Chapter XVII: A Time Before Darkness (Pt. III)
“As Legolas began to grow, so did his curiosity of all things. When I found a moment, I would walk with Êlúriel in the gardens. On most occasions, we had Tarthôn with us. Like brothers, he and Legolas reminded me of my childhood with Melros. Keeping both of them out of trees seemed to a chore for most of the court as they went from crawling to walking.
Legolas seems most adventurous—always finding his way into something or under it. His fascination with nature came from his mother, for there were times when they did not know that I watched them together communing with nature in a way I did not understand. Êlúriel adored him--little green leaf.
He was quick to learn everything—which included talking. She kept him and Tarthôn quite close. If anyone saw them they would have wondered if any mother in this world loved her children more than she loved them. There were mornings when I found them sleeping between us—as close as wolf cubs cuddled together so tightly.
Early one morning, I lay in bed thinking to myself. ĂŠlĂşriel was not there as she had left me alone to perform whatever duty she felt to do. I thought it was time to begin my day when I saw the chamber doors open and shut. No one seemed to have come in. It was then that I realized that a small tuft of golden hair appeared alongside the bed.
“Legolas,” I began amused. “What brings you here so early?”
“Ada,” he said. “Up, now.”
He was is mother’s son, with a bit of his grandmother. He pulled himself up to standing and I reached over and picked him up.
“You want your Ada to get up,” I asked as I bounced him up and around.”
“Yes,” he giggled. “I want to play.” I lay him down next to me.
“Very well,” I said pointing to the long silver silk rope that rang the servants. “If you pull that, then Ada can play with Legolas.”
Immediately he crawled across my chest and reached for the cord. I caught him as he nearly fell as he grabbed it and pulled it hard. Within moments, there came a knock.
“Enter,” I said. “Quietly, if you please.” The doors slowly opened and as I feared, Legolas hid under the covers. He had yet to get used to so many people doing for us.
“It is okay, Legolas. I am here.”
I got out of bed, and was being dressed. In my mirror, I could see him peeking out from under the covers cautiously. When I was dressed, I motioned for them to leave. As they left, Legolas crawled to the end of the bed, reaching for me. I picked him up.
“Legolas ready, now,” I asked.
“Yes, Ada,” he said wrapping his arms around my neck. “Play now.”
I walked out of my chambers with my son. I was beginning to love being a father. I wondered if my father felt the same way. I knew he would have loved Legolas, of that I was certain.
In the hall, TarthĂ´n played with ArdĂ´r, OrĂsil, Elenadar and Elenatar. Behind them was Aruilos, son of Nimlos. With his mother’s golden hair and clear grey eyes, he was as small as Legolas but determined to keep up with the older boys. Elranduil stood watching them with Nimlos, ElmĂ®r, AramĂr and Aramoth.
“Tarthôn,” Legolas squealed as he reached for him. I put him down to join the others as I approached Elranduil.
“How Legolas has grown,” Nimlos said smiling. “He reminds me some of Aranúril as his cousin.”
“Aruilos does resemble Legolas,” Aramoth said. “Though Nenloth says Arlúin reminds her of her mother, Nimduin. Is that true, Nimlos?”
“She does have much of her grandmother in her, I must say and plenty of her grandfather.”
“Has anyone seen Fëaluin,” I asked. “Do we not have things to attend in council?”
“He is with FinĂ«ar,” AramĂr answered. “He still mourns and SinomĂ« as you know. He clings to FĂ«aluin for it was the death of FĂnduin that took her. Linurial does her best with the twins and NimlĂşin, but it has taken much from both of them.”
“Aryávë says as much,” Elmîr said quietly. “Your wife, my dear sister, speaks of it often in attendance to the Queen. A grave tragedy of the great war. I pray there are no more to come now there is peace now.”
“For now,” Nimlos whispered.
His words concerned me as he was much like Êlúriel in his visions. Before I could inquire, Fëaluin and Finëar approached with Nenduriel and several ladies.
“It is time for the children to eat and take rest,” Nenduriel said sternly as she picked up Legolas.
“No,” he screamed.
TarthĂ´n tried to grab Legolas but nearly pushed Nenduriel over.
“Tarthôn,” I said angrily. “Stop, now!”
He looked at me as if he were about to cry and he ran away with ArdĂ´r, OrĂsil and Aruilos following. Legolas wiggled away from Nenduriel and followed them.
“Elenadar! Elenatar,” Fëaluin began. “Bring them back.” The boys quickly obeyed.
“I apologize for Tarthôn's behavior,” I said.
“It is not your fault,” Fëaluin said.
“The other children in the court have become rather troublesome,” Nenduriel said. “They taunt him and OrĂsil horribly. For his young age, Legolas seems well aware of it.”
“I do not understand,” Elranduil asked concerned. “What are they saying?”
“It is no secret they are fostered,” FĂ«aluin said. “But the war left many without fathers themselves. They were not as fortunate as TarthĂ´n and OrĂsil, to be sure.”
“I have seen Randúmîr attempt to stop them on occasion,” Nimlos said. “But they can be cruel. Randúmîr knows well from experience.”
Without a word, I went to find my children. The meandering halls seemed to go on endlessly until I found Êlúriel with Legolas and Tarthôn in the gardens. Many children played nearby—their laughter as music in the air. Only my sons seemed distant and sad. They looked so much like me and Elranduil as children. I watched my family for a while thinking of the joy they brought to me.
“Remember when you first met Melros,” I heard Elranduil say as he joined me. “It was in this very garden so long ago.”
“I know. How can I keep my promise to him, Elranduil? I cannot keep from him his true identity forever. He will hate me for it.”
“Thranduil,” he began. “You are the only father he has ever known. ĂŠlĂşriel is his mother and Legolas his brother. For now, there is no need to say anything. I spoke with OrĂsil. His concern is not with himself but with TarthĂ´n. To him, we are his family now and nothing will change that.”
“OrĂsil is wise beyond his years,” I said.
I noticed TarthĂ´n looking up at me. He looked down at the ground. My heart broke for the first time that day.
The following morning, I realized I was holding ĂŠlĂşriel in my arms for the first time in a while. I kissed her neck and she turned toward me and kissed me.
“Where are the boys,” she asked.
“I do not know,” I said. “Perhaps they are in their room.”
“I have you all to myself, then,” she said.
We held each other and I kissed her. As we became more passionate, I heard the door of our chamber open. I turned over to see Legolas pulling himself onto our bed. TarthĂ´n stood silently by my bedside.
“How are you, Tarthôn,” I asked. “Would you like to come up here?”
“Yes, please,” he said sternly and instantly crawled across me to Êlúriel. “Nana, will you take us to the garden today?”
“Yes, please,” Legolas said bouncing at the foot of the bed.
“I will, Tarthôn, but you know should not climb over Ada.”
He looked back at me with a defiant look, as if to wonder should he apologize.
“I am fine,” I said. “Believe me, Êlúriel. I am looking forward to our mornings being disrupted by more small elven boys.”
“I want to go to the pool,” Tarthôn said talking to Êlúriel while looking at me. “Can we?”
“Am I invited,” I asked. “And is it possible for Ada and Nana to get dressed first, Tarthôn?”
“Okay.”
Legolas and Tarthôn climbed down from the bed. They pulled the silver rope together. As he did so, Êlúriel got up and put on her robe. The room quickly filled with servants—among them came Nenduriel.
“There you are, Tarthôn and Legolas,” she said. “Come, time to dress you for the day.”
“No,” he screamed and crawled under the bed. Legolas followed him. We heard them giggling with each other soon thereafter.
“Thranduil,” Nenduriel said, giving me a stern look. “If I did not know better, I would think this behavior was your doing except I just spent the morning ArdĂ´r and OrĂsil and it would appear to be an inherited trait.“
I began to laugh as ĂŠlĂşriel glared at me.
“Tarthôn! Legolas! You must get dressed if you want to go outside,” Êlúriel said. “Out with you both, now.”
They crawled out on her side and walked toward Nenduriel—their faces I remembered from my youth. They walked past her slowly and out the door, like little soldiers, marching angrily away. Nenduriel bowed and left. I got out of bed and was dressed. My coat was long and golden with embroidered green damask leaves robe that in summer was lighter and lined within with silver. Êlúriel came to me, dressed similarly, a golden hooded cloak around her.
“I am going to make sure Tarthôn has not driven poor Nenduriel out of her mind,” she said. “I will meet you in the hall.”
“Tarthôn would not such a thing,” I said. “He is a good child. Far more than I was and a lot like his father. I wish Melros were here to see him. He would be proud. I do not feel I deserve to be his father in place of his own. Though I love him very much.”
She took my hand and kissed it.
“Melros would have wanted you to raise his son,” she said. “You know that in your heart. He was like a brother to you, so his son is your son. Legolas adores him. It is like watching you both growing up all over again, I should think.”
“Very much so,” I said. “But I worry about him.”
She smiled at me and went her way. I looked into my mirror at myself. I was different. Time showed no sign of age except in my eyes where all hope, fear, joy and pain were held.
“You realize you are not going to get any younger,” I heard Elranduil say. “But you remain the youngest of our generation.”
I turned and saw him sitting on the end of my bed.
“Am I too young to rule,” I asked. “Too young to be a father?”
“I would not say that,” he said. “You are doing well.”
“How well can I be doing if I cannot get Legolas and Tarthôn to obey Nenduriel?”
Elranduil laughed almost to tears.
“ArdĂ´r told them of her,” he said. “OrĂsil as well. Of course, I did warn my sons of her. I did not think they would say anything to yours.”
I walked over to him and lightly smacked him across his head and sat next to him.
“I should have known,” I said. “Like father, like son.”
“He is far more like his uncle than me,” he said. “If you will remember.”
I did remember—a time when I had both my parents—and all things told at night of great battles and elven heroes were lore. My friends were still together, not lost to me. Melros was gone. FĂnduin was gone. This was not the world I wanted to live, much less raise two elven boys.
My chamber doors flew open and Legolas, ArdĂ´r, TarthĂ´n and OrĂsil ran inside and over to us. Legolas and ArdĂ´r climbed onto the bed and into their father’s laps. ArdĂ´r had the golden hair of Elranduil and the golden grey eyes of his mother. OrĂsil was beginning to look more like his father, ArĂsil, his brown hair falling to his shoulders and his eyes the color of the sea. TarthĂ´n’s emerald eyes remained steady on the floor as he leaned against one of the bedposts.
“We are ready, Ada,” Ardôr said excitedly. “We are going to swim today.”
“TarthĂ´n told us so,” OrĂsil answered.
“As you wish,” Elranduil said. He rose and put his son down, took his hand and prepared to leave. “Coming?”
“I need a moment with Tarthôn,” I said. “Legolas, go with Elranduil.”
“Yes, Ada,” he said jumping down and running out of the room with ArdĂ´r. OrĂsil took Elranduil’s hand quietly.
“Very well.” They left us alone.
“Come to me, Tarthôn, if you will,” I said.
He walked slowly over and stood before me. I picked him up and I sat there with TarthĂ´n in my lap, on his knees. He never lifted his head.
“Tarthôn, may I ask you something?”
He nodded, barely looking at me. When he lifted his head, he looked so much like Melros.
“You stopped calling me Ada,” I said. “Why is that?”
“I cannot,” he said. “You are king. That is why.”
“Who told you such a thing,” I asked.
“The other boys I see,” he said. He started to cry. “Why are you the king and not my Ada anymore?”
I held him close to me as he cried. I could see his father lying on the battlefield again. I felt the pain of losing him again. I remember his mother leaving her son in the care of his closest friends.
“I am the king,” I said. “But you are my child, Tarthôn. You always have been and always will be my son. Do not listen to what anyone says.”
“You are my Ada,” he asked, lifting his head and wiping his eyes with his sleeves.
“Of course I am, Tarthôn. I always have been."
I feared he did not understand as he stared at me for a moment. Then he threw his arms around me and embraced me.
“Ada,” he said happily. “I love you, Ada.”
“I love you, too, son.”
I looked to see ĂŠlĂşriel watching us. When TarthĂ´n saw her he climbed down and ran to her.
“Nana, that is my Ada,” he said and ran out of the room.
“Thranduil,” she said as I rose. “You never told me you were perfect."
“I am your husband. You should know that by now.”
She laughed.
“Forgive me if I failed to notice, my beloved husband.”
“I will think about it, my beloved wife."
I walked to her and kissed her. I took her hand and left to take our sons out to play.”--Excerpt from TKWR: BII The Saga of Thranduil by J.M.Miller 6-1-16
Images: ©2012, 2013, 2014. Warner Brothers Pictures. The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies. All Rights Reserved.
