Note: I don't understand how Galadriel plays for the anti-Sauron team. I've always found her creepy and repulsively perturbing. Too unnatural to be beautiful. Anyway, she will remain largely canon here too.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: Convention

Tauriel produced her lowermost bow in front of the ancient royal in charge of Lothlorien, apprehensive and nervous. Being apart from Thranduil while Galadriel visited with the king made her feel restless and without scope. They had been together essentially 24/7 and it seemed that it wasn't just him relying on her for comfort and support, but her on him as well for purpose and focus, something she acutely needed under the circumstances. Elves didn't love half measures.

"It is you, my dear," Galadriel watched her with palpable interest.

Tauriel looked up with confusion. Sure she knew that the Lady of Lorien was the mightiest and fairest of all the elves that remained on Middle-Earth, aided by her telepathic powers, foresight and wisdom, yet it felt both strangely disturbing and bizarrely comforting when their eyes met and she remained locked in place for some time despite her own will all the while no spoken words were passed between them, but she did not feel her free will violated, only drawn to a white light that resided within the Lady of the Golden Woods.

Tauriel's mind felt cleared than ever, void of the destructive emotions of grief, fear and loss for the time of while their gazed held sealed together. It wasn't as if she would've never fallen for Kili, but in that moment, only the wisdom of that experience remained, greatly overshadowed by bonds that she was part of most of her life as opposed to the quick flame that burned through her for the dwarf, those that linked her with Legolas and Thranduil. The option that led not just to her own happiness, but also to those she cared about and consequently, a great number of elves around them and conceivably even of people's from faraway lands, the choice was so clear that she almost laughed out loud in startlement. "I knew that already." She stated defiantly nevertheless, once Galadriel's hold on her mind faded and she was able.

The older elf smiled appreciatively, "you are so young and yet the best thing that could ever happen to Thranduil. You complement each other to perfection."

"Is he going to get better fully?" The redhead inquired, letting the woman's statement lie. Tauriel was a lowly elf, how could she complement the king? The Lady of Galadhrim had been asked over to restore the Elvenking's health, especially as his illness was of spiritual origins, she was the best person to deal with it. Though it may be that she maybe arrived after the time Thranduil himself started on the road of recovery.

"My interference is largely unnecessary," she answered her unvoiced thoughts ahead of the articulated question. "I have cleared his mind the way I did with yours. His will is bending the way it naturally would've, eventually, I'm only speeding the process up. Go to him, child, do what you have been doing all along, that is all he needs. You and him, spending time together as he recovers with your assistance, is what you both need. I can't take that away from you, or that, you shall be."

Tauriel looked at the ruler of Lothlorien as if she had two heads, not completely sure what she was talking about. She had the chance and ability to heal the king. Instead, she lets him suffer? However, she took comfort and reassurance in her words about Thranduil recovering nonetheless, and most of all, was glad she was now allowed to go back to him and tend to her duties.

tbc