Chapter 2
The next morning, Legolas awoke to find himself next to the twins. He had forgotten for a moment that they had had a sleep over in the twins' guest room the previous night. Last night. What a disaster. He would be lucky if his father did not mention it, although that was an extremely small possibility. He hoped his father had not come looking for him in his room last night.
"Boy, it is time to get up. Breakfast will be ready soon," came a voice Legolas recognized as Lord Elrond's.
"Yes, Ada," two sleepy voices replied.
"Yes, Lord Elrond," Legolas said at the same time.
"Ah, good morning, Legolas," Elrond said. "What are you doing here?"
"The twins and I had a sleep over," the prince explained. "I hope you don't mind."
"I do not. It is your father I worry about, ion-nin," the Elf Lord replied. Legolas smiled. 'My son.' It felt good to have someone calling him that who actually cared about him.
"Yes, I know." He paused. "Ada Elrond," he added. Elrond smiled.
"Ada, do we have to go to breakfast?" Elladan asked.
"Why, ion-nin?" Elrond asked in return.
"I'm not hungry," the older twin replied.
"Well, I am," Elrohir said. "Let's go!" he added enthusiastically.
Miriel woke up and looked around her room. It seemed different. Then she remembered. The girl Ellie had stayed with her that night. All the memories of her mother came rushing back to her. She hated it when this happened.
"Miriel, it is time to wake up, dear," Celebrían said. "Breakfast is almost ready."
"All right," Miriel replied sleepily. "Time to greet the day with a smile."
"Good morning, Auntie," Ellie said as her eyes came into focus.
"Good morning, Ellethana," Celebrían replied. "What are you doing here?"
"Miriel and I had a sleep over because neither of us wanted to sleep alone last night, Celebrían," Ellie answered.
"I see. I am fine with that, although I cannot answer for her father," Cele said.
Breakfast conversations were strained that morning. Legolas was upset with his father, Miriel was mad at her brother, and Arwen was angry with Ellie. They were not talking at all. Ellethana would not talk to anyone save Lord Elrond, Celebrían, Glorfindel, and Miriel.
"Legolas, I will speak with you after breakfast," Thranduil said.
"Yes, Ada," Legolas replied, his eyes on the ground. Miriel giggled but stopped at a glare from her father.
"You too, Miriel," he added, glaring at both of them.
"Yes, Ada," the girl replied. Elrohir glanced at Legolas then burst out laughing. He, too, was silenced by a glare from his father. Elladan just sat silently at the table, picking at his food.
Ellethana glanced around the table. This time it was a smaller company consisting of the King, Legolas, Miriel, Lord Elrond, Celebrían, Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen, Erestor, Glorfindel, and herself. She looked at Miriel and saw the princess looking down at her plate and start eating. She then looked towards the twins and saw Elrohir eating as well. Elladan had not touched his food.
"Are you feeling alright, ion-nin?" Elrond asked. Elladan nodded.
"Yes, I'm fine, Ada," he replied.
"Are you sure, Elladan?" his mother asked, concerned for her son.
"Yes, Ammë. It's fine. I'm just not hungry right now!" he said. "May I please be excused, Ammë?" he asked, his voice quieter than before. Celebrían nodded.
A few minutes later, Elrohir asked if he could leave. "I'm finished, Ada. May I go now?"
Elrond sighed. Soon it would be Arwen's turn. "Yes, ion-nin. You may go. If you can, could you try and figure out what is bothering your brother?" the Elven Lord asked.
"Yes, Ada," the younger twin replied. "I will try," he added. Shortly after Elrohir left, Legolas snuck out as well.
"'Dan?" Elladan turned around.
"What?" he asked, clearly annoyed.
"Nothing. Ada just wanted me to find out what's up," his brother replied.
"Why?"
"I don't know. He and Ammë are worried about you, 'Dan. What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Elladan replied.
"That's not true, and you know it." Both boys turned at the familiar voice.
"I'm fine, Ada," Elladan said.
"If you're sure, ion-nin. Your mother and I are just worried, Elladan," Elrond said.
"I'm fine," the older twins replied, annoyed.
Legolas walked out to the practice grounds after he had left breakfast. He needed to get away from his father for a while, and the fields seemed the perfect place. He took a bow and arrows with him.
A little while later, he decided he had had enough practice and figured he could go look for the twins now. He turned around when he heard voices, hoping to see Elladan and Elrohir.
Legolas was disappointed when he saw his sister and her friends. Why were they out here? Why did they have to ruin his morning? Actually, it was more his father's fault his morning was ruined, for his father had been the one who said he needed to talk to him after breakfast, which he had forgotten to do.
He had forgotten! Oh boy. He would be in so much trouble with his father.
"Ha! I knew you'd be out here!"
"What do you want, Miriel?" he asked, annoyed with his sister once more. "And why did you follow me?"
"First, I didn't follow you. Ellie wanted to practice, so we came out here. Anyways, Ada is really mad, Legolas. I would get in there if I were you," she said, sticking out her tongue.
"Why you little!" Legolas muttered under his breath as he walked off. He knew his father would be angry and that he should hurry up some, but why rush into the land of torture?
Ellethana watched as Miriel set up her arrow. 'She must be good,' Ellie thought. She smiled as the arrow hit the target, only narrowly missing the center.
"Your turn," Miriel said, handing Ellie a bow and arrow. She was not thrilled with her shot, but she was okay with it. She was still young, so she figured she had plenty of time to improve.
Ellie handled the bow with great care, carefully setting the arrow in the proper place. Arwen rolled her eyes.
"Just shoot already, Ellie," she said.
"I am," the other girl replied. "And do not interrupt me, Arwen." As soon as she let go of the sting, the arrow whizzed through the air and hit the center of the target.
"Awesome, Ellie!" Miriel said enthusiastically.
"Thank you," Ellie muttered, lowering her gaze and blushing. She did not like it when others praised her, for it made her blush and embarrassed her. She stared at her shoes. "It is your turn, Arwen," Ellie added, still staring at the ground.
"Alright," Arwen replied. "Thanks," she said to Miriel after the Princess handed her a bow and arrow. Arwen missed by a couple of inches.
"That is alright, Arwen," Ellie said gently.
"Well, well, well. Someone is gloating!" Arwen snapped at her sister.
"Arwen! Ellie! Do stop!" Miriel said.
"I was not gloating, Arwen," Ellethana said softly. "I was merely saying you did fine. You just need more practice."
Arwen glared. Only her father and mother ever told her that she need to practice more. And Glorfindel, because he taught them during school. She also hated shooting things, so what was the point of practicing her aim if she never planned on killing anything?
"Ellie, go again!" Miriel said, excited.
"Why?" Ellie asked.
"Because you're really good, and I like watching you. You're practically as good as Legolas, and you're more fun!" the younger girl replied. "But don't tell him I said that, please?" she added.
"Of course not, Miriel," Ellie said. "I will not tell Legolas."
"I'm sorry, Ada," Legolas said loudly. "I forgot." He rolled his eyes. Why did his father have to be so unforgiving?
"Legolas," Thranduil began. Legolas closed his eyes for a moment. He could feel a headache coming on. "Never mind, Legolas." The King walked away towards his quarters. Legolas bowed his head, placing a hand on his forehead. He was not running a fever, but he did have a headache.
"Perhaps if I go to my room for a little while…" he muttered.
"And do what?" Legolas spun around.
"Oh, hello, Elrohir," the blond elf said. "Where's Elladan?" he asked, looking around and not seeing the other twin. Elladan and Elrohir were almost inseparable.
"In bed." Elrohir shrugged. "He's not feeling well, so Ada made him go rest. Apparently, he has a sore throat or something like that. I don't know." Elrohir stopped and blushed slightly. He was rambling again. He always did that when he was worried or nervous about something.
Legolas smiled. He knew of this bad habit of Elrohir's. "I'm sorry to hear that. That's no fun."
The younger twin shrugged again. He was trying to stay calm, for his sake and Elladan's. Both his parents were worried about Elladan; why should he make his brother feel worse?
"By the way, Legolas, what were you going to do in your room?"
"Uh… nothing really. Just work on a project for Elf Scouts," Legolas fibbed.
"Do you want any help?" Elrohir asked. Legolas shook his head. That was the last thing he needed right now. "Okay," Elrohir said. "Maybe I'll go check on 'Dan."
Elladan was feeling a little bit better, but not much. "Ro, where's Legolas?"
Elrohir shrugged. "In his room, I suppose. He said something about an Elf Scouts project."
"And he doesn't want help?" Elladan's smile turned mischievous.
"What, 'Dan?" Elrohir asked, his voice uncertain. "And no, I'm not doing anything without you," he added when his brother's smile grew bigger.
"Fine, fine," Elladan replied. "I'll go with you, if you want."
"Yes, I think you should, since it was your idea!"
"Alright, I'm coming, that is, if Ada will let me get up."
"Do you want me to go get him?"
"Sure. Why not?" Elladan asked. Elrohir ran off to find their father. A few minutes later he was back, with Lord Elrond.
"I feel better, Ada," Elladan said. "Can I go play?"
"You do sound better, Elladan," Elrond said slowly. "I guess you may get up for a short while."
"Thank you, Ada!" Elladan replied.
Legolas knew he should not have lied to Elrohir, but he needed to get away from other elves if his headache was to go away. Knock, knock, came a sound from the door. He sat up on his bed.
"Who is it?" the Prince asked slowly.
"It's us. Can we come in?" Legolas groaned softly. He should have known the twins would come. He rolled his eyes.
"Not now. I'm – uh – busy right now. I'm – um – working on a project for Elf Scouts," he replied. Another lie.
"Do you want help, Legolas?"
"Uh… no. I'm – uh – almost done with it. Give me five more minutes, please?"
"Okay."
"He's not doing anything, 'Dan," Elrohir said softly, just outside Legolas's room.
"I know. But why would he lie?" Elladan replied.
"I don't know. Maybe something's wrong," Elrohir answered.
"Like what?" his brother asked.
"I don't know. Maybe he's upset again."
"But why?" Elladan asked.
"I don't know," Elrohir said once more. He was beginning to get annoyed with his brother. "Remember what Ammë always says? She always tells us not to pry, so I don't think we should. I think we should just leave Legolas alone for a while, and he can come find us when he's ready," the younger elfling said. Now he was annoyed with his twin.
"Legolas," Elrohir said, knocking gently, "are you alright?"
"I'm perfectly fine. I just need some time alone," responded Legolas's voice.
"If you're sure," Elrohir replied. "See, I told you he was fine!" With that said, Elrohir ran. Elladan took off behind his brother, chasing him. Elrohir stopped suddenly when he bumped into Glorfindel.
Ellethana enjoyed playing with Miriel, even if she did not like Arwen very much. Miriel understood so much of what had happened to her, and Miriel also spoke Silvan.
"Wasn't that so much fun, Ellie?" Miriel asked in Silvan. Ellie nodded. She had had fun.
"That was. Are you sure your father will not be mad at you?" the cautious girl asked. Miriel shrugged. She did not care.
"I don't know. Who cares?" the Princess asked.
"Well, your father might," Arwen replied. She had been ignored by the other two and did not like it at all.
"I don't care if Ada gets mad. It is worth a lecture to spend time with my friends," the younger girl replied. "Anyways, it's not like we were missed at all." Just then, one of the servants came rushing up.
"Your Highness, his Majesty wishes to see you immediately," she said in Silvan.
"Of course, Silima," the Princess replied. She groaned to herself. 'No doubt a lecture from Ada,' she thought, rolling her eyes. She turned around when she felt her friends stare. "Ada insists that they call us that," she explained, for she had asked them not to address her in such a formal way.
Ellethana watched as Miriel walked off towards the palace and smiled. Miriel was annoyed. And so was her cousin, she said to herself, glancing at Arwen.
"Ada, I am sorry," she said, smiling slightly. Inwardly, the young Princess was not sorry. She was pleased with herself for doing something she would not normally do. Besides, playing with her friends had been fun! They had had a great time practicing their archery. Miriel had not had that much fun since before her mother died.
"What is it?" her father asked when she frowned.
"Nothing, Ada," Miriel replied quickly, not wanting her father to know what she had been thinking about. That would get her another lecture for… For what? She wondered. Why was Ada so them against talking about Naneth? She smiled again.
"Are you sure, Miriel?" the King asked. He worried about his daughter, who looked so much like her mother. Legolas did too. Thranduil knew he was hard on the young Prince, but he could not help it. He was trying to be patient, as Laurelin had always been reminding him. He felt a headache coming on, as he often did when he thought of his wife. "You are dismissed, Miriel. Do not be late for lunch."
Miriel nodded, grateful for the dismissal. She ran off to find Ellie and Arwen.
"Boys, you know better than to run in the halls," Glorfindel's strict voice said.
"We're sorry, Glorfy," the twins said together. Elladan glared at his brother, and Elrohir glared back.
"Boys, calm down, and stop glaring at each other. You should know better than that." All three elves turned around at the new voice. Glorfindel muttered something under his breath in Quenya. It was Elrond's advisor, Erestor. "Now, you two skedaddle off. Your father wants to see you," he said.
"Yes, Erestor," Elladan replied, shooting a look at his twin. Elrohir glared in return.
"What do you want, Erestor?" Glorfindel asked, glaring at the councilor.
"I was sent by Elrond to find the twins," he replied coolly. Neither one cared for the other very much, but neither could leave. Elrond need them both.
Legolas's headache had gone away, so he decided to look for Elladan and Elrohir. He heard voices coming from the bedroom where the twins were staying.
"Yes, Ada," someone, obviously one of the twins, said.
"Please forgive us," the other one added.
"Alright, boys. You may go. But if there is a next time, which I hope there is not, you will be punished. Both of you. Do you understand?" This was no doubt Elrond's voice.
"Yes, Ada," they said in unison.
"Thank you," Elrond replied. The twins walked slowly out of their guest room, whispering to each other.
"Legolas!" they said when they saw their friend. "Are you done? Can you play?"
"Yes, and yes. I am done and I can play, although I want to go and practice my archery," Legolas replied. Elladan and Elrohir nodded.
"Let's go," Elrohir said. The three boys walked out towards the practice fields, and once outside, broke into a run. By the time they arrived, they were also laughing so hard their sides hurt.
Elrohir paused. There was a question he wanted to ask Legolas, but he was afraid of the Prince's response.
"What's up, Ro?" Legolas asked, coming over to the younger twin who had stopped by the entrance.
"Legolas, what do you do when you're upset about your Naneth?" he asked in a quiet voice. Legolas paused, thinking.
"I…" He blinked back tears. "I work on my archery, Ro," he replied quietly. "Only Turin and Miriel know about it. Ada doesn't. Early every morning, since Naneth died, I have come out here and practiced my aim. I cannot tell Ada, for he will get angry with me. I get up before he does and work on my shooting. I also work with my knives," Legolas added. He started nibbling on his nails.
"Legolas," Elrohir said softly, a smile playing on his lips. "You are biting your nails again, mellon-nin." Legolas blushed slightly and pulled his fingers out of his mouth.
"I cannot help it, Ro. It is useless to try and make me stop," he said sadly.
"Legolas, Ro!" Both of them turned around. "Are we going to practice, or are you two going to talk all day?" Elladan asked. Legolas sighed softly.
"Let's practice. I need to perfect my aim," Legolas said with a small smile. Elrohir smiled at his friend. Legolas was serious about this. Elrohir figured if something like that had ever happened to his Ammë, he would be serious as well.
At lunch, Miriel was talking softly with Legolas, which pleased Thranduil, for they had been arguing quite often lately. Elladan and Elrohir kept glancing at each other, and it pleased Elrond greatly to see that Arwen and Ellethana were holding a nice conversation. He smiled at his wife. Even Erestor and Glorfindel were getting along. They were talking of history and lore.
Celebrían smiled at Elrond. It was wonderful to see everyone getting along so well. She sighed softly, her smile turning into a slight frown.
"What is it, Cele?" Elrond whispered.
"I wish Laurelin was here to see this, that's all," Celebrían replied in a quiet voice. Elrond nodded and looked fondly over at the twins.
"I am glad the twins are getting along again. It always was hard when I fought with Elros," he muttered to himself.
Celebrían smiled again when she heard her husband. "Yes, it is nice to see them getting along. It was rough for some time earlier," she replied, making no reference to his comment about Elros. She knew it would be best if she did not say anything.
"Ada Elrond, may I be excused?" Ellethana's quiet voice asked this question some time later. She had finished her lunch and was eager to leave the table.
"Yes, you may, Ellethana," Elrond replied after sending a questioning look towards Celebrían, who nodded.
"Thank you," the girl said as she left the dining room in a brisk walk.
As Ellethana walked back to her room, she thought about everything that had happened to her since her parents died. 'Even Arwen and I were getting along at lunch today,' she thought with surprise. Arwen had always been mean to Ellie when she visited Lothlórien, so Ellie had resolved to not talking to Arwen when she visited. The only time she saw the other elven girl was when Auntie Galadriel had wanted to see her, and Arwen had been there too. Galadriel had tried to help the girls become friends, but… that had not worked. Arwen, for some reason, was dead set against Ellethana. It had hurt the sensitive girl before, but now Ellie just ignored it. Their conversation at lunch had been the first decent one with Arwen since her arrival in Rivendell.
My Dear Butterfly,
So much has happened since I arrived in Rivendell less than a year ago. I love the Princess Miriel; she is ever so wonderful. Dearest, Arwen and I actually held an intelligent conversation today! It was a nice one too! She did not say anything mean to me; she was actually polite! It was amazing.
Although I am having fun in Mirkwood and I am glad Arwen and I can talk to each other without getting mad or yelling, I still miss Tallie and Finna. They are my best friends, Butterfly. It is very sad, because I never see them anymore. I wish I could see them again. Perhaps when we stop in Lothlórien on the way back to Rivendell, I can convince Ada Elrond to let me visit them. I have not seen them for many months, not since I left to go to Rivendell.
I hope that once we get back to Imladris, Arwen and I will continue to speak to each other. I hope we do not go back to the way it was before, for I did not like it. It was very lonely without anyone. That is why I wish I still lived in Lothlórien with Auntie Galadriel and Celeborn. I miss them so much! I wish they had come with us! I understand why they cannot. It is hard for them to leave, for Celeborn does not like Mirkwood. That I know. He said so quite often. And he does not like me. He did not like Ammë or Ada either. Although he seems to like Lord Elrond. I do not know why, for Lord Elrond took his daughter away to Rivendell. Oh well. It does not matter. I do not care.
I miss Ada and Ammë. I wish they were alive, for I need them very much. I know Ada Elrond and Auntie Celebrían try, but it is not the same. I guess Miriel would understand, but I… I wish there was someone else for me to talk to. I know I can talk to Ada Elrond or Celebrían anytime I need to, but… I wish there was someone else. Someone like Ammë. Oh, I wish she had not died. I needed her so much! But she could not live without Ada, and Ada had already died. It broke my heart to see her leave, but it was better for her. I know that now. Her heart was broken, and it would not mend, not even with time. This was one wound time would never heal for her. My heart was broken completely after Ammë died. I still miss her and Ada. I guess I always will.
Ellethana's heart was still broken. She figured it would never completely heal from these hurts. Losing one parent was painful, but losing both, and in so little time, was even worse. She knew she would never be like other children; she had been different from the start, and it hurt. It really hurt when people made fun of her for anything. She hated it.
She wiped a runaway tear that had escaped from her eyes. That was when she heard a knock on her door.
Celebrían was worried about Ellie, for she knew this was a hard time for the girl. Also hearing the news about Laurelin had been hard on Ellie. Ellethana was very sensitive; both Cele and Elrond knew this. She had had a sad past, something that needed to be dealt with.
Celebrían frowned when she thought of her friend. She and Laurelin had been best friends growing up, along with Wilwarin, Ellie's mother. It was hard on her to see both of her friends gone. When she had received the news about her cousin, she had broken down and cried for hours. This had happened again, just a few months before the trip, when the family received news that Laurelin had died.
She knocked on Ellie's door. The door opened slowly. She looked at her cousin's daughter. The girl had tears running down her cheeks, and Celebrían could see Ellie's journal lying open on the desk. She smiled to herself. Ellie was almost always writing or drawing.
"Are you alright, Ellie, dear?" she asked softly.
Ellethana sniffed. "I think so, Auntie," she replied quietly as she wiped a tear off her cheek. "I just miss Ada and Ammë."
"I understand," Celebrían said gently. "I miss them too. Wilwarin and I were best friends for many years, despite the fact that I was older than she was." Cele took a moment to see how Ellie would react. Ellie just stared at the ground. "It was very hard on me when your Ammë died, for I had not seen her in many years. She and your Ada visited Rivendell once after they were married, and the only other time I saw her after that was when you were born.
"You and Arwen were born within weeks of each other, and my Ammë, Galadriel, invited all of us to come over the Mountains for a while. The twins were three years old. That was the last time I ever saw my dear cousin. I loved her so much." Celebrían took a deep breath. Ellethana looked up, surprised to see that her mother's death had affected so many people. "It took me a few months before I was able to travel with a new baby, and when I saw you… Oh, Ellie, you were one of the most beautiful babies in the world!" Cele exclaimed. "You had your mother's eyes and your father's hair. And your cheeks! They were so rosy when you were little! I loved you the moment I saw you, Ellethana. And that love has never died or grown less. In fact, I love you even more now that you live with us and I get to see you every day. Do you know how happy that makes me to be taking care of my dearest cousin's daughter?" She looked at Ellie. The girl was looking at the ground, her cheeks a light pink color. But she nodded. Ellie's birth was not the last time Celebrían had seen her cousin, but she felt it was better left unsaid.
"Arwen does not like me," Ellie said quietly. "She hates me."
"Oh, Ellie," Celebrían said, gently pulling the girl into her arms. She could not deny the statement, for both she and Ellie knew it was true. "You know Arwen is stubborn. She will come around, trust me. She will." Ellethana nodded, comforted by her aunt's words.
"Naneth." The one small, whispered word held so much pain. He wiped away a tear.
"You must stop, Legolas," he told himself. "Ada would not approve."
"Whatcha doin', Legolas?" a voice asked from behind. He spun around.
"Nothing, 'Dan," he replied. "Just thinking."
"That's good. Ro and I wanted to know if you wanted to work on something with us." The older twin had one of his mischievous grins on his face, and Legolas was not sure if he should help or not.
"What are you two planning?" the Prince asked cautiously. He was wary, of course, for one had to be when dealing with the twin terrors, as Legolas had often heard them being called by older elves of Rivendell.
"Oh, just a little surprise for Arwen, that's all. We could help you come up with some for Miriel," Elladan said, still wearing the mischievous grin.
"Uh, I don't think so," Legolas replied.
"About what? Helping us or getting Miriel?"
"Both!" Legolas replied, his temper getting the better of him. "Sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. I just don't think Ada would be happy if we did that, especially right now. "
"Oh, alright. Ro and I are still going to figure out some way to get even with Arwen! She played a nasty trick on us last week, so now we have to get back at her!" Elladan was upset with his sister; that was obvious. But Legolas did not want to get involved with their problems. He had enough of his own to deal with!
"Maybe you should wait until you get home, Elladan," Legolas said. "I think your Adar would be angry with you if you tried to do anything here. Not to mention my father." Elladan rolled his eyes.
"Yeah. Maybe you're right," Elladan replied. "Ada probably wouldn't be too happy with us if we did anything here."
"Or at home." Both boys turned around to find Lord Elrond coming up from behind them. "Yes, I heard most of your conversation, Elladan," he said, much to his son's annoyance.
"Well, she started it," Elladan complained.
"I do not care who started it, Elladan," Elrond replied. "It does not matter. What I do want is for it to stop."
"But Ada…"
"No 'but Ada's, Elladan. I want you and Arwen to stop, and I mean it," Elrond said. "Do you understand?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, Ada. But what about Arwen?" Elladan asked.
"I will speak with her about it as well, but I want both of you to stop," Elrond replied strictly. "Have you seen Elrohir?" he asked, directing his question to both boys.
"Not since lunch, Ada Elrond," Legolas said quietly.
"Last time I saw him, he was in the room we're sharing, Ada," Elladan replied. "Why?"
"I need to talk to him," Elrond said as he left to two boys.
"That was too close, Legolas," Elladan said when his father was out of earshot.
"Elladan, I'm not getting involved!" Legolas replied, raising his voice ever so slightly. Now he was very annoyed with Elladan, and there was no way he would get involved in the family's problems. "I have enough problems of my own to deal with right now," he added, rolling his eyes with the thought. "I'm sorry, Elladan, but I won't get involved in this one."
Miriel sat quietly in her room, thinking. Just thinking. She thought about everything that was happening or had happened. She hated the fact that her mother was killed. She hated it that her father was mean to her and her brothers. Aranhil did not seem to mind, for he was never home. The same was with Caunion; he was rarely around. Turin was almost always on duty for border patrol, so he did not have to deal with their father's wrath. Legolas, on the other hand, was like her. He did not have the choice of whether he wanted to leave or not. Like she did. She had no say in what she did, and it annoyed her. She hated having absolutely no control over her life.
"Perhaps I should go do something," she muttered to her doll, Mirima. "But what?" she asked.
"Perhaps you should work on your sewing." The voice behind her was mocking. She turned around.
"What do you want, Legolas?" she asked. She was annoyed with her older brother and did not want to work on her sewing.
"I heard you talking to yourself," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"I wasn't talking to myself," she answered.
"Then who were you talking to, Miriel?" he asked, his tone still mocking her.
"If you must know, I was talking to Mirima," Miriel said.
"Oh, so you don't talk to yourself, but you talk to your dolls?"
"Yes, actually, I do. And it a lot nicer than talking to you!" Miriel replied, looking at him. He glared at her, and she knew the comment stung.
"Fine, Miriel. Just don't get mad at me when others call you crazy." Her brother's tone was no longer mocking, and Miriel was surprised to find it strangely sorrow-filled.
"Legolas!" she called as he left. He turned around. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.
"Me too, Miriel," he replied. "She doesn't like it when we argue, does she?" Miriel shook her head.
"Naneth," she muttered. "We need you so much." Legolas nodded this time, tears stinging his eyes.
"Ada," he added. "We need you too."
Elrond was looking for his wife as he passed Miriel's room.
"Ada, we need you." He heard Legolas muttered these quiet words. They broke his heart. Did Thranduil not see how much his children were hurting?
"Perhaps I should try talking to him," Elrond muttered. "Perhaps he will listen to me." He turned around and walked towards the throne room in hope of find the king.
"Thranduil, are you blind?" This question was asked some time later when Elrond finally found his friend.
"What do you mean, Elrond?"
"How are you so blind to your children's pain?" the Elven lord asked, being very blunt.
"What do you mean?" Thranduil asked again.
"I mean," Elrond replied slowly, "how can you not see your children hurting? You're all they have, and both Legolas and Miriel are really hurting right now." He stopped to see how Thranduil would react.
"How do you know this?" he said, stuttering a little bit.
"I have watched them, Thranduil. They need you. In the short time I have been here, I have seen their hurt. Their pain. Your pain. I have been watching my wife as well. They used to be such good friends, Laurelin and Celebrían." Once more Elrond paused to see Thranduil's response. The Elven King just glared.
"Thranduil, listen to me. Your children need you. Now more than ever. But they are afraid. Afraid of your anger. Afraid of approaching you with how they feel. They are afraid, Thranduil, afraid," Elrond said. And with that, he turned around and left the King alone in the throne room.
Thranduil sat for a very long time in the throne room, thinking about what Elrond had said. What the Elven lord right? Were his children suffering? He did not know. He knew he himself was suffering greatly from the recent loss of his wife. Laurelin had always been so supportive of him, and he loved her. He knew there was no one else he would ever love so much.
"Ada?" He heard a small voice. He looked around, finding that there was nobody there.
"Ada?" the voice asked again.
"What is it?" he asked in return.
"I miss you," it replied. The words were harsh, and they cut him deeply.
"I cannot do it alone, Linny," he muttered. He had almost always called Laurelin Linny. That had been his pet name for her. It was like how Elrond called his wife Cele, although her given name was Celebrían. "It is too hard. I do not know what they need. Why did you have to leave us so soon?" he asked softly.
"Ada?" This time the voice was real. He looked down to find his daughter.
"Yes, Miriel?"
"Who were you talking to?" she asked, not know it would make her father cry.
"Nobody, Miriel," he said softly, wiping a tear away. "Nobody."
"But… I heard you say something, Ada," she replied.
"It was more to myself than anyone else," Thranduil answered.
"Ada," Miriel said gently, "U-nalla. I don't like it when you cry, Ada." He wiped away another tear that escaped. Miriel was so much like her mother. The same soft voice. The same look. The same sky blue eyes. The same beautiful face. It broke his heart to see it. He knew his children were hurting, but he had been unable to help them.
"Oh, Miriel," he replied, gathering her up into his arms. "Le melon, my daughter. I am sorry. You have been hurting, and I failed to see it," he said, his deep voice soft and gentle. "I was harsh on you and your brother, and I think I hurt you two more than you hurt.
"Your mother's death was hard on me, and it still is. Can you forgive me for not noticing your pain, Miriel?" Thranduil asked.
Miriel paused for a minute before she answered. Although she wanted to stay mad at her father for ignoring her, it seemed impossible. She knew he had been deeply hurt when her mother died, but at least he did not just give up on life like Ellie's mother had. She was grateful for that. She did not think she could stand losing both of her parents so close together.
Thranduil looked down at her, pulling her out of her thoughts. She nodded. "Yes, Ada. I have missed you," she muttered softly.
This time, the words did not cut Thranduil; instead, they were like healing, helping relieve some of his pain.
"Le melon, Ada," Miriel said. These three words meant so much to the King, more than anyone would ever know or understand.
"Thank you, Miriel. Is there anything else?" he asked, his voice still gentle.
"Maybe could you read me a bedtime story tonight?" she asked, her little voice hopeful. Her father nodded, smiling. "Thank you, Ada," she said, returning his smile.
It was much later, after dinner in fact, when Thranduil arrived in his daughter's room. He had forgotten what it was like to tuck his children in at night. He pulled the covers up to Miriel's neck and then read a story until he heard the soft, even breathing telling him she was asleep.
"Linny, don't you know how hard this is for me?" he whispered into the darkness, watching his daughter sleep. "Don't you know how much we all need you?" he asked. Miriel stirred, and her father gently pulled the blankets up once more. Then he treaded softly out of the room.
"Legolas?" The Prince thought he was dreaming, for that voice had rarely entered his room.
"What is it?" he asked.
"It is your father," the voice said.
"Is something wrong, Ada?" Legolas asked, somewhat concerned. Thranduil shook his head.
"No, nothing is wrong, ion-nin. I just need to apologize for something," his father replied. "I am sorry for all the pain I have caused, Legolas. You were hurting, and I did nothing to help." He paused to see his son's reaction.
"It is alright, Ada. I know how much Naneth's death hurt you." Legolas spoke these words without thinking, and then stopped when his father frowned, fearing he had said wrong.
"No, Legolas. It was not all right. I hurt you and your sister by ignoring your pain. It was hard on you to lose your mother, just as it was hard on me to lose my wife," Thranduil said. "I am sorry if you think I ignored you. I know I was hard on you, and that fault is entirely mine. It was not your fault you look like your mother, and it was not fair of me to be hard on you because of it. It was just so hard for me to look at you and not see Linny."
Legolas smiled upon hearing his mother's name. The fact that his father could talk about his mother and not cry was a huge improvement. The young Prince wiped away a tear.
"I am sorry, Legolas," his father said once more. "Can you forgive me for being so ignorant?" Legolas nodded.
"Yes, Ada. Le melon." Once again the two small words were healing more than anything. To know that his children still loved him, even though he had been so mean, was one of the nicest things that had happened to him in a long time.
"Good night, ion-nin," Thranduil whispered as Legolas closed his eyes. Legolas opened them again.
"Good night, Ada," he muttered softly. "Le melon."
"Le melon, ion-nin," his father replied. "I love you."