Thranduil had only wished to see how Tauriel's training was going.
He knew she and Arradon were meeting in the early hours of the morning to practice without anyone watching, and so he got there early to watch.
Only, instead of practicing the pair wandered off holding hands. The distrust Thranduil feels for Lord Haewon was enough to force him to follow them… to ensure Tauriel's safety of course.
Why else would I follow them?
He stayed a distance behind them, remaining out of sight. At one point he even lost sight of them after they rounded a corner. It was the haunting music that led him to them.
Thranduil stood in the hallway, out of sight, but angled to see into the hall of music.
He was entranced.
Not just by the eerie melody vibrating through his bones, but by Tauriel. She stood sideways in front of the door, and Thranduil could not take his eyes off of her profile.
She was clutching her chest with a look of awe on her face, and her lips were parted with a sigh. The light behind her made her flame colored hair blaze like the setting sun.
Such beauty.
When the echo of the last note fades, Thranduil blinks his daze away, trying to ignore the rising pressure in his chest.
When Tauriel throws herself at Arradon, the pressure in Thranduil's chest turns to fire and he must force himself to remain silent.
He turns and marches away, wondering why he ever agreed to let Haewon's dreadful offspring provide the music for his next feast.
X
The next day when Tauriel arrives at the training pitch, Arradon is already waiting for her.
"What's the plan for today?" she asks. "Can I run the course yet?"
"I thought today we could do some sparring, after our warm-up run."
"Sparring sounds fun, but I must admit I'm rather tired of running laps. Not physically, I mean. It's just boring."
"Really?" Arradon says, laughing. "Alright, how about something new? I'm going to place this medallion over there by the gate. You have to get there, pick it up, and run it to the other side of the pitch."
He pulls a necklace from the inside of his shirt and takes it off, holding up a medallion pendant.
"That's it?"
"You have to do it without getting caught."
Arradon jogs across the pitch to the wooden gate and hangs the necklace from it, then returns to stand beside her.
"I'll give you a three second head start," he says, nodding to her. "Go!"
Smirk on her face, Tauriel speeds off, racing for the gate. Behind her she hears Arradon counting, and when he hits three she pushes herself faster.
She has no problem reaching the necklace, but when she scoops it up and turns to double back she finds her obstacle. Arradon isn't racing towards her… he is slowly pacing back and forth in front of her. He knows she has to come back and is just waiting for her next move.
Tauriel runs just above half speed, heading for his left. When she gets close she ups her pace and dives to his right instead, just managing to sidestep him.
"Ha!" she cries, sprinting as fast as she can for the other side of the pitch.
Her goal is just feet away from her, and thinking she's in the clear Tauriel looks back over her shoulder.
This is a mistake.
It costs her time, and it's just enough for Arradon to make a dive for her legs. He tackles her to the ground holding her legs, and she tries to wiggle free.
"I've still got it!" she taunts, waving the medallion.
"Not for long!"
Arradon makes a grab for it while still trying to hold her legs with one arm, but Tauriel only laughs and holds her arm up above her head.
"Training hard I see."
Both Arradon and Tauriel twist to see who is speaking, finding King Thranduil standing over them.
Arradon quickly releases Tauriel's legs and jumps to his feet.
"Your majesty," he says, bowing.
Seeing Tauriel still on the ground, Arradon offers her a hand and pulls her to her feet.
"My King. What brings you out here so early?" she asks.
The King barely looks at her and Tauriel feels like a child who has just been caught sneaking extra sweets from the kitchens.
"I knew to find you out here. Arradon, I thought it might be a good idea for you to use the remaining mornings before the feast to meet with the royal musicians," Thranduil says.
"I—I would love to," Arradon insists, "but I did promise Tauriel I would help her train."
"Oh, no," Tauriel says, turning to place her hand on his arm, "you should go. It's important. I can manage on my own."
"I promised, though. I wouldn't feel right leaving you on your own."
"No, really—"
"I can help her," Thranduil interrupts. "I could use a good spar."
Both Arradon and Tauriel turn to stare at him in unison, shocked.
"I couldn't ask that of you, my King," Tauriel says, bowing her head.
"You did not. I offered. Will that be suitable for both of you?" he asks.
"Is it all right with you?" Arradon asks, turning back to Tauriel.
He won't say it, and Tauriel knows if she asked he would stay, but Arradon wants this so badly she of course agrees.
"Yes, it's fine. You go prepare your music. I can't wait to hear more of it."
"Excellent!" Arradon exclaims. "Thank you, both of you."
He bows once more to the King and turns away.
"Oh!" Tauriel exclaims. "Your medallion."
She hands it back to Arradon and he gives her a cheeky grin, and leans in to whisper in her ear.
"I win."
She playfully punches his arm, but can't help but laugh.
"Are we going to spar, or are you going to stand there mooning all morning?" Thranduil asks after Arradon exits the gate.
"Mooning?"
"Grab your sword."
Tauriel doesn't have time to wonder what it is he meant before they are both armed and facing off.
They use blunted training swords, and the weight feels all wrong in her hands. She's so used to her own blades that this foreign weapon makes her feel like a fledging recruit.
The King counts off their start and then comes at her much harder than she anticipates, knocking her back almost immediately. Tauriel manages to stay on her feet, but she's been put on the defense and is finding it hard to block his continuous blow after blow.
Not long into their first round her sword is sent flying from her hands, and she has the blunted point of the King's sword to her throat.
Thranduil stoops to pick it up and tosses it to her.
"Again," he says, charging in.
There has never been any question that the King is the best swordsman in the entire kingdom, so Tauriel expects him to be a challenge. What she didn't expect was for him to come at her with everything he's got.
Barely thirty seconds pass before her weapon is again knocked from her hand.
"Again."
"I thought this was training?" She asks, panting.
"Oh, is that what you do out here?" he asks coolly.
"What does that mean?"
"Only that whatever you were doing when I arrived hardly looked like training."
She stares at him in confusion, wondering why he sounds so upset.
"Well we were. It was… sort of a version of capture the banner. We were—" she pauses, wondering why she's explaining herself. "What does it matter?"
"It doesn't," he answers quickly.
"Fine. Shall we train then, or not?"
Tauriel finds herself feeling fed up with the King's swift mood changes. First he shows so much concern for her wellbeing after the battle, but then he all but ignores her at the memorial. Next, he lies to the entire kingdom for her, and just two nights ago he cradled her in his lap to ease her nightmares, yet today he is cold fury.
She has no idea what is sending him from one extreme to the other, but at the moment she doesn't care.
I am not some tamed beast he can take his anger out on, only to then offer a kind word and a pat on the head to earn my forgiveness.
Retrieving her sword from the dirt, Tauriel takes her fighting stance with steely determination.
This time neither of them counts off.
The King makes the first move, lunging forward, but Tauriel is ready and easily sidesteps him. She spins and makes a counterstrike, but he's too fast and brings his blade up to block her.
Sparks fly as their blades scrape down one another with a metallic clang, and Tauriel takes the offensive.
All of her anger and frustrations at Thranduil's mood swings pour from her heart, down her arm, and into her blade. Her strikes are fast and strong, but he blocks them as if swatting a fly.
He bares his teeth in a snarl as he advances on her, and she ducks a hit that comes awfully close to her head.
Tauriel aims a feinted shot to his right and when he moves to block her, she jumps launching herself at his left.
She grabs his arm and swings her legs through the air, twisting to wrap them up and around his neck. Tauriel is sitting on Thranduil's shoulders and tries to bring her sword arcing downward to land the winning blow, but Thranduil is too fast for her.
He once again blocks her, sending her own sword flying from her grasp. Using the hand not gripping his sword he grabs ahold of Tauriel and tries to pulls her loose from his shoulders to toss her to the ground.
As she comes loose, Tauriel swiftly turns and twists, locking her legs around Thranduil's waist.
The both tumble to the ground, landing on their sides, but the King is quick to roll and pin Tauriel.
His blunted blade is placed to her throat and she stares up into his piercing blue eyes, panting.
The ground is cold and hard beneath her back, but honestly she is barely aware of that or the cool steel pressed to her throat. All she can feel is the heat radiating from the large torso pressing into her.
Tauriel is hyper-aware of every breath he's taking, and the way his eyes are ever so slowly softening.
"Tauriel," he says, voice gentle and soft as a whisper.
Here he goes, swinging the other way…
No. I can't do this again today.
Tauriel's hand slips into her belt and pulls free the dagger the King gave her. She presses it to his side, not hard enough to cut him, but firm enough he knows what it is.
"Point to me," she says, interrupting whatever he was about to say.
The softness in his eyes vanishes and the shield is back in place.
Thranduil rolls off of her and jumps to his feet, regarding her coolly once more.
"Thank you, my King," she says, bowing, "for humoring me. I think I am done training for today. Do not worry yourself about helping me the rest of the week, I'll be focusing on the obstacle course."
"It was my pleasure," he replies, "and if you do change your mind about wanting help, do not hesitate to ask."
"Thank you," she repeats, then turns away, leaving the King standing alone on the practice pitch, clutching his blunted sword.
When Tauriel arrives back at her room Arodeth is there, waiting for her, with breakfast.
"Tough training day?" Arodeth asks when Tauriel throws herself onto the bed in a huff.
"That man is infuriating!"
"What did Lord Arradon do? I thought you were fond of him?"
"No, not Arradon," Tauriel corrects, "the King!"
"You've been to see the King this morning?"
Arodeth brings her a glass of water, and perches on the edge of the bed.
"No, he came to send Arradon off to prepare his music, and then tried to take over my training. I thought it would be a nice opportunity, considering how great a warrior he is, but it was hardly a training session at all!" Tauriel rants. "First he accuses me of mooning over Arradon, and then he attacks me with everything he has! Of course then he almost has one of his sweeping mood changes and I could tell he was about to say something kind, but I wasn't having it. What is his problem?"
She sighs, exasperated, and sits up to take the glass of water from Arodeth. She sips at it, sincerely wishing for something a bit stronger.
Tauriel waits for Arodeth to say something, but the maid keeps her mouth closed, giving her a knowing look before standing up.
"What?" Tauriel asks. "What do you know?"
"I know nothing, my Lady."
"Don't 'my Lady' me, you know better than that. What does that look mean."
"What look?" Arodeth asks, turning away.
"Arodeth! Please, I'm going to end up aiming another arrow at his face."
The maid sighs, and turns back to face her.
"He accused you of mooning over Arradon, and then he took his anger out on you in training?"
"Yes," Tauriel says.
Arodeth gives her a pointed look.
"What? You're not… implying he— he was jealous?"
The maid doesn't respond, just purses her lips and looks away.
"No! That's— that's preposterous! Why would he be? It's not as if he thinks of me… in that way." Tauriel shakes her head. "No."
"Of course, my Lady," Arodeth says airily. "I don't know what I was thinking."
"I mean it! That's not what's going on."
Arodeth only nods, wearing a look that clearly says she disagrees, and excuses herself before Tauriel can deny it again.
Preposterous, she thinks. He was probably upset because he wants me to rejoin the guard and thought I was slacking off.
Yes. Much more likely.
Every morning the rest of the week, Tauriel gets up early and still takes to the training pitch. As she told Thranduil, she focuses on the obstacle course.
Her first run through is a little sloppy, but nowhere near as bad as her first try back a month ago. Her time is nearly back to what it was before her momentary health decline.
By the end of the week, much to Tauriel's pleasure, she even manages to shave another twenty seconds off of her best time on the course.
When she finishes that final run through, her breathing barely affected by the exercise, she's surprised to hear applause.
Tauriel looks around to find the culprit, and finds Arradon watching her.
"Much, much better than that sorry excuse for a run I saw the day we struck our bargain," he says.
"Oh yes. I'm back on top," she says, smiling. "Thanks to you."
"No, it was all you. You did the work."
"Yes, but you helped. I was so overwhelmed when I began, you helped keep me focused."
"Perhaps I did," he shrugs. "In that case, would you permit me a favor?"
"Perhaps."
"Would you attend the Feast of Isilmë with me?" Arradon asks.
"Oh," Tauriel bites her lip.
She doesn't want to give Arradon the wrong impression, but she doesn't particularly want to go on her own either. And he is rather sweet, and makes her laugh.
"I would love to," she insists.
He's my friend, she thinks, and he knows that. That is all this is.
"Really? Excellent, thank you!" he exclaims. "I'm very nervous about tonight, and aside from the musicians I've been working with, you're the only one who's heard my music recently. I'd feel much better facing tonight with a friend."
They make arrangements for Arradon to meet Tauriel at her chambers just before the start of the feast, and he hurries off to finish last minute preparations with the musicians.
X
Thranduil waits until the party is well underway before making his appearance. The crowd parts respectfully as he enters, people bowing as he walks by.
Waiters throughout the hall are offering refreshments, and the wine is flowing freely. People are smiling and genuinely enjoying themselves. It's a much more lighthearted atmosphere than the last event, Thranduil notes, and he is glad that joy is again finding his people.
The music, he begrudgingly notices, is beautiful. It's very different from what they normally feature, but everyone seems to be enjoying it. The center of the hall is filled with dancing couples, twirling intricately to the lilting melody.
Thranduil grabs a goblet of wine from a passing waiter and sips it with a satisfied smirk. He's known for his parties, and this one looks like another hit.
"Beautiful music tonight, my Lord."
"Yes, it is, isn't it?" he replies, looking to find the councilwoman, Lady Neleth, by his side.
Tonight she has her golden hair swept back from her face, and she wears a purple gown of silk.
"There is a rumor going around that it is the work of Lord Haewon's son, Arradon," she comments, her dark eyes studying him closely.
"I can confirm the truth of that. Arradon is a talented young man. He is wasted in the guard."
"Lord Haewon is livid."
"Well, he will just have to learn to let his son pursue what makes him happy. It is a sad truth all fathers must face," Thranduil adds, mind drifting momentarily to Legolas. "If music is Arradon's passion, so be it."
"Oh, no," Neleth says, "not the music. That's far from his primary concern tonight. He's much more upset with Arradon's… other pursuits."
She gestures out into the center of the hall, towards the dancing couples.
Thranduil looks, searching for her meaning.
When his gaze locks onto Arradon, his eyes narrow and he feels his jaw clench. The boy has his arms firmly locked around Tauriel. They are spinning gracefully through the other couples, smiling and laughing.
Thranduil can't take his eyes off of her.
Tonight Tauriel is dressed in sweeping gown of navy velvet, studded in diamonds. It looks as if it was crafted from the night sky, and she is bedecked in stars. Her hair, normally pulled back in braids, hangs free tonight in long waves.
As Thranduil watches, Arradon pulls Tauriel close and then dips her low, earning another laugh from her.
"Imagine the scandal if they married," says Lady Neleth, also watching the pair. "I mean they are ideally suited to one another. Tauriel's respected place among the guard makes her more than a match for him, but Lord Haewon's dislike for the poor girl is well known. People would never stop talking about it."
Thranduil takes a deep drink of his wine.
"They're only dancing," he scoffs.
"Yes, but they've been dancing all night, and don't they look… familiar with one another?"
He grits his teeth once again and mumbles some excuse before slipping away, wanting to hear no more of Lady Neleth's musings.
Mingling through the crowd, Thranduil makes small talk with several people, smiling and laughing as necessary, but he always keeps the dance floor in sight.
He notices he's not the only one studying the pair; on the far side of the room, draining glass after glass, Lord Haewon is watching as well with a dark look on his face.
Finally, after watching Arradon whisper into Tauriel's ear, and her pull back with a smile and flushed cheeks, Thranduil can't take it anymore.
He cuts through the crowd, heading straight for them.
Tauriel is the first to see him, and the smile slips from her face.
"My King," she says, bowing, and Arradon follows suit.
"Tonight seems to be a great success," Thranduil says. "People can't stop talking about your music."
"Thank you, my King. I owe it to you for giving me this chance."
"How would you like another?" Thranduil asks. "I think you should perform a piece yourself."
"I—I— really?" Arradon asks, beaming.
"Attention!" Thranduil calls, and slowly the hall falls to silence, all eyes turning to him. "I would like to a moment to bring attention to the man responsible for tonight's entertainment."
He grabs Arradon's elbow and pulls him next to him.
"Lord Arradon has shown an amazing talent for the arts, and great talent deserves great recognition. Let us now show our appreciation, and beg to hear one of his own performances!"
The crowd erupts in applause and cheering, and Arradon turns bright red, offering a bow. He nods his head in agreement, and moves to join the musicians.
The tune they strike is slow and eerie, yet beautiful nonetheless. Slowly couples return to dancing, holding each other close and intimately.
Thranduil turns back towards Tauriel, who is staring at the ground.
"Would you… care to dance?" he asks.
She looks up, surprised.
"Or," he says, leaning closer, "if you prefer you can speak with Lord Haewon. He's headed our way right now."
A quick glance over her shoulder and Tauriel sees the angry, stumbling Lord.
"I would love to dance," she replies.
Thranduil offers her his hand and leads her onto the floor.
He doesn't think this should lead to much gossip; he does dance quite often at these gatherings, taking turns with the women of the council or even sometimes choosing someone at random from the crowd.
He places a hand on her waist, ignoring the tingle in his fingers as he does so, and they slip into the familiar twirling motions, moving to the slow tune of the song.
X
Tauriel can feel the eyes on them, following their movements, but that slowly begins to fade.
The song's languid pace begins to speed up, and she feels as she did the other day, as if each note is being pulled from her soul.
The King's eyes are locked with hers, and the faster the songs speeds up the closer they become. The hall slips away until all that is left is the music, the fingers on her hips, and Thranduil's haunting eyes.
The music begins to swell and he spins her grandly, pulling her back in and dipping her low. He holds her there, staring into her eyes, and Tauriel can't help but glance at his lips, only a few breaths away, and wonder if perhaps he was jealous that day on the pitch.
Thoughts of the pitch bring forth thoughts of Arradon, which pulls her back to the present. She realizes, horrified, that the music has ended and whispers have begun.
"My King?" she whispers
Thranduil blinks and seems to come back to himself. He stands tall and pulls her up with him. Then releasing her he gestures towards the musicians and begins to clap.
The rest of the crowd follows his lead, but Tauriel can still see them staring and whispering to one another.
Feeling overwhelmed, she slips into the crowd and heads for the exit.
Author's Note: It's getting harder for our pair to ignore their chemistry! Please let me know what you think!