Disclaimer: This story is a work of fanfiction, and is not endorsed by the originator(s) of the work. All official characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement, offense, or solicitation is intended. This story has been written for entertainment value only. No profit is being made from this writing. Note, all original characters contained herein are copyrighted to MoonofMorrigan.
PLEASE READ! Author's Notes, Dedications, & Warnings: This is, despite how some of the scenes may play out, not a romance story between the OC (except the scenes with Thranduil's wife of course) and Thranduil or Legolas. This is a story about finding a soul mate - again, not romantically - someone who can understand you on a level no other can, to the point that they know what you're going to say before you say it, or what you feel just by the air you breathe with them.
Warnings are basically this story will contain a lot of cussing, original characters and is not book based. Parts of it is not movie based either. Mostly, as to how I will write the death of Thranduil's wife. There will be some lesbian themed talk, and well, a major jerk of a boyfriend for the OC in this story. Also, I took liberties with Thranduil's (and the elves in general) magical abilities, and things of that nature, making them sort of a cross breed of Tolkien elves and Old Faith elves. Yeeeeah, I have either a mad genius mind, or the unsolvable workings of an idiot. So, it doesn't pay to ask questions.
Almost nothing in this story follows the books, except for a few things based on appendixes by Tolkien, or anything else, besides what is known in the movies. I've created my own thing here. Forgive me please for my liberties, and my sad excuse for telling the king's story in this manner. I hope you enjoy it despite these liberties, and I welcome feedback.
Fanfiction . Net Readers: This story is edited to comply with the rating policies of the website. The NC-17 or M-rated version of this story can be found on , my fanfiction page on Tumblr, and with the all image banners for the chapters on my fanfiction Livejournal. The original version of this story contains descriptive sexual situations, and a lot of obscenities.
This story is dedicated to those lost in death, and to those who are left behind to remember and love them.
SETTING BACKGROUND: This story is set in modern day, and King Thranduil, his elves and realm have sailed to the west because there was no longer any place for them among men, and the realm they now live in is kind of an AU concept to concepts regarding what Tolkien made for his elves to pass on to after the Grey Havens. They live among but separate from the world of men. Rarely seen, and thought to be legends or myths by most. Thranduil set up a new realm and his son, Legolas, who had sailed earlier with Gimli (who has since died), came to live with his father once more. Tauriel is still there as she never fully pledged herself to Kili, and the king's once vast and beautiful forest in the west is now reduced to a heavily wooded park that is said to be haunted by the humans. He hides his kingdom with illusion, and the only visible thing to mankind is what a human will see as the ruins of an entrance to a garden that leads to a decrepit tower, unless he deems it otherwise. Also, note, that in this version King Thranduil at some point, did retrieve his "gems of pure starlight" and his dear wife's necklace, and set up what would have been her rooms in his new halls as a memorial. They have become neglected and overgrown as he can hardly bear going there, but keeps it closely guarded – a charge Legolas takes personally. As a result, humans have vandalized the parts they see, paranormal/thrill seekers go there to get scared off, and it has become a favorite make out spot for those who live the area. In short humans have become a nuisance to the elves, and they choose to hide themselves behind Thranduil's glamour.
NOW LET US BEGIN!
The Kingdom In My Woods
By MoonofMorrigan
CHAPTER ONE
THEY were there again. The children of men. There was a time when he called them friend. There was a time when they were allies. How they have both progressed and regressed! It seemed with the more technology they created, the more industrialized they become, the less they knew; the less they cared about not only his beautiful home, but each other. Men always did fight among themselves, but it was only just a short while ago that they had taken their warfare to a new level, and created a weapon so powerful that it could decimate the earth itself. They had forgotten to do simplest of things – building homes, building anything really. Tilling the earth to make food and grow other plants. Even cooking was lost to most of them now. Everything was made and handed to them in convenient markets which a dwindling number of people of the land supplied. Men and women laid with each other all the time at the slightest whim, at times not even knowing the other's name never to meet again. The act of love making meant nothing to many of them anymore. There was no special meaning behind any of it at all from what he had observed. Many respected no one's property or even other people at all. He witnessed it personally in his own halls that they often came to defile in some way or another. It was the fact that they no longer treasured love making for the intimate act it truly was that disturbed him the most.
He was sure there were still some humans who at least knew of the old teachings and still cherished it, but he had yet to witness very many of them. There were "nature lovers" who did seem to adore his forest, and the animals, plants, trees and the river he kept under his care. Yet, many came here as a place to play, a place to run, a place to commit various acts of human degeneration (be it graffiti on his walls, leaving trash on the trails by or in his home, drinking into a stupor, seeking thrills from the "ghosts" and "spirits" that lived here, or simply as they put it "fucking"), whatever they felt like doing hidden by his thick trees and brush – or rather the illusion of it he had created. Few actually stopped and took in their surroundings. Feeling the breezes on their faces, listening to sounds of the forest as the leaves rustled in the wind – the river flowing beside them, looking on with appreciation at the loveliness of the canopy of trees above them. No, the children of men had become a nuisance. The children of men became dishonorable, weak, and pathetic. Each man, woman, and child had at one time walked as a king, queen or royal child in his eyes, until they proved to him that they did not deserve such an honor. Now, they had fallen far – perhaps too far for him to find them to be worthy of any praise.
He gazed down now from his chamber's room at the group nearing the wing of his beloved wife's memorial. Laughing, poking fun at one another, not really caring about what the other thought or felt about the other it seemed. The group's leaders seemed to be directing most of their whispered venom towards one person who was lagging behind, holding hands with a young man, who looked as though he was just tolerating the lady's attention because he had to. A spark of pity struck his heart as he watched it. The things there were saying about her were awful. The two girls in the middle didn't seem to be a part of their mocking. In fact their glances at them were as they should be. Happy for her, but worried (most likely because they were seeing the same expression in his eyes that Thranduil was). They were her real friends he mused. The girl in question looked happy, blissfully ignorant to her lover's lack of affectionate feeling.
He shook his silvery-golden head and crossed the room, sitting down in a welcoming armchair, and picked up a book to read. They had produced wonderful literature, and at times still did. It was one of these he picked up now, opened it to the marked page and did his best to close his hearing and heart off to the events going on outside. He became distracted however, when he heard the voice of one in the party who had not spoken yet cry out in disgust and worry. It made him look up from his reading towards the window. He refused, however, to get up and look. He sat for a long minute listening, staring ahead at the stone wall, then put the book aside and sat back. They were so loud. Why were they always so loud? The girl who had just spoken was apparently soft-spoken compared to the rest of them after her outcry, but still, he just wanted them to move along, and let him have some peace. When the girl in the party that made the exclamation excused herself to find her "phone" he sat back and was forced to listen with a furrowed brow to the conversation below.
"Man, why are you even still going out with that? Is the sex really that good?" Paul asked making a disgusted look as he gestured towards the path that Cassandra took.
"You know it is. You screwed her too you know." Josh replied smirking.
Paul just shook his head and looked at Sherie and Hannah who were standing back giving them both looks that should make their blood run cold.
"You two are extreme jerks," Sherie hissed, black curls bobbing up and down as she shook her head.
Hannah just shook her head, long, ginger-colored hair swishing about her waist as she kept opening her mouth a couple of times to say something it seemed, but apparently was so pissed that she couldn't get any words out.
"What?!" Paul asked throwing is arms open in defensive gesture, as if he didn't know what he did or said that was wrong. He turned to Josh, and went on, "Seriously man," he continued walking closer to Josh, and speaking more quietly so as to not arouse anymore wrath from the nearby women, "you look miserable. Plus when I was plowing her she was a lot thinner, and hotter. Now, it's like she got hit by a Twinkie truck, and started chowing down."
Josh gave him an 'I don't believe you just said that look', and tried to look offended, "Look, don't talk about her like that. She ain't that bad, and you freaking know it. I'm just not in the mood for any of her lovey-dovey stuff today. I just wanna go over to her place and eat dinner, have sex, and go to sleep. Problem is if I plan on getting some, I have to put up with all the cuddly, swoony stuff until then."
A blonde-haired girl trotted up to Paul and gave him a pouty look, "Can we just go on already? If he wants to wait for pork belly let him."
"Woah, Crystal, that's low, even for you!" Paul exclaimed with a laugh.
"Well, I get tired of it. She wouldn't even be invited to come with us if it wasn't for you Josh," Crystal said venomously.
Paul just shrugged. "She's right, you know." He grabbed Crystal's hand and started walking, shouting "See ya!" over his shoulder.
As they walked on Josh noticed Crystal looking back toward him and making a kissy face at him, then turned around to watch her path. Josh chuckled at it, then looked over at Hannah and Sherie. Hannah was standing there with a grim expression, her eyes shooting daggers, arms crossed, and looking like she was ready to step into a boxing ring. Sherie had a similar expression on her face that seemed to be mixed with a weird, smug, 'I knew you were a scumbag' look in her eyes, and her just plain pissed off with her hands on her hips accenting it.
"Why don't you just follow them? You obviously want to, you mofo," Sherie spat out, her face slightly flushing with anger. Of the ladies in the group, Sherie was the one who was not only the most blatantly vocal, but she swore like a sailor.
"Yeah, we can tell you really, really wanna be here waiting for your girlfriend, as opposed to chasing the local slut's tail down. So, go right ahead. Let Cassie's real friends wait for her. That way she can finally see what a freaking ass-hat you really are," Hannah dared, raising her eyebrows and gesturing with both hands down the path that Crystal and Paul took.
Josh's mouth opened for a moment in offense before speaking, "What the hell is wrong with you two? I didn't ask her to do that, and I am not chasing anyone else's 'tail down', as you put it Hannah, except the one I'm with. If you think otherwise, you can fuck off!" he shouted.
Sherie snorted, "Heh, yeah, right."
"Shut the hell up Sherie. For once in your life shut the hell up!" Josh shouted again, his voice booming off the trees.
Sherie looked like she was ready to go up and slap him, but Hannah put her hand on her shoulder, gave her a knowing look, then crossed her arms again, staring at him with a hard expression, "So, what you're saying is that you don't want get it on with the STD queen down there, and you," she faked a gasp, "would rather make wonderful, passionate love to your sweet girlfriend who lives and breathes for you, and has done everything she can for you over the last 4 years? Yet, you somehow seem to still treat her like crap and from what I understand, you screw like crap too."
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Josh screamed as he advanced forward and stopped when Cassandra came up the hill.
At seeing the scene in front of her, the angry faces, and they weren't sure if she had heard any of the remarks they had been making, she shouted, "What in the world is going on here?"
"Why don't you ask lover boy over there?" Sherie sniffed then turned to go further up the path, Hannah following.
Cassandra gave Josh a puzzled, accusing look.
"It's nothing, baby. Really. Just a misunderstanding," he said in a quiet, overly pleasant voice, like one would use when trying to talk their way out of something as he made his way to her, laid his hands on her shoulders then pulled her against him in a tight embrace.
Cassandra's brow knitted, but she chose to be silent, as she heard Sherie scoff at what he said, and then what he did.
"Did you find your phone?" Hannah asked over her shoulder.
Cassandra just nodded. It was obvious since she was in the process of putting it in her pocket when she came up the hill.
As they moved further up the path they met up with Paul and Crystal who had broken from the path and were making their way to the ruins of the tower and courtyard that stood centerpiece in the forest. No one really knew its origins, just that people claimed weird stuff happened in there, or a "presence" was felt when they entered. Legend had it that the ruins were the lost kingdom of an Elf-king, and that he, along with his people, still protected it.
When she seen them there she stopped dead and tried to stop Josh from going too. She had never dared veer from the path before. She wasn't a thrill seeker, and whether the stories people told about it were true or not, she'd rather not go. Josh just snickered and pulled her along. She threw a glance at Hannah and Sherie, who just shook their heads and followed reluctantly. They shared her apprehension with going there.
"Look at this place!" Paul shouted as he went under the arch, and entered what was left of the doorway to the tower.
Cassandra was tugged along inside, then when Josh finally let her go, she stopped and took in her surroundings. It was sort of dark in what was left of the entrance. The tree canopy was thicker there. The floor was no longer stone, but beaten, leaf covered earth, as autumn was there again. The rest led out into an open area of nothing but bush and forest and the remainder of walls standing widely apart, stubbornly clinging to whatever held them up, and one portion completely covered in ivy. Cassandra hugged herself for reassurance and let the others goof off and try and spook each other, as she walked forward, all the while looking above her at the canopy of trees above.
There definitely was a feeling here. It was sad, and beautiful the further down the broken hall she went, then she started making her way up a hill. The feeling here was mournful, and weirdly it was angry too. She moved along what looked like a little path towards the sides of the room looking down at the people below.
Hannah and Sherie merely watched her from below, and would cast disgusted glances over at the guys and Crystal. They horsed around, and then Paul did something she couldn't believe…, and whatever feeling or maybe it was the presence everyone talked about peaked with animosity over it. It overwhelmed her senses, and before she knew it she was screaming at the top of her lungs.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
Paul looked up at her laughed, then down at his crotch, as he urinated on the wall.
"Yeah, seriously man! NO ONE WANTS TO SEE THAT!" Josh shouted, then yelped when Paul turned around without zipping up.
"I really needed to go. Chill out. God! You'd think I was pissing on a church wall or something."
"Really inappropriate Paul," Hannah said, then huffed off with Sherie, for once speechless in pursuit.
"Gross, man, really gross," was all Crystal said, then followed.
Josh shook his head, and went on, calling to Cassandra to come on.
"What? It's not like it matters!"
Cassandra couldn't believe it, and her face showed it, "Paul, either way this used to be someone's home. You should at least respect that."
"Whatever, Cassie." Paul called as he walked out of the tower.
Cassandra shook her head and continued to look on for a moment in horrid disbelief at what happened. "Freaking disgusting pig," she muttered, then looked around her.
The feeling/presence was still angry, but not as much. Then it became very clear to her that it was somewhat appeased by what she said. She couldn't help feeling like something or someone was indeed watching her, and them. She took another moment to look about her to see if she could see anything, but without spying even a falling leaf, she shook it off and started making her way down the hill. She stopped briefly, shaking her head as she looked at the spot Paul had voided on, and then up at the canopy of trees.
"If there is someone here, I want you to know I'm sorry for what he did. Your home is beautiful, and I would never dream of doing anything so awful to it. Forgive us," she didn't know what drove her to say it, knowing she was probably talking to nothing but the trees and stones. Yet, she noticed something after she did and started to immediately leave, the feeling she had been sensing seemed less hostile, tinged with hope. It was warm, even welcoming. It made her stop and look up again. It really was beautiful, and quiet here with this feeling. It was warm even. It made her want to come back, oddly enough.
"May I come back? Just me. None of them? I promise I won't do anything… " she searched for the right word, "discourteous. I just want somewhere quiet to work, or just… be at peace. I won't make much noise, aside from occasionally some music that I'll listen to on my headphones. Is that okay?" She felt a little idiotic talking to nothing. But for some reason, it just seemed like someone was there, and listening. It was also a moment before it seemed like it made a decision, and another wave of warm, welcoming and pleasant wind touched her inner core.
She smiled, even if this 'permission' came from the trees themselves, it was good enough, "Thank you," then she left and joined her party. Her two friends were wondering what took her so long. Her boyfriend was obviously impatient to get back on the path and home, and the others were just their normal ill-mannered selves.
Legolas watched her retreat into the outline of trees then looked at his father, who shocked him and the guards he had with him into stupor. His father had not come to this place in over 700 years. He was a little taken back by the woman's ability to sense the feelings of the elves in the room, while the others seemed oblivious to it. At one point she had been standing face to face with him, and his father without realizing it. They all took in the brown hair and blue eyes, the short stature, the pretty, but plain –jane features and the slightly overweight outline. He was curious as to his father's mood. He never really showed an interest in the humans before, having written them off as an evil he must endure until their dominion was finally over. Perhaps something sparked it when he had retired to his chambers earlier.
He also felt it odd when the girl asked to come back, and above all, that his father, who commanded the presence and mood of the room, consented to letting her return, and even nodded his head in confirmation. After she was gone, he turned to his son, and spoke in a voice that seemed cautious, "If she does come back watch over her, especially when night falls if she stays that long. Keep to it as long as she keeps her side of the bargain." He then turned to leave.
"Yes father, but what if she doesn't?" Legolas asked with raised eyebrows. After all, the men and women of this generation weren't the most trustworthy from his observation.
"Then go back to your regular duties, and scare her off." Thranduil said sternly, and with a flourish of his robes went through the arched doorway that led back to his chambers and the rest of the palace.
Legolas stared after him puzzled, then he turned to the guard nearest him, "Find Tauriel and inform her of the king's wishes."
Thranduil walked slowly back to his chambers. What madness had driven him to go to that part of his halls? He had come to terms with the loss of his wife many ages ago, he had even pulled himself out of his despair in order to help end the evil of Mordor, and the darkness of the world. Yet without the orcs or other foul things to fight, it was as if the spirit of evil had to rest itself in Man. It had forced him back into the depths of isolation without his dear son there to help keep him out of it. His son was gentler than he. He had seen Mordor's terror. He had fought it as well, but it did not taint him as it had himself. His people had become his obsession again. No one else meant anything. When they had all finally sailed west, he was so deep with in it, as were his wild elves, that when his son returned to him, it was as if Eryn Lasgalen had returned. He had made the memorial chambers more for Legolas than himself. The pain of loss was always present with in him, and the emptiness, much as he wished to abandon it was almost all consuming.
Then today this girl had struck something. A curiosity, and a hope. Even he could not figure out why. Perhaps it was because he was tired of living with the constant sorrow and disappointment. His son was his greatest joy now, and the only thing he took real pride in. He had been tempted for several hundred years now to abdicate, and give the realm to his son to govern. All that held him back was the fact that Legolas did not seem keen on the idea of leadership anymore. He had been the leader of a clan of elves once, and he led them here to be ruled by his father. Plus a living sorrow had touched Legolas' heart. It was one that he took daily measures to avoid. Tauriel. He had honestly forgiven her only for Legolas' sake.
Perhaps that was it? He needed a distraction, and something about this human distracted him, and forced sympathy out of him that he usually reserved for his own kind. Favoring a lost cause? He knew not. But at least it would give both him and his son something to think about, or at least pay attention to other than their own pining over lost love. He wondered for a moment what her "work" was. Whatever it was, it mustn't take any of their electronic gadgets to do, and if it does, then it mustn't be noisy if she seeks quiet.
It was his last thought as he rounded a corner, and went into his rooms. He picked up the book he had given up reading earlier, and sat down trying to relax muscles that he hadn't realized were tensed, wound as tight as a spring.
Dinner was simple. She didn't want to waste too much time on it. Her mind was full of the tower in the forest. She didn't know why. It kept her in a daze. Plus she felt tired. She often felt tired anymore. Tired and restless. When she would look at Josh who was either talking on the phone, or watching TV she couldn't help but feel disappointed, and resigned. They'd been together 4 years. She was entering the age when it would be harder to find a partner without the added "dating profile" nonsense. She also supposed she loved him in some form. She knew she wasn't in love with him, and was settling for him in a sense. But something in her knew she loved him on some level. Or so she assumed. After all, when they fought, the idea of him leaving her for good, as he sometimes threatened, panicked her, and broke her heart a little.
It wasn't long afterwards when they were watching TV on the couch that he started the touchy feely stuff. She really wasn't in the mood for it, and got up to go to the kitchen and do the dishes. He followed her, and came up behind her and continued his heavy petting. She finally closed her eyes feeling the sensations each touch brought, mind and body warring over needs and wants. As he kissed her neck, cheek and ear while working his hands in their designated spots she gave into the pooling longing it was creating, and heard him whisper the inevitable "Let's go to bed, baby."
She only just managed to turn the water off from the faucet when he pulled her away down the hall, then at the doorway gave her a scorching, passionate kiss on the lips before leading her inside and over to the bed.
It went as it normally did - frenzied, with little attention to any other places she might like to be touched or kissed, all concentrated on the pleasure of their loins, then when it was over, he rolled over and went to sleep without even saying goodnight.
It was one of the reasons she didn't feel like it originally. For the last 3 years it had always been like this. Centered on him, and only just enough for her to get her where he wanted her. Not only when it came to sex, but everything else in general. He knew how to work her without batting an eyelash. She had become some type of submissive creature of sorts to him. A shadow of herself. She didn't even know when that had happened.
She had also gotten so good at pretending to be blissfully happy. So good that at times she convinced herself she was. But at times like this, when she kept thinking about whatever feeling there was in the tower in the forest, she couldn't help but feel the void she had. As a result, occasionally casting acquiescent glances at Josh, she lay awake most of the night. There was nothing else was there? No way out of this damned black hole she was being sucked into. All she had left now was her writing. It was the only place she could feel everything she really felt, and express her wants, needs and desires. Without it, she would probably go mad, she reckoned.
She wouldn't get up to write this night however. Josh was there, and risking waking him up was always something she paid for in the end. So, she just settled down into her warm blankets, closed her eyes, and finally let her mind wander. Every time it did, she seen a canopy of autumn crested leaves, crumbling stone walls, and up a hill the leaf covered floor below. It filled the void a little. It was beautiful. So, beautiful in its own right, but somehow so sad it physically hurt her heart. She would return, and she would keep her word to whatever it was she made her promise to. Even if it was just the trees and wind itself.