When a Prince Loves a King

An Old Friend

Legolas:

The veil of black obscures my vision, yet one thing stays clear. A grave of dark stone, polished until it shone like metal. The wind whips at the cloth, the frigid air biting at my skin. I shiver, not used to the feeling of coldness. 

My eyes flutter shut as warm tears begin to pour down my cheeks. Why, why did he have to be mortal? I press my forehead to the cool stone, letting out a choked sob. I let the cold envelop me, attempting to drown out my sorrows with bitter cold. It doesn't work. 

Eventually, I hear footsteps, heavy footsteps. Different from a human's gentle lope or elves fox-like grace. I force my gaze from the ground and wipe the tears from my eyes. This time it is a different type of sob that rips its way from my chest. I force myself to my feet and make my way across the courtyard and into the strong arms of my old friend. My knees press into the rough gravel, and his beard scratches my chin as I wrap my arms around his shoulders.
"Clingy now, aren't we elf," he says while awkwardly patting me on the back. 

"Oh shut up, Gimli" I manage to say with a small huff before the tears return, pouring down my face like rivers. "I've missed you."

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Some amount of time later, maybe three years?

The sunset reflects on the water as I make my way down the final flight of stairs. When I reach the docks, I see a small boat sitting on the water, gently rocking back and forth with small waves.

I look behind me, only to find Gimli still about halfway down the stairs. "Hurry up, Dwarf" I call behind me, laughter making its way into my voice. Eventually, he makes his way to the ground, panting and gasping for breath.

When he catches sight of the boat I can see his face go pale.

"You expect me to sail across the sea in that?" He manages to gasp out between breaths of air. "Yep!" I say, laughing slightly at his reaction. "It can't possibly be less safe than the time that your father rode down a river in a wine barrel," I say, nudging him with my elbow. I walk closer to the boat, stepping carefully into it. "Come on Gimli, one last adventure?"

The End

(For real this time)

Authors Note: I hope that this is a good ending to the story. I'm sorry if the writing is not the best and I am sorry that it is such a short chapter. Thank you for reading this and I hope you enjoyed the story.