Chapter 9: The punishment
"Legolas… You know that I hate it more than anything when you leave without my permission."
"I know." Legolas whispered, resting his head upon his father' burly chest. Thranduil sighed. The great king knew Legolas did not mean to hurt his friend as much as he had and he did not want to discipline his son greatly.
"Is Dan hurt badly?" Legolas asked quietly, looking up at his father with big sad eyes. Thranduil knew Legolas must feel awful, for his elfling hated causing harm to other living beings, what ever they may be.
"I believe Elrond said his jaw bone was cracked." Thranduil felt awful when he saw the look of horror that spread across Legolas' young face.
"He must be sore." Legolas whispered, lowering his head and gaze to the floor. "He must hate me, he wont want me as his friend ever again. I'm mad at myself, ada, I know I was bad. You should punish me." Legolas whispered, Thranduil feeling one of the elfling's little tears fall on his lap.
"The twins should have let you leave, that was bad of them too, so do not place all the blame upon yourself, though you do know better than to hit elflings."
"Ada, do you still want me as your elfling, even after I was a bad elfling?" Legolas asked, smiling immediately when Thranduil gave him a tight squeeze.
"No matter what you do Legolas I will always want you as an elfling." Thranduil whispered. "But now, we must deal out a punishment for you."
"It should be a bad punishment, because I was very bad." Legolas said. Thranduil grinned.
"How about no ice-cream until your majority?"
"Okay. Wait- No! Ada that's a long time from now!" Legolas frowned when Thranduil chuckled.
"Ai, elfling, I would never do that, unless you where reaching your majority in a month or less, but not when you are so young. I think it would be fair if you apologize to Elladan and Elrohir. After you apologize, I know their father has ordered them to clean the barrels as punishment for doing such a prank, so I would like it if you rolled the barrels in and out for them, as punishment for doing the prank with them, even if you did not want to take place in it." Thranduil said. "And then you will go to your bed chambers until Lord Elrond and I call for you." The king added. Legolas nodded.
"That's fair. Thanks ada, for not getting someone to hit me." Legolas snuggled up in his father's arms, oblivious to the stiffness of the king's arms.
"Get someone to hit you? Greenleaf, I would never do that! What ever gave you such a thought?"
"Well it's just that Cield hit me once and I was going to tell you and he said there was no point in telling you 'cause you had told him to hit me and if I told you he had hit me that you would hit me a lot harder." Legolas said, now noticing how stiff his father's arms had gotten.
"Ada what's the ma-
"I cannot believe that son of mine! How could Cield do that to you? What makes him think he has the right to discipline you in any fashion? I will not let him have ice-cream until his majority, I think that is a far punishment!" Thranduil said angrily to no-one. Legolas giggled at the thought of his elder brother not being allowed ice-cream.
"Alright, I will deal with your brother shortly, but for now you shall be heading over to the barrel room, to apologize and aid the twins." Thranduil helped his son off his lap, and the two walked to the barrel room. Elladan and Elrohir where inside one of the barrels, scrubbing away. The two came out when they noticed that more elves had entered the room.
Thranduil had his hand on Legolas' shoulder and he could feel the elfling quivering when the elfling had seen the bandages on Elladan's face.
Thranduil looked down at his son. Legolas looked like he wanted to leave. Thranduil knew Legolas felt hated, but Thranduil knew that Legolas was indeed not hated.
Legolas was given a very gentle nudge forwards by Thranduil, so the prince took little steps towards his friends who he believed hated him.
"Elladan?" Legolas looked at the injured twin. Elladan looked at him but did nit say anything. Elrond stepped forwards.
"Little one, Elladan cannot speak because of his sore jaw," Elrond felt awful to have said that when he saw how upset it made Legolas look, "But Elrohir can talk for him."
"I am really sorry. I know you must be very angry at me and if you don't want to be my friend any more It's okay..." Legolas was clearly holding back sobs. Elrohir looked at his twin and knew what he longed to say.
"Elladan says he forgives you. He says he does not hate you and he still wants to be your friend." Elrohir was glad to see Legolas smile. "Thank you." Legolas said in a hushed voice.
"Legolas will help you both with cleaning, he will bring the barrels that need cleaning to you, and roll the barrels that you have cleaned away. I cannot stay for I have paperwork that should have been done by now, but Lord Elrond will stay." Thranduil said, before turning around and leaving.
To be continued…
I am so sorry that this is a short chapter, but my plot monkey, Star Wars Monkey, and my muses Erestor and Billy Bob (I have many muses but Resty and Billy are my favorite muses) have been telling me to start writing a great story I have about Haldir and Haldir's son, Galadhril, which takes place after the battle of Helm's Deep (unlike usual, this story will be more movie-based than ever before). It will be an angst/tragedy story just to tell you (I love stories like that, I just don't often write them)!