I promised you a new story, and here it is! The sequel to 'Brotherly Love' – 'The Love of a Brother'. Can you tell they are related?
A word to the wise – if you have not read Brotherly Love, then really you should read that before this one, cos it contains info about the characters. And trust me, there are quite a few. Grin.
Thank you everybody for all the reviews for Brotherly Love, and please continue to do so on this story. Luv you all!
Faerlain
P.S. Has anyone read the new Harry Potter book? IT'S BRILLIANT! And kinda sad…sniff…
Tiara Shin – Hi dude! Yeah, Italy by plane. I can't wait! Bounces. I finish school in…counts…2 ½ days! Wooooo! Here is the sequel, just as you asked. Leggy is fine, and I am glad you and Haldy are too. OMG, SHOCK HORROR!
You didn't put puppy-dog eyes!
I am considering removing this chapter now…hmph…
The Love of a Brother
Chapter 1: Now What?
"I feel old and decrepit. Useless and…old."
"You already said old."
"I mean old."
Legolas laughed. "You're only 1,000 brother."
Ladrenîl pouted. "Yes, and I feel it."
Legolas couldn't help but laugh again. "Ah, one millennium old 'Ren. You'll be getting a pension soon, like a Human." He narrowly missed being hit with a pillow aimed his way.
"Shut up Legs. It'll be your turn in just over half a century. Then you'll know I feel. And you'll have two eyes to see it all with."
Legolas just scoffed. "1,000 is nothing 'Ren. Just wait till you hit 2,000. Then you'll be really old, like adar and Lord Elrond."
"Right, now you die!"
Ladrenîl chased his closest brother round his room, throwing every pillow and cushion at him that he could lay his hands on. Legolas laughed and ducked out of the way, throwing them straight back when he could. Then one burst, and feathers flew everywhere.
Ladrenîl tackled Legolas to the ground, and they wrestled to win the fight. Legolas scrambled up and jumped on the bed, waving a pillow round and round, aiming for his brother's head. Ladrenîl just laughed and joined in, and so began yet another fight.
"What in Eru's name is going on in here!"
The pair froze, turning in unison to look at the newcomer. Esgalloth, their second youngest sister stood in the doorway, arms folded across her chest, one eyebrow raised.
Ladrenîl and Legolas gave identical innocent grins. "Just a bit of fun sister," Legolas answered. "Care to join us?"
"No thank you. But adar wants to see you in his office now." She looked pointedly at the younger of the two. "Right now." She left without another word.
Legolas dropped his pillow and looked at his brother. "What have I done now?"
----
"You have both become like elflings again Legolas. This is not proper behaviour for the two eldest sons of the royal family."
Legolas sighed and fidgeted in the chair. Thranduil had been going on for almost an hour about how disappointed he was in his and Ladrenîl's recent behaviour, and that they both needed to calm down and sort out their priorities.
"Sit up when I'm speaking to you!" the King told him without turning round from the window.
Legolas did as he was told and waited for his father to finish.
Thranduil turned and sat down opposite his son. "I understand completely that the past years have been hard for you both," he said in a softer tone. "But now Ladrenîl is 1,000 years old, you need to calm down. The fun years are over I'm afraid Legolas. You are adults now; you need to learn your responsibilities to your kingdom. One day, Ladrenîl will be King, and you will be his next in line till he has children. I cannot let this behaviour continue."
"Ladrenîl is blind adar," Legolas replied softly. "He does not feel he is capable of running Mirkwood efficiently. He does not want that responsibility."
"He is still young, you all are," Thranduil told him. "Yes, you are adults, but young adults all the same. He will feel differently in few years time. Trust me; I went through the same phase myself."
"But you had perfect vision," Legolas reminded him.
Thranduil sighed, running his hands over his face. "The fact that your brother is blind in one eye does not at all affect the way he will run Mirkwood."
"But it has changed him adar. You know it has. And it has changed all of us, in some way or another. None of us are how we used to be, even you and naneth. If he does not have confidence in himself, then his governing of Mirkwood will most certainly not be the same."
The King shrugged. "Then what else can I say Legolas? If Ladrenîl is mature enough to make his own decisions, as he often says he is, then I want to see him decide this. Can he rule Mirkwood without the factor of his being blind in one eye affecting his rule at all, in any way? If he can answer me sensibly and with good reason, then maybe I shall understand more what you are saying. For now, go. I shall see you at dinner."
"Yes adar." Legolas rose and bowed, leaving the study without another word.
As he walked down the hallway, he met his brother, Hithaer. The younger brother had just returned from an archery lesson, and his cheeks were flushed from the cold outside. He grinned at Legolas. "I did really well today. Master Tatharion said he was very pleased with my progress."
"That is excellent news little brother!" Legolas grinned and placed a hand upon Hithaer's shoulder. "And I take it you are enjoying it?"
"Every second."
"Good. I shall see you at dinner."
"See you then Legs."
Once back in his own room, Legolas collapsed on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He could hear chatter from outside, coming in through his open balcony doors, but he ignored it. An hour and a half till dinner. What could he do for an hour and a half?
Well, he obviously had to talk with Ladrenîl now; Thranduil had made that clear enough. Legolas grimaced. It was a conversation he was not particularly looking forward to. After the incident with the Orcs 250 years ago, Ladrenîl was a changed Elf. He still captained the Army, but he had become like a child again, almost reliving his earlier years. Legolas was more than happy to join in, enjoying every moment he spent with his brother, acting just like a child again. They knew where the limits were, and obligingly acted responsibly enough when they had to. But otherwise, they ran riot.
Legolas should have known their father would have words with them sooner or later about it all. They did have to act responsibly, if only to prove good role models for their younger siblings. But everyone needed a break from those sorts of things every now and then, and this had been a break for the pair of them. It had been great fun while it had lasted.
Eventually he sat up and resolved to go and see his brother. Changing his tunic so he was slightly smarter for the evening meal, he went through to his bathroom and knocked three times on the wall. The hidden door swung silently open and Ladrenîl grinned at him from his room. "So what did the old man say?"
Legolas snorted as he went through his brother's bathroom in the bedroom. Sitting down on the feather-strewn bed, he answered, "He wants us to grow up."
Ladrenîl froze with his tunic half off. Spinning round he stared dazedly at Legolas. "He what?"
"He wants us to grow up. Act like mature adults and not like the elflings we have become these past 250 years. In other words, no more pillow fights, no more snow elves, no more climbing the tallest trees and falling out, no more midnight riding, no more haring round the palace like idiots, jumping out of closets, no more drinking until we see double of everything, and no more skipping council meetings, formal dinners and so on and so forth." He sighed. "How dreadfully boring our life is going to become."
"Once again, I am being subjected to horrors beyond my imagining." His brother laughed as he sat down beside him. "Why is he saying all this now?"
"You're 1,000 'Ren…"
"What the…? Oh that is ridiculous. I like acting the way we do. It helps."
"I tried to tell him, but he was having none of it. And he ahs a question for you, regarding your heir to the throne thing."
"Oh yes? And what is this question?"
"Can you rule Mirkwood without the factor of your being blind in one eye affecting your rule at all, in any way? I have taken the words straight from the big Elf himself. He doesn't believe that you can mess up being King in other words."
It was Ladrenîl's turn to ungracefully snort. "I've heard it all before…"
"And so has he," Legolas interrupted. "I'm afraid I'm with him on this one 'Ren. This." He gestured to Ladrenîl's grey, unseeing eye. "This has nothing to do with being King. It will in no way affect your judgement or decisions. Even I cannot see what the problem is."
"Self-consciousness Legs. That's what the problem is. I cannot stand being in the public eye anymore, because of what I have become."
"What do you mean 'What I have become'? Don't talk silly. You're still Ladrenîl."
"But I'm blind."
"Only in one eye! 'Ren, don't be so bothered by it all of the time. We don't see you any differently."
"But the public do. Legs, you must have noticed the way I'm treated now. As if I have some terminal illness or something. Its ridiculous – a blind Elf."
Legolas just shook his head. "You're still Ladrenîl to me. And to everyone else, whether you want to believe it or not. You haven't changed inside."
"But I have," he told him in a quiet voice. "I haven't been the same since…since then, and you know it."
"Well obviously you were affected by it, but it hasn't changed you really. Maybe you have the awful memories, and the physical scars, but the Ladrenîl I knew and loved back then, is still the Ladrenîl I know and love now." He leant across and embraced his older brother tightly. "You mean the world to me, and nothing is ever going to change that." He gave a short laugh. "And anyway, you're unique. You have different coloured eyes. I bet no one else can say that."
Ladrenîl chuckled. "I suppose so."
"Exactly. Now come on, dinner is in just under an hour. Get changed, and we'll…"
"What?"
"Go crazy for a bit."
They grinned together.
Ok, hope you enjoyed that. I know the summary isn't excellent (mine never are…), but at least the ball is now rolling. I'll try and update before I go to Italy, but I can't make any promises. See ya!
Faerlain