Many years have passed and the king's hurts have resurfaced. He was becoming the icy hardened man he once was. He began to shun his son and Legolas merely took it in stride. I had just sent Legolas down to train with the head master when I saw Thranduil walk by. 

"Thranduil!" I called. He stopped and looked to me. I ran down the hall towards him. 

"What?" He turned. 

I stopped at his side. "Legolas is asking for you." 

"Tell him, I will see him soon. I have affairs with the state now."

"Thranduil. Your son will only be here, wanting you for a short period of time." I grabbed  his hand. "Please." 

"Alavara. I am busy. I can not just do as I please. I can only use the time I get." He looked at me icily. "I am sorry. Tell my son I will see him soon. Tell him to be good for Emig."

"But I am not Emig!" I cried. "I am not his mother. I love being the mother to your child, but every time I see him hurt it crushes my heart. Every time I see his twinkling eyes looking at you and you smiling down at your son, it breaks me. Little by little. He is 18 now. He will not remain young and will not stay from battle in several years. I can not sit back and see the child that should have been mine (by blood) shunned because I made a mistake. I made a mistake by not coming with you. Legolas Greenleaf should have been the product of our love. Not of your duty. Do you remember those years when he was a child, and he would crawl on your lap on your throne? Do you remember? Thranduil, I love that boy as if he were my own. He can not fade because he grows. He must remain near you." 

Thranduil pulled me up against him. "Don't you think it kills me to see him with you every day and know that I denied you that right?" He snarled. "He is my son and my pride and joy. He will come to understand the duties of a king are a demanding thing. Now Hiril vuin, I must be leaving. And as a reference, Legolas is not my duty. He is my son and my life." 

I backed up with tears filling my eyes. Thranduil's cold heart had returned and his self guilt was to great. He looked at me closely. "I-I need to leave. I was not supposed to stay for as  long as I have."

"What?" His face hardened even more. 

"I agreed to watch for Legolas and I have. He is now near to grown and he goes hunting and shooting every day, leaving me to do nothing. I need to leave." I let a tear slide down my cheek. 

"No." He quietly said. 

"No?" 

"If you love me then you will not go." Thranduil backed me up against the wall.

"What if because I love you it is time for me to go?" 

"Let this be a thought." He whispered before he brought his mouth crashing to my own. His movements were gentle and his hands made their way to my waist. My own hands sunk into his silky locks. 

When we finally pulled apart for air he looked down at me with hungry eyes. He brought his mouth down again and again, giving me teasingly light kisses. 

"Thranduil." I breathed. He pushed himself against me shielding me from the world. 

"Alavara, please do not leave Legolas and me." He rubbed the tip of his nose along my jaw. 

I closed my eyes. My brain was telling me that if I wanted to leave I needed to go now, but my heart was telling me to stay in the embrace of the man I loved. 

Loved? I thought I had banished those thoughts. They must have slowly crept back. I opened my eyes and Thranduil gazed down at me. "I need to let you grow. You need time and space." I began.

Thranduil let me go. "Time and space?" He huffed. "Time and space? Have I not had enough time and space?" He spat. "My wife dies 400 years ago, my son never got the blood mother he should have, and the woman I have loved for nearly a thousand years turns her back on me." He glared me down. "And I need time and space?" 

I backed up. "Yes Thranduil. You are hurting. You never healed and I have only reopened wounds. I will not abandon you forever. I will return."

"If you are not killed before then." He looked at me with an icy blue stare. 

"I won't. I have business with the Dunedain of the north. There is a king there who wishes to retake his throne. I will be fine." I looked at him. 

He nodded. "Go then. Return to me when I send the message." 

"I can not promise. But I will try." I stood tall and proud. "Im will rinn-. Im will tul-back." 

He nodded again and then pressed another kiss to my lips. "Go. Go now. Leave me before I change my mind!" 

He turned from me and strode away. "Oh Thranduil, I love you." I muttered. I did not think he would here it, but he did. He smiled a bit and then turned towards his throne room. Now I needed to explain to Legolas what I needed to do. 

I walked swiftly to my rooms and collapsed on my bed and let the sobs rack me. Thranduil loved me but I needed to let him heal. 

I quickly packed my saddle back and grabbed my weapons. I walked out to the training grounds where Legolas was working with his bow and sword. 

"Legolas!" I called to him from above. He looked up and gave me a cheeky smile. "Come here my darling." 

He held up his pointer finger signifying that he would be with me in a moment. He drew an arrow and shot from 200 yards. Dead center. He let another arrow fly and it cracked the first in two. He ran and did a flip, landing with a light thump. 

He ran up to me. "Yes Emig?" 

"Oh, my darling boy." I ran my hand from his hair to his jaw. "I must leave you."

"Leave me?" His smile faded and  his clear blue eyes clouded. "No. Emig you can not." 

I cupped his face. "I must my son." I pressed a kiss to his temple. 

"No, Adar will not allow it." He backed away. 

"He has given his consent." A tear slid down my face. 

"Emig you can not leave me." He begged. "You will not leave me." 

"My darling I must." I let the tears fall down my face. 

"No!" He yelled. "NO! I won't let you." 

"Legolas!" I cried. "It is not that simple."

"Then stay. Tell me. I will make it better." 

"Leggy, I love you. Take care -o cin adar." I ran and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

He caught my hand. "Will im see cin ad-?" 

"Cin will." I slipped from his grip and fled. 

"I love you Emig!" He called. 

"I love you more my son." I replied. I ran to the stable and hopped on a horse. I galloped from the woodland realm with tears falling fast from my eyes. 

Thranduil watched from the balcony. His eyes filled with tears slightly. He followed my retreating back. 

"Close the gates. They open for none, but one." 

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Meanings of the Elvish...

Hiril vuin- My lady

Im will rinn -. Im will tul- back = I will return. I will come back. 

Adar- Father (more formal)

Emig- Mother

Take care -o adar - Take care of your father

Will im see cin ad- = Will I see you again?

Cin will- you will

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