Thranduil Hears The News PDF

Thranduil Hears the News
Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/54761782.
Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Relationship: Gimli/Legolas Greenleaf
Characters: Legolas Greenleaf, Gimli (Tolkien)
Additional Tags: Meeting the Parents, cringefail legolas
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2024-03-27 Words: 969 Chapters: 1/1
Thranduil Hears the News
by i_was_you
Summary
Thranduil and his court have arrived in Minas Tirith ahead of the dwarves. Legolas and Gimli
have gone to tell them the happy news that they're now elven married.
Legolas and Gimli stood in front of Thranduil in one of the palatial gardens of Minas Tirith.
Strictly speaking, Legolas stood and Gimli knelt on one knee, gaze respectfully lowered.
“And if you were offered riches and treasures beyond counting?”
Gimli cleared his throat, and turned his face up to meet Thranduil’s piercing, cold gaze.
“Here and now I would not speak my answer to such an offer, your highness, for it would be
an insult of equal measure.” There was a sharpness in the dwarf’s eyes and voice, like a glint
of steel. “There is nothing so treasured to me as the company of Legolas. No mithril, gold or
silver could compare to his braids. What diamonds would shine as bright as his eyes? What
gemstones would be more precious than his smile?” After a moment of eye contact that made
it clear Gimli was serious, he turned his gaze down again, as befitting court etiquette.
Next to the dwarf, Legolas looked like he was just about to melt. Despite his efforts to look
measured and calm like his dwarf, a smile broke through on his face like sunshine on a forest
meadow. His cheeks turned pink, and his shining eyes darted at Gimli.
“Not that I would make such an offer for my son,” Thranduil said haughtily. Well. Legolas
and Gimli were married, Legolas’s spirit tied to Gimli’s as happened to elves, and Thranduil
did not want to know how or when had that happened. An acorn could not be reattached to an
oak, all one could do was hope it would grow into a strong tree. “As you said, my son is a
priceless treasure.” He changed into Elvish. “Legolas, a century or two is a short time. You
are not half-elven, you cannot choose mortality. Did you think at all about what will you do
when…”
“Ada! Speak not of such things. I would take him with me. We have discussed this. Ada,
Lady Galadriel offered him three locks of her hair when he asked but for one-” at this,
Thranduil’s eyebrows rose visibly, and Gimli felt the atmosphere in the room shift. Everyone
had already been looking at him, quietly measuring and judging the dwarf who had somehow
won the heart of Mirkwood’s prince, but now there were more raised eyebrows, some even
craned their necks and murmured to their neighbours. Gimli guessed Legolas had mentioned
Lady Galadriel's present to him and his house, but he understood little else.
“He asked for a hairlock of the Lady of Lothlorien and she gave him three?” Thranduil
murmured and leaned forward in his chair. Well, well. “Yes, Ada, she did. Ask her yourself.
And not only that, my Gimli bested me in a contest of orc-slaying,” Legolas spoke fast, in
one breath, “he did not waver when faced with ghosts and wraiths, he has followed me into
forests and ridden a horse with me, Ada, dwarves rarely ride horses but he did…” Thranduil
nodded at Legolas and the prince quieted down as Thranduil leaned back in his seat. The
room did not go silent, however, as Gimli could hear, and from the corners of his eyes, see
the elves whispering to each other.
Outwardly, Thranduil was calm as a forest lake in June. Inwardly, he mulled over the
exchange and the wasp’s nest of anger inside him started to quieten down. The dwarf was a
warrior, a diplomat, and apparently, something of a poet. Clearly there was some part that
caught the attention of Galadriel herself. Obviously, he was a polished diamond among
dwarves. Thranduil loved his son deeply, but he was also aware that Legolas was, among
elven royalty, something of a goose among swans. The thought that Legolas had somehow
plucked what must have been the prized bachelor of the House of Durin...
Gimli heard Thranduil murmur something indistinct to an advisor, and the advisor responded,
and then the king spoke to someone else, until finally, finally he rose from his seat and spoke
in Westron. “Very well. We expect you to look to our son’s happiness and safety, Lord Gimli,
son of Gloín, of the House of Durin. There is much work to be done to repair the damage
wrought by Mordor and its allies, and we hope that this alliance strengthens the efforts of
both of our kingdoms and peoples. Rise now.” Gimli did so, with surprising agility, and
bowed appropriately deep while Legolas exclaimed his thanks. "Oh Ada, I am so happy!
Aren't we, melleth nin? I told you there would be no cause to worry." While Legolas took his
hand and joyfully chattered on, Gimli noticed another advisor lean in to murmur something
to Thranduil, and saw a small smile on the king's face, like frost melting in early spring.
Mayhaps this had gone well, King Thranduil wasn't upset after all, and he had fretted and
worried for no reason at all.
Thranduil spoke again. “I am informed the dwarves of Erebor should arrive soon-”
“Your highness, it may be best I talk to them first,” Gimli exclaimed, and then added some
hasty apology for interrupting which Thranduil did not really listen to, merely nodded and
waved to dismiss the misstep. Thranduil was lost in thought, the scene in front of him faded
to almost like an illustration in a book while the thought became clearer like skies after rain.
Yes. He was deeply unhappy about his son marrying a dwarf, but the thought of the
unhappiness the dwarves of Erebor would feel about this gave him the same satisfaction a
playful lynx has upon finally catching an unaware field mouse. He had won before anyone
had realized there had been a contest.
The seething of Thorin III and his fellows would be like a soothing balm on his irritation.
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Thranduil Hears the News

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/54761782.

Rating: General Audiences

“And if you were offered riches and treasures beyond counting?”

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