Chapter 12

Tauriel took Thranduil by the hand and led him to stand near her bed. He was looking at her with questioning eyes and unavowed anticipation, but then her lips were on his again, and a mist of passion, love and lust descended upon his thoughts.

He brought his arms around her and held her firmly against his body, as his mouth was ravishing hers, their tongues dancing, seeking, tasting, and exploring, filling them with new experiences and uncovering secret cravings and passions. Tauriel lifted her hands to his face and caressed his jawline gently, reaching up to his pointy ears. Thranduil shivered under her touch, and broke the kiss for a moment to look into her eyes. He saw his own soul reflected there.

"Do you wish to bond with me, Tauriel?" he asked in a deep, emotional voice.

"If you will have me, Thranduil…" she responded. "My fea is already entwined with yours. Do you feel it?" she whispered and her eyes gleamed.

"Yes… It envelops mine, piercing it with its brightness. The light of the Eldar is so strong in you, meleth nin. It is almost intoxicating", he breathed.

"But I feel yours as you described it, Thranduil. Eru, what has been done unto you, my poor King! Only now do I clearly see your suffering and your burden, the torment and pain you have endured for so long, and are still enduring", she spoke softly, as a tear made its way down on her cheek, lamenting her lover's fate.

His defenses collapsed, naked as his fea was before Tauriel's and his heart overwhelmed with emotion, and he buried his face in her hair, as hot tears fell from his eyes and his shoulders shook under his silent sobs.

They stood there as the elleth held him gently in her arms, providing him with the comfort he so desperately needed.

"I never imagined that the great and prideful Thranduil would cry like an elfling in my arms… as I had once cried in his, so long ago", she whispered tenderly to him.

"The great and prideful Thranduil is but a simple ellon in his loved one's arms…" he replied quietly.

He lifted his face then and looked at her. It was the first time Tauriel saw his gaze so clear and pellucid, as if the shadows had been lifted from the depths of his heart. Thranduil then slowly bent and brushed her lips with his, inviting her in a kiss. Tauriel eagerly complied and kissed him back, and for a moment they were content simply relishing each other's kiss and embrace.

Then Tauriel broke the kiss and took Thranduil's hand in his. She took a step backwards and pulled him with her.

"Come… sit with me", she said with a smile and sat on the edge of her bed.

Thranduil did as she told him and sat beside her. Smiling softly and looking at her with adoration, he caressed Tauriel's fiery tresses and started to slowly undo her braids.

The elleth's eyes darkened with lust as she realized what that move of his signified, so subtle and yet so clear in its message. And she had no objections. So, she decided to mirror his action, reaching to touch and thread her fingers through his fine silver hair as well.

"You never braid your hair…" she observed.

"No… never".

"Why?" she inquired and looked into his eyes.

"Lothrin would often braid my hair, when we were young. After her death, I wished it to remain untouched", he said in a sorrowful tone.

"How about now?" she said and playfully tugged at a strand of his hair.

Thranduil looked at her, unable to hide the dilemma in his expression. He felt torn between the past and the present.

Tauriel read the uncertainty in his gaze, and her smile waned.

"Never mind… I think your hair suits you better this way, free of braids and other embellishments", she said in a low voice.

"I am sorry…"

"No, it is alright. I understand… And I know your love for your wife will always be there… It will always hold a special, sacred place in your heart. I do not seek to replace her, Thranduil. How could I ever?" she said, and Thranduil nodded weakly. Then her stance became more thoughtful. "You have been so persistent all this time to know of my heart, to learn what I feel for you, to know if I am ready to love you and be there for you… But, Thranduil, have you asked yourself if you are truly ready to love another? Can you devote yourself to me without the ghost of your wife hovering over you and shadowing your love always?"

He looked at her and felt unable to respond, as his breath was caught in his throat. Tauriel's words had rang true and it distressed him deeply.

"Can you truly move on from the past? Or have you simply persuaded yourself that you can, led by your passion for me? You desperately want to love and be loved again, but do you think you can handle a new love? A new life?" she asked him with great care and gentleness in her voice, as she brought her palm to cup his cheek.

"I only have to try and see, I suppose", he whispered weakly.

"If we are to pledge ourselves to one another, I wish for us to be happy, Thranduil. But I fear you have forgotten what this means…"

"Will you not help me remember? I want this life with you, Tauriel. I have wanted it for so long…" he pleaded.

"But are you ready for it?" Tauriel insisted.

"If not now, if not with you, then it will never happen", he said gravely, and then decided to speak clearly to Tauriel, so his voice resumed a serious tone. "I ask of you to be with me as a wife. You know my past and present, my good and ugly side. I keep nothing hidden from you. I have placed my heart in your hands, to do as you please. If you accept me as a husband, it is my promise and oath that I will do my best to make you happy in any way that I can, for this future with you is all I wish for. Bear with me in my hours of darkness, beloved; that is my sole request and plea. I do not tell you this will be an easy path. If you accept me, we shall walk together, hand in hand. If you refuse me, I will bother you no more".

He peered deep into her eyes in anticipation, his gaze speaking as eloquently as his tongue, if not more so. Tauriel had listened to his short speech breathless, her heart drumming in her chest and her body shivering in thrill and also anxiety.

"Husband? Wife? Thranduil, your words carry too heavy a meaning. Would you really choose to walk this path with me? What have I ever done to deserve such love and honor?" Her voice trembled, and she took his hand in hers.

"You are the lone star in my vast night, Tauriel. Your spirit and form I have loved for long, your character and will I admired, and your presence I have ever cherished. It is I who is honored to receive your love and care", he responded fervently.

"Oh, Thranduil… And I have loved you for long, and it took me longer still to realize I do! I wish to be by your side, to love you and support you. It is my wish to bond with you, as a wife is bonded to her husband, to love you and you alone and cherish you more than life itself", she replied, as tears of gladness ran from her eyes. "But I in turn ask you to bear with my weaknesses, my sharp tongue and impulse".

Unable to put his feelings into words at the moment, the Elvenking simply nodded and then took his beloved in his arms and held her against his breast, so that she could feel the beat of his heart. His own tears also ran freely now and wetted her hair. They remained like that for quite some time, enveloped in peace and love. Then Tauriel lifted her head to look at him.

"No more tears, my love. We have hurt and cried more than was our fill", she told him tenderly and wiped the tears from his cheeks.

"But I will not say do not weep now, for not all tears are an evil", he replied in a gentle and loving voice.

Tauriel then smiled, and he smiled back, their eyes twinkling like the eternal stars in the night sky. And then their grins became wider, for they were overcome with love and joy, and looking at each other's face was enough to bring gladness to their hearts.

Another kiss they shared then, one slow, languid and indulgent kiss that was the herald of what was to follow. Gently Thranduil pushed Tauriel back on the mattress, and he lowered his body over hers. His lips never left hers, for again and again he kissed her, as his hand lovingly caressed her face and hair.

"I have dreamed of holding you and kissing for so long, Tauriel, that I can barely believe it is actually happening now", he spoke in a hoarse and laden with passion voice.

"Then hold me and kiss me to your heart's content, Thranduil, for all I wish is to be in your arms", she responded feistily, and in turn touched and caressed his face and silken hair, as it cascaded like a silver waterfall above her.

He looked at her as if in a daze then, and traced her lower lip with his thumb. Tauriel shivered at this delicate and yet so intimate touch, and a fire of lust and passion was lit inside her. She kissed his finger and then her playful tongue darted out to lick it. Thranduil gasped, once more stunned by her audacious and daring nature, but this time it was most welcome.

Tauriel smiled at his reaction. "Are these traces of shyness I see in your eyes, my lord?" she teased him.

"Is it I who is shy or you who has grown bold indeed?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

She chuckled softly. "I have always been like that, you know it".

"Yes… Yes, I do…" he murmured as he kissed her again, impatiently this time. "Show me how bold you have become", he challenged her in a voice heavily lined with lust.

"Gladly, my lord", she sought to consent quickly, and then let her slender fingers slide down the perfect white column of his throat until they reached the bony ridge of his clavicle. First went his cloak as she deftly unclasped it and let it fall from his shoulders. Then she pushed aside the collar of his tunic, which was high, but soft, and left the base of his throat uncovered, and allowed her fingers to creep inside.

A slight tremor coursed through Thranduil's body at her touch, and he closed his eyes, allowing his head to drop to the side. Tauriel took advantage of the opportunity and her lips descended upon his neck, where she kissed and licked. Then she trailed her kiss downward, licking at the hollow of his throat and ever so lightly biting upon his clavicle. He let out a reserved, nigh inaudible moan, as his body was set on fire and his own lust was rapidly increasing.

"Do not hold back, my love… No more restraints", Tauriel whispered to him, and then she tugged at the laces and pulled his tunic open, producing another gasp from Thranduil.

His perfectly sculptured chest was then revealed, flawless alabaster skin covering taut muscle. Tauriel's palms were instantly upon his breast, feeling and caressing with a hunger previously undisclosed to her. She reached upwards again, pushing the tunic entirely off his shoulders, leaving him now naked from the waist up.

"Do I notice some measure of injustice now…" Thranduil said with a wicked smirk as he sat up and pulled his lover with him. "Do you intend to have me entirely naked before you while you remain fully dressed?" he teased her and started seductively tugging at the laces of her simple robe. Realizing that her decency hang on literally one tug of a cord, he lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered, "Are you wearing nothing underneath this robe?" His voice was low and rich, overflowing with lust.

Tauriel turned to his own ear and replied in the same manner. "What about finding out on your own, my love?"

At her encouragement and invitation, he only lightly pulled at the lace, causing it to loosen up. Long fingers then disappeared under the cloth, whose first destination was the back of her neck. There they playfully tousled her hair, and she smiled, as that small movement of his sent waves of excitement through her body. He bent then and kissed her cheek, her mouth, her ear and lastly her perfect throat.

His hand left its place at her neck and slid under her robe. He allowed it to slowly glide downwards until it reached the tender and inviting swell of her breast. He fixed his mesmerized eyes with hers, and she gasped as she felt his fingers lightly grazing and tracing the curve of her breast, causing her nipples to stand to attention. He brushed his thumb over this small hard spot, and Tauriel moaned in pleasure.

Her moan triggered his own lust even further, and he gently caressed and squeezed her firm breast, letting out a groan of passion and impatience. His lips quickly followed his hand, kissing and licking the sensitive flesh beneath them.

"Oh, Thranduil…" Tauriel managed between her soft moans.

Her voice called his attention back to her face, and he kissed her mouth deeply and hungrily, while his strong arms pulled her slender body flush against his. His hand then slid down to her hip and back, where his now intense and needy caress traveled from her upper back all the way down her spine to her bottom and vice versa.

Becoming now demanding herself, Tauriel lifted one leg and brought it over the Thranduil's hip and hooked it behind it, thus bringing their lower bodies in touch. He gasped and moaned as he felt her soft body pressed against his hardened manhood, and brought his hand to grab her thigh, attempting to pull her even closer, if possible.

Tauriel kissed him deeply and swallowed his moan as she grind herself against him. The tension now was so great that the veins on his neck had become palpable and both their breaths came in short gasps. Thranduil then tore the robe from her body in one swift and decisive move, unable to wait anymore before he could feel her naked skin under his greedy touch and hungry gaze. She gasped as she was left naked before him in one instant, and a soft blush arose in her cheeks.

Thranduil noticed her sudden nervousness and smirked, as if pleased with it. It only excited his lust further, and in the next moment his hands were all over her body, touching and caressing, feeling and exploring, while his mouth was kissing, licking, biting and tasting every last exposed inch of it.

She gasped and moaned repeatedly under this untamed, raw passion of his that was not bereft of love or care. For all Thranduil's movements were in reverence and worshipping of her naked form.

"Meleth nin…" he whispered breathlessly, as he looked at her once more. His eyes were two bottomless pits of ice and fire, keepers of unfathomable passions and dreaded truths.

"Love me, Thranduil", she whispered to him fervently. "I would have all of you".

A small nod from his side followed her words, and then her hand moved to his belt and waistband. Using them as leverage, she tugged and pulled him a little closer to her, indicating her intentions. Then she proceeded to bend by his feet and almost reverently remove his boots.

Thranduil's breath was caught in his throat and his heart was beating madly in his chest as Tauriel returned to her former position and her hand reached for him again. She traced a feathery touch over the prominence of his eager hardness beneath the fabric of his breeches, causing him to moan quite audibly this time, all reservation and doubt gone from his stance now.

"Oh, Tauriel… This is such a sweet torment!" he cried and threw his head back, enjoying immensely her ministrations that quickly brought him to the peak of his hunger and want.

When done teasing him from above the material of his trousers, she carefully undid the belt and slowly pulled down on the waistband, lowering his breeches over his thighs and releasing his private parts from their confines. He quickly got rid of his trousers, kicking them to the side, and then they were left with each other, rid of all articles of clothing now.

"Come, my love…" Thranduil invited Tauriel as he sat up on the bed.

There they sat completely naked under each other's loving and lustful gaze, and a smile graced both their faces, as they took their time to take in the image of the other, for the first time beheld in nudity. There was no sign of shame or bashfulness now, only a look of mutual trust and tender intimacy on both their faces.

For the naked form was not offensive to the elven eye; it was accepted, admired, rejoiced and celebrated, as it was the natural form Eru Iluvatar saw fit to grace them with and allow them to walk the world in. More importantly, it was the hroa, which housed the fea. Nothing about it was considered obscene or vulgar, for it was with their naked bodies the elves expressed their highest and most intimate kind of love.

An elf never lay with another if they did not share feelings of love. They were not driven simply by lust, as it was often the case with mortal men. For men, it was natural and understandable, as the need and wish to perpetuate their short-lived kind was guiding and dominant.

But elves lived forever; they need not produce children to continue their race. So, they only mated when they really shared feelings of love, and birthed offspring only when they wished to.

So it was now, with the Elvenking and the former Captain sharing those unique moments of love and bonding under the guidance of their hearts and their fear.

Thranduil then reached for his beloved and took her in his arms, lifting her slightly from the mattress and bringing her to settle in his lap. Tauriel brought her long legs around his waist and leaned close, allowing their intimate parts to touch. She lifted her bottom a little and leaned closer still, demanding a fervent kiss from her lover's lips, as his strong arms held her firmly against him.

Her wet heat rubbed gently against his throbbing hardness, causing them both to let out moans of pleasure and need. Thranduil then brought his hand between them and reached low to touch her. Tauriel held her breath as she felt his fingers caressing her sensitive folds and sliding between them, sending jolts of excitement through her body. Wishing to return the favor, she did the same and touched him, brushing the sensitive tip with her thumb and massaging his length.

He gasped in her kiss and released her mouth, as the sensation was overwhelming. In response, she bit lightly on the tip of his ear.

"Tauriel…" he rasped. "I have not touched anyone… in nearly two thousand years", he confessed as another shudder of pleasure surged through him.

"And I have not touched anyone, ever", she told him in a soft, low voice.

"Meleth nin… It is only you I love and would have. Let us be one, now and forever", he pleaded, and she nodded.

She readjusted then her body slightly and slowly let herself sink upon his hardened length. Her body was eager to receive him, already trembling with indescribable lust and anticipation.

Thranduil waited in agonizing restraint as she accommodated herself, his control threatening to break and his resolve to falter at any moment. Feelings he thought he had forgotten awoke in his immortal body, as the elleth slowly took his entire length in a slow but steady motion.

She had her arms thrown around her lover's shoulders and was now holding on to him, as this new sensation was stretching her physically and sentimentally. No pain felt she, as elves' bodies were much more durable than human ones, and soon she was accustomed to this novel but wonderful feeling of being one with her beloved.

With a final moan and a sigh Tauriel relaxed in his embrace, all of his length now buried within her. She had her eyes closed all this time, and now she opened them and looked at Thranduil. He was watching her with great intensity, small beads of sweat having already formed upon his brow. She realized then that he strove to keep his passion under control, and smiled at him.

"Thank you, mell nin, for being so patient with me", Tauriel told him softly and wiped the sweat from his brow.

Thranduil allowed a wide smile, and then he held her tightly in his arms again, as his hips gave the slightest of movement against hers. She instantly responded in kind, following him in his passion. He began gently thrusting in and out of her then, and soon she fell in harmony with his rhythm. Her body accepted and welcomed this newfound kind of pleasure and excitement, and before long a profound tension and heat started building up in her lower abdomen, making her vision clouded and driving her movements wild. She danced passionately in his lap, riding him closer and closer to their mutual destination.

And then Thranduil felt he could take no more of her having the lead of their union, lest he came undone then and there. With a swift movement he laid Tauriel back on the mattress and he was above her, not breaking their coupling for one second.

A soft gasp and a slightly surprised smile was the elleth's reaction regarding this sudden change of position. Her lover smiled back at her and sought to kiss her again, as he began a new round of thrusts, having their union under his control now.

Tauriel took advantage of this and relaxed in his embrace, bringing her legs tighter around his hips, urging him to deepen his thrusts even more, as her back arched off the mattress to allow him better access to her core. His movements gradually quickened and he let his head fall back, eyes closed, as a soft flush came and spread upon his chest and neck.

Tauriel watched him in awe and fascination as he was thrusting, moaning and panting in his passion. Her breath was caught, her eyes had darkened with lust and want for this ancient being that loved her, had pledged himself to her and was now becoming one with her. She shuddered and trembled, feeling her release nearing now, and she kept her eyes trained on the epitome of masculine beauty that Thranduil was to her.

"Thranduil… mell nin…" she managed between gasps, and he opened his eyes to focus on her.

The Elvenking then lowered his body on hers and kissed her in a rapture and a sexual haze, as his thrusts were becoming now erratic and shallower, a sign that his own climax was approaching.

And then she was brought over the edge, and a million of stars exploded before her eyes as wave after wave her orgasm shook her very existence. It was a blinding, searing experience that left Tauriel breathless and shivering in Thranduil's arms. Driven mad by the sensation of her intense pleasure, he only needed a few more thrusts to follow her jump into the abyss of utter bliss and excitement. He groaned and sighed as he released his hot seed inside her, his whole body tense and pulsating.

Tauriel held his face in her palms and kissed him tenderly as he slowly came out this reverie and let his body relax and softly cover hers. She held him as they were both trying to catch their breaths, and for a few moments the only sound they could hear was their beating hearts.

"Meleth nin…" then whispered Thranduil to his lover and turned his soft gaze to hers, as he slowly rolled to the side.

Tauriel lazily turned and took his hand in hers, a smile of utmost bliss gracing her beautiful face.

"I have no words for this…" she started. "Only that I love you". Her gaze was sincere and deep.

The Elvenking gathered her in his arms then and placed a soft kiss upon her brow. "And I you".

"Stay with me tonight. Will you?" she asked him expectantly.

"I would wish to be nowhere else but in your arms, dearest one", he replied quietly and kissed her lips.

She responded to his kiss and, before long, a renewed desire came upon them. Limbs tangling, bodies uniting, hearts beating together and fear entwining, they gave themselves unto the highest sentiment of the living beings once more, and many more times during their first night of their new life.