Strong Bonds to Strong Wills

Chapter 3: The Ball and Many Riots

“There you are,” Elissa announced as she put the last finishing touch on Legolas’s last braid. She adjusted the silver gem-covered tiara on her sister’s head and smiled. “It’s all done.” Looking in the mirror in front of them to face Legolas, she added, “And you still are the most beautiful little girl I’ve ever seen.” And she was. Her hair shone as bright as the noon sun with her dress the color of the sea to match her eyes. Each lace was sewn perfectly, and the skirt of her dress would flow whenever she took a step.

Legolas sheepishly smiled. “Thank you, Elissa,” she said. “You did a very good job with my hair. The braids look absolutely adorable.”

“Mother taught me,” Elissa said. “She taught me all I needed to know about hair. When you’re older, I’ll show you what she showed me.”

The door of Legolas’s room opened and an elven servant poked his head in. “The ball starts in ten minutes. The king requests that you all line up at the stairs of the ballroom.”

“Thank you,” Elissa acknowledged. “We will be there.” She turned to Legolas and smiled. “This will be the first ball you’ve attended. Nervous?”

“A little.”

“May I warn you, there will be men attending. Father has invited people of all kinds here. There even might be some dwarves here as well, but I am not too sure of that.”

“I see.”

“Come, I think the boys have already lined up.”


^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^


Legolas stepped up to stand next to Illiphir. Illiphir turned to her and smiled. “Ready?” he asked. Legolas vigorously nodded, excited for this was her first big party ever.

Legolas then could hear a faint voice of the herald call out to all the public in the ballroom. “Ladies and gentlemen! May I present King Thranduil!”

Thranduil, who was at the front of the line, slowly descended the stairs. Silence filled the ballroom as everyone bowed. He walked over to the royal table located at the side of the room and sat in the head chair.

“Crown Prince Melenor and Prince Naraden!”

Melenor and Naraden walked out as a pair down the stairs to join their father at the table.

“Prince Darion and Princess Elissa!”

Elissa had hooked her hand around Darion’s arm as he escorted her down the stairs.

Legolas held her breath as her turn was drawing hear.

“Prince Kuellen and Prince Galassen!”

Illiphir looked at Legolas and whispered, “Just relax. Everything will be fine.”

“Prince Illiphir and Princess Legolas!”

With her hand hooked around Illiphir’s offered arm, Illiphir led her down the stairs of the ballroom. Legolas tried to ignore all of the wondrous and lustful stares from the single males of all the races in the room. Illiphir also noticed this and placed his other hand on top of Legolas’s for reassurance. He led her to the table and helped her sit before sitting down himself.

When all of his children have been seated, Thranduil stood up and addressed the crowd. “My friends,” he boomed. “I am happy that all of you have been able to attend this joyous party. We will have a great feast that I am sure all of you will enjoy, and there will also be lots of entertainment. Let us begin.”


^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^


One thing that Legolas loved about living in the castle was that the cooks made perfect, delicious dishes. Someday, Legolas thought, I should go down to the kitchen and ask the cooks to train me in making these.

During the ball, she met many old friends and made new ones. Old Mithrandir had attended, and he brought along two of his hobbit friends. They were both very nice, Legolas concluded. She has met Mithrandir a couple of times before, and she was fascinated at the magic he was able to perform for her. When Mithrandir introduced her to his hobbit friends, she thought they were children at first. But one look at one of the hobbits and she could tell he was even older than her. When they started speaking with her, it confirmed that at least one of them was older than her. The other she deduced that he was either the same age or a little younger. She did not know much about hobbit ages and how relative they are to elven age. But she though that the younger hobbit was very cute for a little boy hobbit. That was a good thing for her, since her acquaintances, elves or other races, were much older than she was. At least she met someone at least the same age or younger than her for once. Frodonnocnnocence and cute baby face reminded her of how much older she is growing up.

“Pretty lady!” the little hobbit whose name she found out was Frodo blurted out.

Mithrandir and the older elf, Bilbo Baggins, looked at him, and Bilbo chuckled nervously.

“You must forgive him, your highness,” Bilbo said, pulling Frodo behind him. “He has the tendency to blurt things out.”

Legolas raised an eyebrow but smiled. “It’s all right, Master Bilbo,” she said. She was starting to get annoyed inside. Was she only liked because of her looks? The concept disturbed her.

“Gandalf was told us ‘bout you,” Frodo spoke up, stepping out from behind his uncle. “How you want to learn ‘bout the … bow? Yeah, the bow.”

“I insisted to my teacher to teach me archery,” Legolas said, nodding. “I am quite fascinated by the skill, and hopefully I’ll be a great archer when I am older.”

The minute she took a seat back at her table, the entertainment began, starting off with lots of dancing. Although Legolas did not notice it, her brothers all tensed. They all knew well what will happen. And what they anticipated happened. Men, elves, dwarves, wizards, and the Valar knows who else, all swarmed to the royal table, literally climbing all over each other to be the first to ask Legolas to dance. Legolas almost jumped out of her seat, wide-eyed at the mass swarming over her.

Thranduil jumped out of his seat and yelled at the crowd. “Hold your hands!” he shouted. He repeated this until the men had calmed down. He continued. “It is customary that my children dance among themselves fibefobefore allowing others to dance with them.” He turned to Legolas and Illiphir. “If you please, Illiphir...”

Illiphir quickly stood up and Legolas followed suit. Illiphir hurriedly led Legolas to the dance floor and slow danced with her in the middle of the dance floor, trying to blend in with the other guests who have their own partners to dance with.

“Thank you,” Legolas whispered.

Illiphir sighed. “This won’t last long,” he said. “Just be careful.”

The song ended, and Illiphir gasped as he was literally grabbed and thrown to the side. Looking up, he saw the first ten men rush at Legolas. One managed to grab her first and dance with her for a brief amount of time before a second pushed him aside and danced with her. Illiphir sighed and returned to the table.

“They will never stop,” he remarked as he watched a dwarf push his way to dance with Legolas.

“It never will until Legolas is bound to someone,” Melenor commented.

Ten minutes have not even passed until a fight started. Two men started arguing between each other because they both pushed each other to get to Legolas. That argument soon turned into a fist fight, and more males of all races started to get involved in the fight.

The royal family all jumped up in shock. The guests on the dance floor and around them all cried out in fear and scrambled to the edges of the ballroom as far away from the chaos as possible. It took only a couple of seconds until each man was fighting against each other. The royal family felt a sudden fear strike their hearts. Legolas was located smack in the middle of the whole brawl. With someone her size and fragility, she will not be able to get away to safety. They all tried to look for her in the crowd, looking for a familiar blond head, but from where they were standing, none of them could spot her blond hair from the herd of men.

“Find her!!” Thranduil shouted over the noise.

Darion and Illiphir both rushed out to the dance floor to find their sister as Melenor, Naraden, Kuellen, and Galassen went to break up the fight man by man.

Darion and Illiphir shoved their way to the middle of the dance floor in search of their baby sister. It seemed hopeless until Darion grabbed Illiphir by the shoulder and pointed.

Illiphir turned to see Legolas trapped between two men and an elf who each had hold of her limbs. The elf held her by the waist as the each of the two held her by a wrist, all fighting amongst each other and pulling her toward themselves. Legolas struggled to free herself, but the three men held her tightly. They were much bigger and taller than she was, so she had no chance of overpowering them. She tried kicking at them, but one cannot subdue a warrior just by kicking him and making him madder.

Legolas cried out when her right wrist was squeezed painfully in a powerful grip and twisting slightly, threatening to break her wrist. Darion and Illiphir rushed forward and grabbed the three men. After punching them unconscious, Illiphir pulled a shaking and disheveled Legolas into his arms.

“Come,” he said. “Let us flee.” With Illiphir and Darion at each side of Legolas, they pushed their way through the brawling men toward the stairs. They hurried up the stairs and headed for Legolas’s room.

Elissa looked up to see Darion, Illiphir, and Legolas running up the stairs. She stood up and hurried after them.

Darion and Illiphir pulled Legolas into her room and slammed the door behind them, promptly locking it. Illiphir led Legolas to her bed and slowly helped her sit down on it.

“You never see the true side of the male side’s barbaric ways until it comes to a competition over a beautiful girl,” Darion stated.

Legolas was panting for breath. “I… that was an experience,” she gasped.

Illiphir’s face was grim as he pulled her into a comforting embrace. “You’re safe now. They are uncivilized and savages. We will protect you from them.”

There was a soft knock at the door and everyone inside the room froze.

“Darion? Illiphir? It is I,” Elissa’s voice rang through the door.

Sighing in relief, Darion unlocked the door. Elissa stepped into the room, closed the door, and locked the door behind her. She strode over to Legolas and hugged her.

“How are you, leaflet?” she asked.

“A little shaky,” Legolas answered. “But I do feel like to go back out there and teach those men a lesson.”

“And I would like to join you,” Elissa fumed. “How dare they do such a thing to you!”

“How is everything down there?” Darion asked.

“I’m not sure,” she answered. “When I left, they were still fighting. But Melenor, Naraden, Kuellen, and Galassen were struggling with everyone to calm them down.”

“I just hope they don’t get hurt,” Legolas said, her eyes widening.

Elissa smiled at Legolas’s concern. “I’m sure they can handle it,” she said. “They are trained warriors. Here, Legolas, let’s go clean yourself up.”

Legolas followed Elissa to the wash room as Darion and Illiphir went back down to see the progress of the fray. They noticed that the fight had broken up quite a bit. Most of the men have been thrown out of the castle, and those who remained were either unconscious or injured. Healers attended to them and to other guests who may have been inadvertently hurt by the riot. They hurried down the stairs to join their father and their brothers at the table. Melenor, Naraden, and Kuellen were being treated by healers as well, as they sustained bruises to their faces. Thranduil turned, hearing his two sons approaching.

“Is she well?” Thranduil asked.

“Yes, father,” Darion answered. “She is with Elissa. She is a little shocked but has not been severely injured.”

“Thank the Valar,” Thranduil sighed, closing his eyes. “I never knew this can get so out of hand.”

“Worse yet,” Galassen piped up. “We will not be able to perform our play tonight.”


~ Wow. What a riot. Literally. So, you like it or not? More? Or no more?