A/N: I am really into LOTR and the Hobbit right now. I figured I would make a fanfiction for Thranduil. This will be more of a friendship for a while, so don't think that the OC and Thranduil will be in love from the first chapter. I try to make things as real as possible. Yes, sometimes love at first sight happens, but that is not this story. I hope you guys like it.
I am Arradeth of Mirkwood. I am of Sindarin decent, and I gladly serve my King Thranduil and his son Legolas. I joined the army at a young age, for an elf, and I quickly climbed up the ranks. I became one of the many generals on King Thranduil's war council. All on the council respected my thoughts, and I had soldiers that would follow me into any battle. How could I know that one night could change my life forever?
Orcs stormed the kingdom. The few patrol soldiers were unprepared, as were the defenseless slumbering civilian elves. I awoke to the sound of metal clashing beyond the door of my bedchamber. I grabbed my short sword and joined the battle. I worked my way to the royal chambers. Someone had to protect the king, queen, and prince. As I got closer to the royals chambers it was quiet, too quiet for an orc attack. I stay cautious as I open the door. Inside were three figures. It was the queen, the prince, but the third figure was not the king. The third figure was a grotesque creature, one of the many that had invaded the kingdom.
The queen and the prince were huddled in the corner of the room with the orc leaning over them. I ran to get the foul thing away from my beloved queen, but I was too late. The orc stabbed the queen as I beheaded him. As his body dropped, so did hers. I stood there in shock as the cries of the young prince echoed through the room and the nearby halls. Once the shock wore off I knelt next to the queen to see if she could still be saved. Her heart was still beating, but just barely. I picked her limp body from the floor and head to the door. As I walked down the hallway, I felt a small hand tugging at the fabric of my tunic.
I brought the injured queen to the infirmary, and told the healers what happened. I left the young prince there as I go search for the king. It takes me less than ten minutes to find him. I told him of the horrible event, and he ran to the infirmary faster than I had ever seen. I followed him back and the scene before me was heartbreaking. The king sat at his wife's bedside, his son crying into his shoulder. I looked around at the nurses and they had solemn looks on their faces. Our beautiful and benevolent queen had perished from her injuries. I had failed.
I stormed forward, towards the king. I threw myself to my knees and bowed deeply to the king. I told him that I had failed him and the kingdom, that I needed to be punished. He refused to do anything of the sort, so I grabbed his sword and gathered up my long hair. I saw my hair as a source of pride and status. With the king's sword I slice my hair to a length above my shoulders. When I looked to my king he seemed surprised and also angry. He harshly took his sword back from me, but I did not meet his gaze. I looked at his feet until he grasped my chin and made me look at his face.
He told me that there was no need to do what I had done. That I was the only one to go straight to the royal chambers to protect my royalty. That if I had not gone to the royal chambers when I did, his son may have shared the same fate as his wife. He told me that my show of loyalty to him and his family have been made very clear to him, and that he wishes for me to be him and his son's personal guard. I reluctantly accepted the promotion.
The king never fully recovered from the loss of his wife. He shut himself and his kingdom off from the rest of the world. There were only two times Thranduil led his army out of Mirkwood. One of those times he was badly scarred on his face by the fire of a dragon, and the second time we turned back home before we saw any battle. Our kingdom was only on the defensive. No one got in, and no one left. The woods around the kingdom became dark and unkempt. Giant Spiders started to make their homes in the canopies of the trees, and they were the biggest and most direct threat to us.
I ended up training young Legolas how to fight, once he was old enough. I taught him the basics. When he started to surpass my expectations, we moved onto sparring. As he grew physically, and in ability, I reported to King Thranduil that I believed he was ready to be put on border or forest patrol. He agreed and the young prince started going out on patrols to keep the spiders from getting close to the kingdom.
While Legolas was away on patrol I stood guard in the throne room. Most days were uneventful. Most days I am thrust into deep conversations with the king. Sometimes we laugh, and sometimes one of us brings up something that reminds him of his dearly departed wife. If that happens, we spend the rest of the day in silence.
Soon, the monotony will be interrupted by a party of dwarves venturing into our territory.
A/N: So, what do you think? Do you like Arradeth? If you're wondering, her name means 'Without A Path'. I would love to read your reviews.
