Thank you to @slut_for_pizza, @Avaloyuru, @crystalily2003, @felly_belly, @Cairo1973, @Tiemna, and @nathalieAlice for voting and commenting on the previous chapter! I appreciate it so much.

"How is Celebrian?" Elrond asked of Glorfindel as the twins rushed to hug Thranduil. He stood in the living room with the royal family waiting to receive the king and the prince after their bed rest.

"Your wife misses you," Glorfindel replied, "And the twins. Galadriel and Celeborn arrived to help her but I think she counts the days to your return."

Elrond lowered his voice, his dark eyes glowering at Thranduil as he said, "And it is the fiend in the crown who puts her through such misery, keeping me here with his iron claws on my sons. I want to see my family united."

"You are free to leave, Elrond," Thranduil said as he finished hugging the twins. "I do not keep you here on chains; you choose to stay of your own accord."

Elrond frowned. "You know full well you keep me here. You know I will not leave."

"You could make it easier," said Thranduil steadily. "You could return home and be reunited as a family with love and stronger bonds if you would agree to put aside your stubbornness and learn to provide the twins with the love and support they need for their father as their guide."

Elrond turned on his heel and strode from the room.

"I have the strong urge to grind his face into the mud," Thranduil remarked, his voice tight.

"Let us resist the urges Elrond attributes so commonly to our barbarism and instead sit down to eat breakfast," Harune suggested. He cast a look toward the door. "I will speak to him about his utter disrespect though I have realized my earlier approach to punishing him is as bad and as lacking in wisdom as Elrond's decision to spank the twins."

"It is ineffective," Thranduil said. "And the exercise of punishing him with a strap is taking its toll on you. Let it fall off your shoulders, ada, it is not worth it. Send him down to the stables; several stalls need cleaning and none of our usual workers have committed any crimes recently."

He eyed Legolas, Landion, and the twins with a teasing light in his eyes.

After the breakfast finished, Glorfindel excused himself and slipped down to find Elrond, making his way to the stables. He knew he would find his lord in high dudgeon with a shovel in hand for Harune had dispatched Elrond to work immediately after the meal.

The sunny Mirkwood met his eyes and the fresh air smelled of blooming blossoms and fresh buds. The grass alongside the paths greened in the cool air as Glorfindel walked beneath a row of twisted tree trunks. The stables came into sight; a dozen long buildings set at one end of a long, open field spotted by horses and ringed off by thickly growing trunks. He followed the path and entered the square the dozen buildings made, stepping onto mud.

"It is an outrage," Elrond spluttered as he caught sight of his friend and appealed to him for help. "I will not use this tool of labor for a second!" He flung the shovel to the ground.

The lanky elf standing at the stable door ahead of him wore a displeased expression and had his arms folded. One eyebrow rose in disapproval.

"I have dealt with my fair share of rebellious elflings who come here to work," the elf said. "And I will deal with you as well. I am not in the mood to argue, Elrond. Stalls four through six await you; the brass number plates will not lead you astray."

"You can put a shovel in my hand but you cannot make me use it," Elrond snapped. He turned to Glorfindel. "This is yet another instance of the barbarians who live here. I was escorted here by two guards!"

Glorfindel said, "Undoubtedly because you refused to come of your own free will."

"I will not work like a servant," Elrond declared.

The stable master shrugged. "As you wish, Elrond. Follow me."

"Why?" the elf lord demanded with suspicion.

"Do you think the elflings sent here accept their punishment with grace on the first time?" the elf replied. He shook his dark head. "They do not and it takes measures to make them see they must. Legolas, Landion, and the twins are quite amiable about it and even take the care—" He glanced at Elrond's fine robe—"To come in appropriate clothing. But there are those who must be given a little nudge in the right direction."

"I will return to the palace," Elrond said. He turned to leave but an iron grip fastened over his arm and dragged him in the opposite direction.

The stable master said, "I do not tame wild horses for nothing."

Glorfindel followed, not out of support, but out of curiosity and came upon a scene behind the building at the north end of the square. Loud shrieks of laughter and yells came from about six dozen elflings as they stood at the edge of a creek, engaged in a furious mud battle.

"This," said Elrond's guide. "Is where elflings are sent by tired parents when they need to engage in a little rough play. Perhaps being the target of mud will encourage you to do your job next time."

Glorfindel bit his lip, struggling to retain a choke of laughter as Elrond was left standing in the center of the swarm of elflings as they flocked to his sides. As soon as the stable master had walked away and a trunk shielded Glorfindel, every elfling on the spot made peace and turned to cover Elrond in mud.

Elrond's outraged screams were cut off by the heavy assault of mud.

Glorfindel lounged behind the tree and spoke, knowing Elrond could hear him, "Elrond, you chose to walk this path. And I have seen what your ways have done to your sons. They were unhappy, and all I wanted was to help them but you pushed aside my suggestions and complaints without a care. If I were there father, I would not hesitate to accept Thranduil's help. There is a lot he can teach you that no kinslayer ever could. You have come to me for advice, Elrond, and I have given it you. You have followed my advice and it has led you well in times of need. I beg you to take my advice now. Only you can put the light back into your sons' eyes, Elrond."

"Never," came the muffled reply. "Not from any barbarian will I learn."

"You are the barbarian for refusing to learn," Glorfindel said. "Elrond, you have asked for my advice when you do not need it. And now that you do need it and I give it to you, you push me away. Not only are you hurting yourself, but you are hurting your sons more then you know.

"They came to me and begged me to talk to you, Elrond. Your being here is hard for them. They love you, Elrond, as much as any son loves his father. They want to return home with you and be with Celebrian and Arwen as much as you do. But they know you will make their lives hard and painful again if they do, and they do not want that. Elladan and Elrohir ask with their hearts for you to stay and learn or leave them alone to their life here.

"It is not easy to make the choice, I know. But if you cannot learn, Elrond, the best thing you can do is leave them. They will not have a father who can love them, but at least there will be no spankings dangling above them waiting to drop."

Elrond slumped against the tree trunk, the sunrays drying the mud on him. The humiliation had ended for the elflings had wandered off into the trees or gone back to their own fierce battles.

"How is it that Thranduil turns everyone against me?" he wondered.

"It is not black magic," Glorfindel said before Elrond could voice the suspicion. "He brings people to see the truth, Elrond. Everyone, that is, except the person who needs to see it. I saw the truth for many years in Rivendell but I did not have the ability to do what he does now for the twins, and that is why Elladan and Elrohir went to him for protection."

"It is abominable," Elrond said.

"I would not use such a word," Glorfindel cautioned. "Disagreeable to you perhaps but certainly not vile."

Holding his head high, Elrond marched to the palace with as much dignity as he could muster. At the gates, he was dismayed to find himself turned away by a stern Harune who shook his head at the thought of Elrond's muddy personage trailing through the halls of the palace and ordered the gates closed.

Elrond made his way to a discreet section of the river in full sun to wash after dispatching Glorfindel to bring him fresh clothes. As he lay in the warm water, the sun dappling on his skin, he thought about Glorfindel's words. Perhaps the balrog slayer had a point.

Or perhaps magic as foul as the mists of the Forbidden Grove were at work. But as he glanced around at the leafing trees around him putting on their bright foliage, he could not twist the forest into a harbor for black magic; he could not imagine so dark a shadow falling across the forest or hiding in its grottos. There were no signs of such evil and he felt sure he would have sensed it.

The door to his office creaked open and Thranduil looked up. Elladan and Elrohir came toward him, advancing nervously. "Thranduil, is Rivendell's army still at your borders?"

Thranduil held up a recent report from Hyrondal. "According to this, the commander if the army is now in ropes."

"The elves in the army should not be here," Elladan said. "They have families they must miss. We hate to know they are trying to invade Mirkwood because of us; because Elrond is too stubborn to admit defeat."

"Do you have something in mind?" Thranduil asked, sensing the twins had an idea.

"We would like to go to the borders and address the army of Rivendell," Elrohir answered. "If they know why we ran away, maybe they will see Elrond is wrong in trying to attack you."

Thranduil tilted his head. "Maybe," he agreed. "It is worth a try. We will leave tomorrow; the skies look clear and I have nothing coming down on my shoulders regarding the kingdom. Now run along; I have work to finish."

"Hannon le," Elrohir said quietly, his dark eyes lit by hope. He took his brother's hand and skipped out of the office, remembering not to bang the door.

Thranduil looked down at his paper as he returned to work. He would not say anything to Elrond or Glorfindel. They need know nothing until he and the twins returned from the border. Harune would, of course, have to be informed . . .

Hyrondal looked up as Thranduil's moose cantered into sight and snapped to attention. "My king Thranduil! I did not expect you. What has happened to bring you thus far?"

"Elladan and Elrohir have some words they would like to share with the people of Rivendell," Thranduil replied, gesturing to the horses behind him.

The fires of Mirkwood's camp behind the fogbank left the air smelling of roasting meat and the trees hazy with wisps of smoke. Plants and moss had been trampled between the tents; the ground of the camp was made of mud. Elves laughed around the fires while half a hundred of Rivendell's army sat around the base of a twisted tree trunk, their arms tethered with ropes. Sentries stood watch over them.

"Order the mist lowered," Thranduil said. "And assemble the archers in the event Rivendell's army decides to make a charge. I do not wish to hurt but I cannot allow my people to be harmed."

Hyrondal gave a quick nod and the notes of his horn sent out the orders. The lounging elves hopped to their feet and collected their weapons, forming into ranks before the fogbank. The high-pitched voices commonly floating over the forest died. The fogbank wavered as if it were about to collapse and thinned out rapidly, the wind ripping through it and scattering it.

Mirkwood's archers advanced to the edge of the forest as the dazed elves previously within the seven hundred foot deep fogbank staggered from the tree line and let the clean air brush up their senses. The former captives were pushed out into the plains and their bonds cut away.

Elladan and Elrohir nudged their horses forward. Advil looked at them with a furrow on his brow, worried Thranduil had brought the elflings to use as hostages.

"People of Rivendell," Elladan said clearly. "You should not be here. You should be home with your wives, husbands, and children enjoying the sunshine of springtime and playing in the fields. I know you have come because you think we are held here against our will but that is not true."

"We were not kidnapped from home or tricked into coming to Mirkwood," Elrohir said, his voice a little shaky. "My twin and I are here because we fled from our home. We fled from Elrond because he hurt us. Elrond believes in spanking and he uses a leather strap to punish us. For as long as Elladan and I can remember, we have been subject to the heavy hand of our parents. Being spanked by the people who say they love us hurt us inside. I could not live with being spanked when I expressed my honest opinions. I was spanked every time I tried to be who I am inside. I should say beaten."

"Elrond wanted us to mold ourselves to fit his needs," Elladan continued, as Elrohir's voice began to crack. "Me and Elrohir cannot live if we have to keep our true selves hidden from Elrond. It is hard and it breaks us from within.

"People of Rivendell, Elrohir and I fled to Thranduil to ask him to protect us from Elrond. Thranduil gives us his protection with an open heart and we stay with him because we want to. We will not return to Rivendell unless it becomes a home we can love. Until then, we will stay here. But you have no need to fight for us. This is not your war. This is a fight between Elrond and us and we do not want to see you dragged into. Please . . . return home. Do not leave your children without you when they need you."

Elladan bit his lip and ended with a quick gesture of wiping the tears from his eyes. Thranduil reached out and took his hand, giving it a supporting squeeze.

The army of Rivendell shifted, exchanging glances as they pondered the story. Advil searched the faces of the twins, looking into their sad eyes. He glanced at Thranduil and saw Elladan and Elrohir looked to him for protection and support.

"You do not have to believe us," Elrohir said. "We do not blame you. You never saw the side of Elrond that claims to be a father. You only ever saw the lord."

"The choice is yours to make," Elladan said. "We wanted to make certain you knew our side of the story so you would at least know for what you are fighting for."

Thranduil and the twins retreated back into the protection of the trees. Thranduil looked to Hyrondal. "Keep and eye on them, captain. And keep the mists ready to protect the border if it looks like Rivendell's army decides to stay and fight."

"There will be no need for that," Advil said quickly, his sharp ears catching the orders. "We will return to Rivendell."

"You would make the decision so quickly?" Thranduil asked.

"Hyrondal spoke to me about why the twins ran away," Advil said. "I did not believe him. Now I hear the same story from the twins. And I find it unlikely you would circulate a lie through your ranks . . . my brother is a healer who works in the healing ward. He told be stories from the time when Elrohir was put through an exorcism. At the time I would not have considered his opinion Elrond was somehow connected with Elrohir's behavior but now I begin to wonder. I begin to see things from the past in a new light."

Elrohir winced. "The exorcism was brought about because I questioned Elrond's discipline. I remember your brother. He stood up to Elrond once and asked Elrond to think about what he was doing to us."

"Elrond would not listen," Elladan said a little wistfully. He smiled and straightened on his mount. "Return to Rivendell. We will sort out our difficulties here. You do not need to be dragged into our problems."

Thranduil patted Elladan's shoulder. "Come, dusk is nearing. We will start for the palace on the morrow."

The sun set and rose the next morn to see Advil bidding Hyrondal a formal farewell. Elladan and Elrohir stood with Thranduil and watched Rivendell's army move away until the glint of steel disappeared behind the crest of a hill.

Hyrondal let out a breath as he contemplated the peaks of the Misty Mountains on the horizon. "Well, it is time to break camp and return home. That is one job well done."

OoOoOoO

Ariel approached Erestor, looking down at her hands. She pressed the ring into his hands and stepped back.

"I am sorry, but I did not feel I had a choice in marrying you," she said. "And there is a lot more to marriage then being forced. I would to have the option of saying no and I did not feel like I did last night."

Erestor closed his hand over the ring and sighed. "I understand."

"Try again," Ariel said with a small smile as she left him standing alone at the balcony.

Thank you all for reading; I love hearing your thoughts and nothing makes me happier then sharing mine.

Next Chapter: Thranduil tells Legolas the truth after spending years lying to his son.