A/N: R&R! Remember to read my review rules! Oh, in case you did not know,
today is Elijah Woods' 22nd Birthday. Happy Birthday, Elijah!
Legolas walked briskly away from the clearing. He smiled as he thought about Rhiannon's sweet face. 'I love her so,' he thought to himself.
After about 10 minutes, Legolas exited the forest and stepped on the palace grounds. Unfortunately, he arrived at the wrong time. "Now, ladies, I really do not know where the prince is. Perhaps in a while he will arrive," he heard a voice say. Legolas smiled when he realized it was Elihor, one of his close friends. However, his smile quickly turned into a frown when he realized that a group of noblewomen had surrounded Elihor.
He quickly turned around and started walking in the other direction, praying to Valar that the women had not seen him. Unfortunately, one lady spotted him and cried, "Why, Prince Legolas, where have you been this whole evening?" in a honey dripped voice.
Legolas spun around to see the group of young maidens rushing toward him with concern etched on their faces. He pasted a phony smile on his fair elven face. "Good afternoon, miladies. How do you fair on this fine summer afternoon.
Naleese, the supposed leader of the group, walked up to Legolas and placed a hand on his chest. "I am fine, my prince. However, the question is, how do you fair? I have heard awful rumors that you are to be joined with Lady Rhiannon," she said, wrinkling her nose.
Legolas was surprised. Were the rumors true? "I assure you, Lady Naleese, that I have no knowledge of the joint at all," he said, covering his astonishment expertly. "Now if you ladies will excuse me, I am being summoned to a meeting with my father." With that said, Legolas walked past the small band of girls and started toward his father's study.
Elihor soon caught up with Legolas. "So, are the rumors true? Are you really with Lady Rhiannon now?" he said sneakily as he looked at the young prince.
"No, Eli. Actually I don't really know," Legolas replied, looking at his friend.
After a while, Legolas said, "Thank you Eli for coping with the elven maidens. I am truly sorry that you must deal with them too."
"No problem, Legolas. In fact, I rather like having all the rest of the elves look at me enviously when the girls chase me up and down the halls. Of course, I do not tell them that their real purpose is to get a hold of you," he replied cheekily.
By this time, the pair reached the door to the king's study. "I am going to speak to my father right now, Eli. I shall see you later," Legolas turned to his friend.
"Yes, Legolas. I shall be at the archery fields if you wish to see me," Eli smiled to his companion and left.
Legolas watched Eli leave and knocked on the door.
"Enter," a voice boomed from the other side.
Legolas turned the brass doorknob and entered the room. He saw Lord Lamberro, Rhiannon's father, and his father, King Thranduil, discussing something of importance at the oaken desk in the center of the room.
His father's study never ceased to amaze Legolas. The room looked exactly like it always did but Legolas felt something special in the room, something he could not describe. When he was a boy, he told his father this feeling, Thranduil would just chuckle and say, "Aye, Legolas, I felt it when I was your age too. The feeling is the feeling when you know that this room shall be yours one day."
Torches all around the room brightened the usually dim room. The books all along the wall glimmered as the flames of the torches flickered from side to side. Legolas looked up at the ceiling and stared at a painted scene from the War of the Ring.
Legolas was so entranced by the room that he did not notice the lord and the king had stopped talking and were now looking at him with amusement. King Thranduil cleared his throat.
Legolas immediately snapped out of his trance and looked at his father.
King Thranduil got out of his chair and approached Legolas. "Ah, Legolas. I see you have not lost your boyish wonder of this room. But you Legolas, you are growing fast. I shall soon be retreating to the Havens. Until I do, however, I shall see to it that you marry and share the throne with someone. Have you considered anyone?"
Legolas shook his head, knowing that he had just lied to his father. But if his father had asked him the question but a few years ago, Legolas would have been able to answer truthfully. Legolas really did not want to be committed to someone forever. He did not like the responisibility on his shoulder, knowing that every fair maiden in the city wanted his crown. But after uniting with Rhiannon again, Legolas felt safe and happy. Rhiannon made him laugh, made him happy, and above all, made him love. Legolas loved Rhiannon and there was no doubt about that in his heart.
But he never proclaimed his love for fear of rejection. True, Rhiannon was older than him but only by 500 years! Hopefully, other elves would find no problem in that (Elves looked down to the marriage of an older woman with a younger man)?
King Thranduil chuckled and said, "Surely you must have? I see Lady Naleese and her flock of friends would be likely companions?"
Legolas' eyes nearly popped out of his head. King Thranduil can not possibly consider that.that. thorn to be his bride and ruler of Mirkwood. Legolas hastily shook his head. King Thranduil smiled at this and started again. "Or perhaps Lady Rhiannon? I have heard from many that you are often seen with her in the forest or gardens. And she is a mere 500 years older than you, there is no need to fret over that. Am I not right, Lord Lamberto?"
The lord smiled and said, "Yes I have heard the same from Kaylyn. I approve of the match, also."
King Thranduil turned back to his son. "What do you say to that, my dear son?"
Legolas fought down the eagerness creeping up his throat. "Well, I will have to think about this. Have you asked Lady Rhiannon herself?" Even though Legolas was too excited to have this match settled, he did not want to force Rhia into the marriage if she did not want to.
"No, we haven't. But if you will consider the match, then we will ask her," King Thranduil, knowing that deep inside, Legolas wanted to marry Rhiannon.
"If that is what you wish, Ada," a smile creeping on Legolas' fair face. "If that is all, I shall leave."
"Yes, you are dismissed," King Thranduil said with a wave of his hand.
Legolas walked out of the room and closed the door behind him with a big grin on his face.
Legolas walked briskly away from the clearing. He smiled as he thought about Rhiannon's sweet face. 'I love her so,' he thought to himself.
After about 10 minutes, Legolas exited the forest and stepped on the palace grounds. Unfortunately, he arrived at the wrong time. "Now, ladies, I really do not know where the prince is. Perhaps in a while he will arrive," he heard a voice say. Legolas smiled when he realized it was Elihor, one of his close friends. However, his smile quickly turned into a frown when he realized that a group of noblewomen had surrounded Elihor.
He quickly turned around and started walking in the other direction, praying to Valar that the women had not seen him. Unfortunately, one lady spotted him and cried, "Why, Prince Legolas, where have you been this whole evening?" in a honey dripped voice.
Legolas spun around to see the group of young maidens rushing toward him with concern etched on their faces. He pasted a phony smile on his fair elven face. "Good afternoon, miladies. How do you fair on this fine summer afternoon.
Naleese, the supposed leader of the group, walked up to Legolas and placed a hand on his chest. "I am fine, my prince. However, the question is, how do you fair? I have heard awful rumors that you are to be joined with Lady Rhiannon," she said, wrinkling her nose.
Legolas was surprised. Were the rumors true? "I assure you, Lady Naleese, that I have no knowledge of the joint at all," he said, covering his astonishment expertly. "Now if you ladies will excuse me, I am being summoned to a meeting with my father." With that said, Legolas walked past the small band of girls and started toward his father's study.
Elihor soon caught up with Legolas. "So, are the rumors true? Are you really with Lady Rhiannon now?" he said sneakily as he looked at the young prince.
"No, Eli. Actually I don't really know," Legolas replied, looking at his friend.
After a while, Legolas said, "Thank you Eli for coping with the elven maidens. I am truly sorry that you must deal with them too."
"No problem, Legolas. In fact, I rather like having all the rest of the elves look at me enviously when the girls chase me up and down the halls. Of course, I do not tell them that their real purpose is to get a hold of you," he replied cheekily.
By this time, the pair reached the door to the king's study. "I am going to speak to my father right now, Eli. I shall see you later," Legolas turned to his friend.
"Yes, Legolas. I shall be at the archery fields if you wish to see me," Eli smiled to his companion and left.
Legolas watched Eli leave and knocked on the door.
"Enter," a voice boomed from the other side.
Legolas turned the brass doorknob and entered the room. He saw Lord Lamberro, Rhiannon's father, and his father, King Thranduil, discussing something of importance at the oaken desk in the center of the room.
His father's study never ceased to amaze Legolas. The room looked exactly like it always did but Legolas felt something special in the room, something he could not describe. When he was a boy, he told his father this feeling, Thranduil would just chuckle and say, "Aye, Legolas, I felt it when I was your age too. The feeling is the feeling when you know that this room shall be yours one day."
Torches all around the room brightened the usually dim room. The books all along the wall glimmered as the flames of the torches flickered from side to side. Legolas looked up at the ceiling and stared at a painted scene from the War of the Ring.
Legolas was so entranced by the room that he did not notice the lord and the king had stopped talking and were now looking at him with amusement. King Thranduil cleared his throat.
Legolas immediately snapped out of his trance and looked at his father.
King Thranduil got out of his chair and approached Legolas. "Ah, Legolas. I see you have not lost your boyish wonder of this room. But you Legolas, you are growing fast. I shall soon be retreating to the Havens. Until I do, however, I shall see to it that you marry and share the throne with someone. Have you considered anyone?"
Legolas shook his head, knowing that he had just lied to his father. But if his father had asked him the question but a few years ago, Legolas would have been able to answer truthfully. Legolas really did not want to be committed to someone forever. He did not like the responisibility on his shoulder, knowing that every fair maiden in the city wanted his crown. But after uniting with Rhiannon again, Legolas felt safe and happy. Rhiannon made him laugh, made him happy, and above all, made him love. Legolas loved Rhiannon and there was no doubt about that in his heart.
But he never proclaimed his love for fear of rejection. True, Rhiannon was older than him but only by 500 years! Hopefully, other elves would find no problem in that (Elves looked down to the marriage of an older woman with a younger man)?
King Thranduil chuckled and said, "Surely you must have? I see Lady Naleese and her flock of friends would be likely companions?"
Legolas' eyes nearly popped out of his head. King Thranduil can not possibly consider that.that. thorn to be his bride and ruler of Mirkwood. Legolas hastily shook his head. King Thranduil smiled at this and started again. "Or perhaps Lady Rhiannon? I have heard from many that you are often seen with her in the forest or gardens. And she is a mere 500 years older than you, there is no need to fret over that. Am I not right, Lord Lamberto?"
The lord smiled and said, "Yes I have heard the same from Kaylyn. I approve of the match, also."
King Thranduil turned back to his son. "What do you say to that, my dear son?"
Legolas fought down the eagerness creeping up his throat. "Well, I will have to think about this. Have you asked Lady Rhiannon herself?" Even though Legolas was too excited to have this match settled, he did not want to force Rhia into the marriage if she did not want to.
"No, we haven't. But if you will consider the match, then we will ask her," King Thranduil, knowing that deep inside, Legolas wanted to marry Rhiannon.
"If that is what you wish, Ada," a smile creeping on Legolas' fair face. "If that is all, I shall leave."
"Yes, you are dismissed," King Thranduil said with a wave of his hand.
Legolas walked out of the room and closed the door behind him with a big grin on his face.