When a darkness spreads across Mirkwood, a mighty elven kingdom is robbed from its bliss. A once vibrant people hides behind the walls of their kingdom and the forest grew into a bleak and uneasy place.
The other realms suspected Thranduil of being...
The King strolled the path in the vast garden. The colored flowers on either side of his feet seemed to grow more beautiful by the year. So full of color and rich with delicious, sweet scents. A gentle breeze tugged at his hair. Thranduil looked up, at the leaves that were carried away by the wind. The sun warmed his pale skin.
Legolas was growing up fast and Thranduil spent his time with him showing him every room, every corner of the kingdom and teaching him that this was his home. The place where he would grow up and learn everything from his beloved parents, who loved him more than they could express in words.
Thranduil continued on his path. Each time he walked through the gardens, he discovered new things. A new flower that rose from the earth and claimed all the attention of a passerby with its color, a beautiful butterfly that proudly nestled among the leaves or an unfamiliar scent that tickled his senses.
But nothing in the garden outweighed the image that appeared before him; His beloved wife and son, sitting beside a fountain surrounded by bushes of blooming white roses. His son, who had been babbling words and making playful noises for weeks, now stared wide-eyed at a big bumblebee. He did not reach out to the small creature, while Elithien watched him closely. A smile grew on Thranduil's face when his wife looked up. Her smile made his heart beat faster and sent warmth through every fiber of his body. An sight he could never get enough of.
'Elithien,' he spoke softly and quickened his pace. 'Legolas, my son.' He kissed the Queen tenderly on her forehead and stroked Legolas' cheek. Legolas smiled at him and pointed up with his little fingers. Again the elven child's gibberish sounded through the garden. The queen laughed softly at hearing the unintelligible words and looked up at her husband.
"How did the meeting go?" Elithien asked, as Thranduil sank down beside her on the edge of the fountain.
Thranduil looked at her and almost considered shrugging his shoulders. Instead, he continued to look at her and heaved a sigh. 'Everything seems to be going well for a change. I think we're in for a quiet year. At least, I hope so.'
Elithien nodded. 'It brings me joy to hear that,' she said, turning to Legolas who had just pulled a flower out of the earth. 'Then we'll have more time for our little one.' She stood up and knelt down beside the young elf. 'What did I tell you about picking flowers, Legolas?" she spoke in a soft tone and placed her fingers under his chin, then lifted his little head slightly.
Legolas looked at her with wide eyes as she took the flower from his hand. It was blue and star-shaped. 'The flowers are alive, Legolas, just like you and me. They breathe. Under the ground their roots are intertwined, they communicate with each other. For every flower you pluck, they lose wisdom.'
Thranduil chuckled. 'My dear, I don't think he understands what you're saying.'
'One day he will. Until then, I'll keep telling him.' She lifted Legolas off the ground. His little legs dangled on either side of her body and his little hands gripped her long, blond hair.
"Don't pull, Legolas?" the queen said to the little prince, smiling, and tickled the child's belly with a finger. Legolas looked at her and let go of her hair. The young prince's laughter brought a smile to Thranduil's face. When Legolas caught sight of his father, he stretched his arms out to him and began to groan softly. His little hands squeezed open and close, as if trying to grab a distant star.
Elithien handed their son over to her husband. 'Your laughter is my joy, little leaf,' he spoke smiling and pressed his forhead against his son's.
It was a blissful family. No worries or fears and only the love that was lived on. Legolas stared at his father and suddenly wrapped his arms around his face.
'Adar!*' the little one yelled. Shocked, Thranduil turned to his wife, who was looking at him with equal surprise. Legolas' first word had been spoken and it was something the couple could be proud of.
*Elvian word for father
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