Smile.

"Here you go, aran-nin." Hérion said while he handed him a goblet filled with Dorwinion wine.

"Hannon-le." Thranduil said as he accepted the goblet. This had been another long day of councils, and they were not nearly finished, he would need the wine. Unfortunately Thranduil failed to notice the darkened colour of Hérion's eyes are they were very dark brown, about black, instead of hazel. Hérion shook his head and blinked a couple of times, obvious what just had happened. Seeing that everyone of the council was already seated, Hérion also went to his place and sat down.

"Well?" Thranduil asked as he leant back in his chair, observing the first councillor that got on his feet while he addressed the next subject of the day.

When the councils finally came to an end, Anameleth quietly stepped into the room. "Aran-nin?" She questioned with a curtsey.

"Anameleth?" Thranduil greeted with a little nod after he had finished his wine.

"The Peredhel family already finished dinner, but Legolas insisted he would want to dine with you." She quickly explained the situation.

"You may bring him to my study where I will make sure dinner will be served for two." The king said before he got on his feet.

"I will." Anameleth said and bowed again before she left to fetch Legolas. Thranduil made his way over to his study and sat down at the small table in front of one of the big windows.

"Suilad ada." Legolas softly said as he entered the study, with Anameleth just behind him.

"Hannon-le, Anameleth, you may go now." He dismissed the elleth and gave Legolas a little smile. Legolas carefully looked at his father, not knowing if he knew about what happened this morning. When he saw him smile, Legolas beamed a smile back. "Suilad, ion-nin. I hope you had a good day?"

"Aye ada." Legolas happily said as they both started to eat.

"Legolas!" Thranduil hissed as he glared at his son through squinted eyes.

"Ada?" Legolas whispered. He surely had done nothing wrong? He was just telling his father what he had done all day long. "I am finished." Legolas whispered as he finished his last bite.

"Cease your volume." Thranduil rubbed his temple as he slowly ate his dinner. "You may excuse yourself if you want." Thranduil said while he tiredly rubbed his face. During the day the little annoying headache had returned, but now it surely had reached his max. Legolas climbed from his chair, but he was not leaving just yet. He pushed the chair closer to his father before he climbed on it again.

"Ada?" He softly called as he stood on the chair and gently took his hand from his face. "Naeg?" He asked and gently pushed a small lock of hair behind his father's ear.

"Just a little headache." Thranduil replied and held his son's hand in his own. Legolas held on to the backrest of the chair and his father's hand and leant close to him. Legolas had seen him do that often so maybe he could try it too. He stood on hiss toes as he placed a small kiss on his father's forehead and gave him a little smile.

"All better now?" Legolas asked, sincerely hoping he made his father better. A little smile spread on Thranduil's face.

"I do not think one small kiss was enough." Thranduil fake complained and gently lifted Legolas on his lap, so he would not fall from the chair. Legolas muffled his giggle with his hand before he decided to shower his face with a lot of kisses, than was sure his father's aches would be all gone. Thranduil softly chuckled, trying not to hurt his head more and pulled Legolas in a tight hug.

"All better now?" Legolas asked when he had managed to free himself from the tight hug.

"All better now." Thranduil said with a little smile. Not that his headache was gone, but seeing his little Greenleaf smile, made his whole day lots better. "Shall we go and get ready for bed?" Thranduil carefully stood and placed Legolas on his hip.

"Not tired yet." Legolas quipped as he grabbed a fist full of Thranduil's robes. Thranduil gently bounced him, making him giggle.

"I will make sure of that."

"Wait, Elky!" Legolas said as he pulled on Thranduil's robes. Thranduil let go of the door handle and walked back to retrieve Legolas' stuffed elk. He hugged his stuffie, and whispered an apology for almost forgetting him.

"Now go and get dressed for bed." Thranduil said when they had arrived at legolas' room, and he set Legolas on his feet. Legolas nodded and ran off.

"Ada? Saes?" Legolas asked as he walked back to his father on his socks while he tugged on the small leather belt around his waist. Thranduil helped his son and watched as he dressed for bed. "All done." He announced as he walked up to his father and climbed his lap. "Story?" He asked as he settled on Thranduil's lap.

"Sorry, Legolas. No story tonight. How about we just cuddle?" Thranduil tried to comply as he gathered his son in his arms and gently started to rock back and forth.

"Okay." Legolas softly said as he snuggled down in Thranduil's robes, hugging his stuffed elk, enjoying his father's warmth. "Song?" Legolas looked up with his big blue eyes. Thranduil smiled as he stroked Legolas' soft locks and started to hum a nursery song. After a while, Legolas softly sighed before he fell asleep. When Thranduil had finished his song, he gently laid Legolas down in his own bed and tucked him in.

"Have sweet dreams, my precious." Thranduil whispered to his sleeping son before he went to sleep himself.

Thranduil awoke the next morning by the singing of the birds and some golden rays of sun that peaked through the curtains. He blinked a couple of times as the canopy of his bed came into focus. He yawned and stretched before he sat up. It was rear that he had such a gently awakening. Normally he would be up before dawn, and most of the other times, he could be certain that an elfling had snuck up to him, and in the process awakened him. Not that he would mind when Legolas would come and snuggle with him. Thranduil was about to undress him when there was a knock on his door. With a sigh Thranduil opened the door.

"Hérion?" Thranduil asked confused as the captain of the Mirkwood warriors stood in front of his door with a tray in one of his hands. "Is there something amiss?" He asked concerned.

"Nay, aran-nin. Your ion complained you were not present at breakfast, so I took it upon myself to see why you were not at breakfast. I figured that you had not had a chance to eat yet, so if I may?" Hérion gently pushed the door open and placed the tray on one of the free spaces on one of the dressers. "The councils will start in an hour. Have a nice meal." He bowed before he left their king alone.

Thranduil closed the door behind Hérion and proceeded to dress himself. After he had properly dressed himself, he ate some buttered bread with tea while he braided his hair. When he was done eating, he arrived just in time for yet another day of councils.

"Thranduil?" Lord Elrond gently placed his and on the king's wrist.

"What?" Thranduil asked when he was jerked from his thoughts.

"Would it be all right if I could visit the private garden with the elflings?"

"As long as you or heryn Celebrían are near and you stay out of the plants, that would be all right." Thranduil gave a small nod. "I should get back to the councils." He stood and left them.

"Can we go now?"

"Can we go now?" Both Elladan and Elrohir jumped from their chairs, for they had been still for a little too long for their liking.

"Are you coming, Legolas?" Elrond asked the blond elfling when he stood, trying to keep his sons from running.

"I'm coming!" Legolas jumped from the chair and went outside with the Peredhels. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon. Celebrían and Elrond sat down on one of the stone benches under a great tree, that now had lost all its leaves. Elladan and Elrohir happily laughed as they ran after each other, jumping in the leaf piles throwing arms full up in the air so it would rain leaves. Legolas joined them, playing in the fallen leaves.

"It is too bad Thranduil is too busy to see his ion play." Celebrían softly said to Elrond as the elflings had decided to go and play hide and seek. Legolas had jumped in one of the piles, covering himself in the golden-brown leaves.

"I must agree so." Elrond nodded. "But I think he does all he is able too, to spend time with him."

"Legolas?" Elladan called when he managed to find his other half, but not Legolas. Elrond could hear Legolas' muffled giggles from under the pile of leaves and could not help but smile.

"Ada? Nana? Have you seen Legolas?" Elladan asked after a while.

"I have not seen Legolas since before he hid." Elrond said. "He must not have gone very far." Elladan and Elrohir kept looking for a while almost getting worried for their friend.

"But ada, I really cannot find him." Elladan complained.

"Well, if you shout loud enough that he has won, he might come out of his hiding place."

"Legolas! You won!" Elladan shouted after a while of consideration to let him win or not. After a moment, Legolas jumped from under the pile of leaves, making them fly everywhere.

"Boo!" Legolas yelled making both twins jump, just a little bit.

"Good hiding spot, I had not even thought about that." Elrohir praised while he grinned from ear to ear. The elflings went back to playing another game when suddenly Elrond felt something against his arm.

"Hîr Elrond?" Legolas quietly said when he softly pulled on the robe sleeve.

"You know you may just call me Elrond, penneth." Elrond said with a little smile, but that smile faded as he took in Legolas' sad face. "What is troubling your mind?" Elrond softly asked as he lifted the small elfling on his lap.

"Ada seemed really sad at lunch." Legolas quietly said, not meeting Elrond's eyes.

"why do you think he was sad?" Elrond softly asked. He had also noticed that Thranduil's mind was elsewhere at lunch. Not to mention that he barely had touched his food.

"Normally ada asks me what I had done all morning, or he tells something. But he did say nothing besides answering your question."

"You know that the Yule ball is coming, so maybe he had been distracted with that." Elrond tried to comfort the worried elfling.

"But what if ada's headache did not go away?" Legolas shuddered. He did not know that much yet, but he knew that elves did not 'just' get sick.

"Headache?" Elrond softly copied while he gently rubbed his hand up and down over Legolas' back.

"I gave ada lots of kisses to make his owie's go away, like he does when I am hurt." Legolas explained almost proudly.

"I am sure you did." Elrond softly smiled. "I shall go and ask your ada some questions when I see him. You remember that I am a healer?" Legolas nodded. "Then I will go and see if your ada is hurt or not. Do not worry penneth, everything will be well." Elrond gave Legolas a hug, who seemed more occupied with tracing the pattern that was embroidered on his sleeve.

"Shall we go and see if your ada is already present in the dining hall?" Celebrían said when she saw one of the servants, to be precisely Feren, approach. "Elladan? Elrohir?" She called, making the tins stop with running. "That is enough running for now. Come, let's wash up and then have dinner."

"Did you hear that, penneth?" Elrond gently whispered in Legolas' ear.

"Aye." Legolas slid from Elrond's lap, and to his surprise, the elfling held onto his sleeve as they walked to one of the bathing rooms to wash their hands and faces.

Dictionary:

Aran-nin

Suilad - Informal greeting

Naeg - Pain

Saes - Please

Penneth - Little one

Hannon-le - Thank you

Hîr - Lord

Ion - Son

Ada/adar - Father

Nana/naneth - Mother