Disclaimer: All characters and places are property of the Tolkien estate. I am not making any money from this story.
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Legolas looked at his soup doubtfully. The twins had assured him that it was a local delicacy, popular among the Imladris elves, but the prince was unconvinced. Strange, unidentifiable lumps bobbed up and down in a thick red froth and the whole was so thick that the spoon practically stood up by itself.
Still, the prince reasoned, the last thing he wanted to do was cause offence and Estel and the twins were already halfway through theirs. Steeling himself, Legolas raised the spoon to his lips and took his first mouthful.
For the first thirty seconds or so, Legolas could not taste anything. Then it hit him. His mouth felt as though it was ablaze and he instinctively reached out for his full water glass, which he drained in one swallow.
Elrohir, or possibly Elladan, cocked his head. "How do you find it, Legolas?"
The prince shot a glance at Estel, who was clearly fighting back laughter. A suspicion formed in Legolas' mind and he realised he was the victim of some sort of joke. He grinned inwardly. I will show these Imladris upstarts.
"It is very good, thank you," Legolas therefore replied, fighting the urge to find the nearest water barrel and dunk his head in it. He forced himself to take another mouthful, doing his best to ignore the spice. Doggedly the prince ate his way to the bottom of the bowl, pretending not to notice the three horrified faces in front of him.
"You like it?" asked Elladan, or possibly Elrohir, incredulously. "But - " Estel's elbow cut the twin's words off and Legolas looked up innocently.
"But what? I thought it lovely – my compliments to the chef," said Legolas, though privately he wondered whether he would ever regain the use of his taste buds.
Elrond's sons sat stunned for a moment. Then Elrohir rose from the table. "Well then, perhaps we should show you around."
Legolas nodded, feeling triumphant despite the burning in his mouth. If that was the way things were to be, the next few days promised to be very interesting indeed.
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The four were walking up to one of Rivendell's most beautiful spots, a deep pool fed by a small waterfall. The twins and Estel enjoyed swimming there on warm days like this one and it also offered plenty of opportunities for mischief.
Elladan and Legolas were leading the way, while Elrohir and Estel lagged some way behind, talking in low voices so as not to be overheard.
"I still can't believe he ate it all! Without a single complaint!" Estel had seen Elrohir add a substantial amount of chilli to Legolas' soup while the prince's back was turned and could only guess at what the final product must have tasted like.
Elrohir grimaced, obviously irked by Legolas' failure to react. "I know, I saw it too. I do not understand it – that trick has never failed before."
"Before?" Estel looked at his brother questioningly. "Why, who else have you done it to?"
The younger twin laughed. "Oh, too many to count. We discovered it by accident, when we were much younger – barely a century old, as I recall. We flavoured Glorfindel's wine, trying to make mulled wine, like we have in the winter. But before we could taste it ourselves, Glorfindel came in with Ada and poured them both a glass. Their faces when they drank it – Estel, it was all they could do not to spit it straight back out! We had never been so told off in all our lives."
Estel chuckled, unable to imagine Rivendell's serene lords coming close to spitting anything out, no matter how foul.
"Come on, you two, you can move faster than that!" called up Elladan. He and Legolas had already reached the pool and were waiting for the others.
Estel and Elrohir scrambled down the path, narrowly avoiding propelling each other headfirst into the pool. Estel paused to recover his breath, looking at Legolas. The prince seemed faintly bemused by the brothers' antics.
"Last one in the water's a cave troll!" shouted Elrohir, tearing off his shirt and boots and plunging in happily. Elladan and Estel followed suit, leaving Legolas still standing on the bank.
"Legolas, aren't you coming in?" asked Estel, dodging a splash from Elladan. "The water's gorgeous!" And it really was, thought the young human. The afternoon sun shone through the trees overhanging the waterfall, creating an attractive dappled effect. The long, hot summer had warmed the water, but it was still cool enough to be refreshing.
Legolas shook his head. "If we are all in the water, who will watch for danger?" he asked practically.
Elladan moved shallower so that he could comfortably stand. "What danger? Legolas, with all due respect, this is Imladris, not Mirkwood. We have managed to keep our realm safe from the fell beasts that roam yours."
Momentarily, Estel saw the prince scowl; then the expression was gone, leaving behind the familiar blank mask.
"Nevertheless, I would decline your offer." Legolas' voice was cooler and more remote than before, if that were possible.
Elladan shrugged, his own voice reserved. "As you prefer." He turned back into the water and Estel saw Legolas relax slightly.
Not a minute later, the twins launched a joint attack. They moved quickly out of the water, hurling themselves at Legolas. The twins' movements were not aggressive, but their intentions were very clear – to get the prince into the pool. Legolas fought back, but it was a useless enterprise. The three elves were slowly but surely getting closer to the water's edge and Estel hurriedly swam to the other side, trying to avoid the inevitable splash when they fell in.
The man's fears were not unfounded. Fighting with the combined weight of Elladan and Elrohir, plus his own bow and arrows, Legolas soon lost his footing and tumbled backwards into the deep water, the twins on top of him.
The prince emerged spluttering and struggled back to dry land. The twins surfaced a few seconds afterwards, both laughing so hard that they were having difficulty staying afloat.
Estel felt a twinge of sympathy for Legolas, though the sight of the bedraggled prince was one of the most amusing the human had seen for a long time. Estel's brothers had ducked him many a time, often unexpectedly. He knew exactly how it felt. Even so, it was difficult not to chuckle.
Legolas ignored the laughter. He had unfastened his quiver and was counting the arrows it contained. Estel could not help noticing that there were significantly fewer than there had been earlier in the afternoon.
The Mirkwood elf muttered something – Estel could not make out the words, but it sounded suspiciously like a curse – and glared at the twins.
"I imagine you consider that funny?"
"Hilarious, actually," drawled Elladan, floating lazily on his back. "You Sindar consider yourselves so above everything. Why can you not allow yourself some fun? It was only a bit of water."
"Oh really?" snapped Legolas, ignoring the question. "A Sinda I may be, but at least I am not reckless to the point of stupidity!" He yanked off his boots and strode back into the water.
Estel watched with mild curiosity as the prince dived and surfaced a minute or so later, clutching a handful of arrows. Not looking at any of the others, Legolas returned to his pile of wet belongings and gathered them up. He walked purposefully up the path, the way they had come.
"Legolas? Where are you going?" asked Estel anxiously. Elrond had specifically asked his sons to make Legolas welcome. The prince returning alone and soaking wet would land all three of them in trouble. Besides anything else, Estel was beginning to feel a little guilty about giving their guest such a difficult time.
Legolas looked back. "Up to that rock," he said, pointing. "The sun is shining there and I should be able to dry my bow. For your own sakes, you ought to hope that it is not completely ruined."
"By the Valar, not the precious bow!" mocked Elrohir. Legolas ignored him, continuing on his way. Estel looked at his brothers, worried.
"If his bow is ruined . . ."
"It won't be," said Elladan confidently. "A bit of water should not harm it, just dampen the string for a while. I cannot see why he is getting so worked up over a joke."
"Ada won't see it that way," pointed out Estel. "It has hardly improved relations, has it?"
Elrohir pulled a face. "He will not tell Ada. Legolas needs these talks to go well. He will not dare to criticise the sons of his host. You worry too much, little brother."
So saying, the elf disappeared, looking to pull Estel under with him. But Estel knew the trick of old and quickly dived, coming up directly under the floating Elladan.
Soon the air was filled with the shrieks and splashes of the brothers, while Legolas looked on with incomprehension. He wondered if he would ever understand the impulsive Noldor.
Sighing, the prince turned away, waiting patiently for his clothes and weapons to dry in the late summer sun. If his hosts wanted a fight, a fight they would get.
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"You have had a good day with my sons, then?" asked Elrond, smiling at Legolas. Elrohir had been right – the prince had not recounted the afternoon's events, not wanting to upset the coming talks. Still, Legolas had a sneaking suspicion that Elrond had noticed the uneasy atmosphere and he doubted that Elladan and Elrohir's choice not to dress identically this evening had been entirely voluntary. It certainly made them easier to tell apart, thereby allowing Legolas to feel more comfortable in their presence.
The prince summoned up a bright smile. "Indeed, Lord Elrond. Imladris has grown even more beautiful since I saw it last."
Elrond raised his glass, acknowledging the compliment. "I will drink to that!"
It occurred to Legolas that nobody present seemed to need much of an excuse for drinking, toasts or otherwise. He did not like to contemplate how many gallons had already been consumed by the assembled elves. The prince himself, contrary to his usual habits, had only had one glass of wine, which he had noticed with pride was distinctly inferior to Mirkwood's. Legolas was all too aware of the need for a clear head in a foreign place.
Elrond rose to his feet, slightly unsteadily. He tapped his fork against his glass for silence, which was a long time in coming. Eventually the noise level fell and the elf lord began to speak.
"My friends, we welcome here tonight a very distinguished guest - "
"Me!" called out Elladan, giggling. He has definitely had one too many drinks, thought Legolas.
Elrond smiled at his eldest benevolently. "No, Elladan, not you. I speak of royalty, my friends, none other than the Prince of Mirkwood, Legolas Thranduilion. I hope you will all help to make his stay here a pleasant one and ensure his memories of Imladris are nothing but good!"
A half-hearted cheer went up and Legolas rose to give his reply as Elrond sat down.
"Thank you, Lord Elrond, for your kind words." He turned to the rest of the tables. "As yet I have met only a few of my hosts, but over the next two weeks I hope to come to know many more. And I am sure that those I have still to meet will more than live up to the standards of those I have been introduced to."
The elves that were sober enough to follow Legolas' words put up another ragged cheer. Legolas sat down and Elrond signalled that the entertainment might begin.
A few hours later, Gilraen was helping to clear up after the party. Most of the elves had disappeared to their respective rooms, but a few had fallen asleep where they sat. Gilraen knew from experience that it was useless to attempt to wake them and she simply cleaned around the immobile elves.
"Can I help you, my lady?"
Gilraen looked up, astonished. "Prince Legolas!"
The blond elf smiled. "My lady, I am afraid you have the advantage of me."
Gilraen flushed. Like her son, she had been slightly overawed at the prince's self-possession and his rank. Unlike Estel, however, she had been sufficiently unnerved to try and avoid direct contact with Legolas.
"I am Gilraen, Estel's mother."
Legolas raised an eyebrow. "Surely you cannot be his mother? The age difference is too small."
Gilraen laughed. She knew that the compliment was false – after all, she looked old enough compared to the elves to be Legolas' mother – but it still pleased her. She waved away the prince's offers of help.
"No, no. You should not be doing such things. You get yourself to bed – we will sort all this out."
Legolas looked at her reproachfully. "My lady, just because I am a prince, it does not mean that I cannot clean. Are you forbidding me to help?"
The humour in his eyes caused Gilraen to laugh again. "Oh, get on with you! Yes, of course you can help. On one condition, though."
The prince looked askance. "What would that be?"
"Please do not call me your lady," replied Gilraen. "My name suits me fine, thank you."
It was Legolas' turn to laugh. "It is agreed, then, as long as you call me Legolas," he said, shaking her hand. He glanced around the large banqueting hall. "Now, where do you want me to start?"
Legolas, Gilraen and the elves that had managed to stay sober soon finished clearing away the worst of the mess. The rest would have to wait until morning.
The prince turned to Gilraen. He had found, to his surprise, that he genuinely liked the woman. She reminded him a little of his aunt, whom he had been very close to.
"Good night, Gilraen."
"Good night, Legolas. Thank you again for helping. Do you know the way to your room?"
Legolas hesitated. Actually, he was not that sure. Imladris seemed to have hundreds of corridors, all leading to different places. He confessed as much to Gilraen.
The woman smiled. "Come on, then, I'll show you. My room's in that direction anyway."
Legolas willingly followed Gilraen back to his room. The journey seemed to last a long time, with plenty of confusing changes of direction involved.
"There you are," said Gilraen finally. "If you need anything, Estel is just next door. The twins' room is three doors down and I am opposite Estel. All right?"
Legolas nodded, slightly surprised to realise he was so close to the family. "Thank you for showing me the way."
"You're welcome. Good night!"
Completely on his own for the first time since his arrival, Legolas entered his room. All the prince wanted to do now was get into bed and fall asleep.
But that proved to be easier said than done. No matter how Legolas twisted and turned, no matter how he pulled and prodded the bedclothes, he could not get into the bed. Perplexed, the prince sat back on his heels. What sort of devilry was this?
Eventually, he accepted that he could not solve the problem alone. Softly he opened his door and padded across to the room diagonally opposite. He knocked timidly.
A minute or two elapsed before Gilraen appeared at the door. She had clearly been asleep and was slightly disorientated.
"Legolas? Whatever's the matter?"
"I – I cannot get into my bed," explained Legolas, more than a little embarrassed. Gilraen sighed.
"That will be Estel and the twins, Legolas, I'm sorry." She walked across to the prince's room, her way illuminated by the long white candles set into the wall at regular intervals. Legolas followed, not quite understanding what she meant.
Gilraen leant over the bed and untucked a few corners. "There you go, it will be fine now. I apologise for my son and the twins, they think that kind of thing is funny. Rest assured, I will have words with them in the morning."
"Honestly, Gilraen, that will not be necessary," said Legolas, though he doubted that his words would have much effect. "I am sorry to have woken you."
"Not at all, Legolas. Good night – again."
"Good night."
Gilraen left, pulling the door closed behind her. Legolas lay back in bed, thinking dark thoughts. He promised himself that, somehow, he would exact his revenge on these sons of Elrond.
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