The Deal

"I will not, father! I refuse!"

"You have no say in the matter," Thranduil said firmly. "Whether or not you like it, you will be in attendance!"

"I will simply...run away then." Legolas threatened, but his voice had no real conviction in it.

"Legolas, please..." his mother walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Legolas quickly moved away toward the window. "We did not want to have to do this, but it is for the best."

"For whom, mother?" he said, his voice laced with frustration.

His mother sighed, "For all of us, Legolas. You can no longer keep putting this off, my dear. Your father and I tried to think of the best way to approach this without having to make this too difficult for you. We did not want to force you."

"And you think by having no say in the matter is not forcing me?" Legolas retorted.

"Legolas, you are the Prince of Mirkwood. Who will look after our people once your mother and I are gone? You alone?" asked the king.

"I can try..." he muttered angrily.

"It sounds easy enough but it is not. A king needs to be strong and wise, and know how to take care of those within his protection. However, a king only provides half of what a kingdom needs. A king also needs to bring trust, warmth, and sincerity to its people. A good wife, Legolas, can only bring about this type of compassion. And so a good wife you must find!"

Legolas still had his fists clenched. There was nothing he could say. He still stared out the window when Terulien moved a little closer to him. "Tell me, my dear son, why do you still refuse to marry? Is it her you are still waiting for?" she asked softly.

Thranduil cleared his throat. His wife placed a warning hand on his arm to stop whatever he was going to say. The king sighed again and looked at his son. He changed his tone to say something more appropriate to his wife's request.

"Legolas, your mother and I have always been proud of you. You have proven yourself to be a better warrior than I ever was and I am confident that you will make a great king someday. But, ask yourself this, do you really want to rule without a loving wife at your side? Having many lives depend on you is a heavy burden, my boy. I do not think I could have survived all the hardships alone if it were not for your mother's support, always encouraging me with her words, and most importantly, providing me with her undying love." The king took his wife's hand and gently kissed it. Terulien smiled warmly at his gesture.

The prince saw the exchange between them, feeling the love and sincerity in his father's voice, and dropped his eyes then looked away again. He knew his parents meant well and his father's words rang true to his ears. He saw the way his mother calmed down his father when he was angry or soothed him when he was under stress.

She brought balance to his life. The queen was the king's other half. Legolas loathed the idea his parents had for him but he knew he couldn't act like an elf-child and run away even though the thought had crossed his mind numerous times. Could he really make room in his heart for another? It was still hard to tell at this point.

"Legolas...?"

"Yes?" He turned to the queen.

Queen Terulien could tell he was deep in thought as he was silent for a long time; his eyes always giving it away. "Have you...reconsidered our idea?"

He let out a heavy sigh. "I do not like your idea one bit at all."

"Legolas—"

"However..." he cut off his father, "I am willing to humor your plan. But, on one condition."

"Which is what?" questioned Thranduil carefully. He wasn't really up for negotiating.

"If I do not find what I am looking for by the end of the night, you will leave me to find a wife on my own. If it were up to me, I would not put a time limit to my search, but...I know how important it is to have that other half of you in order to feel...complete." The words almost painted him to say. "So, I promise to try within the next decade. If I do not by then, I will marry whomever you choose for me. Do we have a deal?"

The king still looked skeptical. "Within the decade?"

"Yes."

"That seems fair?" Terulien placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.

The king knew this was as good as it was going to get. At least Legolas agreed to go. He would worry about the rest later. "Very well. You have yourself a deal."

The queen smiled at the compromise. "It is settled then. I will tell the servants to prepare. We only have but a week's time."

"Mother, can you really have all the invitations sent before then?" Legolas knew planning a big gathering in Greenwood the Great would take weeks, especially sending out invitations to the other Elven Realms. Their royal messengers would send each invitation with the Greenleaf royal seal. Alternate routes needed to be considered, as well, due to the more frequent Orc attacks, making some roads unsafe to travel.

She looked guiltily at her son, glancing first at her husband. "Well, actually, invitations have already been sent. We are expecting the first guests to arrive any day now."

"What?" Legolas exclaimed. "How long have you been planning this?" No wonder his father wouldn't let him get out of it. His engagement was already happening right under his nose without him even realizing it. His parents most likely assumed that he would cave in to their request. The prince now wondered what they would have done if he never showed up to the event.

"It does not matter, Legolas," the king told him. "You agreed to be there." Legolas scowled at his parent's deceit and wished he knew this information before his compromise.

His mother places a hand on the prince's cheek. "It will not be so bad, my dear. Just open yourself to the possibilities. You never know...you might actually enjoy yourself."

Legolas snorted inwardly to the word enjoy. It felt more like another punishment. "Yes, mother." He tried to smile sweetly at her wishes. He didn't like disappointing her. She smiled back knowing how it he was only doing it to please her. He exited king's study after their discussion.

"I cannot believe this," the prince mumbled to himself as he walked back to his chambers. He didn't have a clue of what type of party his mother was going to throw for him and he certainly didn't expect something like this.

"Your father and I have decided to hold a ball in your honor. A Masquerade Ball," she told him. "This Ball will be held in hopes that you will find a bride amongst the elf-maidens in our three Elven Realms."

He was furious! He marched out of his room to find his father so he could give him a piece of his mind. His mother walked swiftly behind him as he barged into the king's study. And, that was how the whole conversation began. He couldn't go back on his word and mentally kicked himself in the head for it.

Legolas's stubborn ways made the thought of a masquerade ball even more dreadful. Having to smile politely and discuss politics with the nobles wasn't something he enjoyed doing. Smiling politely and having to listen to elf-maidens speak about feeling honored to be in his presence was every bit as dreadful.

Nothing about this ball made Legolas look forward to it. His heart sunk when an image of her crosses his mind. Was he ready to think of another the way he thought of her? Only time would tell. He had a week to prepare himself. The prince made it a point to enjoy every single day he had left before then—before he gave himself to life and country, so to speak.

I I I

As the dreadful day approached, more and more carriages grace their Underground Kingdom. The palace filled up with guests from Rivendell and Lothlórien, many of who were elf-maidens. It was a lot busier around the place than it had been in decades as well.

The prince kept a low profile to avoid his would-be potential brides. Guards were placed around the archery range and the stables in case some of the elf-maidens became a little too eager to wait until the ball; areas where Legolas was often seen. By order of the prince, the guards were doubled in the Eastern corridor.

"Come in."

The door opened slowly. "My, you look very dashing." The elf tried to hold back a laugh behind his teasing grin.

Legolas rolled his eyes. "Just get it out of your system already."

Keldir let out a long laugh at the sight of this friend. "Forgive me," he wiped a tear from his eye. "I am not laughing at your attire. It just seems a bit ironic to me, the one thing you said you would never do and now, here you are."

"I only do it to please my mother and to stop my father from breathing down my neck every chance he gets," Legolas replied dryly.

"Yes, I understand...strictly business." Legolas only blinked at his words in the mirror. Keldir stepped closer, looking more serious. "You are doing a good thing, Legolas."

"And what is that exactly?" he asked wearily.

"Moving on."

"Trying," he corrected.

"Yes, but it is better than wallowing in your misery. Do not forget that I, too, was left by the one I loved."

Legolas finally turned to face him. "Yes, but you let her go willingly. I did not."

"True. Nevertheless, I still understand what you are going through. The only difference is that I did not let it control me. I controlled it." Legolas's jaw clenched as he stared at himself in the mirror in his formal attire. Keldir picked the prince's crown from the table. "It is time, dear prince."

Legolas gave the elf in the mirror a final nod then took the thin banded crown from the captain's hand and placed it on his head. With confidence he said, "It is show time." Keldir smiled and opened the door for him.

The queen asked the captain to escort the prince to the Great Hall in case he changed his mind if he were allowed to arrive alone.

"There you are," the queen smiled, looking somewhat relieved to see them. She and the king waited for them by the entrance with the doors to the Great Hall still closed. On the other side of it, their guests awaited. King Thranduil and Queen Terulien would enter first then Prince Legolas. Keldir and a few of his elven warriors would be behind the Royal Family. Everyone was dressed in their best formal attires.

"Are you ready, Your Highness?" a guard asked the king. Thranduil looked back to check on his company, his attention falling to his son. Legolas gave a small nod to his silent question. When the king was satisfied, he turned back to the front and nodded at the guard. Another guard came to stand by the other side of the double doors. It would take two of them to open the massive thing. They could hear their names being announced on the other side.

The Prince of Mirkwood had his fists lightly clenched, his heart picking up its pace. He hid his nervousness well behind his regal features. But, what did he have to be nervous about? The question he kept asking himself. It mostly had to do with the fact that he didn't know what to expect once the doors opened.

Thin strips of light emitted from the Great Hall as the doors opened little by little. Legolas closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was it.