Story Downloaded from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net)

Title: The History Of Legolas – Thranduil and Almwen (#1439)
Author: Vendie
Chapters: 5

Archive: Tolkien
Category: Lord of the Rings
Description: First in the "History of Legolas" series. Thranduil, the new prince of Greenwood, must learn how to deal with not only moving to a new home, but integrating with the Silvan elves, who he finds strange and different. But just when he thinks he despises his new home too much, he meets an elf who changes his mind about everything.
Published: 12 Dec 2004
Updated: 17 Dec 2004
Warnings: Mention of sex in later chapter
Type: Romance
Characters: Thranduil; Oropher; OC


Chapter 1 - Ignorance is Bliss

The History Of Legolas – Part I
Thranduil and Almwen
By Vendie\r\n\r\n

Author’s Note: First off, The Lord of the Rings and all associated characters belong to Tolkien and his estate. I am not making any profit off of this story, save the enjoyment I had making it. :)
Secondly, I would like to note that this story is, as the title says, a history of Legolas. He is my favorite character, and the mystery to his background was always wonderfully interesting to me, so I decided to write about it. I formed my own ideas through the essays of Michael Martinez and Ellen Brundige and formed a sort-of timeline for Legolas’ life; before and during. I also used the infamous Ardalambion as a source for Nandorin, the tongue of the Green-Elves.

Sources:
http://www.uib.no/People/hnohf/index.html - Ardalambion
http://www.istad.org/tolkien/legolas.html - Legolas of Mirkwood, a Prince Among Equals (Ellen Brundige)
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/tolkien/36517 - Speaking of Legolas… (Michael Martinez)

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Thranduil and Almwen
Chapter One – Ignorance is bliss\r\n\r\n

It was a beautiful night in the valley of Emyn Duir. The sky was cloudless, and the pale light from the full moon shone down through the dense forest, illuminating the soft, grassy paths.

Thranduil, the newly crowned prince of Greenwood the Great, walked through the trees just outside where there was a great celebration being held for the establishment of the new realm. Sounds of music and singing drifted through the trees, making them come alive.

Unlike his father, Thranduil was rather displeased with the union of the Silvan elves with his Sindarin kin. He found the Silvan elves to be rustic and strange in thought. Their language, art, traditions, and lives were different. Oropher had chided his son, saying that he was the one strange in thought to not accept their new Silvan friends.

Thranduil sighed as he walked through the forest and looked about the trees that surrounded him. Oh, how he longed for the deciduous trees of his old home! He missed the beautiful leaves that changed their colors with the seasons. These new fir trees did not shed their leaves. They were unchanging. And however beautiful their green color was, and how nicely they smelled, Thranduil did not like them because they were different.

“My Lord, has this tree offended you?” A voice asked.

Thranduil jumped out of surprise and looked up into the branches of the fir tree he had been staring at and noticed for the first time that he was not alone. There, on the lowest branch of the fir tree, was an elven maiden. It was dark where she sat, and Thranduil was only able to discern that she was a maid from her voice and from the outline of her figure. Though, she spoke in the Sindarin tongue, making him believe that she was one of the Sindar.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You glare at this pine as though it had done something to earn your contempt. Do you find something wrong with it?”

Embarrassed, Thranduil backed away and shook his head. “No, there is nothing wrong with it. I was deep in thought.”

The elven maid chuckled to herself from her spot up in the tree. The blonde-haired prince raised a brow at her, wondering what in the world could possibly be so funny, and why she was sitting in a fir tree in the first place.

“If you do not mind me asking; why are you in that tree?” He asked.

“I like sitting in trees.” The maid answered simply.

“Should you not be at the celebration?”

“Should you?”

Now it was Thranduil who chuckled and shook his head. “I take it that you were not enjoying it?”

“Not in the least, sir.” She replied.

“I am glad to know that I was not the only one.” Thranduil said. “My father thought I was strange for having a certain lack of joy this night.”

“As does mine. He welcomes this change more than I do.” She sighed. “I do not resist these changes…I’m just saddened that the ways of old are fading away.”

Thranduil smiled, glad that he had found someone with the same ideas he had, and that they could connect. A few moments of silence crept into their conversation. The prince looked up into the tree, and could see that the maiden was staring down at him.

“Might I know your name?” Thranduil asked, breaking the silence.

“You might, but I doubt you do!” The elf-maiden teased. Thranduil laughed.

“Will you tell me your name?” he rephrased.

“Perhaps, if you tell me yours first.” She replied.

“I am Thranduil, son of Oropher who established this realm. Certainly if you are Sindar, you would know of me.”

“Why do you conclude that I am of Sindar origin?” The maid asked.

“You speak the Noble Tongue fluently, my lady. Those who are Silvan, in their ignorance, have scarcely learned it.”

“Ignorance?” The woman asked.

“Yes.” Thranduil said.

“I thought it was not the Sindar’s aim to change the Silvan elves’ ways of life.” The girl pointed out.

“No, but one would assume that they would at least try to learn the language.” Thranduil snorted.

It was then that the elven-maid jumped from her perch in the tree and revealed herself to him. And much to Thranduil’s horror, he realized that she was clothed in Silvan garb, and had a distinctly Silvan face, which looked particularly disgusted at that moment in time. Her dark eyes bore into his blue ones, making the prince feel quite uneasy.

“My lady, I apologize, I - ”

“You may call me Lady Almwen, thank you very much. And I do think that I have disproved your theory of my people being ignorant, have I not?” She spat at him.

“You have, Lady Almwen.” He said.

“It would seem that the only ignorant party here is the one which chooses not to accept others for their differences and scorn them for it.” Almwen said disgustedly. And with that, she turned on her heel and walked towards the celebration, leaving a very dumbfounded and embarrassed Thranduil in the dust.

Just as Almwen disappeared into the grove of trees, Thranduil sprang forward and called out: “My lady! I’m sorry, I did not mean to be so brusque!”

But it was no use. The sounds of the celebration drowned out the disgruntled prince’s apology as Almwen approached where the rest of her kin and their new Sindar friends were feasting and celebrating.

Thranduil followed her back to the feast, but lost her when he encountered the crowd of merry elves that were dancing about outside the newly made capital of Greenwood the Great, Emyn Duir. Before he could seek the elf-maiden any further, Thranduil heard the distinct call of his father.

“My son! You have decided to join us!”

Thranduil turned to his left and saw his father there, arms open and a grin on his face. Oropher was a tall elf, taller than most. He appeared as young as his son did, though he was many years older. His fair hair, long, hair was golden and his eyes were blue. Thranduil and his father were spitting images of each other.

“Good evening, Father.” Thranduil said exasperatedly.

“Now what’s wrong?” Oropher asked, assuming that his son was still pouting about the establishment of Greenwood.

“I fear I have offended someone, and I am searching for her, though, I cannot seem to find her. She disappeared among the trees.”

“Ah. You let your tongue get away with you. As always,” Oropher chuckled. Thranduil cast his father a disproving look and sighed and crossed his arms, still glancing through the crowd to see if he could find Almwen.

“Well, who is this girl who you have so vexed?” his father asked.

“Lady Almwen, she said her name was.”

With that, Oropher began to laugh and turned, trying to hide his amusement from his son. He was unsuccessful.

“What have I done now that amuses you so?” Thranduil sighed. He found it preposterous that out of the pair, his father was more laid back.

“You do not remember when I introduced you to Veryandil, my new advisor? He mentioned that he had a daughter, did he not?”

Thranduil felt his stomach drop out of his chest. Veryandil was a Silvan Lord who had helped Oropher and the Sindarin lords establish Greenwood. Almwen was his daughter, who was now a lady of the court.

“You had better make amends, my son, for you will be seeing much of Lady Almwen in my halls from now on!” Oropher chuckled as he slapped his son on the back and walked off to join some of his councilors that were standing a few steps away.

Across the gathering, Almwen had joined her father and her mother and watched as Thranduil had spoken to his father and looked across the crowd for her. Her mother caught her staring.

“Has the Sindar prince caught your eye?” her mother teased.

“No, Mother,” Almwen said. “in fact he has quite earned my contempt.” Almwen said disgustedly.

“I’m sure he is not that bad.”

“Nay. Worse.”

Almwen’s mother smiled. “I’m sure that you two can learn to be great friends. You will be seeing much more of him from now on, my dear. Perhaps you will become even more than that!” she teased.

Almwen gave her mother a grave look. “I seriously doubt that, Mother.”


Chapter 2 - Second Chances

The History Of Legolas – Part I
Thranduil and Almwen
By Vendie\r\n\r\n

Author’s Note: First off, The Lord of the Rings and all associated characters belong to Tolkien and his estate. I am not making any profit off of this story, save the enjoyment I had making it. :)

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Thranduil and Almwen
Chapter Two – Second Chances\r\n\r\n

It had been many years since the establishment of Greenwood the Great. The elves of Emyn Duir had been living together happily under the new rule of Oropher, and the cultures of the Silvan and Sindarin elves seemed to be coexisting peacefully, save for two elves who had never gotten along from the start…

Almwen was sitting under a tree next to stream reading quietly, enjoying the beautiful day. She had sent her attendants away, wishing to find some peace and quiet to meditate and be to herself.

She brushed her long, ebony hair from her dark eyes and peered out from behind the pages of her book to look at the laughing stream that ran between it’s banks. Almwen sighed contentedly as she listened to the water and the songs of the birds in the branches of the tree above her. The Silvan maid closed her eyes and let the sounds flood her ears.

“What a glorious day!” She sighed happily.

The water in the stream called to her, and deciding that a nice refreshing swim sounded like a good idea, she looked around to see if there was anyone to spy on her. Once Almwen had decided that she was alone, she put her book down and began to undress.

~

Meanwhile, not far away, Thranduil was strolling among the fir trees, not particularly paying attention to anything. He had grown accustomed to the firs of Greenwood, and had actually come to like them, as he had come to like most things in Greenwood these days – even the Silvan elves.

Nearby, he could hear the sounds of a stream lapping in its bed. He knew the stream well – when he had just arrived in Greenwood, he spent many a day there exploring its banks like a curious elfling.

Feeling a sudden urge to visit the stream again, Thranduil changed his path to the east and navigated himself to where he knew the stream widened and deepened – a good swimming place.

As he neared it, he heard a splashing noise that was made by a creature entirely too large to be a jumping fish. Curious, he proceeded cautiously through the thick woods until he came to where the splash had come from. He peered out of the trees to see an elven maiden with her back to him, waist-deep in the water.

Thranduil gulped, not entirely sure if he should turn tail and run or stay and watch. Suddenly, the woman turned her face slightly so he could see her profile. Realizing that he was peeping on Almwen, the prince of Greenwood gasped and stepped back onto a twig, causing it to snap.

Almwen was immediately aware of his presence and covered herself as she turned.

“AI!” She shrieked as she submerged herself until only her shoulders and head protruded from the water.

“I’m sorry, my lady!” Thranduil said as he covered his eyes “I did not mean – OW!” He cried as something extremely hard collided with his head. The prince looked to his feet to see a wet stone next to his shoe.

“That should teach you to spy on maids in the woods! If you were not the crowned prince of Greenwood, I would certainly throttle you!” She spat at him.

“I was not spying!” Thranduil said, turning his back to the pond. “I was coming this way to swim myself, and I heard a splash and wondered what it was!”

Another rock shot through the air and pelted him in the back.

“What was that for?!” He shrieked, rubbing the spot where the rock had hit.

“For good measure!” Almwen said as she got out of the water to collect her clothes. She went behind the tree where she had folded her blue dress and began to ponder how she was going to dry off in a hurry when suddenly, Thranduil’s outer tunic fell at her feet.

“And what’s this for?” She asked, staring at Thranduil, who’s back was still turned.

“For you to dry yourself with. You can’t walk back to Emyn Duir with wet clothes, can you?”

Almwen sighed. “Don’t think that this means I owe you a favor.” She said.

“I didn’t say it would.”

The ebon-haired elleth dried herself off with Thranduil’s outer tunic and then slipped back into her sky-blue dress and pulled her hair back into a braid so it would not be so obvious that she had been wet. When she turned around, she realized that the prince was still standing there.

“Why are you still here?” She asked with an annoyed tone ringing in her voice.

“You have my tunic.” Thranduil answered simply. Almwen picked it up off the ground and threw it to the prince so that it landed on his head.

“Thank you,” he chuckled as he peeled the wet garment from his head and flapped it out, letting the water drops fly before he put it back on. When he finally turned around, he realized that Almwen was walking away.

“Where are you going?” He called after her as he jogged to catch up.

“I can walk myself back to Emyn Duir, thank you very much.” She said, turning her face from him.

“I am aware that you are perfectly capable of arriving there unharmed, but would you like some company anyway?” Thranduil asked.

“No thank you.” Almwen said, giving him an icy glare.

Thranduil sighed. “My lady, why is it that when I am in your presence you always seem as though someone has placed a needle on your chair?” he asked.

“My dear prince, are you really that dense?” Almwen replied.

“Have I not apologized time and time again for what I said that night?” Thranduil asked, frustrated.

“You have. But that does not mean that I have to like you, my lord. The first impression is usually the lasting one.” Almwen said, speeding up her pace. Thranduil stopped for a moment, letting her gain distance. He took a moment to contemplate before running to catch up to her again. This time, he passed her and stopped right in her path.

“Then, my lady, can we start over?” he asked. Almwen looked at him, skepticism in her eyes.

“My lord, we cannot simply start over.” She sighed, walking around him.

“Why not?” He asked, continuing to walk with her.

“Because…” Almwen paused, thinking of a good excuse, but she could not find one. “You were spying on me! And I do not want to!” She said, walking off. Thranduil stopped and frowned.

“Why must you be so difficult?!” He sputtered.

“Why must you be so dim-witted?!” Almwen shouted back.

“I am merely asking for a second chance! Is that too much for you to give?” Thranduil questioned. Almwen turned around, glaring a terrible glare, and sighed. She was defeated.

“No.” She said flatly.

“Then will you give me a second chance? Please.” Thranduil requested, walking towards her. Almwen let her shoulders sink as she rolled her eyes.

“Yes.” She said. Thranduil smiled and straightened his posture and cleared his throat, making it appear as if he was about to deliver a speech. Almwen’s brow raised, wondering if he was jesting or if he was serious.

“My lady, allow me to introduce myself.” He said. “I am Thranduil, son of Oropher, the king of Greenwood the Great. In our realm, there are Silvan elves and those of Sindar descent, and I find that I love both.”

Almwen blinked in confusion. “And why do you love the Silvan elves?” she asked skeptically.

“For I have met one of their descent who is kind and forgiving, and fair as the stars that shine in the night sky.” He said, taking her hand and kissing the top of it.

Startled, Almwen stared at him, wondering if his words were true, or merely trying to get her to stop glaring and speaking crossly to him. Letting her outer defenses down for a moment, she smiled and said:

“And I care for the Sindar, for I have met one of their descent who I believed to be a stubborn brute, but who turned out to be a caring soul, and a true prince. Not to mention, quite the flatterer.” She teased.

Thranduil beamed, pleased that Almwen had finally let him get a word in. He offered her his arm and held his head high as he asked her;

“May I escort you back to Emyn Duir?”

Almwen giggled and took his arm. “I would happily be escorted by a friend.”


Chapter 3 - A Beautiful Night

The History Of Legolas – Part I
Thranduil and Almwen
By Vendie\r\n\r\n

Author’s Note: First off, The Lord of the Rings and all associated characters belong to Tolkien and his estate. I am not making any profit off of this story, save the enjoyment I had making it. :)

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Thranduil and Almwen
Chapter Three – A Beautiful Night\r\n\r\n

Thranduil, once again, found himself at another grand party of his father’s design, standing off to the side and looking on as the dignitaries of Greenwood the Great made fools of themselves on their wine and dancing. Of course, Thranduil never minded celebrations, but the magnificent festivities that his father devised always seemed frivolous and outrageous to him. The prince of Greenwood was an extremely serious character, whereas his father was not.

The gathering was held on one of the large balconies of the palace that was built into one of the mountains of Emyn Duir. Thranduil leaned against the wall near a door that lead into the ballroom where there were more elves debating political matters and whispering rumors of stirrings in the East.

The night was clear and cool, and if it weren’t for all of the lights around him, Thranduil could have been able to see the stars quite clearly if he were to look up. The breeze was blowing, and Thranduil breathed deeply the smell of pine that drifted on the wind.

He sighed and shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he looked on, wondering what he could be accomplishing if he could be in the library of the palace reading some of the scrolls there, or something of the sort. Just as he was debating with himself about staying at the party or leaving, a voice startled him.

“My, you are a gloomy looking elf,”

Thranduil looked to his left to see Almwen standing there, a teasing smile on her face. The prince smiled and bowed his head.

“Good evening, Lady Almwen.” He chuckled, dismissing her playful mockery.

“Good evening my lord.” She returned, joining him in leaning against the wall. “I assume that the festivities are not to your liking?”

“They would be to my liking if there were a point to them.” Thranduil remarked.

“A point?” Almwen asked.

“A cause, a reason to celebrate. I see none here. Save, perhaps, drinking and foolery.” Thranduil said, motioning towards his father, who was guffawing quiet loudly.

“It is not a bad thing to celebrate a wonderful life, Thranduil.” The ebon-haired maiden pointed out.

Thranduil chuckled and sighed. Once again, Almwen had hit the proverbial nail on the head. Ever since their truce, the pair had had many conversations, in most of which, Almwen had always seemed to upturn Thranduil’s thinking. The Silvan maiden had quite captured his curiosity.

“How is it that you are always right?” He asked.

“I’m just smarter than you, my lord.” Almwen joked.

“That must be it.” Thranduil laughed as he turned his face up to look at the stars. He grimaced.

“You’re still gloomy.” The elleth pointed out.

“I was just thinking that on a night such as this, it would be wonderful to see the stars in all their brilliance, but all of the lights here have made them dim.” The prince replied.

“Well then, we will just have to go some place where we can see them more clearly, then won’t we?” Almwen said, taking Thranduil’s hand and leading him towards the railing of the balcony.

“What are you doing?” the prince asked.

“Going to get a better look at the stars!” Almwen said, a certain amount of childishness in her voice as she sat down on the railing and swung herself around so she faced away from Thranduil. The drop down to solid ground was not far since the palace was built into the side of the mountain – the distance was only about three feet, and she planned on jumping down to leave the palace. She patted the railing and turned and smiled at Thranduil, calling him to join her without words.

The prince of Greenwood hesitated for a moment and looked back at the merry elves at the party, and then back at Almwen, who raised an eyebrow. Shaking any cautionary thoughts out of his head, Thranduil sat down on the railing with Almwen, who took his hand. And the two jumped.

The moment they hit the ground, for reasons unbeknownst to either of them, they decided to run. They ran off into the trees together, laughing as they searched for a clearing to stare at the stars through. Finally, they came across a large clearing in the trees and collapsed on the ground together, laughing and gasping for air.

The two looked up into the clear night sky and watched the blinking stars silently for a moment.

“That’s more like it.” Thranduil said, squeezing Almwen’s hand.

“They are so beautiful.” Almwen sighed, a twinkle in her dark eyes. Thranduil turned and looked at her.

Bathed in the pale light of the moon, he thought she was beautiful. Her fair face seemed to glow as it reflected the light that shone on it, and her long dark hair was as black as the night. For the first time, Thranduil was completely awestruck by her beauty.

Almwen noticed he was staring and she turned to look him straight in the eye.

“What are you staring at?” She asked, a laugh present in her voice.

“N…nothing.” Thranduil stuttered as he looked back up to the stars. Almwen held back her giggles as she noticed his cheeks turn a slightly pink color. She turned her face back to the sky.

“Isn’t it a beautiful night?” She sighed.

“Aye.” Thranduil replied.

A long silence passed in between them as they watched the stars flicker in the night sky. Thranduil sighed contentedly and shut his eyes, smelling the pine trees all around him. Their scent had become most comforting to him. For a moment, Thranduil wondered how the scent could be so near when the trees were at least ten feet away in each direction. And then he realized that it was not the trees that he was smelling, it was Almwen. Before he had a chance to think on it, she spoke.

“Did the stars shine this clearly in Doriath?” Almwen asked.

“Yes. Oftentimes I would go down to the banks of the River Aros and watch the moon travel across the sky and the sun as it rose. It was a wonderful thing to watch.”

“You could see the sun rise on the horizon?”

“From the river banks, yes. There were no trees near the banks of the Aros to obscure the view.”

“Often I have wondered what it would be like to watch the sun rise into the sky. I have never left this forest. I have never been able to watch the sun rise on the horizon. I should like to leave the forest sometime to see it.”

“Leave Greenwood?” Thranduil asked skeptically.

“Only for a time, for I love this forest and everything in it, but I would love to see the sun and moon rise on the horizon, and see the stars from a clear plain.” Almwen said dreamily.

“Perhaps someday we will ride to the River Running, east of here, and we can watch the sun rise.” Thranduil said, not thinking.

Almwen smiled and nudged herself closer to Thranduil so that her head was near his shoulder.

“I would like that very much, mellon nîn.” Almwen said softly as she closed her eyes, feeling at peace.

Thranduil looked to Almwen, and then up to the sky and smiled.

“It is a beautiful night.” He said quietly.


Chapter 4 - The Last Alliance

The History Of Legolas – Part I
Thranduil and Almwen
By Vendie\r\n\r\n

Author’s Note: First off, The Lord of the Rings and all associated characters belong to Tolkien and his estate. I am not making any profit off of this story, save the enjoyment I had making it. :)
Also, thanks so much for the great reviews! I apologize for the constant revisions for little editing mistakes - it's finals week and my beta is really busy, so I'm working without her right now. I really appreciate all the encouragement I've been getting in my reviews. Thanks guys!
And a big thanks to SpaceWeavil for helping me out with the Elvish in this chapter!

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Thranduil and Almwen
Chapter Four – The Last Alliance\r\n\r\n


It was the year 3430 of the Second Age and life in Greenwood had been peaceful, for the most part. The forest itself had experienced no difficulties that the civilian populous knew of, but there were whispers about evil stirring in the East that circulated through the fir trees of Emyn Duir, and the announcement that those of the Noldor race and those of the race of Men were coming to meet with King Oropher about something.

During the week leading up to the council, things in Greenwood were especially stressful. The inhabitants of Greenwood did not like the Noldor elves. They sailed West, joined with men in marriage, and took council with the Valar.

For Thranduil, the thought of even sharing the same air as the Noldor elves made him uncomfortable. As he walked the halls of his father’s palace during the council of the Noldor, Sindar, and Men, he appeared as if he had a small gray rain cloud following only him around as he stared at his feet.

He walked down a hall that had an ornately carved open wall that extended for the entire right wall and looked out over the trees of Greenwood. On the opposite side was the library. There were benches that faced out to the open wall, and on one of them, Almwen sat, looking out to the trees.

When Thranduil passed through her line of sight and did not see her, she rose from her seat and followed him. When he did not notice that he was being followed, Almwen reached out with her index finger and poked the prince in the middle of the back, making him jump in surprise and turn around suddenly.

“Almwen!” He cried.

“Why is it that when I catch you walking about the palace, you are always in such a foul mood?” She asked, giggling.

“What makes you think I am in a foul mood?”

“You have the most awful scowl on your face, my lord.”

Thranduil chuckled and sighed. Almwen was an incredibly perceptive elf. She could read emotions and faces perfectly. Her intuition never ceased to amaze the prince of Greenwood the Great.

“I am afraid you are right, my lady. I am greatly troubled with the coming of these Noldor elves and their mortal allies.” He admitted.

“I am troubled as well. I have never before dealt with those who have slain their own kin.” Almwen said, looking troubled.

“Aye.” Thranduil agreed, but he averted his eyes from her. He was not concerned about the kinslaying, or anything else, but with what tidings the Noldor and the men brought with them. His father had told him that Sauron, the fallen Maiar had come to power and forged many rings of power, with which he planned to enslave all of Middle Earth.

And as always, Almwen knew he was hiding something.

“What is that look on your face?” She asked, reaching up and pulling his face to meet her dark eyes. Thranduil looked at her for a long while, breathing in her scent and looking into her pale face. Almwen always smelled of fir trees, and he could never get enough of it. He had grown the love the trees here. He had grown to love Almwen.

As much as he had tried to deny it, the prince of Greenwood had come to love this elleth so much that it made his heart sigh every time she was near. And it was his love for her that made it impossible to lie to her.

Looking around, he saw that there were other elves about them, and not wishing to alarm the general public, he took Almwen by the arm and led her away to a staircase where they could exit the palace and enter the forest to be alone.

“My lord?” she questioned him.

“I will explain when we are in the trees.”

Almwen was suddenly frightened. Thranduil had always been a very serious elf, and often exaggerated the gravity of situations, but never had he seemed so tense. Thranduil was never tense when he was overreacting – he was usually fidgety, but not tense. She could feel the tightness of his muscles in his hand. His grip was more firm than usual. As Thranduil pulled her down the stairs, Almwen could feel the uneasiness of the air surrounding him.

Quietly, they exited the palace and walked a ways into the trees until Thranduil stopped and let Almwen’s hand go. He turned to face her with a very serious look on his visage.

“Sauron, the fallen Maiar, is waging a war against all of Middle Earth. King Elendil, the Noldor King Gil-Galad, and Lord Elrond have come to ask for our aid. My father is seriously considering it.” Thranduil said gravely.

Almwen felt as though a brick had dropped into her chest cavity.

“War?” She asked. “But what need do we have to go to war? Greenwood has been unaffected thus far!”

“Nay.” Thranduil shook his head guiltily. “We have been sending more and more elves to protect the eastern borders. Orcs have been trying to enter Greenwood for many months now. Father did not want to alarm anyone, he thought it would be best to keep the subject quiet.”

Almwen looked at Thranduil with a disappointed scowl on her face. “Months?!” She asked.

“Aye. Since the beginning of the New Year.” The prince admitted.

Almwen stared at him angrily, not saying anything. Thranduil could see the anger flaming in her eyes, and he knew that she hated being kept in the dark about anything.

In truth, Almwen was as scared as she was furious. Thoughts of what war would bring to Greenwood ran through her head. If they were to go to war, would Thranduil ever return, or would he perish? She deeply cared for Thranduil, and the thought of never seeing him again tore at her heart in ways she believed he would never know.

“Almwen, we did not want to make anyone worry unnecessarily,” he tried to explain.

“It doesn’t seem unnecessary now, does it?” she spat.

“No.” Thranduil sighed. Just as another uneasy silence was creeping into their conversation, a horn blew, signaling the end of the council. Thranduil and Almwen both looked in the direction that the noise came from, and then to each other. The Silvan maiden still had a contemptuous look on her face as she looked at Thranduil. Without a word, she suddenly ran off towards the balcony of the palace on which Oropher would most likely be making a speech in a matter of minutes.

“Almwen!” Thranduil called out as he took off running after her.

He did not catch up to her until he reached the clearing of trees in front of the palace where many elves had already gathered upon hearing the horn. Almwen stood in the back of the crowd, apparently waiting for Thranduil to catch up. He approached her and tried to take her hand.

“Almwen,” he said, touching the top of her palm. She pulled away hastily and did not make eye contact with him, but did run away. Giving up, Thranduil sighed and looked towards the balcony where he could see his father, and the lords Gil-Galad, Elrond, and Elendil.

Oropher stepped to the railing of the balcony and raised his arms, silencing the murmuring crowd.

“Elves of Greenwood the Great!” He began, “Long have we kept to our forest, not troubling about the worries of the world around us, but no longer. A shadow has fallen on these lands.
The fallen Maiar, Sauron, has risen to power and threatens the lives of every creature on this Earth. If we are to protect all that we hold dear, we must join in the cause to rid the world of this evil and fight with Noldor and Men alike.
As king of the realm of Greenwood the Great, I hereby declare war on the Dark Lord, Sauron, and all in alliance with him.”

A certain feeling of doom settled over the elves gathered there, and they stirred restlessly.

Oropher turned to Elendil, Gil-Galad, and Elrond and said; “We will join with this Last Alliance of all free folk of Middle Earth!” he declared.

Thranduil, stunned, turned to Almwen, who was still staring up at King Oropher with a shocked look on her face and her hand covering her open mouth.

“Almwen?” Thranduil asked. Never before had he seen such a look of sheer horror on his friend’s face, and never before had he known her to be one to be frightened. Almwen turned and looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears. Thranduil, though taken aback by her tears, reached out to touch her shoulder.

Suddenly, Almwen let out the cry she had been holding back and darted off into the forest again. Though, this time, Thranduil was expecting her to run and she did not get far into the trees before he caught her hand and stopped her.

“Almwen, why do you despair?” He asked sympathetically as he pulled her closer to him.

Almwen did not speak; she only looked up into his eyes full of worry and began to weep. To comfort her, Thranduil pulled her close to his body and embraced her, letting her cry into his shoulder until she could cry no more.

“I do not wish to see the horrors of war, Thranduil.” She said finally. “I dread to see the day when only a fraction of our soldiers return and the forest will be filled with the cries of the elleth and elflings, for their husbands and lovers and fathers are dead!”

Knowing that there were no words to soothe her fears, Thranduil hugged her tightly and stroked her long, dark hair to comfort her. Almwen pulled away and looked up into his face.

“I dread to think that there may be time when I will never see you again.” She admitted.

Thranduil’s heart cried out in anguish and love at her words and he cupped her face in his hands and touched his forehead to hers.

“I would rather die a thousand deaths of mortal men than know that one day you would perish because I failed to protect you from this darkness.” He breathed. Almwen squeezed her eyes shut and let more tears pour over her cheeks. Thranduil kissed her forehead, daring to let her know that he truly loved her.

“Say not such things,” Almwen wept as she reached up and took his hands in her own, intertwining their fingers together.

“Melan le, Ui beriathan le.”* Thranduil whispered.

Almwen looked into Thranduil’s brightly shining eyes and saw the affection he had for her pouring out of them. She closed her eyes and gently touched her lips to his.

“Melin le,” Almwen breathed.

And all around them, the fir trees burst into song, for long had they seen the blossoming love of the two elves and were glad to see it finally come to pass.


~


* “I love you, and I will always protect you”, literally: “I love you, I will always protect you”.


Chapter 5 - The Promise

The History Of Legolas – Part I
Thranduil and Almwen
By Vendie\r\n\r\n

Author’s Note: First off, The Lord of the Rings and all associated characters belong to Tolkien and his estate. I am not making any profit off of this story, save the enjoyment I had making it. :)
Sorry for taking longer than usual to post this; I just got finished with finals and had a five hour drive home. But now that I'm on break, I can update more regularly (well, I can update the next story more regularly, anyway). Thanks for being patient!

Warning! There is mention of sex in this chapter, but no description.

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Thranduil and Almwen
Chapter Five – The Promise\r\n\r\n


Thranduil woke from his delicate slumber. He could feel warm sunlight pouring over his face as he lay with his eyes closed. The prince could discern the distinct sent of pine in the air. He could hear the soft breathing of the one who slept next to him; Almwen.

The prince of Greenwood had not meant for it to happen, though he did not regret it. He and Almwen had slipped away from the royal dinner the night before, wanting to spend their last hours together before he left the next morning. They had wandered the halls of the palace, eventually coming to Thranduil’s chambers. They both were heartsick, and out of desperation, they ended up solidifying their relationship in a physical bond.

According to the laws of the Eldar, Thranduil and Almwen were now married.

Finally opening his eyes, he looked upon his bride. Her dark hair spilled over her bare, pale shoulders like darkness over sunlight. Almwen’s dark eyes were still closed, most likely guiding her through a wonderful dream.

Thranduil leaned close to her and kissed her forehead before rising out of bed. He went and put on his green and brown fighting tunic in his dressing room and pulled back his golden hair that had fallen out in the night. Carefully, he re-braided the customary warrior plaits behind his ears and then took up the armor that was on a stand in the corner.

He slid the leather armor of the Green-Elves over his head and onto his body. Thranduil then put on his wrist guards and his leg guards and reached for his sword and fastened it in its sheath to his hip. With each piece of armor that he put on, the prince of Greenwood felt more and more reality sink into his mind.

He was going to war. And he might not return to see Almwen again.

Painfully aware of what lay before him, Thranduil walked back into his bedchamber and looked upon the sleeping maiden in his bed. She looked so peaceful, and so innocent.

Not wishing to wake her, Thranduil leaned over her body and kissed her lightly on the lips and then rose to leave.

“Do not leave,” A soft voice called from behind him.

Thranduil turned to see Almwen, awake and sitting up in bed, hugging the sheets to her body. He went to her side and took her hand.

“If you keep me in your heart, I will never leave, meleth nín.”* He said quietly.

“What if you do not return?” Almwen asked mournfully, her dark eyes threatening to spill tears.

“I promise that you will see me again.” Thranduil said, kissing her.

“I will hold you to that,” Almwen said, a witty smile crossing her face. The prince of Greenwood was pleased to see her smile again. After a moment of silence, he sighed, knowing that he could linger with her no longer.

“I must go, my father will call for me soon and then we will ride to meet the armies of Gil-Galad and Elendil.” He said.

Almwen, though there was sadness in her eyes, smiled and kissed Thranduil’s cheek. “Ná Elbereth veria le,”** she whispered.

Thranduil leaned close to her and kissed her passionately and ran his fingers through her dark hair once more. The tears in Almwen’s eyes spilled over her cheeks as she closed her eyes and returned the kiss, trying to chase her fears away by loosing herself in the moment.

Knowing he could no longer delay, Thranduil broke away from her and rose from the bed. He held her hand until he was too far away to hold it any longer and let her fingers slip gracefully out of his. When he was at the door, he turned and looked at Almwen one last time.

“Melin le.” He said.

With a soft look in her eyes, Almwen smiled and nodded. “Melin le.” She replied.

And with that Thranduil turned on his heel and left the room, fearing his heart would break.

~

He found his father in the council room, going over last minute plans with his councilors and looking at maps with the captains of the army of Greenwood.

“Thranduil,” Oropher said, when he saw his son. “We ride in an hour. Are you ready?” He asked.

“Father, I must speak with you.” Thranduil said. Oropher raised an eyebrow.

“Speak, then.”

“Alone.”

A confused look came over Oropher’s face. He studied his son carefully and could see the urgency in Thranduil’s eyes. He had never seen the prince this way before.

“Leave us for a moment,” Oropher said to his councilors and captains. The elves nodded and silently made their way from the room, leaving father and son alone.

“What troubles you, ion nín?”***

“Father,” Thranduil paused before spilling his words. He was not sure of what to say. “I am in love with Lady Almwen.” He said. Oropher looked perplexed. Of all times to confess to love, why now, before they marched for the Black Gate of Mordor?

“I have wedded her.”

Oropher looked shocked for a moment, but then began to laugh heartily. “I had wondered where you went off to last night…” He chuckled.

“Father, this is serious.” Thranduil said, sounding as if her were scolding. “I do not regret it, but I had not spoken to her father before this, and…” Oropher cut him off with a wave of his hand.

“Veryandil and I have talked at length about you two together. Eru knows you’ve spent enough time together in the last few months to raise suspicions. He approves. Do not fret, Thranduil.” Oropher said.

Thranduil sighed from relief. He was worried about Veryandil’s reaction, but that only cleared up half of his concern.

“Father, though there has been no ceremony, we are still wedded, which makes her princess of Greenwood…”

“And she will be treated as such. She may reside here in the palace if she wishes, and if any evil should befall this place, she and her family will be under heavy guard. I will see to it before we leave, Thranduil.”

“Hannon le, Ada.” Thranduil sighed again. Oropher put his arm around his son’s shoulder and smiled.

“You are a fine son, Thranduil, and I am proud to call you my own.” The King of Greenwood said. The prince smiled at his father, proud to be his son and to fight under the banner of Greenwood.

~

An hour later, Thranduil and Oropher sat upon their mighty steeds at the head of a massive army of Silvan and Sindar elves alike. The banners of Greenwood the Great flapped in the breeze and the horses stirred nervously, sensing the tension in the air.

Thranduil looked up to one of the balconies of the palace and saw Almwen standing there, looking down at him with a smile on her face. As his father spoke, Thranduil’s attention stayed on Almwen.

“Now is the hour, elves of Greenwood the Great, when we take up arms and defend our land from the evil that has so long infested Middle Earth. Let us give hope back to the free peoples of Middle Earth!” Oropher declared.

Almwen breathed heavily. She knew that when this war was over, not all that had gathered here would return. Fear clutched her heart as she kept her gaze on Thranduil.

“Let us ride for our mothers, our fathers, our sons and daughters, our lovers,” Oropher continued.

Thranduil shot a look at his father, whom he knew was referring to his own love affair. Almwen laughed from her perch on the balcony when she saw Thranduil glare at his father.

“We will not allow this shadow to fall upon the great land of Greenwood! We will stand and fight!” Oropher declared, unsheathing his sword and holding it high in the air.

“For Greenwood!” He cried out as his horse reared back.

“For Greenwood!” The soldiers called out.

Oropher repeated his battle cry as he pointed his sword forward towards the path that they would follow and urged his horse forward.

As the army moved forward, Thranduil looked back one last time at Almwen and held his eyes to hers until he could see her no longer.

“Until we next meet…” Thranduil said softly, turning his eyes to the road ahead of him.

Up on the balcony, Almwen watched her lover until he disappeared under the fir trees of the great forest and held her hand to her chest.

“Be safe, meleth nín.” She whispered.

To Be Continued…

~
* “My love”
** “May Elbereth protect you.”
*** “My son”
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