the battlefield. Granted, I do know how to fight well, at least not with anything better than my fists or a small knife, but still, I would have gladly taken my place on the field. Even dying would have been nobler than being bound to the palace under the rule of Denethor and watching the battle from the sidelines, able to do nothing."
Legolas' face grew dark. "But because you were sidelined by the Steward, you lived to see another day. War is never easy or pretty and I saw sights that still make my blood run cold. Wanton death and destruction, lives taken away so easily."
"What kept you going then?"
"The thought of defeating the Enemy did because at last there would be the opportunity for peace. And plenty of times when I would despair, I would think of Frodo and Sam, wandering alone in the wilderness of Mordor. I knew that they would never give up and it gave me the courage to continue to fight. Also, it helped to have Aragorn and Gimli fighting by my side. Friends, even in battle, can always lift the spirit."
Here Legolas stopped and looked sideways at Alandor. A small smile played across his lips and a light laugh escaped his lips.
"What?" asked Alandor. "What is so funny?'
"Nothing at all," Legolas replied. "It is just that I always wondered what it would be like to have a brother."
"A brother," repeated the older of the two elves. "I like the sound of that."
Legolas nodded. "Ai, but look at the sun. We have only a short while before the banquet begins. We must go and dress."