The Wisdom and Folly of Chaos and Confusion

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

Having Fun With Estel Chapter 2

"Legolas, do you have any idea what I would like to do to you right now?" Estel returned in a very dark and surly voice.

Legolas still had that silly humorous grin on his face. "Yes, I have a pretty good idea; but please do not make me call for the guards again. I really hate bothering them."

Estel was ready to punch him again. "You cannot do this, Legolas. It is not nice to put your best friend under house arrest, now is it?"

"Room arrest actually, Estel. And yes, I know it is not nice, but it is done."

"Well you could undo it."

"Sorry, but my palace, my rules. There are some good perks that come with being royal."

"You can be such a spoiled brat, sometimes, Legolas. And I thought this was your father's palace and his rules."

You are not a king yet, Estel. You still have a lot to learn about how things are actually run in a kingdom." Legolas was enjoying himself so very much. He was grating on Estel's nerves, and he loved it so much. He really hoped that this would last awhile; until morning maybe? Or at least until he had to go see his father tonight; which he was pretty sure he would. "Well," he grinned at the ranger, "what would you like to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe about how many ways there are to torment and kill a wood-elf. Yes, that sounds like a good topic," Estel growled back at him.

"Ok, then. I think I will go to bed. Have a good night, Estel. You can sleep where you want." And then as an afterthought, "as long as you stay in here." Legolas lay on his bed quietly chuckling, knowing that the ranger heard him. Estel was very frustrated. Life was good.

"I am fine right here," Aragorn growled at him again, yawning. He was sitting in a plush, cushy armchair by Legolas' bed, leaning back with one leg slung over an arm of the chair, looking very comfortable. "I could use a pillow, though," Estel commented just as Legolas threw one at him. "OOF!" he grunted as it whacked him in his middle. A pillow? "And also a blanket…" he barely uttered as one fell on his head. The elf was being a real nuisance. "Thank you, Legolas."

"Don't mention it, Estel."

Just then a pretty blonde head peeked around the door of Legolas' room. "Your Highness?" Meril called in a very soft voice. "I took your message to your father and he demands to see you immediately. His Majesty said that this was an extremely important meeting and he urgently needs to see you right now. Please, Legolas," Meril pleaded. "I believe your father is very angry."

The Prince looked at her uncertainly. "Yes, I suppose he probably is, Meril," he answered. Legolas, frustrated and moping, said under his breath to Estel, "he always says that, too. It is probably about a council meeting. We have not had one in quite a while. Oh, lucky me."

"All right," Legolas sighed, giving in. "Could you please let father know that I will be there shortly, Meril? I am really sorry about all this. I hope that father did not give you too bad a time. I owe for this one. How would you like to dine with my family and I sometime next week, Meril? You know I would make it sooner, but I am afraid I am going to have a very busy week. I would be very pleased, no more than pleased, to have you."

"Thank you, Sir. I would be very pleased to accept," she answered him very sweetly as she turned to leave. Once again the young man and elf heard giggling down the hallway.

"You know this just gives me an excuse to have some time with her, don't you? A private dinner would be nicer, but I will take what I can get."

"Why Legolas, I did not know you were interested in someone. She does seem very sweet. And she is very pretty. I give you my permission," Estel replied cheerfully.

"Oh, really, Estel? Thank you so very much. I love her, but I don't feel that way about her. I love spending time with her. We have known each other since we were children and she has been a lot like a sister to me. The sister I never had. She is really a wonderful Elleth," Legolas reflected with a smile, thinking about the past.

Then the prince rolled his eyes at Estel. "I guess Ada wants me. Why don't you come with me Estel? He may be nicer if you are there, too," Legolas asked hopefully.

The ranger looked warily at him. "I don't know. It may actually be worse for you if I am there." He was looking for an excuse not to go. Being in the presence of King Thranduil still made him very nervous even after all the years he and Legolas had been friends. Not to mention he was still upset with his friend.

"Oh, come on, Estel. He will be happy to see you," Legolas assured him.

"Yeah, right," Estel mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that," Legolas whispered.

"I know," Aragorn shot back at him. You never miss anything. So does this mean that I am off of house…room arrest now and I am no longer your prisoner?" The ranger sounded a little bitter and looked quizzically at Legolas.

"You were never my prisoner, Estel. And yes, you are now off of room arrest. I am sorry if I upset you so much. I did not mean for it to be taken that way. It was in fun. And it was fun, I have to admit," Legolas chuckled.

"For you, maybe," Estel mumbled quietly again. "All is forgiven, Legolas, as long as I do not have to go with you to see your father." He looked at Legolas' crestfallen face and sighed. "All right, I will go. But you will owe me for this one."

Estel headed for the door, hesitated for a moment, looked at the guards, then stepped out of the room into the corridor. Immediately they approached him and stopped him in his tracks. "Excuse me, gentlemen, I need to go to my room for a moment to change my clothes. Is that all right with you?" The guards didn't answer and were making the ranger a little uneasy.

"I am sorry, Sir, but we are still under orders to not let anyone in or out of this room," Gavin reluctantly replied. Estel looked at Gavin, brushed past him, and started walking down the corridor; but the guards were right on his heels. He stopped, looked behind him and smiled "You can follow me to my room if you like, but you know who I am and that I am no threat to Legolas."

"Yes, we know that, Sir, but at the moment we are still under strict orders."

Estel was very upset with his wood-elf friend at the moment, and a little nervous about the elves behind him. 'Just you wait, Legolas' he thought to himself. He started down the hallway again knowing what was about to happen. The two guards grabbed his arms and spun him around. "Let go of me Gavin, and whoever you are," he remarked bitterly as he glared at first one guard and then the other. "This is not necessary."

"It is if you are leaving that room, Sir," Gavin replied. Then the two of them started half-dragging, half walking poor Estel back to Legolas' rooms. He tried to extract himself from the guards all the way, getting angrier as they went. When they arrived there, they just stood in the doorway holding the Dunedan between them.

"This is ridiculous, Legolas!" Aragorn yelled at his soon-to-be-dead-friend.

Legolas just stood there in the middle of the room smiling and trying very hard not to laugh. "Well, Estel, where did you go? I have been wondering where you were and what was taking you so long. Did you forget that we were going to see my father shortly? It is not like you to forget things, Estel. Why are you not changed and ready to go?"

"As a matter of fact Your Highness," the ranger spat out, as Legolas winced, "I was on my way to change, but no one else seems to want me to. Legolas!"

"Oh, let him go. The orders are lifted. Anyone can come and go as they please; they always do anyway," the elven prince mumbled in defeat.

Gavin and friend released Estel. "Once again, Sir, we are very sorry about that."

"That's all right, Gavin, it's your job."

"Good evening, my Lord, Sir." The guards nodded to both Legolas and Estel, and then they took their leave.

"Now Legolas on the other hand…"

"Sorry, Sir," Legolas apologized for the umpteenth time.

"Uh huh," Estel mumbled.

"We need to get ready, Estel. So hurry up! And wear something nice."

The ranger just looked at him. "I will wear what I am comfortable in, thank you, Legolas."

"I am just trying to help. My father will notice, you know," Legolas countered.

"Yes, you are so helpful, Legolas. At making my life miserable. I will be back in a minute," Estel called as he went out the door to his room. He returned a short time later, finally changed and feeling much better. "I hope this does not take too long. I really need some sleep."

Legolas looked him up and down with a very unsatisfied expression on his face. "It will not. A meeting with father is always straight and to the point. We will be back in no time."

So the two of them headed down the very large, very long corridor to the King's study in his personal chambers. Estel had always liked this palace. He thought it was so beautiful and elegant. The hallway they were presently going down had gray marble floors, beautiful walls of smooth stone, elaborately woven rugs of green and gold on the floor, and many beautiful tapestries and paintings of family and ancestors hanging on the walls. Also there were lit torches in very ornate sconces of gold and silver here and there along the corridor here and there along the sides of the corridor. They made the corridor glow. He thought it was lovely.

"You know, Estel, you still look awful," Legolas grinned humorously. "Why did you choose to wear those clothes. They are anything but nice. And you did not take time to clean up, either, did you?"

" I told you, Legolas, I want to be comfortable. That is what I do. You know that, Legolas, so get over it." Estel was not going to let himself be bullied by Legolas or Thranduil tonight. "And I look awful? Thank you, Legolas, you are too kind. Just because I do not bathe and wash my hair five times a day as you do does not make me dirty," Estel stated sarcastically.

"You look dirty. Your hair still looks unkempt and greasy. You should wash more and brush you hair. And you never shave," Legolas humorously replied.

"Yes I do shave, Legolas. Quite often in fact," Estel lied. "And my hair is not greasy!!" He emphatically denied.

"You never look any different to me," Legolas innocently smiled.

"What?" Legolas was really irritating him now. "Do you want me to look like a wood-elf or something?" Legolas looked him up and down, again, with a sarcastic grin on his face. "It couldn't hurt."

"Legolas?"

"Yes, Estel?"

"Shut up, or I may have to hurt you again."

"I would love to see you try. And what did I say that was not true?" Legolas asked with mock indignity.

"You are so asking for it, again." Estel just glared at Legolas.

"Stupid human."

"Rude, conceited, stubborn, prideful wood-elf."

"Stupid human."

"Ha!" Estel laughed. "Do you have nothing more original than that?"

"No. Oh, stupid, dirty, greasy human," Legolas coolly replied. "And I am not conceited. I just like being clean and looking good as you should."

"Hey Prince Elfling. I do not need to brush my hair twenty times a day to look good. And shut up now, because we are here."

"They both glared at each other for a moment and then Estel knocked at the door.