"I thought you wouldn't return" Hûredhiel said the next day. "Now this proves that you shouldn't have come back at all. Honestly, how are you expected to rule a Kingdom when you don't even know the basics of healing? Didn't they teach you any of this at your home? Or were you too busy swimming with the fish? We don't need a couple of years to teach you everything; we need a couple of decades! Possibly even centuries! If you mixed these herbs together in a vial, you would've poisoned the elf instead of helping it!"
"Why are you always so cruel to me?" Adonnenniel cut off the adviser and looked up from her place at the table.
"Interrupting me again?" Hûredhiel snapped. "This is a worse day for you than yesterday was! You should never ask your mentor of anything that he or she does not want to answer. Therefore, I do not have to answer your little question. You would never understand what I have to go through. You are not the one staring down at the sea rat. You might be lower than a rat actually if you don't even know how to mix these two herbs in the right order. We have a lot of work to do to even make you decent enough to show your face to our people"
Legolas kicked bugs away from crawling over his boot and looked out over the vast forests. He had said a little prayer here in hopes that the two rangers that were attacked and killed in these parts would Passover into the far planes. There was this nagging feeling in the back of his head that the answers were right in front of them but they just didn't know what it was. Legolas felt a presence right next to him and wasn't surprised to see that his father had come up beside him without Legolas ever knowing.
"There is something missing" Thranduil said almost to himself rather than to his son.
"What do the other elves say?" Legolas asked.
"Why don't you ask them yourself?" Thranduil suggested. "It has been a whole day since you have not spoken to Erumollien, why don't you say something?"
"Did you not hear of the things he said the other day?" Legolas questioned.
"Let people talk" Thranduil advised. "It means nothing to us because we know the truth. He should be more embarrassed about talking about your bride like that. I believe it is time to end his punishment"
"She already has enough problems as it is" Legolas worried. "She shouldn't have to have this much worry cast out over her"
"That is something that must come with change" Thranduil nodded. "If you want peace, prepare for war. That is something that our elders used to always say. I do hear the rumors that have spread about poor Adonnenniel but I have learned to block them. It would be better if you and Adonnenniel would do the same. For when the time comes that I leave these shores, I would want both of you to know that the only thing that matters in love are the people that are in it. She will need you to be strong for her because she is unfamiliar with these surroundings. These people will be cruel to her in the beginning but she will have to prove, like everyone else has, that she belongs with you. Did you honestly believe that taking up the throne would be that easy? It always is difficult, even for me and your mother. We had our own battles to face that everyone else thought we couldn't win. The rumors that had spread were beyond vicious. They were so vicious in fact that your mother would often cry herself to sleep. That was about the same time that the orcs had raided our forests. Everywhere, their foul smells wreaked the place until finally, your mother and I had thought up of a battle plan that we still use to this day in order to protect our Kingdom"
Legolas slowly nodded as he looked back out into the day forest, the battle plan has always been admired by most, and so much that people forgot the ancient techniques. Who would have thought that his own parents were the planners of using the trees as cover and attacking from high above? He could imagine how skeptical his people were and how reluctant they were to think up of a battle plan. But in the end, even his parents had pulled through and became successful rulers of their time.
"Do you think we have it in us? To rule our great Kingdom once you leave?" Legolas asked.
His father seemed to have been deep in thought as he was thinking of an answer for his son. The long pause made Legolas' chest tighten as he realized that his father was going to give him a very truthful answer. Most fathers would say anything to make their sons feel like they are on top of the world. But not Legolas' father, he was a King and had to answer every question seriously.
"We will just have to wait and see" Thranduil smiled and placed his hand on Legolas' shoulder. "Only time will tell"
That wasn't really the answer that Legolas was expecting from his father but he was happy about it. It was a lot better than the one that he had already planted in his head. Legolas gave his father a nod as he hoped to fulfill a better destiny than what he had in mind. Thranduil gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze before walking away.
"Wait" Legolas said as something popped into his mind.
"We can wait no longer. If we do, we will be a bug's meal, Legolas. I have never seen so many on the ground in my life" Thranduil said, disgust leaking from his voice.
But that was just it. There were too many bugs on the forest floor. Legolas too hasn't seen so many bugs gathered together in his life. Not until they first started his journey and were trying to find the mysterious creatures.
"What is it?" Thranduil asked.
"The bugs- the bugs have always been present wherever we go" Legolas turned to his father.
"You think that's a pattern?" Thranduil asked, and then a smile slowly crept onto his lips. "That the bugs can lead us to the creatures that are behind this. Come on, we have to tell the others!"
