AN: Everything in this story except the characters of Artanis and Milarian belong to JRR Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit books. Even the name Artanis belongs to him. Enjoy!

The Elvenking

In the days of old, the elves ruled Middle Earth. The Time of the Elves, it was called, and the one who ruled over them all was Thranduil, the Elvenking. He was the male counterpart of Galadriel, the Lady of Lorien. Galadriel was married to Celeborn, the Lord of Lorien, and Thranduil's best friend. After the War of the Ring, Thranduil retreated back to the Northern Kingdom, burned by the King of Gondor's betrayal. His closest confidante was his maidservant, Artanis, known quite fondly as Artie, who, unlike everyone else, never failed to be completely honest and blunt with him. She was always loyal, while still telling him he was a dunce when he acted like one.

One day, before the war with Sauron, Thranduil walked in on his son, Legolas, and his Captain of the Guard, Tauriel, embracing. He was enraged. How dare his son be involved with a mere working elf? He broke them apart and called for the guards to take Tauriel away to the dungeons. As they dragged her away, Thranduil had to hold Legolas back from chasing after her. Legolas screamed after Tauriel,

"I will find you! Wherever you are, I will always find you!" For one split second, Thranduil had second thoughts about keeping them apart. However, he quickly pushed that out of his mind and reclaimed his ruthless mask. After Tauriel had been taken away, he tried to reason and somewhat comfort Legolas,

"I know it hurts now, but someday soon you will find a she-elf more suitable for your status. Either way, you were only with her a little while, and that is less than a mere blink in the life of an elf." Legolas replied,

"It doesn't matter. I know you think love a wasteful, ridiculous concept, but I truly love her. She is the only elf for me. She understands me in ways you could never hope to understand. I don't even think you have a real issue with her being a serving elf. You just can't handle the fact that she could take me away from you, because I'm the only elf besides Artie, who isn't even fully an elf, that will actually listen to you! You can't handle that after I'm bonded you will be all alone! And of course you could never think Artanis your confidante, even though that's what she really is. The Elven King of Mirkwood could never have a half-breed as a companion, could he?" This shocked Thranduil into silence for the first time in centuries. His son had never spoken to him that way before. No elf had. It just wasn't the way of the Elves. Elves were subtle and sly. They didn't have sudden outbursts like this. It had to be Tauriel. She had corrupted his son into this impulsive, rebellious creature.

Thranduil shouted for the guards once more, "Guards! You are to take the elf, Tauriel, to the executioner's cell. She is to die at dawn tomorrow."

"No! You cannot do this, father! She is no threat to anyone in this kingdom. You can't kill her."

"I am king! I can do whatever I please. One day, when you are king, you will understand. But, for now, you'll have to trust me. She is a danger to you. She has made you impulsive and irrational. With her by your side, you would become an unwise king. Is that what our gods, the Valar, the caretakers of Middle Earth, would have wanted? Is that what Morgoth, our most beloved deity would have wanted? I think not. So, she will die and you will let it happen. In time, you will look back on this and remember the wisdom of your father. You will remember how I have prevented you from making the biggest mistake of your life. You are still young in Elf-Years. You will learn that life isn't just about love and passion. It's about propriety and status. You can't just do whatever your heart wishes, you have to put away your emotions and lead with your head. You will always have to do what is best for this kingdom. Someday, you will learn, my son." Thranduil turned away from Legolas and walked through the corridors to his chambers with the day's events weighing heavily on his mind.

Suddenly, his thoughts turned to Artie. Oh, Morgoth, she would not be happy with him. If she knew the extent of everything that had happened, she'd probably string him up by his toes in the courtyard. If she weren't Artie and he weren't so fond of her, the answer would be simple: just don't tell her. But, with Artie being half elf, half witch, she would be able to see through all of his lies. From his imprisoning of Tauriel to his argument with Legolas, she could see everything. Artie had no loyal family, so she was intent on ensuring his was as close as possible. As he walked into his chambers, he spotted her sitting on the huge, elaborately adorned bed with her legs and arms crossed and her hawkish gaze landing straight on him. A shot of fear ran through his blood for the first time in half a millenium. Artie was the most powerful elf to ever arise out of Middle Earth. For she was the daughter of Galadriel and Gandalf, two of the most powerful and influential beings. She also had Fae blood in her from an ancient line of faeries spanning back centuries that had contributed to her power by way of her mother drinking it while she was in the womb. She had been banished from the forest of Lothlorien by her stepfather 50 years ago. Since then, Thranduil had taken her into his kingdom and under his wing. She was the only person who had ever attained his mercy. For some reason, the squalling babe who had been dropped on his doorstep by her father was his favorite person in the entirety of Middle Earth. She carried more decency and kindness in her little finger than his entire kingdom had, including him.

As he walked up to Artie, she glared at him, the fires of Mount Doom blazing in her eyes. She quickly yelled,

"You idiot! You're no brighter than a lowly goblin, for all your knowledge! How could you prevent Legolas from being with the she-Elf he loves? Don't you see you're tearing your family apart? You will lose Legolas if you kill his beloved. Even if you just imprison or banish her, you will still lose him. He would follow her to the ends of Middle-Earth. Please, Thranduil, let them be together." He could her the pleading in her voice and for a minute, he thought he should let them be with each other. But, he quickly pushed those thoughts out of his mind. His son needed to learn the importance of status and social responsibility. If the only way he could learn that was through loss, then so be it. Sometimes, when being king, he had to be ruthless and his son needed to understand that. Emotions couldn't play a part in the well being of a kingdom. Therefore, he replied,

"Artanis Lothlorien, be quiet! I am king and I can do whatever I want!" He knew he was acting like a spoiled brat, but he couldn't stop it. He had to keep Artie here by whatever means necessary, even if it meant losing her friendship. "Just do the washing like you're supposed to. You are a simple maidservant, you have no influence over what I do. Not even my advisors are that powerful. Remember your place, girl," He hissed into her ear. All of a sudden, her flame-red hair flew up in a powerful gust of wind. Her normally calm, powder blue eyes iced over and hardened with offense. Her feet left the ground of their own accord and she was hovering at eye level, which was an impressive feat considering she was over a foot shorter than him. Her arm rose up and her hand tightened into a semi-open fist. Thranduil was thrown against the wall with an invisible hand choking him. He clawed at his throat, his eyes wide in disbelief. He struggled to speak,

"Please, Artanis, let go. Please."

"Apologize! Say you're sorry!"

"I'm sorry. Please, let go!" He gasped. He relished the sudden influx of oxygen returning to his lungs. He dropped to his knees, holding his throat and gasping for breath, hacking up what he thought might be his spleen. He stared at her in awe of her power. "You couldn't do that a month ago," he commented in shock.

"I've been practicing," she muttered with a slightly embarrassed look on her face and her shoulders shrugged. In an instant, any anger he held for her dissipated and was replaced with an overwhelming fondness. He remembered that, despite all her might, she was just a young woman who hadn't had much experience with the outside world. Artie sighed, letting all the burdens drain out of her, her shoulders falling with exhaustion. She spoke with a exertion coursing through her tone, "Look, Morgoth knows I'm not one to tell you how to live your life, but if you don't let Legolas and Tauriel be together then they will run off, leaving you all alone. Even if it's a mistake, it's their mistake and you have to let them make it. They are young, they don't know why you're so ardently opposed to their union. Perhaps you should tell them. They might understand."

"No one can understand." Thranduil replied with a lost look in his eyes.

"You think you're the only one who's ever been betrayed, who's ever fallen for someone only to realize they were lying to you, that they never really loved you?" She spoke incredulously. She sat back on the bed and patted the spot next to her. Thranduil laid down and let his head fall into her lap. As she stroked his pale, golden hair, she asked, "Do you remember the King of Gondor, Isildur?"

"Of course, we hosted him here long ago, before the forest sickened and became Mirkwood; back when it was Greenwood."

"Right. Well, while he was here, we became…," she searched for the right word. "close. He said he had never seen one so beautiful as me and confessed his love for me. He said he would take me back to Gondor with him and I would become his Queen," she scoffed bitterly. "Stupidly, I believed him and packed a bag for after the feast. However, during the meal, he announced his new fiancee. I stepped up, ready for the congratulations. But, alas, a human girl, no more than 18, came to his side. As the crowd cheered and clapped, he looked at me. I'll never forget the smug smile he wore or the way his eyes seemed to be mocking me. It was when I was still new in the palace, so there was no one I could go to for comfort. But, you, you asked me what was wrong and even though you knew I was lying to you, you still gazed at me in understanding and sympathy, though you had no knowledge of my plight. You helped me remember that not all men are evil. I think that was actually how we became friends," she laughed in nostalgia. "Still, after that, I put a wall up around my heart. I never let anyone in. But, you slipped through and, now, you're my best friend. I love you and it's because I love you that I'm giving you this advice. Let your son know why you're so against his love."

"After, 600 years of hiding my secret, how am I going to tell him? You know he'll feel so betrayed." Thranduil implored.

"Maybe he won't. Maybe he'll be grateful to you. You loved him enough to keep him even after the truth was revealed to you. Perhaps he'll understand that you were just trying to protect him." Artie said kindly. Thranduil got up and raised his head off her lap. He nodded at Artie, silently thanking her with words he could not say and walked over to the doors.

"Thank you, Artie. In a world where betrayal is the norm, you are one of the only ones I know will stay loyal to me." Thranduil spoke with such gratefulness shining in his eyes. She gave him a small smile that spoke volumes of the bond between them. Perhaps someday that bond could grow.

"Just make it right with your son. That will be thanks enough." Artanis replied with a wisdom beyond her years. She walked up to him and put her arms around his midsection, grasping him tightly with affection. She laid her head on his chest, then looked up at him, her eyes glistening with hope for his soul's redemption. She released him with a sigh and a smirk, "Well, I suppose it's time to get back to work. As you said, there is laundry that needs cleaning."

After he left his chambers, Thranduil thought of what Artie had said. He realized that she was right. He had to tell Legolas what had happened to him. He considered having the guards fetch Legolas, but decided that would would send a message of anger and ownership on his part. Therefore, he tiptoed quietly to his son's chambers, all the while hoping it wasn't too late to save their relationship. As he entered the rooms, he felt the chill of his son's hostility creep up his spine. He hesitated, the gently spoke, "Legolas, I'm sorry. I've let my past traumas interfere with my rationality and our lives. I now realize your new love is nothing like the one I had. Tauriel is kind and decent, not at all like Milarian."

"Milarian?" Legolas asked, puzzled. "My mother? You always said she was a lovely woman who died while giving birth to me."

"I lied to protect you, my son. Your mother was, frankly, a vile woman who cared nothing for anyone other than herself. We met at my inauguration ball when I first became king. She was very beautiful and entranced the moment I laid eyes on her. We were married just 3 months later. However, about a month into our marriage, she showed her true colors. I caught her committing adultery several times. When she told me she was pregnant with you, I was about to banish her. But, of course, I couldn't blame you, a child, for the crimes of your mother. So, I claimed you as my son and she carried out the rest of her pregnancy here. How she perished, though, was not a lie. Milarian really did die while giving birth to you. When I saw you, I knew I would love you and protect you for the rest of my life. I may not have been the best father. Actually, I know I haven't, but I have always had good intentions when it came to your well-being. I know this might hurt you, but it was recently revealed to me that you need to know why I was such a dunce. I am truly sorry for lying to you and I hope one day that you can forgive me," Thranduil explained. He left for his chambers immediately. Thranduil hated to admit it, but he was still too much of a coward to face his son's reaction. Therefore, he flopped down on his bed without any of the grace that characterized elves and warded his mind against the emotional traumas and wounds of the past day.

Meanwhile, Legolas had also decided to return to his chamber and was mulling over the knowledge his father had entrusted him with. He still could not believe that he wasn't the legitimate Prince of Mirkwood. But, there was a far greater betrayal taking priority in his mind. It was that his mother had not been the kind, gentle queen that he had imagined, and was instead an adultering harlot who had destroyed his father's trust in love and women. For the first time in forever, he felt like he finally understood his father's ruthlessness. He finally knew why his father was so unforgiving and isolated. His mother's lies and deceit had ruined Thranduil. But, now, Artie was slowly putting him back together and it seemed to be to the benefit of all. In the spirit of forgiveness and redemption, Legolas traversed confidently to Thranduil's chambers to reply to give his reply to Mirkood's king. As he stepped into the doorway of his father's chambers, he spied Thranduil sitting with Artie in deep conversation.

"Don't worry," she said with kindness shining in her eyes. "If he is wise, your son will understand and forgive you. But, you have done all you can. It is out of your hands now." Thranduil replied,

"I know that rationally. But, I just can't help but be worried that it's too late; that I've wronged Legolas too many times for him to ever forgive me."

"Don't you think that's for him to decide?" she replied. "Yes, you have made mistakes in the past and no, they shouldn't be forgotten, but now Legolas knows why you did what you did. So, you just have to trust that he will be wise enough forgive you. And, for Morgoth's sake, forgiveness doesn't mean that you stop trying to make up for your past wrongs. It just means that you two are old enough to put the past behind you. Just remember, Isildur was the most horrible man I have ever met. Does that mean we've cut off all ties with Gondor? No!"

"We should," Thranduil muttered like a petulant child.

"No, Thranduil. Gondor is a valuable trade partner. You know that," she responded patiently. After that, they just sat in silence. It wasn't awkward and uncomfortable like most silences are. No, it was a companionable silence where neither side felt anything more needed to be added. They just sat, contemplating what the other had said. Now, it may not have been awkward for them, but Legolas was certainly feeling out of place in such an intimate moment. Therefore, he decided to speak up.

"I do forgive you," he said hesitatingly. " I know now what your motives were and I understand. You were just trying to protect me. But, I am not a child. I will love who I want regardless of status or condition of birth and I truly love Tauriel. So, will you free her and give us your blessing?"