"Legolas?"

The Woodland Prince took his dear friend's frail hand in his. "I'm here, mellon nín."

King Elessar turned the watery blue eyes of a very old man on him. "Boe i 'waen. Le athae."

It wouldn't be long, and Elessar would set off on his journey to the Halls of his Fathers. The one place Legolas could not follow his dear friend.

"Alámenë. Agoreg vae, Melda tár. "

"Too long I've kept you from your wife," King Elessar told him. "Your children. Ánin apsenë."

Legolas swallowed the lump in his throat. "There is... nothing to forgive."

The words echoed the ones they exchanged at Helm's Deep, so long ago, when Legolas had been certain they were all going to die, only this time it was Aragorn's need to ask for forgiveness and clear his conscience before the end came.

"Tell Tauriel I'm sorry," Elessar insisted.

"I will tell her, but if she bears a grudge for the time I have been away, I am to blame for it, not you."

"Your ship, is it ready to sail?"

Legolas smiled, and nodded, "It is."

"Will you... take Amariel with you? Please? She will be lost without her mother and I. Lord Elrond will have a piece of Arwen's heart to keep forever. Best I could do. Selfish of me, but I love my wife..."

A tear slipped down Legolas' cheek and fell the back of Aragorn's hand where it was resting on his chest. "Of course, I will take your child to her kin."

"Wish we could go, too."

This made the Prince smile, "Who is to say you cannot in some fashion? You are of the line of Elros, if only distantly. Arwen is the child of Elrond Half-elven. None know what becomes of the souls of those who are half Elven. It is my hope we will see you, again."

"It is a good hope." The King was fading, his breathing labored, noisy in the otherwise still room.

"Life will be dull without your messes to clean up," Legolas teased him.

Elessar smiled the smile which reminded Legolas of their earliest days together in Rivendell. "I hope you have to spend forever in Aman cleaning up your own messes and not your children's."

Legolas inhaled sharply. "Was that meant as a blessing or a curse?"

"Blessing, of course."

Frowning in doubt, Legolas let it stand, unchallenged. "I haven't convinced the second most stubborn King in Middle Earth to sail West, yet."

Elessar's eyebrow raised, just a fraction. "I won."

"You did. For all eternity, King Elessar will hold the title of most stubborn King I have ever had the misfortune of serving."

"Thranduil isn't going to stay here without you," Aragorn assured him.

Legolas nodded, "I'm counting on it. Why do you think I have kept my visits to the Elvenking's Halls brief over the last century?"

Aragorn coughed, and in a hoarse whisper he replied, "Eryn Lasgalen hasn't been your home since Tauriel left. Your home is wherever your family has settled."

"Yes."

"Go," he told Legolas. "My last command to you, Gwador..."

Legolas had worked hard not to show his best friend how deeply he was already grieving the loss of him, but when the King called him 'brother' the Prince broke down and wept in earnest.

"Gonna miss you."

"I wager I will miss you longer than you miss me."

"Forever."

Legolas' lips quirked, "If you do not stop intentionally trying to make me shed tears over you, I swear I will convince Tauriel to have more children, just so I can name them all in your honor."

The King laughed, and his eyes sparkled, but he changed the subject. "I hope you do not get wave sickness."

"How do you know I don't plan to be too intoxicated to get ocean sickness? I am stopping at the Woodland Realm on my way down the Anduin, and I plan to liberate all the barrels of Dorwinion from my father's wine cellar."

Aragorn nodded, "Sound plan."

"Gimli can have a turn holding the bucket beside my head, I've done it for him often enough."

"Not sorry I will miss that."

Legolas smirked at him. "I also held a bucket for you when you insisted on being at Arwen's bedside when Amariel was born. After you fainted, if I remember the day correctly."

"Kings don't faint," Aragorn grumbled.

"I shall tell my children, and my children's children, of mighty King Elessar and how he swooned like a maiden at the sight of his youngest daughter being born into the world."

The King bared his teeth at Legolas. "I will haunt you."

Legolas grinned, "I look forward to seeing you try."

"So tired. Galu, Legolas."

"Ollo vae, Elessar." He patted Aragorn on the shoulder one last time, pressed a kiss to the grey hair at his temple, and left Arwen to spend the final moments of King Elessar's life alone with her husband.

"King Elessar is dead, my Lord," Legolas told his father. "Arwen chose to follow him into what lay beyond."

Thranduil nodded, "He made a fine King. I told you there was greatness in him."

"Yes," Legolas nodded, "There was."

"Who have you brought with you to my Halls?"

Legolas smiled at Gimli, who needed no introduction, and took Amariel's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze because she looked nervous. "This is Amariel, youngest daughter of Queen Arwen and King Elessar. The Princess is half-Elven and decided long ago to be counted among the Eldar. I am taking her to live with Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel in Valinor."

This brought an eyebrow raise of surprise from Thranduil. "So you are sailing West?"

"My heart is dark with mourning my lost brother-in-arms, my Lord, and my every thought is of holding Tauriel and my children."

The King took the curved steps down to the base of his throne two at a time, and stopped before his son to study Legolas' face. The color drained from his face as he confirmed,"You are indeed fading, Legolas. You must go."

Legolas offered his father a wan smile, "I promised Tauriel..."

Thranduil rolled his eyes, waving a hand impatiently. "Yes, yes. I know what you promised Tauriel and I have spent the last four decades drawing up plans with Lord Celeborn to relocate all the Eldar we can gather. Your wife will get the reunion she is so adamant about. Now, will you go?"

The Prince nodded, "But, I'm taking as many barrels of Dorwinion as you can spare, in case Tauriel is mad at me."

"I will give you as many as your ship can hold. Who knows what they consider passable wine in Valinor these days?"

"Hîr vuin," Legolas started, but couldn't get the words out. "Ada."

"It is time. Go, Ionneg. I'll not lose you, as I lost your mother. I will not be more than five years behind you. Celeborn will herd the stragglers, bound hand and foot, if need be."

Legolas couldn't help but chuckle at the mental image that presented. "I'm sure they will thank him... Eventually."

"Do you have room aboard your ship for my surveyors and the Master Builders and Masons?"

"My ship is large enough to hold a hundred passengers and crew, and I have only half that many at present."

Thranduil nodded, "Perfect." He motioned to one of his people with the wave of a hand, "Tell the survey parties they will be leaving as soon as they are packed. I want Legolas' ship stocked with every supply it can hold, including our latest shipment of barrels from Dorwinion, and anything else he feels might be beneficial."

Legolas thought of something, a thing Tauriel said in one of their brief respites together in the World of Dreams. "Will you be angry if some of your Woodland Elves find they are called to follow the ways of the Falmari and sail the oceans?"

"Why would I be angry with my Elves learning to sail? Aman is an island. Sailing would give us an advantage in trade."

"Are we going to trade?"

"I do not believe your wife is going to give me a choice in the matter," King Thranduil sighed.

"Le fael."

"You have always served your King and the Woodland Realm well, Legolas. " This was something he rarely told Legolas, and until the words were spoken the Prince hadn't realized how much he need to here his father say them. "I expect no less from you in Aman."

Legolas nodded his understanding. "Tolo, govano ven, Hîr vuin."

Thranduil smiled. "Soon. I think we are ready for an adventure."

Boe i 'waen. Le athae. - I must go. Thank you.

Alámenë - Go with our blessings

Agoreg vae, Melda tár. - You did well, Beloved King

Ánin apsenë - Forgive me

Galu - Goodbye, good luck

Ollo vae - Sweet dreams, sleep well

Hîr vuin - my lord

Ionneg - my son

Le fael - You are generous

Tolo, govano ven - Come, join us.