Lord Elrond walked through the corridors of Imladris gently
leading Prince Legolas. He wondered if anyone, including Legolas' father,
knew he was here. Elrond and Thranduil had never agreed, since Thranduil
held Elrond responsible for his father's death in the Last Alliance. The
Lord of Imladris had some sympathy for Thranduil, though, knowing that he
would want word of where his son was, even if it was with his most hated
enemy. But he would think more on the King of Mirkwood later. For now, there
was Legolas to tend to.
"I am glad to see you again, Legolas, for I missed you at the wedding of
Estel and Arwen." Elrond had heard that the Mirkwood prince had indeed been
in attendance, but only briefly, and he had not set eyes on him while in
Gondor.
"I did not have the time to tarry, but I wished to give my regards to the
couple."
Elrond raised a brow at this, wondering what business kept the other Elf
away from his friends. "I shall escort you to the guest chambers where you
may freshen up and rest a bit, and I will bring you food later."
The Prince nodded dismissively and a frown tugged at Elrond's lips. He selected
a vacant set of rooms very close to his own and led Legolas inside.
"I will prepare the bath for you, if you wish," Elrond said, moving to the
nearby closet as Legolas sat down on the bed.
The Lord of Imladris rummaged through the hanging garments, all of loose
sizes for all manner of visitors, looking for something to fit Legolas.
"Ah, here," Elrond smiled, holding up a pale blue garment. "I have found
a robe for..." The elder Elf sighed and shook his head slightly. Legolas
was sound asleep.
Elrond crossed the room to where the sleeping prince lay. He tucked a lock
of loose hair behind Legolas' ear and sighed again. "What has happened to
you, Prince of Mirkwood?"
The Elf Lord unstrapped Legolas' bow, quiver, and knives, easing them out
from beneath his body. He carefully pulled off the riding boots the prince
wore before pulling a light cover up over the sleeping form and piling Legolas'
belongings on a nearby chair. He drew the heavy drapes to block out the light
of day and quietly left the room. He would check on the Elf Prince later.
"Are you sure he is alright?" Glorfindel asked on the second day of Legolas'
slumber. The Eldar elf was standing in front of Elrond's desk as his Lord
worked on a bit of paperwork.
"He has no physical wounds, but he is mentally and emotionally exhausted,"
Elrond said, his quill lightly scratching the parchment before him. "I think
his recent trials have affected him more than we know." Putting down his
feather, he regarded his seneschal. "War takes a toll on all those involved,
you know that, Glorfindel."
"Aye, I do, but Legolas is so young. He was always so full of life. One
would expect him to be overjoyed at the outcome of the quest, despite the
hardship."
"He is happy for his homeland, I am sure. But there were many battles, and
the Quest was perilous. For many months, the fate of Middle-Earth rested
on Legolas' shoulders. He was the only representative of the Elves in the
Fellowship."
"All that fighting, for a world he is destined to leave. That must be hard
as well. You should have sent me on the Quest."
Elrond's brow went up. "Indeed, I had not fully considered how it would
impact Legolas to fight so hard for something he had to give up so soon."
He took a deep breath and sighed, he suspected Glorfindel's feelings had
been injured when he chose Legolas to go with the Fellowship instead of his
trusted friend. "The Ringquest was not for you. Younger blood was needed
and our age passed long ago. Besides," Elrond smirked, "you would have gotten
along so charmingly with Boromir and the dwarf."
The Eldar laughed and shook his head. "True," he admitted, grinning. "I
must get back to my own work. I am facilitating a horse trade between Imladris
and Rohan. I shall look in on our young elf as I pass."
"If you could check on Legolas' steed as well, I would appreciate it. He
seemed very concerned for the welfare of his mount, even in the state he
was in."
A smile passed between the two lords, and then Glorfindel departed for the
stables.
Elrond was surprised, and somewhat relieved a day later to find the bright
blue eyes of Legolas looking up at him from the pillows.
"I see you have finally decided to join us, my young Prince," Elrond smiled.
"I have slept long?" Legolas said, sounding slightly confused.
"A good while, but I daresay you needed it. How are you feeling?"
"More rested, and yet, still weary. I would like to thank you for your hospitality,
my Lord."
"These doors will always remain open to you while I dwell on these shores,
Legolas," Elrond gave another smile and retrieved the robe he had chosen
for the Prince several days ago. "You will feel even better once we get you
cleaned up. Here, put this on."
Legolas took the proffered garment and stared at it. Elrond hid his frown
and went into the next room, drawing a warm bath for the Elf prince. When
he returned, Legolas was sitting up with the robe draped over his lap.
Elrond took the Prince gently by the arm and helped him to stand. Slowly,
he began to undress him, peeling off the soiled garments and frowning at
the too-slender frame he revealed. He noticed that there were several newer
scars on the pale skin. They did not look to be healing as fast as they should,
and Elrond made a mental note to apply a healing salve to them later.
He wrinkled his nose. "You smell like an Orc, Legolas. How long has it been
since you last bathed?"
"I know not, I have lost track of time..."
"You have also lost your sense of smell, it seems. Come on." Even though
Elrond did not doubt Legolas' ability to stand, he kept his hand firmly on
the other's arm. He led the naked Prince into the bathroom, getting his own
robes slightly wet in leading Legolas down the short steps into the tub.
The Prince sunk down into the water and sighed. Elrond watched him with
a frown of concern as Legolas made a half-hearted attempt to wash himself.
"Let me help you," the Lord of Imladris said, stripping himself of his robes
and descending into the hot water.
Continued in Part 3
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