Chapter three: And the winner is…
Thranduil had problems sleeping, in fact he felt miserable. He was tossing and turning in bed like there were ants underneath his covers and he hissed and sat up, feeling as though he would explode. It shouldn't be that hard to win that darn bet, he was sure he would win but Candriel would at least try to get Elhadron so horny he forgot about everything else and fucked her and the very idea of that scrawny haughty old sinda on top of his Candriel, thrusting like a rutting animal almost made him growl.
Yes, he was jealous, he was so jealous he honestly considered cheating! It wasn't in his nature to do that but he felt almost aglow with a deep rage. He had tried to catch some sleep in the middle of the day but there was no use in even trying. She had given Elhadron head! He of course knew she would when he agreed on the bet in the first place but he hadn't really entertained the idea of what it truly would mean until now. There had to be something he could do! The idea of watching her seduce that pious old lord aroused him and yet he didn't want it to happen and it wasn't because he was afraid of losing. No, it was because he wasn't the one in charge of the situation. When he and Candriel had seduced those two guards he had been able to control everything, they had done what he told them to and nothing more.
This however was very different, he sighed and poured himself some wine, stared at the red liquid with narrow eyes. Hmm, what was he to do? He couldn't interfere in a way that would suggest that he indeed tried to make Candriel lose the bet, that was way below him. And he couldn't call it off, he wasn't going to let her know just what sort of a grip she had on him. No, it had to be more subtle than that. He took a sip of the wine and grimaced, it tasted rather bad and he scoffed and poured the rest out into the hearth of his room. Galion had been watering it out again, he would have a word or two with that butler of his.
Wine…Elhadron was very fond of wine, he knew that from previous meetings with that ellon. He favored the rich heady red wines they imported and he was very fond of wines from one vineyard in particular. This could be exploited, yes, it had to be used. He made a plan, rather quickly but before he had time to do anything there was a knock on the door and Galion almost burst into the room, he was red in the face and his eyes were shooting lightning. Thranduil had never seen his butler looking that pissed off before and backed up a few steps. " Yes? What is the matter? Are there balrogs in the basement?"
He felt rather merry now since he had a plan to follow and Galion scowled, he looked as if he was ready to bite someone's head off. " If it only was that easy! No, that…the sighting of that ghost has made some people very nervous my lord. And some elflings deemed it proper to put on some sheets and scare the living daylights out of the cook and some maidens"
Thranduil had to laugh. " Oh Galion, that is hardly worth such fuss now is there? Harmless fun I say, elflings will always do such silly things. Remember when Legolas tried to test how many shirts he could fit into the toilet? The entire lower level got flooded for days!"
Galion rolled his eyes. " My liege, that was just water, what if the ghost sees them and thinks that they are mocking him? "
Thranduil had to snort, it didn't sound very dignified. " Galion, if you mention this ghost business even one more time I will forbid you from touching my wine again for a year, is that understood?! "
Galion gasped and looked very guilty all of a sudden. " But my liege, those elflings?"
Thranduil sniggered. " Just tell their parents what they were up to, no harm done. I hardly think that a ghost, whatever its intentions may be, will become insulted by some children running around screaming boo boo"
Galion sighed and nodded and left the room, looking as if he was heading straight into a battle he couldn't win. Thranduil smirked and sat down by his desk, found a piece of parchment and some ink and a quill and then he wrote a short letter, with his left hand to make the handwriting look alien. He got up again and went to a cupboard hanging on the wall at the back of his room. It was filed with vials and boxes and he took one out, staring at it with a thoughtful expression. The cupboard had been there since his father died, Oropher had once wanted to become a healer and herbs and medicine fascinated him so he continued to experiment even after he became a king. It was sort of a hobby. Thranduil knew that this box contained some pills Oropher had made, in order to cure a sick horse. The animal had been acting rather weird and unpredictably and the medicine had calmed it down to a state where it was almost half asleep.
Alright, if one of these pills made a horse drowsy two ought to make an ellon fall asleep for days right? He stared at the box, heck, it was centuries old, two? Nah, three ought to do it, ah the heck, four. Just to be on the safe side. He took four large green pills out of the box and put it back, then he went down into his own personal wine cellar and pulled out a bottle from one of the shelves at the back. It was very old and very precious and he felt like a bastard for doing this to such exquisite wine but in love and war everything is fair right? As long as Candriel didn't realize he was behind it things ought to go smoothly. He pulled out the cork and added the pills to the wine before he replaced the cork and smeared some wax onto it, to make it look unopened.
He carried the bottle with him and attached the small note to it, then he hid it within his robes as he walked through the vast halls and corridors of the palace. He slipped into one of the hidden passages unnoticed and followed it for a while until he stood just outside of Lord Elhadron's chambers. He knew that Elhadron for the moment was busy doing an inventory of the armory and he opened a door and slipped in. Damn, that ellon could have benefitted from having some servants, the rooms were dusty, dark and cold and Thranduil made a grimace. It almost made Dol Guldur look like a luxurious palace. He sneezed and wiped some cobwebs away from a chair, maybe this was where those goddamn spiders were breeding? It wouldn't surprise him at all.
He placed the bottle on the desk, hid it behind some papers and sprinkled some ash from the hearth over it to resemble dust. Now he could only hope that Elhadron would see it and think it was something he had forgotten earlier on. He did sneak back into the halls and corridors and hoped to get some rest before he was to encounter the dragon once more, or rather, lady Gelinnas.
Just outside his chambers he was stopped by a small group of elves, it was some noble sindar and a few of the silvan population and all looked very concerned. He managed to look as cold and indifferent as usual but it was hard, darn hard. One of them bowed and hawked. " My king? We have heard that…that thy honored father's spirit have been seen within these halls? Shouldn't something be done about it?"
Thranduil felt an urge to roll his eyes, that that little mistake he did could have such consequences. Damnation! " I doubt that there was such a thing as a ghost, and if there were I hardly think there is anything we can do about it"
The ellon swallowed hard. "But my lord, what if thy father has some important message for us? What if he is sent by the Valar on some sacred mission?!"
Thranduil almost laughed. Oropher? Sacred? Those two words were rarely used within the same sentence. His father had been a terrific king but privately? He remembered finding his father in bed with both ellyn and ellith of all classes, he remembered Oropher's infamous temper and impatience and not the least his lewd humor, his fondness of pranking others in often very humiliating ways and his great love of wine, food and dirty jokes. No, Oropher had been anything but a saint and by Eru how he still missed him. " If he is then he will surely tell us, some way or the other wouldn't you think?"
The group mumbled. " Shouldn't we send for lord Elrond? Or maybe the lady Galadriel? They both have great powers and..,"
Thranduil cut the babbling elf off with a hand gesture. "No, absolutely no! If my father is indeed haunting these halls it is our concern and our concern alone. I will figure this out on my own thank you very much, and now excuse me, I need to do some real work!"
The crowd split to let him through and he sat down when he got back inside of his chambers. How the heck did he solve this one? He had no idea! But first things first, soon he had to go to "bless" that darn elleth again and he was afraid she would have become even more ferocious this time. Maybe he ought to feed her a couple of pills too? Just to calm her down?
He worked at his desk for some hours, then he had a nice dinner and tried to relax but he couldn't, not quite. The idea of Candriel being fucked by Elhadron ate at him, more than he would have thought it would. He hissed and tossed a cup at the wall, it shattered and he got up, paced around the room like a caged tiger. His plan had to work, it had to.
He waited until he was sure that everything was peaceful and quiet, then he got the costume on again and returned to Gelinnas rooms, she was asleep as last time and he went through his plan within his head before he woke her up again. He knew exactly what to say this time and he wasn't afraid to make some pretty big and fat lies. Gelinnas yawned but her eyes were alight with reverence and religious glee and he couldn't really believe that somebody could be as block headed as this elleth but she was. She bowed in front of him and he put on his most impressive expression. " Greetings child of Eru, are thou ready to receive thy blessings yet again?"
Gelinnas almost trembled. " Oh my lord,yes, yes I am. I have longed for thee the whole day, do bless me yet again, I yearn for it."
He had to hide a smirk, no doubt about that, he could smell her and she was already laying down with her legs spread, panting with huge eyes. " Alright beautiful one, three times this night remember?"
She nodded, eyes glazed and distant and he started by teasing her breasts gently. She was mewling and whimpering and he took his time. Gelinnas was very beautiful and she would have been a true gem if she hadn't been so pious and trapped by her own beliefs, he really hoped that there could be some happiness also for her. He used two fingers on her and she squealed and bucked and came almost instantly. " Oh Eru, it feels so good, I feel the light surrounding me, I see stars!"
He sniggered to himself. " Indeed you do lovely one. Now, relax a little before thy second blessing"
She obeyed and her eyes were soft, almost dreamy. " I have dreamt of thy face my lord, of thy strong hands touching my hröa, of thy voice. It makes me feel so happy"
Thranduil felt an urge to swear, shit, he didn't want her to fall in love with him, he wasn't even a real person with that costume and the glow and everything. He felt guilty and bad but he had to play along. " I am glad it does, and I have good news for thee."
She stared at him with such innocent trust he had problems keeping his voice firm. " I am very fond of thee too oh chosen one, but I can only do what my lord Manwë have ordered, my heart may never be thine."
She sighed. " I know, thou art a maia, a spirit born of Eru's will."
He nodded. " Manwë have given you a sacred mission lovely one, to save a soul from…fading, yes from fading into darkness where no light and joy is to be found"
He didn't know where that came from, but he had to go on. " Thy mission is to bring that soul back into the light, to show him joy and love once more."
Gelinnas gasped, her eyes were filling with tears. " Oh I am so honored, so honored. I will do my best, I swear I will!"
Thranduil nodded. " I doubt thee not, and now, thy second blessing."
He kissed and licked his way down south and she writhed and moaned and was the very image of erotic need. He just prayed that she wouldn't sing again, his nerves couldn't take that. It didn't take long, she came hard once more and squealed loudly, he wished he had worn earplugs. She was rolling her eyes and making soft moans and he continued, he wanted this over with and she didn't protest when he started fucking her with two fingers. She was tight and wet and warm and he ached to take her for real but he would have to wait. That ought to be the grand finale. But he was preparing her, and doing it well. She was clenching and gasping with her eyes shut and her mouth open and when she came the third time she shook so hard he had to grasp onto her to prevent himself from falling out of the bed. And she screamed like a stuck pig and he silenced her with a kiss. Now to the hard part, the part involving the bet.
He let her calm down yet again and then he caressed her gently. " Tomorrow evening I will seek thee to give thee thy full blessing."
She was still breathing hard, trembling with aftershocks and her eyes were glazed. " I am listening my lord"
He kissed her cheeks, caressed her ears. " Thou must not be afraid but to be fully blessed we must let our hroar unite, I will chase all darkness away from thee and let the warmth and purity of the light fill thee."
She just stared at him with huge eyes. " Oh!"
He continued to caress her and she obviously liked it a lot, unaccustomed as she was to physical contact. " It will hurt, I warn thee, but afterwards thou will be truly worthy of the valar themselves and thy light so much brighter than before."
She closed her eyes, looking very humble. " I am not afraid, tell me what to do"
He kept stroking her back, her hair, teasing her nipples with his tongue. " Tomorrow thou must come to the pool with the waterfall, it was once made sacred by the ancient ones. There I will show thee the true meaning of being whole"
She opened her eyes. " That pool is public?"
He had to play well now, very well. " Yes, but my magic will shield the area, there has to be water nearby, Manwë demands it, it protects against evil. Thou will know joy like never before."
Gelinnas looked very eager all of a sudden. " Oh yes, yes, I will obey."
He kissed her passionately and she answered with hunger and zeal. " Be there when the sun reaches zenith, then we will be one and thy hröa made holy by my lord."
She sighed and nodded, looking very pleased and he got up and knew that this would work if nothing happened that intervened with his brilliant plan. But nothing likely would. He made her fall asleep once more and hurried back to his own chambers. This time he wasn't seen by anyone.
Candriel had her own problems that night, she was rather sure that she would win but there was a small seed of doubt growing within her and she had problems keeping it from overtaking her mind. She wasn't afraid of losing, nor would she be very disappointed if she did but still where was a nagging sensation within her that demanded attention. Gelinnas was pretty, in fact some would say that she was far more beautiful than Candriel who after all wasn't a sinda. Someone like Gelinnas was way more suited to become the king's mistress than herself who was just a humble servant. She was afraid that Gelinnas would become so different from before that she would tempt the king way more than she ought to and Candriel was getting jealous too.
Candriel wouldn't have any of that, she wanted Thranduil to be done with that haughty noble woman the moment he had won or lost the bet and the fear that he would start to favor her in any way was glued to her mind. There had to be something she could do to prevent that? What if…? She grinned all of a sudden. What if the king suddenly got competition? Somebody else who also sought the attention of that fair lady? Then he would certainly back down, in fact he had to. He was the king, he couldn't get involved in scandals and he couldn't get re-married according to their ancient laws. Yes, that was it, she had to come up with a good candidate, someone who would fall for the lady's beauty, without questioning her personality nor its recent changes. She had just the right ellon, and her grin became rather vicious when she thought about it. She was a master at manipulation if she wanted to, this would be easy as pie, and just as sweet.
Early the next morning Candriel was already getting ready, she had put on a very heady perfume that ought to really bring out the beast in any ellon and her dress was lovely and seemingly modest but could be removed within the blink of an eye. She knew that the king probably was in place already, waiting for her and her victim and she had made sure that they would be watched too. She had asked one of the other servants to bring a plate with fruits on it to the small pavilion by the artificial pond and he would probably arrive just as they were at it. She just prayed that Elhadron wouldn't get cold feet but he hadn't, he was there, already looking slightly excited.
Candriel smiled sweetly and greeted him with a passionate kiss and Elhadron almost growled and kissed her back. His hands were roaming along her back, slipping down and over her ass and he was trembling. Was he already that eager?! " I am glad you are here, I have been thinking about you since yesterday."
She made her voice sweet and soft as ever and Elhadron nodded, there was something odd about his eyes, his pupils were so huge it didn't look natural and he was sweating. " I have thought about you too, your…your offer flatters me so"
He was trying to kiss her neck, his breath hot against her skin and she started to feel a bit insecure. What was going on? He hadn't been that way yesterday? Had he suddenly awakened to such a degree that he no longer was himself? She had bragged about the fact that she was able to make any male forget his own name out of sheer desire but this was ridiculous. But he was seemingly very eager and ready and so she embraced him and kissed him again. She let a hand caress the already hard bulge in his pants and he yelped and started unlacing his pants. Candriel was getting confused. They were still out in the open and he was ready to drop his pants? What the hey?
She grasped him and pulled him with her into the pavilion, it was rather open to and very beautiful made from some very light wood and there were carvings everywhere that made it look as if it was made from slender young trees that were entwined. The roof was also thin and made to look like a somewhat dense canopy and Candriel wondered where Thranduil was, he had to be near but she couldn't see him anywhere.
The king was indeed near, in the middle of the garden there was a single column that seemingly helped carry the ceiling, it was made to look like the stem of a giant oak and it was very realistic. Few knew that the column was hollow and now the tall sinda sat between some branches and stared down at the scene unfolding beneath him. From where he sat he had a perfect view of the entire garden and the pavilion and he was a bit confused to say the least. He had thought that Elhadron would be asleep by now, perhaps he had failed to notice the wine? Damn it! But he acted strangely, and Candriel was obviously also reaching that conclusion for she reached up and touched his cheek gently. " Are you alright?"
Elhadron panted, he grasped her dress and pulled it down rather aggressively, then he licked and sucked at her neck and breasts with an energy that was rather amazing. Candriel squealed and grasped him, got him to stand up and she let his pants drop. She had to get back in control, right away. Or else this could become something nasty. He growled. " Yes, please yes, do what you did yesterday!"
Candriel hurried to follow his wish, she grasped onto him and started stroking him before she went down to replicate her previous actions. Elhadron gasped and moaned and his hips were jerking, it looked rather obscene. And that was what the servant with the fruit suddenly was facing as he came sauntering along the narrow path, he stopped and stared, then he let out a tiny yelp and backed off into some bushes, very embarrassed and beet red.
Thranduil could see him very well, the servant stood there hidden behind a tree, obviously rather confused and he had left the tray on a bench. He was staring at the action in the pavilion with huge eyes and before long he was breathing hard. Thranduil sniggered, Candriel was really doing her best but why hadn't Elhadron fallen asleep. He was far from sleepy, in fact he seemed almost unnaturally energetic. The slender counsellor was making some rather lewd sounds and he seemed to have forgotten all about where they were and the fact that he previously had been very shy and afraid of females.
Candriel felt that she no longer was in control of the situation, it kind of creeped her out and she tried to make the ellon come so hard he would be satisfied with just a suck off. It didn't take long, he tossed his head back and yelled and Candriel was rather shocked, what in the name of Eru had gotten into him? She knew that the servant was out there somewhere, she had heard him in spite of everything but this yelling could be heard by everybody who ventured into that hall. He had to have lost his mind.
Thranduil was frowning, Elhadron was clearly not himself, the normally rigid and correct demeanor completely changed, the ellon was acting more like a stag in rut than an ordinary person. The servant was crouched down in the bushes, his hand shoved into his pants and he was clearly enjoying himself a lot but Thranduil started to fear that Candriel would win, and worse, be in trouble.
She got up and tried to smile. " How do you feel my lord?"
He panted and grasped her, kissed her again almost brutally. " I feel…like I am burning, I…I don't know what is wrong with me!"
He growled and suddenly he grasped her by her waist and lifted her, threw her down onto a table and threw her skirts up before he threw himself on top of her, making desperate sounds. Candriel would have screamed if she could but she was too stunned. Suddenly he was pushing himself inside of her and even though this meant that she by now had a very fair chance of winning she didn't like it. He was being rough and had no control and he was roaring and groaning and thrusting so hard she feared he would injure her seriously.
Thranduil was shocked, he had to do something, this was not right, something was clearly very wrong with Elhadron and he started to suspect that he had reacted to those pills in a very unusual way. The servant shuddered and sank down onto his knees, obviously coming from the show and normally Thranduil would have enjoyed it but not now. He feared that Candriel could be in danger and he had to figure out what Elhadron's problem was.
He quickly climbed down from the tree and marched ahead along the path, as if he was taking a morning stroll through his kingdom. The servant came creeping out of the bushes, looking very sheepish and also embarrassed and he went pale white when he saw the king approaching. He scurried off like a frightened cat.
At that moment the table gave up its struggle and broke in half, Candriel ended up on the floor with Elhadron on top of her, he wasn't even missing a beat, kept thrusting into her while he whimpered and groaned. Candriel was scared, he didn't hurt her yet but it was uncomfortable laying there on a pile of boards getting fucked as if there was no tomorrow. Elhadron had to have gone mad for sure. Suddenly there as an icy voice coming from above and Candriel let out a small whimper out of sheer relief. " What is going on here?!"
Elhadron rolled his eyes, sweat was pouring off of him and then he tensed up and screamed so bad Candriel thought he had to be dying or something. Then he went limp, completely limp and he didn't move at all and she suddenly felt an irrational fear of having killed the poor ellon. "Thran, help, he…he has gone mad…And I think he passed out?!"
Thranduil crouched down and helped Candriel roll Elhadron over, he was unconscious and very pale and Thranduil felt a surge of sheer panic. What if that spiked wine had killed him? Then it would be his fault, oh Eru, it was horrible. He touched Elhadron's neck with his fingertips and to his great relief he could feel his heart beating but it did beat with a very strange rhythm indeed. Candriel was gasping. " He…he wasn't himself at all, what happened?"
Thranduil didn't want to confess to what he had done, she was in a fragile state of mind right now and he just shook his head. " I will look into it, help me getting him dressed, then go get a healer!"
Candriel obeyed and then she got her own dress back in order before she ran off to find somebody who could fetch the palace healers. Thranduil stared down at the ellon, he was soaking wet and did stink and his breathing was uneven and shallow. It was clearly some sort of poisoning and he took a swift decision. He bent down and put a hand onto the ellon's forehead, dove swiftly into his mind to see what he had been up to, if the wine indeed was the cause for this. He saw the past actions of the elf as blurred swiftly shifting images and Elhadron had in fact found the wine but he hadn't opened it. Instead he had carried it down into his private cellar to be tested later. The letter had spoken of a ruined vintage and asked for his opinion and he wanted to have a clear head when he did such important work.
Afterwards he had obviously been thinking a lot about Candriel and he had gotten nervous that he would be inadequate somehow, that he wouldn't rise to the occasion so to speak. So Elhadron had found a box of pills of his own, left by his brother in law many years ago.
Thranduil felt how his knees got weak with sheer relief, he hadn't murdered the elf, thank Eru for that. Elhadron had brought this upon himself, he had taken a handful of those pills. Candriel came running back with two healers and Thranduil got up. "He is alive, but very sick I fear. "
The head healer touched Elhadron's wrist. "Do you know what ails him my lord?"
Thranduil tried to act calm. " Uhm, he had a meeting here, with a lady? And I checked his memories and it appears that he has taken something to …uh….enhance his performance but it didn't have quite the desired effect"
The healer rolled her eyes. " Oh Eru, those things can be very dangerous, no wonder he is a mess. Alright, we will bring him to our ward and get some coal into him and then we can only wait. The medicine is in his system, we cannot do anything except keeping an eye on him for now"
Thranduil just nodded. "Then do that."
The healers got Elhadron onto a stretcher and carried him off and Thranduil sighed, he felt as if this whole thing had been one giant mistake from day one. Candriel straightened her skirt, she was pale and shaky and visibly distraught and Thranduil quickly hugged her." Are you alright?"
She smiled, a swift wry grin. " Yes, I am, what was he thinking?! He could have gotten himself killed, and I had such a nice plan and everything and all…"
Thranduil tilted his head. " A plan?"
Candriel sat down, she looked very young at the moment. " Yes, a great one. I was planning on playing a match maker, to get him and Gelinnas together."
Thranduil tilted his head, there was a spark appearing within those bright blue eyes. " Do you know what Candriel? I think there may yet come something good out of this bet."
She looked confused. " It does?"
He nodded. " Yes, it will, go back home and rest, I have a job to do. Gelinnas will most certainly be overwhelmed if she learns that Elhadron is meant for her."
Candriel looked horrified. " You cannot just…Oh Eru you can! "
Thranduil just grinned. " Imagine, helping two unhappy souls finding true joy and peace at last, isn't it lovely?"
Candriel rolled her eyes. " But I planned it just to make sure that you wouldn't fall for Gelinnas, not to make a real couple out of them? What if they don't match? "
Thranduil had a rather wicked expression within his eyes. " By the time I am done with her, they will!"
He took off and Candriel stared after him, was the bet still on or had he called it off? She had succeeded hadn't she? Or had Elhadron's unfortunate attempt at self medication ruined her chances? After all, it hadn't been her seductive skills that had done the job. Oh what was the point in thinking about it, she was safe again and she wondered what would have happened if the king hadn't come to her rescue. If someone else had come and found her there trapped beneath Elhadron rumors would have spread faster than fleas for sure. Her reputation would have been utterly ruined. And that would have hurt Thranduil too, there were things people probably never would accept from a king, such an incident involving his mistress would be counted among them.
She got back to her rooms and took a long warm bath, wondering if Thranduil really meant what he had said, that playing matchmakers to Gelinnas and Elhadron was a good idea. She wasn't afraid Gelinnas would steal her lover's affection anymore, but she was still worried that he would do something stupid. Did he really have to go through with it to make that happen? She would have preferred that the king just spoke to Gelinnas but then again, he was the king and he was in charge, she had no right to ask too much of him.
Thranduil hurried to put on the costume one last time, he was feeling rather excited. He had to go through with it all, or else she would become suspicious, but he had a very good idea of how he was to solve it all. The pool was rather huge and the cave that held it was very beautiful with gorgeous vine patterns carved into its walls. At one end there was a tall cliff the young elves often would climb and dive off, and the pool was very deep. At the other end there was a waterfall coming out of the very wall itself, fed from a underground stream.
There were benches placed along the edge of the huge pool and some tables too. It was a popular place to just relax in the hot summer months and Thranduil just hoped that there wouldn't be anybody else there. He arrived through one of the hidden corridors and the door was hidden within the pattern carved into the walls.
It appeared as if he came straight out of the wall and Gelinnas turned her head around with a gasp and wide eyes. She sat on one of the benches and she wore a dress that she probably would have preferred to burn earlier. It showed off quite a lot and he hid his grin and bowed his head. " Greetings fair one, and rejoice."
Gelinnas leaned forth, her eyes were shining and her cheeks were red with excitement and eagerness. " Thou art here, I am ready to do whatever thou bid me do"
She tried to sound like some first age noble and it was a bit hilarious but he managed to keep his face calm and he touched her chin gently. " Then remove thy garments."
She practically tore her dress off and he stared at her, she was blushing and her eyes rather dark. He had to do this just the right way, there was only once chance. He had great powers since he after all was an ancient elf and their mental powers got stronger with age, he knew he could do it. It would require a lot but it could be done. He started caressing her, slowly and gently while he sent a silent plea to the Valar, they couldn't be disturbed now. He kissed her neck, let his tongue slide across soft velvety skin and she gasped and shivered, leaned into his embrace with absolute submission. He understood why Candriel had gotten jealous, Gelinnas would have been a perfect candidate to become a royal mistress if it hadn't been for her peculiar ways. No, she was gorgeous but not his type, not really.
He started whispering soft words to her to make her relax and she didn't resist at all when he let his fingers tease her yet again. He couldn't risk taking her all the way before he took her, someone could hear her infernal screeching. She was trembling with need and he made sure she was as ready as she really could be. The bet didn't matter anymore, but he wanted to win anyway. He wasn't the kind of an ellon who just gave up when he had his mind set upon something. Gelinnas was panting and her skin gleaming with sweat, she was almost pleading. " Oh my lord, do it, do it now!"
He got her up on her knees on the bench, facing away from him. That was the only way he could do it without removing too much of his clothing and he kissed her neck gently. " Now lovely one, prepare to be fully blessed, to be filled with the light."
She whimpered. " Oh yes, I am ready, I am not afraid."
He managed to get his robes out of the way and got into position. " When thou sees the light my lord Manwë will reveal to thee who it is you are to save, who it is who holds the other part of thy heart and soul"
She gasped. " Oh, how wonderful, I am so honored"
He caressed her gently, she rocked back against him moaning and he sighed and grasped her hips, pushed himself into her with one powerful thrust. Gelinnas let out a weird yelp, face scrunched in a grimace of both pleasure and pain. She trembled and he whispered soothing words, after all, he was the first and it had to be uncomfortable but she didn't seem to mind that much. She was breathing hard and pressing herself back towards him. " My lord, oh Eru, it..it feels…I have no words!"
He started to move, very gently and slowly and she closed her eyes, let out a hearty moan and began to follow his rhythm, rocking back against him. Thranduil couldn't believe it, she was really tight and wonderful and he had a hard time controlling himself but he had never believed that she could be that relaxed about it. He had anticipated a bit more drama, tears perhaps and maybe even screams but she really enjoyed it. It was wonderful, he reached forth, caressed her breasts and she sounded almost like a very pleased cat. Her mind was open now, wide open, her defenses obliterated by her desperate desire and he started inserting images within her thoughts, ideas and commands and she didn't really notice it. She was utterly consumed by her pleasure and she was getting rather loud.
He couldn't draw this out, he had to be gone before someone came who could see them so he reached down between her shivering tights and caressed her clit with a finger. She shook, her mouth wide open and ecstatic grimaces flowing across her fair face. " Thou will not see me again my dear, but remember my words thou will, and thy heart will find true love"
She moaned. " Yes, yes, oh yes"
She was close and he increased the speed and force of his movements, soon somebody would show up and he didn't want to let anyone see this. If they thought that the ghost was interested in females his father's reputation would be utterly ruined. Imagine, a ghost who liked to fuck? It would create quite an uproar, Oropher had been everything but pious so perhaps some would think that the halls had to be too boring for their previous king.
Gelinnas tensed up and he could feel her coming, she was clenching around him so hard it almost hurt but he focused upon her, as she trembled through her release he entered her mind again, finished what he had tried to do and she went limp. He swiftly removed the memory of him from her mind, she would wake up and be confused yes, but convinced that her previous ways had been wrong and that Elhadron was her true love who yet was unaware of that fact, and that being with him was even better than this. He didn't allow himself to finish, he just pulled out and tucked himself back into his pants before he wrapped a towel around Gelinnas who was unconscious.
He was about to walk away when he heard the sound of running feet and spun around, someone was coming and fast. He didn't have time to enter the hidden entrance, it was too far away. Two elflings came rushing into the huge cave, both wore sheets covering them and they were giggling hysterically as a group of rather irate ellith chased them. The elflings stopped dead in their tracks and just stared and the ellith screamed and spun around. One ran forth and grasped the elflings to carry them off and Thranduil had only one option, he had to hide! He couldn't reach the hidden entrance without them seeing it and he couldn't risk being exposed. It would be a scandal. Swift as the wind he sought shelter upon the cliff, it had a sort of stair built into it and some small ledges that could be used as a hideout if someone wasn't really looking. But he was still glowing and he was really in quite a predicament. He already heard many feet running in his direction and knew that it was only a matter of time before he was seen again, and he couldn't just disappear through the hidden corridors if there were other elves within the cave. Damnation, how was he to solve this?
A whole herd of elves came rushing into the cave, the ellith he had scared in front and they were shouting and yelling. He saw several guards and even Galion, oh Eru, what was he to do? They didn't notice Gelinnas who lay on the bench as if she was fast asleep and he hoped that what he had done would work. But how was he to solve this? He was trapped upon the cliff and he bit his lower lip, could he just stay there until they left? No, they would most certainly search through the room.
He did see that they were nervous though, Galion was pale and the warriors looked as if they expected a balrog to jump out of the walls at any time. Galion wrung his hands, then he hawked and spoke, his voice very meek. " Honored one, if thou are here, please what is it that you want?"
Thranduil suddenly got a revelation, sort of. He was standing straight above the place where the pool was at its deepest and that was where it was connected with the underground river. He was a very good swimmer and he had good lungs too, he could make it. It was only one choice, he couldn't allow himself to be caught pretending to be a ghost. They would think he had gone bonkers for sure. Galion tried again, his voice trembling and he was sweating visibly. " Oh unrestful spirit, show thyself, we are listening?"
He took a deep breath, whispered the spell that transformed his voice again and stepped forth, suddenly he stood on the ledge and it had to appear as if he was coming out of the rock itself. The ellith shrieked and the warriors threw themselves down onto one knee, staring at the floor. Galion whimpered and grasped his chest, Thranduil had never heard of an elf capable of getting a heartattack but Galion looked like a prime candidate there and then. " Listen oh children of the forest, I have a message to bring thee"
Oh crap, think fast, think fast damn it. " Uh, the valar have asked me to bring thee some information regarding their preferences."
The elves were silent, you could have heard a needle fall to the ground, even the elflings stared at the tall glowing figure with huge eyes.
Thranduil tried to come up with some ideas that would sound realistic. " Uh, the lord Oromë would ask you to kindly kill more spiders as they are damaging the woods and Yavanna wishes that you would stop planting so many pink lilies in the gardens and instead use the blue ones, she prefers them you see. Your chef shouldn't use that much salt in his soup and the commoners should not wear purple except from when they are attending a wedding."
Galion looked confused. " Hu?"
Thranduil continued. " And Ulmo wants to tell you that you from now on honor the oceans and streams by eating fish once a month. And he also wishes that you stop serving crayfish except from at yule."
Galion blinked, that was probably not what he had expected to hear. " It…it will be done…"
Thranduil had gotten inspired by now, he raised an arm in a very royal gesture. " And when there are noldor present at thy feasts they must be served one jug of bitter ale each, as a reminder of the sins of the past."
The bitter ale was just terrible and Thranduil hated it, but it was said to be very healthy so no harm would be done by this little idea. And those haughty noldor deserved to be reminded of the chaos they had caused in earlier ages.
Galion bowed his head. " It will be so"
Thranduil was satisfied with that, he hated crayfish and now he wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. "Then oh children of the forest I will bid thee goodbye, I will never return"
Galion looked shocked. " Thou hast no more messages? Not any for thy son?"
The ghost made a weird gesture. " Oh…uh…tell him he is doing…a fairly good job, yes, a fairly good job."
Galion frowned, what was this? He would have thought that the ghost of their dead king would have had something more important to say, but if this was the will of the valar then be it.
Thranduil took a deep breath, then he dove off the ledge and into the pool, he didn't even make a splash and he swam desperately towards the opening leading down to the river. He reached it and swam through it, his lungs were soon burning but he had to endure. He kicked off from the walls and reached air within a small crevice. It wasn't a moment too late, he was close to drowning. He let the river carry him along until he reached a hatch that lead down from the wine cellar. It was used in case any of the barrels they sent with the stream got stuck and he lifted it carefully. There was nobody there, thank Eru for that.
Swiftly he got up, dripping wet. He removed his clothes and found one of the hidden corridors, ran through it shivering from his head to his feet. The water was cold and he had gotten a few bruises on the way too. He knew that the news of the sighting would be spreading like wildfire and he expected Galion to come bursting in any minute. He threw himself into the pool, scrubbed away at the fluorescent liquid and then he combed his hair, braided it and sat down in his favorite chair by the heart, a glass of wine in his hands.
His heart was still racing and he felt a deep urge to laugh, but he managed to keep his face completely calm. Oh Eru, Galion's expression had been priceless! The door burst open, it almost cracked when it hit the wall and Galion was standing there wild eyed and almost out of breath. " My liege, my liege, I saw him, the ghost of thy father."
Thranduil sighed and stared at the wine in his glass. " I hear you, so what did the ghost have to say?"
Galion gulped. " The valar are apparently worried about the dietary habits of our realm, and our use of colors? It is confusing but I guess they have their reasons. At least Oromë are worried about the spider problem."
Thranduil just sent Galion a swift hint of a smile. "Anything else?"
Galion had some peculiar ticks running across his face, his muscles were twitching and jerking. " Uh, he said….he said you were doing a…fairly good job"
Thranduil just waved his hand at Galion. " Very well then, I hope that will be the last I will hear of this?"
Galion nodded, " He said he wouldn't return before he disappeared."
Thranduil raised an eyebrow. " Disappeared? "
Galion cocked his head, looking rather displeased. " Yes, he dove into the pool and disintegrated, not a sign of him, but I guess that is what ghosts do right? "
Thranduil nodded slowly. " You are probably right, was there anything more?"
Galion shook his head, he appeared to be a bit stunned by his kings lack of enthusiasm, after all, it isn't everyday that the ghost of your father appears to deliver such…important…messages from the valar themselves. " No, uh"
Thranduil waved him off. " Dismissed then, go prepare the dining hall, and inform the chef of the valars orders"
Galion nodded and retreated, fuming. He wasn't happy at all and Thranduil hid his smirk. He got up and put on a robe and some pants. Then he went to the healing ward to check up on Elhadron who was unconscious still. He silently added some new ideas and orders to the ellon's mind and he did see that someone had found Gelinnas too, she hadn't awakened and Thranduil grinned to himself. The healers believed that she had seen the ghost and passed out from sheer shock and since they were placed within the same room they would certainly meet. Thranduil was sure that sparks would fly when they saw each other, the mental orders he had left would ensure that.
He went back to his rooms and Candriel came to him that evening. She looked very uncertain and he smiled and pulled her down onto his lap, kissed her gently. He hadn't been able to get a release during his encounter with Gelinnas and now he was aching for Candriel and her skills and eager ways. " My lord, you won the bet didn't you?"
He sighed and kissed her again, let his hands run through her long silky locks. " Let us forget about that stupid bet, we don't need such things now do we? "
She giggled and returned the kiss with glee. " No, we don't. "
Thranduil put his hand down into her bodice and caressed her soft breasts lovingly, tonight he would allow nothing to disturb them. She giggled. " I have heard about the "ghost". How did it go with the fair Gelinnas?"
Thranduil licked her neck and she squealed, glad that he was back where he ought to be, with her and nobody else. " It went very well thank you, when she wakes up she will find Elhadron as irresistible as he finds her and she will be convinced that being with him is as close to paradise as one can possibly be"
Candriel had to cough. " Really? Even if he should happen to be rather terrible in bed?!"
Thranduil snickered. " He won't be, I gave him a whole bunch of ideas."
She stared at him with huge eyes. "You didn't? Oh Morgoth's balls, you did! They'll be at it like wild bunnies!"
The king chuckled and tickled her bottom. " Oh yes, isn't it wonderful? I bet Elhadron will be more than a little busy satisfying her from now on, no more trying to create problems for me. And Gelinnas will have no reason to be so darn self-righteous, she will become far more likeable I hope."
Candriel just shrugged and unlaced his pants. " At least something came out of this bet, but I am warning you my lord, I am still able to seduce anyone I want."
Thranduil gasped as she started to stroke him, his eyes fluttered shut and he let his head fall back against the chair. " I have never doubted you my dear, you have most certainly seduced me!"
She got that wicked glint in her eyes again, leaned down and he grasped onto the chair and whimpered. " As you have me my lord, and now, no more talking"
He just nodded. " I hear you!"
A week later Legolas returned from a long patrol, they had burned spider's nests along the rivers and he was tired and the tips of his hair singed after a small mishap with a torch. He was staggering more than walking as he entered one of the public baths, it was very late and the palace was silent, he was alone there.
He only believed that for about two minutes, suddenly he heard some groans that sounded remarkably like those from a laboring cow and he blinked in confusion and got back out of the water. At the back of the room there were some booths where one could leave clothes and stuff and he stared with huge eyes. Somebody was occupying one of the booths and there was no doubt about their activity. Somebody was fucking like mad in there and the entire structure shook as if a severe earthquake was rocking it.
Legolas was shocked, not even the most bold and rambunctious of his fellow warriors would do that, fuck in such a public space. He wondered who this could be? It had to be some youngsters, probably silvan youths. Then he heard a piercing shriek followed by a pleading voice. " Oh my love, I feel it, I feel the light, oh fill me once more Elhadron, you are the best!"
Legolas stared, his jaw almost touching his chest. Elhadron?! The highly esteemed member of his father's council? Renowned and infamous for being a grouch of epic format? The most stingy ellon there ever was? Was his ears damaged in some way?
There was a hoarse male voice answering. " I am going to fuck that tight little cunt of yours Gelinnas, until you cannot move and then I will do it again, scream for me wench!"
Legolas blinked, and blinked again. Gelinnas?! The high born pious lady who dressed in a tent, claimed that everybody was so sinful the valar had to be crying and insisted that she was the only truly pure person within the realm? What in Eru's name had happened?
He tossed a towel around his waist and ran to his father's chambers, knocked and heard him answering. The king stood by the hearth with a book and he looked a bit shocked by seeing his son dripping wet with only a towel to preserve his modesty. " Ada? Uh…what has happened here?"
Thranduil cocked an eyebrow, looked completely at ease. " Has anything happened?"
Legolas nodded. " I…I was in the baths, and then I heard…I heard someone…fucking like wild beasts."
Thranduil shrugged. " That is not so unusual, the baths are warm, and quiet this late."
Legolas rolled his eyes and almost hissed. " It was Elhadron and Gelinnas, ELHADRON ada, and GELINNAS! By Eru's shorts, they….they…"
Thranduil put the book down and smiled. " Easy there ion nin, you look silly like that, let them have some fun, after all, they haven't really lived that much now have they?"
Legolas eyes got narrow, he glared at his father,. " Ada, what have you done?! You have something to do with this don't you?"
Thranduil just shrugged again. " Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Elhadron has been a pain in the ass for years but now he is finally becoming a bit more agreeable and Gelinnas isn't the fear of all the court ladies anymore. "
Legolas just opened and closed his mouth a few times before he managed to say anything. "How…what…What did you do to them?!"
Thranduil put a hand on his son's shoulder, winked with a glimpse in his eyes. " I have said it before son, and I will say it again. There is yet a lot for you to learn about being a king!"
