Chapter 31: Broken family

ElvenHope

Thranduil sighed. "No ion-nín you are alive." He turned to the others and noticed for the first time there was something wrong with Admir. Her hair. It was all well... short and uneven. The silky straight red hair was now a wild mess of auburn sticking up haphazardly. He looked across at his son's noticing that both seemed to be thinking the same thing. He was quite surprised that Legolas hadn't voiced his opinion, but decided that his son must be growing up. Elrond was too busy to notice checking Rogir over. And the elven king didn't want to say anything.

He didn't, however, for at that moment the twins and Estel came in - for they had been walking instead of running like their father, because Estel was on the verge of collapse.

When they entered the room the first thing Estel said was:

"Admir what happened to your hair?"

Admir looked at them surprised, both Legolas and Aradwyn had been kind enough not to say anything, even though she had seen them looking at her oddly. Thranduil and her father had, of course, said nothing in front of the others. Both suspected they knew who had done it and Elrond would ask her when she was alone and not in front of the others. It looked like he would not get his chance though.

"I... um..." Stuttered Admir not knowing what to say.

"It's all jagged..." Estel began, but Elladan clamped a hand over his brother's mouth.

"I know," Admir said rather crossly. "Thelion cut it off."

Elrond looked round at this. "Do you know where this Thelion lives?" He asked trying to keep the ire out of his voice. "I would like to have a word with him."

"As would I," Thranduil said glowering at no one in particular.

"I don't know Ada, I would tell you if I did," Admir said sadly.

Rogir groaned and Thranduil looked at him worriedly.

"I think it would be best if you left," Thranduil said to all of the younger elves, save Rogir, of course.

Aradwyn nodded. "Yes come on," he said pushing his brother towards the door and then herding the twins and Estel out of the room. He turned back to the elleth still sitting on the bed. "Admir?"

"Oh," she said looking up and then back down at Rogir quickly. "Yes." She stood up and walked slowly over to the door still looking at Rogir sadly. Then praying that he'd be alright followed Aradwyn out into the hall.

The others all looked at the older elf expectantly especially Admir and Legolas who still wanted to know why he had had a hang over, but he shrugged them off.

"I have to go and speak to Arwen."

With that he turned and walked towards Arwen's room.

"I think he's mean," Elanor said trying to comfort Arwen.

"Yes," Anna agreed. "If he was nice he wouldn't say something like that to you."

"There's no point in liking a mean person," Elanor said squeezing Arwen tightly as Anna did the same.

"That doesn't help," Arwen said swiping at her tears.

There was a knock on Arwen's bedroom door then and Elanor answered for Arwen.

"Who is it?"

Aradwyn leant against the door frame outside. Those annoying girls were in there with Arwen this would be harder than he thought. Girls like that frightened him much more than he'd like to admit. They weren't nasty or anything, but if you did them wrong or hurt any one of them, the whole group of them would stare at you in a way which would make even the Argonath tremble. It gave you the terrible feeling of eyes on your back and there always seemed to be the threat of them ambushing you. They were indeed a completely different species.

"Aradwyn," he said. "Can I come in? I have to speak to Arwen."

There was the soft padding of feet and then the door opened a little to reveal the elleth which Aradwyn recognized as Elanor. "You're mean."

"Hmm," Aradwyn pondered this slight outburst. "Yes I am quite aware of that." He paused. "Can I come in?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you were mean to Arwen."

"But I want to talk to Arwen."

"Will you be mean again?"

"No."

"You will."

Aradwyn rolled his eyes. "I'm coming in whether you like it or not." He said and with that pushed past the elfling and walked inside. Both Elanor and Anna glared at him and he could feel their gaze on him making the hairs on the backs of his neck stand on end. He sat down on the bed next to Arwen much to Anna's discomfort.

"Arwen," he said looking the young elf in the eye and feeling like hitting himself for causing her to cry. "I am so sorry for what I did, aranna nin."

Arwen smiled. "I accept your apology Aradwyn." She said. "Even though there is really nothing to forgive."

"Good," Aradwyn said. He did not want to just leave her, for that would seem rude, but then again he did want to because Elanor and Anna were making him uneasy. "Are you alright now then? I don't want to be rude, but if there's nothing else I can do then I have to go."

Arwen nodded. "Yes, it's alright."

Aradwyn grinned at her, then did something he would probably regret later and leant forwards planting a kiss on her cheek. He then stood up and left the room and the giggles of Elanor and Anna. Arwen smiled a hand to her cheek.

Aradwyn had thought he was out of danger but was wrong when he turned the corner and came face to face with his youngest brother. He kept on walking trying to ignore the other elf, but Legolas just followed him into his room.

"I want to know why and I want to know now!" Legolas said folding his arms.

"I can't," Aradwyn said smiling sadly at his brother and sitting down on the bed. "One day you'll understand."

"Understand what?" Legolas asked crossly. "Understand why you and Rogir drank the mead? I am never drinking anything like that in my life!"

"We'll see," Aradwyn said searching for a book under his pillow. "Want me to read you something?" He asked trying to change the subject and get Legolas to talk to him, for he had always liked Aradwyn reading to him when he was younger. But he didn't want in the mood right now and instead grabbed the book and threw it across the room.

Aradwyn raised his eyebrows in surprise his expression turning from shock to annoyance; he didn't appreciate the misuse of books and liked them to stay neat and tidy for as long as possible.

"Legolas?" He asked glaring at the younger elf who mirrored his look. "What was that for."

"I don't want you to read, I want you to tell me the truth." The younger elf said crossly his ire growing minute by minute.

"No."

"Then how come Ada knows?"

"He just does," Aradwyn said anger seeping through his usually calm demeanor. "Legolas I can't tell you alright, maybe later, but I can't."

Legolas threw his brother a dark look before storming out of the room to find his Ada.

He found Thranduil in his room sitting at his desk and reading a letter from Mirkwood. Whenever he left for a while he still had to deal with the affairs of his kingdom which meant that he never actually got a holiday especially not with his son's wreaking havoc wherever they went.

The elven king barely heard the soft knock on the door and answered with out looking up.

"Come in!"

Legolas pushed the door open slowly and walked over to his father. "Ada?"

Thranduil jumped and turned round to see his son standing next to him. Legolas was short for his age and light on his feet making it easy for him to sneak up on people, even elves.

"Yes, Legolas, what do you want?" Thranduil asked irritably. "I'm rather busy."

"Aradwyn had been drinking like Rogir," Legolas blurted out wanting to see his father's reaction.

Thranduil didn't react like he hadn't known, he was extremely worried about the fact that his youngest son knew, but Legolas knew Thranduil already knew anyway and his father's reaction proved it. "Ah."

"Ah what?" Legolas asked crossly. "You already knew! And you thought I wouldn't notice! I smelt it on his breath! Ada why... Rogir... Aradwyn isn't like him; I don't know who to trust."

Thranduil sighed should he tell his son the truth? If he did then Legolas would hate him, but if he didn't then Legolas would hate Aradwyn and it would be his fault. "Please don't shout ion-nín, I can hear you."

"It's not fair though, I thought I could trust Aradwyn, he's always been nice to me, but he... What if he's the same as Rogir?" Legolas asked his father hurt clear in his eyes. "Rogir hits me I don't like him!"

"I never want to hear you talking that way about your brother," Thranduil said anger tinting his voice. "Besides you hit him too."

"He always starts it though," Legolas said quickly.

Thranduil raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"He does," Legolas insisted. "And you're deliberately changing the subject!"

"Don't take that tone with me Legolas," Thranduil said angrily he didn't like to be shouted at by anyone, especially his own son.

"Sorry," Legolas said not at all sorry. "But why did he...?"

Thranduil sighed deeply. He was going to have to tell him it just wasn't fair on either of his sons'. "Legolas, it was me I was the one that gave Aradwyn the mead."

Legolas took a step backwards. "What?"

"It was to teach Rogir a lesson, Legolas, please don't be angry with me or your brother." Thranduil said looking at his son earnestly. The last thing he needed right now was this.

"But why?" Legolas asked confused. "Did you force Aradwyn to drink it?"

"I did not hold your brother down and force feed him if that's what you mean," Thranduil said exasperated. "But yes more or less I made him drink it. It was for a good reason though Legolas, you have to believe me."

"I've been so mean to Aradwyn," Legolas said talking more to himself than his father. "And all the time it was your fault."

"Legolas-" Thranduil began but his son had already raced out of the room. He sighed and rested his head in his hands. His sons were so much of a handful, he didn't know how much more of this he could take; the boundaries of family and friendship were slowly tearing apart.

Ok, if any of you have read my 'To call one brother' then basically Arwen had a crush on Aradwyn and that's why he kissed her. Because technically Estel shouldn't be alive yet and he should meet Arwen in Lothlorien later, but this story is – I hope Shawna agrees with me – more for fun than to be an epic tale and yeah it doesn't fit in with 'To call one brother' in which Estel is not alive (or is for the first 9 chapters then disappears coz I realized he shouldn't be alive and I haven't edited it yet).

Oh and I am not the better writer! What is she like? Well please review!

ElvenHope