"You wanted to see me?"
"Legolas... have a seat."
"...Ada?"
The king pursed his lips.
"...Taen?"
"I... sit down, Legolas."
The prince drew back a chair—with an abnormally loud scraaape—and sat down across from his father and mentor. "Has something happened?"
Thranduil turned something over and over in his hands—a letter. "We have some bad news."
Taensirion fidgeted, which was unnerving in itself.
"...Yes?" No one was out on patrol right now, were they? Taensirion would look more upset if one of his friends was hurt.
Thranduil cleared his throat.
"Ada?"
"...King Amroth is... missing."
That... what?
"You should read it yourself," the king added, with a slight cough.
Legolas took the letter and read through it twice, face blank. "That... that... he..."
"Legolas," said Taensirion.
The prince looked up slowly.
The advisor reached across the table and took his hand. "Amroth is almost certainly dead. We thought you should hear it from us."
"...Oh."
Thranduil cleared his throat again. "I—I am so sorry, Legolas."
But Legolas stared at some empty spot over his head. "May I go now?"
The king nodded.
As soon as Legolas was out of the room, both Sindar slumped, Thranduil to pinch the bridge of his nose and Taensirion simply to put his head in his hands. "Oh, Eru, why?" murmured Taensirion.
"If I ever get ahold of that fool in another life..."
"It was his first time, was it not? His first time losing someone? Oh, Valar..." It was not like Taensirion to swear either.
"What—is wrong—with this world?"
It had to happen sometime...
Also, brace yourselves ;)
