Orbryn heard the familiar sound of a babies crying wail echoing down the stairwell leading to the kitchen long before he was even close to them himself.
Familiar because of his younger siblings, not because this was a normal sound to be heard from the kitchen.
Curiosity getting the best of him, he hurried down the steps to the warm kitchen below, stopping in surprise at the bottom when he saw the king and his very young son. Very young.
He had never seen the king so close before, hardly seen him at all in fact since he had returned from the war.
And now they were alone in the massive kitchen together.
Apparently, the king had been singing to the little prince the kingdom had met only a month ago but he stopped when Orbryn reached the bottom stairs, "Forgive me, I did not realize the time."
Orbryn could not make his body do anything other than blink dumbly and stutter, "Your majesty?"
The king seemed almost as confused, "I did not realize that you would be starting soon, I would not like a screaming baby in my office while I was trying to work I would imagine you would not like one in your kitchen while you work."
His brain was doing no better at controlling the rest of him, "He's the prince."
"He is." The king glanced down adoringly, "But a screaming baby is a screaming baby."
His big brother instincts came to life before any other part of him, "You should give him some wine on a napkin, it'll help him sleep. It's his teeth."
"Pardon?"
And then a heavy, cold dose of fear washed over him, "I have four younger siblings, my mother did it all of the time, I apologi-"
The king shook his head slightly, "Show me if you would."
"Certainly." Quickly he found an opened bottle of wine and poured some onto the corner of a clean napkin, hesitantly he approached the prince and allowed his tiny hands to grab at the fabric. As expected, the immediately put the wet end in his mouth as babes were known to do.
Half an hour later, the king was wishing him a good evening on his way to put his newly sleeping son to bed, just in time for sunrise.
...oooooooooooooooo...
Orbryn had been curious about who the mysterious owners of the teacups were, the ones that appeared sometime in the dead of night, every night, without fail for over a year now. Sometimes there were three, but usually only two neatly stacked and rinsed cups waited for him in the basin of water.
Perhaps he should have guessed.
Inside, nestled on the ground and rocking softly with a half-asleep elfling in his lap was the king. One hand ran through the small one's hair while the other held open a book, on the table in front of them were two teacups yet come to their nightly resting place.
...oooooooooooooooo...
He saw the little hand moments before he successfully snagged a fresh pastry, the ones meant for the celebration tonight. "Ah!" Orbryn barked, and the hand froze.
Two huge eyes were just barely tall enough to peer at him over the top of the counter, round and wanting. Orbryn smiled, "Take two, just don't tell your father."
In a flash and grin, the prince was scrambling back up the steps with his prize.
...ooooooooooooo...
There was a small and gentle tug on his sleeve, and he had to admit it was starting. He was used to Legolas running around underfoot, but never this early. And if it was, that meant the king was still up with him from the night.
But this time it was Galion with him and immediately Orbryn knew there was some sneaking around going on.
Legolas held out a bowl of fresh strawberries, enough that it probably would have taken a few hours of searching at this time of year, "Ada isn't feeling very happy, can you put these in his breakfast this morning? They're his favorite."
"Of course."
...ooooooooooooo...
"It was amazing, Ada!"
Orbryn smiled a little to himself as he began peeling potatoes, he wished everyone was as enthusiastic about life as Legolas.
"Yes, it certainly sounds it! I'm glad you had fun."
He also wished everyone was as earnest in listening to their children as Thranduil.
...oooooooooooooo...
So many of their children had not fallen and left for the halls since they left their last home.
Silently and without being asked Orbryn refilled their wine cups and added a few more logs to the fire they both sat in front of. They had not said anything, not even to each other since he had arrived.
...ooooooooooooooo...
The kitchen already smelled like delicious food when he opened the last door, "Isn't it a bit early for breakfast?"
Legolas smiled and quickly swallowed his mouthful of eggs, (Thranduil's specialty) "I'm leaving at sunrise again, we wanted to have one last breakfast together before I left.
...oooooooòoo...
It was a long time since his kitchen was last this crowded at such a time, but of the thirteen occupants only two remained awake and looking over one of the dozen maps spread around them.
"I think that is enough for now, my leafling."
It had been m
onths since Legolas was allowed out of bed, and had only just recently been moved to his own room and out from under the watchful eye of the healers.
"Just one more."
The counters made a good support for teaching legs to walk again.
...ooooooo...
"What is it?"
Orbryn looked down at the basin, at the sight that had become the norm for the last century and a half, "I did not know how sad finding only one single dirty teacup in my sink could make my heart, until this war."
...ooooooooo...
Thanks for reading!
