Chapter 2: A Forgotten Tragedy

The celebration ended as any other elven celebration ended. Arwen was there and a few of Lailomé's friends from Rivendell and other elven lands. Lailomeiel was tired, not only because of the celebration; also, by evading her father's would be sermon for disobeying some paltry rules.

She hadn't had another chance to talk to her brother after the balcony incident. Ah hell, she snapped as she threw herself at her bed. She was too tired and her head was starting to ache… she stood up, and walked towards her bedroom's terrace. As she breathed in the cold night air that smelled of pine during winter, and an occasional musk, she smiled, as she looked up the stars and the mast of snow covered trees ahead. It was beautiful. Although sometimes she hated Mirkwood for that's where her father, sometimes a few visits to Rivendell and once in Lothlorien, only allowed her. She was never allowed to venture to some lands, with or without someone to protect her. It was getting colder as it caused her to pull her robe closer until she couldn't take the cold and decided to lie in her bed and snuck in the thick sheets as she had fallen asleep... having no inkling of an idea of what will become of her tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Legolas forgot to return the book he was reading to the library that was beside his father's study. He was surprised to see the light on this time of night, especially after the night of a celebration; he was also very surprised as it was Elrond's voice he was hearing. Legolas then decided to eavesdrop, as it was always interesting when Elrond and his Father was a having a conversation.

"Thranduil, Ainaladriel is 1,500 years old. She has the right to know!"

"But she shouldn't know Elrond, she just should not know. And besides, I don't want to lose another Eldarin and Arcilleon. Besides, she IS my daughter!"

"Eldarin is not Ainaladriel, Ainaladriel is the young elf you call Lailomeiel Thranduil!"

Legolas couldn't believe what he was hearing, thoughts were already flooding in his mind that he was almost at the verge of opening the door and exposing himself, but just decided to eavesdrop.

"Lailomeiel should know the truth Thranduil. She is already curious. She might not be able to take notice of it but there is always that attachment of a future ruler to her lands and her duty and no one can 'take it, not even you can Thranduil."

But Lailomeiel is with me since Legolas was 9 years old. After my best friend Arcilleon and once loved Eldarin died on the road here, I already took her as my own daughter. The daughter I had.

"She is not your daughter Thranduil."

With that, Legolas swung open the door. Both Thranduil and Elrond looked at him with a very stunned look as Thranduil turned white as a sheet.

"You were standing there for how long, Legolas?" Thranduil asked his son, whose lips were already dry.

"Not so long after hearing Lailomeiel isn't my sister." He said, with a wild look in his eyes. A sign that he was confused. " I demand an explanation Father! "

Elrond looked at Thranduil and nodded.

Thranduil beckoned Legolas to sit beside one of the chairs next to him beside the fireplace.

Legolas looked at Elrond and then to Thranduil.

"Elrond, I cannot say anything," Thranduil sighed. It was just too hard for him to accept that he has to let her daughter go.

Elrond gave him a piercing look as it was Thranduil's responsibility, but then gave up as his friend was showing such frivolity.

"Lailomeiel is not your sister, Legolas" Elrond said with a serene look in his face.

That was the confirmation Legolas wanted to hear.

" Ainaladriel Lailomeiel Silverwind. Princess of the Great Lands. "

That was when it all came clear, why father acted such when Lailomeiel ran away. It is simply to keep her from the truth. He thought.

" She is the daughter of Arcilleon and Eldarin Silverwind. They both died in a tragedy exactly 1,500 years ago."

How?

"Orcs killed them on their way here." Legolas was surprised at his father's interjection, as he looked at him with a very unflustered look in his face.

" But the South Road is safe, they had both The Great Lands and Mirkwood elves watching the border and the passers by. "

"That was after the Royal Family of the Great Lands were murdered. Elrond said. Before that, Elves from both lands learned to live like both lands were just one. Little did they know that orcs have becoming slowly more active than they have been before, not after the tragedy the Slverwinds that they began to realize the danger. "

"We arrived late, but just as before one orc tried to kill your sister Legolas". Thranduil said, still looking at the fire.

"I was there with Thranduil when that happened". "Were too busy for the preparations for the night's celebration as to prevent it from happening."

"From then on, I took care of her as my own. Besides, her parents were my best friends, as the council agreed on that matter."

"But Father, who took care of the Great Lands while they have no ruler"?

"Briarvale Eversborrow. He is their right hand. He is a good person with a good ability to rule such land before the Queen comes back to take her throne back". Elrond said as he looked at Thranduil as if he was telling him literally that he needed to accept the fact the Lailomeiel has to attend her duty as a Queen of the Great Lands.

"In other words, Legolas, Lailomeiel has to go back to the Great Lands." Elrond said as he still looked at Thranduil with a much stronger impact as the look he gave him before.

"But that's unfair"! As Legolas stood up from his chair. "That's so unfair!"

"Legolas..." Thranduil, surprised at his son's sudden reaction at what Elrond said.

Legolas couldn't just let her go. He just can't. It's not that he wanted to keep her from what she should be, nor he wanted to keep her from what she didn't know but even if she didn't, her will leads it to that, whatever it is. Legolas just listened to his thoughts, all he hears right now were faint voices from his mind, in which he couldn't make up of what they are saying, and the burning sound of firewood from the inglenook.

"Legolas please, please understand. Her people need her, even if she cannot explain that feeling for she didn't know the truth. Legolas, she was so inclined to getting away from Mirkwood, which is what's inside her". Elrond said with the as a matter of factly tone.

Thranduil looked at his son. He felt sorry for hurting him. Thranduil also knew that this revelation would come some time. It was that time, for his son to accept the fact that he was the only child of Thranduil. The time that he dreaded would come. Time for Lailomeiel to know the truth about her being. Tomorrow was that time, he would tell her tomorrow morning.

Elrond looked as if he was trying to decipher what his old friend was thinking, although he was certain that his friend was trying to decide whether to do the right thing, to tell Lailomeiel, or not. For Lailomeiel to stay as Lailomeiel Greenleaf or to take her birthright that she was not exactly deprived of, but taken away from, as Ainaladriel Lailomeiel Silverwind.

Legolas, still, after the whirling thoughts and emotions that crammed him, he found it witty for his father to take her second name, Lailomeiel. Maybe to make it partly true, he mused.

"So, you did take her second name then huh?" Legolas said as a small smile came from his lips, as to give both elder elves a little bit of encouragement after those inconceivable revelations he had had earlier.

Thranduil smiled at Legolas' comment. "Indeed, I did."

"And changed her last name from Silverwind to Greenleaf." Elrond interjected.

"So, when are you going to tell her?" Legolas asked his father who turned more serene than he was looking a moment ago.

"Father, don't tell me you're not…"

"Thranduil…"

"I Will… I will tell Lailomé tomorrow. I will tell my daughter the truth tomorrow."

With that, Legolas walked to the door. He didn't want to believe what he was just beginning to accept, and that he knew will take a long time for him to accept. If he reached his room, he will promised himself to bump his head on something hard just to make sure he wasn't dreaming or in some kind of enchantment or anything whatsoever, with one last look at the two older elves, he bade them goodnight, and head for his room, forgetting his book that he was supposed to put back in the library, he was too tired, mentally and emotionally for him to do anything else, but to sleep, and think of Lailomeiel and what might happen to her tomorrow, their relationship, their… ah hell, he muttered to himself as he walked through the hallway and to the door of his room.