"Come now little leaf I think we both could do with some time to rest back in our chambers before we head out on that walk. If you still feel up to it, that is?" Thranduil attempted to engage his son in conversation.

"Of course," Legolas responded, voice still distant, letting his father take care of him. Physically he was drained, however emotionally he felt refreshed. The pressing burden of his visions were lightened and he was starting to understand. The sheer panic was gone, he was not going crazy as some had feared merely facing a puzzle so vast that it was incomparable to most. He lent into his fathers embrace content that things were finally starting to make sense.

Father and son made it back to their chambers. Silently Thranduil walked Legolas to his room. Legolas lay on the bed and fell asleep before his head had hit the pillow, exhausted from the days events.

Thranduil pulled up a seat and sat by his son's side grasping his hand, carefully stroking soothing circles. He wasn't expecting his son to drift off so quickly, nor was he expecting to find his son down in the dungeons talking with a group of captured dwarves. It truly was a day full of surprises.

Thranduil let Legolas sleep, not wanting to disturb his first peaceful rest in many, many weeks. He sat by his side humming an old elvish melody that Legolas used to love as an elfling well into the day. Until Legolas' eyes came into focus and he groggily push himself up.

"You didn't have to waste your day sitting and watching me sleep" Legolas murmured rubbing his eyes to wake himself up.

"There is nowhere I would rather be" Thranduil smiled seeing the colour was starting to return to his son's cheeks.

"How are you feeling?" The king fussed as his son brought his legs round to dangle off of the bed.

"Would you believe me if I said I felt a little better?" Legolas asked.

Thranduil had been hearing this from Legolas ever since he had been taken him off his duties but this was the first time that he actually believed him. His cheeks had a slight rosy tint to them, his movements were less stiff and his voice was more firm. All good signs.

"That's great news" He smiled offering his hand to Legolas as he clumsily bent over to put his shoes on.

Legolas firmly refused the offered hand, Causing Thranduil to roll his eyes at least his stubbornness was back.

"Ready for that walk now?" Legolas asked optimistically once both shoes were back on.

Thranduil scanned his son closely before making up his mind. He nodded. A walk round the gardens would do them both some good.

So that is what they did. They would have stayed in the gardens until the sun had long since set. Enjoying each other's company and the peace and quiet the gardens offered. If it wasn't for the fact that unbeknown to them elsewhere in the kingdom the party of captured dwarves and their burglar were making their escape from the kingdom, floating downstream towards Lake Town.

The peace and quiet of their garden stroll was disturbed by a guard frantically running up to them. He came to an abrupt stop in front of them, quickly bowing before panting out.

"My King, My Prince" He bowed again.

"What is it?" Thranduil snapped, disliking the disturbance.

"It's the dwarves, sire they are gone" The guard ducked his head bracing himself, expecting the king's notorious temper.

For Legolas the news was not wholly unexpected. Which gave him the edge to intercept his father before he fell into rage filled shouting. Dwarves always brought out his fiery side.

"Ada'' He spoke, grasping his father's forearm to get his attention.

"It is not their fault Ada, this is how it is meant to be, please Ada let them go." Thranduil silently took in this information, the shock clear on his features.

"Please Ada" Legolas whispered again.

Thranduil weighed up his options, the responsible Kingly course of action would be to send reinforcements to his troops that had undoubtedly pursued the escapees. However his fatherly option was to listen to his son, trust in him. There was clearly more going on here than meets the eye. After a long pause Thranduil sighed knowing which side of himself had won his internal battle. He faced the waiting guard.

"Call back the troops" He shouted at the shrinking guard.

"Let the dwarves go"

Once the guard was out of ear shot Legolas spoke.

"Thank you"

The king smiled down at his son before they turned to walk back to their quarters.

"When you have regained your strength I would like to hear the full story of why I just did that" Thranduil evenly spoke. "But for now I will be content to share a meal with my son"

The pair smiled as they made their way through their kingdom, the sound of laughter floating down the halls in their wake.

After polishing off two plates of food and conversing for longer than either elf had realised the two retired for the night. Once again Legolas climbed into his bed and Thranduil sat by his side. As he watched his son sleeping soundly he knew something had changed within him. Right then and there he knew that they would get through this. In a few days the parties from Rivendell and Lothlorien would arrive but Thranduil knew in his gut that Legolas' healing process had already begun. Whatever he had spoken to the dwarves about seemed to have brought him peace and that was the true reason he'd allowed the group to escape. They'd returned his son to him and for that he held off their inevitable capture. He lent forward to brush one of Legolas' long, ornate braids off of his face before sitting back and letting himself drift off knowing that his son was safely sleeping beside him.

Both father and son rested contently for that night and many more to come.

Let me know what you thought of this story.