To Sow a Barren Land: Book II
Disclaimer: This is how I see it: had I owned 'The Hobbit' or anything else, I'd be famous all over the world and you'd see hot elves with buns in their ovens and lots and lots of steamy smex.
Summary: Thranduil conceives. Meanwhile the lies thicken, darkness grows more powerful and no matter how careful Oropher is, he is unable to resist his Realm being claimed by it. Where on one hand evil thrives, on the other love too finds its way in two hearts. However, fickle as it is, Fate works in a mysterious manner and Thranduil and Rainion soon discover the cost. Thranduil/Original Male Character, Thorin Oakenshield/Original Female Character, past Thorin/Thranduil. Sequel to To Sow a Barren Land: Book I
Warning: Mpreg, Infertility, Heavy Angst, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Sad Ending, Future Character Death, Drama
AN: Ouuuuukaaayyyy: So, here we are: Book II.I guess I am late in saying this but Thranduil might (will) come out as a little (maybe a bit more than little) OOC. It's real hard to keep him IC in such a situation. But if it goes way overboard, lemme know immediately! And yeah, I have taken ample liberty with the history of events. It's unfair to Tolkien but I hope you can forgive me. D:
Slowly, we will be driving towards The War of the Last Alliance. Thorin has taken a bit of a backseat but he will come to the picture. Meanwhile, you'll notice a change in Thranduil and Rainion's attitudes. Thranduil: He has no one by his side. He understands what he has done wrong and he tries to redeem himself. But more so, he just wants a friend. And Rainion: he has waited for so long and has received nothing but slaps across his cheeks. He has had enough. I really hope it shows through!
Chapter 1
"The woods grow darker and the produce is scanty. It is not only because of the upcoming winter, Your Majesty," One of the advisors suggested, wearily looking at the king—who stared back thoughtfully—before he lowered his eyes and continued, "One of our patrols noticed a slow growth of power near Dol Guldor even though they haven't been close to it."
He paused a little and licked his lips. His throat felt parched all of a sudden and the way Oropher continued to stare only increased the elf's anxiety.
He looked up again and keenly waited for the king's judgement. He could feel his gaze becoming intense just as Oropher's orbs settled on him with awareness before they slid shut.
The elf shifted on his feet. He frowned as he was perplexed from the king's action. Greenwood was burdened with many troubles and the king was wise. However somewhere along the line, over the past few weeks, he did not seem to be as energised as he normally was.
Over the past few weeks, the court had seen lesser and lesser of the prince as well. Oropher said he was designated other duties. None believed it entirely but none dared to rival the king's explanation.
Licking his lips again, the advisor was about to call on his lord when he was stopped midway as the king straightened up and descended from his throne.
"And what of the dwarves? Have you any news of the state of that feud?" Oropher asked, folding his hands behind his back and beginning to pace across the room.
The elf's eyes followed him left and right and when Oropher glanced at him over the shoulders and frowned at him impatiently, he sighed. He quickly shrugged off his inattentiveness and said, "The word is: Doriath has sent scouts to all dwarf establishments. Villages have been claimed, prisoners were taken but none of them knew anything about the sudden attack."
The steady sound of steps stopped and with a sudden screeching sound, Oropher spun and locked eyes with him, startling the advisor massively. Green orbs were narrowed and before he knew it, quickened steps echoed throughout the room as the king hastened over to him and with a sneer on his face, Oropher tilted his head, "What? Have the mercy of telling me there has been no casualties."
"There..." The elf stopped, his courage leaving him suddenly, as he stooped his gaze towards the ground. He shifted even more on his feet and hesitantly replied, "There have been some casualties, my lord."
"Does 'some' have a quantity or am I to take this as you putting my full discretion on the quantity?" Oropher snapped at which the elf winced and momentarily brought up his eyes till the king's mouth before his courage failed him and he lowered them on to the floor.
From what he had seen, Oropher's jaws were tight and his nostrils flared in anger, the likes of which none in that room wanted to be reflective of.
"So I am to guess the number because my informants believe some to be a range? Well speak up!" The king snarled through gritted teeth and it was clear that the patience he had restrained for so long was now dwindling.
Eventually, the advisor dared to straighten up and despite the glare he was receiving, he cleared his throat and with genuine fear-mingled hesitation answered, "Dale is in chaos. Three localities have been ruined by the elf scouts. They suspect it was their lord. For he was one who was considering a new tryst with our kind only recently."
He briefly glanced towards another colleague, who looked at him with pity, before setting his focus back on the elven king's grim face. Suppressing his own sense of foreboding of what was yet to come, he continued, "And as news reached to the Noldor, they responded to Doriath's call. It was they who worsened the situation by killing an innocent peasant. Then the feud began."
As he had predicted, fire erupted in Oropher's glare. His nostrils flared up furiously and chest heaved hard from trying to attain self-control from the violent anger that he felt inside. He directed his sharp vision towards the advisor and as the full heat of fire reached him, the other elf wanted nothing more than to not stand in front of a furious king.
"And Gil-galad allowed such atrocity?" Oropher hissed, narrowing his eyes dangerously and looked away, settling to glare at the wall in front of him. The elf felt relieved as he was not under such scrutiny. He breathed in the much needed air and spoke softly, "My lord...the High-king. He wasn't aware."
At that, Oropher's eyes flashed with such rage that it threatened to burn down whatever it was in front of him. His fists became tighter and his jaws were clenched with so much force that his face and arms began trembling.
"He wasn't aware?" His tone spewed venom and his eyes flashed so infuriatingly, making the advisor flinch and automatically want to look down back on the floor. He was interrupted when Oropher faced him and rebuked mercilessly, "That fool wasn't aware that he might have vigilantes on his hands? Look what has happened now! It'll be exceptional luck if Erebor doesn't interfere! Very soon, Loth Lórien will be pulled into this silliness and if Lórien participates, I can only estimate how long we have before we are drawn into this as well!"
"I—"
"Doesn't matter though. Greenwood will not respond to such madness. There was a reason I chose to be away from those fools and I intend to keep it that way. I have bigger things to worry about. Like that growing power, you say?" Oropher changed his tone suddenly, his eyes now losing all traces of rage and curiosity quickly creeping in its place.
The elf was startled at the sudden change in attitude and he couldn't help but frown while he was trying to come out of the daze he was in.
"Y-yes," he started, looking at his colleagues for support who were just as confused and shrugged back at him. He withheld his urge to roll his eyes at them and directed his attention back on to his king, "The forest seems darker and gloomier. We have seen many winters but none can attribute to the darkness cast upon the Dol Guldur."
"But it lies in ruins. It is empty." Oropher wheezed, looking away and staring into space. His face lost its coldness entirely and a shadow of dread and fear could be seen in his expressions as he inwardly began deliberating.
The elf nodded and confirmed Oropher's dilemma at which, the eeriness in his expression all but increased.
"They believe it is magic. A very powerful magic."
"Something no mortal can yield." Oropher finished for the other, his eyes widening as the prospect of things dawned on him. "Or immortals."
"Saplings, which had been planted after your return, withered and died. Animals are starting to move away. The patches of land which we thought to be barren are rapidly claimed by the woods." As he described, he noticed how gradually the elven king's face became tenser and tenser by the second. His eyes were staring off into the distance and were marred with a haunting feeling hat chilled the very essence of the elf's core.
"Perhaps these are all connected, my king." He ended off and waited for Oropher to respond. His own mind was concerned and the way fear crawled inside his own heart only attested to how right Orpher's eeriness was.
The king let out a slow and shuddered breath. "Perhaps one is a cause which has set the other's effect." He spoke with a chill, his voice rasped and face dry and his eyes shone with a dreadful suspicion.
After a while, he focused his vision back on to the advisor and even though he tried appearing regal and unfazed, a clear line of horror peeped out from those bright green eyes, making the other elf shiver with just as much trepidation...if not more.
Rainion poured tea onto a cup and carefully handed it over to Thranduil. He missed the grateful note in the other's eyes and ignored the little struggle the elf prince made as he tried to sit up straight on his chair with his growing belly.
He brought a plate of biscuits and truffles to the other and as his eyes met Thranduil's bright and gentle orbs, he lowered his gaze and turned away abruptly to set the plate on a nearby table, trying not to see how Thranduil's face suddenly twisted with sadness.
It would hurt him at other times when he'd probably rebuke himself for deliberately causing worry to the prince. He'd probably apologize heavily and would try to do anything in his power to get Thranduil to notice how he was willing to do anything for him.
But now, he was weary. He had done everything imaginable for the elf to be happy. However, repeated rejections had their toll on Rainion as well. He was tired and he was lethargic. He didn't wish to capture Thranduil's attention. He merely wanted to get his duties done.
"Rainion, please come closer."
The prince's voice entered his ears. It was still so melodic and yet so full of disconcert—yet Rainion felt nothing. He had grown hard and cold.
He nodded obligingly and came to the edge of the bed. "Do you require something, Your Highness?" He asked as curtly as possible, trying not to let his coldness seep into his voice.
The way Thranduil frowned slightly for a second only proved how partly successful he was. His eyes dropped on the empty cup and he took it, quickly turning his back to the other. He was headed for the table to refill but stopped in his tracks when Thranduil's voice chimed again, "Won't you look at me?"
He clenched his jaws and narrowed his eyes slightly, counting in his mind as he pushed the upcoming words down his throat. He again moved towards the table and did his task, handing the cup over to the other and carefully missing the prince's eyes huge with expectation as he looked over at the Silvan.
Rainion thought, perhaps it was the progressing pregnancy that drove Thranduil to a need for closure. Or perhaps he was the only elf who was with Thranduil for most of the day. Whatever it was, the Thranduil who openly disregarded his presence or his paternity was the same elf who was more mellowed and sullen each time Rainion chose to avoid him.
"Am I so vain that I don't deserve a fickle of your attention?" Rainion's eyes flickered for a moment and they settled on the Sinda. Thranduil smiled bitterly and began stroking his belly before he looked over at the other and let out a chuckle. It was by far the saddest form of smile Rainion had ever seen. It had no warmth nor will. It was as if the haughty prince had accepted all that he had done and was now in deep repent.
Yet his ice didn't melt. Still he felt no remorse for the blond. Absolutely nothing.
It was ironic—Rainion thought—that those very words escaped Thranduil's lips. Once he had so longed to hear them being sang by the divine beauty in front of him and once he had cried bitterly thinking just the same when he was cast aside. Now, he was the one being pined for his attention.
It was so ironic.
Thranduil read his mind easily and smiled a bit more. He extended an arm and motioned for the other to come closer and Rainion did, wanting to prioritize the refilling of tea but quite unable to do so.
"I suppose I am," Thranduil began speaking, his face falling into a gloom and his eyes sparkling with shame as he recalled the past events, at which Rainion's gaze remained unfavoured. "I have treated you with unfairness. It is only right for Eru to treat me thus."
Blue orbs danced as a vine of emotions rose up from his core and unfurled in his eyes. He gazed at the Silvan and despite utter sadness and remorse spreading all over them, a quiet glimmer of gratitude peeked out—which the other was not able to ignore of all a sudden.
"But He has been kind as well, you know." Thranduil spoke softly, his tone ringing sincerity and genuine gratitude. His lips curled revealing the ghost of a smile and he gently placed a hand on his small, round belly—his eyes warming when Rainion's gaze darted over to the area of a growing life. "He has granted a mercy in your form."
Rainion raised his brow but when he remembered just where he was, he quickly cast his face into a neutral mould and waited at what the prince had to say.
Thranduil noticed the reaction elicited from him and he looked down understandably for a moment before meeting the other's gaze, "Look at me. My father does not meet me in the eye. He fails to see happiness when he stares at my child. He sees betrayal. You never turned me away. You are the closest form of support I have at the moment and for that, I pray every day. I thank the Valar for the kindness I have been shown. For the kindness you have shown me even after I have..."
He paused and Rainion felt a twinge in his heart. It was so uncomfortable and it was so burdened that he found himself cursing at the blonde for wanting to have this conversation in the first place.
Thranduil breathed out and closed his eyes, leaning his head against the slant of his chair. Rainion made a face and was about to turn away when yet again, he was interrupted by Thranduil's voice.
"Yet you have stood by me. Taken care of me," His tone sounded sombre and whatever emotion he wanted to hide from his eyes were now drenching his voice.
Rainion bit his lips and brought himself to speak something— anything— that would make him any less uneasy.
"I am merely following the king's command, Your Highness." He replied ad his voice came out tough and unaffected, which was so uncharacteristic of him. Thranduil didn't seem to mind. He blinked open his eyes and once more held Rainion's gaze. His lips no more held that barest of smile he had before. Instead, his face reflected how serious he was and how he meant each and every thing that he spoke.
"Nevertheless," he responded gently, as if he suddenly understood exactly where he stood in Rainion's eyes and had accepted his stature, "Thank you."
And Rainion hated him.
Even after so much anger towards the prince, so many disdainful words he spoke of him in his mind, that creature still managed to throb his heart with a dull pain. Where Rainion should've felt cold, Thranduil's words still brought out sympathy. What he kept unseen, Thranduil still drew his attention back to it and no matter how enraged he was, seeing Thranduil so helpless and alone still twisted his heart with a forgotten emotion that Rainion buried deep within himself.
And for that he hated Thranduil.
AN: As you see, the chemistry between Rainion and Thranduil is getting a bit complex. It's that transition phase and I really *really* hope that it comes across as believable.