He turned around and saw her busying herself at her workbench. She wiped the bloody blade clean and walked past Thranduil to retrieve the stool. Returning to the workbench she began to carve again. She had to deliver by the next morning.
Thranduil took seat in the chair in which Ari had sat before and watched her at work. He could see and sense her pain but said nothing. Thranduil tried to calm his agitated feelings. Never before had he been overwhelmed by such kind of emotions. It was beautiful but at the same time terrifying. With a smooth move of his body he returned to his controlled posture.
They shared a bond. He tried to come to terms with this fact but it was not so easy. His intellect preached to him about problems and difficulties such a bond would bring along. His heart dictated him the beauty of it. Where did Thranduil's loyalty lay? With his intellect or with his heart? He let out a silent sigh and allowed his mind to wander.
As wonderful as it had felt, she had decided to walk out of this situation. Probably for the best, he thought bitterly. But why had she done so when she had felt the same? He had sensed that her emotions too had stirred. Were those strong emotions coming from him or were they hers? Thranduil felt suddenly confused. He could not tell.
She looked beautiful to him. Her hair was blond. When the sun fell upon it, it looked golden. It was very long and it was well groomed. A small hair clip prevented her long hair to fall into her face when she worked. He had never seen her wearing her hair open. She had mainly worn a cloak, covering her head with its hood. In his halls when he had spoken to her about the symbols he saw her hair for the first time. It was beautiful then, but braided. Thranduil did not approve of that. She would not braid her hair in the future, he would see to that. It flowed down, passing her bottom. She wore trousers and a very long tunic which went almost below her knees. Her clothes covered the female parts of her body nicely. There was not much to see. He wondered if she dressed like this on purpose.
Thranduil felt restless. His old heart suddenly felt so youthful again. What was he to do now? How and why was this happening? He shook his head and devoted his full attention to Ari. Thranduil imagined her wearing a gown made by his people. She would look radiant in it. Like the light in the moment when the sun peaked above the highest trees of Mirkwood, its rays touching the forbidden gem above the round mirror in his chambers, reflecting the powerful light. Thranduil loved this moment of the day. He would look at this moment of day for the rest of his eternal life if she would be his. HIS. And his alone. He suddenly felt very possessive over her. Yes, she would be his for eternity. Eternity?
He snapped out of his train of thoughts. She was no elf. His mood grew gloomy. She was human. Human. Thranduil rose to his feet. He was highly troubled by this fact. He looked over to Ari who was almost finished varnishing the stool. This was not good. He had to clear his head. Now. Without saying a word, he left the building, closing the door behind him. He strode down the narrow alley with long, measured strides. Not much further down and he would leave the town behind and he would be able to think freely.
Galion had waited outside after chastising the guard. His king meant everything for him. He knew in the moment he entered Ari's house, that he had walked into a situation that had never before existed in Thranduil's life. An energy had been present which Galinon had never before felt coming from his king.
Galion had know ever since she had left the realm that Thranduil and the girl shared a bond. But apparently the king had never understood what was happening. Not until now. Galion wondered how Thranduil was going to deal with it. His friend and king did not like changes at all.
Galion had served king Oropher. He had loved him with all his heart. Thranduil had been trained by his father to become king one day. He was therefore well prepared for kingship but not for the pain and sorrow which was unleashed upon him when his father passed to the halls of Mandos. Nothing could have prepared him for that. Galion was there, in the battle long ago. He had witnessed the moment the king had died. When Thranduil grew colder, he could only wait and pray for him, never failing to serve him with dedication.
Oropher had been worried for centuries. The darkness had been creeping further into Middle-Earth. There were many evil signs which indicated dark times lay ahead. As wars raged again and again he decided to take precaution to ensure his bloodline would not be broken. He arranged for Thranduil's wedding with Lady Ardelwen. It was Galion who had to deliver this news to Thranduil. Not knowing, how the prince would react.
He always knew that Thranduil would make a great king one day but it was Thranduil's reaction to his father's request that made Galion realize what kind of great king Thranduil might become one day. His heart was loyal and brave. There was a lot of yet unknown potential in the young prince.
"If my father says so, I will gladly oblige. If he says that my love for this elleth will grow with time then I will trust his judgment. Please let my father know that I gladly accept his request."
Galion remembered the happy smile that was written all over king Oropher face when he had brought him Thranduil's reply.
The day that the unwanted had happened arrived too soon. The king was killed in battle. The war had been a long one. By the time the forces returned home, everyone knew that the king had died in battle and Thranduil was celebrated as their new king. The sorrow over his father death had been so great and had plagued him all the way home. And it had been a long journey. The pain in his heart was stilled a little bit when he had seen that his wife had born him a son during his absence. She had named him Legolas.
But the loss of his beloved father was not the only thing that Thranduil had to endure after the great battle. His pain would only increase when his wife decided to sail west. Her beloved father and brothers had died in the same battle as the king had died. A road Ardelwen's mother had taken when she was but a elfling. Her sorrow could not be lessened by neither Thranduil nor Legolas. She had never been able to bond with Thranduil as they had not found themselves by the natural way of the elves. They had simply been put together, an arrange marriage. She had been selected for Thranduil by Oropher, their king. Both had agreed and had made many sacrifices for each other but love had unfortunately never developed. Thranduil felt betrayed by her and his mood darkened even further after her departure.
Galion thought about Thranduil's life and understood that fate had once again not been kind with the king. The elleth that had become his wife, had sailed to the undying lands after failing to bond with him and now he shared a bond with a mortal human girl. Galion shook his head. By the Valar, was there never to be peace in Thranduil's heart and life?
Galion spoke to the guards which had remained with him after the king had left and followed the path his king had taken. He would always be there. Especially now.
The guards began to watch of Ari's house during the absence of the king. They kept a good distance, as their elven eyes would notice every detail even from afar. It was Arlos who caught their attention, when he approached Ari's door.
