AN: Hey, y'all! I'm ba-ack, and man is it good to be among sane people again! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up...I was out of town for a week then had a disappointing week of waiting for the call back from the manager who had all-but-assured me I'd have a job. So it all starts again...eh well, I didn't really want to be a bank teller anyway.

Anyway, the reason why I didn't start this up last week was because I had to make some serious structural changes to the story. I had originally intended for it to be four parts long, with the second part taking place a few months after Legolas' arrival in Rivendell. Well, looking back over everything that part of the story began to drag, and there was really only one or two things in it that had to do with the story, both of which that could be put into a later part without taking anything away. So I decided to cut that part. Now, please don't get too upset if you were looking forward to something from that timeline, I have set aside all the tangents and mini-plots and things I had planned for that part to work into a later story or stories that would take place during Legolas' years in Rivendell.

This next part of the story takes place eighty-six years after the first part. Legolas is 110 (young adult--think around 18-21). By now he would be considered about the same age as Ceretín and Relfían.

Part Two: A Lie Discovered

Spring, 2575 TA

Chapter Sixteen: Returning

"Now, don't be frightened," Elladan said quietly as the three elves rode ahead of their contingent of guards.

Legolas shook his head. "Why would I be frightened?" he asked, masking his uncertainty with a lighthearted tone.

"I was talking to Elrohir," the dark-haired elf retorted with a knowing smile. "Your father's palace is a bit...imposing...compared to our father's home."

"Imposing is a good way to describe it," Elrohir volunteered.

"I used to live here, Elladan," the young prince reminded his friend.

The twins exchanged identical glances. "That was nearly a century ago," Elrohir replied quietly. "Things change."

The road rounded a corner, and the dark-haired elves stopped their friend just before they rode into sight of the palace. "Are you ready?" Elladan asked seriously. He and Elrohir had been looking after Legolas for the last eighty-six years...he wasn't about to stop now.

Legolas nodded seriously. All joking aside, he was nervous at the prospect of returning home. He had never once returned to the Mirkwood palace in the years he had lived in Rivendell, and had rarely seen his family. His father, King Thranduil, had only been able to visit twice. He had seen most of his sisters more often, and his brother-in-law, though he could not remember much about his brothers. He knew he had two, but the oldest was crown prince and could leave the kingdom about as often as his father could, and the other served in the royal army and, Legolas had heard, was often out battling the forces that besieged the wood-elves.

"Here we are," Elladan announced, leading Legolas' horse around the bend and down the path to the palace.

The twins looked over, grinning as their friend grew suddenly silent and wide-eyed. They had come to the palace several times in their lives, whether to deliver news or attend political functions. Elladan and Elrohir were only a little younger than Prince Belegdur, though the wood-elf had never "deigned" to befriend them.

"Are you sure?" Legolas asked in a whisper. "It...it's smaller than I remember it."

Elrohir blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing at the rueful smile he saw on his friend's face. Of course, it might look a bit smaller since Legolas had only been twenty-four when he had last seen it...but it couldn't look too much smaller.

"The guard will announce you at the gate," Elrohir murmured, nudging his horse closer to the prince's. "We sent word of our arrival...there should be many there to greet you."

Legolas nodded again, straightening his shoulders just slightly. He was a prince of Mirkwood—Greenwood, he mentally corrected, knowing his father's preference for that name. He would not let himself be frightened by his own homecoming.

When the riders approached the gate, Elladan and Elrohir hung back a bit and let Legolas go ahead of them. The prince held his head high as the guards immediately dropped to one knee. "Welcome home, Prince Legolas," one of the guards said warmly as the other turned to announce Legolas' arrival.

"Thank you," Legolas smiled at the guard, but his gaze was distracted as one of the trees caught his attention. It was a gnarled thing, bent over as if it didn't have the will to grow as straight as the ones around it. Legolas was puzzled. He didn't know what could have caused the tree to grow in such a way, but looking at it sent a shiver of fear down his spine.

Grooms rushed forward to take his horse and his pack, and he found himself lost in a sea of elves welcoming him home. He forced himself to smile as face after face appeared, each exclaiming how wonderful it was to see him again. Again? He thought. I don't remember seeing them a first time.

"All right, give him some air," Elladan finally said, loudly. He and Elrohir flanked Legolas, effectively pushing away some of the wood-elves.

"Legolas!"

The prince looked up, hearing a very welcome voice in the crowd. "Captain Brithdil!" Legolas leapt forward, embracing the faithful captain. Brithdil had visited as often as he could—which was more often than any of Legolas' family since he was only a captain. Legolas had seen him every three or four years, and had grown to think of the captain as a friend.

Brithdil smiled, but gently pushed Legolas away. The prince suddenly noticed the strange murmurs in the crowd, and his cheeks reddened. He had apparently just done something un-princely, though his head was now buzzing with embarrassment and he couldn't quite figure out what he had done that was so wrong.

"It's good to see you again," Brithdil said quietly. "Your father is waiting for you."

Legolas' heart leapt into his throat. He looked beyond Brithdil to the steps of the palace, where a tall, blond-haired elf was waiting.

With his friends' encouragement following him, he walked through the crowd to the steps of the palace. The gathered elves had fallen silent, and he had the strange feeling that he was on display, that they were watching to see what happened next.

"So," the light-haired elf said coldly. "This is how you have learned to conduct yourself?"

Legolas shivered unconsciously. Something about this elf set him a bit on edge...but why? "I greet you," he finally said, bowing.

The other elf sprang forward, grabbing his arm. "Do not bow to me," the elf hissed, brown eyes flashing. "I am your brother, Belegdur. Don't you remember me?"

The younger prince swallowed. Yes, he recognized Belegdur now. But he seemed to remember his brother as a bit...nicer. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Belegdur sighed. "No, I apologize. I should have realized you wouldn't remember me after so long." He glanced over the crowd, his gaze steeling as it fell on Elladan and Elrohir. "Adar will want to see you," he said shortly.

Releasing the younger elf's arm, Belegdur turned to stride into the palace, stopping to look over his shoulder as Legolas stood rooted to the spot. "Are you coming?"

Legolas quickly followed, rubbing his arm quietly. His brother hadn't hurt him, but the way he grabbed his arm...it triggered the awful memories Legolas had tried to put behind him. He shook his head, numbly ignoring the stares of the elves they passed. That had happened eighty-six years ago...surely he would be safe here now. Surely he had no reason to fear his old nurse anymore—he was an adult now, after all.

"I would say you need to change from your travel clothes first," Belegdur said with a sniff, stopping in front of highly-decorated double doors. "But Adar specifically said to bring you to him the moment you arrived."

Belegdur stopped, suddenly turning to look Legolas over with a critical eye. Then the older prince smiled with a hint of encouragement. "I am glad to see you again," he said. "He's waiting for you."

With that, Belegdur pushed the doors to the throne room open. Legolas took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

The throne room was a magnificent hall, filled with pillars carved to depict flowering vines. At the other end of the room he saw two empty thrones, with a handful of attendants milling about. He slowly walked toward the king's throne, stopping at the foot of the platform on which the throne sat.

Legolas' gaze flickered to the second throne, the one he knew had belonged to his mother. He could barely remember her, he had been a very small elfling when she was killed.

He heard a soft intake of breath behind him and stiffened. Years of training with Elladan and Elrohir had kept him from jumping at the slightest sounds, but he was still uncomfortable knowing someone was behind him.

"Legolas?"

The prince started, whirling around. He knew that voice, though it had been decades since he'd heard it. "Ada?"

Thranduil smiled broadly, his stern features relaxing. Remembering his manners Legolas started to kneel, but his father pulled him up and gently embraced him. "My son...you've returned to me at last."

The king released his son, taking a step back to study the young elf. "You must be tired," he said, a bit brusquely. "Elladan and Elrohir have been placed in a room in the guest wing. Yours has been aired out. I will have one of the servants show you, unless you remember the way."

A bit startled at this reception, Legolas numbly accepted the servant's help. The maid excitedly chattered with him as she led him to the royal wing, explaining where certain hallways led and pointing out rooms she often cleaned. Legolas listened with half an ear, his thoughts whirling. His father...he hadn't seen his father in almost sixty years, and the king had simply brushed him off.

Once the maid had left, Legolas pushed open the shutters of his window to look out over the broad green field between the palace and the wall. He could see many elves going about their business, and a long caravan of some sort was just arriving.

A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, but before he could answer the door was pushed open and two identical elves entered.

"You are in here," Elladan commented. "We were hoping you'd be here."

Elrohir shook his head, exasperated. "Elladan was afraid you'd still be with your father."

"No," Legolas sighed, leaning against the wall heavily. "He greeted me then sent me off to rest."

The twins exchanged glances. "He probably doesn't know how to act," Elrohir said hurriedly.

"Aye, it's not often a long-absent prince returns," Elladan agreed. "Give him a bit more time...I'm sure he's happy to see you."

Legolas made a soft, noncommittal sound and crossed his arms over his chest. He could hear the voices of the trees through the window, and it made him smile.

"There's a banquet tonight," Elrohir said, breaking the silence. "It's in honor of your return."

"It seems most of the kingdom is coming," Elladan added.

The twins continued to talk, eventually breaking into good-natured bickering, but Legolas barely heard them. He turned back to the window, straining his ears to hear one voice over the others. One of the trees was apologizing, over and over.

He frowned, shaking his head slowly. He was about to disregard the tree's message, but in a flash of memory he understood. The gnarled tree by the gate...it was the one he and his friends had been climbing all those years ago the day he fell.

Head swimming, he gripped the windowsill tightly for support. The memories came crashing back in waves, each one more frightening than the last. He had never told Elrond or the twins the truth of what had happened, though they had been suspicious that there was more to the tale than a simple accident. But he had recovered so quickly in Rivendell that they had put off any confrontation, then in the turmoil surrounding Celebrían's capture and departure it had simply been forgotten.

And that was where he'd hoped to leave it, but being back in Mirkwood brought all of those memories to the forefront again. Legolas closed his eyes, the tree's apologies still echoing through his head, as that horrible day swam up again. For an awful moment he thought he was an elfling again, and Amarthwen was dragging him down to the dungeons to leave him where no one would ever find him.

"Legolas?" Elladan's hand on his shoulder brought the prince out of his thoughts, and he blinked at the world around him for a moment in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Legolas replied quietly. "Just lost in my thoughts."

Elrohir frowned, and he and Elladan shared a glance that said they didn't believe a word of what Legolas was saying. "Are you sure?" Elrohir pressed.

Legolas nodded, not trusting his voice, and walked to his wardrobe and flung it open. Someone had unpacked his clothes in the short time he'd been with his father, and he studied the robes he'd brought with him from Rivendell. "You should go and get ready for the banquet," he commented softly.

"The banquet doesn't start for several hours," Elrohir replied.

The three elves were interrupted by another knock at the door, but Legolas didn't look over as the newcomer simply opened the door to peek in.

"I'm sorry," a familiar voice said contritely. "I did not know the prince had visitors."

Legolas froze as though he had been dropped into a lake in winter. He knew that voice...it still came to him in his darkest dreams. Swallowing his fear and trying desperately to still his pounding heart, he slowly turned to face the icy-eyed elf-maid.

"Hello, Amarthwen."

MWAHAHAHAHA...sorry...I meant to say: Reviews? Flames? Tar and Feathers?

PS: Review Responses for the last three weeks will Finally be posted Tuesday night.