Author's note; Hi folks ! Just a wee warning that this chapter will continue into chapter 17 as it's quite long and there's a few details I need to finalise towards the end but I didn't want to delay posting this part, okay !
Also Thranduil does have a bit of a rant and I was going to make it worse but I chickened out, I just have too much respect for the character and didn't want to turn him into a total bad ass, that's not how I see him – so sorry, hope the father and son conversation doesn't disappoint !
Now read on good people and let me know what you think ! Please !
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Chapter 16 ; An Understanding
The King of Mirkwood sat behind a large ornate desk made from ancient oak. Absently he ran his fingers over the smooth polished surface, tracing the grain of the wood with his strong yet delicate fingers.
His own father, Oropher had made the desk soon after their arrival in Mirkwood and he had spent many hours carving the ivy leaf details which surrounded it's frame, he had called it his labour of love and it was now one of Thranduil's most treasured possessions.
He felt close to his father when he sat here and so he would come here to think when ever he needed to sort out a problem. At the moment he had quite an unusual problem to think through and it was currently preventing him from attending to the numerous parchments which were piled high on his desk, silently demanding his attention. He had given up trying to attend to these matters when he realised he had been staring at the same piece of parchment for nearly an hour.
With a dejected sigh he sat back in his comfortable chair and interlocked his long fingers as he rested them across his slender abdomen. Ice clear blue eyes took in his familiar surroundings. The room had changed very little since his father had been slain in the land of shadow, Thranduil had been loath to alter anything his father had put in place.
Perhaps the only additions were a small treasured selection of his son's paintings proudly displayed above the fire's mantle and his beloved wife's harp, resting forever silently on its plinth in the corner. It had not been played by a living soul since she died.
The room was richly yet tastefully decorated with tapestries and wood panelling which did much to hide the walls of stone. It was positioned deep inside the mountain, partially for security reasons and it had no windows but was kept bright and airy with the clever use of air vents and mirrors, still it darkened quite early and it was Gwaithwen who would come in daily and light the numerous candles scattered about the room.
Their flickering flames danced about in the gentle jasmine-scented air currents and illuminated the room in a soft warm glow.
The study also contained many book shelves packed with ancient texts, scrolls and various parchments and there was an impressive display of elvish weapons fashioned by the finest craftsmen and smiths in the woodland realm.
The King's own curved sword, yew bow and stocked quiver rested permanently by his desk should the need ever arise.
Like much of the rest of the palace large rugs covered the floor, the King stared at one in particular as he recalled watching a certain young elf take his first few steps into his father's open arms. Thranduil permitted a small smile to escape at the memory, his son Legolas always evoked strong feelings and he wished again for the millionth time that his wife had lived to see him grow up.
The young warrior Prince reminded him so much of his departed wife that it hurt sometimes but the similarities were not physical however, Aranalph had been a raven beauty with eyes of amber that sparkled with life and glowed in the evenings like burning embers but Legolas had his mother's compassionate heart, shared her passion for life and a burning desire for adventure.
He was relieved more than he ever thought possible when he saw that his child had come home safely and though he had known his son and the fellowship had been successful on their crucial mission, he longed to see evidence of this with his own eyes.
When word had arrived that Legolas had left with the ring bearer on a quest to Mordor his heart had been gripped with an almost paralysing fear for his precious son's life and when the delegation of woodland elves finally returned and informed their King that his son had left on this hazardous journey with one wizard, two men, four hobbits and a dwarf , the King's advisors and personal guard feared they would have to barricade their Lord in his own chambers for fear of him sneaking out in order to track down his only son and heir.
But now his child was finally home, only he had brought one of his companions with him.
To say Thranduil had been taken aback at the sight of a dwarf in his halls would be a slight understatement. Dwarves were no longer welcome in his realm and there had not been any of the stunted creatures here since that debacle involving Mithrandir and that wily perian Bilbo Baggins before the Battle of the Five Armies.
And now here was his own son actually befriending a child of Aulë and openly welcoming him into their home, it had been a most unexpected development, one which had wounded the King deeply.
He had been so eagerly awaiting his son's arrival, anxious to see him in one piece and keen to hear all about his harrowing adventure but the sudden appearance of the dwarf had brought back a personal grief so powerful that he feared his own reaction.
He could not trust his tongue to hold the angry words his grieving heart longed to scream at the stunted creature, words he had shouted at the walls of his private chamber for countless nights, words which were forever left unanswered.
And so he had forced himself to leave the great entrance hall before his anger vented itself elsewhere, before he turned on his own son and with each weary step he took taking him further from his child, his heart grew heavier as the image of his son's sorrowful eyes filled his mind's eye.
He had wisely abandoned the trade meeting, lest his foul mood destroy all hopes of further business dealings with the men of Lake-town and he made straight for his study.
He had hoped to distract himself by throwing himself into his work but his efforts were doomed to failure and so here now in the solitude of his study, he finally sought to put some order on his thoughts after the considerable effort it had taken to soothe his raging emotions.
Naturally his thoughts had turned to his son, although he had been deeply hurt by the Prince's actions he found that he could not stay truly angry at the young elf for long. Life in former Mirkwood was unpredictable at best and it was not wise to remain angry with loved ones for too long lest the chance to make amends never present itself, he had learned that lesson the hard way.
Growing up, the young elf had never ceased to amaze him and now even as a young adult, the Prince was full of surprises, his acceptance of this dwarf was a fine example. His son was gifted with far greater powers of forgiveness, Thranduil knew this, it was one of many noble traits the young Prince had inherited from his mother and the King often wished that he too could put the past behind him and move on as easily as Legolas appeared to.
Perhaps such flexibility and spirit was a gift of the young and it had been a long time since the King felt young.
His musings were interrupted by a hesitant knock on the heavy doors leading into his private study. The King had been expecting this visit, he knew it was only a matter of time before his son would call on him to explain his side of the story, just as he had done countless times before whenever he had got himself into some sort of trouble.
"Enter" the King replied evenly to the knock.
Outside Legolas composed himself with a steadying deep breath, smoothed his clothes then he purposefully pushed open the double doors with more bravado than he actually felt.
He really felt as though he were an elfling again, forced once more to apologise to his father for another prank pulled at Sindadur's expense or to give his account of some event gone awry.
As the young Prince entered the study he noted that his father was sitting comfortably behind his desk, partially obscured by an impressive pile of documents and he groaned inwardly, loath to disturb his father when he clearly had a lot of work to attend to.
The King noticed the worried and troubled look that flashed across his son's face.
"Come in my son, I have been expecting you" he beckoned.
"You have ?" the archer asked in return, slightly surprised.
"Legolas my child I know you better than you know yourself, you are here to discuss this new friendship and tell me all the reasons why it is a good thing despite what I may think" Thranduil informed his son as though reading his mind, yet he also sensed that there were other serious matters besides the dwarf, troubling his son and he hoped the young warrior would unburden himself in time.
The Prince had a tendency to bottle things up rather than show any perceived weakness, in this respect the acorn had not fallen far from the oak.
Legolas nodded obediently knowing that there was little he could ever hide from his eternally astute father.
"You are right of course Adar but you are busy, perhaps I can call upon you when you have more time."
"Nonsense my son, we have serious matters to discuss, matters which I would rather not leave unresolved….. besides I have not seen you in what has felt like an age to my heart, come, close the doors and sit with me" Thranduil indicated to one of a pair of large high backed chairs in front of the flickering hearth. Though it was not cold in the room at this time of year, a fire was often lit to help create more light.
As the Prince effortlessly closed the enormous oak doors behind him, Thranduil made his way over to one of the chairs and sat down. Legolas then silently crossed the room and sat opposite his father in a matching chair.
For a moment he could not look directly at his father, afraid to look into his ancient eyes, afraid of what he might see, so he studied the intricate pattern of the upholstery fabric and realised how worn it had become.
Thranduil cast a narrow but concerned gaze in his son's direction and noticing his obvious discomfort he decided to break the ice.
"Well shall we sit here in contemplative silence or shall we begin to discuss that which is weighing so heavily on your heart that it prevents you from looking at your own father ?"
Unable to decipher his father's neutral tone, the Prince steeled himself, finally lifted his head and looked his father apologetically in the eye, hoping to find some trace of understanding, a hint of tolerance.
What he saw surprised him, there was no anger, no disappointment only a faint flicker of curiosity which when sated just might help the King to comprehend his son's actions. It was a good start.
"Adar you must understand that it was not out of disrespect or malice that I brought Gimli here. He has invited me to visit his old home in the Lonely Mountain and it would seem rude not to return the favour. To cause you pain and suffering was never my intent, you must believe this. Aragorn is due to arrive within the next day or two and after a brief stay we shall all leave for Erebor. If it pleases you, we shall keep to ourselves and cause you no trouble while we are here."
"Ah, so the Ranger will take part in this little adventure too I see.." a faint crack began to appear in Thranduil's seemingly calm exterior.
"He is no mere ranger father, he is…" but the Prince's defence of his friend was cut short by the King's harsh tone as his manner became increasingly irate.
"I know who he is !" he almost shouted, " well I know it…… and whose blood flows in his veins."
The Prince could feel his frustration build as he saw the beginnings of the same old argument creep to the surface and his eyes darkened, determined to defend his most trusted companions.
"Ada please ! We have been down this path many times before, I care not of his blood line, he is not Isildur nor has he shown similar failings, he helped in the ring's destruction Ada ! Aragorn is my friend and he is now King Elessar Telcontar of Gondor and you have told me many times that if I cannot show respect for someone then I should at least respect their rank or station, now I ask you to do the same."
Thranduil's eyes locked with those of his son and a battle of wills commenced as the tense silence stretched, finally he broke the contact and directed his attention to the comforting flames. He reached down to a wicker basket full of small logs and cast one into the waning fire. Tiny sparks momentarily filled the air and the crackling increased as the hungry flames found new fuel to feed on. The King took several deep calming breaths as he allowed his annoyance to slowly dissipate, finally looked once more to his son.
"Peace Legolas……….I understand my son……..honestly I do, it is just hard sometimes to leave the past behind when it remains so fresh and clear in my mind……"
The Prince knew his father spoke of more than just Aragorn's distant past and a familiar grief resurfaced.
"and," the King continued " it can be equally difficult to reconcile myself with your choice of companions. First a human, the heir of Isildur no less and now a dwarf and not just any dwarf, no it has to be Gimli, son of Glóin ! If I did not know you better Little Leaf I would begin to think you do it on purpose to trouble your already troubled father !"
Legolas detected the faintest hint of humour colouring his father's voice and he privately thanked the Valar for the small reprieve.
"Ada, as I said, that is not my intention, I would never knowingly add to your burdens," he pleaded " but fate is indeed a strange and unpredictable companion. Besides you know if I had not met Aragorn all those years ago on the southern borders of Mirkwood we would not be having this conversation now. Both he and his fellow rangers were of great aid to my patrol and I during the orc attack and the athelas he carried was most useful, would you not agree ?"
The King allowed a small begrudging smile to escape.
"Yes, it was most fortunate," he agreed " I know he saved your life and for that I will be forever in debt to the edain but remember some of us are a little more set in our ways than you my child and you must be patient with us while we try to adjust, after all it is not everyday that an elf brings a dwarf into his father's home, especially when that father is me."
Now it was the Prince's turn to smile faintly and gaze at the flickering flames. But the moment of levity was all too fleeting as Legolas contemplated how truly difficult this new friendship must be for his father to accept. Grief can be a smothering emotion which closes off the sufferer's heart and prevents recovery, leaving its victim stuck in the past and unable to move on.
"Ada…" the Prince softly called for his father's attention. When he held the ancient elf's piercing gaze once more, he continued.
"You know it took me a long time not to blame every dwarf alive for what happened, I too was angry Ada, very angry…… with their whole race… for generations. I wanted revenge Ada for what they did, I wanted them to feel the grief we felt, every last one of them…….. but eventually I realised it would change nothing."
Thranduil was deeply moved by the depth of emotion revealed by his son's heartfelt words and he reached over and grasped the young elf's hand offering his encouragement. Legolas was touched by his father's gesture and he gripped the offered hand like a life line as he continued.
"Still I was unwilling to see them as individuals and considered them unworthy of our attention but Gimli changed all that Ada. I now realise that he and all the other dwarves alive in Arda this day are no more at fault for what happened than Aragorn is to blame for the actions of his ancestors. It was an accident Ada , a dreadful costly accident that brought crushing grief and pain to our family but it happened a long time ago and those responsible are no longer alive to blame,….. to hate."
The King's heart broke on hearing his son's confession and only countless years of training allowed him to prevent the tears of lingering grief and paternal pride that threatened to fall from doing so. His child had grown up so quickly it seemed and he thanked the Valar for gifting him with such a son.
Legolas had been able to do what he had not and he marvelled at these precious glimpses of his son's soul and how mature he could be when the situation warranted it.
He also felt like he was beginning to really understand just how important this friendship with the dwarf was, in a special way it was helping to heal his child's grief and wash away the bitterness he had felt for too many years. These were gifts that could not be cast aside lightly and so he made a solemn vow to be more accepting of his son's new friend.
"Thank you my child for sharing this moment with me it has meant a great deal. I suppose I know deep in my heart that your friend is not personally responsible Legolas and yet sometimes it can be difficult to convince the heart of what the mind knows to be true, they seem capable of existing independently of each other" he smiled, " I give you now my solemn promise that I shall try to give this friendship a chance and that I will be more accepting of your friend Gimli."
Legolas was relieved more than he thought possible and actually felt some of the tension drain from his shoulders. He released his father's hand, stood then moved to the King's nearby chair where he then knelt before the elder and surrounded him with a loving hug which was eagerly returned.
"Thank you Ada" he whispered into his father's chest, "it is all I ask."
Thranduil smiled contently as he partially removed his grip to allow him to stroke the young warriors golden hair. Ahhh …Aranalph my love, he thought, would that you were here to see what a fine son you have given me, he would have made you so proud my Queen, just as he has made me. Then he bent over and placed a loving kiss on his son's head.
"I love you my son, more than life itself and though you are an adult now remember you will always be my child and I can not help but look out for your well being. I will admit that a large part of me will always believe that relationship's with these mortals is folly, destined to end in grief and pain as you are forced to watch them wither and fade. You have your mother's gentle heart Legolas and I have no desire to see it crushed. Do not fault me for trying to spare you such torment."
"I understand Ada and I love you too ………. despite any actions to the contrary !" he young elf chuckled.
"Now come Legolas, tell me how this unique friendship came to be, for surely there is none other like it in all of Middle-Earth."
Another light chuckle escaped the Prince's lips as he looked up into his father's face.
"Oh believe me Ada it was not always so !", the young Prince was forced to admit.
"Hmmmm sounds like a tale which needs a good wine to help it go down" the King hinted.
Legolas raised an amused eyebrow then reluctantly freed himself from his father's embrace as he went to fetch them something to drink from the wine cabinet beside the large oak desk. He filled two goblets with rich red elven wine, offered one to his father then returned to his own comfortable chair once more and continued his tale.
"When we first met in Rivendell things did not go well at all, in fact at Lord Elrond's council things nearly got out of control. Luckily young Master Frodo distracted us all before any real harm was done by either delegation."
The King's curiosity was genuinely piqued and he gestured his son to continue.
"I will admit it was a strain at first travelling with Gimli but we were both equally to blame and both equally fell victim of our ancient prejudices. I know our behaviour was childish at times and it was starting to irritate Mithrandir. Though he never spoke of it, we did however receive several looks. T'is a wonder he did not make us mute for the things we said to each other. But gradually I began to respect his strange dwarven ways even if I could not fully understand them. I discovered that he has as much honour and loyalty as any elf twice his stature, he is a brave and fierce warrior, highly skilled with an axe and we have fought side by side many times. I could not ask for a better friend to watch my back….."
He paused to take a savour the aroma of the wine, then drank a mouthful and delighted at its unique fruity flavour. He realised how much he had missed these small home comforts while he was away.
"….. but to be honest it was the Lady of the Golden Wood who finally persuaded each of us separately to reconcile and cast aside our differences for the sake of the Fellowship and one does not easily cast aside the advice of the Lady, so we agreed upon a truce for the sake of the others but we soon realised we had more in common than we thought possible and the seeds of friendship that were sewn in Lothlórien grew stronger and stronger during our quest."
"Ah I see," said the King mischievously " and these common traits no doubt include a stubborn streak that runs deeper than any mithril vein ever mined, a total disregard for personal safety, an uncanny ability to attract trouble, a competitive nature most unbecoming an elven prince, a gift for making loved ones worry beyond reason and age before their time, a knack for…….."
"Ai ! I can see this conversation has quickly become a lecture worthy of Gwaithwen," the Prince protested, " but please remember Ada an elf does not learn everything from the trees, surely family are as much to blame for how an elf turns out ! And Gwaithwen always says I have too much of you in my blood at times !" he teased.
"Oh does she now, mayhap Gwaithwen and I shall have a discussion about that."
" You can always try Ada but I fear t'will be your ears burning by the end of the 'discussion' !"
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Review Responses
daw the minstrel ; Hey there ! Thanks again for your review. Happy you're enjoying the little details here and there – let me know if I start to over do it ! by the way, my deepest sympathies on having your own personal snoring dwarf ! Hee! Hee!
Kelsey Estel ; Hi ! Thanks for both your reviews, I must have just missed your review for chp.11(14) when I posted chp.12(15) – yeah , confusing , I know ! That's what happens when a complete amature postes her first four chapters at the one time and they all end up in one chapter- ah well, live and learn. Anyway glad you're still enjoying the tale !
If Legolas did come across a bit young or was too playful – sorry , I guess I was concentrating too much on getting the humour right to notice ! Woops ! Hey ! Maybe Gwaithwen just brings out the elfling in him ! Hee! Hee!
About the "ageless" elves and the "grey" hair, let me share with you what I have learned and pleeeeeeease don't take this as a rant/critisim because I too have to research lots of canon details when writing this story. Anyway let me tell you what I found out because I knew I wanted Gwaithwen and Luinsil to be "older". I thought too that elves were ageless but then I realised that wasn't exactly true as we have young elves like Legolas and older ones like Elrond, Celeborn etc. so I think they do age, just very slowly. Then I remembered Círdan, the Shipwright and I looked him up in the Encyclopedia of Arda. He was awakened (born) in Cuiviénen back in the "Years of the Trees" and stayed in Middle-Earth up until sometime in the Fourth Age, now even by elven standards this makes him very old. In LOTR; Return of the King, chapter "The Grey Havens", Círdan is described as "Very tall he was, and his beard was long, and he was grey and old, save that his eyes were keen as stars". We catch glimpses of Peter Jackson's Círdan in the prologue of LOTR FOTR with Gil-galad and Galadriel and the rings of power and again in ROTK when Frodo is leaving at the Grey Havens. Although he doesn't have his beard ! He is quite old looking and has long white/grey hair. Considering all this I thought it would be ok to give Gwaithwen and Luinsil a few silver/grey bits even though I don't imagine them to be any where near as old as Círdan - ofcourse I could be way off here but I do hope this info was of some use and as I said this is NOT a critic of your review so hang in there and keep letting me know what you think. As for your questions ! Ohoooooo! All shall be revealed in time, promise ! – (evil snigger).
P.S ; I think this is my longest review responses ever ! Hee! Hee!
Kestrel of Valinor ; Hello again ! Many thanks and smiles for your two reviews and your positive comments about dear old "gentle" Gwaithwen! HaHaHa! Glad you enjoyed Gimli's "diplomatic" efforts !Great compliment on the descriptions – Thanks ! Thrilled you liked Chp.12(15) so much ! Keep reading and reviewing !
Alatariel Narmolanya ; Big Hi ! (wave) Thanks for reviewing again, always appreciated. As for Gimli's snoring solution, well I just took my cue from Aragorn in LOTR FOTR EE. Remember when they were all in Lothlórien and Sam was composing a poem about Gandalf's fire works, Gimli was snoring loudly in the background and Aragorn just gave him a dig - result ! No more snoring ! Hope you enjoyed this Chp as much and that I didn't disappoint !(fingers crossed).
Jebb ; Greetings ! Many thanks for taking the time to read and review this story, each positive comment means a lot to me as I'm still very new in this fan-fiction world and a good review is a great confidence booster – so please, review away to your heart's content ! Many thanks also for your description of Sindadur - "crusty", I love it ! It's perfect ! Hee! Hee!