Thanks again to the amazing UnworthyLegolasLover for requesting this oneshot. Please go and check out their lotr oneshots book aswell; their writing is INCREDIBLE. Again, all dialogue in italics has been translated from Sindarin. Hope you all have an amazing day! Xx

"Prince Legolas! Do you really eat your food from golden plates?"

"Is it true every morning a bard writes and performs a song as you eat your breakfast?"

"Why aren't you married, Prince Legolas? Aren't you getting a little old?"

"Is it true you know Isildur's heir?"

"Why do you wear dresses, sire?"

Legolas wanted nothing more than to slap his hands over his head and pretend all of them were invisible. But the children were surrounding him, and he had no way of escaping. He twisted around, trying to seek aid by from the teacher. She was standing by the door, slowly scooting out of the room.

"Excuse me! Miss--"

She paused, cringing. "It's Miss (L/N). Yes, your majesty?"

"Where are you going?!" he cried.

"I am... going to see if I can find your father. See if he has any time to spare to answer some questions that will actually be beneficial to the children's education. You should be able to look after the children." He thought she was glaring at him, but she couldn't tell. He watched helplessly as she sauntered out the door, leaving him to care for class.

Poldo giggled to himself, shuffling over to sit next to Muin, a tapped his fingers on her shoulder. She recoiled from him, frowning. "What do you want?!" she snapped.

"I have a good idea."

"No! I don't want to be part of your plans anymore. You always leave me to take the blame. No, not anymore!"

"This one is actually good! And it means we don't need to do this project. And it also means we get less homework!"

Muin's eyes glittered, and she smiled. "How?"

A mischievous look came over Poldo. "Simple. We get Prince Legolas and Miss (L/N) together."

"You can't do that, Poldo!"

"Think of the free time we'll have! No homework, just running around all day with no one to tell us what to do!"

The young girl beamed, and held out her hand. "All right! But if something goes wrong, I'll blame you!"

"That's all right. I'll blame you like I always do."

And so the two spat on their hands and shook on the deal. Their plan was acted upon immediately. Poldo moved his way through the crowd of his classmates, and stood before the prince, immovable and stubborn, staring straight up at him. Legolas smiled down at him; there was no response. The boy just stared. And stared. And stared.

And stared.

It was beginning to worry him, as he wondered if the boy was suffering an affliction. "Poldo?"

"Yes, sir?" he replied, his voice robotic.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes. Very. Are you? Are you happy?"

The prince narrowed his eyes. "I am..."

"It seems rather lonely to be a prince."

Legolas laughed genuinely, thinking the boy was speaking innocently. When Poldo's face did not change, Legolas stepped back.

"I think Muin is calling you, my boy."

The young elf bounded back to his friend, much to Legolas's relief. Though, yes, the children were lovely and all, but they sometimes said the oddest of things.

"Prince Legolas? Where is our teacher?"

Legolas gulped. "She just left for a moment..."

There was a moment a peace, as the children processed his words. They then collectively cheered, before screaming and whooping. The skidded around in circles, giddy that they had been left without guidance.

"Come now, children, you should all--"

"She left us! Finally! Can we go out into the giant garden, Prince Leggy?"

"Children, please, I--"

"Let race around the halls of the castle!"

"Let's steal armour and pretend we're warriors!"

"Let's see the collection of Leggy's swords!"

Legolas did not appreciate the children calling him Leggy. He first tried to calm them all with soothing words, but his voice was lost in their rambunctious shouts. When they tried to get to the door, he had slammed himself against the panels, stopping them from entering the rest of the castle. The children the proceeded to climb him as if he were a mountain.

"Let us go, Prince Leggy!"

"Come on, your majesty!"

"Please!"

He was about to reply, when the door was opened from the outside. Legolas fell backwards, and the children toppled on top of him. He groaned under their weight; five of them lay over his body.

The first thing he heard was a fruity laugh of a male. He didn't recognise it. When he looked up, his eyes connected with the King of Mirkwood- Thranduil. He was laughing. The coldest man on Arda was laughing.

He was not alone- the children's teacher was trying to stifle her chuckles. Legolas groaned, gritting his teeth as one of the children punched into his gut as he got to his feet.

"My...my s-son..." Thranduil started, before cackling once more. He was slapping his knees at the sight of his son, gasping for air. Legolas, in retrospect, thought it was nice to finally see his father laughing again. But in the moment, all he could do was grimace.

"Father..." he grunted. "Please just help me up..."

Thranduil had to pause, clamping his mouth shut to stop the bouts of laughter from escaping. When his amusement had thinned to a smile, he held out a hand for his son to take. Legolas hurled himself up, and looked to Miss (L/N).

"Have you found out all you needed from my father?"

"Yes. Thank you again, Prince Legolas. I owe you. And thank you to you, King Thranduil. It was an honour to meet you both. I think I should be taking the children back to the classroom."

"WAIT!"

Legolas didn't have time to protest, for little Poldo had done it for him. The little ellon thundered through his classmates to stand firmly in front of the prince. "Wait! Prince Legolas promised us to show us the royal gardens before we leave!"

"He did?"

"I did?!"

At the overlap of their voices, the two gazed at each other warily. Legolas shook his head. "He didn't ask me. I didn't say yes to anything."

"Well, I'm asking now, Prince Legolas! Please!"

The prince looked to father for support. "I think I was needed by my fa--"

"No, I do believe you are free this evening. Enjoy your time with your young subjects, my son."

With that, Thranduil left them to deal with his own matters. Legolas had to stifle a groan, as to not offend the teacher or the child. "Come on then. Let's...go..."

As their classmates cheered and lumbered out into the gardens, Muin and Poldo regrouped. "The plan is working..." he said, his voice on the verge of squealing.

"Poldo, they're not even speaking! We need to get them together!"

"Don't worry too much about that. They just need...a moment. A little..." - a mischievous grin grew on his tiny face - "...push."

He indicated to a stream that ran through the entire garden. Muin gasped, clapping her hands over her mouth.

"No! You can't!"

"Oh yeah? Watch me!"

"No, Poldo! You'll get us into trouble!"

"Think what you'll be giving up- no more homework! No more stupid assignments! She'll be too busy with his majesty!"

"Poldo, this is mad!"

"No, Muin. This is freedom!"

Legolas walked upon the laughing and running children, smiling. He had forgotten the infinite joy that was felt as a child. Legolas had felt responsible for his kingdom since he was as young as these children. He couldn't remember a time when he was truly carefree. He had always felt this immovable weight on his shoulders, that only seemed to get heavier as the decades went by...

"Prince Legolas?"

Startled, he looked up to face the teacher. "Miss (L/N). Is there something I can do for you?"

"I just wanted to thank you for agreeing to meet the children. I understand you have a very busy schedule. It was an honour to meet you, in all honesty."

He could see the woman's cheeks tinge with red. He could only smile sheepishly.

"It was an honour to meet you and your lovely class. I rarely get to see my subjects, so it was nice to see you all. It was also nice to know that I am appreciated."

"All the children really do. You are a role model to the future generation. Thank you for today. And thank you for all your services to the kingdom."

Miss (L/N) place her fist against her chest and bowed her head out of respect to the prince. Legolas bowed his head too, a smile on his lips. When their eyes met again, they didn't know how to continue. She rubbed her hands again and again, whilst he scratched his neck and looked away. 

They had stopped in front of the stream, and Legolas found intrigue in the water flowing by. He wasn't sure what else to do- he certainly couldn't show Miss (L/N) how flummoxed he was.

When he had calmed his nerves, Legolas resolved to look up. He had barely moved his head, when something hit his legs. He leaned forward, but did not take a step. There was a small groan, followed by something hitting the floor. Turning back, he found Poldo, lying on the floor, holding his elbow. He quickly put two and two together.

"Were you trying to push me and Miss into the river, Poldo?" he asked, smiling. He knew he shouldn't have smiled, but the boy's cunningness was just impressive to the prince.

Poldo pouted. "So what if I did? I couldn't push you. So you didn't fall."

"What on earth do you think you were doing..." Miss (L/N) mumbled, stomping over to pick the boy up. "You should stop with these hair-brained schemes of yours!"

"I just didn't want to do homework!" he moaned, as the teacher dragged him off.

"Class, we will be leaving! Say thank you to Prince Legolas!"

"THANK YOU, PRINCE LEGGY!"

The Prince of Mirkwood chuckled, watching as the children left the gardens, waving and smiling at him. 

But there was only one smile that made his stomach flutter, and one pair of (E/C) eyes that made his heard melt.