Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nope, Hobbit is not mine. If it were than Thorin, Kili, and Fili would not die. They would live! THEY WOULD LIVE! But sadly, I don't own Hobbit. But I write this fanfic for amusement, and I hope all you will enjoy it.
Summary: A mistake as a child leaves Elizabeth cursed, and if she falls…so shall the Durin line.
Pairings: Eventual Thorin/OC, Arwen/Aragorn, eventual Bilbo/Eleanor
(I am open to hear suggestions for more pairings, but honestly romance won't come until I feel the story is solid enough to delve into it more)
Verse: It will be a mixture of the book and movie, but probably will lean more towards the movie since it's the one I know most about. I've only read half of the book so far.
Warning: Eventual nightmares, torture, sexual themes and more
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I want to thank "Can't Get Enough Of" and "Hobbit Favorites" and "Man faves of d00m" for adding me to their communities. :D
And I am giving a special thanks to the reviewers, BleedingBlueKunoichi, CandyHeart22, Guest, Shasaria, alliesmiley2, jennekakale, treesliketorches, Annelf, Prue, Guest! You all are fabulous and you know it! If I missed anyone in the follows, favs, or reviews just shout out at me in a review, or PM. :D
Guest reviews:
Prue: Thank you so much. I have been going back through old chapters and editing my mistakes. It's a work in process, but I'm getting it done slowly. If you catch anything feel free to tell me in a review, an extra pair of eyes never hurts. I'm glad that you are enjoying the story and how Elizabeth fits in. Thank you so much again for your review.
Guest 2: I've never seen them enforced except one time a few years back when they did a massive clean out, but don't worry. I have this story posted on AO3 so there will be the smut on there. ;) Thank you for the songs you recommended. Oh, Adele songs do fit Elizabeth and Thorin a lot, don't they? Hiding My Heart I would say is the best fit of them all. Thank you so much for your review, I hope you keep enjoying.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! GLAD YOU ALL LIKE THE FIC! :D
Inspired by the poem and song:
"Gasoline" by Hasley (Airspoken Cover)
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
"The King of the Woods"
The trailed ended, abruptly.
Elizabeth stared down at the forest floor with too wide eyes, and her throat bobbed. Fear dripped down her spine, and she looked all around her. "Damnit, no," she said, wiping the sweat off her brow. The only reason for the tracks to end was if the spiders had taken them into the tree tops, and that was a path that she couldn't follow. Despair twisted in her gut violently, Elizabeth's jaw clenched when a shadow crossed over above her. With a jolt, she bolted and pressed herself against the nearest tree while she sent her eyes skyward.
Hiss and sharp clicked came from the dark canopy above her. She squinted her eyes to find the bare traces of light above, and that's when she saw it. A shadow with eight legs moving towards the north. Hope swelled against the gloom churning inside of her, and she gripped Dawnbreaker tighter. "I'm coming. Please hang on. Just hang on," she whispered, underneath her breath as if somehow the dwarves would magically hear her and chased after the shadows only to be cut short by an arrow. "Just please, hang on."
It thudded into the tree mere inches in front of her face, and she whipped around only for her mouth to drop open in shock. "You," she breathed out.
The spiders were on them in moments, but this time they were prepared. Fili sliced the legs off one spider, while Kili shot an arrow straight into its skull. Dwalin used his axe to cut one clean in half while Nori jumped onto the back of another. Bombur who was still quite unconscious caught the eye of one spider and it scrambled over towards him. As it stood over him ready to have like a midday snack, Dori shouted, "Grab a leg!"
The dwarves nearby grabbed the spider's legs causing it to screech and squirm viciously. "Pull!" Gloin growled out, and they all pulled. The spider's legs came off with a series of pops, and its dismembered body landed right on top of Bombur.
Several feet away, oblivious to the chaos behind him Bilbo is searching desperately for his ring. The blistering panic pumped through his heart, and out through his limbs like a wildfire. His breath came in short and quick gasp as his fingers dug through the foliage. "Where is it? Where is it? Come on. Where is it?" Suddenly there was a light tug as his gut, and he paused with a peculiar look on his face. His head craned to look over his shoulder and he spots the golden band lying on the ground nearby.
His shoulder slumped with relief and he made to move towards the ring when a young, odd-looking spider emerges from a hidden niche just behind the ring. The spider's leg brushed against the ring, and Bilbo got angry. So angry that for a moment his world went black and the next moment, when everything came back into focus he stood of a hacked up spider carcass. His face twisted with disgust, and he sank to his knees while his hand reached out. His fingers grasped the ring like it was an anchor, but he stared down at the dark blood that coated Sting as a cold stone settled in his stomach. "Mine…" the words fell from his lips as the enormity of what he had just dawned on him, and he looked ill.
"Kili!" Fili shouted, as a spider grabbed onto the dark haired dwarf and started to haul him away. The hobbit's head jerked up to see the dwarves running off into the forest, and with ring in hand, Bilbo followed swiftly.
More spiders jumped down on threads of silk in front of the dwarves, hissing angrily that their meal had the gall to try and escape as well as slaughter a number of their brethren. Thorin raised his sword, a dark snarl on his face when he froze and his gaze shot upward.
A blond elf came rushing through the treetops, then swung down a spider's silk in order to land on top of it. With a dagger, the elf methodically killed the spider in a matter of seconds. He then slid down to the forest floor and in one moment almost too quick to catch with the naked eye, has his bow drawn and an arrow pointed straight at Thorin.
Thorin glared, darkly. His sword hand twitched, and the elf smirked. "Do not think I will not kill you, dwarf. It would be my pleasure," the elf stated, haughtily.
The dwarves were surrounded, and outnumbered by the Mirkwood elves who had arrows drawn on them all. Dwalin cursed in his native tongue under his breath, scowling heavily. Balin sighed, looking wearily resigned.
"Help!" Kili shouted. He kicked and fought as the spider threatened to pull away. His hands reached for his bow that had been dropped admits the struggle, but it was too far out of reach.
"Kili," Fili tried to go to his brother's aid only to be stopped by the elves. "He's my brother! Let me help him!" The blond dwarf growled, his expression fierce and his blue eyes blazing.
Before the dwarves could further express their outrage, a red headed elf raced through the treetops towards the shout. She killed three spiders with her bow and knife, then shot an arrow through the head of the one that had grabbed Kili. She landed on the forest floor only a few feet from Kili and turned to another spider behind her.
Kili scrambled to his feet only to see another spider rushing towards him. "Throw me your dagger!" He bid the elf, watching the spider's progress with wide dark eyes. "Quick!"
"If you think I'm giving you a weapon, dwarf, you're mistaken!" The red headed elf killed her spider with her dagger, then spun around throwing it with amazing precision and killed the spider that had been advancing upon Kili.
Kili looked between it and her, back and forth for several seconds with pure amazement on his face. Finally, he turned his gaze completely onto the female elf.
"Well…hello," Kili said, with a blink. A slow smile crossed his features as he stared up at the red head elf with some akin to awe upon his face. He had never seen an elf with such a striking hair color before, and this one was definitely more fair than others he had seen before. His heart thumped wildly in his chest, but the elf gave no reply to his greet other than her left brow ticking upward and a quick flash of amusement in her greenish hazel eyes.
She drew out an arrow and pointed it an him. "Move," she gestured with a tilt of her head towards the others were at a stand still.
Kili waited for some kind of outrage to spring up in his gut at being saved and then being clearly threatened, and yet nothing came. He allowed the female to escort him to the rest of the group, and immediately
"Search them," the blond elf ordered. The elves approached the dwarves and started searching them. An elf confiscated two of Fili's knives, and the blond elf pulled a picture frame with two pictures out of Gloin's pocket.
"Hey! Give it back! That's private!" Gloin snapped.
The blond elf's face twisted. "Who is this? Your brother?"
Gloin's cheeks turned red. "That is my wife!"
The elf looked at the other picture, which is of a dwarf child. "And what is this horrid creature? A goblin mutant?" He stated, with derision in his voice.
"That's my wee lad, Gimli," Gloin glared.
"Legolas!" A familiar voice shouted, over all the dwarves grumbling and the elves sharp words. Everyone stilled and went silent. There was a shuffling of feet, and the voice complained, "Legolas, where are you? Hey, hey! Stop! I am fine!"
Thorin straightened, shock written on his face as Elizabeth stepped through the group of elves and into the clearing. She dodged the hands of an elf that was clearly checking her injuries and keeping her back away from the group. Elizabeth brushed the leaves off of her cloak with an aggravated sigh and then she looked up to meet Thorin's eyes. A mixture of relief and exhaustion upon seeing him as well as a big smile spread across her face. She propelled herself towards him, and wrapped her arms around him with her face buried right into his chest. His arms came up, only halting for a moment before they wrapped around her.
"Elizabeth!"
"I told you the lass would be alright!"
"No, you didn't."
"Shut it!"
Thorin barely believed she stood in his arms. For days, he had agonized of what would be her fate trapped in a never ending nightmare, and even more so when they left her behind. Yet she was here, safe and alive. His chest swelled with an emotion too great to be named and pressed his lips to the crown of her forehead. He cared not what the eyes staring at them thought, too grateful in this moment that she was here in his arms. That once again his Company had all come through another disaster unscathed. His eyes flickered up to the elf named Legolas, and he thought darkly, For now, at least.
"I awoke and none of you were there. I thought I had lost you again. What is with you stubborn dwarves determined to turn me grey before my time?" She said, on a watery laugh. His clothes held a sharp hint of salt, and fine grant stone. She breathed it in, and allowed some of the tension seep from her muscles. For the first time she woke up, she felt warm and whole again. Reluctantly, she pulled back from the embrace and turned to pin a glare on Legolas. "That was unworthy of you, Legolas," Elizabeth scolded. "There is no need to antagonize Gloin in such a manner."
A split second of regret then it was gone was all that passed over the blond elf's features before he schooled them. He did not hand the locket back to Gloin much to Elizabeth's chagrin and made his way over to Tauriel. Elizabeth's lips pursed, but she turned back towards Thorin. Her eyes softened, and searched him from head to toe before they flickered across the rest of the company. "Are you all here? Are you all safe and whole?" She asked, worriedly.
"Aye, we are. How did you come to be with the elves?" Thorin questioned, his voice rough. His hands rested upon her shoulders, and his eyes traced the cuts along her face left by tree branches in her haste.
"After I awoke, I attempted to follow the spiders' trail, but they had taken you to the tree tops. I feared I could not follow when I spotted stranglers," Elizabeth explained, with a slight quirk of her lips. "I went to give chase only to be stopped by them. If Legolas had not been with them, I fear I would have been taken straight to Mirkwood's dungeons."
"You know this elf?" Thorin didn't look thrilled by that.
"Yes," Elizabeth breathed out. Her stomach twisted into knots and she watched his expression sour slightly. "When I was in Mirkwood all those years, we became friends. Out of all the things that could have found me in this forest, I am thankful it was him and not something else."
Thorin's lip thinned out, but he did not attack her for knowing these elves. A great improvement from his reaction at Rivendell, but then again, they had been through so much since then.
"Also Thorin, Legolas is…" Elizabeth hesitated, for all of a moment. But she couldn't allow him to find out some other way. "He's Thranduil's son."
That got a reaction out of Thorin. Any and all warmth drained from Thorin's face, and his blue eyes locked onto Legolas. His lips curled upward, and he started forward when Elizabeth pressed her hands to his chest to stop him. He looked down at her, his eyes ablaze and if she did not know him, she would certainly wilt under such a gaze. "I know that you harbor hatred in your heart for the King of the Woods," she whispered out, her right hand settled right above said heart and her thumb stroked the pattern on his armor, "but the Company, we are in a precarious position right now. I beg of you, do not make things worse."
"She is right, Thorin," Balin spoke up. "We need not make enemies of them if it can be avoided." He continued on quickly before Thorin could argue that the Mirkwood elves were already their enemies, "Elizabeth, do you think you can speak to them? Perhaps you could persuade them to…see reason?"
Elizabeth gnawed on her lower lip, her multicolored gaze flickered towards Legolas. "I shall try, but I have not seen Legolas in years. There is a coldness to him that was not there before," Elizabeth said, her expression greatly troubled.
Thorin grunted underneath his breath. His dislike for the elves evident on his face, especially that of Legolas. He did not know which he disliked more; the fact that he was Thranduil's heir or the fact that Elizabeth would call him a friend. With a great breath, he refocused his attention back on the woman in front of him. His slid his hand down her arms away from her shoulders, until her hands were clasped in his. "Whatever our fates shall be, I am truly glad that you have returned to us," he told her, seriously.
Two warm spots appeared on her cheeks. "Again," Elizabeth commented, wryly.
"Again," Thorin repeated, with a faint smile. It fell when Legolas approached them, Orcist in hand.
"Where did you get this?" Legolas demanded. Not asked, demanded.
Elizabeth looked like she was cuff his ear if she could get close enough without getting an arrow in the face. She was not oblivious to the bow pointed in her direction.
"It was given to me." Was Thorin's short and not-sweet-at-all reply. If his eyes could burn people, the elf before he would be nothing, but ash on the forest floor.
Legolas's expression twisted, and he pointed the sword at Thorin. The dwarf stared unflinching up at the elf, and the Prince of Mirkwood's eyes narrowed. "Not just a thief, but a liar as well."
"He's no thief and he does not lie, Legolas. The sword is his. He has my Ada's blessing to use it as he sees fit," Elizabeth, with a tired and exasperated tone. Her friend had chosen quite the day to make an ass of himself, she thought stifling a suffering sigh. "He is not your enemy. None of this posturing is necessary."
Legolas lowered the sword gracefully, his elegant stance never faltered as he pinned Elizabeth with his bright, blue eyes. "Forgive me, mellonin, if I respectfully disagree," Legolas stated, aloofly.
Elizabeth was strongly reminded of his father in that moment, but did not say so. Instead, she clenched and unclenched her fists at her sides. "Legolas, what do you intend to do with us?" She had to ask, though she feared the answer.
"It is not up to me to decide your fate. That judgment is to be done by the King," Legolas stated, not batting an eye when his announce sent the nearby dwarves into an uproar. "Bind their hands. You scout ahead, and inform the king of our guests."
If the dwarves reacted badly to their weapons taken away, they reacted worse when their hands were bound by elven rope which was nigh impossible to undo unless one knew how. Tauriel made to pass Elizabeth over when she stopped the red headed elf. "If you are to bind them," Elizabeth said, her steady gaze bore into Tauriel's, "then you are to bind mine. I am not different than they, and I will not be treated any different."
Tauriel froze as still as statue for a split second before she inclined her head in an small nod. Taking rope from a nearby elf, she secured it around Elizabeth's hands. "I wish your return to these woods had turned out differently, mellonin," Tauriel whispered out, regretfully.
"As do I," Elizabeth replied, softly. The Captain of the Guard walked away, her footsteps as silent as the grave and that's when Elizabeth noticed something off. "Thorin…where's Bilbo?" She asked, keeping her voice as a light as a feather for the ears of elves were keen, indeed. In the midst of the elves taking away the dwarves' weapons, she had thought she had easily missed the hobbit. Yet as they were forced into a neat line, there was still no sign of the hobbit.
Thorin stiffened, and swept a glance all around them. "He was with us only moments ago. If he is half as smart as I believe him to be, he will stay hidden," he spoke out of the corner of his mouth, a glare fixated on the back of that pointy eared son of Thranduil's.
Elizabeth didn't look reassured. She had no doubt that Bilbo could take care of himself, but she didn't not wish to leave him behind. She also did not wish for him to be bound like the rest of them, either. So against her better instincts, Elizabeth bit the inside of her cheek and continued onward.
"So, uh, lass," Bofur asked, from somewhere behind her as they were led to the path and escorted through the Woodland Realm. "Since you know the ways of fairer folk then we…on a scale from dungeon to execution, where of you think we stand?"
One of the elven archers made a choking noise only to be silence by a sharp look from Legolas.
"Hopefully neither," Elizabeth said, her brows furrowed.
"You have trespassed. Surely you do not think yourself above reproach for such a transgression," Legolas stated, his tone careful and even.
"Trespassing?" Dwalin scoffed. "What a load of cobs wash."
Elizabeth silently agreed. "Forgive me, for I assumed the road through these woods were still open to travelers. Unless that has changed?" She looked at her old friend, with a deep frown.
"Much has changed," Legolas replied, shortly. "More than you know."
And that was the extent of the conversation for Legolas went silent, and the dwarves made no further efforts on their part to inquire of their fates as right then.
Bilbo had slid on the ring as soon as he heard angry shouts from the company. Despair swelled up in his heart as he wondered what enemy did they face now. More spiders? Or something new? Imagine his shock when he saw elves surrounding the Company with arrows drawn and with the intent of taking them all prisoner. It was obvious that these elves would not be anything like the ones at Rivendell, and that worried Bilbo greatly.
Part of him wanted to do something. Anything. But he was no match for an elf's arrow. He either be dead or wounded if he miraculously appeared from thin air. It would only serve to make the situation worse. His ears perked up when he heard his name, and his eyes flickered over. His heart leapt up in his throat. "Eli…" He clapped his hands over his mouth for the ears of elves were quite astute, and he did not wish to be discovered. It was strange in this grey and colorless world that the ring thrust him into each time he put it on, Elizabeth's multicolored eyes shined like a beacon of swirling, mysterious light. But that was something he had to ponder until later for the elves were ushering the Company through the woods.
And he most certainly did not want to be left behind.
The kingdom was just as impressive as Elizabeth last saw it, yet the elves did not linger about for long. They scurried around like ants seeking shelter from an oncoming storm and there was a heavy weight in the air. They grieved the woods, Elizabeth realized, humbly. Their home overrun by spiders and blackness that was not so easily pushed out. She wanted to ask Legolas why Thranduil had not sent for aid when they clearly so desperately needed it. The frown on her face deepened, and her eye glanced from elf to elf as if she could derive something from their aloof expressions.
"I have a bad feeling about this," she whispered to Thorin. "I mean, I already had a bad feeling about the forest, but now it is exceedingly worse."
"We will not let harm befall you," Thorin assured her.
"It's not me that I am worried that harm might befall," she said, with a meaningful look at him out of the corner of her eye.
They passed through the grand wooden doors that stood impossibly tall with carvings of elves that stood as silent guardians and warning for those who dared to enter. They closed with a loud sound that sent a shiver down her spine like a bolt of lightning, and she let out a deep breath. Her eyes traced the wooden pathways before them, and her gut twisted uneasily. She could remember how easily it had been to get lost here, and her throat bobbed slightly.
"Legebriril. Coldur," Legolas greeted the two approaching guards. "I trust that the scout I sent ahead has informed my father of our…guests," he said, with a slight sneer in his voice.
Thorin gave him a snarl, while Elizabeth gave him a reproachful look. Tauriel's expression was mute, but her eyes flickered with disapproval at the thinly veiled insult.
"He has been made aware of their presences in his woods, as well as Lady Aldanniel's. The King says the dwarves are to be held in the dungeon until such a time he can pass judgment on their transgression while he requests that the Lady be separated from the prisoners," Coldur spoke in common, a small courtesy to those who did not speak their native tongue. It was likely the only courtesy they were to receive by the looks of things.
"No," Thorin said, his voice echoed after Elizabeth's very own. His blue eyes blazed at the guards that approached, and he felt Elizabeth tense at his side.
"I am part of their Company. My fate shall be as theirs," Elizabeth stated, her angry eyes twisted upon Legolas who stood as still as a statue.
Legolas's eyes flickered between the two guards for a moment, and he looked as if may offer protest. Yet the urge visible dies from his eyes, and he sets his shoulders in a stiff line. "As the King commands," he inclined his head, and moved aside to allow the guards to start towards Elizabeth.
Elizabeth bristled, panic burning whitehot in her veins. Her nightmare of being alone and abandoned still fresh within her mind. She did not want to be parted from the dwarves. Not after everything. Her lungs coiled tighter and tighter, twisting inside her chest within ever step the guards took. It was like a beast had been unleashed inside of her that she could not contain, and as steel like hands seized her arms, she fought viciously against them. With an angry noise like a panther, she elbowed one right in the stomach and stomped on the other's foot.
Elizabeth stumbled back, away from them when another elven guard lunged forward after the assault and struck her across the temple with the butt of his blade. Her skull throbbed, and the world tilted. She crumpled to her knees with a sharp hiss through her teeth as black dots danced through her vision. That had been an unsuspected shock, and a wave of nausea rolled through her stomach. With the ringing in her ear, she barely made out the company's shout nor Legolas sharp reprimand to the guard.
Thorin knelt down beside her. He placed his hands upon her shoulder as best as he could with them bond, and Elizabeth raised her head. "And you tell me not to get into trouble," he said, his voice pitched low. The look of his blue eyes was one torn between approval and disapproval.
"I…I…panicked," Elizabeth breathed out. Her eyes were big on her face as she stared up at him with shallow breaths. "I don't…want to be separated…" It felt claws tearing into her throat stealing away her voice, and a coldness swept over her. Just like in the horrible never ending nightmare.
Understanding softened Thorin's features, and his hand tightened on her shoulder comfortingly. It was not a comfort meant to last for guards seized Thorin, and hauled him back. A spilt second later, Elizabeth was pulled to her feet and she had to swallow the trepidation that burned up the back of her throat like bile.
"Do not fight," Tauriel whispered to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth's expression cracked. She wanted to tell Tauriel that was an impossibility. That was telling a fish not to swim, or a bird not to fly. She was a fighter at heart, and she clenched her jaw. "Thorin…" She whispered out, her eyes catching his and she didn't know what look was on her face, but Thorin made to step towards her only to a blade placed at his throat. He glowered at the elf, his hands clenched into tight fists. There was a long hot moment where no one moved, and then Legolas snapped out an order in elvish.
Thorin and the dwarves were led one way.
Elizabeth was led another with Tauriel by her side, but even that was not enough to stop her heart from sinking in her chest. She had found them again, only to be separated once more.
Bilbo felt strange.
This was the longest he had ever been with the ring on, and his finger ached. Ice seemed to burn outward from the ring, bordering on painful yet he knew he could not tear it off if he wished not to be discovered by the elven that marched about. He had lost sight of Thorin and the others after they had been escorted into the King's Hall, so he ducked down the hallway in which he saw them lead Elizabeth down.
His teeth gritted together as he had to pull back, and press himself against the wall when two servants came rushing by as if they had an orc pack behind them. He held his breath until they were out of sight, and shook his head lightly. Once this whole business with the dragon was over, Bilbo was never use the ring again nor would he be sneaking about like a thief in the night. No, he certainly would not.
Tauriel watched with a calm eyes as the furious woman paced the length of the room. She had refused all comforts offered, and all but snarled at anyone who glanced at her wrongly. "I had forgotten how tenacious you were," the red headed elf observed. She had sent away the servants for they had only increased Elizabeth's ire. "Especially once you had made up your mind."
"I don't need a healer. I don't need a bath. I don't need a change of clothes. I need to see Thorin and the others," Elizabeth stated, her tone dark and her expression flat as she paced the room like a hunger tiger paced inside of a cage. "They do not deserve to be treated as if they were common criminals. We sought nothing more than to get through this forest unharmed. Nothing more."
"Nothing more?" Tauriel repeated, her head tilted to the side.
Elizabeth faltered in step for a split second. There was more to it than merely getting through forest. An entire mountain more than what the elves knew, but it was not her place to speak of it. "Nothing more than that concerns Mirkwood or its King," she settled for a half truth, and continued her pacing. Her lips were pulled into a thin line, and her brows were knotted together with worry. Her stomach was twisting into knots, and the throbbing ache increased in her skull.
"You are not well," Tauriel stated. "Perhaps a healer…"
"It is nothing. Just some aches. I suppose that if it my own fault for being blighted by the forest water," Elizabeth admitted, her cheeks turned red with embarrassment as she rubbed her temples. An amateur move by a veteran adventure as herself, but she hadn't been thinking in the moment. She had seen a friend in trouble, and leapt without looking as the saying goes.
"You drink from the river?" Tauriel visibly paled.
"No. It wasn't…like that. Beorn warned us not to drink from it, so we did not. Unfortunately, when we went to cross by boat a deer startled Bombur. He fell in, and I fell in after. But w-we have both awaken, and are better now," Elizabeth stated, her words came out slowly as she shot Tauriel a look of consideration. "Unless you mean to say that there is more to than that?"
Tauriel lips pursed together. "Before we knew of the water contamination, several of our scouts fell ill from it. Even after they had awoke from their cursed slumber, some were still stricken by fever and sickness." She hesitated for a split second before she added, "Some…did not make it."
Elizabeth's expression softened, and she turned sorrowful eyes upon her friend. "Tauriel, I'm sorry," she said, quietly. "If I had known I would have been here."
"I do not think it is in your power to cure these woods, mellonin," Tauriel said, with a sad twist of her lips. "But I appreciate the thought nonetheless." She straightened her spine, and composed herself with a breath. "While you are set against seeking a healer, would you still like me to have one check on the dwarf you spoke of? Bomfur?"
"Bombur," Elizabeth corrected, gently. She did not feel feverish. Weaken considerably, yes, but not ill. "I could not speculate on his health. He was not his usual self when we were being brought here, but that could have been…the recent company," she said, lightly and underneath her breath.
Tauriel's amusement glittered in her eyes as she smothered a smile. "Indeed. I suppose being taken prisoner does not elevate one's mood, but I shall have the healers check on him nonetheless."
A grateful smile split Elizabeth's face. "Thank you, Tauriel. I appreciate it," she told her, sincerely.
The doors to the room opened with a great groan, and in strode the Prince of the Woodland Realm. His face was grim, but the expression died away at the sight of both of them. In this moment, he looked like the jovial elf that she remembered from all those years ago.
"Legolas," Elizabeth greeted, warily.
"Elizabeth," Legolas allowed a smile. "I see that you've sent the servants flee from your anger. It's quite an impressive feat. I had thought my father the only one capable of sending them fleeing for the hills."
"What gave it away?" Elizabeth said, sarcastically. "The sour look on my face? Or the fact that you've imprisoned my friends?"
"Elizabeth, I understand your worry, but my father is a fair king," Legolas said, his smile slipped into a frown. His blue eyes grew solemn as he stared down his friend. "What judgment he will render will fit the severity of the crime."
"There was no crime," Elizabeth reiterated, firmly. Her voice took a shrill quality that reminded her too much of Lobelia for her liking, and she cleared her throat roughly. "The dwarves…are they being treated as I am? Or…" She trailed off, sending the two elves a helpless look.
"The King has ordered them to the dungeons after he spoke with them as a whole. It is his hope that if they are separated that they might be more…receptive to speaking about their purpose here in the woods," Legolas revealed, his voice stiff.
"There was no purpose other than to follow the path through them," Elizabeth stated, vehemently. "They are not thieves, or plunderers! We simply got turnabout and lost. We had no intention of…" She stopped and took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself. She clenched and unclenched her fists before she met Legolas's gaze. "Legolas, we were merely travelers. We just wanted to get through the forest. We had no intention of even coming near this place."
"It is not my place to decide that, Elizabeth," Legolas stated, tersely. "It is my father's."
"Which means he's already condemned them." Elizabeth felt sick, and she sat down weakly in the nearby chair. For several moment, she stared out at the bright walls before she drew in a solemn breath. "Legolas…" Elizabeth became very serious, her expression falling and she could not hide the worry on her face. "What will happen to Thorin? To the others? Your father cannot be serious in his decision to keep the here until they comply or until…" Her voice trailed off when Legolas's expression became ice cold.
"I have little sympathy for dwarves, Elizabeth," Legolas stated, harshly. "They are blinded by their greed, and hold little regard for others."
Elizabeth felt a ripple of indignation rush through her, and pursed her lips into a hard line. She did not wish to fight with her friend, but she also could not let the slight against the dwarves go unanswered. "And the elves are without their faults?" Elizabeth countered, her voice even.
"That is not what he said," Tauriel sighed.
"No, but it was implied." Elizabeth stated, her voice toneless as she pinned the Mirkwood Prince with a stony look. "I will not deny that dwarves are capable of greed, but it is not all that they are. Just like the elves are capable of great wisdom, but at times are short sighted," Elizabeth said, with a light sigh. "We all have flaws that we bear, but they are not all that we are or all that we will be. We are more than our flaws, and these dwarves are not dwarves filled with greed, Legolas. They are filled with pain. If you knew them—truly knew them—then you would see that they are filled with such sorrow, and longing for somewhere to belong. One would think that in this ever changing world, that you who stands still against time, would understand that just a little bit."
Legolas gave her piercing stare, and he clenched his jaw before he stormed out of the room. Elizabeth watched the door shut behind him, and she closed her eyes running her fingers through her hair. "I didn't mean…" she began, her heart heavy with guilt at lashing out at him like that.
"I know and so does Legolas," Tauriel stated, compassionately. The female elf tilted her head and studied Elizabeth for a long silent moment. "Forgive him, Aldanniel. His heart has been most troubled with the shadow that lingers over our home, as we all are. We were unprepared for any travelers to be in the woods, let alone dwarves of all things." Tauriel's warm emerald eyes flickered with sympathy. "In his heart, Legolas knows that you speak truth, but his head is most stubborn in following. He will come to see reason."
"He might," Elizabeth agreed, gravely. "Will the King?"
Uncertainty flashed across Tauriel's stoic features just long enough for Elizabeth to catch it, and her heart sank into her chest. No, she thought with despair. It cannot end like this. After all, we have lived through. Surely it hasn't be for naught.
"The King has his pride. He would not accept aid so easily," Tauriel stated, simply. "It is not my place to question."
"If not yours and Legolas's then whose?" Elizabeth asked, her voice filled with defeat. "You two are the closest out of the Woodland realm to him. If it is not your place to question him, or his choices then whose place is it? Tell me, whose is it?" Her voice so loud that it echoed off the walls.
Tauriel didn't say anything, for what could she say? The red headed elf stood there hands clasped in front of her as Elizabeth placed a hand over her mouth, stunned by the greatness of her anger.
"Forgive me, my friend," Elizabeth whispered out. "My anger is not meant at you. Only at the injustice that the Company goes through."
Tauriel paused then ventured, "You care for them as if they are your own."
"They are," Elizabeth admitted, easily. "In my heart, they are. I would fight to the death for them, Tauriel. I can't stand being in this room, with elves trying to care for me and keep me in this decorative prison cell while they are down there in room not fit enough to keep an animal in." Unclenching her jaw, she allowed a deep breath and she looked over at Tauriel for a long silent moment. "Here I am raging and screaming and I haven't stopped to tell you… how sorry I am for what has happened to your home, Tauriel. I cannot imagine what it was like to have to endure that. If any of us had known, we would have come to your aid without question."
"I know you would." Tauriel smiled, slightly. "I wish that I could stay with you my friend, but I have duties I need to return to, so I shall leave you for the time being," Tauriel whispered, regretfully. "Please do not spend your time idle, Elizabeth. It is easier to put the dwarves down there in the dungeon than you. The dwarves have not been recognized as a Kingdom for a long time, and with their history with the King, I doubt he will be willing to hear them truly out. However, while Lord Elrond may not have a lofty title as a King, in the ways of the ancients his place is higher than that of Thranduil's. The King knows better than to put you, Elrond's daughter in all but blood, into a dungeon. You are not as helpless as you think. Have the servants draw you a bath, eat and change clothes. Take care of yourself, Elizabeth. If you do not then who will be strong and able to take care of your dwarves? Hmm?"
As the doors closed upon the red head, Elizabeth sighed heavily. Tauriel did have a point. Her mind raced with the new possibilities that opened up before her and she nodded absentmindedly to herself. She would get cleaned up, and then call for an audience with the king. She knew that Thranduil would likely leave her to stew, prolonging the uncertainty of their situation as long as he could, but she knew he would eventually grant it. It was the eventually part that had her most anxious. Thranduil had eternity so his idea of eventually greatly differed from hers and the dwarves. Chewing on her lower lip, she heard a familiar curse from behind her and whipped around.
She turned and saw the chair moved as if it were shoved by nothing. Elizabeth felt shock rush down her spine, and her hair stand on end as she reached for her bow only to remember they had been taken from her shortly after she was tossed into this room. The irony that she once found solace in this place that was hers those months in Mirkwood was now her prison was not lost on her. "What the hell…" Her voice broke off when a hobbit appeared from thin air.
"Bilbo!" Elizabeth gaped, mystified as Bilbo appeared from thin air. "Wha…? How?" She faltered, as she could not figure out what to say. It was not everyday that hobbits magically appeared.
"Hobbit tricks," Bilbo replied, quickly and without thought.
Elizabeth eyes narrowed slightly. "I have been around hobbits for a long time and I have never seen such tricks. You must have hidden them well," she said, slowly. She was certain that there was more to what Bilbo was saying, but she gave a shake of her head. "But that surprisingly—and that says a great deal because you apparently can become invisible—is not my biggest concern right now. How are you? Are you well? The spider—"
"I killed them. Most of them, I think," Bilbo said, rather breathless. His brow was so furrowed that it appeared that his eyebrows were trying to become one creatures. "My sword is named Sting. I named it Sting, after killing the spiders."
"That's a good name," Elizabeth said, with a flash of a proud grin. She always knew Bilbo was made of sterner stuff than others gave him credit for.
"Thank you," Bilbo said, faintly. "But…but that's not what I came in here to tell you. I saw the dwarves they were taken into the meeting with the King, but from the way the elf, Legolas spoke it did not go well."
"I think that's a bit of understatement," Elizabeth said, with a wince. She could barely imagine how the dwarves reacted in the King's presences. The man who turned his back while Erebor burned, she could hear the insult right off of Thorin's tongue as if surely stood beside her. She swallowed thickly. "King Thranduil cannot keep us here. It is the First born's duty to offer safe harbor for those who travel the world and especially those who cross through their realm. He cannot keep us here without charge."
Bilbo's eyes darkened, lost in his thoughts. "What if I use the ring?" He asked, suddenly. He held the golden little band for a split second for Elizabeth to see before he cradled in back into the safety of his palm.
"Use the ring?" Elizabeth tilted her head.
"It's…what makes me invisible," Bilbo explained. "I could use it to find the others, and maybe even find a way out. I could endure the strange feeling it gives me…" His mouth clapped shut, as if his body had realized he had said something he shouldn't have.
"Makes you feel strange? Feel strange how?" Elizabeth asked, alarmed. A mysterious ring that he hadn't told anyone about? And it made him feel strange? The fear that prickled at her scalp at the sight of the ring increased.
Bilbo for a moment wished he hadn't said anything, then sighed. "Cold. It makes me feel cold, and like I have my head underneath the water," Bilbo said, his eyes distant as he recalled the feeling. "Like the world is around me, but so far away at the same time."
"That does not sound like a good thing, no matter how useful invisibility is. Perhaps it is best if you don't use it," Elizabeth said, softly. She did not like the sound of that. After all, Gandalf himself said there were more to magical items than what they appeared. "We could find another way."
"I have to use it," Bilbo said, vehemently. He felt a bit angry that Elizabeth couldn't see how vital the ring was to escaping this place. "Unless you have a better way for us to get out of here unseen?"
Elizabeth faltered. Her expression falling, and she reached upward tunneling her fingers through her hair. "Perhaps you are right. Perhaps it may be the only way, but allow me one thing before we try out this plan of yours?"
"Anything," Bilbo said.
Elizabeth gave him a quick smile. "Allow me a few days to seek an audience with the King. Mayhap I can speak with and show him that we meant his woods no harm and he will let us go."
"You think he will see you?" Bilbo frowned. It was a sensible plan. A lot safer than trying to escape right out underneath the elven king's nose.
"He will, eventually. My status does grant me a certain leverage that Thorin's will not," she said, softly. "I just hope it is enough to make Thranduil see reason."
"And if the King waits too long? What then?" Bilbo asked.
"Then we do your plan," Elizabeth said, reasonably.
The hobbit shifted from foot to foot, debating for several moments before he nodded. "Very well. We will wait and see if the King will see you. In the meantime, I will try to see if I can locate the dungeons and perhaps the dwarves weapons as well."
A day had passed, but to the dwarves it was just the beginning of a long haul. Thorin stubbornly refused the King's offer, and Balin had been moved from his adjoining cell. It was obvious to the dwarves that this was a tact in intimidation. That each day that Thorin refused that they would be more farther away the others would be put away from him.
A second day had come to pass, and the deal was offered again. True to what Balin had predicted, the rest of the Company was moved to the other side of the dungeon. The next time he refused, Thorin had been threatened with being taken down to the deepest level of the dungeon and left there to root in the darkness. "I do not fear the darkness, nor your king," Thorin had spat at the Prince of Mirkwood and had turned his back on the elf in dismissal.
It was on third day that Tauriel entered the dungeons alongside of Legolas and a guard, Tamlen. Legolas came down to ask Thorin the same question as he did the day before, and Tauriel because she heard worrying news about the red headed dwarf, Bombur. Tauriel had bid the guards to keep an eye on his condition, and heard that he had been sickly the previous night only to grow worse upon daybreak.
Tamlen opened the cell door, and Tauriel stepped inside.
Kili perked up despite himself, and got to his feet. His thoughts had been more consumed with the red head elf than was probably a good thing. "If it isn't my dazzling savoir from the woods. Are you here to help me get out of the place? Or just to search me again?" Kili asked, with a wicked smirk. He could not resist the urge to be cheeky when she was in front of him. "You know, I could have anything down my trousers."
Tauriel's eyebrow ticked upward. The edge of her mouth ticked upward in amusement at his gall before she could help herself. "Or nothing," she countered, smoothly. She then brushed past him, and towards Bombur who laid upon the floor. He was shaking and shivering. She examined him with a frown, and placed her hand upon his forehead. He was burning with fever. "Tamlen, have the healers check on this one every two hours. Instead of bread, bring him warm broth and an extra blanket."
"Why?" Tamlen snorted, his lip curled upward in a sneer. "Is it diseased? Would it not be better to put it out of its misery?"
"What's going on? Do you know what's wrong with Bombur?" Kili questioned, his previous humor evaporated in an instant. His dark serious were locked onto Tauriel, and if it were not for the other elf, he would have made to move towards her side.
Tauriel gave Tamlen a sharp look that promised a harsh reprimand if he spoke out of turn again, and did not do as he was told before she allowed her gaze to fall on Kili. "He has taken ill from the forest water, but he is in a state of limbo. Awaking is a great stride towards recovery, but he is not quite out of the woods just yet."
"Is that a pun?" Kili frowned. "Did you just make a pun? Didn't know elves could do that."
Tauriel rose gracefully off the ground with a soundless laugh. "From what I gather, dwarf, there is a great deal you don't know about what elves can do," she said, sliding past him and out the cell without a look back. Tamlen haughtily slammed the cell door shut as Tauriel made her way to where Legolas stood.
"I Nogoth amman e tîr gin, Tauriel?" Legolas frowned, slightly when he saw the smile that Kili sent Tauriel through the cell bars. Why does the dwarf stare at you, Tauriel?
Tauriel glanced back in time to catch the smile, and did not understand why the dwarf was looking at her so. It made her feel slightly uncomfortable, and her cheeks felt flush. "Údangada?" Who can say?
"Perhaps he is taken with you. I've heard dwarves admire prowess in battle, and you did save him from being a spider's brunch," Legolas arched a brow, looking faintly disgusted by the thought.
Tauriel narrowed her eyes. "Your glibness does you no credit," she told him, flatly as the burning in her cheeks increased tenfold. "What of the dwarves' leader? Has he yet agreed to King Thranduil's terms?"
Legolas snorted, softly. "No. He remains most stubborn much to my father's vexation," he stated, quietly. "My father believes the dwarves seek out to reclaim Erebor. A fool's quest with nothing more than dragon's fire at the end of it."
Tauriel cocked her head to the side. "I suppose that is why Elizabeth feels so strongly for them. She knows the pain of losing her home, and being without a place in the world," the red headed commented, softly. "Do you believe your father is right?"
Legolas nodded. "Perhaps, even more than we know," he told her, quietly before he swept around on his heel and strode up the stairs.
Tauriel watched him until he was out of sight, before she felt the unease sense of being watched cause the hair on the nape of her neck to stand on end. She glanced back at the dwarf, Kili's cell, but he was not staring at her any longer. She glanced around until her eyes fell upon two glaring blue eyes. It was the dwarves leader.
Tauriel raised her chin slightly, before she turned her back on him and walked up the stairs after her kin.
Thorin watched with a dark look as the elves left the dungeon. His jaw was clenched so hard that his teeth had gone numb inside of his mouth, and he wished he could see the members of his company. As long as he had them in his eyesight he was assured that they were safe and sound, but this was his punishment for bowing to Thranduil's wishes. His Company locked in a dungeon, Bilbo missing, and Elizabeth far away from them. He imagined Elizabeth was no better than he, pacing and filled with worry. Her stricken expression as she was forced away from the Company was engraved into his mind. Every time he thought of it, his anger burned brighter and hotter than before. He ran a hand across his jaw, muttering darkly to himself about what he would do once he was free from this place when he heard Bilbo's voice call out to him.
"Thorin," it was a barely a whisper, but it was unmistakably the hobbit's voice.
"Bilb—" Thorin turned at the sound of the hobbit's voice, but he saw nothing. He stared for a long moment, his expression twisted with confusion and suspicion. He took several deep breaths before he turned his back on the cell door, with a shake of his head.
"Thorin." The frantic whisper came again.
Thorin narrowed his eyes, and his teeth clenched together. No, he was not going mad. He could not be. It would take more than three days in a prison cell to cause his mind to slip. "Begone spirit or illusion, what ever you may be. I will not waste my time on elfish tricks, they will not break me. You waste your time."
"I'm not an illusion nor I am some elf spirit! Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves," Bilbo's voice was filled frustration. There was a huff, and then suddenly Bilbo appeared as if by magic.
"Bilbo," Thorin breathed out. Shock rippled through him, and he took a great stride until he was leaning against the cell door. "It truly is you."
"It is me," Bilbo agreed, with a sheepish look. "Sorry. I would have shown myself earlier, but…I could not risk being caught. You would not believe how long it to find my way down here."
Thorin shook his head, an expression of awe on his usually stoic face. "Will wonders never cease? When I think that I know all there is to know about hobbits," Thorin spoke, his You are full of surprises, my dear friend."
"Lucky for you," Bilbo said, cheekily.
A small laugh escaped Thorin. "Lucky for us," he agreed, tiredly. "Have you seen Elizabeth? Is she well?" Thorin inquired, his hands tightening around the bars of his cell.
"She is not in the dungeon. Thranduil has her imprisoned in the wing of the castle reserved for guest, but he has guards stations almost daily outside her door," Bilbo informed him, after he cast a wary glance over his shoulder. "She has requested to be brought forth in front of Thranduil. She hopes to reason with him."
"A foolish hope," Thorin muttered, darkly. "Thranduil will not see reason. He has his own motivations to keep us here in these dungeons, and no matter how great Elizabeth is at the using her honeyed words of persuasion, I do not think the King's mind will be swayed."
"Those are my thoughts as well," the hobbit nodded. "So if should Elizabeth's efforts fail, I will use my magic trick and uh, find us a way out."
A great weight lifted just a margin off Thorin's chest. "Then there is still hope," he breathed out. A great slamming of doors echoed through the dungeon chamber, and the hobbit shared a look with Thorin. "Disappear. Quickly," Thorin ordered, underneath his breath.
Bilbo nodded, and pulled back from the cell. He slipped the ring on his finger and disappeared from sight just as the guards came around the corner. The hobbit watched as they opened Thorin's cell door, and pulled the dwarf roughly out. He held his breath tightly in his throat, and he watched for them to pass before he silently followed behind them.
Elizabeth made herself presentable as she could. Her hair was pulled back in a simple braid that hung down half way down her spine, and she was dress in a flowing blue dress rather than her armor. She looked the image of the lady that her Ada wished her to be, but she could no conceal the dark circles beneath her eyes that told of countless sleepless hours spent filled with worry. Bilbo stayed with her as long as he could, but even he could not drive away the nightmares. The forest still had a hold her, and it was not letting go. With a deep breath, she held her head high as she was brought into the throne room, and stood there with her hands clasped delicate in front of her after the guards were dismissed. She could not fight the anxious that crept along her skin like needles through a patch of cloth, and her heart felt like a hummingbird inside her chest as she stared up at the King of the Woods.
He sat upon the throne like some lone and ethereal being with a crown made of red leaves and berries resting upon his head. Strands of golden, so bright, that they almost appeared snow white graceful fell down around his waist. His skin and smooth, flawlessly pale and his expression was regal and aloof. He glowed as if he held some kind of inner light like all elves had, but his was brighter than most elves and yet was nothing compared to that of Lady Galadriel. His eyes were as blue and clear as the crisp morning sky, but the look was detached and distance. Thranduil was beautiful, but his was a cold beauty. Haughty and unattainable. "Lady Aldanniel," his words rolled off his tongue as smooth as silk, and his voice had a rich, deep quality to it. "My, my, what a surprise to have you once again grace these halls. Even more so to find you in the company of dwarves."
"Your majesty," Elizabeth kept her manners about her as she gave a bow, even though she felt an indignant anger at the obvious mistreatment of her friends. She had to keep her temper about her, and not allow him to see it. "Your halls are just as breathtaking as I remember however I wish the circumstances in which I have returned had been more ideal."
The weight of his gaze sent an unpleasant shiver up her spine, and the King of Mirkwood did not address her right away. The longer the silence drew onward, the more Elizabeth's nerves grew. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke. "And why have you asked to be brought before me?" His words rolled of his tongue as smooth as silk, and his voice had a rich, deep quality to it.
She drew in a slow breath before raising her gaze to the King's, not willing to quell underneath his unnerving stare. "I humbly request to see them," Elizabeth requested, lightly.
"Them?" Thranduil arched a brow.
"Thorin and the others," she clarified, though Thranduil knew exactly who she was talking about. He merely wished to hear her say, perhaps for his amusement, but she would confess to not knowing how the elf king's mind worked. "They are my companions. Your guards separated me from them when we first crossed into the city. I merely wish to speak to them, and ascertain their wellbeing with my own eyes."
Thranduil hummed underneath his breath while his long, elegant fingers graceful accepted the glass of wine poured by a servant. While tasting it and finding it satisfying, he waved the servant away before he turned towards Elizabeth. "You care deeply for these dwarves," Thranduil commented, casually. His tone was mild, and uninterested as he regarded her with the same kind of curiosity one had for ant just before it was to be squashed. It was a remarkable façade the Elven King had created, and Elizabeth wondered how long it took him to perfect it.
"How can I not? I've traveled with them for miles, and have gotten to know them as well as my own kin. I have fought and bleed beside them, and they are good people. They have good hearts," Elizabeth said, her gaze holding his even though her skin crawled with discomfort. Thranduil's eyes were always piercing as if he could see straight into a person's soul and was weighing its value.
"I have seen that good hearts, more often than not, succumb corruption and darkness," the Elven King stated, offhandedly.
Elizabeth's hands clenched tightly at her sides. She was no fool. She knew that Thranduil intended on sowing the seeds of mistrust to either gain her loyalty enough to loosen her tongue, or to cause her to doubt her friends. Thranduil might be a good king, but there times that were times that he fell short of being a good person. There was a tremble along her jaw, but other than her expression gave away nothing. "I suppose that you would know of such corruption better than most," she replied, a faint twitch of her lips and a sardonic tone to her voice.
Thranduil paused for only a second, just a second where his blue eyes flickered towards her. "Come now, Thane of Rivdendell, surely there is no reason to trade such barbs," Thranduil stated, slowly. He rose from his throne in one fluid movement, and walked soundless down the stairs. Each movement a thing of beauty and grace. "Let us reason together. It would be a regrettable waste to have this entire journey to be for naught, now wouldn't it? Such a valiant effort made in vain all because of a simple misunderstanding."
Elizabeth felt the knots in her stomach grow worse. "And what misunderstanding was that? The dwarves' folly in putting their faith in elves, and hoping that for once that might receive aid? Or that your elves captured us for no other reason than they are dwarves?" She asked, fighting to keep her voice even. She did not know if Thranduil knew of their true purpose of reaching the Lonely Mountain, but she would not betray the dwarves by telling him.
"You are so willful," Thranduil stated, and the tone in his voice implied that was not a compliment. He stood before her not even a foot away, and towered over her with his head cocked to the side, curiously. "Even now, you are bold, in the presence of a king. Not many would have the nerve to openly show such defiance. I am not sure if its foolishness, or bravery that spurs you onward, but…it is of no consequence. Bravery or otherwise will not help your cause. I know why Thorin Oakenshield and his rabble have entered my domain."
Elizabeth pursed her lips together, her furrowed brow the only give away of her worry, but it was enough as a triumphant smirk crossed Thranduil's lips. "In an effort to return to a distance Lonely Mountain, to reclaim a lost homeland even if means facing the wrath of a dragon," he continued, his voice tone took on a mocking quality to it.
Elizabeth continued to keep her silence, even though she felt it was a damning kind. Thranduil spared her another look, a trace of smugness on his aloof features. "There will be no glory, no treasure at the end of your journey, Aldanniel. Only madness, death and dragon fire," he commented, a grave undertone to his voice as his gaze pierced through her. "Surely you must know this? Have you not dreamed of the fire, an endless sea of flames and a sky made out ash?"
Elizabeth outwardly gave no reaction. Inside, her heart jolted in her chest. Thranduil was one of the few in Middle Earth that had known about her nightmares. It had been unavoidable, for she had stayed with Galadriel in these woods for a series of months and it had been prudent to inform the King of her ailment. It would not due to send everyone into a panic in the middle of the night from a child screaming over a nightmare, after all. "I know that Thorin Oakenshield and his group has done nothing to earn a lifetime in imprisonment in these lands," Elizabeth spoke, her voice surprisingly steady. Thranduil's words like a knife to her heart, and left a cold icy fear in their wake. If the dragon was truly alive, she only had to remember her nightmares to know what devastation it could bring that much was true. But at the same time, Thorin's quest was a noble one and one worth undertaking despite the apparent risks. If once upon a time, she had been given such a chance to reclaim her home, she would have done anything. She would have braved any risk and reward to get it back.
"You would have me let them go then?" Thranduil asked, his tone indulgent as if he were speaking to a child rather than anyone close to be held with any kind of regard.
"It would be the right thing to do," Elizabeth said, simply.
"Then we have a difference out opinion on what the right thing to do is," Thranduil spoke, his head cocking to the side. "But I am not entirely unreasonable. Perhaps we can come to an agreement that will be in the best interest of both of us, hmm?"
"You may make whatever proposal that you wish, but do not expect me to accept it," she warned him, for she had no intention of bowing to Thranduil's whims. She had always thought the Elven King had prided himself on ruling with a fair hand, but that fairness it seemed only extended to elves. And especially not to dwarves.
"The dwarves have found a way into the mountain. That much is obvious, and Thorin Oakenshield seeks the King's Jewel that would give him the divine right to rule over the Kingdom once more," Thranduil circled around Elizabeth, his gait languid like a serpent waiting patiently to strike.
King's Jewel? A flare of pain throbbed through Elizabeth's skull. Her knees wobbled, but somehow she managed to keep standing. She even lifted her gaze to meet Thranduil's when came to stand right in front of her.
"I understand that. There are gems in the mountain that I too desire. White gems of pure starlight. King Thror offered them to me, only to go back upon his word. All I ask if that you make sure that Thorin honors his grandfather's agreement with me," Thranduil stated, his tone all too reasonable and diplomatic. "And I offer you my help in taking back the mountain."
"O King of the Forest, such an offer is one only a madman would agree to. I can promise you something which is not mine to give, nor will I betray the dwarves' trust in me," Elizabeth said, holding Thranduil's gaze steady. She would not fold beneath this elf's gaze for she had been held underneath the stare of far worse than him. "It means more to me than anything you could barter with."
"Then I am afraid that I cannot agree to allow you to see them," Thranduil stated, simply. A small mocking smile was upon his lips as if he just discovered something that he had been searching for and he gave a graceful wave his hand, and two guards appeared at her sides. Their hands wrapped around her arms in a vice grip, and she fought back a wince. "Please escort, Lady Elizabeth back to her room and make sure that she does not…wander," Thranduil shot her a slim smirk, and she sent him a glower. However, before the guards could even being to take out Thranduil's orders, the doors opened and Thorin with shackles around his wrists and ankles was ushered in by guards.
Elizabeth inhaled sharply, "Thorin." She made to move towards him, her hand reaching out for him when the guards grabbed her tightly. She winced as they roughly pulled her back, and fury flashed upon Thorin's face.
"Unhand her!" Thorin demanded, his voice cold and hard. There was an ache and fierce in his eyes that did not move off Elizabeth's, and his hands were twisted into fists to keep himself from reaching out towards him.
"You are not in a position to make demands of me," Thranduil drawled, his keen gaze flickered between Elizabeth and Thorin. The edges of his lips curled upward into a small smile. "Lady Aldanniel, I hope that you enjoy your accommodations, but understand this…" His blue eyes looked upon her with a gleam of triumphant at having the upper hand. "Understand while they may be no bars upon your door, Aldanniel, that it is still a cage," Thranduil told her, the corner of his lips flicked upward when a low growl ripped through Thorin. "A gilded one, but a cage nonetheless."
Thorin's knuckles were white from were he had them clenched so tight. He wanted nothing more to shake off his chains that bound him, and get to Elizabeth's side. He watched as Elizabeth raised her chin, her eyes blazing defiantly, but she allowed the guards to escort her away. Her eyes met Thorin's as she passed by, and she gave him the sadness. Her eyes were screaming at him that she would find them a way out of this before the doors slammed shut between and she was once again lost from his sight.
Thorin dragged in a harsh before he looked up at the lofty elven king with a dark glare that promised pain that he would be more than happy to deliver on if he got the chance.
Thranduil merely smirked. "Your eyes have betrayed you, Thorin Oakenshield. Could it be that your heart desires something other than the treasure of a mountain?"
Thorin growled.
END OF CHAPTER!
Next Chapter: Thorin calls Thranduil out, a dwarf's life is in danger as well as the Shire, Elizabeth's nightmares take a turn for the worst, and Tauriel and Legolas must choose between following order or doing the right thing. Bilbo and Thorin and Elizabeth work on plotting their escape.
Elizabeth's dress: www dot pinterest dot com/pin/511017888944193155/
I know! I know! This chapter feels like filler, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. :D If you see errors let me know. :D
RRs are appreciated.