Dawn had come earlier than the she-Maiar would have liked. The pale blue sunlight shone into the darker blue room as her eyes fluttered open. Her thick lashes feeling heavy as if the first snow covered her. It was summer and yet everything felt amiss.
Not wanting to leave the warmth of her bed, she curled into a ball and folded the sheets above her head. Blinking a couple of times, she turned to her other side and saw that her partner was still asleep. The long blonde, beautiful hair fell along his backside and lay on the bed behind him. His long broad back was open, only his skin was bearing. Annadel smiled as the memory of last night flooded her mind as she sighed softly. Her slender arms reached to play with the strands that fell loose on their bed. On the first touch, he turned around graciously as his blue eyes opened half way. His lips were curved in a gentle smile as he greeted her with an embrace.
"Iston i nîf gîn." He whispered softly as he placed a gentle kiss along her forehead.
"I would only hope, my lord." Annadel laughed softly as she inhaled his scent. He smelled of his woodland realm; the newly grown grass and trees ridden from it's once disease ridden bodies. He smelled of the fresh pine and the flowers that grew by the mountain.
Her fingers curled around his blonde locks gently, playing with them as he played with her dark as night hair.
"There is a change in our world, melethril."
His glassy blue eyes looked over her solemn face.
"I felt coolness in the room as my eyes fluttered open, wanting to keep me into slumber. Yet, the summer solstice has just passed." Annadel drifted off as she stared into his collar bone. "I do not understand that the balance…the balance is not there." Her wide, olive green eyes widened.
"It could not be…" Her hands clutched onto the soft blanket that covered over the Elven King's body. "It could…" She sat up, pulling herself to lean on her elbows, the blanket sliding and clearing her breasts into view. Annadel fell back onto the bed as a powerful force pushed her down against him as a flash of bright, angry fire filled her mind. She gasped as her eyes widened in fear.
"I see ancient, evil fire…this fire that I have not seen in so long…"
Thranduil sat up, holding her face in his large hand as she trembled. He stood alert as he only watched her.
"It is on the prowl, its forces are stronger and growing in strength." Annadel clutched Thranduil's face, feeling for the reality that she was still in his bed rather than stuck staring into that burning image of the Eye of Sauron.
"I see war, Thranduil, I see death." She whimpered as she continued to see her foresight. "Blood, death of innocents…He has given me a foul image of the distant future, one that he cannot see himself; Destruction among lands far away from this one, far worse than the destruction of Dale from Smaug the Terrible."
Annadel blinked once, ending the horrible red fire, she stared into his pale blue eyes as tears leaked down her face silently.
"I have to warn Gandalf and the rest of your kin."
The Elven King took the witch into his arms as he cradled her as her body still trembled.
"You have not seen images in years."
"Centuries." She whispered. "I was beginning to doubt my ability."
"I never once doubted your ability." He spoke honestly.
Her lips curved into a soft smile as she closed her eyes. "I must warn them. This great and growing evil made me sick just by staring into the depths of its inner eye." Her voice cracked.
"Rest, Nîn Meleth. Please, rest first."
"You are just trying to keep me in your kingdom." She said dryly.
Thranduil gave a hearty chuckle, sighing as he kissed her shoulder.
"You are always so quick witted."
Annadel rolled her eyes. "It is true."
"I would prefer you here anyways, not in the counsel of my other kin and the other…beings of Middle Earth."
"There are no faults in man, dwarves, and hobbits, my love." She chuckled weakly. "They are equally respectable."
"Are the race of elves respectable as well, to the eye of a witch?" Thranduil's voice was laced in slight venom.
"An elf bedded me," She grinned as her eyes sparkled. "I dare say they are."
Her face grew serious. "I must leave soon, for if anyone were to get a hold of the message other than me, then there will be uprisings…unnecessary uprisings."
"No one is to leave or enter Mirkwood."
"Since when?"
"Since now."
"You do not wish for me to aid in the destruction of the very evil that haunts us all?" Annadel shouted, taking the sheets with her as she went to dress herself. "There will be deaths, deaths upon many deaths that could be avoided!"
"Evil always presents itself in the most peaceful of times." Thranduil said lazily. "It is not for us to worry."
"You are a king of this earth, Thranduil!" Annadel came back out from the divider that was carved their language on the rich wood. She leaned her hand against the wall suddenly, her hand coming up to her mouth as she bent over slightly. A gasp escaped her lips as a slight break out of sweat covered her forehead. "This is for all of us to worry."
Thranduil was immediately by her side, taking his arms around her small body. She refused at first, mumbling things for wanting to listen to her. Eventually, she gave up and was lead to the bed as her panting began to grow deeper in her chest. He loosened the corset that she miserably failed to tighten as he discarded it with ease. His eyes softened as he stared onto her small physical body.
"I will be alright." She reassured him with a soft pant. "I did not know this message would be a harmful one."
"Please, rest." He gazed over her, his eyes deep as he placed her on the bed so easily. "I will lay with you until you have fallen asleep."
Annadel kept quiet, tucking herself back into their bed. She looked up at him with broken eyes as he climbed over her body. Her hands came back up to his face and brushed away his long golden hair.
"I am afraid." Her voice quivered softly in a whisper.
"There is nothing to be afraid of." His hand brushed her hair away from her face as he leaned down to kiss her cheeks. "Not as I protect you."
"You will protect me even when Sauron has defeated you in battle?"
Thranduil inhaled sharply through his nose as he stared at her. He nuzzled her with his nose against her own as he planted soft kisses along her lips.
"Sauron will not defeat anyone, for he has been beaten once before."
"My lord," She pulled away as her olive green eyes softened. "He will not be easy to defeat this time."
The Elven king brushed his hand against her forehead as he whispered, "Sleep."
The last of the witch's vision was his bright blue eyes drowning.
Annadel awoke later that evening, still feeling week from the sighting of Sauron. Her Elven king was no longer by her side. She drew a breath of relief. Quickly, she dressed in her grey robes, silver as Thranduil had given to her to accentuate her olive eyes. Her feet took her through out the Mirkwood citadel as her hand grazed against the ivory walls. The memories of living within this fortress filled her as she inhaled its scent as if this would be the last time she would walk down this pathway.
If she were to confront her king, she would have to resolve in a bargain.
And there he was, sitting in his throne as he was all those years ago when she first met eyes of the ancient king. Age has not faltered him, still flawless in his appearance, but his crown was not covered in the fresh spring leaves and bloomed flowers. Golden grass was weaved into the branches along with plum berries. If he wanted to show her his true face, she would catch glimpses of the scorched flesh and hole in his cheek for facing the great serpents of the north.
His eyes beamed a brighter blue as she strode into his throne room. Annadel's hair fell behind her as she walked with haste.
She bowed. "My Lord."
His head returned her simple gesture in return with a smile. "My Lady."
"You know I can no longer stay here." She spoke softly. "It is our time again."
Thranduil stayed in his chair, boring his eyes into her own as she stood tall.
"Leave us." He spoke toward the guards without taking his eyes off of her. Without another sound, they were alone once again.
"If you leave, you shall die."
She smiled small. "It is my fate to die."
Thranduil stepped down from his throne in a blink of an eye as he stood in front of her. "You have helped Middle Earth more than it can ever repay you."
"And Middle Earth heeds for my help once more."
"Annadel," His voice was strong but soft. "You cannot let fate take you."
"It has already taken me." She smiled as her hand rose to touch his cheek gently. "If I were to join a journey that first involved the lost king of Dwarves, I will pass into death after the ring has been destroyed. I have already completed half of my fate and now it is time."
His eyes burned brighter and flared in anger. "Have you forgotten your place here, in our Kingdom? How we have rebuilt Mirkwood and cleaned the forest of disease? Do you not remember?" His voice strung angrily in the air. "Do you not remember our love?"
"I know our love, for it could never be forgotten. Mirkwood was built on your reclaiming duty as king hiding from shadow. And now, it has been free of darkness for years." Annadel frowned. "But the rest of Middle Earth shall fall into shadow and if they fall, Mirkwood shall fall with it."
She glanced over him as he turned away. Her eyes diverted back and forth. Annadel raised her hand higher to touch his forehead as she saw a glimpse of Legolas riding out of Mirkwood in haste. Annadel pulled away immediately.
"Where has Legolas gone?"
Thranduil stayed quiet for another moment.
"Where did Legolas go?" She repeated calmly.
"A council has been called to Imaldris." He sighed. "Your predictions are true. It is about the One Ring."
"Bilbo…" She whispered helplessly.
"Now that the ring has been discovered once again, it is time for such great power to be destroyed of our world." He said distantly.
"I need you here."
"I must go." She argued.
""Legolas has left in your place."
She gasped. "He took my place?! In the council?!"
"He wished to earn his honor and represent the elves of Mirkwood in my name."
"This is my burden to carry, Thranduil, not Legolas." Annadel stormed off into the depths of the castle. She came to the entrance, but the guards halted her with their iron forged spears.
No one was to leave and no one was allowed to enter.
But Annadel would find a way out. As much as she loved her Elven king, she would not tolerate his childish whim. Once again in their chamber, she laid down briefly, her chest feeling strenuously heavy. Her eyes grew tired as darkness claimed her.
In her dreams there was fire, smoke, and death. Screams of children echoing in her mind as clashes of hot iron slay innocents. Bodies were falling, but as more fell, more seemed to ride over the horizon in growing numbers. There was no hope in this battle. There was no light. Only coldness grazed over the bloody grass.
She awoke with a screaming start. Annadel grasped the sides of her head and continued to scream and cry. A pair of strong arms pulled her from her secluded hold as darkness was around the room, but the brightness of those familiar blue eyes startled her.
"What did you see?"
Annadel chattered in broken Sindarin and the language of man. Her eyes shuttered when she stared into his face, suddenly placing both hands on his cheeks. Desperately, she muttered in the Elven language as tears spilled down her face.
"Melethril."
"What is it?" He stayed calm, holding her.
"If you keep me…I will never forgive you."
The Elven King and She-Maiar stared at each other for the longest moments. The tears have ceased on her face as her eyes grew hard in determination.
"I am not needed here." Her fingers weaved through his fallen hair. "You know that."
After another long pause in silence, the Elven King nodded. He leaned down to kiss her with longing, crushing her lips the longer he stayed pressed against her. Her fingers curled around his hair, pulling on it gently as she pulled him onto her.
"I will wait for you, so that we may cross together in the Undying Lands." Thranduil pressed his forehead against hers. "I will wait and protect my kingdom from the evils of Sauron."
Annadel nodded with a broad smile as tears streamed down her face. "Gwestog?"
"Yes, Hiril vuin." He smiled small as his lips returned to hers again. "Let me have you for a week and then I shall release you."
Her head turned curiously as she looked up at him. "Whatever do you need me for a week for, Hîr vuin?"
Thranduil smiled at her innocence as his hand skimmed up the side of her body as his eyes lay half open. "To memorize all of you."
Annadel rolled her eyes as she laughed. "I would have already presumed you have memorized my body with all the years we have been together, my king."
"There is never enough time to be with you."
So I have a lot of explaining to do...but in order for you to find things out...KEEP READING :)
Iston i nîf gîn: I see your face
Melethril: love
Nîn Meleth: my love
Gwestog: do you promise?
Hiril vuin: my beloved lady
Hîr vuin: my beloved lord
