The Greatest Gift - A Tale of Transformation (A Short Story)

The Greatest Gift

The room was quiet, save the crackling of a glowing fire in the hearth and the faint melodic humming of an elvish lullaby. Upon a large rug sat a restless elfling trying his hardest to play quietly. "Ada, I am bored," he said sitting at his father's feet galloping a toy elk halfheartedly around the patterns in the carpet. He dared not look at his father for fear he would scold him for whining, or worse for disturbing his baby sister. Instead, he kept his head down toward the floor and the few toys he had scattered about him.

"Son, you must be patient. When I get your sister asleep, then I can spend some time with you." His father, King Thranduil answered softly so as not to disturb the sleepy elfling that lay in his arms.

"That is what you said last night and after you put Miriel asleep, you said you had work to do in your chambers," the elfling tried hard to speak with a mature voice like his adar preferred but he couldn't help but harbor a whine in his words.

"I let you play in my chambers while I worked. We were together, were we not?" His adar spoke barely above a whisper.

"Yes, but Ada, I want you to play with me," Legolas whined as he sat on his heels looking hopeful at his father.

The king gazed thoughtfully at his son. He knew Legolas loved nothing more than to spend time with him and the look upon the elfling's face, his big blue hopeful eyes and contagious smile was all it took to sway the king. Thranduil's children could melt his austere façade with ease and they knew it.

It was like clockwork that Miriel knew when Legolas was getting more of their father's attention than her, and she began to wriggle in the king's arms protesting the disrupting noise around her. The king sighed and cuddled her closer then gently bounced her in his arms while he murmured, "shhhhhhh, it's alright princess, Ada is here. Shhhhhh."

Legolas rolled his eyes at them both, sat back on the floor and hung his head feeling deflated. Since his nanneth died his ada had become too busy to play with him, and he didn't cuddle him much anymore now that Miriel occupied their father's attention. He was either off doing whatever it was kings do all day or he was taking care of his baby sister.

Legolas didn't notice that his father observed how he bowed his head and sulked. Thranduil glanced at the infant in his arms to decipher if she was ready to be put down for the night, and he decided it was worth a try.

"Wait here Legolas, I will be back soon and we shall spend some time together just you and me," his father stood holding his sister so that she rested her head on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed, her pudgy cheek was pressed into his shoulder and her lips were slightly parted. "Shall we play a round of war?" His father enthused looking down upon him with twinkling eyes.

Legolas nodded eagerly, his eyes wide with excitement. He loved playing war with his adar!

"You get things set up and I'll join you after I put Miriel down to sleep," his ada smiled down at him.

Legolas happily got to work placing all the figures in their proper positions to begin the game. As time seemed to drag by and still no Ada, Legolas, laid on his belly with his bare feet in the air and began the game without him. He quietly narrated his moves and he spoke in the voices of the various characters the pieces represented. Legolas played so intently he didn't notice Faelon, his father's valet, had come to check on him.

"Legolas, it is growing late. We should get you ready for bed," Faelon announced to the elfling.

Legolas rolled over to his side to address his father's valet, "I am waiting for my ada; he's going to play war with me."