[Lord of the Rings] Green Leaf's Blessing

This year's birthday dinner for His Royal Highness the Great Greenwood Prince was much more lively than in previous years—when the subjects knew that the king and the prince would compete with each other in public.

"What are you doing?" Before the dinner, Legolas came into the forest in his formal attire and found his friends mysteriously gathered together.

"It's a bet," Eman replied as he yelled to attract more elves to come closer, "Who will win, you or His Majesty the King."

"How much did you bet?" Legolas looked curiously at the pile of gold and silver coins gathered in front of him.

"Ten gold coins - bet His Majesty the King to win...don't look at me like that, Legolas, I will definitely support you as a friend, but we have to face the reality, right? You don't want your friend to lose All property?"

Legolas looked at everyone sharply, and said slowly: "Didn't you buy the prince to win?"

The only answer to him was silence.

"Don't be like this, Legolas," Peello said very seriously, "you have to understand that half the people in the Great Green Wood have seen the king's power with their own eyes, and the other half have never tired of hearing the amazing rumors. Countless times..."

"That's right, since no one has bought you to win so far, I have to change the rules," Eman said with a wry smile, "Now it has changed from betting on who will win to betting on how much you will lose to the king." Arrows, bet on how many rounds you will make mistakes, bet on whether you will cry after losing..."

Legolas couldn't bear it and pushed his friend hard. Eman rubbed his shoulders and smiled: "Actually, it's still too late to save! I have a good idea. As long as you are willing to do it, His Majesty the King will definitely lose!"

"Oh, really? What's the idea?" Legolas asked angrily.

"That is——" Eman moved closer to Legolas' ear, "shoot the apple on the opponent's head, think about it, how could His Majesty the King calmly shoot an arrow at his precious son, he is about to surrender Admit defeat."

"It's indeed a good idea." Legolas smiled slightly, but his eyes were concentrated. "But why do you think I will be able to shoot an arrow at Adar?"

Eman seemed to smell the danger, and immediately took two steps back, keeping a distance from Legolas.But until the end, His Royal Highness did not have an attack. Instead, he thought quietly for a while, took off the gem brooch in front of his neck, and put it in the pile of gold and silver coins.

"I bet the Green Leaf Prince wins."

Halfway through the dinner, both the king and the prince retreated, and when they reappeared in the eyes of everyone, they had already taken off their gorgeous dresses and put on simple and plain hunting suits.Holding their own bows, the father and son stepped into the dense forest one after the other. Under the moonlight, the king's face was serious and calm, and his figure was tall and straight, while the prince chanted softly and hopped quickly to keep up with his father's pace.And even though His Majesty the King walked very fast, he occasionally stopped and turned his head slightly, showing a doting smile on the light and cheerful figure behind him when no one else could see him.

When the father and son stood side by side in the middle of the open space, it seemed that even the stars could not wait to see through the gaps in the bushes, and fell in love with their beauty, elegance, and strength. Thranduil was like a tall and luxuriant oak tree. Stronger, nobler and more convincing, while Legolas beside him is like a slender and soft beech tree whose branches and leaves have just unfolded, pure and innocent and beautiful like the one created by Mrs. Elberes. The first ray of starlight.

And this sapling is still so young, against the background of his father's tall figure, his immaturity and innocence can be fully seen-he may not realize that no matter how time passes, he will always be so innocent in front of his father Wherever he may go, happy child, he will always miss that figure tall enough to envelop him--the safe place where dark shadows can never invade.

Legolas stroked his bow, looked up at his father and smiled, "I will work very hard to win you, Ada."

The final "Ada" was pronounced so softly that only the two of them could hear it.Legolas noticed that his father was holding a brand new yew bow he had never seen before, so he moved closer to touch the golden ivy carved on it curiously.When he was about to climb up with his entire arm, Thranduil snorted softly, held the bow far away, and warned his son to stand up obediently with his eyes.

Fino acted as the referee of the match. Except for him, the other elves gathered around the open space, waiting with great interest for what happened next.It is almost a once-in-a-lifetime event that the former sharpshooter and future sharpshooter of Big Green Forest get together to compete.

This archery match is divided into three innings.The first game didn't seem to be particularly difficult. You only needed to shoot arrows at several distant targets on the back of a galloping horse.Legolas was drawn first to play, and he completed a series of movements almost easily. His light body barely trembled on the bumpy horseback, when those golden feathered arrows landed firmly on the target At the center, the young elf couldn't help but let out a cheerful laugh, jumped off the horse, and returned to his father triumphantly.

Thranduil smiled calmly, and then quickly jumped on his own horse. His speed was faster and more powerful, passing by like a strong gust of wind, before everyone came back to their senses. At that time, the golden feather arrows had already been shot out one after another, and before the whistling sound of the last arrow ended, he had already jumped off the horse.

Legolas stared dumbfounded at his father walking back, and it took him a while to smile brightly: "Adar, you are amazing!"

"Don't think that if you compliment me, I will let you go."

"Hmph, why don't you let me!" said the young elf, and turned to Fino, who couldn't wait to draw lots for the order of appearance in the second round.

This time it was Thranduil's turn to play first.Compared with the first game, the difficulty of the second game has increased a lot. They have to shoot the feathers scattered from the tree.Iluvita endowed these firstborn children with keen eyesight and flexible strength, only elves can shoot sharp arrows through soft and falling feathers.Fino prepared ten feathers for them respectively, although these soft white things fell so slowly, it was very difficult to shoot them all in such a short time.

Thranduil stepped forward with steady steps, raised the elegant and gorgeous yew bow, raised his head and nodded at Fino who had climbed up the treetop, signaling to start.The white feathers fell one after another, as thin as fog in the forest at night, everyone gasped, staring nervously at the stalwart body under the moonlight with expectant eyes——

So much speed and strength, yet so light and agile, and the whole time his legs stood firmly in place, not moving at all.The yew bow worked perfectly in his hands, full, let go, full, and let go, all so lightning fast that it was impossible to tell - the clearest scene they could capture at the end was The ten arrows that pierced the feathers fell to the ground one after another.

When it was Legolas' turn, he felt more nervous and stressed than ever.It seems that what everyone said was right, his father was beyond imagination... Legolas settled down, drew out the arrow and set up the bow, signaling Fino to let down the feathers.

He has played similar games with his friends before, using leaves or lighter objects. These feathers should not be difficult for him... But compared to his father's calmness, Prince Green Leaf moved lightly during the archery process. Jumping, although still maintaining an elegant posture, it has already revealed the panic and anxiety in his heart.

He manages to shoot the last feather before it hits the ground, saving the near-bad situation.Legolas wiped the sweat from his brow, and turned his head to meet his father with a meaningful smile.

"Looks like you've lost your mind, Little Green Leaf."

Legolas was a little guilty, but he responded bravely: "It's not over yet, Ada, just wait and see how I perform in the last game!"

Since the first two rounds were tied, this last round is extremely critical.In this round, they will face a great challenge - that is to restrain the sharp eyes that help the elves become sharpshooters, and only use their ears to catch the throbbing in the wind.Even elves with extraordinary talents can rarely hit the target blindfolded, so everyone is looking forward to the surprises these two outstanding kings can bring them.

Legolas was drawn first, and when Fino blindfolded him, he felt his throat dry and tense.On the trunk in front of him hung seven archery logs made of logs, which swayed and clicked softly in the wind, and Legolas had to hit each of the seven arrows in a row-he There can be no mistakes, because he knows that his father will complete this task perfectly after a while.

The pointed elf's ears stood up, he tried his best to catch the message from the wind, and then he gritted his teeth and shot the first arrow - from the admiration of everyone, he knew that he had shot it, but he quickly hit it before he could be happy. shot the second arrow.

Legolas couldn't restrain the growing tension in his heart, so that not only his brow, but even his palms were dripping with sweat—this was very bad, and when the last arrow left the string, he obviously I could feel my sweaty hand slipping, but it was too late to save it.

He took off his blindfold amidst the people's regrets, and watched in frustration that the golden feathered arrow deviated far from the target and hit the tree trunk beside him.

Legolas walked back silently, but managed to force a smile as he passed by his father: "Let me see how good you are, Ada."

After being blindfolded, Thranduil stood quietly on the spot for a while, he didn't seem to be in a hurry to shoot the arrow, but the elves around him were not in a hurry, and took it for granted that this was a kingly demeanor.However, when Thranduil actually raised his bow and released his arrows, his speed was much slower than before—but it was also normal. Although His Majesty the King is the most powerful warrior in the Great Green Forest, the most powerful eyes are already there. Being blindfolded, the speed is slowed down to capture the sound of the wind more accurately.Besides, every arrow landed steadily on the bull's-eye of the log, proclaiming his powerful ability to everyone——

The accident happened suddenly, and when shooting the sixth arrow, the king seemed eager to regain his usual speed, and loosened his five fingers prematurely before the log swung back—the golden feather arrow shot empty, and at this time Legolas' heart almost rose to his throat.

The last shot, the last shot...

With that slight tremor, the last arrow landed steadily on the log—but missed the target by a lot.And Legolas had hit the bull's-eye six times before, which meant that Prince Green Leaf had won.

"I won, I won!" Legolas jumped forward happily, raised his hand and pulled off his father's blindfold, "I won, Ada!"

Thranduil looked at his happy child with a smile: "It seems that Ada is indeed neglected to practice."

Of course, there are only a small number of happy people, especially those who participated in the game almost all bought His Majesty the King to win.Now Legolas was a big winner, not only getting his gem brooch back, but more, so he couldn't wait to find his friends.

The banquet continued, and desserts and wine were brought up one after another. Thranduil took the bow and sat back on the oak throne, silently sipping the Dovehin in the cup, until Legolas was a little sullen. Back to his side.

"What's the matter, Legolas?" Thranduil looked at his son.

The young elf hesitated for a while, bit his lip and said, "Ada, did you lose to me on purpose?"

"Why do you think so?" Thranduil gently took his son's hand.

"Everyone said that... and I also think that you performed very well in the first two rounds, there is no reason to lose to me in the last round..."

"Because you need to be blindfolded in the last game," Thranduil explained, "Ada doesn't have the time and energy to play blindfolded archery like you mischievous bastards. Since I don't have time to practice, how can it be possible?" Well done? And I was terrible at shooting arrows blindfolded when I was your age—ask Fino."

Thranduil increased his volume, pointing at the brunette elf not far away.

"Ah? Ask me what?" Fino raised his wine glass blankly.

"Legolas wants to ask you," Thranduil said, winking, "have I been terrible at shooting arrows blindfolded all this time?"

"Oh, this, let me think about it..." When he felt the threat in Thranduil's eyes, Fino quickly changed his tone and said, "Ah, yes, yes, His Majesty the King is really stupid--no , is not so good at blindfolded archery, I can definitely testify!"

Thranduil glared at him fiercely, then set his eyes on Legolas' face again, and said in a very soft voice: "Besides, do you think Ada will lose to you on purpose—just to let You leave me quickly?"

Legolas thought for a while, then shook his head, and smiled confidently again: "So Prince Green Leaf really won his Majesty the King, I am very good, right?"

"Of course." Thranduil smiled and picked up the yew bow beside him, "and this is the reward for the heroic performance of Prince Green Leaf. Happy birthday, son."

"Ada, that's it!" Legolas took the beautiful bow and sighed softly, "So you want to give this bow to me!"

"It's more than that." Thranduil watched his son take the bow and tentatively pull the bowstring, with the brilliance of stars shining in his eyes, "I made it for you myself."

The next day, Thranduil saw his son off in front of the palace gate. When his friends had already left, Legolas reluctantly held his father's arm and listened to his father's advice.

"The northern border has not been peaceful in the past few decades. From time to time, there are half-orcs from the north wandering in it. You must be very careful when performing tasks. In addition, you must also ensure the safety of the caravan coming from Long Lake. If they Being attacked would jeopardize the friendship that Great Greenwood has forged with Long Lake—of course, whenever your own safety is paramount."

"Ada..." Legolas caressed his father's hands, but found that they were trembling slightly, so he looked up at his father nervously, "Ada, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Thranduil restrained his trembling, and patted his son's hand, "I'm probably just too worried and reluctant to part with you—this is the first time you've grown up so far and for such a long time. Get out of my side."

"Ada, don't worry, I will take good care of myself and behave to make you proud of me." Legolas shook his father's hand firmly, "I will return on time every three months , when the time comes, I will pester you to practice archery and horseback riding with me..."

Finally Legolas stood on tiptoe and kissed his father on the cheek, then picked up the yew bow that his father had given him, and strode forward.The young elf overtook his friends briskly, singing his clear, melodious voice along the way.

It wasn't until the green figure on the horse finally disappeared that Thranduil, who was holding on desperately, finally fell down.When he was sent to the medical room, he was too weak to move. The doctor helped him take the medicine, but he knew it was useless. He was destined to lie here like a lifeless log for several days up.

"Why bother?" This was the first sentence Fino said when he came to see him.

"You've never been a father, of course it's easy to say." Even though he couldn't move, Thranduil still said bluntly.

"Well, I knew it," said Fino, sitting down on the edge of his bed, "I knew you would do it—when you told me the story of the sword the old king gave you."

"I can only do this, Fino, since I can't accompany him to the north," Thranduil sighed, "The child was so happy and content, he slept peacefully last night, and I took advantage of him while he was asleep. took his bow..."

"And then do the stupid things your father did, great stupid things, as stupid as you were to lose to him on purpose."

"I don't want to see him disappointed. He is still so young, and he should enjoy the pride and happiness of his youth...as long as my bow is by his side."

"You know your power cannot protect him forever."

"That's right, no matter how hard I put my strength into it, that power will gradually disappear as time goes by—but it will at least protect my child in the first period of time, protecting him through that novel and exciting period. It is also an extremely dangerous and inexperienced period, and then the power formed by himself will replace my power, and by then he will already have enough ability to protect himself, and I can really rest assured."

"You can never really trust him." Fino said softly.

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter," Thranduil said with a slight smile, "Being a father always pays more."

"And Legolas will never know how much his father paid behind his back."

"There is no need to let him know, I just want to see him so happy all the time... Fino, you once asked me what is the difference between a king and my father, and I have thought about this question carefully. I am a king and have the highest The king of power, perhaps this determines that I will have greater ability to protect him, but at the same time may also give him more burdens. I have been thinking hard and can't figure out how to achieve a balance between these two relationships—— Then I suddenly felt relieved, I am so stupid, and you who asked this question are also stupid."

"Oh?" Fino raised his eyebrows.

"Actually, what's the difference? No matter the king or the father, I love him the same."