Chapter Five
For the next three weeks the dwarves stayed locked in the dungeon and life went on as it had. Every night Thranduil treated with Thorin and every night he was unsuccessful. Manwathiel's nightmares slowly improved and her birthday was a beautiful shining day. Sunlight streamed in through the windows. Legolas let her sleep through breakfast and woke her just as he was leaving for patrols.
"I'll see you tonight." He said. "Also these came for you." He said and held out several letters from relatives. She took them happily, tucking her dark hair behind her ear. "You have the day off so you can read them at your leisure. Try not to bother father but he's downstairs if you need him."
"I wish you had the day off." Manwathiel said, taking the letters eagerly.
"It's not my birthday." He said and kissed her forehead. "Have a good day."
He watched her open the first letter with excitement and smiled as he left.
Legolas did a pass of the northwest passage but left his men a couple hours early to make sure everything was in order. He stopped by a storage room with Melian, his father's assistant, where the packages he had ordered for Manwathiel had been stored. He took the dress out first since he would give it to her right away. The dolls, bow and arrows, and gifts from her family he handed them to a maid to wrap. "Please see these are brought out after cake." He said to Melian who nodded, jotting down notes.
"I would prefer if the alcohol didn't really start flowing until after 9." Legolas said. "Obviously elves can drink but let's keep it civilized until she goes to bed. It's a child's party after all and Rivendell is a bit calmer than Mirkwood."
"Of course my lord." Melian said. "We'll just have some wine and beer. No liquor until after nine."
"That wasn't quite what I meant but fine." Legolas sighed knowing his father, this was a losing battle. He took the dress and went up to his room where he found Manwathiel spread out on the bed working on a new composition.
"Happy Birthday!" he said.
"Thank you! Is that for me?" she asked, jumping up at the dress. Manwathiel had had dresses made for her before, but it was a rare treat. She usually wore plain linen shifts as most children did.
"It is. I had it made for you in town." He held out the deep blue dress with long hanging sleeves. There was a dress shop in town but they only had ready-made clothes for adults. Children's clothing he had to special order.
She hugged it. "I love it! It looks just like one of Arwen's." she said grinning. She went into the bathroom and changed. He laced the back for her and she twirled.
"You look very pretty." He said and she did. The dress matched her eyes and brought out the cream in her skin.
Manwathiel hugged him tight. "Thank you, Legolas." She said. He smiled fondly at her.
Half an hour later, Legolas was dressed in a light blue tunic instead of his usual green vestments. He put on his coronet and held out his hand to Manwathiel.
"Ready?" he asked. "Your guests will be arriving soon."
She took his hand and followed him eagerly into the throne room. Legolas sat in the smaller throne next to Thranduil's large carved throne with Manwathiel standing to his left. Thranduil entered a moment later and joined them.
"Happy Birthday!" Thranduil said. "You look very pretty in your new dress." He cupped her face fondly.
Manwathiel beamed up at him. "Thank you. Legolas got it for me."
"That was nice of him." Thranduil said airily, taking his seat. "Send in the guests." Thranduil said to Melian and a line of elves entered to greet their hosts, arms laden with gifts.
Manwathiel greeted each elf, took the present and said her thanks. She then handed the present to Melian who introduced her to the next elf. The whole process took close to two hours and Legolas was impressed by how well she handled herself. Every elf in Mirkwood had come. Four entire tables behind the thrones were covered in gifts and Manwathiel had stood smiling and pleasant the whole time.
When they finished greeting everyone they moved to the great hall where there was music, drinks, food and dancing. Manwathiel was overwhelmed by the sights and sounds. The room was packed tightly with elves who laughed happily, helping themselves to drinks as waiters walked by.
"Can I have a drink?" Manwathiel asked, pulling on Legolas' arm as some champagne passed.
Legolas grabbed a glass and handed it to her. "One sip now." He said, holding up a finger. "One sip at your toast."
Manwathiel took a small sip and wrinkled her nose as the bubbles tickled the roof of her mouth. She handed the glass back to him. "Oh jugglers!" she said with excitement and ran off into the crowd. Legolas lost sight of her and took a sip of the drink himself.
Over the course of the evening Manwathiel blew out birthday candles, was toasted, opened a few gifts, leaving most of them in the throne room but received a jeweled hair comb from Thranduil, two dolls and a bow and arrows from Legolas, a dress from her father, books from her brothers and a locket from Arwen. At 10 pm Legolas extricated himself from his conversation, put down his drink and went to find her. She was playing in the corner with her new doll.
"It's bedtime, Melda." He said, holding out his hand to her.
"No!" she said. "It's not fair. It's my birthday."
"I know but it's bedtime. You've already gotten to stay up an hour late." He said gently but firmly.
Her lip quivered. "I don't want to go to sleep." She said.
"I understand. It's hard to leave a party. But it's time." Legolas said.
She crossed her arms and looked at him defiantly. "No."
He reached down and picked her up, carrying her like a much smaller child. "I'm not going to argue with you." He said. "It's bedtime." He said and pushed through the crowd to the staircase.
"But how come everyone else gets to stay up when it's my birthday?" she cried pitifully.
"Because they are grown-ups and you are a child." He said but rubbed her back soothingly.
"Can I stay up next party?" she begged as they reached Legolas' room.
"Probably." He said. "It depends how old you are at the next party. Put your nightgown on, please." He asked clapping.
"Ok," she said, disappointed but took the nightgown from him and went to the bathroom to change. When she came back out, Legolas was ready with a book. She came over and scampered under the covers.
"Pirates?" Legolas asked, holding up the book.
She nodded. He read a chapter to her and when he left her, she was still wide awake but laying compliantly in bed.
The party went until the next morning. Revelers danced and sang all night. Even the prison guards got drunk and passed out. Legolas himself let loose for once and stumbled into bed around 3 am. He was awoken at seven in the morning by pounding at the door.
"Legolas!" Manwathiel said, shaking him. "Legolas!"
He lurched out of bed and open the door, blurry-eyed. One of his soldiers stood there, panicked. It had been discovered that all 13 dwarves had escaped in the night. "Gather all the men you can find and meet me in the barracks in ten minutes. Inform Tauriel." He said and walked back in the room. He sat on the bed and put his head in his hands trying to get his bearings.
"Are you ok?" Manwathiel asked a little scared from across the bed.
"I just need a moment. I stayed up too late." He said, still cradling his head in his hands. Manwathiel sensed this was a moment she should be very quiet. She sat with her knees to her chest, her chin resting on her knees.
Legolas took a deep breath, gave his whole body a shake and rallied. He splashed some water on his face, changed his clothes and was out the door within minutes. He didn't say good-bye.
Despite hard pursuit, they lost the trail of dwarves at the border to Lake Town. Legolas returned, exhausted, hung over and furious. He knew his father was so going to be so angry. He had no one to blame but himself. He hadn't been supervising the guards or even making sure they were supervised. He had been drinking himself.
He realized when he was halfway home that Manwathiel was probably already in his room waiting to get ready for dinner. He found himself irrationally angry with her. He needed twenty minutes to himself. Just for once. He thought of all her gifts and the piles of stuff she now had. She needed her own room. Her nightmares were improving. It was time. By the time he and his company arrived home he was decided but first he knew he had to face his father. Tauriel had continued her pursuit against orders and had gone into Lake Town which meant Legolas had to tell his father she had disobeyed a direct command and it also meant he had to go in there alone. He braced himself as he entered his father's study.
"You lost them." Thranduil said accusingly the moment he saw Legolas's face.
Legolas bowed his head. "They went by river. We pursued them but the current was too swift. They escaped from porter route by barrel. They must have stolen the guard's keys when they were walking by the cells."
"Well given that we found both men passed out from drink I think that's likely what happened." Thranduil said his tone clipped.
"I'm sorry father there was a failure to supervise. It is my wrongdoing."
Thranduil's eyes narrowed. "Where is Tauriel? Because there was a failure to supervise, and it was hers. You were at a family party. She should have made sure someone was guarding those dwarves."
"Tauriel – When we broke off pursuit at the border, she continued on into Lake Town." Legolas said.
"Did you order her to return?" His father demanded eyes flashing.
"I did." Legolas said grimly.
"Then that is too much by far. She is never to return to Mirkwood or its realms. She is banished." Thranduil said, slamming his fist on the desk.
"Father, she has served loyally for six hundred years." Legolas said. "She was overzealous in her pursuit today –"
"Which was only necessary because of her negligence."
"-but she has been a good and loyal guard for many centuries."
"You've always been too fond of her," Thranduil said, shaking his head, mind made up. "There was a time I thought it might become a problem. Interview your men. We need a new captain of the guard."
Legolas sighed. "Very well." He was too tired to fight with his father and after a millennia and half he knew when his father had made up his mind. He started toward the door and then stopped. "One more thing, is Manwathiel's room ready?"
Thranduil turned and looked at him appraisingly. "I'm amazed you held out this long. You're literally never alone. Her room is ready."
"Room, which one?"
"I gave her your mother's old rooms." Thranduil shrugged and looked away. "I thought she might like that. Besides, eventually you'll need more space. You can move in there when the time comes."
Legolas didn't know what to say. His father never mentioned his mother. "She would have wanted Manwathiel to have her rooms?" they had been unused all this time.
Thranduil nodded. "She would have wanted you to have them and eventually it will be the same thing. Anyway, they're ready for her if you want to move her in. All her new things have been put away."
Legolas paused and for a moment considered hugging his father. A thousand years of history stopped him. "Thank you." He settled on and bowed his head.
Legolas walked slowly up the stairs to his room, where, as expected, he found Manwathiel. He reminded himself to be patient even though all he wanted was for this day to be over.
"So I want to take you somewhere really important." Legolas said. She got up eagerly and followed out the door and down a series of hallways to a double set of doors. Legolas opened them and revealed a sitting room that opened to a bedroom with a dressing room leading off to the left and a bathroom leading off to the right.
"What is this?" Manwathiel asked. "Why is it important."
"This was my mother's room and now it's your room."
"But I like staying with you." Manwathiel said.
"I know but you don't need to anymore. It's time for you to have your own room again. It'll be like it always was, I'll still come in and say goodnight and wake you in the mornings. You'll just sleep here now."
Manwathiel looked uncertain but nodded. "Ok." She agreed.
Legolas smiled, relieved. "Ok great. So why don't you stay here and get settled. I think all your new toys are on those shelves and I'll come get you for dinner in a couple of hours." He got up and headed for the door. He noticed she wasn't smiling as he shut the door but he was so grateful to be alone, he didn't care. He went back to his room, flopped on the bed and breathed out. Complete silence.
Manwathiel settled easily into her new room. She missed Legolas but she liked having all the extra space to play. She had gotten a dollhouse from one of her guests. She spent hours arranging and rearranging the furniture. She was laying on the floor one afternoon when there was a knock at the door. She jumped up and let Legolas in.
"Hi! Can we get a baby doll for my doll house?" she asked seating herself back down in front of it.
"Not after the report I've just had from Ithil." Legolas said seriously. "Come here please." He said. She sat down at the table with him and bowed her head. She knew what was coming.
"He said you're not applying yourself in any of your lessons and you're not doing your homework. What do you have to say for yourself?"
She shrugged.
"You're going to have to do better than that Manwathiel. I don't understand you've always gotten high marks. Is there a problem with Ithil?" Legolas asked, genuinely trying to understand.
"Sometimes I have trouble focusing and the lessons are really hard. I don't understand what he's talking about half the time." Manwathiel said, biting her lip.
"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked, if the work was too advanced that could be easily fixed.
"I didn't want to disappoint you." She whispered not meeting his eyes.
"You only disappoint me when you don't try." Legolas said. "There's no shame in finding something difficult. Ithil has probably never tutored a child a young as you are before. He probably doesn't realize how advanced his curriculum is. I'll speak to him. I also want you to show me your completed homework every night before bed."
Manwathiel nodded. "Ok. I'm sorry."
Legolas realized he was at fault here too. He should have taken a more active role in her education but it never occurred to him to sit in on any of her lessons.
"It's alright. Tomorrow I'll join you for your tutoring and speak to Ithil after."
She nodded and got up. She went to a desk in the far corner and brought over a large hardbound book. "This is my history homework." She handed him a complete history of the Istar.
Legolas raised his eyebrows. No wonder she was struggling. Legolas had read this when he was in his eighties.
"How long were you given to read it?" Legolas asked, weighing the book in his hands.
"A week. I tried but only got through a couple of pages."
A week? For a forty year old? Legolas was alarmed. He should have gotten involved weeks ago.
"Alright, go back to playing for now. We will deal with this in the morning." Legolas said, getting up to leave.
"Ok. Can you mail this on your way out?" she asked, handing him a letter to her father.
"Of course, Melda." He said and patted her head fondly. "I'll see you in a few hours for dinner."
Legolas joined Manwathiel's lessons the next day after luncheon, having left his men early by the eastern border. He sat through her math and literature lessons and he was correct they were far too advanced. He didn't wonder that she had trouble paying attention. He was having trouble paying attention but then he had never liked school. He made a note to speak with Ithil when a soldier summoned him to his father's study. He excused himself as they started on her history lesson.
"You asked for me?" Legolas said, closing the door behind himself.
"Yes, convenient you were in the palace this afternoon. I was ready to send a sentry for you. I have heard word that the dwarves have reached the lonely mountain and the lake men have killed the dragon Smaug. We need to assemble a force immediately and take what's ours." He was standing behind a desk covered with papers.
"We're going to lay siege to the lonely mountain?"
"Yes, we need about thousand spearmen and maybe six hundred archers. While I assemble everyone you can drop Manwathiel at Rivendell. Meet us at Erebor. You should leave tonight and ride straight through." Thranduil said, gathering papers to take into the throne room to brief his commanders.
"Ok, I'll drop off Manwathiel and meet up with your force at the lonely mountain." Legolas said, his heart tugging a little bit. He had gotten used having her around. He would miss her.
"Ithil that's all for today. Manwathiel come with me." Legolas said, popping his head through the door a little while later. Manwathiel jumped up, eager for a chance to miss lessons. She waved at Ithil and ran to Legolas.
"See I told you. It's really hard." Manwathiel said as soon as she got in the hallway. "Are we going riding?" she asked noticing Legolas had changed back into his work clothes.
"Yes but for a long ride." He turned to face her knelt down. "Do you remember the dwarves?"
She nodded.
"Well they've found the treasure that is father's and father and I are going to go reclaim it." Legolas said.
"Am I coming?" She asked eagerly.
"No Melda. It's not safe. I'm going to take you home and then meet up with father."
"Oh." Manwathiel said, biting her lip.
He smiled brightly at her. "I'll see you next summer." He said encouragingly.
"You'll come to Rivendell?" she asked uncertainly.
"On June 1st like always." He said reassuringly.
"What about all my things here? What about my dolls?"
"I'll send you your favorites and the rest will be here next time you come back." He said.
"I'm coming back?" she asked.
"Oh absolutely. I promise."
"When?" she asked.
"I'm not sure but soon." He said and offered her his hand.
Two hours later they were on Legolas' horse riding through the woods. Legolas rode at breakneck speed, making the trip in five days instead of his usual six and a half. They rode into the courtyard of Rivendell just after sunset. Legolas helped Manwathiel down and they walked into the house and into the great hall where Elladan, Elrohir, their wives, Arwen and Aragorn were laughing and eating an early dinner.
"Arwen!" Manwathiel called and ran to her sister, throwing her arms around her. Arwen looked up in shock.
"Hello, little one." She said, kissing her forehead. She looked up at Legolas.
"What are you doing here? We didn't receive a letter."
"We would have beat it here. Father is laying siege to the lonely mountain." Legolas said.
"The lonely mountain? Isn't there a dragon there?" Aragorn asked.
"Killed apparently." Legolas replied. "We rode straight through. I have to go and meet up with him."
"Won't you at least stay for dinner." Nessa, Elladan's wife said. "You must so hungry after such a long ride and another long one ahead of you."
Legolas shook his head. "I don't really have time. I need to speak to Elrond and then be off. Though I'm sure someone is very hungry." He said inclining his head toward Manwathiel.
"Come here, Hinya. I'll make you a plate." Elrohir said, calling his sister over.
"Wait first," Legola said kneeling down. "I'm going to miss you very much. Listen to everyone and do as your told, promise?"
Manwathiel nodded seriously. "I promise and you'll come back?"
"And I'll come back." Legolas replied. He kissed her forehead and sent her to her brother.
"Elrond?" he asked.
"In his study." Arwen answered. "He still eats alone." She exchanged looks with Aragorn. Legolas noticed the intimacy but didn't have time to dwell on it.
"Thank you." He said and left the party to their dinner. He found Elrond in his study.
"Legolas!" he said standing in surprise. He crossed the room and hugged him. "Were we expecting you? Is something wrong with Manwathiel?"
Legolas was surprised by the hug but hugged him back. Apparently, he and Elrond hugged now. "No and no. Manwathiel is doing great. I've just been called to help lead father's army to lay siege to the lonely mountain."
Elrond rolled his eyes. "Your father has always coveted that treasure." He said. "Although to be fair, some of it is rightfully his."
"Well he'll reclaim it if he can. I just wanted to update you that Manwathiel might be behind on some of her lessons. The tutor I hired was too advanced and I didn't realize until she had fallen behind. He gave her the complete history of the Istar to read."
Elrond snorted. "Now that's some bedtime reading for a child. Never mind we'll rectify it."
"And you? It's not my place but how are you doing?" Legolas asked.
"Manwathiel will be just fine." Elrond said with a small smile. He didn't have to be the wise and powerful Elrond to divine what Legolas was actually asking. "I'm better."
Legolas nodded taking him at his word. "Good, I'm glad. I can't stay but I'll see you in the summer." Legolas said.
"Where is my daughter by the way?" Elrond asked, standing to see Legolas out.
"She's eating dinner with Arwen and everyone else." Legolas said.
Elrond clasped him on the back. "Safe travels." He said warmly. Legolas bowed his head in thanks and left.
Elrond wandered into the great hall where he could hear his children laughing in the dining room. He stood for a moment, listening.
"Did you like Mirkwood?" Aragorn was asking.
"I like Legolas. Mirkwood is only ok. The woods are creepy and there's all these rules. His dad is really strict. Breakfast is at 6:30 every morning and you have to go no matter what." Manwathiel said.
"But Legolas treated you well?" Arwen asked.
"Of course." Manwathiel said as though Arwen were stupid. "Legolas is my best friend."
Elrond smiled his first genuine smile in months and walked fully into the room to hug his daughter.