Chapter Text
Legolas woke swiftly from his reverie the next morning, due to a feel of nervousness in his stomach. Today he knew he would be forever bound to Faingwaloth, and that was what he was nervous about. Not of being bound to her, but instead of making a mistake and making a fool of himself because of it. He did not want to be embarrassed today.
Rising from his bed, not really wanting to, but knowing he had to, he went to bathe and then dressed in a pale blue formal tunic embroidered the same as the one the night before, and dark green leggings.
A knock came at the door and he knew just from the sound who was the one knocking.
“Come in, ada,” he called, glancing down at the silver ring on his hand. How did my father know that I needed him.
Thranduil came in, wearing his usual formal silver court robes. His autumn crown of autumn leaves was on his head, which Legolas knew was only to be expected.
Legolas smiled as he looked at his father. He knew this would not be the easiest of days for his father to be at. Legolas knew, it had been over a year since the engagement feast when he and Faingwaloth had exchanged their silver rings. That had been in September of the year before, and now it was late October.
“Hard to believe I’ve been away over a year,” Legolas said.
“Time for us is no worry, Legolas. Besides, you were away doing something I doubt you’ll ever be forgotten for, by elves or men or dwarves or hobbits. We knew something had happened, when the Ring was destroyed, though we did not know that that was the cause. The spiders have stopped coming into the forest. Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn and many of their warriors came to help us destroy Dul Guldor once and for all. Now that that vile fortress is gone, I have renamed Mirkwood.”
“What did you change the name to, ada?” Legolas was surprised that so much had gone on while he was away on the great quest.
“Eryn Lasgalen, the Wood of Greenleaves.”
Legolas grinned. “I like it, ada.” He had also noticed that while he was taking to his father, the nerves he had felt earlier were going away. He had to ask. “Were you this nervous?”
Thranduil chuckled at the question. “The morning before I married Aearwen? Indeed I was, Legolas. I am simply doing what my father did for me that morning, for you. It helps, doesn’t it? While Aearwen and I are not together now, we will be again soon."
“You are going to sail.” Legolas didn’t bother to make it a question, for he knew it was what his father meant. His father wouldn’t mean anything else by that.
“I will soon, yes,” Thranduil replied. “I feel I have ruled for long enough, Legolas. Over three thousand years. I feel it is time for Gollathron to take my place here. I have lingered here long enough.”
Legolas knew, now was probably a good time to tell his father what he planned to do, when it came to the remaining time he had left in Middle-Earth. “I will not sail for a little while, ada, but my own time to cross the seas is drawing closer.”
“What do you mean? You’re still young, Legolas.” Thranduil seemed a little alarmed.
“While we were travelling to Minas Tirith, I hear and saw the gulls, ada. Lady Galadriel warned me that if I saw them I would long to sail, and now, I have seen them. But I will not sail, until all of my friends from the fellowship who cannot cross the sea have passed where I can no longer talk to them.”
For a moment, Legolas was silent. “A promise I made to one of them, Aragorn, that while I am still here, I will come to live in Ithilien, and that if allowed, I will bring with me some of our people as well.”
Now he felt a little worried about how his father would react to that.
"Gondor still needs help, Ada. Aragorn has become a good friend to me, and he is grateful for my offer."
Thranduil regarded his son for several long minutes as he considered what his son requested.
"You do realise that with time, after we've gone that all we've done will fade into myth and legends?"
Legolas nodded. "That has occurred to me, yes. It does not matter to me. That would have always happened no matter what mark we leave behind when we each sail." Even if names were remembered a long time ago, nothing here would be the same after they had all left Middle-Earth.
"And you still believe it's worth your time and effort to help. So be it then. Those who choose to go with you may do so. I may come and see you in Ithilien before I leave. For now though, lets just focus on the day ahead, shall we?"
Legolas grinned. Just please don't come without warning. I would rather know in advance, Ada."
Thranduil chuckled. "I may not warn Elrond in advance but he expects that of me. I will not do the same to you." He paused. "Now, I believe there's something you need done before we can leave here."
Legolas smiled at his father. "Thank you Ada. That is a relief for me to hear." He was glad to know his father wouldn't just arrive without warning. Legolas sat down, knowing what his father had been referring to. While he would wear the usual warrior’s braids in his hair, they would be a little different today.
He sat as patiently as he could, waiting while his father sorted out those braids. While any servant could have done it, Thranduil had said that he would.
Once it was done the pair of them left Legolas' rooms and headed down to the banqueting hall together.
And so, the ceremony passed by. While Legolas did as he had to throughout, most of the words spoken at the time he did not hear. His attention was mostly on Faingwaloth, whom he had never seen looking as beautiful as she did that day. Once the ceremony was over, and they had exchanged the two silver rings for gold ones, they found themselves surrounded by friends and family once more.
When Aragorn reached them, Legolas grinned. “Now do you understand why you were invited here? What the other event was that you were invited to, mellon-nin?”
“Though you never said a word to any of us about the fact you had someone waiting for you to return,” Aragorn replied. “An interesting day it’s certainly turned out to be.”
“You should all count yourselves lucky. Very few who are not elves have been allowed to witness such an event,” Faingwaloth spoke now. “We do not usually share such things with the other races.”
“Nor will it likely happen...”
“...again. For our time in Middle-Earth...”
“...is certainly over, though some...”
“...of us will linger for a time longer...”
“...but not forever.”