On the king's command

I am the king

The king was looking out of the window, lost in thoughts, as it knocked on the door to his study and someone entered behind him. 

"Father?", Legolas asked. "There is a visitor for  you."

Thranduil turned around in one swift movement, his blonde hair being thrown over his shoulder like in slow-motion. 

"There is?", he answered with his superior king voice he almost always used. "Who is it?"

"It is king Bard from Dale, your majesty. He claims you requested him to come", the elven warrior replied, watching the expression of his father change.

"Ah, so he has come finally. Not as cowardly as I thought he was then", the king murmured, then put on a big smile. "Let him come to the great hall. I will welcome him there."

Legolas nodded and turned around to leave the room. His father grinned like he had some evil plan going on, and the elf yearned to learn what it was. It was unusual enough that Thranduil invited anyone to his realm that wasn't an elf, and even then were always captured and interrogated before the king let himself down to actually invite them to stay. 

Outside the door waited Tauriel, Legolas' partner when they were away on orc hunts or spider-killing missions. She looked at him, awaiting him to tell her something interesting about the visitor. Tauriel was very curious, and she always pestered Legolas with questions about what was going on in the king's halls.

"So", she said. "What's it all about?"

While walking along the corridor towards the entrance hall, where Bard was patiently waiting with his companions, Legolas told her:

"He'll welcome him in the great hall."

The female elf stopped in her tracks and turned an unbelieving face towards him.

"No interrogation then? Not even one night in a cell?", she wanted to know.

"Nope, nothing", Legolas answered. "Maybe he's become crazy now after all."

Tauriel agreed to him. 

---

"Welcome welcome, Bard of Dale", Thranduil announced when he finally, after two hours of waiting on Bard's side, entered the hall. "Finally you accepted my invitation and entered my kingdom!"

Legolas and Tauriel, as many other guards and servants of the king had gathered around the tables along the walls and were curiously listening to the conversation playing out in front of them. 

"Did I hear a "king Bard" there, Tauriel?", Legolas whispered ironically and Tauriel chuckled. 

"Maybe a very quiet one?", she suggested, and Legolas laughed too, which earned him an annoyed look from his father. 

"I am honoured to be here, your majesty", Bard answered and bowed. 

"Yes, thank you, you should be", the king told him, then added: "And you must know, there are certain rules here in my kingdom and my palace. You will be assigned a chamber by Aelather, my counselor, and there you will sleep and stuff your belongings. I will also give you a guard from my own lifeguards, as your companions cannot stay with you."

Until there Thranduil managed to speak, when Bard lost his patience. 

"Why will my people not be able to stay with me?", he asked. "Will they not be welcomed as I am?"

"I am very sorry", the elven king said, "but no. They will be kept safely underground, where they can cause the least harm."

"So there were the cells. Not for the king, though", Tauriel whispered. 

"You see, I do not usually accept any visitors in my country, and as you are the first one, I would highly recommend you to play by my rules, because I am the king here, and I can take whatever measures I believe must be taken. Be careful, Bard from Dale!"

Thranduil gave the man a last hard stare, then turned around to leave the hall. While doing so, he gestured for his guards to take care of Bard's  companions, and they instantly took them in their middle to lead them away from the hall and to the dungeons. With much cussing and swearing the men from Dale finally agreed to do what was told by the king, but only because Bard had sorrowfully nodded towards them, as if he told them: I have accepted the terms of the king, because I cannot afford any losses. 

As the doors just were about to close behind the king, for the effect of course, his voice was heard once more.

"Legolas!", he called. "You are in charge of him!"

"Great", said elf muttered, as Tauriel mockingly punched him on the arm. "I'd rather be in the cells with the men than be ordered around like a dog by his owner."

"Actually, you would still prefer that", the female elf said. "The dungeons are pretty bad, really."

Legolas rolled his eyes at her, then made his way towards the king from Dale, who looked at him sternly, and not very welcoming. His father did, indeed, not make a very good first impression and certainly not support the kindness usually found among elves. It would take him a while to eradicate this wrong assumption from the man's brain.

"I am Legolas and I will do everything in my might to make it comfortable for you", the elf introduced himself, polite as always. 

"And who are you?", was the suspicious answer. "Another elf slave?"

He must say, that this man was brave, Legolas thought. Very brave.

"No, your majesty, I am his son", he replied, making sure to emphasize the kingship of Bard and casting down his eyes in respect. How much he did just for his father, and why was he doing it again?

"The better", the man muttered, then let Legolas take him to his room.