Chapter Text
The letter had caught him off-guard. Not only because his father barely resorted to sending letters to any foreign country (most of which he could not stand anyway) but because he knew Legolas would return home sooner or later anyway so he'd be able to tell him face to face. And knowing that he did not send any letters for every small change in Mirkwood, Legolas was mildly scared of it. He looked up at Aragorn who had pressed the letter into his hand, something in him wishing it had been him who had written this letter,"It is Mirkwood's wax seal",Aragorn pointed down onto the green leaf upon the closing point,"So it is your father's, right?"
Legolas nodded, turning the envelope around again before exhaling,"Yes. Yes, it is",The elf raised his head again, internally fighting the urge to say something he'd regret later. Aragorn stood across the corridor, just a few inches away from him and obviously seemed to know that the elf wanted to say something, tho did he only smile,"Thank you"
"I'll be riding out with Pippin and Merry",Aragorn spoke. Legolas heard the rasp in his voice, indicating the pipeweed he recently had where they shared breakfast together. Either that or he was still occupied with looking good for Lady Éowyn and her obnoxiously pretty face. He was right to spend a few more hours with their companions, when the war was emerging closer and closer - Legolas promised himself he would take part in it whenever he had the next chance, already regretting not coming with Aragorn
Legolas was mortified of death. An elf, who only ever really saw Mirkwood, where the elves lived for eternity in peace (the only terror being his father...) and love, was more afraid of death than he would admit. He wouldn't particularly say that he was scared of his own death, as there was only one thing he was yet to do until he could die in peace, but watching Boromir, Steward of Gondor, his close companion, lose his life to prevent his friends death shook him down to the core
Legolas did not know how much time they all had left. But he hoped so much they all would grow lucky one day
"I don't suppose you want to tag along?"
"I-",Legolas sighed, rolling his eyes and waving the envelope around, as if trying to lift the hot air,"If he doesn't get an answer in a few weeks, he'll show up with an entire army right here",Aragorn nodded in understanding, letting out a chuckle above that,"Alright. I'll...",He already took a turn down the floor before turning his head again,"See you for mid-day meal?"
The elf nodded. Legolas resorted to speaking as much as an elf hiding from spiders in Mirkwood forest when around Aragorn, as he was yet to find out what caused his reddened cheeks and careful behavior around him,"Take care"
"Hah",Aragorn laughed,"I will",He fully turned on the carpet, taking a few more steps before disappearing around the corner. Legolas exhaled deeply upon not seeing him anymore, turning his attention back to the letter and after having a look around, he decided to open it up right where he stood
Carelessly ripping open the envelope, letting crumbs of paper fall to the ground and taking the sheet out where the actual message was written upon. Skimming the letter, not actually reading it tho, it was incredibly long. Legolas had expected a few quick words like his father usually had, straight to the point as if his life depend on it, not waisting any time - The first thing he noticed was the second and third signing on the space downwards and another empty line which most likely waited for his own signing
At this point, Legolas decided it would be better to have himself a seat and returned to his bed chamber down the halls. He closed the heavy door behind him, slurped over and sat down onto the desk. Another groan, a sigh and he began to read
I hope this letter finds you well. You have been traveling through our lands for a long time now and I recently began missing you a lot in Mirkwood, tho I hope you are well and still breathing. - Legolas chuckled in confusion. His father never wrote letters like this and never spoke to him that way. He continued to read. - I shall bring glad news upon you. In just a few years I will sail west to the undying lands and as our kingdom will sustain in high hopes, you, as my son and my crown prince will take over the throne. - Oh hell no. - The same way as I ascended upon this throne, you will reign this country with your intelligence and your strength. But as we discussed before, the steps to your reign will be slow and careful until I feel you are ready for your coronation. Tho do I despise waiting any longer than necessary and have decided that we will herby conduct the first step to your reign. While you were gone, somewhere under Lord Elrond blessing, I held councils regarding your courting
And that was where Legolas closed the letter for a second. They had discussed this a thousand times. Tho, he knew someday he would need to marry some woman and reign the country his father had left him, Legolas would not resort to marrying someone his father had picked for him. He took a deep breath, already thinking about what to reply to his father before opening the letter again
I was very careful and took your interests into account before deciding on the Lady of Anori-Forest. - Legolas certainly knew their forest, but not that there was any she-elf in near his age. - We await you at Mirkwood by the next three months, she will appreciate your effort and is glad to meet you. Remember the few points we talked through and be very polite upon arriving in Mirkwood. Give me a sign you are still alive
The elf stared down the signage down on the bottom of the letter and acknowledged the empty line where his was to go. His heart did not desire to marry some - most likey beautiful - but to him unknown woman and even less a return home. Gondor had won his heart in just a few weeks of their stay, nature shining as bright as the people's smiles and he wouldn't ever tell his father, but Legolas might just be a little bit into humans, tho was he well aware what a scandal it would cause for him to marry a human as Mirkwood was a lot more conservative with their tradition as many other kingdoms
Adding to the fact his father would force him to marry, would it mean that his coronation came closer and closer. Legolas remembered that they conflicted over this topic repeatedly and the end of their tell was his allowance to follow his friends upon the journey to destroy the enemies weapon - But the condition was a marriage upon his return. And Legolas was known to keep his oaths, but still hoped his father would forget it in between his busy reign
The worst part was not marrying this woman or that he did not have a choice, but that he was not allowed to have any freedom. It had been barely half a year but until this point of his journey, had he learned more than in his hundred of years in Mirkwood. Not only would his hopes and dreams perish, but his every small experience would happen without his own will. This woman he neither desired nor knew would steal every single breath of his life and society would accept him giving his life up to serve a royal purpose
He'd watch his father leave to Valinor, leaving his son alone with a burden he was yet to learn to carry in a country he that had never given him anything in return for his sacrifices. Legolas would leave his friends, never see them again until the day he'd watch them depart from this world, regret every choice and would still have a thousand more years to life until it was reasonable for him to leave this planet
And one day, he would accept his fate and grow as irratic and egocentric as his father was. He was grateful for the opportunity to change something, tho did he know his father was not born this way. Something had changed him and if it was not the throne, then Legolas could barely explain what else it was
Even worse than marrying this woman just to serve this country was him knowing that it meant watching the one he actually wanted to marry, have a woman himself. Children, a kingdom and a love that would last, unlike his own - So how could he ever leave his signature down this letter and accept his fate? Give up freedom and love and acceptance and speech to be something this country would die for, which he did not desire to be in any way
His father expected his best behavior, while Legolas wished to enjoy his own life furthermore instead of being a slave to those who would tear his royal being into pieces until he ripped enough to turn the same way his father did. By the day his mother died, Legolas had sworn he would never turn out the same way he did - So he would not let his shot slide so easily
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After a careful consideration of his situation, Legolas had decided that he would enjoy his last month in a way he hadn't considered before, tho was he yet to find out what way it was
"Oh Laddie",It echoed across the entire hall, tho nothing new,"The forest is worth an adventure. Your pointy ears would surely enjoy it a bunch"
Legolas raised his head from where he was almost buried in his bowl of soup, a smile cupping his lips,"It sure is. I wish to follow along next time you leave for this adventure you are speaking of"
It was until then where the heavy door shoved open and laughter filled the dining hall. Legolas was left to notice the room being on fire just a second after the door closed again. He could not quite explain it, but in the elf's eyes, he had always looked the best wearing the usual warrior clothing he always had on
Legolas watched Merry and Pippin reinact a battle scene, Aragorn following behind with a chuckle on his lips, while shaking his head in awe,"Gimli! Legolas!",Merry called after the two upon spotting them share their rations. They were grateful for king Theoden to provide with beds, food and a space to share their proviant. The Hobbit was first to take a set on Gimli's right side, as to which the dwarf slapped his hand down his shoulder. Pippin followed on the opposite side, Legolas internally cursing because the bench was obviously not large enough for four people to fit it - And had Aragorn sit down right beside him
"I see you have returned",The elf stated, placing his spoon down beside the bowl,"Did anything happen?",He switched looks between the two hobbits and Aragorn, his two smaller companions seemed to grin in amusement as to which Legolas answered with tilting his head,"We encountered a single stray orc!",Pippin then finally answered
"But Aragorn was quick to handle him!",Merry added, both nodding in contentment. Legolas laughed at their synchronized action before turning back the man beside him,"Are you hurt?"
"Nah",He answered, taking a piece of bread form the small basket on the table and slowly ripping it into even smaller pieces. Legolas questioned his sanity when he was not sure if he'd rather be the bread between his hands or the small piece upon his lips - He brought himself back to the ground by exhaling deeply,"That is wonderful"
"You need to join us next time",Aragorn added, raising his eyebrows at the elf. Legolas was barely focused on the remaining words, taking in some movement in his peripheral vision. He only smiled, letting Merry and Pippin sit down again after Aragorn glanced a little too long,"We could've used your very skilled bow a lot"
Legolas chuckled,"Oh I am sure you handled the one single orc very well"
Aragorn had noticed the elf barely eating from his soup while Gimli's bowl was already empty, with a second dirty bowl on the side. Merry and Pippin fell back into a conversation with Gimli, the elf watching a with a heavenly smile upon his lips. Eru, he would miss these stubborn people so much once he was married and crowned on his throne in Mirkwood. For a second, the two just kept quiet between themselves, Legolas not even noticing Aragorn staring at him before the man finally spoke up again, quiet, just for the elf to hear,"What news did your father bring upon you?",Related to his barely ate food, Aragorn assumed the news were received rather unwell. He swiftly unpacked his pipe from the pocket of his trousers and began stuffing it with weeds
Legolas parted his lips, sucking in the air through his front teeth. For a moment, he wanted to say anything, anything else, for Aragorn not to know that he had somebody waiting on him - But he knew that being an elf meant a lie was nearly impossible and whenever he had tried, Aragorn had always seen through him. So, he got himself together, set a smile upon his lips, which the man immediately noticed, his own face dropping a bit
"I'll be getting married"
The entire room fell silent, Legolas waiting for any reaction from them. Aragorn was the first to break the silence, his pipe falling straight towards the stone ground, raising his eyebrows further,"Oh"
"Congratulations",Gimli spoke astonished,"I did not know there was a woman waiting on you back home"
"There is not",Legolas sighed,"I don't even know her, I know her name and how her signature looks, and that she allegedly follows my interests but I am sure my father did not accept her offer for courting because she enjoyed reading books as much I do, but because it would be politically advantageous"
"You're getting married",Aragorn repeated, pure shock on his brow
"Yes",Legolas spoke. He did not dare to meet the man's eyes, rather staring down his soup again,"I- I mean, it was the one condition for me to follow along with this travel, that I would soon be crowned and take over the reign, but I just don't get it"
"You can not marry her if you don't love her!",Pippin argued,"Are you not in love with someone else? You can not spend the rest of your life like this"
"I don't really have a choice",Legolas mumbled,"And it also is not that important, nothing for me to worry about right now",He sat up another smile onto his lips, meeting Aragorn's view. The man took a second, took a deep breath before he got up,"I am tired from our small adventure and am to rest for a few hours"
Legolas stared up at him where the man stood beside him and saw Aragorn sigh. He wondered why. His hand slowly found the elf's shoulder,"You should eat. For you own sake",He slowly crouched down from the bench, a smile upon his lips as he nodded towards the other end of the bench,"Gentlemen. Have a good feast"
Aragorn closed the heavy door behind him, leaving the elf to stare daggers after him as if the door was made of glass. The elf resorted to spooning his soup, slurping a few more spoons before also getting up and leaving the room himself
Out of all the few things he had thought about, fading from this earth before even arriving in Mirkwood seemed to be the one single thing he desired the most - Besides a certain man. Tho, did Legolas now know that he and his super-pretty-elven-lady and soon-to-be wife would most likely attend his marriage to Lady Éowyn in a few years and watch Aragorn love and kiss and adore her while the grief of lost freedom would consume Legolas in a whole
The ceiling was way too boring to be stared at for that long
A sigh echoed through his bed chamber. Legolas knew it was fate and that the Valar had a place for him where he would be more than just happy, where he belonged but if that place was upon a throne, he did not want it. His father could depart to Valinor all he wanted, Legolas did not care but he could not expect his son to take over a country which never felt like home to him. All he ever was, was the royal purpose, not the elf who enjoyed his freedom so much. Being a king in this country meant spending the entirety of his eternity with the burden of this entire place on his shoulders and not the decision what he would do that day
This was not freedom. It was torture. Caged like a bird until someone was to take over his spot as he was expected to conceive a child with this woman he neither knew nor loved. All he wanted was to leave this entire life behind, to fade from this world and leave his fate behind. How could his father even expect this of him? Thinking Legolas would marry quite anyone and not worry his head over future? The even worse part was the fact that all the small things he so desperately needed to feel free were taken away from him
Legolas felt like he needed to feel free. To have experiences prior of this, because even as an elf, his life was too short not to try everything he could. All that while Aragorn was the one single thing on his mind. He had listened to Gimli speak of the love he had shared with several woman (under dwarven-standards he seemed to be attractive if what he spoke of was true) and the many nights he had - Of which Legolas hadn't ever had one