Building Ithilien [Legolas] LOTR

Do Not Go Gently

Art credit: NamistaiVanBuuren

The sun bled through the smoke, a violent red slash against the horizon. And at the newly made elven camp in the shadow of the fort at Calenfen, two kings held bitter council. The battle was a success, true. King Thranduil's reinforcements had helped win the day. Aragorn had saved his city from the black dragon's attack.

But neither felt like celebrating.

Instead they both glumly sat across a miserable smoking fire from one another in some canvas and wood folding chairs the wood elves had brought. Thranduil pressed a wet compress to his forehead as if his head ached, but his eyes never left Aragorn's.

"Tell me what you know, Aragorn. Everything," Thranduil said at last.

He did not have to go into detail about the 'everything.' Aragorn knew exactly what the king meant.

Legolas. And of course, his relationship to Miredhel.

To be honest, Aragorn was sick over what had happened on the field that day. Casualties were to be expected, but... He sighed as he thought about it. Leaning over to Thranduil, he plucked the cold compress from the king's forehead and placed it on his own.

"I do not know what to tell you, Thranduil. Legolas should tell you himself." Aragorn squeezed his eyes shut before sitting up to look his friend's father straight in the eye.

"It's obvious that he's in no state to tell me anything himself right now, son of Arathorn! And how can I help him at all, if I don't what the problem is!" Thranduil seethed and then took a moment to compose himself. "He's my son," the king added gently.

"He's your son, but he's my closest friend..." Aragorn countered and then pushed his hands through his hair. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Adrendil making his rounds. If Aragorn did not tell Thranduil, then he was sure that Adrendil would. The wood elf captain would have no scruples unloading every little detail on his former king...in the worst possible way, no doubt.

Aragorn glanced toward the healer's tents, where Legolas had borne Miredhel. He leaned in toward Legolas' father.

"This is what I know, Thranduil," he said in the lowest of whispers, "From what I understand, Legolas had been courting Miredhel since he met her in Caras Galadhon. He told me they became more seriously involved in my city scarcely a fortnight ago."

"More seriously involved?" asked Thranduil, raising an eyebrow.

"Lovers, Thranduil!" A slight veil of pink rimmed Aragorn's ears. "Do I need to spell it out for you? They became lovers!"

"My son has taken lovers in the past, without ill effect," Thranduil said with a slight twinkle in his eye. He did so enjoy making the King of Gondor squirm.

"I know he has," Aragorn agreed, not at all pleased to be discussing Legolas' conquests with his father. "But on the way here, Legolas was grievously injured by a party of orcs. They nearly took all the skin off his back, and when he was brought back to camp, his first concern was not for himself, but for her, for Miredhel."