Chapter 2

So Legolas stayed in Rivendell. Elrond treated Legolas much like he would have one of his own sons, assigning him a range of duties fitting his station and abilities. Legolas had stayed for extended periods before in Rivendell, and settled quickly back into a routine that he and others were already used to.

After the first two weeks he was permitted to go out on patrol and shorter hunts, although he was under strict orders not to strain his healing leg. And healed it had, this time only a small fading scar had remained that would soon disappear, just as it should in an elf.

Spring turned into summer, and Elrond asked Legolas whether he wanted to stay longer, if his father permitted it. Legolas agreed gladly, he truly enjoyed the peacefulness in Imladris. Elrond wrote a long letter to Thranduil, explaining Legolas' extended stay in Rivendell and also asking for the young prince being able to stay longer. Somewhat to his surprise, Thranduil agreed, with a response that arrived almost as fast as bird could make the return journey. Elrond wondered whether this was a sign of how concerned Thranduil had been about his son..

In the evenings, when he did not have any duties, Legolas would spend much of his spare time with Elrond. Elrond yet again realised how much he missed having at least one or two of his own sons around, his family's rooms appeared to be empty without the young elves and human. So he welcomed Legolas' presence, even if at times both of them just kept each other company whilst reading. And they played chess, often late into the night. Many years ago, Elrond had discovered to his delight that Legolas was a strong chess player, one of the few people whom he had met who could truly play against him. So the two elves spent many happy hours over the chess board.

They also talked a lot, and Legolas told Elrond much about his dreams, ambitions and fears. One day the younger elf said at the end of a lengthy game of chess:

"I wish I was not a prince. I would much prefer to be a warrior without the added burden of nobility. It always feels as if everyone expects me to be better, or more perfect, than everyone else. This is one of the things I liked so much about Estel, he never seemed to have this expectation. I could just be myself with him."

Elrond looked at the young prince. "We do not choose our fate. You have been born into a noble house and nothing you do will change this. You cannot alter who you are, but you can ensure that you are judged by your own faults and merits."

"You are doing this already. I have heard the warriors talk about you, they know you are a prince, but they praise you for leading them well, and that has nothing to do with your birth rank"

Legolas smiled at the compliment, and Elrond yet again was struck by how fair the young prince looked. He was truly beautiful. Yet again Elrond failed to understand why Estel had ended their relationship.

Elrond's own marriage had been arranged, a token of goodwill between different elven realms. Even though he and his wife Celebrian had not been unhappy, they also had not been passionate. When their twin sons and their daughter had grown, Celebrian decided to take the journey to the Undying Lands. She had never truly recovered from the torture by orcs which she had suffered, and her love for Elrond was not deep enough for her to want to stay. This had left Elrond with a longing to see his children with partners they truly loved. He had never anticipated and did not approve of a relationship between Arwen and Estel, the reasons for this disapproval were manifold.

Not one of the least was the fact that he thought in the long term his daughter and adopted son were temperamentally not suited very well. They were both strong willed and impulsive – bound to clash rather than compliment in the long term. In contrast, after his initial misgivings, Elrond had considered the young prince as an almost perfect partner for Estel. They were both young and each was a prince in their own right, there seemed to share a physical attraction which Elrond considered essential after his own experiences without this element, and whereas Estel's impulsiveness and spontaneity was balanced by Legolas more reserved nature, the young elf was drawn out of his shell by the young human. The only true limitation in their relationship in Elrond's view was that they could not give each other heirs – but Legolas had an immortal father and there was no sign that Estel would be in a position to take up his kingship in the foreseeable future.

While all of these thoughts went through his mind, Elrond had continued to look at Legolas. The young archer endured the gaze but asked: "What is it?"

With a sigh, Elrond shrugged. "Nothing. Come, let us get ready for bed, it is late."

Legolas accepted this response with a small sigh, after having spent so much time with Elrond, he could guess which direction the older elf's thoughts had taken.

So the weeks and months passed by. Midwinter came and went, the first signs of spring returned. When the message came that the mountain passes were open again, Legolas decided it was time to go home.

Elrond and Legolas were spending a quiet evening before the final leaving celebration for Legolas on the next day. Elrond had asked Legolas for one last game of chess before his departure and the young elf had gladly agreed. They were half way through the game, when Legolas looked up.

"Elrond, there is something I had wanted to ask you for a long time …. Please tell me if I overstep the boundaries, but … when Celebrian went west, why did you not go west over the sea with her?"

Surprised by this question, Elrond did not respond for a while. Finally, he got up and walked to the window, turning his back to the younger elf. He sighed deeply.

"I considered it, of course. I … we…" he hesitated, "our marriage was not a love match, and yet I was very fond of Celebrian. What the orcs did to her, I could not heal. Our ties were not strong enough to keep her here, she chose to leave. But at the time the Arwen and the twins were still very young, they were not ready to go west, there was too much which they had not yet seen and experienced, and I did not want to leave them behind. Also, I have duties here in Imladris which no other can do."

"Has there never been someone else who could have become your companion?"

The elf-lord turned at this question, and it was in this moment that Legolas saw the pain which lingered in Elrond's eyes.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to pry … it just slipped out…"

Elrond turned back to the window. "Yes, there was …"

The elf-lord sighed deeply and looked across the garden. "You know how Estel came to live with us. His father was killed and his mother Gilraen and Estel came to live with us here in Rivendell. I … came to care much for Gilraen. Even though she was mortal, there was much that I wanted to give her. But she never even knew. She never recovered from the death of her husband, and faded over several years. Very few people know how much I cared for her, and I want to keep it this way."

Legolas simply looked at Elrond and nodded. More was not needed.

"Arwen guessed, in fact she made more of it than there ever was, and accused me of being disloyal to her mother, even though Celebrian had left to Valinor a very long time ago. I do not believe that she would have begrudged me companionship or even love, but Arwen could not accept this. She left to live in Lothlorien."

"So I lost both a love that was never returned and my daughter." There was so much pain and regret in Elrond's voice that Legolas instinctively came up behind him and laid his hands on Elrond's shoulders. The older elf turned at the touch. A mixture of regret and pain clouded his normally clear grey eyes.

"I wish I had never asked … I did not want to cause you such pain."

Elrond smiled a sad little smile. "It is not you that caused the pain …"

Legolas tightened his hands on Elrond's shoulders. Their eyes locked for a long moment.

"We should finish this chess game and go to bed." But the elf-lord made no move towards the game.

Legolas moved and closed the gap between them. He took Elrond's hands. There was a question in his dark eyes, and for a long moment the two elves simply looked at each other.

"Elrond?"

Elrond sighed. This, he had not foreseen. Unless he misread Legolas entirely, there was an offer here that came entirely unexpected, that he had not even thought about.

At this moment the elf-lord realised that Legolas had read him well. He needed this physically although his mind told him that Legolas was younger than his own children and that it was all wrong. But his heart told him that it would be so nice not to be alone for the night, even if it was only just this once. His body and heart won.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly. "I do not wish to take advantage of you."

Legolas looked him, and gently touched the face of the older elf. "I would not offer if I did not mean it."

The two elves did not sleep that night. For both, it was a time of exploration – Legolas had only ever been intimate with one person, and this person had been human, so he had no experience with an elven partner. Elrond had, for his entire adult life, preferred females, and his experiences with a male partner were limited to a few experiments in his youth a very long time ago. But neither had been intimate with a partner for a long time, and initial desire turned quickly into passion. It was only in the early hours of the morning that they rested.

Legolas was laying on his side, looking at Elrond. The older elf gently pushed some of Legolas' light tangled hair away from his face.

"You have given me great pleasure, Legolas."

"I am glad you enjoyed." Legolas looked at the older elf seriously. "Somehow I feared that perhaps I would not be good enough …. after what happened."

Elrond understood immediately. "Oh Legolas, how can you say this – did you not notice how much I enjoyed our time together?" He paused. "Don't say something like this again, or even think it."

They lay quietly for a while. After some time, Legolas moved close to Elrond and buried his head in the older elf's shoulder. It felt good, comfortable and safe. Elrond gently stroked his companion's back. After a while he spoke quietly.

"You know that we cannot do this again, don't you, Legolas?"

The younger elf sighed and nodded into Elrond's shoulder. "Yes, I know. You have given me great pleasure as well tonight but in the long term … Estel would always be between us. And Elladan and Elrohir."

"You are right, Legolas. Perhaps we should not have … you are my children's friend…"

Elrond's voice had lost its usual certainty. It was just light enough to see the insecurity in the grey eyes of the elf-lord.

"I am also an adult, Elrond, and can make my own decisions. And this is one I don't regret." Legolas smiled at Elrond.

"Legolas, I hope for you that you find someone who loves you and whom you can love. Don't close your heart – you are too young and beautiful to stay alone." Elrond ran his hands over Legolas' chest. "Although you are still too thin." He smiled to take any sting out of his words.

"Come now, it is time to get up. You have to do your packing and I have a farewell celebration to prepare."

Legolas had secretly feared that his last day in Imladris would be marred by awkwardness between him and Elrond, but to his relief, Elrond was his usual collected self, so Legolas did not find it difficult to be himself, either. He decided that his and Elrond's friendship had simply gained an extra dimension of depth, they now knew each other at a level few friends do.

The day was busy, with many farewells and a big meal in the evening, followed by dance and merriment. Although all of this was in his honour, Legolas did not stay up through the night, he had a hard ride ahead of him.

The next day it was time to take leave. After having said all his other farewells, Legolas turned to Elrond, who held the halter of his horse. The elven prince swung up with one graceful fluid motion, and no one but Elrond noticed the slight wince as he settled himself on the horse's back. Elrond thought with a small smile, 'I am not the only one who is out of practice being intimate.'

The elven prince turned backwards and rummaged in the bag that was slung across the horse's back.

"Please open them only after I have gone", he said. He handed Elrond two well wrapped presents. Then he bent forward and clasped Elrond's arms in a traditional farewell.

"It is time for me to leave. Fare well, Elrond."

"Be save, Legolas, and remember what I said. One day you will be happy again."

It was only when Legolas was well out of sight that Elrond turned and had a closer look at the presents that Legolas had given him. One was a small, flat, rectangular package wrapped in cloth, the other one was much bigger and heavier.

Once returned to his study, Elrond opened the smaller package first. A small note fell out, written in Legolas' slanted, regular script. It simply said:

A small token to remember me by. Thank you for everything. Legolas.

The present itself was a small portrait of Legolas himself, surprisingly well executed. Legolas had managed to reflect his own personality and features well. 'He must have used a mirror for this' thought Elrond with slight amusement. The small drawing had been inserted into a finely carved wooden frame.

Elrond then proceeded to unwrap the larger package. It turned out to be a chessboard and chess pieces, carved by Legolas. The young elf had evidently given this much thought. Each category of figures represented one of the races that Legolas had encountered in Rivendell. All were represented in much detail. The woodwork was exquisite. It must have taken many hours to complete this set. Elrond wondered when Legolas had found the time to work on this in secret.

He was deeply touched by these presents, and looked long at the small self-portrait that Legolas had given him. Eventually, he sat the little drawing on a shelf in his study, easily visible. He hoped that he would see Legolas in Imladris again, and that the younger elf would find happiness again.

The End.

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