Fifteen Years

Disclaimer: This is not my garden. I just play in it.

Still not entirely happy with this chapter, but lets just get it out of the way so we can get to the fun stuff.

Fifteen Years in Lothlorien

Part Three: Princely Manipulation

Legolas strolled beneath the green trees, humming to himself. The day was clear and bright, although the trees whispered that spring rains would fall soon. Sensing he was not alone, he turned quickly, his knives coming easily to his hands. As soon as he glimpsed the silvery blond elleth traipsing through the forest, he stopped. "Hail, Mirie. How are you this fine day?"

"I am well, my prince." She replied, a genuine smile lighting her face, before she allowed to fall into a furrowed frown. "I have only a few days left to enjoy the beauty of the wood, and am trying to experience all I can of it."

Legolas noted the frown. "A few days? Are you leaving, Mirie?"

She nodded. "Oh yes. The time for the exchange has come again, and I am bartered to Imladris."

"It's beautiful there." Legolas replied soothingly, settling onto the grass, his back to a strong oak tree. "The waterfalls are glorious, like nothing you've ever seen."

Mirie sighed softly, settling beside him. "Yes, I suppose. It's hard to believe I've already been here forty-five years, isn't it? It seems like only yesterday that I rode through that archway and knelt before your father."

Legolas stroked her hair, letting the silvery strands slip through his fingers, and she laid down, resting her head on his thigh. "You will see us again, Mirie. Ada can always bargain you back next exchange."

She shook her head. "I was promised to return to the Lord of Lothlorien in sixty years, and truthfully, as beautiful as it is here, I miss Lorien. It is my home. Still, this has been a grand adventure. I wouldn't have traded it for four hundred years in Lorien."

Legolas laughed softly. "You call waiting on us hand and foot an adventure?"

Mirie turned her head and smiled wickedly before lowering her lips to breathe hot air through the thin fabric of his trousers. "Well, no true adventure is entirely without challenges."

He moaned as she breathed again, this time higher up.

"Just imagine, Legolas. I am... a lover, a healer, a musician, a friend, and even a confidant. I am all of these things, to all of you." She nibbled slightly at his thigh, raising her head when he moaned. "How many others could claim such?"

Legolas reached to tangle a hand into the silvery flow of hair, trying to listen to what she was saying. "Dear Mirie. Whatever will we do without you?"

She slid her mouth up to the laces of his trousers. "You'll enjoy whoever comes along to take my place. It is Lord Elrond's turn to send a female, and I hear that the females of Imladris are beyond compare."

Legolas had to admit that at the moment, he didn't think any could compare to Mirie, as she began to pull his trouser laces free with her teeth.

Then she paused and raised her head. "I will do well in Imladris. It is Ferdal whom I worry for."

Legolas gasped as she stopped. Quickly, he moved to open his trousers for her himself, pulling his slowly hardening length free of the fabric. "Ferdal? Why do you worry for Ferdal?"

"He will be traded to Lorien." Mirie said softly, her lips lightly brushing the tip of Legolas' erection. "He's not been away from your father since taking the collar."

Legolas sighed as she at last lowered her lips firmly, kissing his length with soft, seeking kisses. "Ahhhhh. Hmmmm. Yes, but what about the grand adventure? He won't want to miss that..."

Mirie slipped her tongue up the underside of the beautiful organ before her, tracing the veins lightly. "I don't know, Prince. Ferdal is more fragile than he appears, I think."

She slowly closed her mouth over him, sucking him deeply into her mouth and stroking him with a seeking tongue. Legolas groaned. "Mirie..."

"Hmmmmmmm?" She hummed softly, stroking him harder and moving her hand to take what remained of his length into her grasp.

"Don't talk anymore. Please." Legolas moaned and tilted his head back, reaching his fingers to stroke her hair.

She complied willingly, her lips and hands moving in unison, as Legolas leaned back on the greensward and lost himself in the green canopy above and the sensations raging through him from below. Delicious heat washed through him, and he sighed as Mirie worked her magic, moving faster and faster, her tongue sliding over him and around him. He nearly yelped as she tightened her fist and sucked hard, bringing him deep into her throat. Taking her face in his hands, he thrust against her, feeling himself building to his climax.

As he came, his harsh moans echoing into the forest, she swallowed around him, caressing him as he pumped himself into her in fluid waves. Ever so slowly, she raised her head, licking the last of his fluids into her mouth and smiling up at him.

Gently, she patted him and tucked him back into his trousers, carefully lacing them up for him before lying back and placing her head once more on his thigh. She lifted his fingers and kissed them. "Besides, for any other Elf in society, this sort of activity would be utterly unthinkable."

Legolas laughed at her before lifting her hand to his lips. "And is there anything I can do for you, Mirie?"

She pushed herself upright and stretched gently. "Ah, you already have, my prince. I have an appointment with Plenet in a few hours, and I had despaired of finding anything this day that would whet my appetite, so to speak."

Legolas watched as she stood, admiring her slender figure. Then she looked down at him sadly. "You realize, my prince, that Ferdal is in love with your father? That he has given his heart and soul to him, although I don't think either of them ever meant for it to happen?"

Legolas nodded. "I knew his affection for my father ran deep. I had not realized how much so."

Mirie looked at him seriously for a moment and then smiled. "But perhaps you are right, and I am wrong. Only time will tell."

With that she turned and slipped back into the forest, pausing only to give him a brief wave as the greensward enclosed her form. Legolas sighed in satisfaction. There were far worse ways to spend a spring afternoon, he thought to himself.

But he found himself troubled by Mirie's words. Legolas had seldom given thought to the Courtesans; where they had come from, what their lives were like, how they had come to be such. He only knew they had always been there, entertaining at social functions, providing amusement and respite from the complications of running a kingdom, offering their bodies and their laughter to improve the lives of the Lords and Ladies they served.

Mirie had said she was promised to return to Celeborn in Lorien in fifteen years when the exchange came again. Would such an agreement be made for Ferdal, he wondered? Or would Ferdal be forced away from the home he loved, and the king he adored to suffer in a foreign land with no promise of respite?

The thought saddened Legolas, and he felt the tree he rested against respond with a surge of sympathy and warmth. Laughing, he pushed himself to his feet and patted the sturdy bark. Forced to suffer in Lorien? Valar help Legolas, he rather thought that visiting Lorien instead of endlessly tagging about his brothers orders seemed like a capital idea.

The wind was picking up, the promise of a spring rain on the air as he turned from the wood and made his way back under the palace archway. If he had looked up, just at that moment, he would have seen a glint of silver in the window of King Thranduil's study. As it was, just as he reached the huge double doors, Maeldor pushed them open from inside and stepped out, bow in hand.

"Mae Govannen, Legolas! I'm off to shoot something. Care to join me?"

Legolas gave his brother a grin. "Bad day, brother?"

"Ada is rampaging. Nothing anyone does pleases him." Maeldor gave his cheery younger brother a keen look. "Something seems to have pleased you, however. Come, tell me about it while we..."

"LEGOLAS!" Thranduil's voice boomed from inside the main hallway. "My Study! Immediately!"

"Too late." Maeldor gave him a sympathetic smile. "Good luck." With that, the heir of Mirkwood dashed down the steps and out the archway without a backward glance.

Legolas frowned, wracking his mind. Whatever could have Ada so upset? The morning tryst with Ferdal perhaps? But he hadn't seemed to mind at the time. Legolas made his way slowly down the hall, trying to figure out what he might have done. Finally, certain he understood the complaint, he made his way to the study and knocked softly.

"Legolas!" His father's voice rang out and he pushed the door open. Resplendent in dark blue robes, the king sat at his wide marble carved desk glaring up at his son. "SIT down."

Legolas sat, and held up his hands palm out, "Ada, I can explain."

"Explain! Explain? All right then. Explain!" Thranduil snapped, trying to keep the smirk that threatened to quirk his upper lip from his face.

"Well, Maeldor thought there were eighteen cases of last years berry wine left. Only I knew there were only sixteen, because I let my guard unit have an extra two cases for Winter Festival. So, I changed the labels on the new cases to match last years." Legolas paused, watching his father's eyes narrow. For some reason, he kept glancing towards the far balcony. "I didn't mean any harm, Ada. I put them on the bottom so they would age properly before anyone got to them..."

"Ah, I see." Thranduil said slowly. "So, that is your confession. You changed the labels on my best wine? After giving two cases to your guard."

"Yes." Legolas confessed, head high.

"Well, that is quite interesting, as I had no idea about that. But you can spend tomorrow helping Siviel inventory the entire wine supply."

Legolas' head jerked as his father's words sunk in, a rock forming in the pit of his stomach. "You...didn't know?"

"No. What I did know," and Thranduil's eyes grew dark and his voice was once again stormy, "Is that I've had enough of you fornicating your way through my court! I've just had a word with Eferell! He claims he is too tired and sore to ride to the north borders today. I am guessing THAT was from your little dalliance before dinner last night?"

Legolas felt the heat rising in his face. He didn't think they'd been THAT energetic! Although, he had to admit to being a little sore himself today. He said the first thing that came to mind. "Oh."

"Oh?" Thranduil sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "You not only disrupt my entire household with unseemly caterwalling and squeeling and arriving late for dinner, but also put a guard out of commission for the day, and the best you can say is 'oh'?"

Fortunately, Legolas managed to not say the next thing that came to his mind, which was 'It was worth it'. Instead he managed, "I am sorry, Ada."

"Not half as sorry as you will be! No more, Princeling. Do you understand me?"

He didn't. "No more what, exactly, Ada?"

"Dallying! Trysting! Playing! Messing about! NONE. No elleths, no ellon. Not even Mirie! Do I make myself clear?"

"What about Imliere?" Legolas blurted before remembering whom he was speaking to.

"Not her either." Thranduil gave his son a sour frown as Legolas' eyes widened in dismay. "I am tired of having my entire court disrupted for your pleasure. So much as a whisper from anyone about any fornicating about and I will personally have you castrated!"

The king emphasized his words with a slicing motion of his left hand.

Legolas flushed, clenching his hands over his lap as he gasped in horror. "You wouldn't!"

Thranduil kept his blustering tone, "I don't really need more grandchildren, do I?"

Legolas didn't have an answer to that and wisely sat still, staring hard at the golden trim on Thranduil's robe, listening to his own heart thud in his chest.

"Oh, you're right." Thranduil sighed with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I probably wouldn't. Probably."

Despite having known Thranduil his entire life, Legolas was still never quite certain when he was joking, and remained silent.

Thranduil made a dismissive gesture with both hands. "Now, go on. Get out of my sight. And keep it under your robes!"

Legolas needed no more encouragement and slipped out, the door closing heavily behind him. Leaning his back against the cool stone wall, he took a deep breath. No sex? Not even with Imliere? None at all? Shooting a deadly glare at the door, he strode away, hoping to catch up with Maeldor. He had a sudden desire to shoot something.

Behind the closed doors, Mirie slipped in from the balcony and collapsed to the rug in waves of helpless laughter. "Oh, My Lord! His face! When you said you would...oh... oh dear."

Thranduil smirked at his beautiful courtesan as she laughed until the tears streamed down her face and she was gasping for air. "It was a rather priceless moment. And now I know why the wine inventory didn't match, as well."

Mirie wiped her tears from her face, tossing back her hair and straightening her simple gown. "Now, we begin stage two of our battle. But first, I had best find poor Eferell and explain what we've done."

Thranduil smiled and gestured to the door. "Lead on, Mirie, Queen of Courtesans."

Again, Special Thank Yous to:

Manitou: for being a willing research assistant.

Emmess, Nikkiling, TJ, and Min! Thank you so much! :D

Sorry, there was more het in this chapter. I'll try to do better, but that Mirie is just such a randy little thing!