The Love of a King(a Thranduil fanfic)(currently on pause)

Chapter Two

Another year went by and it was Legolas's 8th birthday. The feast would be held later that night. Nothing had changed about Thranduil except he grew more sullen and more easily angered. He closed himself of more and no one except Helegrenel and Legolas noticed. Thranduil did not even talk to either of them though. The last year past with out many eventful things happening. So why I choose Legolas's 8th birthday is this:
In the middle of the feast Thranduil was hosting, Helegrenel came rushing in with the news that two more villages were raided, both by orcs. There were no survivors and all were killed brutally. The two villages that were attacked before were left untouched with no new inhabitants.
Thranduil left Legolas to his party and went straight to his chambers with Helegrenel trailing behind. When they got into Thranduil's chambers, Thranduil pulled out a map of Greenwood. He took a quill and a glass jar filled with ink and placed them on the table. He put an 'x' through the two villages raided last year and the two villages raided that day. He placed the map in the center of his table,
"Helegrenel, I think that next year, we will have another raid. Do not try and stop it, let it happen. I want to see where the next will be. There are different clusters of villages and the four that have been attack so far are in the same cluster. If the next two are in the same cluster, we shall investigate further. In the mean while, send out guards to kill all the orcs. Then proceed in the routine ways. I must go back to Legolas's feast. I have yet to give him his gift. I hope you understand."
"Yes my lord. Tell Legolas I wish him a good evening."
"I will," then after a pause Thranduil dismissed Helegrenel. After Helegrenel left, Thranduil opened his closet doors and delicately picked up two small bundles. Thranduil walked back to the garden where the feast was taking place. When he got outside, he scanned the crown for his son. When he found him, Thranduil crossed over to him.
"Come here my little leaf, I have something to show you," Thranduil called to Legolas. Legolas then put down the book one of his friends gave him and walked over to his father.
"Yes Ada?" Thranduil revealed the two bundles he had and handed them over to Legolas.
"Open them my little leaf," Legolas did as he was told and he found two small white daggers hidden behind the folds of the fabric. He carefully pulled them out to admire.
"I will teach you how to use them my little leaf. And maybe when your older, you can learn how to use a bow."
"Thank you Ada!" Legolas quickly ran up and gave his father a hug.
"This is the best gift ever!"
"I am glad you think so my little leaf." Thranduil then pulled out a small belt and wrapped it around his son's small waist.
"Put the daggers in here for now," Thranduil said as he pointed to two sheaths on the belt. Legolas slid the daggers into his new belt and ran off to show his friends.

xXx

Helegrenel sent out his guards to clear the forest of the orcs. He then joined in the clean up if the two villages. When it was all done, he returned to the palace a few days later. To meet Thranduil.
"My lord, the orcs and spiders have been taken care of and we have finished in the cleaning up of the two villages."
"That is great, continue training new guards and the basic patrolling. We will wait till they attack again."
"Yes my lord."
"And I have been studying the map, it turns out that this particular group of villages is the second largest group. We may want to keep that in mind."
"Yes my lord. I will keep it in mind."
"Thank you Helegrenel. You are dismissed."
"Yes my lord," Helegrenel said before he turned to leave Thranduil's chambers. After Helegrenel left, Thranduil placed his crown on the table. He then slipped out of his boots and went into his sleeping chambers. He took of his robe and tunic leaving his well toned chest bare. He crawled under his sheets and tried to sleep. Even though elves do not need sleep, it was always refreshing at the end of a day. When Thranduil realized that his attempts to sleep were all in vain, he walked out onto his balcony to gaze at the stars.
"I miss you Bainiavas. I am so sorry more failing you. I really hope you can forgive me." Thranduil murmured to the stars then sat on the bench silently weeping. After a little while, he flopped back onto his bed and fell asleep.
In the morning, Thranduil got out of bed and got dressed. He put on his small silver circlet before heading to the dinning hall to grab a quick bite to eat before going out to the stables. He was scheduled to see how the new guards were coming along in the afternoon. He had no meeting at all today, so he had the morning to himself. Something that rarely happened anymore. He decided to take a ride through the the beautiful woods of Greenwood on his elk.
Once, and only once he was on the trail with the wind blowing through his long silver hair did Thranduil finally feel free. He only had the morning, but he did have the morning. Nothing to stop from doing whatever he wanted. He rode for hours just enjoying the beautiful trees and forest.
As he was riding back he stopped by a little stream. He had gotten well off the path but Thranduil knew his way around every corner of the forest. That was how his father, Oropher, had raised him. He had found this stream when he was around Legolas's age. He used to love coming here. He never showed anyone else the little stream before. At the beginning, it started in a small cave and then weaved its way into a little pond. And that is where it stopped. He would spend hours swimming through the water. Now, this place brought only memories. The little stream no longer amused Thranduil. He just stood, watching as the water flowed slowly but steadily down to the little pond.
Thranduil stood until he heard a bush shake a twig snap, he quickly and quietly unsheathed his sword and swiveled to the location of the sound. In a few moments, a small white bunny came hopping out of the underbrush. Annoyed, Thranduil mounted his elk and rode back to the palace.
Thranduil rode into the palace stables, he put his elk back in its stall and he walked out. Thranduil headed towards his chambers so he could change out of his riding clothes and into his formal clothes. His walk was interrupted by one of the low ranked guards running up. He was covered in dirt and blood. He bowed in greeting before delivering his message.
"My lord, there was a huge Orc raid in the forest. They attacked a ton of villages. Some of the guards are out there now, trying to fight them. They killed all the villagers and burned the villages. Captain Helegrenel is out chasing down the Orc packs so he told me to come notify you."
"Thank you, I shall be there I'm a little while."
"Yes my lord."
"You are dismissed, please go back to your captain."
"Yes my lord," the guard left and Thranduil quickly dashed to his chambers so he could put on his armor. When Thranduil had finished putting it all on, he ran back to the stables and jumped gracefully onto his elk. They both shot through the forest to one of the villages.
Thranduil unsheathed his sword and started slaying orcs. He beheaded one here, impaled one there, chopped another one in half. All who dared approach him were rapidly murdered. Swift and precise were the great elven King's sword strokes. Each fell with deadly accuracy. With the afternoon sun rays gleaming off his armor, he cast fear into all eyes of the orcs. The King had yet to fall in battle and he would not end that streak in this battle. He was fair yet terrible, he was death to all who would oppose him. A lethal enemy but if he were on your side, you had better thank the Valar. He truly was the great elven King.
Soon all the orcs laid on the ground in puddles of their own black blood. Thranduil rode back into the forest and headed to a second village. As he rode, he wiped the black blood of Orc of his sword with disgust. He arrived, and none too soon. The elven guards here were about to be over run. Thranduil jumped off his horse and jumped into to battle without hesitation. All of the elves standing near stopped to stare at their glorious King, defending his homeland in battle. All the orc's faves were wiped of their smirks and replaced with nothing but absolute terror. Some fled and some stayed to fight. In the end, all fell pray to the shinning silver sword of the King. He rode off to a third village and saw a sight that would forever haunt him.
There were but a few elves left standing, one of the few were none other than an injured Helegrenel. Helegrenel turned to salute his King and an Orc stabbed a bladed through his heart. Thranduil watched with horror as his most trusted friend, really the only elf he trusted, fall to the ground limp. He ran over and found Helegrenel dead. 'He is gone too. I have failed yet another person' were Thranduil's only thoughts before stood up again. After he stood, Thranduil slew all the orcs near him out of pure fury and need for revenge. In but a few moments, all the orcs laid dead about the Kings feet. Yet, it did little to satisfy his anger. He tore through the village killing any Orc that he passed. He soon made it to another village and killed all the orcs there. He rode to all the villages and killed every Orc there was to kill. He then rode through entire forest of Greenwood killing as he went. He would of gone more of his mount started to tire. Thranduil reluctantly turned to ride back to the palace.

When Thranduil made it back to the palace, he went straight to the throne and plodded down on his throne with a bottle of wine. He spent the night indulging himself in the light, happy feeling of being drunk.
When morning rolled around, Thranduil was still drunk so he took the day off of his duties. Well, except thinking of a new captain. Helegrenel was the only elf Thranduil truly trusted with his feelings, and he barely even talked to Helegrenel at that. Now, the only thoughts going through the elven King's mind were how he failed Bainiavas and Helegrenel. They were both very dear to Thranduil and to each other. Bainiavas and Helegrenel were brother and sister.
When Thranduil was small, Oropher and Bainiavas's father were close friends. When Oropher had to go out of Greenwood, he left Thranduil with Bainiavas and Helgrenel. Then a group of orcs raided the house, Bainiavas's parents gave their life's saving the three children. Bainiavas's mother put them all on one horse and sent them riding to the palace while she stayed to fight by her husband. They both died and Thranduil for ever felt it was his fault. Then, after he was wedded to Bainiavas and she was killed in battle, Thranduil again held himself accountable for her death. Now he held himself accountable for Helegrenel's death. Legolas was the last of their family blood line.
Thranduil made a promise that, he swore to never let anything happen to his son. He would train him to be one of the best warriors in Greenwood. Maybe second best, next Thranduil himself. He would teach Legolas in the ways of nature and of elves. He would guide Legolas to become a great elf. He would not fail Bainiavas again. Not as long as he lived.

xXx

Legolas was busy training with his new daggers at the moment. Whenever his father was busy, some of the guards would help him. He was becoming very good quit quickly. He new all the basic positions and grips. He had almost gotten the hang of twirling them. He was teaching himself how to do the knife twirling though. With Thranduil's careful supervision, Legolas was surpassing most of the other beginning elves.
When Legolas had reach about eight and a half, he started training with a sword. After Thranduil's first day of sulking, he would train Legolas every chance he got. Legolas was fast becoming a little warrior.
The Orc raids on the forest were getting worse and worse. More and more villages were being burned down. The guards were slowly but surely dwindling. Thranduil had chosen the guard the Helegrenel had intended to be captain after him to be the next captain. Although Thranduil did not even bother to learn his name.
Thranduil pushed Legolas extremely hard to be a skilled fighter. Not only did Thranduil push his own son, but the rest of the guard too. He wanted more guards to be out fighting the Orc raids. Greenwood was slowly becoming not such a happy place anymore. Thranduil had become more easily angered. He no longer cared for what happened out side of his borders. He smiled maybe once a week and even that was not a true smile, but it still was only directed at Legolas. Legolas was aware of his father's increasingly angry moods and he tried to help his father as much as possible. Legolas was a smart little elfling and very compassionate and caring. Legolas knew that his father had suffered much pain in his life. That is why Legolas always tried his hardest to be nicest to his father. Thranduil did not realize his son was so smart and Thranduil thought his son knew nothing of pain. In reality, Thranduil was hurting Legolas by being so closed off and sullen all the time. The little ellon had no mother and now a very not so father like father.

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