Kingsfoil [Thranduil] LOTR

Shocked

DEAR READERS, I am completely blown away and encouraged and crying happy slobbery tears by your response to the latest chapter. These last couple of weeks have been a bit of a hard go for me in RL—kidney stones, surgery, recovery, it's been completely miserable. BUT life in the fandom, here with all you wonderfully supportive people has been great. So thank you for giving me a reason to keep writing.

2946, Third Age

Very early in the morning, when the sky was still black and the stars had yet to go to bed, Narylfiel giggled to herself as she crept down the hall to her room.

"What are you doing?" Legolas stepped out from the shadows, and Narylfiel froze.

"Leg'las," she whispered loudly, eyes wide, her hands waving. "Shh. Don't wake Thaliniel."

"Did you know your sister was waiting up for you? Worried about you?" He tilted his head and then sniffed. "Valar, Narylfiel, you smell like the inside of my father's wine cellar."

She slapped her hand over her mouth and stifled another giggle. "Sorry, I knew we should never've opened that third bottle."

"We?" Legolas asked primly.

Narylfiel shook her head again, her hair falling into her face. "F'rget I said anything. S'only having fun and looking at the star showers." She turned dramatically at her door and then fumbled with the handle before letting herself in.

Legolas watched her stumble into her room and flop onto the bed. She was going to be miserable the next morning. He followed after her and poured a tall glass of water from the pitcher by her wash basin. "Drink this," he told her. "It'll help with the—" His eyes caught sight of movement in the mirror on her dressing table, which faced the low-lit hallway. He peered out the door.

His father, the Elvenking of the Woodland Realm, meandered down the hall in his bare feet, carrying his tall leather boots in one hand and a half full bottle of wine in the other. There were odd bits of heather stuck to his hair and the back of his tunic.

Legolas' eyes darted from his father back to Narylfiel who let out a less than dainty snore. Never had he been so thankful that he talked Thaliniel into going to bed. He could not imagine what his wife might say if she thought the king, his father, had gotten her baby sister drunk. He half-wondered if he should say anything to his father now, but really—what was there to say? Could he really suggest to the king that he needed to be a better role model to his wife's impressionable young sister? And between the pair of them, Legolas was not quite sure who was more responsible for corrupting who. So he quietly pulled Narylfiel's door shut, padded down the hall to his own room, and resolved to forget what he saw that night.