"Florien, by Valar, why won't you sleep lad?" Elrohir whined. Florien was doing a headstand on his bed, and was completely ignoring Elrohir.
"You are NOT my ada, I don't have to listen to you, silly elf." Florien said arrogantly.
"Well I can tell your ada and then he will be upset with you." Elrohir said. Florien stuck out his tongue at the older elf.
"Come on Florien, it's the middle of the night and I am so tired! Just go to sleep!" Elrohir begged. Florien giggled, but did not move from his place.
"Florien, why aren't you tired?"
"'Cause I just woke up!"
"But you weren't even sleeping, you where drugged! That does not count as sleeping, and little elflings like you need sleep." Elrohir whined.
"So what if I was dugged-
"Drugged."
"So what if I was drugged, I was still not awake, and if your not awake then you HAVE to be asleep-
"Or drugged!" Elrohir was not exactly pleased.
"You need your sleep too, because you're still an elfling too!" Florien said. His little cherubic face was turning as red as his hair from being on his head so long.
"I am no elfling!"
"Yes, you are. Your ada called you an elfling, I heard!"
"No, that was my brother, Elladan."
"No, it looked like you."
"Elladan is my twin, and we are identical twins."
"What does THAT mean?"
"Identical twins look exactly the same, but there is a small difference in our faces that people who are close to us can use to tell us apart. Elladan's face is much more narrow than my own, and his cheekbones show more than mine do." Elrohir stated. Florien began to babble.
"Ai!" Elrohir moaned.
"What's the matter?" Elladan asked, grinning cheekily at his brother's tired and fed up expression.
"This elfling I was told to watch is ignoring me! He wont sleep!" Elrohir moaned. Elladan looked at the elfling. Florien looked confused, he supposed this elf was who Elrohir had told him was his 'identical twin', but Elrohir had said there was a difference in their faces. Florien saw no difference!
"What is his name?" Elladan asked.
"Florien."
"Hm, you know the elfling reminds me a lot like Illiendal, or no, more like Tonus than Illien. Funny he should be in the palace when Tonus is not, I bet Tonus would have quite a laugh if I told him I saw an elfling that looked like him. But of course, the elfling does have red hair; I've seen that a lot in Lorien when we go visit granny-
"Could you please just help and stop babbling? Honestly, you are worse than Florien!"
"Alright, alright." Elladan said, grabbing hold of Florien carelessly.
"Be careful! He is very hurt! If you are too rough with him his stitches could come undone-
"If he was that hurt then why was he doing a headstand?" Elladan asked his twin. Elrohir sighed in defeat, and Elladan tucked Florien in bed.
"Now go to sleep or I will anaesthetize you."
"Ana-es-the-tize!" The elfling giggled at the long word he did not understand.
Florien sprang up from the covers and went back to headstand position. Elladan scowled and snatched a needle off a nearby table and filled it with the drug.
"That's it, your going to sleep!" Elladan was about to snatch the elfling's arm when Elrohir stopped him.
"As well as that would work, you can't do that! Florien was drugged recently and if you drug him again it would probably do some damage, he'd probably suffer some sort of problem because of a drug overdose." Elrohir said. Elladan glowered at his twin and but the needle down, but grabbed Florien around his waist. Elladan gave Florien a hard slap on his backside, and little Florien, who had never been slapped in his short life, burst into tears, sprang out of Elladan's arms, jumped off the bed and ran out of the room.
"Tonus is going to kill me, thanks to you!" Elrohir snapped.
"Tonus? Why would Tonus care? Because I hit an elfling that looks like him?"
"No, because that elfling is his offspring, idiot! And you smacked him!" Elrohir said, and then gasped.
"A son? The prince has a son? But no one ever said anything-
"Please Dan, Tonus was trying to keep Florien a secret. Father, Gandalf and I already know. Tonus would be devastated if anyone else found out. Please, please, don't tell anyone." Elrohir begged. Elladan sighed and agreed.
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For the first time in a few months, Yáviel awoke with Tonus sleeping peacefully at her side. She felt wonderful to see him beside her in his sleeping tunic, one of his long legs hanging off the bed. She reached over and gently pushed his leg back on the bed and pulled the woollen blankets up to his neck. Yáviel tucked Tonus in bed and kissed him on his brow.
"Good morning Yáviel." Tonus murmured, smiling when he saw his wife's shocked expression.
"Did I wake you?" Yáviel asked.
"No, I have been awake for a while, I was merely resting." Tonus said, sitting up.
"Oh. It was nice having you sleeping beside me, Tonus." Yáviel said.
"When I woke up about half an hour ago, you where practically sleeping on me you where so close,"
"Sorry." Yáviel whispered.
"No, no, I liked that, usually I wake up with a teddy bear squished beneath me, but this was much nicer. But I saw your eyes, they where shut. You are fading, and now I have proof." Tonus said.
"Alright, so I'm fading. Will Florien be back today?"
"Yes, he should be." Tonus was glad to see Yáviel smile. Tonus heard a knocking at the door.
"Locien, is that you?" Tonus asked.
"Yes!" The elfling squealed. "Can I come in, please?"
"Yes, you may." Tonus said. Tonus listened and heard the elfling jumping, trying to grab onto the door handle. He was a short, scrawny little elfling and Tonus knew he would need help.
"You will never get it opened like that. Here, let me help." Tonus got up and opened the door. Locien stumbled in, and Tonus lifted him up onto the bed.
"How did you sleep?" Yáviel asked. Tonus could tell he was still shy around Yáviel.
"I had trouble." Locien muttered quietly.
"You did?" Tonus asked.
"Yes. I'm not used to a bed." Locien said.
"Well, tonight Florien will be coming back, he is our son." Yáviel said.
"You already have an elfling?" Locien asked.
"Yes, his name is Florien, he is your age. He is very friendly, don't be scared."
"Okay."
"Tonight Gandalf, a wonderful magician, will be having a fireworks show. It's very pretty, but it's loud. Do you wish to attend?" Yáviel asked.
"How would I get there?"
"I will bring you there, if you wish to go. We do not have to go, if you do not want to."
"I'm not sure. Can I answer you later?" The elfling asked. Yáviel nodded.
Locien's stomach made a loud noise.
"You sound hungry." Tonus said. Locien giggled and nodded his head.
"I will go make you both some food. What would you boys like to eat?" Yáviel asked, smiling.
"I will just have some toast, Yáviel." Tonus said.
"Can I have some toast, too?" Locien asked.
"Yes, you both can have some toast. Would you like anything on your toast?" Yáviel asked.
"Butter." Tonus said, looking at Locien who shyly looked back at him.
"Can I have jam on it, nana?" Locien gazed at Yáviel, who seemed shocked to be called nana. But she smiled and kissed Locien on his little head of black hair.
"Of course you can, sweetie."
Yáviel left to make her two boys breakfast and Tonus looked at Yáviel.
"Are you afraid of Yáviel?" Tonus asked. Locien looked at his feet. Sighing, he nodded.
"A bit."
"Do not be scared, elfling. Yáviel is a wonderful she-elf; I would not have married her if she were not so kind and loving. I know I can trust her to take good care of you when I am gone." Tonus said, and he saw the look of panic spread across his face.
"When you leave?"
"Yes, I am leaving after breakfast."
Tonus bit his lip when he saw Locien's eyes fill up with tears.
"Locien, what's wrong."
"You're going away. Just like my real ada did. He never came back, and so my nana died because of that. If you go away, and you never come back, my new nana will die and I will be alone again. I don't want that to happen again."
"Oh Locien, you must understand that I have another home. I do not live her, I usually only come to visit for a short few hours. But I will come back, I do not have the heart to abandon my wife and children!" Tonus said, wiping Locien's cheeks that where covered in tears.
"As long as you come back." Locien whispered.
"I promise I will, I will always come back." Tonus said, opening his arms to give Locien an embrace, but Locien did not understand what Tonus had wanted to do, so Locien backed away.
"May I have a hug?" Tonus asked, realising Locien had not been asked for a hug since his mother passed away. Locien nodded and crawled forwards, his small arms barely around Tonus' torso.
"Breakfast is ready." Yáviel said. Tonus held Locien and carried the elfling to the kitchen, seating him in front of his breakfast. Tonus took a seat between his adopted son and his wife.
"Locien, is there something you want to do after breakfast?" Yáviel asked.
"Am I allowed to play with the toys?" Locien asked shyly. Yáviel looked at Tonus, who nodded.
"Yes, you can play with whichever toy you want to play with." Tonus said. Locien beamed and continued eating.
Locien finished his toast, and all around his lips was jam, and there was much sticky jam on his hands.
"Do you want anything else?" Yàviel asked.
"No, thank you." Locien said. Yàviel took a washcloth and wiped away the jam from the elfling's cheeks and hands.
"Say goodbye to… ada, and then you may play." Yàviel said. Locien got up and went over to Tonus. Locien raised his arms, and Tonus knew at once the elfling wanted to be picked up. Tonus lifted Locien into his arms and softly kissed his brow.
"Thank you for bringing me inside last night. It was very cold, I was not happy outside. I hope I see you again soon. Please come back." Locien said quietly in Tonus' ear for only Tonus to hear.
"I will, Locien, I promised I would." Tonus said, kissing the elfling one more time on his brow before placing him on his feet again.
"Have fun." Tonus smiled, walking over to Yàviel to give her a kiss goodbye.
"Perhaps I will see you at the fireworks, even if not I must return with Florien." Tonus whispered, kissing his wife's lips before turning on his heel and leaving. Locien waved goodbye.
When Tonus arrived at the palace it was five in the morning, and Thranduil, glad in his nightclothes, stood at the palace gates, arms folded across his chest.
"Father… What are you doing here?" Tonus asked.
"I would like to know the same thing, about you." Thranduil said, putting a firm hand on Tonus' shoulder.
"I… Adar… I was… I was in town." Tonus said.
"Why did you disobey my orders Tonus? I told you clearly not to leave the palace at such a late hour, and yet you completely disobey and go to town. Are you truly that attached with the commoners?"
"No-
"I did not want an answer, Tonus." Thranduil said, taking Tonus by his wrist and dragging him inside the palace, up to Tonus' sleeping chambers. Tonus frowned. His chests of clothing had been gone through, they where opened and inside there was no clothing. Looking on his bed, he saw two ugly grey tunics; two ugly grey robes, four ugly grey leggings and two ugly blue sleeping tunics.
"What is this?" Tonus asked. Thranduil shut the door behind him and released Tonus, who went over to the clothes.
"If you enjoy spending time with the commoners so much, then you might as well dress and be treated like a commoner." Thranduil said.
"But… That's not fair! Legolas' friends are all commoners and he still dresses like a prince, and Cield's friends are too-
"But neither Cield nor Legolas sneak out during the middle of the night to ride to town. That could have cost you your life, Tonus."
"It was a short walk!"
"The walk you, Legolas and your mother went on was short, but one of you did not return in tact. It could be you, Tonus. Now, I order you to put on one of the outfits on your bed and hand me your royal attire, for until I find you have learnt, your royal garb is locked away from you and no one will be calling you prince. You shall be treated like a commoner."
"Ada! I am a grown man, you cannot tell me what to do!" Tonus yelled, grabbing the grey tunic and throwing it angrily on the floor.
"Perhaps you are forgetting three little things: You still live in my home, you disobeyed my command and I am your king, and as long as you reside in Mirkwood I will have authority over you not only as a father, but as a king." Thranduil said. Tonus glared at Thranduil before pulling his tunic off and grabbing the grey one off the floor.
"Tonus, what did you do in town?" Thranduil asked, eyes fixed on Tonus' neck.
"Nothing that concerns you."
"Must I remind you of those three little things you have been forgetting very often?" Thranduil asked. Tonus sighed.
"I visited a friend." Tonus said, pulling his leggings down, throwing them at his father and taking the grey leggings from his bed.
"Tell me, are you having an affair with the friend?" Thranduil asked. Tonus had the leggings up to his knees and he dropped them when he heard what his father said. He couldn't tell him about Florien, Yáviel and Locien! But how could Thranduil know that he had visited his female friend?
"I do not know what you speak of." Tonus said quietly, yanking his leggings up.
"I think you do." Thranduil put a finger on Tonus' neck. "Explain me this mark." Thranduil ordered.
"It is a bruise, ada."
"And how did you get a bruise like this?" Thranduil asked.
"I… I bumped into a… a tree branch, a thick tree branch, on my way to my friend's house." Tonus said.
"A tree branch?" Thranduil arched an eyebrow. Surly his son could come up with better lies then that, Thranduil knew a mark like that would not come from a tree branch.
"Yes. Ada, I went to see a MALE friend, I would not have an affair with another man!" Tonus retorted.
Tonus found a grey belt lying on the bed and he buckled it around his waist, before storming out of the room.
"A bruise indeed." Thranduil was not as angry as he had been; now he was worried.
'What is happening to my little elfling, Tonus? Oh Tonus, if only you knew how worried I am now that I see that mark. I think someone is hurting you, I hope that is not true. I will talk to Elrond about it. If someone is assaulting you then I am being a bad father. A horrible, horrible father. What if you are being ra…' Thranduil put a hand on a nearby table.
"No. That would not happen to Tonus, he would tell me if he was being hurt in that way." Thranduil said to himself. Thranduil now felt horrible about taking away everything that made Tonus royal, except for Tonus' own blood and circlet, which still lay on the same table Thranduil's hand was on.
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Tonus opened the door to Elrond's chambers. He was still angry with his father, and he had removed the braids from his hair to hide the mark Yáviel had given him.
Tonus had expected to see a little sleeping elfling in Elrond's bed, but instead a worried Elrohir sat on the bed. Elladan had left.
"Where is my son?" Tonus asked.
"I'm sorry Tonus. I could not control your son, and Elladan came in, and tried to. Elladan got angry and slapped the elfling's rear, and Florien ran off. Elladan still does not know that Florien is your son, though." Elrohir lied slightly.
"Oh no. Oh I'd kill your damned brother if I could, but then he would question why I even cared that the elfling was hurt, and he would find out. I'm going to find Florien!" Tonus left angrily.
It was not hard to find his son, for the past hours Florien had been weeping, and Tonus could hear the little waits coming from behind his father's throne.
To be continued…Aren't I mean? I get meaner, just to tell you. Can you blame me? I write damned stories about cherubic (that's the word of the day!) elflings so much that I have to take my stress out on something! Oh, today is my dad's 51st birthday, and he's going to take ME to my favourites medieval shop downtown called the Red Dragon (actually it's Dragon Rouge since we are in Quebec) since it's also the last day of Christmas vacation for me…
Aranna Undomiel: Most was fun, right? Before 'Dan came along, anyways…Mistopurr: Oh Christmas was great. I got the two towers and the return of the king extra edition DVDs with the Smeagol and the Minas Tirith thing. And I got a 8 year olds Halloween Frodo costume, but that's okay, it's not THAT small on me, and I have a Lord of the Rings calendar, two Lord of the rings board games, an x-box, and a lot of other random Lord of the rings and not lord of the rings things.
Rainbow Fish: So you are one of those people who find New Years Eve exciting. I stay up to watch that big ball come down on my television, but that's about it.
Haldir's Heart and Soul: Oh but he does know, in some chapter a little while back Elrohir finds out.
Miss Telcontar: Locien is sweet, you will see more of the sweetness in him in future chapters, since Locien still acts like he is a guest in their home, and he does not want to get his new parents angry with him. But don't get too close to Locien; he will eventually go away for some reason that you will find out soon enough.
Here comes the hockey puck: Ah, white Christmases. I would love a Christmas where the snow never came and it was like 50 degrees and the pools where open and everyone was like melting of heat… But no, we Canadians don't have sun anymore, eh, so we have to freeze like Popsicles while waiting to catch out city buses that enjoy being late during the winter!
Laer4572: Sadly, Florien will not be so happy. Well, what would you think if you where an only child who went away and when you come back there is a new elfling in YOUR ROOM on YOUR BED with YOUR TOYS and YOUR NANA! Florien will feel like he's being replaced. But, one day in the future he will learn that Locien was not trying to replace Florien in his parents' hearts.
Karone Evertree: If I am correct you are a new reviewer of mine, so you may not have realised it yet but highlights like Thranduil finding out do not come in my stories for a while. But I do know what will happen when the time comes for Thranduil to find out!