What Thou Lovest Wel..

At Faramir’s request, Legolas rode to Aderthad with invitations to the feast. He also carried a missive for his cooks to come to the Prince’s kitchens and bring the ingredients needed for several Elvish specialties. That accomplished, Legolas gathered some clothing and other personal items before he rode back to Emyn Arnen to bathe and ready himself for the occasion.

Upon returning to the hall, he stopped in the kitchen to deliver some herbs to the cook, who had glowered severely when Legolas reached around him to taste the sauce for the venison. Legolas smiled and nodded his approval, to which the cook answered him with one arched eyebrow. He continued to glare as Legolas swept gracefully up the servants’ stairs to his rooms.

Legolas had chosen his clothing meticulously for the celebration. He had donned a green silk tunic and was about to place his silver circlet on his head, when a light tapping at the door interrupted him.

"Edhel?" a small voice said.

Legolas smiled at the endearment. Elboron had been quite young when his innate curiosity had started to emerge and he had begun to question the world around him. Legolas remembered an evening when he and Faramir had returned from archery practice. They were still standing in the entryway when Elboron and Eowyn came in from the garden. The toddler ran to kiss his father, then turned and reached up to Legolas who accommodated the child by sweeping him up in his arms. Legolas greeted Eowyn and continued to talk with Faramir when he began to feel a tugging on his ear.

"Daddy! Leg’las has pointy ears!" Elboron giggled. He touched Legolas’s cheek, his chubby hand forcibly turning the Elf’s face toward him "Why?"

Faramir and Eowyn had laughed at Legolas’s surprised expression. "Because he is Edhel," Faramir tried to explain. "Elf-kind."

"Oh?" Elboron said amazed. After exploring Legolas’s ear quite thoroughly, the child said curiously, "Edhel? Like in the stories in Daddy’s books?"

"Yes," said Legolas, trying to pry the toddler’s fingers from the point of his ear as gently as he could without causing either of them undue pain. Legolas grimaced slightly as he finally managed to lift the small fingers free. "I am an Elf, little one."

"Edhel," Elboron said solemnly still staring at Legolas’s ear. After a moment he tilted his head a little and looked directly at Legolas again. "Do you eat children?"

Legolas raised his eyebrows in astonishment at Faramir, who was grinning in delight at the Elf’s discomfort.

"Elboron!" Eowyn reprimanded. With an apologetic look at Legolas, she took the child from his arms. "Elves don’t eat children!"

"Only the little ones," Faramir leaned in to whisper in the child’s ear. Elboron’s eyes went wide.

Eowyn glowered at her husband. "Don’t encourage him!" she said, slapping at Faramir playfully. He easily dodged the blow, laughing.

Faramir ruffled his son’s hair. "Your mama’s right, Elboron. I’m sorry if I frightened you." The child looked doubtfully at his father then back to his mother.

"Elves don’t eat children. I promise," Eowyn said. "Kiss your Daddy. Then it’s off to bed with you!" Elboron leaned over Eowyn for a kiss, but he kept one wary eye on Legolas.

Legolas smiled at him and nodded. "Good night, Bori."

"Good night, Edhel," Elboron said. He returned Legolas’s smile, seemingly satisfied with his parents’ reassurances.

The child had called him Edhel ever since. Legolas also remembered how Eowyn had smiled brilliantly at him when she had returned from putting Elboron to bed, suggesting that the Sindarin word was close enough to the sound of "uncle" in Westron and could be used as an honorary title without the risk of offending Eomer.

"Edhel?" The tapping came again and brought Legolas out of his reverie. He rose to open the door and smiled at nine year-old Elboron standing in the doorway. It seems like only yesterday…

"Minno, Bori," Legolas said. Come in. Faramir was teaching the boy Sindarin and he enjoyed speaking it with Legolas.

The child stepped into the room, then stopped and turned his gaze to his own feet.

"Minno!" Legolas smile faded as he motioned Elboron further into the room. It was not like the child to be so hesitant. "Bori? What is the matter?" Legolas dropped to one knee in front of the child and took hold of his arms gently.

Elboron sighed audibly, then raised his head to look into Legolas’s eyes. "Mama is going to have another baby." He said the words matter-of-factly.

Ai. So that is it. "Yes."

"Isn’t she supposed to be happy about it?"

"Well, yes," Legolas said. He wondered what could have happened to make the boy ask such a question. His mind flitted briefly through a few possibilities but the Elf could settle on nothing that made sense. "Why do you ask?"

"I-I saw her crying in her room today," the child stammered. His eyes began to fill with tears. "Edhel, why would she cry if she is supposed to be happy?" All hesitation gone, Elboron launched himself into Legolas’s arms.

Legolas was alarmed at this revelation but, for the child’s sake, he tried not to show it. "I don’t know, meleth." He stroked Elboron's hair in an attempt to soothe him. The Elf's brow wrinkled slightly. He was sure that Faramir and Eowyn had always wanted another child. Had he misunderstood?

Another thought occurred to him. Perhaps Bori had misunderstood? Legolas disentangled the child from him gently, brushing the hair back from his forehead. "Maybe they were happy tears?" he said. Legolas smiled but he knew he could not conceal the worry in his eyes. He was more than concerned that Eowyn had been crying in her room alone. Happy tears were usually shared with another.

Elboron’s own tears had calmed to sniffles. "Maybe." Elboron said. He still sounded unsure.

The Elf stood and held out his hand. "Come, Bori, let’s get you cleaned up."

Legolas drew Elboron over to the writing desk and sat down. He motioned for the boy to turn around and he began dragging a comb through Elboron’s raven locks. "If you go downstairs in this state, your naneth really will have something to cry about!" The Elf tried to sound light-hearted, but in his years of friendship with Faramir and Ewoyn he knew that tears were not shed lightly, nor often, by The White Lady.

"There." Legolas said as he finished. "Would you like me to braid it for you?"

"No." Elboron shook his head. "I will wear it loose today. Like Father. And you."

Legolas smiled. "Very well." The Elf finished dressing, placing the circlet on his head and slipping on his soft leather shoes. He stood and gave the boy a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he crossed over to the bed where his leather jerkin lay."Edhel?"

"Yes, Bori?" Legolas said absently as he fastened his jerkin.

"Will they still love me?" Elboron said. "I mean, after the baby comes?"

Legolas froze momentarily, then turned to Elboron. "Oh, meleth!" The Elf sat down heavily on the bed, meeting the child’s eyes. "Of course they will! How could they not?"

Elboron looked away. "Will you still love me?"

Legolas reached out and touched the child's cheek gently, turning Elborn's gaze back to him. "Just the same," he reassured him.

"But, what if it is a girl?" Elboron finally smiled. "She’ll make those moon eyes at you, like the ladies do in court!"

Legolas laughed. "She may," he said, "but I promise I shall try to remain immune." Legolas placed his hand over his heart and bowed his head, still smiling.

Elboron returned the gesture. Then, impulsively, he hugged Legolas.

"Le melan, Edhel." Elboron said fiercely. I love you.

"Let’s go down to the feast together, shall we? That way neither of us has to face those moon-eyed ladies alone." Legolas pulled a face at Elboron and they both laughed as they headed for the door.

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notes on Sindarin elvish:

Edhel - elf
minno - come or come in
naneth - mother
meleth - love
le melan - I love you