Disclaimer: I don’t own them, and I’ll put them back when I’m done!

Chapter Two: The Ballroom

      “The sword was broken!”

      “It has been re-made!”

       Legolas smiled to himself as he entered the ballroom. It seemed that Faramir and Eldarion had arrived earlier than he had, and were engaged in a confrontation that Legolas remembered all too clearly. It was the confrontation between Aragorn and the King of the Dead, and by the looks of it, Eldarion was playing his father, and Faramir was the Dead King. Legolas looked into the ballroom and grinned in spite of himself. The lads were both holding mops, and were surrounded by several large buckets of hot water. They were fiercely into their battle, and it was with a sigh of regret that Legolas interrupted them.

     “You now, you’ll get a lot more cleaning done if you stop using those mops as swords, and start using them for mopping,” he said. “And aren’t I supposed to have one, as well?”

      Eldarion nodded and handed him a mop that lay nearby on the floor. “We already did by the door,” he said. “We decided to wait for you when we got here.”

      Legolas looked back at the shining floor that he had just walked across and shook his head. A swath of floor about six feet wide had been cleaned, right up to where the lads had been playing. The rest of the huge ballroom was untouched. It was going to be a long day.

*****

   “Eldarion, Legolas, do you know how to slide on ice?” Faramir’s voice was loud as he shouted across the room.

        They had spread out to cover more ground, and while they were working quicker, it made conversation difficult. Eldarion and Faramir had been yelling loudly to each other, and Legolas had a distinct suspicion that they would both be more than a little hoarse by the evening.

       “I’m not allowed to slide on ice,” Eldarion said promptly. “My nanneth said that her brother, Elladan, fell through the ice once, and she doesn’t want that to happen to me, so I’m not allowed near it.”

      “Aye, I remember that,” Legolas commented. “And I know how to, Faramir.”

     Faramir was leaning on his mop, a Tookish gleam in his eyes. “You know, we could use the water as ice. It’s slippery enough. And then we wouldn’t have to keep coming back to the buckets.”

     Eldarion’s face lit up. “That’s a brilliant idea!” he cried. “Come on, Faramir, help me!”

     “I don’t think that’s the best id-” Legolas began, but was overruled when the lads sent one large bucket tumbling onto its side. He was suddenly standing in a large and spreading puddle of water. Legolas knew defeat when he saw it.

     “Ai,” he sighed. “Come on, then, let’s dump out the rest. Then we’ll continue mopping, won’t we, lads?”

        “Of course,” Eldarion and Faramir said in unison, utterly innocent. “But we can teach Eldarion to slide while we mop, can’t we, Legolas?” Faramir added.

        “Of course,” agreed Legolas. After all, he thought, what could possibly happen?

*****

       Towards teatime, Aragorn decided to see how things were going with Legolas and the miscreant children. They had been at it since early that morning, and he knew that they were probably famished. He was finished with his work for the day (a tedious business of negotiating trade of horses with Eomer, who took infinite pleasure in making life difficult for him), and so, after having a basket of food sent up to him from the kitchens, he set off for the ballroom.

      It was quiet as he walked down the long corridor leading to the ballroom. Too quiet. Aragorn found himself moving in near silence as he neared the door. It was not above Eldarion to rig elaborate pranks, and he had no desire to come upon one now. Reaching the door, he took a deep breath, counted to three, and pushed it open.

     For a split second, Aragorn thought that the ballroom was empty. He stepped inside, frowning, only to see something that he never forgot for the rest of his years. Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood and Lord of Ithilien, ran and skidded along the length of the wet floor. He had discarded his boots, his silver tunic was flapping, and his long hair was streaming out behind him. He made it from one end of the hall to the other, then skidded around and came to a stop, arms raised in triumph.

        “Master Took, I challenge you to do better,” Legolas cried, laughing. “Come on, Faramir, I’ll catch you.”

       Aragorn looked to the opposite end of the room, and saw Faramir take a running start, followed closely by Eldarion. He cleared his throat slightly, and Legolas whipped around. Horror wrote itself across his fair features, and Aragorn grinned broadly. Then Legolas keeled over as Faramir hit him in the knees, and Eldarion landed solidly on the Elf’s chest. Aragorn cringed and hurried forward.

       “You said you would catch me, Legolas!” Faramir cried, climbing out from under Legolas’ legs. “Oh! Hello, your Majesty.”

       Merciful Valar, Legolas thought weakly. Take me now, Elbereth; I’ll never live this one down.

     “Hello, Father!” cried Eldarion, jumping up and running to his father. “Legolas and Faramir were teaching me how to slide! We had to use water, because Nanneth won’t let us on real ice, and we finished the ballroom with it! It just has to dry now, see?”

     Aragorn caught his son up and grinned at him. “Yes, I see. Very good, all of you. Are you all right, Legolas?”

     “Yes, Estel, I am,” groused Legolas. He was too embarrassed to be caught out yet again, playing with children. Maybe it was time he settled down and had his own. “As well as I can be with two impertinent lads causing mischief wherever I go.”

      Aragorn grinned, and looked at Faramir. “Here, you go, Faramir, there’s food enough for you all in the basket. Why don’t you find us a nice, dry place on the floor to eat it?”

     “All right!” Faramir agreed, and plopped down at the High King’s feet. “Here’s a good place.”

       Aragorn grinned and sat down, and soon they were all feasting on sandwiches and cider. Even Legolas felt better as he ate, and deigned to speak to Aragorn, whom he was still feeling a tad resentful towards. At last, the meal was finished, and they lounged back, stuffed full. After a moment, Aragorn spoke.

      “I hope you lads have learned your lesson. You did a good job. Now please, no more shenanigans for a while, all right? Our guests will be arriving for the annual Council this week, and I don’t want them to see you as problems. You must promise me that you will behave.”

     “I promise,” Faramir said quickly.

     “Me, too,” agreed Eldarion.

     “And I will not encourage them,” Legolas added.

       Aragorn nodded, satisfied. He knew, though, that the arrival of people from as far away as Rivendell and Laketown would spark the curiosity of these lads. He had not one doubt about that.

To be continued.

A/N: The bit where Legolas slide across the ballroom was inspired by Tom Cruise in the movie “Risky Business”. The idea was brought to me by my friend Elisabeth.