Chapter 89: Nighttime with Ada

Legolas crept into his father's room, where he saw his father on his bed with the book. Legolas grasped Thranduil's blankets and pulled himself up, but pulled the blankets down with him to the floor instead. Thranduil tried to ignore his son, but could not help but peer over the edge of his book and smile when he saw a chair being pushed over to the side of his bed. Thranduil chuckled as Legolas got onto the chair and then the bed.

"Ada?"

"Yes little Greenleaf?"

"I am sorry. Weally, weally sorry."

Thranduil pulled Legolas up against his chest, and rocked him in his arms.

"Ada, will you love me now?"

"Legolas, do you not understand? I will always love you, always. Even when you're as old as I am, even if you killed an elf. I would love you because you are my son, and will always be my baby."

"I am not a baby."

"Yes you are."

"Fine Ada, I am little."

Thranduil smiled and cuddled up with his little elfling, and kissed him on his chin.

"Ada, now that I am being a good boy can I have my clothy back?"

"Not yet ion Nin, but perhaps in a day or two. I do have some things to give you. But do you realise it is much past your bedtime?"

"Ya ada, I know that."

Thranduil stood up, tucked Legolas in the king-sized bed, and walked to wear his luggage lay, only half unpacked. Thranduil pulled something out from inside his bag, then walked over to his desk and took out some small sparkly objects from a drawer.

Thranduil lay back on the bed, where Legolas had picked up the book his father was looking at and had it opened.

"Ada?"

"Yes little Greenleaf?"

"What is this book of?"

Thranduil smiled and opened the book.

"Paintings of your family."

"Who is that?"

"That is grandsire Oropher, when he was younger, somewhat close to Haldir's age."

Legolas looked at the picture of his grandfather, Oropher. Legolas was too young when Oropher was alive to recall him, but Oropher looked identical to Thranduil, though Oropher at this time had no crown or even a circlet, and was much younger than Thranduil was now.

"And this one?" Legolas asked, pointing to another picture below the painting of Oropher.

"That is my Naneth, you have met her before, have you not?"

"Ya! But then she sailed away..."

"Correct."

"And this?"

"You should know that Legolas."

"It says underneath that its Thrainduil."

"No Legolas, it says Thranduil."

"Thrainduil."

"Thranduil."

"Thrainduil."

"Thranduil."

"Thrainduil."

"Thranduil."

"Thrainduil."

"Thranduil! It says Thranduil, as it is me, and Thranduil is my name."

"No ada, Thrainduil and Thranduil are not your names. Your name is Ada."

"Well Legolas, you see, because I, along with nana, created you, it makes me your father, so you call me by the elvish word Ada. But before I... did the deed that created you and your two brothers and sister... all knew me as Prince Thranduil Oropherion."

"So when you made Tonus you had you're name changed to Ada?"

"No. Only my sons, and of course Illiendal, call me Ada because that is what I am to my children, but not to others."

"Okay, I kind of understand... but Ada?"

"Yes little prince?"

"How did you make me?"

"...well, do you really wish to know?"

"Ya."

"Well... its very complicated, and I think you should wait before I tell you."

"Fine then. How old were you in this picture?" Legolas pointed to the same photo they had been debating about who it was, and Thranduil smiled.

"I was your age. I looked so much like you."

"Ya."

"And that picture below it, is when I was almost of age."

"You look like Tonus."

"I suppose I did. But I was younger than Tonus is this picture."

"And that one?"

"Me again, at my coming of age celebration."

"Dat?"

"When I was crowned prince of Mirkwood, though in those days it was known as Greenwood."

"Dat?"

"Now who does that look like to you?"

"Nana!"

"Yes. That is your Nana before Tonus was born."

"Dat?"

"Nana with me, about a week before Tonus was born."

"What about dat?"

"Nana and me with Tonus in my arms."

"What about that one?"

"Tonus when he was your age."

"He looks like me!"

"Yes he does, and beneath is me and your Naneth with Tonus when he was a toddler like you."

"And that?"

"Tonus some years before coming of age."

"Dat?"

"The day Tonus came of age."

"Dat?"

"When Tonus became a warrior."

"Dat?"

"Nana and Cield when he was just born. Below is Cield and I when he was just born, and followed by Tonus who was just a little older than you, and Cield."

"Oh."

"And those are all of Cield up to the day he became a warrior."

"And dat?"

"You with me, when you where born. Then it is you and nana, you with nana and I, you and Illiendal, Illiendal and me, Illiendal and nana, Illiendal, and you and Illiendal and nana and Tonus and Cield and I. Then we have you and Illiendal up until now, with some photos of Elladan, Elrohir, Haldir, Elrond, Arwen and many other elves along the way. And Gwim, and many more of Illiendal than you since she is elder than you."

"Yay! Gwim!"

Thranduil shut the book and pulled Legolas closer to him.

"This is yours, I believe."

"Mister Snuggles! Did you like having mister snuggles with you ada?"

"Yes, it reminded me of you. And I loved the letter you gave me."

"I wanted you to remember me ada."

Legolas wrapped his arms around his father and smiled.

"I did remember you."

"Wow, ada, what's that?" Legolas asked, pointing to the pearl on the silver chain around Thranduil's neck, which Elrond had given him in the earlier chapters.

"This Legolas, is from Lord Elrond, and is a gift to you, but only when you come of age."

"Its mine?"

"When you get older, I shall give it to you."

"Thank you Ada!"

Legolas kissed his father's cheek and lay back down beside his father.

"And these are for the tooth you lost. Open your hands now."

Legolas opened his hands and Thranduil dropped two golden coins, three diamonds, a gold chain with a ruby on it and a silver penny in Legolas' hands.

"Wow Ada, this is alot!"

"You lost your first tooth, of course I shall give you much. I am proud of you Legolas." Thranduil kissed his son's nose and made him giggle.

"Ada?"

"How did you choose my name?"

"Well, you where a forest child for one, I loved and respected Greenwood, and my father gave me a teddy bear who's name was Greenleaf... Like your name. That bear's name was chosen by my fathert, and I loved that bear more than anything. I do not know what ever happened to that bear, though. It is possible that I threw it away years ago..."

"I like my name."

"I am happy that you like the name I chose for you. But now it is time to go to sleep."

"Can I sleep with you, please?"

"Well... yes, you may."

Thranduil placed his book on his night table, and took the jewels from Legolas and placed them aside as well. Thranduil left the bed for some minutes, removed the chain around his neck, removed all of his many, many rings and changed into his soft nightclothes, and lay back in bed.

"Goodnight sweet one."

Thranduil blew out the candle beside his bed, and to prevent Legolas from being scared, wrapped his arms around Legolas' small body and held him close.

Legolas soon fell asleep with the warming love of his father, and Thranduil fell asleep fast, knowing he was finally with his son, and he could not wait to see what was going to happen tomorrow when Haldir told him everything that had happened.

But then Thranduil woke up, and moaned quietly as he sat up and looked behind him. He had forgotten about his quill and ink, and now the back of his tunic and the back of Legolas' (since Legolas had turned over and now slept on his stomach, so Thranduil could see the back of his tunic) tunic was covered in blue ink. Having no time to clean his clothing now, he simply moved the ink bottle and quill aside and fell asleep again.

To be Continued...