Chapter 103: Haldir and Thranduil's conversation

"Legolas- I, I am sorry! I lost my temper. I hate, hate more than anything, to cause you harm, and I love you more than anything. Please forgive me for slapping you, especially across your face; I could have damaged your hearing! Forgive me that I made you cry." Thranduil gently stroked his son, and Legolas looked up and sniffed.

"Thats not why I'm crying."

"Its not?"

"No. My underwear is all wedged in my bum, and it's not comfy." Legolas sniffed. A smile spread over Thranduil's face and soon the king was relieved. Thranduil pulled his son closer, fixed Legolas' undergarments, and gently kissed his cheek where it was red from the slap. "That better?"

"Yef." Legolas smiled.

"Good. And I apologies for slapping you my little baby." Thranduil smiled, tickling Legolas under his chin. The elfling giggled and grabbed hold of Thranduil's tunic and tickled his father's ribs, causing the king to laugh. Thranduil lay on his back and held Legolas up in the air, the little elfling wobbling as he tried to tickle his father. Thranduil brought him back to the bed at his side, and the little elfling quickly crawled onto his father's chest.

"Oh my little elfling, what would I do without you?"

"Well... you could rule Mirkwood, or eat pie, or go find some dwarves, or kill spiders, or get a new nana, or carry the barrels, or play with Haldiw, or move to Imladris, or..." Legolas stopped as Thranduil kissed him. "Without you, there would be no fun in doing any of those things." Thranduil smiled.

Legolas smiled as Haldir sat beside Thranduil, and he was stuck between the two. Legolas kicked Haldir and Haldir gave him a gentle nudge back.

"Hal... Is it nice in Lorien?"

"In Lorien... why, you have been there before!"

"I know, but I was only this many years old when I went!" Legolas held up three fingers.

"That is true. But Lorien, as you know, is beautiful!"

"Yup!"

Legolas gently nuzzled Haldir's arm as he cuddled up against him.

"Legolas, you like Haldir don't you?" Thranduil asked, gently placing a finger on his son's soft cheek. "Ya. Ada, Thanks for leaving Hal with me... he's really fun." Legolas whispered, before the tired elfling fell asleep on Haldir's arm, the March warden adoring the small elven child.

"He's beautiful..." Haldir muttered under his breath. "He's just adorable Thranduil. "Never have I met your wife who helped make this child, but I believe that Legolas has taken after you." Haldir said, looking at the elven king.

"I... well, I suppose you are correct." Thranduil muttered.

"It is amazing to be here, my lord. I have been in service of Lord Celeborn for much of my life, as even when I was a child I had helped my lord, though the tasks where small and unnecessary. You are the great elven king, and when I was a child learning, I read much about your father as well as you. It fascinated me, to be honest, to learn about such royalties. But never did I think I would one day be sitting beside you, with your sweet little child... erm... apparently drooling on my arm." Haldir smiled, and received a smile back from Thranduil.

"I had to read about my father, and I hated it. I asked who would write something so dull and obvious, but now thinking of it you would never have known that my father had been poor when I was born and barely surviving, nor would Legolas, Illiendal, Cield or Tonus know." Thranduil grinned.

"I have never met Illiendal, what is she like?"

"Just like Legolas, I can assure you. She and Legolas are always being mistaken for being twins... But Illiendal will grow to be a beautiful she-elf, or so predicts lady Galadriel... how she annoys me."

"Why does the lady Galadriel annoy you?"

"She believes I cannot live in a cave with my children. Well that may be her opinion, an opinion she tells me quite too often, but if hobbits can raise their children in dirt holes and dwarves can raise their children in mountains, then I see no problem with a cave!"

"Yes, she is often like that." Haldir nodded his head.

"Haldir, you are a very polite and kind man, and you are quite handsome, I expect you know that... The chance of you wedding and having a child is very likely, who knows, one day you may wed my daughter, though that is ridiculous seeing how you are many, many years older than her and you two have never met." Thranduil laughed.

"Now, I should go see what that soon to be father is up to..." Thranduil said, rising and walking to Cield's bedroom.

To be continued...