Chapter 4

The next day, Tauriel woke early feeling refreshed and energized. She washed her face, braided her hair in her usual style, and selected one of her more elegant tunics to wear for the day. It was a deep green color, reaching all the way down just past her ankles. It laced together at the bodice and was open in the front to reveal dark brown fitted trousers and matching knee length boots. It was one of her nicer outfits she usually saved for council meetings back in Mirkwood.

Satisfied with her appearance, she exited her chambers and made her way towards Legolas' room. She wasn't sure if he would be awake this early, the sun had barely made its appearance into the valley. She quietly knocked on his chamber door. Hearing no response, she quietly opened the door and peeked her head inside.

The room was bathed in a cool early morning light, the balcony doors were left open and she could smell the crisp clean air. Trailing her eyes to the bed, she saw that Legolas was still fast asleep. Smiling to herself, Tauriel took a moment to observe the sleeping elf. His long blonde hair was trailed down his back; he wore no shirt, only loose knee length sleeping trousers. His pale skin seemed to glow in the morning light. Tauriel was not embarrassed at seeing him without a shirt. Although he preferred to keep modesty, there were a few times when being exposed in such a way was necessary. Tauriel could recall a few times when Legolas had injured himself during a battle and she would have to immediately tend to the wounds he acquired on his torso. They never felt awkward about it either, it was simple healing.

With his face buried in the pillow, her prince looked very peaceful, his arms rested on the empty side of the bed. His shoulders rose and fell with each relaxed breath he took. Tauriel lost her breath momentarily at how …beautiful he appeared. Not many were given the opportunity to see Legolas with his guard down. She considered herself privileged to be one of those few people he has absolute trust in. He shifted in his sleep and the blanket that was draped over his hips fell to the floor. Silently, Tauriel picked it up from the floor and draped it carefully over the slumbering prince. Not wanting to be discovered, she crept out of the room with haste and closed the door soundlessly behind her.

Taking a moment to slow her racing heart, Tauriel reflected on her feelings upon her friend. They had known each other for a very long time. She was a child when she first met him and he was just a young elf in the middle of adolescence. They played together as young elflings, often times sneaking out during late hours to explore the beauty of the forest. When Tauriel started her training, Legolas had helped to teach her about the art of archery and how to wield a blade. When others doubted her ability to act as Captain of the Guard, he gave her his support and encouragement. When faced with foes in battle, he always had her back, just as she had his. They were inseparable and nobody could deny their devotion and loyalty to the other.

Tauriel thought back to her first royal ball. It was also Prince Legolas' birthday and a feast was prepared to celebrate the occasion. Having no experience or clue what to do, she had quietly observed while drinking her wine. It was also one of her first experiences with wine as she was considered finally old enough to indulge in the adult beverage. Tauriel watched as many males started to lead the females on to the dancefloor. The warm glow of lanterns which hung from the tree branches gave the area a bit of a romantic feel. A small group of musicians played a song that was paced for a common waltz. Sipping her wine some more, Tauriel stared to feel slightly lonely…that was until she felt a slight tap on her shoulder. Looking up, she was met with the blue eyes of her dear friend.

That was the first time Tauriel had ever danced with an ellon. Claiming to not know how to dance, Legolas dismissed her protests and insisted that he would lead her. Not wanting to deny her friend anything on his birthday, Tauriel agreed and took his hand as he led her to the dance floor.

Laughing to herself, Tauriel recalled all the jealous glances she had received that night from all the pretty little noble elleths that had wanted to be on the receiving end of the prince's attention. Enjoying their jealous stares a little too much, Tauriel danced with her friend and enjoyed it immensely. Legolas didn't seem to care that she was an inexperienced dancer. He probably knew she was and had asked her to dance with him as a way to tease her. He laughed along with her when she mis-stepped or tripped, he would catch her if she stumbled and they both joked around like the grown up kids there were at the time.

After the celebration was over and the elves had left and retired for the night, Legolas, Tauriel, and a few other fellow elves they had grown up with moved the party to a spot near the river where they stayed up all night drinking wine and being merry. It was one of the most treasured memories she had of her youth. Being surrounded by comrades and enjoying the beauty of the forest around them, not having a care in the world. They all were beyond inebriated, not knowing their limits with being so young and inexperienced with wine. No harm was done; they slept beneath the starts that night with the sound of the river rushing beside them. It was a night she would never forget. Also, a morning she would not soon forget either as they all awoke with terrible hangovers and a certain Elven King observing them with a look of disapproval and a hint of amusement. Legolas had been slightly embarrassed at his behavior and for allowing himself to become so drunk as to not being able to walk back to the palace that night, but as he would later say to Tauriel during a late breakfast, he regretted none of it and admitted it had been one of the best nights of his existence.

Those fellow comrades they had spent the night drinking and making merry with were all now fellow warriors, brothers in arms. Legolas was no longer the carefree prince, having assumed many responsibilities once he entered into adulthood, there were no more nights of drinking and merry making with fellow friends beneath the stars beside the river. Tauriel had grown up into a young woman and also faced many challenges and obstacles in becoming what she was today.

Bringing herself back to the present, Tauriel began making her way to the gardens below. She knew what she felt for the Prince was inappropriate for one of her station. He was meant for a noble princess, an elleth much like the Lady Arwen. Had the daughter of Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrian not been involved with Aragorn, Tauriel would have betted that Thranduil would have attempted a betrothal for his son and the Lady Arwen. Legolas would never allow his father to prevail, for he felt nothing but friendship and respect for the Lady Arwen, who in many ways was like a sister to him.

Tauriel had suspected the Prince's affections toward her were greater than that of friendship. The thought made her heart beat fast, her stomach to do flips, and her breath to escape her lungs. She had never encountered anybody else that made her feel like this. She knew what this feeling was, but the words of her King kept echoing in the back of her mind whenever she dwelled upon these feelings.

"I know you are there. Why do you linger in the shadows?"

"I was coming to report to you."

"I thought I had ordered that nest to be destroyed not two moons past."

"We cleared the forest as ordered my Lord, but more spiders keep coming up from the South. They are spawning in the ruins of Dol Goldur. If we could kill them at their source—"

"That fortress lied beyond our borders; keep our lands clear of those foul creatures. That is your task."

"And when we drive them off what then? Will they not spread to other lands?"

"Other lands are not my concern. The fortunes of the world will rise and fall, but here in this kingdom we will endure….Legolas said you fought well today. He has grown very fond of you."

"I assure you my Lord, Legolas thinks of no more of me than as Captain of the Guard."

"Perhaps he did once…Now I am not so sure."

"I do not think you would allow your son to pledge himself to a lowly silven elf."

"No. You are right. I would not. Still, he cares about you. Do not give him hope where there is none."

….Do not give him hope where there is none.

Tauriel sighed, those words echoed in her mind. She had been given an order and as her King, she was obligated to obey. That did not stop her from remaining a loyal and true companion to Legolas. They both were aware of the King's displeasure of how close they were. The King had not the power to control how they felt. At times, their relationship was complicated. Having to appear cordial and professional in the presence of the King and his subjects, but when it was just the two of them, Legolas and Tauriel went back to their old ways of interacting; as two young children who were sneaking out to explore the forest. They had to be careful to not raise suspicion. They never acknowledged that what they felt for the other ran much deeper than friendship. They understood, but never acknowledged it openly. And that is how it had to be.

Tauriel had lost track of time during her reflections on the past. The sun had risen into the valley. The fog had dissipated from the rivers and streams, and the grass was covered in dew. Birds had stared their morning chorus, and she could see that a few elves were walking about the courtyards. In the distance on one of the many bridges, she could see a gathering of what appeared to be children…human children? Nay, they had pointed ears and large hairy feet. They were hobbits. Tauriel never recalled seeing a hobbit before. Similar in size to dwarves, but lacking the beard and gruffness, they had short curly hair and warm kind faces. One of the hobbits, a plump one with curly dark blonde hair, elbowed his comrades beside him and pointed in her direction. They took a moment to observe her before they all waved cheerfully in her direction.

Smiling at their eager waves, she returned the gesture. Deciding that she had spent enough time lazing about the gardens, she opted to return inside and see what else there was to discover.

Legolas was surprised to see when he entered the dining courtyard that many tables were occupying the joyous laughter and voices of many dwarves and hobbits and elves. At one table, he recognized one dwarf he had encountered nearly sixty years ago. A much aged Gloin was chatting lively with an elderly hobbit. Making the connection, he realized those two were a part of Thorin Oakenshield's company. Sitting beside Gloin was a gruff looking red- haired dwarf. He was stout and grumpy looking. His beard matched his hair and part of it was braided into two braids. Legolas found the custom of dwarves braiding their beards to be amusing. He chuckled at the image that came to mind of a dwarf standing before a mirror trying to braid that chaos of facial hair into and orderly braid. He supposed they braided their beards for the same purpose that some elves braided their own hair, to keep it contained and out of the way.

Shrugging the thought away, Legolas was waved over by Aragorn and the twins to join them at the table where Lord Elrond, Gandalf, and the Lady Arwen were seated at.

"Good morning mellon-nin!" Elrohir had greeted.

"I trust that you slept well?" Elladan was next to greet him.

Chuckling, Legolas seated himself near Aragorn and the twins. Arwen was seated with her brothers, directly across from Aragorn, often exchanging warm smiles with him which he returned. Elrond and Gandalf were engaged in a deep discussion, so they paid no attention to the younger elves and human down the table.

"Aye, I did. It was a much welcome rest. However, when I climbed into bed, I discovered pinecones under the blanket and pillow. Would you know anything about that Elladan? Elrohir?" Legolas cast an accusing glance towards the twins who were trying very hard to contain themselves.

"Ah ha ha…errr, Pinecones?" Elrohir cast a wicked glance to his twin as he threw a berry into his mouth.

"Indeed! What an odd thing to find in one's bed." Elladan frowned in mock confusion. He bit his knuckle to stifle laughter.

Legolas reached into his pocket and pulled out two pinecones, chucking them at the twins who caught them before they could collide with their face's, "I believe those belong to you mellon-nins."

No longer able to contain themselves, the twins erupted in laughter. Aragorn chuckled slightly watching the friendly exchange. Across from him, Arwen shaking her head in what appeared to be disapproval in a way that mimicked her father, but for those who looked closely could see that there was a hint of laughter in her eyes and a smile that graced her lips. Legolas joined in the laughter; he knew the twins liked to cause mischief with him whenever he visited. It was all just a bit of fun, harmless really. One of the reasons he enjoyed their company was because they were such jokesters. They could always get a good laugh from him.

Looking up, Elladan's breathe hitched in excitement, "Legolas, your love is coming this way."

Legolas ceased laughing and turned around to see Tauriel emerging from the gardens. Turning to point a warning finger at the twins he threatened, "Not another word from you two."

Arwen perked up upon hearing her brother's accusation, "What does he speak about Legolas?" She looked to Aragorn for answers, but he just shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. "Are you courting somebody?" She smiled fondly at him.

Legolas sighed, he had not wished for gossip to spread, and at this rate if they kept bringing it up, that was sure to happen. Politely, he replied, "No, no. I am not courting anybody. Elladan and Elrohir just need to learn to keep their mouths silent." Legolas delivered an icy glare towards the twins.

The twins were not subdued, "Hahahaha. You are looking more and more like your father every day. Save that expression for the council meeting. Everybody will think you are Thranduil."

Legolas smirked, at a loss for words; he just lowered his hand and turned to greet Tauriel. Standing to acknowledge her, he offered her a chair between himself and Arwen. "Tauriel, I would like to introduce you to some dear friends of mine." He introduced her to Arwen, the twins, and Aragorn greeted her having already met her a few years ago when he last visited Legolas in Mirkwood.

Tauriel was pleased to meet people from Legolas' past. These people had known him for far longer than she had, and she was hoping to get to know them well. She was happy to see Aragorn again, he was a familiar face and she recalled that they both shared an interest in the healing arts as well as that of being a warrior. The twins were delightful. They made her feel welcomed and were sure to ask her many questions to keep her engaged in the conversation. Arwen had taken an immediate liking to the red-haired she-elf. After centuries of having only her brothers, father, Aragorn, and occasionally Legolas around, it was nice to socialize with somebody of her own gender.

Tauriel finished with her breakfast of fresh fruit and bread. She slowly sipped her tea as she listened to the twins tell a story of one of their pranks they did when Aragorn was a child and Legolas was very young. This particular prank involved Aragorn setting loose the chickens in Lord Elrond's library while the twins chased them into Lord Elrond's study. Legolas had hid himself on the roof keeping lookout. By the time they had finished, Tauriel had a vivid picture of a very unamused Elrond in her mind with chickens all over his study.

Laughing, Aragorn spoke, "And the best part was that one of the hens decided to lay an egg in Ada's desk chair, and when Ada went to remove the hen, she kept trying to bite him because she was trying to protect her egg."

Tauriel and the rest of the table laughed in delight. Elrond overheard them and joined in the conversation, "That was a nightmare; I had you boys running all over the place retrieving chickens. They were at it for hours. It was a terrible mess after they had finished." Elrond chuckled slightly at the memory, "At the time, I was not amused on being at the receiving end of my son's pranks. However after that incident, I believe I had them convinced to avoid the temptation again in the future."

Tauriel learned forward, interested to hear more, "What did you do to have them so convinced?"

Groans of displeasure reached her ears as she looked to see the twins, Aragorn, and Legolas had bowed their heads upon the memory.

Elrond chuckled, "After I had them clean the mess made by the escaped chickens, I had them clean the chicken coops daily for a month. The servants were given a break as they got to watch their lords complete their work."

"And I take it they learned their lessons?" She looked expectantly at the men.

Elladan and Elrohir looked up and spoke in unison, "Never again."

Aragorn chuckled, "That didn't stop them from trying to get me to doing their dirty work for their other pranks however. Perhaps that is why I was such a troublesome child, Ada, it was Elladan and Elrohir that made me do it."

Elrond raised his eyebrows, "I will agree that they are the instigators in most cases," he cast a glance at the twins who smiled sheepishly, "However, you let yourself be involved with their troublemaking. That is all by your own choice my son." Elrond said with mirth in his ancient eyes.

Gandalf took a sip of his goblet and stated, "It is usually the start of many great adventures as well. Friends do not let their friends fall into trouble alone. They take their burdens and make it also their own."

Elvish Translations:

Mellon nin: my friend

Ada: Dad