A/N PLEASE READ. Okay this is AU first of all. I know perfectly well that this is not a real elvish tradition, so there is no need to inform me of this. In my little made up world Elves mate for life, usually. But high royalty, like let's say a Prince for example, are given this gift of a female on their 1,000's birthday. See. I made that up. I made up a lot of stuff in this story. I know Tolkien had no such dealings.

I do not own Legolas or Mirkwood or any other character here, save the gift herself. I made her up too.

Oh, and to anyone that read my last story about Legolas: no, this isn't where he picks one out of many to marry. Or anyone picks for him either. More will be explained in the second chapter.

Chapter 1

Legolas stood by the stairway leading to the worker's halls downstairs. In one month it would be his 1,000th birthday. The preparations for the party had been in motion for almost one hundred years already. Elves would be coming from all the Elven cities in Middle Earth to celebrate the birth of the Prince. It would be considered his passage into adulthood. Not only would he be considered an adult fully capable of doing as he wished and ultimately responsible, but also, if his father so wished to retire to the Blessed Realms of their people, Legolas was of age to be king.

Today he was meeting with his friend Feryn, captain in the Mirkwood army, in order to oversee the last of the preparations. The Prince did not wait long as in a moment Feryn rounded the corner. He wore regular clothes instead of his uniform, and while having the same blonde hair as his friend, Feryn was slightly shorter.

"I am sorry to keep you waiting, my Lord. Are you ready you go?"

"Yes, but what exactly are we doing? If I disapproved of anything it would probably be too late to change it."

The two descended the stairs, Feryn in front calling back to Legolas.

"Well, the bakers want you to pick out the cake you would like. They have several designs. The florists also want you to pick the design of the arrangements on your table. Also, the tailors want you for another fitting. And then you have to pick the servers."

They reached the bottom of the stairs where there was a hall with several doors. Feryn led Legolas through the first door. Inside it was all one big long room and all the doors that were at the bottom of the stairs led to this one room just in different areas. The room was lined with tables and full of servants all dressed in white with aprons on and they were unloading boxes of eggs and flour. Feryn walked over to a table where there were some papers with cake sketches on them. Legolas followed.

"What do you mean I have to pick the servers? We have servers already. They serve every meal everyday to me."

"Yes, but we need different servers," explained Feryn. "It is your 1,000th birthday and it is tradition that you pick out the fairest maidens from all the palace workers to serve your table that night. And you get to pick them."

"Yes, I do remember that from going to the 1,000th birthday of Elrond's sons. It seems rather silly."

"It's just in the spirit of things, Legolas. Come, it will be fun. Now which cake do you like?"

Legolas looked through about ten different sketches before settling on one that had five main layers and then connected to three smaller cakes of three layers by a series of interwoven flowers.

"Good, that was quicker than I thought," said Feryn. He rolled up the design and gave it to a nearby servant and asked that she return it to the head baker as it had Legolas' approval.

"As we go along, Legolas try to look at the ladies and see if any catch your eye."

Legolas looked around him and saw an Elf maiden nearby that was pouring some flour into a barrel. "How about her?' He pointed out.

Feryn turned and signaled to the supervisor in the room and pointed at the young girl. The supervising Elf nodded his head in understanding.

"Good, my friend," Feryn said. "If we keep this rate up we'll be at the tailors before lunch. Follow me."

The two companions walked through the room and headed towards a door in the back wall. This led to another room that was also lined with many tables, but in this room there was nothing but dinnerware. The servants were cleaning, counting, and unpacking innumerable amounts of silverware. Legolas leaned in for a closer look and found that they had a golden leaf design inlay on them.

The wineglasses and dinner plates as far as he could see shared a similar design.

"And what do they need me for here?" Legolas asked.

"Nothing, my lord. But we will be touring all the halls down here for the servant girls. Remember, you see one you like, just let me know, and it would probably be better if you pick at least one in every room" and he kept walking, but at a slow pace as to give Legolas time to look around.

"Do the elven princesses pick out a mass of attractive male servers for their 1,000th birthday?" Legolas joked.

"Well, yes my Lord. Do you not remember Arwen's birthday?"

"I do not think I noticed the lack of female servants."

"There were female servants. Just none at her table."

Legolas laughed. He continued to look about the room until his eyes fell on a maiden that was carrying a box of bowls. Legolas pointed her out to Feryn who then signaled the supervisor in that room and pointed out the girl.

There they took a left turn and passed through another door and then into another room. This continued as Legolas not only picked out his centerpiece floral arrangement but also picked out nine other maidens while also looking at the rest of the preparations: the seamstress' putting designs on the napkins, tablecloths, and tapestries. And also passed the rooms where they had the wine, the musicians, the food, dancers, stationery writers, place setters, firework makers, and so on.

The pair was forced to wait until after lunch before they reached their final destination in their obligations, the tailor.

Feryn was being suited for the occasion also, and the two friends stood on stools side by side, looking into the mirrors while the various tailors ran around them. Feryn's attire was a deep yellow as the soldier's uniform, but of velvet material instead. A sash was being prepared for him in the color red to signify his rank.

Legolas was being clothed in silver. There was also a design of green leaves woven into the fabric and all the buttons were of gold.

"So," Legolas said, "Why is it that you were taking me around today? Any servant could have done it."

Feryn paused for a moment. "Well, that is part of the tradition also." He said quietly.

"That it be a friend or that it be a captain in the army?"

"Yes."

But before Legolas could question him as to which question he was affirming, he noticed another elf maiden that was fixing the hem on his jacket. She looked up at him momentarily as if she felt his stare, but looked back at her task just as quickly. But this was enough for Legolas to see what shade of green her eyes were. Her hair was straight and light brown, but the part that was hitting the sunlight looked almost red.

"See something you like, my friend?" teased Feryn.

Legolas looked up suddenly and glared at him.

Feryn only smiled in return.

The elf maid kept at her business and never noticed their exchange. Neither did she notice the one that took place between Feryn and her father, the head tailor.

Afterwards, Legolas and Feryn headed out to the archery range to pass the time before dinner.

"It feels like a long day, Feryn."

"But we managed to finish everything just the same. You can relax now."

More will be explained in the next chapter coming very soon.