In Twilight

A/N: Another big thanks to Ilye for beta reading!
I know Estel sounds somewhat old for a ten-year-old, but I played it off as him being too observant for is own good. I figured since Estel would eventually become chief of the Northern Dunedain, he would be very observant of those around him and take note of their actions and words; he's much more intelligent than people think him to be in this story.
The next chapter will begin to delve into book canon, just so you all know.

/ / denotes thoughts.
~~~~~~~~~~ denotes changes in scene or POV.

Chapter 11: Lessons from Lovers
Summary: Legolas and his siblings are returning for their agreed-upon visit as a young Estel wonders what is keeping his eldest foster brother in such high spirits; it couldn’t hurt to ask, could it?

There he went again, practically skipping down the halls in glee, dark hair breezing around him as he rushed down to his room to change from robes to leggings. There was a childish playfulness that had not been seen on his face for quite some time. He ignored everything and everyone in his path, too immersed in this thoughts to take notice. Only once was he forced to stop, when a maid carrying a folded stack of linen suddenly appeared in his path. Too happy to feel angry at the intrusion on his joy, he kissed her playfully on the cheek before racing down the corridor, leaving the maid giggling knowingly at his behavior. He didn’t notice the pair of gray-blue eyes focused on him the entire time, not even after he had shut his door with a grin.

It was a sight he never expected to see among the elves, his foster family in particular. It had been days, and still Estel could not fathom what was keeping his eldest foster-brother in such high spirits. And this wasn’t the first time either. In his ten year liv living in Imladris, the young Dunedan had noticed Elladan’s gleeful behavior exactly once a year. Such playfulness was then replaced by a gloom countenance a few weeks later. And it always, always occurred either when the twins were scheduled to visit the forest of Mirkwood, or when Thranduil’s children were paying Imladris a visit. This time happened to be the former.

When it was announced at breakfast that the Mirkwood siblings would be paying their bi-yearly visit, beginning that day, Elladan had nearly upset the entire table as he shot up in his chair. A mix of happiness, surprise and another emotion Estel couldn’t read had flashed across his face before it was quickly masked. Yet, the third emotion had remained in his eyes as he settled back into his chair, and throughout the rest of the day. Judging by the looks on his foster-father and Elrohir’s faces, they knew just what it was that had raised Elladan’s spirits, but neither were willing to share at the meal. Estel had tried in vain to pry the information from Glorfindel and Erestor later that morning; both had remained tight-lipped and merely replied that he would find out soon. Soon wasn’t fast enough. He wanted to know now. Though he had decided against it at the start, Estel finally chose to ask Elronout out the matter. He would cave in after some persuasion--or so Estel thought.

“Ada?” Estel asked, cautiously sticking his head into Elrond’s study. The elven lord sat busy at his desk, quill poised above a sheet of parchment, when the sound of his foster-son’s voice reached his ears.

“Estel? What is it?” The lord of Imladris set down his quill, motioning for the boy to come closer. Shutting the door quietly behind him, Estel stepped into the room and towards the desk, which was overflowing with papers. Though always busy with some sort of work, Elrond seemed to make time for his children when they were in need of him. He could tell from the look in Estel’s eyes that the boy was curious about something, and had come to Elrond seeking out answers. Nimbly, Estel climbed into a chair opposite Elrond. He fumbled with his hands a moment before speaking.

“I wanted to ask you something, Ada.”

“About what?” Again, the young child fumbled with his hands, trying to find the right words to say.

“About Elladan.” The elven lord arched an eyebrow at the reply.

“What about Elladan, Estel?”

“Well, he was really happybreabreakfast when you said Arondil and the others would be visiting today. It started me thinking. Every year before he and Elrohir leave for Mird, od, or when Arondil and the others come here, he’s always really happy. And then, a few weeks later, he’s always really sad and gloomy. I don’t understand. I thought maybe you could tell me, Ada.” Elrond regarded his foster-son for some moments. Estel was unusually observant at times; if something seemed to be amiss, he was usually one of the first to realize it. The lord of Imladris had known that, one day, the young child would inquire about the relationship that existed between his eldest son and Thranduil’s youngest son--he just didn’t expect Estel to ask so soon. And, now that he had, Elrond found it rather difficult to explain the emotion of love to a human child. He decided to diverge from the answer and hope Estel would either forget about the matter or figure it out on his own.

“Estel, I’m not sure that…”

“My lord?” Two pairs of gray eyes turned towards the door at the sound of the voice. There stood Glorfindel, rolls of parchment in his arms. He looked as if he was in a hurry, and a bit frazzled.

“Yes, Glorfindel?”

“There are some important matters than cannot wait any longer for your opinion, my lord,” the Elda said, striding into the room and setting the rolls down upon Elrond’s desk.

“Your question will have to wait, Estel,” Elrond said with a sigh. “I’m afraid there are more pressing matters that require my attention at the moment.” With a nod, Estel rose from his seat, bowing to his foster-father and his advisor before leaving, shutting the door behind him.

“You have impeccable timing, melme.” His words caused Glorfindel to grin, and lay a kiss upon Elrond’s brow.

“I figured Estel would come to you, asking about Elladan’s reaction at breakfast this morning. He didn‘t get any answers from Erestor and I, so naturally you would have been the next person he would have asked.”

“So you come with a distraction. I thank you for that.” The Elda gave his lover another grin before unrolling a parchment.

“Thank me later. These documents really do need your approval.” Elrond sighed deeply, retrieving his quill and proceeding with the work, wondering what his children would be up to this day.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Elrohir?”

“In the stables, Estel.” He wandered into the stables to find the youngest of his foster brothers clearing out four empty stables--likely, Estel gathered, to be later occupied by the horses that bore the children of Thranduil. Moving to a corner, he perched himself upon a stool nearby, watching as Elrohir filled the stalls with rich hay for the horses.

“Something bothering you, Estel?” Elrohir asked without turning. Once the hay was piled, he then moved make sure everything else was settled.

“There’s something I wanted to ask you,” Estel began. “I tried asking Glorfindel and Erestor, but they didn’t give me an answer. Then I tried asking Ada, but he had work to do.”

“So you came to ask me. All right then, what is it you want to know?” Finished with the preparations, Elrohir turned to his foster-brother, regarding him carefully. The younger twin had, as of late, found Estel to be rather curious of a number of things. The young boy picked up on a number of things that, sometimes, the elves failed to take notice of.

“It’s about Elladan.”

“All right. What about Elladan?”

“Well…” Estel fumbled for a moment, picking at a loose thread on his sleeve. “When Ada said Arondil and his siblings would be visiting at breakfast, Elladan seemed really excited.”

“And you want to know why?” Estel nodded. “Well, Elladan is really looking forward to seeing Legolas again.”

“So am I. But, I don’t act like that.” He tilted his head in curiosity when he noticed the faint touch of a blush coming to Elrohir’s cheeks.

“Yes, but Elladan is excited in…um, a different way.”

“What kind of way?” lberlbereth, Elrohir could not believe he was having this conversation with Estel. He was beginning to understand why Glorfindel and Erestor had not answered the boy’s questions, and why his father suddenly took an interest in his overwhelming load of paperwork.

“Elladan and Legolas are…really good friends, Estel. And, they don’t see each other often. So, they sometimes get rather excited when they hear the other is going to be visiting.” Elrohir hoped his answer was enough for the boy. Apparently, it wasn’t. Estel adopted his ‘come to think of it’ look when a sudden thought occurred to him.

“You’re really good friends with Orophin, right, Elrohir?”

“Y-yes. What’s your point, Estel?” He did not like the turn this conversation was suddenly taking; when had the talk moved from Elladan onto himself? Elrohir hoped the sudden rush of heat he felt coming to his cheeks was not yet showing.

“Do you act that way when you hear he’s going to be visiting?”

“W-what makes you say that?!”

“Well, you said Elladan and Legolas are really good friends, so that’s why Elladan gets so excited when Legolas is visiting. I was just wondering if you felt the same way when Orophin pays a visit, or when you go to Lorien.” By now, Elrohir was blushing furiously in his embarrassment. If he had felt uncomfortable talking about his brother’s relationship with Legolas, he was feeling really edgy about his own relationship with the Galadhrim. He prayed to the Valar that something--anything--would occur to release him from such an awkward state.

“Elrohir! Estel!” The younger twin let out a loud sigh of relief at hearing his double’s voice call him; at the same moment, Estel sounded a grunt of frustration at having his conversation interrupted, again, before he received an answer. Following Elrohir out of the stable, they hurried to the entrance of the manor in time to see the Mirkwood siblings ride up with smiles on their faces; in their company was an old, gray-garmented wizard.

“Mithrandir!” Elrohir greeted. “Tis a pleasure to see you again!”

“And you, master Elrohir,” the Gray Pilgrim said, grinning from ear to ear as he dismounted from his gray steed. He chose not to take notice as Elladan helped Legolas down before the two shared a brief, concealed kiss. “And how are you this bright morn, Estel?”

“As well as I can be,” the boy replied. A pair of bushy eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

“Something troubles you this day, my young friend. Come, let us see if we can remedy it.” The wizard led the boy away for some privacy as Elladan turned to his twin.

“What was that all about?” he asked as stable hands and maids came to tend to the horses and luggage. Elrohir sighed, passing a hand over his face.

“Estel has been asking about you and Legolas,” he replied, eliciting a confused blink from the prince being mentioned. “I didn’t tell him anything, and neither did Ada, Glorfindel and Erestor. I ose ose now he’ll try to get an answer out of Mithrandir.” Elladan appeared thoughtful for a moment. He turned to his lover, a silent thought passing between them.

“We shall talk to him later,” Legolas said. “But, come. Let my siblings and I greet your father. Then we shall have a few moments to get reacquainted before we seek out Estel.” The twins nodded, following Legolas and his siblings into the manor.

~~~~~~~~~~

“And, I can’t get an answer out of anybody this morning. I keep getting interrupted before they reply, though I am beginning to get the feeling that they are all avoiding answering my questions on purpose. It is infuriating, Mithrandir!” The wizard listened to Estel’s heated conversation in silence. He, of course, knew what passed between Elrond’s eldest son and Legolas. He understood well why Elrond, his advisors and Elrohir had all avoided the boy’s questioning as best they could. If it were he in Estel’s place, Mithrandir knew he would be equally frustrated.

“Have you tried asking Elladan or Legolas?” Estel seemed to sigh in exasperation, lightly kicking a stone in his path out of the way.

“I haven’t had the chance. Elladan seemed too content this morning after the news to ruin his mood. And I only thought of something being unusual this morning, otherwise I would have asked Legolas before.” The boy stopped, first staring at the bright, clear sky before turning to the wizard. “Is it something I’m not supposed to know?”

“I do believe, Estel, that you shall learn the answers to your questions soon enough. Patience is a virtue, one you should be well acquainted with in all your years spent with the elves. They have a great deal of time before them, therefore they do not hurry when they do not see a need to.” He patted the boy’s shoulder affectionately. “Give it time, Estel. You might even receive your answers right…”

“Estel?”

“Now.” With a wistful smile, the wizard turnede ine inclined his head to the pair before making his way into the manor to speak with the lord of Imladris. Elladan and Legolas likewise bowed their heads briefly as they passed the wizard and made their way towards where Estel was waiting.

“Estel, I believe we need to talk,” Elladan said. The boy nodded, sitting on the overturned log behind him as Elladan’s gesture; the twin and the prince sat on the ground opposite Estel. For a few, uneasy moments the three remained silent. Finally, Elladan cleared his throat. “Estel, is there something you want to ask us?”

“Well…” He had achieved what he wanted, a chance to talk to Elladan and Legolas about their recently weird behavior. Now sitting before them, however, he found himself unable to come up with anything that sounded coherent. He decided to blurt it right out. “What’s been going on between you lately? You always act so different when Ada says Legolas is visiting. And then, when he leaves, you’re all depressed, and it takes forever to get you back to normal. And you, Legolas, are no better. Always very cheery when you first arrive, then glum before you leave. I just don’t get it.”

The elves squirmed at the end of Estel’s questioning. Somehow he had made the pair feel like elflings again, under the severe questioning of their parents after they had misbehaved. Estel was nothing more than a babe compared to them, and yet he had managed, in a few short sentences, to render the two princes and warriors speechless and uneasy. Elladan flashed gray orbs at his lover, hoping Legolas would speak and ease the silence. After a moment or two, the prince obliged.

“It’s a little complicated to explain, Estel,” Legolas began. “Elladan and I…well, we’re a little more than friends. There’s something between us that’s different from what goes on between Elrohir and I, or Elladan and my brother. It’s difficult to explain, Estel. It’s kind of like…”

“Kind of like what goes on between Ada and Glorfindel?” Estel interrupted.

“Well, yes,” Elladan replied. “Something like what goes on between Ada and Glor…how do you know about that anyway?” Both Elladan and Legolas seemed rather shocked; Estel had to stifle a giggle at the incredulous looks on their faces.

“They don’t always remember to lock the library doors.” The laughter poured out of the boy as he watched the blush stain Elladan’s cheeks, indicating the twin had also walked in on his father and the Elda. “Anyway,” Estel resumed after his giggled died down, “why didn’t you come right out and tell me what was going on? It would have made things so much simpler.”

“Well…you’re rather young, and we didn’t think…” Estel waved his foster-brother silent.

“Just because I’m a mere ten years of age doesn’t mean I don’t understand some of the workings of the world. Besides, if you haven’t noticed, I’m rather observant.” The elves nodded, knowing the last statement was true. They remained silent as Estel rose and brushed dried leaves clinging to his leggings. “Anyway, I’m happy for you both, and for myself for finally figuring this out. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go embarrass Elrohir some more and ask him about Orophin.” With a wide, dazzling grin, Estel set off, shouting Elrohir’s name as he raced for the stables, leaving the two lovers in quiet contemplation.

“What just happened?” Elladan asked after a time.

“I have no idea,” Legolas replied before giving his lover a smile. He leaned over to rest his head against Elladan’s shoulder. “I think Estel is more grown up for his age than we believe him to be. He is wise for one so young.”

“You mean a wise aleck He‘s much to observant, persistent and sarcastic for his own good.” Legolas tried not to laugh at the comment. “Still, I feel better now that he knows. I’m more certain now than ever that Estel will grow to be a wise ruler of his people.”

“As am I, anor-nîn.” Elladan leaned his head upon Legolas’, preg hig his temple on top of the golden crown as the lovers fell silent again, whiling the afternoon away. In the distance they could hear the exchange going on between Estel and a very embarrassed Elrohir, smiles crossing their faces as they imagined what was being discussed. The sun shone down on them, illuminating their hair and bathing them in light. They stayed that way for a while before Elladan felt compelled to join his foster-brother in hounding his young twin about Elrohir’s love life. Legolas followed with a mirthful smile, hoping to find some entertainment in the tirade.

Translations:
Ada-Father
Melme-Love
Anor-nîn-My sun