On the king's command

A golden cage

Bard was standing in his room and looking out the window. It was the end of summer and the trees already started to bear golden and red and yellow leaves. At home, his people would be bringing in the harvest, at least the little one they had apart from fishing and trading, which was their main way to make money. While he was away, he had appointed his son to be his substitute, of course under supervision of his main counselor and best friend Elain. Him he also owed this visit to, as he had been the one to persuade him to take king Thranduil's invitation.

Because it really had been a hard decision. Not only was Thranduil the mightiest person in the whole area, he commanded a huge legion of elves well-trained in battle, his trading system stretched from the very North to the southern lands of Gondor and he was a very scary king. Scary as in: If you don't do what I tell you, your life might become very uncomfortable! Moreover, there was this stupid fact, really stupid fact, that since he first had met the elf in the Battle of the Five Armies and they had fought together against the enemy, he had fallen utterly, deeply in love with Thranduil.

"Where are you looking at?", his daughter Tilda would ask him at times, when he was looking out the window, lost in thoughts. It was only then that he noticed the edge of the forest in the west, where the elven king had his realm.

"Nothing in particular", he would tell her, kiss her and put her to bed.

As it was right now, Bard was the king of Dale, and his son was already nearly a grown man. Sigrid would marry at the end of next year, to a very nice son-in-law-to-be. Tilda was only fourteen, and she was dearest to him. With her, he noticed most the lack of a mother, whom he never would be able to fully replace. That was one reason why he hadn't wanted to go to Mirkwood forest, as he would have to leave her alone.

Which leads to the other reason, obvious only to himself and Elain. They were so close, that he hadn't been able to hide from him, what really was going on in his heart.

"Why don't you go then?", Elain had asked. "You have nothing to lose!"

"But that is exactly what I have!", he replied fiercely. "I rule a kingdom and I have three children whom I love most dearly!"

"Bain is almost a man himself, and Sigrid will be married before you can blink your eyes", his friend answered. "They are not a reason to keep you."

"What about Tilda then? She needs me, she has no one else other than her father! And even if I go, what would it result in? I'd go and return with nothing in my hands, he isn't very likely to actually want me to stay!"

"You never know with these elves..."

"And what so? I cannot be a lover of the elven king, I cannot! What will my people think of me? It would be like betrayal to my own kin!"

"Just go, will you", Elain soothened him. "And even if it is just for trading options, we do need that too. Don't be a coward, Bard, but do what is right."

So he went, and he had let Thranduil imprison his men. Had it really been worth it?

Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching the door from outside, and then a silent knock was heard.

"Enter, please", Bard replied tiredly. He was not in the mood to talk to anyone right now,

"I am sorry to interrupt you again", the voice of the king's son was heard behind him, and slowly Bard turned around. "I am ordered to collect your weapons. They will be stored in a safe spot, I shall make sure of it."

The elf looked more ashamed with every word he said, and Bard thought he should be too. What kind of treatment was this, disarming your visitors and making them as vulnerable as possible?

"Well, as I am here on a friendly visit", the man started, and emphasized "friendly", "I have not brought a sword of shield, if this is what you ask for. My only belonging is my bow, and I will not part from it."

"Sir, please, it is not my decision, but it is my order", Legolas pleaded. "If you do not comply I am allowed to use force."

Bard laughed. He laughed because this elf actually was threatening him. He might not be elven-like in motion, but in archery he was counted among the best that Middle-Earth had ever seen, and the king's son should know, because his shooting Smaug was a widely known deed. 

"May I propose a deal, prince of Mirkwood?", he asked. "You can take my bow, but without weapons, I will be free to go whereever I want in this palace and in this country. I cannot be much of a threat to you, if I am unarmed?"

The elf squirmed in his place. 

"Actually...", he started, "I need to lock the door when I leave, and you can not dwell here freely, but under my guard. But it will only be a matter of time until the king decides to accept you as a free visitor in his country."

Astounded, the king of Dale stared at Legolas. So he was indeed imprisoned? It was a golden cage, but a cage it was after all. In one swift motion, Bard grabbed his bow, that had stood in one corner of the room, slung his quiver over the shoulder and jumped out of the window. The only thing Legolas heard of him was a silent thump as the man hit the ground, and his footsteps as he swiftly made his way away from the palace. After a minute of shock, Legolas stormed to the window, but the only thing he could see from Bard was his footsteps on the muddy ground.