The Feast of Starlight. Every elf's favorite holiday of the year. Drinking, dancing, feasting, and singing. What more could one ask for in a night of festivities under the stars?
Well, for Legolas, it was love. All his ellon friends had elleths to dance with tonight, and he had no one.
It wasn't that no one would want to be his partner, he just wasn't good at speaking to elleths- like, at all. So he had learned his lesson and talked to them only when necessary. Even if he found one he liked, he wouldn't dare talk to her. It became his shy nature.
Here he sat at one of the many wooden tables, watching to others dance with smiles on their fair faces while he just sat alone, drinking miserably from his wine glass.
"Legolas! Where is my son?"
The prince held his breath and shut his eyes. His father wandered through the maze of crowded tables looking for him without luck. Thranduil huffed, and wondered where in Middle-Earth his son was hiding now as he took another swig of red wine. "Ah! There you are, ion nin." He handed his empty glass to a servant, snatched a full one, and plopped down next to the young ellon.
"Are you enjoying the celebration, Ada?" Legolas asked, already knowing the answer.
"Absolutely!" Thranduil drunkenly cheered. "Why wouldn't I be? You don't seem to be having a good time yourself, Legolas. What's the matter? Why aren't you dancing?"
"I- uh," Legolas searched for words, his cheeks dusted pink. His father would be ashamed of him for not having the courage to talk to a girl. "I don't have a partner."
Thranduil jaw dropped dramatically and he gasped. "Well, we're going to have to fix that."
Legolas cringed. His father was so drunk right now.
"Look over there," the king slurred. "She's a pretty one."
Legolas's eyes followed his fathers finger to see an elleth with outrageously large breasts. He didn't cease to notice how she pressed her body against each ellon she danced with in a way that shouldn't be done. "No, not her."
Thranduil scanned over the dance floor. "How about that one?"
For many minutes this continued. Thranduil would point out a random elleth and Legolas would reject her. He, too, began to search for an elleth he may want to dance with in the crowd, a spark of excitement in his young heart.
Though, after not much time, his eyes darted back to you, the elleth he had been admiring all night, and the voice of his father faded away. He had noticed you from the beginning of the festival, because you (much like himself) did not join the dancers, no matter how many times you were asked to. You were sitting on a bench not too far behind him, sipping your wine from time to time. Though you seemed to prefer observing from where you couldn't be seen, Legolas thought you were so beautiful, you were practically glowing in the shadows of the dancers.
"Legolas?" Thranduil tried to gain his heir's attention, but Legolas did not hear him. Thranduil followed his gaze that lead to you, and his eyes lit up with mischief and youthful excitement. "Who is that, ion nin?"
Legolas broke his stare and whipped back to his father. "I- I don't know."
The king leaned on his shoulder. "She's rather radiant, is she not?"
Legolas swallowed and nodded. He hated it when his father did this- make him know what to think just with teasing questions.
"You should go talk to her," Thranduil suggested. Legolas unhesitatingly shook his head. Thranduil frowned and slapped him on the shoulder. "Go get her, you cowardly dog!"
Legolas's heartbeat quickened with the fear you may have heard Thranduil's drunken outburst. "Shut up!" he hissed under his breath.
Thranduil huffed. "Fine. If you won't talk to her, I will."
The prince's eyes widened as the king rose from his seat and strode over to you, trying his best not to topple over.
"Ada!" Legolas hissed under his breath, but Thranduil did not stop.
***
You heard footsteps approaching, but when you turned around, you were not expecting to come face to face with your king. You practically rolled off your chair and immediately dipped into a bow.
"Your Majesty," you managed to squeak it.
He bowed dramatically and offered his hand, nearly tipping over. "My lady," he spoke like a showman. Was he drunk? "May you give me the pleasure of a dance?"
You recoiled. He was definitely drunk. You had rejected dances from everyone so far, but you could not reject the Elvenking. It might be illegal to do so- you didn't know, but you weren't going to risk it. Hesitantly, you accepted his hand, and he yanked you out onto the dance floor.
"So," he began with a smile, "how are you enjoying yourself tonight?"
"I'm having a pleasant time, my lord. Thank you."
He hummed. "But I haven't seen you dancing."
"No, my lord," you said with a shake of your head, "I can't say I'm much of a dancer."
"But your steps are perfect!" he protested. "Surely, dancing isn't the fault. Perhaps it is the ellon you share the dance with?"
You flustered. Did he read your mind? "I'm just very particular when choosing a dancing partner is all. Don't want my toes being stepped on."
"You didn't deny me a dance," he pointed out.
"You are the king," you replied, looking down. "I could not turn you away."
"What if the prince was to ask you to dance? Would you reject him?"
"No..." you answered after some thought. "Even if he steps on me, I would not be so rude as to turn down such an offer."
"Wise elleth," he cooed drunkenly. "What do you think of Legolas? I know you have not met him but what are your thoughts on him from afar?"
Was he assuming that you admired the prince? If so, you were not going to lose control of your tongue and argue.
"Uh, he is very handsome," you conjured up quickly. "Just like his ada."
Thranduil beamed. "Smart, too! This is wonderful!"
"What is, my lord?"
"Why, everything tonight," he said happily and spun you under your arm and to the next ellon.
***
Legolas watched from afar as his father waltzed with you, the elleth he had an eye for. Or two. Gods, you were the only thing he'd cared to look at tonight. What was the king telling you about him? Hopefully, nothing too embarrassing.
When Thranduil came back, Legolas was ready to give him a scolding before he said, "Good news, ion nin! She thinks you're handsome like me!"
You probably just said that under pressure, Legolas figured. Yet, he still gained a flicker of hope at hearing this.
"You should ask her to dance," Thranduil said with a grunt as he plopped onto his seat. "I already had my turn."
Legolas narrowed his eyes at his father, looked over at you (looking rather invaded on the dance floor), and gradually made his way toward you.
I can do this, I can do this, I can do this, he kept chanting in his head with each step he took.
Your partner spun you around with so much force, you were flung onto Legolas. He was not expecting this, and though you were expecting to be passed onto the next ellon in line, you did not expect it to be him. Your eyes widened, and they were such a beautiful shade of (y/e/c), Legolas was stunned.
I can't do this.
But he had to- he was already here before you! Before he could say a word, you cautiously stepped away and dropped into a curtsy.
"Forgive me, hir nin, I did not see you there," you said humbly before rising.
"There is nothing to forgive, hiril nin," Legolas said with a smile he prayed wasn't wobbling. "I was just about to approach you, anyway. You seem rather flustered in here. Might you join in me in the gardens for a stroll?"
You had to admit it-
Now that you were seeing him this close in person, Legolas truly was handsome. But in his own way, different than his father's. His figures were softer, but no less manly. And his eyes clearer, younger.
Barely aware your tongue was moving, you accepted his offer. He smiled and began leading you out of the ball room, keeping even pace so he could talk with you- or at least try to.
And as the two of you sneaked away, Thranduil had never been more proud as a father.
"He'll thank me one day," he mused under his breath, and took another sip of wine.
Translations:
Ellon- Male elf
Elleth- Female elf
Ion nin- my son
Ada- father
Hir nin- my lord
Hiril nin- my lady