I now write from a sickbed, though I am not ill. I left my home in hopes of finding freedom, and now I find myself trapped in a bed by the will of the King. It is maddening. I shall not lie, I am very comfortable here. I receive all that I ask for, and more. Each morning and night I am visited by my brother, Legolas. He is truly a wonderful being. Never have I met such a caring, loving, and wise being. I treasure the moments that I spend in his company. He spends most of our visit asking me of my life...so much so that I decided to give him the early pages of this journal to read. I hope he finds the answers he seeks. Also among my visitors is the King. Je never speaks. He lingers in a corner, his eyes fixed upon me. I do wish that he would at least greet me. I find his treatment of me very strange, as does my brother.
This day, my brother came to me and asked if I would touch his face. He said, "I for you to know that we are of the same blood." He and I...we share the same face. The face of my mother. Though, he has the eyes of the King. A most piercing, cold light blue color. They are beautiful.
As he entered my room today he was laughing and saying, "My sister. My sister of the Golden Flower."
"Ah so you have finished my pages." I say, sitting up in the bed.
"Yes, I have." he said, with laughter still in his voice. "I am impressed, little sister."
"Oh?" I ask, "Why?"
"You wed one of the mightiest beings on this Earth."
I frowned over at him, "That is not why I wed him, brother."
"Do not become angry, Kalia. I am happy that you have found your true bondmate."
"Thank you, brother. Have you asked the King when I may leave this bed? I am not wounded."
"Tomorrow. If Tauriel can find no traces of the poison in your blood, I will have you released tomorrow." the voice of the King said from the doorway. He is far more talented in the ways of stealth than I am, I never heard him approach.
"Your Majesty!" I say, sitting up straighter.
"Leave us Legolas." commanded the King.
"Yes Thranduil, King." Legolas answered as he made to leave the room.
"Are you forgetting something?" I say to Legolas as he walks past me.
"Yes." he said, leaning down towards me so that I may once again touch his face.
"Until tomorrow, brother." I say as I hear him exit the room.
The King then sat in the chair beside my bed and said, "Legolas has grown very fond of you."
"And I, him. He is a credit to you, your Majesty." I say.
"He is much like your mother. Why do you touch his face?" he asks.
"I have a very heightened sense of touch. I feel everything, but more than all others it seems. I wish to always have his face in my memory." I answer.
"You can see nothing?"
I nod, "No. Only the brightest of light."
"I had hoped that in time you would regain your sight." the King said.
"You knew of my condition? " I ask.
"Yes. It was I who first held you."
Without fear, I reached out and took the hand of the King in mine. "I am sorry that you lost her, your Majesty. I have heard tales of your love throughout my life." To my surprise, he never took his hand from mine.
"It was in this very room that I first felt love for her." he said. "she was wounded as she defended my life. I must...I must go."
"Very well, your Majesty." I say, releasing his hand.
"Thranduil. That is my name." he said as he disappeared from my bedside.
Soon after the King left the room, I was escorted to larger chambers. I knew them at once to be the old rooms of my mother. For as soon as I entered the room I was surrounded by her scent. Snowflower. I wonder how many hours she spent at this desk, frightened by the prospect of bonding to a King. As I sat upon what was once her bed I felt again a strange breeze drift slowly across my face. "Hello, mother." I say, "I miss you." I then heard the soft knocking of an attendant upon my door.
"Who do you speak to, my Lady?" she asks.
"My mother."
"She was a great being." she said. "I bring a gift of gowns and gems from the King."
"How very kind of him." I say as she sets the parcel down beside me. "could you bring me to him? I wish to thank him."
"He has gone to speak to the white willow, my Lady. No one knows when he shall return."
I feel great pity for Thranduil. It causes hurt within my heart to even think of the pain he must feel. "I believe that he shall visit you this night." the attendant said. "It would please him if you were to wear one of his gifts."
"Very well, thank you."
The King had arrived an hour after the attendant had left, and was pleased to see me dressed in a silken gown of lavender.
"You look beautiful." he blurted.
"Thank you." I say.
"I am having wine and food being sent up. I hope that pleases you." the King says as he sat himself upon a couch nearest tot he cold stone fireplace.
"It would please me if I was allowed out of doors." I say.
"It would not do if you were to be hurt again." he said. "I must keep you safe."
"I am no helpless elf maid. I am capable of defending myself." I say as I open the door to an attendant, who set wine down upon the table that rested before the King. "Thank you."
"Yes, you are." he said. "Tomorrow, I shall be walking the Wood. I would be honored if you joined me."
Though I still feel unwell, I accept his invitation. As I moved towards the couch, he moves to pur a glass of wine. " Wine?" he asks.
"No. I will take water if there is any." I say.
"Of course. Do you not care for wine?" he asks
I laughed, "Oh no, I love wine, truly. Too much I think. But I have felt unwell for some time, I fear that I could not be able to stomach it."
"Just like her." I heard him whisper as he pours me a cup of water. "If you would allow a healer to look at you,we maybe able to offer you a cure for whatever it is that ails you." he says as he hands me the glass of water.
"You have very long fingers." I say as our fingers brushed against each others briefly.
Thranduil then laughed, a sound that seemed to shock him. I suspect that he had not laughed in a very long time the poor being. "It cannot be." he whispered.
"What?" I ask.
"You're back, you've returned to me. My Glineth." he said quietly, as tears began to fall from his eyes. "Glineth."
A/N:
Thranduil is a bit of a nutter...sorry for that! What do you think of his treatment of Kalia? As always, thanks for reading! -M
