Here's the next update. Sorry it took so long, I hope you guys cry, but still love me.

I, in all my years, had never felt complete and utter defeat before, but in that very moment, when those dark words left her lips, I felt a despair, so complete I forgot what it was to breathe, think, even feel, beyond that utter despair.

"Thranduil!" I felt Antiel shake my shoulders. My eyes focused, though I still felt dazed and my mind clouded. She knelt before me, her eyes pleading and desperate. "Thranduil! Please, look at me! Legolas is not dead! He still lives, there is yet time to fix this!"

"Melda!" I jerked out of the fog of my mind as Legolas' voice echoed from the corridor, filled with nearly the amount of despair that I felt.

Melda leapt to her feet and ran into the corridor, nearly colliding into the tall form of Legolas, as he appeared at my door. "I didn't-I simply wanted to see her! See what she was like! I-I didn't do anything!" His exclamations came out in short bursts of disbelief and confusion. "I didn't even touch her!" His eyes flashed with pure fear. "I am a monster! I destory all I touch!"

Melda began to shake her head desperately and Antiel looked at me confused. "What are speaking on, Legolas? You are no monster! Man agoreg?"

"I AM!" His words were angry, terrified, and desperate, all in but two words. "I am a destroyer!"

I rose slowly to my feet as his words began to register to me. "Legolas, what has happened to Chloe?"

"Chloe?" Antiel asked and Melda turned from my son, confusion in her eyes. But I had none, save for the icy-blues of Legolas'.

"I'm so sorry, Ada." His words were barely a whisper, his heartbreaking with every one of them, just as mine filled with absolute fear and dread. He turned and fled. I followed quickly after, begging for his words to be false.

NO! She could not go! She could not leave me, when I had only just gotten her! That little ray of sunlight could be extinguished by the cold shadows of life! I refused!

xXxX

The Healing Halls were chaos, when I arrived. I ignored everyone and everything, going to Chloe's room…

And when I arrived, Nesterion had pulled the stark white sheet over, covering her beautiful, bright little face.

He saw me and bowed, sadness in his eyes. "I am truly sorry, hir-nin."

I brushed past him, only to remove the sheet once more to see her. Her eyes were dead and cold, like a forest pool frozen over within the harsh confines of a frigid winter. Her cheeks were pale and colorless, her body fearfully small in that great bed.

As if in a dream, a dark, horrible, fearsome nightmare, I bent. I gathered that thin, cold body and pressed it to me, wishing, praying, begging for just one small spark of light, warmth, or love.

It was not real. It could not be. It was all too far away, to hazy to be more than a fearful nightmare.

"No," far off was the sound, broken and desperate. It could not have been me.

"You are my breaking point."

Perhaps it was me…

Me?

The haze grew.

The white folded in.

All I saw was the small child in my arms.

All I felt was the disbelief.

All I knew was my desire to have her returned to me.

Then...nothing. I felt nothing. Saw nothing. Yearned for nothing. The pain that had yet to settle in my heart, due to the loss of my new love, was gone, nonexistent, and far from reach.

"Thrraaannnduiiiiillllll!" A soft and distant call drew me further into the whiteness, familiar, like a long forgotten dream, ever-sweet, ever-loving, ever-perfect.

I looked about me, about the whiteness. "Thranduil, hawn-nin?" The voice called, again, to me, closer now, more familiar. Then, slowly, like the whiteness was an empty canvas, ready for a brush of art, color ran into the world, pale and elegant, like watercolor rain.

I saw her, knew her, and before all else, she was in my arms and I held her tighter than I had ever held any other. "Oh, Thranduil. It has been far too long, hawn-nin." I pulled away, only enough to look into the beautiful and kind eyes of my beloved sister.

"Yes, Ithil, it has."

Her smile was loving, kind, everything I had been missing in my years as a neglected father and king.

But then it changed.

"I am sorry, hawn-nin, but there is a reason your fae was drawn here, rather than to Mandos as you should," she paused and I frowned, "there is someone here to speak to you."

She stood aside, her long white gown moving about her like a silken river, complimenting her pale tresses in a way that seemed to outshine the sun. She gestured gracefully to an elderly creature, dressed ever humbly, playing with young children on a hill in the distance. As if feeling our attentions, he turned.

His eyes were endless! Ageless! Wisdom and power shone through them so greatly, that my own meager six thousand years made me feel like a child again. There was not a doubt in my mind, this was the great Valarian King, Manwe, however humble a form he took.

He rose and left the children to their play. Ithilwen curtsied gracefully, as he drew near. "My Lord High King."

He nodded to her. "I thank thee for calling thy brother forth, Ithilwen" He said softly, with the love and gentleness of a caring father. His ageless eyes turned to me. "Yee are not dead," he paused and his eyes grew stern. "However, yee stand upon the brink, King of Elves. Ever the darkness grows within thy home, it shall not be well if thou dost abandon them now."

His words were not harsh but they did hold a slightly accusing tone. The guilt I felt was strong but not as great as it ought to have been. It made me feel worse at the lack of guilt, but not enough to make me feel better. It could not have been a worst time for the Woodland Realm to gain a new king, with the impending war and ever growing darkness, and yet…

"And yet," Manwe spoke the words aloud. "And yet yee find thyself here, through the happenstance of a human child, yee have known but a day and two." I felt no need to nod, but did so nonetheless. His ancient eyes bore into me, judging and scheming?

"I know why yee feel this, Great Elvenking," he spoke softly, as though he were comforting a distressed child. "It hath been such a time since yee had felt such true and pure love, that whereupon yee felt it once more, with thy youthful Chloe, it hath became such a needed desire, thou canst no longer push it aside. Thy desire and thy need must be acknowledged once more."

I looked to the ground, whereupon I realized, my feet were bare and the grass beneath them was soft and fresh. I felt a soft touch on my arm and turned to Ithilwen. "I am sorry, Thranduil. I wish there is something I could do."

"Yee have done thy duty, Child of Oropher." King Manwe said gently, "What must be done now is up to thy brother." He, again, turned to me. "Chloe is a blessed child," he said slowly. "Yee, thyself are blessed in mine eyes and the eyes of the Valar...so, yee shall be given a choice."

Confused, I looked to Ithilwen, who shrugged, curiosity alight in her eyes. King Manwe beckoned us forward a bit and pointed toward the children playing on the beautiful grassy hill.

Subconsciously a smile broke forth as I caught sight of two beautiful chocolate brown braids, accompanied by a white dress and light violet jacket. "Look upon her smiles," King Manwe's voice was soft and kind, with just a hint of I-know-what-is-good-for-you-and-you-do-not.

Chloe did indeed smile, but she also seemed a bit guarded and set off from the other children, as though she feared to play to her fullest. "She hast seen much pain and toil." The King continued. "When I senteth her to Middle Earth, from her home, the Valar were much occupied. Now tis time to think upon thy situation. Yee love for her hath grown, beyond what hath been expected." It was not a question, but I nodded. "She hast been through much pain, by the way of the world, however, she couldst perchance, be allowed to live and grow within thy care. If-" He threw me a stern look, "yee decide upon the worth of it."

This threw me off completely. Worth it! Of course it was worth it! Chloe was bright, beautiful, and everyone smiled when she was present. Then, suddenly, a dark and inky thought wormed it's way into my mind. Nesterion had mentioned, Chloe's illness was due to long-term neglect. What else had come with that neglect? Could she have been abused as my own children had? Would I even be able to care for her, and how?! I had no prior knowledge! My own children were proof of my obvious inability to care and protect a family, let alone an innocent child. Manwe seemed to hint that Chloe could stay here, in Valinor. And would that not be the best possible place for her?

I thought these things...and yet, still my heart, my fae yearned for the love, the smiles, the joy that had miraculously appeared with her arrival. Was I really thinking this!? Was I really so selfish that I would sacrifice this beautiful little girl's chance at peace for my own heart?!

I began to shake my head, slowly at first, then more vigorously. "No, let her remain here, happy, safe, and at peace." My words were soft and the pain that burned in my chest made hot tears prickle in my eyes.

Ithilwen stared at me in shock. "But Thranduil! She makes you happy! In a way you have not felt since we left you!"

I gave her a soft smile that never reached my heart. The tears blurring my eyes broke loose and fell silently down my cheek. "Yes, Ithil, but she deserves to be put first. I do not imagine it has ever happened to her in her short life. I would give up my own happiness a thousand time for my children, and to me...I already feel as though she is mine."

It hurt! It really did! Like someone had ripped out my heart and staked it. I could feel my fae cracking, pushing in on itself, trying to remain strong, but feeling so lost at the neglect that seemed to follow me everywhere.

Ithilwen stared at me, awe and pity written plainly on her face. "Thranduil," she reached forward and pulled me into a warm hug. "Oh, Thranduil, you are too good for the life that you live. You are kind to all you meet, ever putting others before yourself. Ever taking the pain, wherever it is possible. You are too good for the burdens you bear."

I sighed and my aching fae suddenly cracked further as the guilt of what I had done began to catch up with me. I had left my kingdom! my throne! to my son. I had given up and faded with the death of this little human, all for my own selfish reasons! He would blame himself! He would be forced to rule, in this dark time! No! I would not leave them! Not as I had before, leaving them to the darkness of their mother! It could not! would not! happen.

I pulled away from Ithilwen and turned to the Vala beside us. "Please! You must allow me to return! I cannot leave my son to rule! He is not ready! He is much too broken and lost to rule a kingdom such as the Woodland Realm!"

The great Being smiled at me with a knowing look. "Yee wouldst give up the child, for her happiness? Yee wouldst return to the pain of thy life, for thy son? And yee wouldst continue thy rule, despite the great strain upon thy fae? All for the benefit of any other save thyself?"

I met his ageless eyes and with the stubborn determination I was well known for, I nodded. "It is my duty as king to put the happiness of my people above my own, their pain before mine. It is my duty as a father, to put the joy of my children before the pain and sorrow of my heart. And it is my duty as a warrior, to find and give peace to all those lesser and weaker than I. I will not give up on my duty, no matter the pain I bear for it."

The pity Ithilwen harbored in her eyes vanished, replaced by unmasked awe. King Manwe looked fitfully pleased. "Because of this, Great Elf King, because of thy words and thy determination, I am willing to place upon yee a third option." He gestured to Chloe as she danced about the peaceful hilltop, the most innocently bright smile on her face. I smiled at the sight, the sweet ocean breeze causing the world to sway delicately, the sound of birds and laughter and music, the summer sun, more warm and welcoming than anything I had felt in a long time.

Though I felt and knew in my cracking heart and my breaking fae, that I was home, I was not ready. Whatever option number three may be, I had made my choice. I was not ready to return home and leave my life behind. I still had fight left in me and so long as it was there, I would not stop fighting.

THERE IS A CHAPTER ELEVEN! THE STORY IS NOWHERE NEAR OVER! Thranduil doesn't die permanently, and I'm saying this only so no one quits the story...Spoiler: Neither does Chloe. Please, read and review, but don't quit! I love both Thranduil and Chloe and neither will ever die...besides now of course, but I'm not actually sure if that counts because they're coming back.

We'll get into poor Legolas' reaction to Thranduil's 'death' next chapter, along with Antiel, who's probably having a stroke right now. Also, I need votes, should I take this on into the War of the Ring. It doesn't have any set place as to where it's at on the Tolkien Timeline, just that it's after the Hobbit and before the Lord of the Rings. Please review and let me know if you want to hear of what Thranduil, Antiel, Chloe, Cundmaethor and Maetharanel are going to be doing while Legolas is with the Fellowship.

Another, also, (sorry this Author's Note is so long, but) I keep forgetting to post my elvish translations, but I will do that! It'll be called The ElvenPrincess Characters and Phrases. I'll post it as a different 'story.'

Thank you all for your time.