Mending a Heart and the Tie that Binds

Mending a Heart and the Tie that Binds


Disclaimer:

Tolkien, Tolkien, I'm back again,
writing fics until the end.
And I know I must give you your due,
these characters belong to you.
And even though I love the lot,
and happily have changed the plot,
I truly mean no disrespect,
although I write both slash and het.
To everyone heed what I mean,
The plot is mine, the rest, Tolkien's.

Warning: Elladan/Legolas and Thranduil/Elrond slash. M/M content within. If sexually explicit stories with a homosexual slant offend you please don't read. Thanks!

Summary: Legolas and Elladan are together again after being separated for several months, but trouble lies ahead for the couple. Thranduil and Elrond rekindle their friendship and possibly more… Sequel to Mending a Heart. AU.

Story Setup: This story takes place several months (about six to be exact) from the time of Mending a Heart.

Archive: Sure, but please ask.

Special Notes: * indicates characters' thoughts. ~*~* indicates a division in the story or a time change.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 1: Arrival in Lothlórien


Haldir and the northern marchwardens of Lórien watched in amazement as two men approached the Golden Wood.

“Humans are often crude and ostentatious, but never have I seen men wander about this territory unarmed,” Orophin said quietly, leaning close to Haldir.

Haldir regarded Orophin carefully and nodded. “Be on your guard, for men who travel across these lands so carelessly must fear little. We must be prepared for them when they enter.”

Orophin nodded and exchanged looks with his older brother, Rúmil; they knew what to do. Confrontations such as these did not occur every day, but the border patrolmen of Lothlórien had become accustomed to the occasional visitor who was sincerely lost, as well as the insufferable human who wanted to cause trouble. No matter what the reason for the intrusion, the guardsmen were there to ensure the safety of the inhabitants of Lórien, and they did so fiercely.

More than twenty elves littered the northern border of the forest, but within moments all of them had disappeared from sight. They ducked behind bushes or climbed the large trees that were scattered about the woods – only Haldir remained. He was the chief marchwarden of Lórien and would be the first one to face the intruders when they entered the realm.

Haldir took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. Closing his eyes, he allowed the warm rays of the sun to bathe his face in light; it was a beautiful day. The birds chirped happily while butterflies flitted about, completely unaware of the confrontation that was about to take place.

Opening his eyes slowly, Haldir straightened his posture and waited. He looked into the distance and shook his head. He could see the men as they made their way toward the northernmost boundary of the woods.

Haldir watched them distastefully. He did not like humans, and these two seemed to be the worse kind of men. They didn’t walk, but strutted haughtily. They wore bizarre looking cloaks that shielded their bodies from view and strange head coverings that boasted wide brims on top of their heads. The men approached silently; their heads were bowed.

Watching them closely, he noticed that the men had a purposeful stride; they knew exactly where they were going. Most humans avoided the Golden Wood; it was well known that elvish warriors protected its borders. However, these men were either ignorant or very brave, as their lives would certainly be forfeit if they dared to challenge the many well-armed elves that were hidden throughout the northern border.

Both men entered the woods at the same time, making their presence obvious with every loud step they took.

Haldir nodded to Orophin and Rúmil who noiselessly leapt down from a nearby tree and armed their bows in only a moment’s time. He raised his right hand and four more warriors readied their weapons and stood hidden behind large bushes, ready to emerge and attack. Haldir smiled inwardly at the proficiency of his comrades. *I have taught them well.*

Haldir stepped directly in front of the strangers while Orophin and Rúmil flanked their older brother, aiming their arrows directly at the men’s hearts.

“You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood,” Haldir announced authoritatively.

Both men stopped abruptly, but did not look up.

Haldir moved a bit closer. “You will come with me to be brought before Lady Galadriel. There is no escape; you cannot go back in the direction from whence you came.”

Just as Haldir completed his sentence, two elvish warriors came out of hiding and stood behind the two men. Their weapons were drawn to prevent the humans from trying to retreat.

“We will go in any direction we please,” one of the men snapped without looking up.

“You will do as I say, or you will die where you stand,” Haldir stated.

“We do not abide by your rules,” the other man spat icily.

“You do not have a choice. You **will** comply,” Haldir said firmly.

One of the men took a step forward and four more hidden warriors emerged without delay, placing their arrows only inches away from each man’s chest.

“You will come with me,” Haldir said, still eyeing the men cautiously.

“I shall speak to the Lady about this treatment!” one of the men hollered, sounding almost amused.

Haldir stared at the stranger with alarm and tried to see his eyes, but the brim of the head covering concealed the man’s face. However, Haldir suspected that even though the men seemed to be looking down, somehow they were watching very carefully; he could feel their eyes boring into him. He looked at Orophin and then at Rúmil in dismay. There was something oddly familiar about these men.

“What are we waiting for?” one of the men asked. “We ain’t got all day!”

The man’s voice seemed to crack when he said ‘ain’t.’ And Haldir could have sworn that he heard some soft laughter. “Who are you?” he demanded. “I will not take you before the Lady until you reveal yourselves!”

“As you wish, Haldir,” one of the men said sweetly.

All of the warriors looked at the chief marchwarden, stunned. How had this human known Haldir’s name? They watched warily as the men removed their cloaks and then their head coverings. Before anyone could speak, both males began to laugh hysterically.

“Elladan! Elrohir!” Haldir exclaimed angrily. “You could have been killed!”

The elvish warriors of Lórien lowered their weapons slowly, looking at the twins in shock.

“If… if… you could have only seen the looks on all of your faces,” Elladan said, dropping to his knees, completely overcome with mirth.

“Especially Haldir!” Elrohir said between chuckles. “‘You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood,’” he mimicked as he doubled over and clutched his stomach, howling with glee.

Haldir shook his head disapprovingly as some of the other elves began to chuckle light-heartedly.

“I do not think that your grandmother will find your behavior amusing,” Haldir said as the twins began to regain their composure.

“Aw, come on Haldir. It was only a jest,” Elladan said in protest. “You aren’t going to tell on us are you?”

“I do not have to say anything to the Lady, for she will already be aware of your folly,” Haldir remarked.

“Well, then, perhaps my grandmother is aware of your folly as well,” Elladan said.

“Oh, Elladan,” Rúmil said in exasperation. “Are you still cross about our drollery?”

“It was not funny,” Elladan said, glaring at Orophin when he chuckled.

“When we stole your horses we were only jesting,” Orophin explained, trying to stifle his laughter.

“And anyway, our jest was nearly five years ago,” Rúmil said, shaking his head. “How can you possibly hold a grudge for so long?”

“Because you made us look like fools in front of the whole border patrol of Lórien!” Elrohir exclaimed.

“This was our attempt to retaliate,” Elladan said, grinning.

“Well, I must say that you wasted your time,” Orophin chirped. “Our jest was far superior to yours.”

“Is that a fact?” Elladan asked.

“It is indeed,” Orophin said arrogantly. “Not only did we manage to steal your steeds, but we stole your dignity as well. Everyone felt so much sympathy for the Rivendell warriors who had somehow misplaced their horses. But lo and behold, the valiant elves of Lothlórien; they recovered the inadequate twin’s animals and thus, saved the day.”

Rúmil laughed. “I must admit that our prank was better than yours. We suffered no consequences from our folly. You, however, will be scolded by the Lady for behaving so fooly. Wy. Why don’t the two of you just admit to your defeat?”

“You are right,” Elladan said, nodding slowly. “You have won.”

Elrohir looked at Elladan in shock and smiled faintly when their eyes met. He knew that losing to the elves of Lothlórien was the last thing on his twin’s mind. Matching Elladan’s forlorn expression, he looked at Rúmil and Orophin sadly. “Elladan is right. We will accept our defeat and leave you be.”

Rúmil and Orophin beamed.

“Where are your steeds?” Haldir asked, ignoring the smug looks on his brother’s faces.

“We tethered them to a tree about a league from here,” Elrohir said.

“Kedar, Nandin, please ride out and bring their steeds. Rúmil and Orophin, you are in charge until I return,” Haldir announced. “I am taking the twins to see their grandmother. I am certain that she will want to speak to both of you as she will surely be quite cross.”

“What makes you so sure that our grandmother will be angry?” Elrohir asked. “We are the only grandsons that she has. Even as small children, Grandmother never punished us. And we know that our grandfather is not here, as he sent word to Rivendell, explaining that he and a host of his warriors would be journeying to Kendall. So we are safe from his wrath. Not to mention the fact that a host of elves from Mirkwood are due to arrive soon. Everyone will be too busy to concern themselves with Elladan or me.”

“Nonetheless,” Haldir said, “the Lady will want to speak with you, and hopefully give you both a tongue lashing. It was very foolhardy to traverse these lands without your steeds, especially unarmed.

“We did not journey to Lórien without arms,” Elrohir corrected. “Our weaponry was left with the horses. For our jest to work, however, we had to enter the realm without elvish armaments or you would have guessed who we were right away.”

“It is still very dangerous,” Haldir chastised. “After what happened to your mother, I would have thought that the two of you had better judgment.”

“Bite your tongue!” Elladan hissed. “You have no right to speak about our mother. We are not children and are every bit as fierce a warrior as you! Elrohir and I fear nothing, especially orcs. If any one of the fell creatures approaches us then it will pay, dearly. We are just as skilled with weapons as we are with our bare hands and I am not afraid to get a little blood on my clothes. The creatures that harmed my mother and drove her away paid for it with their lives. And any other goblin that dares to harm myself or anyone else that I hold dear will meet a similar fate. Elrohir and I do not need weapons when we can use hatred as a shield.”

Haldir was rendered speechless by the vehemence of Elladan’s words. He gazed into the handsome young elf’s eyes and no longer saw his playful, teasing spirit. Instead, joviality had been replaced with an anger that seemed to permeate his entire being. His storm cloud colored eyes flashed and he trembled as though he were an animal ready to strike.

Orophin and Rúmil did not speak and looked to Haldir for guidance; they shifted uncomfortably under the weight of the silence.

Haldir sighed and smiled gently. “I am sorry. Neither you nor Elrohir are children. You are fully-grown and can make your own decisions, even if they are questionable. Forgive me if I spoke my mind too quickly about your mother, I shouldn’t have mentioned her.”

“Do not fret,” Elrohir said sincerely, placing his hand on Elladan’s shoulder. “We do not hold your words against you; you did not mean any harm. Perhaps, you should take us to see our grandmother. Our journey has been long and we are both tired and hungry.”

“As you wish,” Haldir said, bowing. He turned and led the twin warriors into the heart of the realm.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Elladan and Elrohir followed behind Haldir, ascending some stairs alongside an enormous mallorn tree.

Elrohir watched his twin carefully. He could tell that Elladan was still quite upset and touched him lightly on the back, trying to reassure him.

Elladan’s expression did not soften. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on Haldir and frowned even more deeply.

When the elves reached the flet at the top of the stairs, Galadriel was waiting for them. She smiled warmly and looked at Haldir.

Haldir met the Lady’s eyes, nodded and bowed politely. She wanted to speak to the twins alone. Without hesitation, he left so that he could resume his post.

Galadriel watched as Haldir left and then focused her attention on her grandsons. First, she set her gaze upon Elrohir who met her eyes without haste. She could sense his concern for his older brother and his loyalty and love for the one who bore his semblance. Galadriel held Elrohir’s eyes as she spoke. “How are you, second-born grandson?”

“I am well,” Elrohir replied.

“And how is your future bride, Ellaria?”

“She is well, Grandmother.”

“In our last message from Rivendell, your father told Celeborn and I that you would not marry in the spring like you had planned. Is all well?”

“Aye, Grandmother,” Elrohir replied quickly. “We decided to postpone our wedding until after the competition. Because Rivendell is to be the host of this wonderful event, much work and preparation has taken place over the last few months. Thus, Ellaria and I have had very little time to plan for our special occasion. We just decided that it would be better this way.”

“I see,” Galadriel said, looking at Elrohir carefully, disbelief imprinted in her eyes. “Well, I am glad that you both are here, although I was not expecting your arrival.”

“In his last letters to Rivendell, Grandfather said that Prince Legolas would be riding here to do his father’s bidding before journeying to Rivendell with the Lórien contest participants,” Elrohir explained. “Elladan has not seen Legolas in several months and desired to journey to Lothlórien to surprise him. I decided to come with him.”

“Ah yes,” Galadriel said, looking at Elladan, “Prince Legolas Greenleaf, King Thranduil’s youngest son. I am looking forward to meeting the elf who has captured your heart, Elladan.”

Elladan didn’t speak nor did he look at his grandmother. Instead, he studied the floor carefully, too angry to respond.

Galadriel met Elrohir’s eyes once more and smiled. Rising from her seat she approached her eldest grandchild and stood before him. “I can see your mind whether or not you would choose to look at me,” she said gently. “I can feel your anger.”

Elladan looked up slowly, met his grandmother’s eyes and sighed. He could feel her gaze gently probing his mind.

“I understand the way you feel. Celebrían is my daughter – my only child. I lost her, too,” the Lady said a bit sadly. “But your hatred will not bring her back; it will poison your soul. You have so much to live for, Elladan. And I know that Celebrían would want you to be happy.”

Elladan tore his eyes away from his grandmother’s piercing gaze and looked at the floor once more.

“Release your anger this day, let it go.” Galadriel placed her hands on Elladan’s shoulders and closed her eyes.

Elladan felt a wave of warmth sweep over him, gently penetrating the core of his being. He could feel his grandmother’s love for him and was amazed at the way she could calm him without really doing anything at all. He raised his head to meet Galadriel’s eyes once again and saw her smile lovingly. Elladan felt his anger slowly dissipating.

The Lady removed her hands from Elladan’s shoulders and smiled when her eldest grandson grinned sheepishly; he knew what she was going to say next.

“I…” Elladan began, but was silenced by a look from Galadriel.

“It greatly concerns me that the twoyou you would travelne. ne. Especially when the orcs seem to grow more bold with the passing of each day,” Galadriel said gently. “Furthermore, you should be careful when teasing the marchwardens of this realm,” she added with concern. “While they are your friends, they are also fierce warriors who could have killed you if you had continued to provoke them.”

“We were only jesting,” Elladan explained.

“Laughter is a healer,” Galadriel said in a soothing tone, “and I am glad that the two of you are such close companions with it. But you must also heed your surroundings at all times. Do not let your guard down for a moment, even when you are in the midst of your merrymaking.”

Elladan and Elrohir nodded in understanding, but then looked at one another with bewilderment.

Galadriel met Elladan’s eyes once again and laughed, “Yes, you may still jest. I only ask that you are careful when you do it.”

The twins looked at one another and beamed. Then, they embraced their grandmother and spent quite some time laughing and talking with her as the day wore on.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A few hours later, Elladan and Elrohir made their way back to the northern border. Thanking Kedar and Nandin for getting their steeds and taking them to the stable hands, Elladan gave Haldir a scornful look. “You can stop looking so smug, Haldir. Grandmother did not punish us.”

“But I am sure that you were still scolded for your thoughtless behavior,” Haldir said, meeting Elladan’s eyes, “which you both deserved.”

“We are always scolded for our behavior,” Elrohir remarked with a shrug.

“And do you ever heed the words of wisdom that are bestowed upon you?” Haldir asked.

“Of course not!” both twins said in unison.

Rúmil and Orophin, as well as some other nearby elves, laughed.

“Well, I am not very amused with your foolishness,” Haldir said flatly. “You are fully grown and your actions should reflect your age.”

“You are right,” Elladan said in mock defeat.

Elrolooklooked at Elladan in shock.

Elladan smiled sweetly at his younger brother and then looked into the distance. Looking back at Elrohir, Elladan winked. “Look, there,” he announced, pointing into the distance. “The prince is coming.”

“Aye,” Rúmil said, nodding. “We saw the host from Mirkwood when they were a few leagues off. They should arrive very soon.”

Elladan nodded and met Elrohir’s eyes once again.

Elrohir smiled deviously. Vengeance would be theirs this day.

Elladan looked at Rúmil seriously. “Perhaps Elrohir and I should tell you a bit about the prince. As you know, we have known Legolas for quite some time and he can be, well…”

“What?” Orophin asked curiously.

“He can be a bit difficu Elr Elrohir remarked. “Elladan is right. We must tell you all about the prince and his preferences before he arrives. Then, perhaps, you may be able to avoid offending him.”

“Yes, please tell us everything that we will need to know prior to his arrival,” Rúmil said eagerly. “We would not want to upset King Thranduil’s son, especially because he has never been to Lothlórien before. We would like to make a good first impression.”

“Very well,” Elladan said. “The first thing that you must know about the prince is that he is not very attractive.”

“Indeed?” Rúmil asked, confused. “But I have heard that King Thranduil’s sons are very handsome.”

“Ah,” Elladan said, stroking his chin thoughtfully, “that is their father’s doing. You see, the king forces everyone in Mirkwood to say that his sons are fair of face so that he is not embarrassed. After all, he is the ruler of the Woodland Realm; he has a reputation to uphold.”

“I see,” Rúmil said, nodding his head.

“What else can you tell us?” Orophin asked.

“That you must cater to the king’s son, Prince Legolas, when he arrives,” Elrohir said, trying not to smile. “He is the youngest and favorite son of the king; thus, he expects special treatment. To insult him is to affront the king.”

“Oh,” Rúmil said, concerned. “Please tell us what we must do to please Prince Legolas then. What does he look like so we will know whom to address when he enters the realm?”

“Well,” Elladan continued, “he has stringy, dingy colored hair and a long face. His eyes are set so far apart that I wouldn’t be surprised if he could see the east and west sides of the woods all at once.”

Elrohir tried desperately to stifle his laughter.

“If he were a bit larger and combed his hair over to one side, I am certain that I could exchange my steed for him and ride all the way back to Rivendell,” Elladan added comically. “Perhaps I should consider speaking to the king about it. It would certainly put my grandmother’s fears to rest, for riding on top of such a horrific creature would certainly frighten any orc.”

“You should also know that the prince is very demanding and spoiled,” Elrohir stated. “He does not like to ride upon a horse and will want the two of you to carry him on your shoulders when he has entered the woods. Once you have removed him from his steed, you must run all the way to my grandmother, as the prince likes to make a grand entrance. If you fail to do this, I assure you that he will cause quite a scene and will complain to his father.”

“I see,” Rúmil said, looking at his brother. “Orophin, let’s make sure to make the prince as comfortable as possible.”

“Aye,” Orophin agreed.

Haldir shook his head and looked into the distance. He had heard that the youngest prince of Mirkwood was very fair of face and a magnificent archer as well. But he had escorted many members of royalty to meet with the Lord and Lady of Lórien over the years and knew all too well of their demanding behavior and their outlandish requests. And from what he was hearing about the prince of Mirkwood, he couldn’t help but dread meeting him.

“And please do not call him Prince Legolas,” Elladan remarked. “He prefers to be called ‘Little Leafy Greenlegs’ and will be quite displeased if you use his formal title.”

“Oh, Elladan and Elrohir,” Orophin said with relief, “I am so glad that the two of you are here to inform us of these things.”

Elladan and Elrohir grinned cordially.

“So, are you looking forward to your trip to Rivendell?” Elrohir asked Orophin and Rúmil.

“Aye,” the brothers chorused.

“Although…” Rúmil began.

“Although?” Elladan asked.

“Well, after hearing so much about the prince and his… his challenging ways, I am suddenly having some doubts,” Rúmil admitted. “After all, once the prince’s official duties are completed here, he will journey with us to Rivendell.”

“Do not fret, Rúmil,” Elladan said dismissively. “You will learn to adapt to the prince. If not, simply pretend that you are conversing with your horse. As I said earlier, he looks just like one, so I promise that the visualization will not be difficult. All I ask is that you try to resist the urge to leap on his back and nudge him with you heels, as you may find yourself cantering right out of Lothlórien!”

Both Orophin and Rúmil laughed.

“I am looking forward to the competition,” Elrohir said, changing the subject. “Rivendell is very beautiful this time of year, and I am sure that you will enjoy having the opportunity to show off your skill in the upcoming contest.”

“Yes,” Rúmil said happily, “I will miss Lórien, but I long for a few carefree months. I am looking forward to meeting elves from other realms and having the opportunity to explore Rivendell once again. We have not been within the borders of Lord Elrond’s realm for a millennia.”

“I must admit that I am excited about the contest, too,” Haldir remarked. “This will be the first time that all three elvish realms have come together for a battle of wits and a test of skill in various combat techniques. It should be great fun.”

“Ah yes,” Elrohir said, “I am looking forward to participating in the festivities. It is no secret that Elladan and I shall win every event.”

“I beg to differ,” Rúmil protested. “Orophin and I are older than you and thus better warriors. I would hate to see you cry, but be prepared to be defeated. You shan’t win.”

“We shall see,” Elrohir said, smiling.

“Ha! The only one crying will be Prince Legolas when he looses the only competition that he can enter - the beauty contest,” Elladan said, grinning devilishly.

“But Elladan,” Orophin said, confused. “There is no beauty contest. I thought that all of the competitions were based on various talents and mental prowess.”

“They are,” Elladan remarked. “But methinks that I will ask if it would be possible to incla bea beauty contest. Then, I will enter my horse and laugh myself to tears when the prince loses.”

Elrohir, Rúmil and Orophin laughed.

Within moments, the prince and his party entered the realm. The elves in Mirkwood were clad in the traditional colors of the Woodland elves – green tunics and brown leggings. And despite their long journey, all twelve elves rode, holding their heads high, each of them possessing an air of nobility.

Haldir and the other marchwardens bowed politely as the elves from Mirkwood approached. Commandingly, he stepped forward. “Welcome to Lothlórien. I am Haldir, the head marchwarden of the Golden Wood. I will lead you to the Lady of this realm for she is anxiously awaiting your arrival. You will meet Lord Celeborn a bit later as he is away but will return very soon.”

As Haldir spoke, he looked at each elf’s face carefully, trying to locate the prince. In an instant he saw a long-faced, wide-eyed male who stared at him indifferently. Deciding that this elf must be the prince, Haldir decided to speak directly to him out of respect.

Legolas listened to Haldir speak and smiled. The elves of Lothlórien seemed to be very friendly. However, he didn’t understand why the marchwardens were staring the elf to his left so intently. He knew that they had never seen him before but wondered why everyone had assumed that the king’s constable was the prince.

“Little Leafy Greenlegs,” Orophin said warmly, “it is an honor to have you here. Please allow my brother and I to assist you.”

Legolas’ eyes widened and he looked at his guards with surprise. They stared at the prince in shock as well. *Little Leafy Greenlegs?*

Orophin and Rúmil walked over to the long-faced male and tried to pull him from his steed.

“What are you doing?” the elf asked in shock.

“We are only trying to please you, Little Leafy Greenlegs,” Orophin said, as he tugged at the elf’s leg.

“What? Please me?” the elf asked in disbelief. “Who… who is Little Leafy…”

But before he could finish his sentence, Orophin and Rúmil pulled him from his steed and heaved him up onto their shoulders. Then, without warning, they began to run.

“Put me down! Put me down at once! Unhand me. Unhand me now!” The elf shrieked as his head flopped wildly in the air and his body was thrashed about violently.

Orophin and Rúmil stopped at once and helped the elf to get down.

“This is an outrage!” he yelled, rubbing his neck. “What type of lunacy is allowed in this realm?”

“But Little Leafy Greenlegs,” Rúmil said gently, “we were only trying to make you welcome here. We did not mean to offend you.”

“Who is Little Leafy Greenlegs?” the elf asked angrily.

“You are, are you not?” Orophin asked, suddenly looking at Rúmil with fright.

“I am the royal constable to King Thranduil! And my name is not Little Leafy Greenlegs, it is Goel!” he yelled.

Orophin and Rúmil looked at one another in shock and then looked at Haldir.

Haldir, though fraught with shame, maintained his composure. “Who then, is the prince?”

“I am,” Legolas said.

Everyone present looked at Legolas in incredulity. He wasn’t unattractive at all. In fact, he was beautiful.

Legolas regarded Haldir for a moment and then looked at Orophin and Rúmil. “Although I appreciate the offer, I am perfectly capable of riding my steed. There is no need for you to carry me, and feel free to call me Legolas. You needn't use my title or… any nicknames.”

Goel stumbled past Orophin and Rúmil and awkwardly mounted his steed, casting them an indignant look.

“We…” Rúmil said in defeat, “we are so sorry, my Lord. We were told that you required these things of us… that you wanted to be carried and called Little Leafy Greenlegs.”

Legolas laughed, as did the other elves from Mirkwood. “Who told you that I required such special treatment?”

“Elladan and Elrohir… the sons of Lord Elrond of Rivendell,” Orophin said, pitifully. “They told us all about you.”

Legolas laughed again.

“I should have known that the twins had something to do with this,” Goel said, smiling. “Those two always manage to cause trouble.”

“We heard that!” Elladan exclaimed as he and Elrohir emerged from the foliage.

Orophin and Rúmil, who hadn’t realized that the twins had been hiding, gave them menacing looks.

“Wre yre you looking at us that way?” Elladan asked in mock dismay. “How can you be so ungrateful after all that Elrohir and I have done for you?”

Legolas gasped quietly upon seeing Elladan and felt his smile widen. He had dreamed about the day that he would see his lover again and desperately wanted to pull Elladan into his arms. Of course, this was not the time or place to engage in such pretentious behavior, but he could dream, couldn’t he?

Elladan met Legolas’ eyes for a moment and smiled. Legolas looked more beautiful than ever. His attention, however, was diverted from the handsome prince when Rúmil stepped directly in front of him.

“What you have done is make us look like fools in front of the prince and the king’s constable,” Rúmil said abruptly. “When Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn discover what we have done, they willveryvery angry!”

“I know,” Elladan quipped. “But you have learned a valuable lesson this day, have you not? Elrohir and I are not to be trifled with. You have much to learn if you are to best either of us at any jest… stealing our horses, indeed.”

“If you would please accept our most sincere and humble apology, your lordship,” Orophin said, ignoring Eln, an, as he and Rúmil bowed deeply to the prince. “And Constable Goel, to you we give our most heartfelt regrets. I hope that you will find it within yourself to forgive our blunder.”

Goel laughed and smiled sincerely at Rúmil and Orophin. “Do not fret. Now that I know the reason for your behavior, everything that you did is understandable.”

“It is?” Orophin asked in amazement.

“Aye,” Goel said.

Orophin and Rúmil looked at the chancellor in disbelief.

“Please understand that I met the twins when I accompanied King Thranduil to Rivendell a few months ago. I am very well aware of their jests and have been the subject of their folly on more than one occasion,” Goel explained. “It is clear that you were led astray. Please do not despair. I will speak to the Lord and the Lady of this realm on your behalf.”

“Many thanks, Constable Goel,” Rúmil said, glaring at Elladan and Elrohir.

Haldir disappeared behind a large tree and reappeared with a white steed. Mounting the horse quickly he looked at the prince. “If it pleases you, your highness,” Haldir said, bowing his head, “I will escort you and your companions into the realm. The Lady is waiting to greet you.”

“Yes,dir,dir,” Legolas said, nodding, “please lead the way.”

Without any further delay, the visitors from Mirkwood were led into the realm.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Hello, Grandmother,” Elrohir said. “You summoned us?”

“Aye. Now that our visitors are getting settled,” Galadriel began, “we would like to speak with the two of you.”

“We?” Elladan asked.

“Elladan and Elrohir, how could you do such a thing?” Celeborn asked sharply. “How could you embarrass Orophin and Rúmil, not to mention the entire border patrol, like that?”

“Grandfather!” Elrohir exclaimed. “Wh… uh… when did you arrive?”

“Apparently while the two of you were behaving like fools,” Celeborn said indignantly. “I returned to Lórien with a few of my warriors this day and left the rest behind in Kendall. I wanted to get back to Lothlórien as soon as possible so that I could meet the prince and the warriors from Mirkwood. But now I dread meeting them. I cannot imagine what they must think of us… what, with the two of you carrying on like children!”

“But Grandfather, we did not see you enter the realm.” Elrohir remarked nervously.

“I entered from the southern border,” Celeborn stated. “That is why you did not see me. Oh, but I heard all about your folly when Chancellor Goel asked me not to punish the northern marchwardens for their mistake. ‘Little Leafy Greenlegs,’ indeed! How could you dishonor, not only the prince, but the king’s chancellor as well?” Celeborn asked.

“We just wanted to have a bit of fun,” Elladan said in protest. “And Legolas didn’t mind… neither did Goel; they know that Elrohir and I like to jest.”

“The only one laughing will be me when I get through with the two of you,” Celeborn said angrily.

“What do you mean?” Elrohir asked apprehensively.

“Your grandmother and I had a very long talk about the two of you and we have come to a decision,” Celeborn stated. “You both will be punished for your folly.”

“Punished?” the twins chorused in disbelief.

“That is correct,” Celeborn said, flatly. “Because you have chosen to behave like children, you must be chastised like they are.”

“And what if we refuse to do what you say?” Elladan asked defiantly.

“You will not refuse,” Celeborn said with confidence. “If you do, you know that I will tell Elrond what you have done. I am certain that your father’s punishment will be far worse than mine.”

Elladan and Elrohir looked at one another in defeat.

“What must we do to absolve ourselves?” Elrohir asked forlornly.

Celeborn smiled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Prince Legolas,” Rúmil said, approaching the prince. “Does your steed need to be bathed?”

“Bathed?” Legolas asked, looking at Rúmil curiously.

“Aye,” Rúmil said, grinning. “Elladan and Elrohir have been instructed to wash every horse in Lórien. They are being punished for their iniquitous jest.”

“I see,” Legolas said pensively. “In that case, please take my horse and all of the horses, from Mirkwood, too. Oh, and please ask Elladan and Elrohir to clean behind my steed’s ears; he loves that.”

“As you wish,” Rúmil said happily as he led Legolas’ horse away.

Ascending the long stairway that led to the prince guest quarters, Legolas inhaled and exhaled deeply, admiring the splendor of this unfamiliar realm. The gentle wind blew his hair and the warm rays of the sun caressed his face. Lórien wasutifutiful. The valleys seemed to stretch endlessly and were accented by the enormous trees, streams and the glorious mountains in the distance.

A bit later, after unpacking his belongings, Legolas decided to go see Elladan. He longed to speak to him and was thrilled that they would be together again after so many months apart.

---

TBC…