Author's Note:

Wow. I am blown away by the response I have gotten for Chapter Fifty! Goodness! I am truly humbled. Of course, I must thank the wonderful Lady Viola Delesseps for allowing me to annoy her with pointless, and often random questions...also, thank you for writing the summary for me! Also, thank you to Stardust63, another poor soul whom I harass daily, and often a stupid hours of the morning. She's allowed me to be a part of her amazing story 'Till I Hear You Sing Once More.' It's brilliant.
My thanks goes out to my newest reviewers: amyisbad , Jessie Rae Baby, and merilindes. A special shout out to my Guest reviewers too! I will try to make Glineth a bit more...tolerable in this one, but...I can't promise anything! Now, raise a glass to the Professor!
** Update 4/14/14: I'll be revising this one soon as I am done with Chapters 52 and 53. Someone made a great point about the dialogue. If someone wants to fix it for me, that'd be great. Shoot a message my way! I'm a lazy one, lately. This is what happens when I don't sleep for two days...**


Chapter Fifty-One: I Remember The Day

Thranduil walked slower than he normally would, to take in the beauty of his kingdom, and to steady his nerves. He did not know why, but this night, going to the home of his wife; it filled him with a feeling he had not felt since the evening of his coronation feast. Smiling for no particular reason, aside from the love he felt for his Queen, he knelt down by a patch of snowflowers. "You are the plant she loves the most." he said with reverence. For Thranduil loved things that grew. "I am sorry that it is I who shall end your life, but my wife will love you so." he finished, as he gently pulled a handful of snowflowers from the ground. As he brought them to his face, he inhaled their scent. "I thank you for your sacrifice."

As he continued down the winding pathway that lead to the clearing an idea struck him. In his pocket lay a strand of the gems he had given to Glineth, the morning of her coronation. Thrandui had another, less ornate necklace made for Glineth, one that he thought she could wear everyday. He smiled once again, as with a steady hand he wrapped the strand of gems around the stems of the snowflowers. "She will love this." Taking a trail unknown all but him, Thranduil walked silently through the forest, his heart light, his hopes high. He could not recall a time when he wanted to be with his wife more, save the night of their bonding. His pace quickened, and moments later he found himself passing through the hidden entrance of the clearing. He looked up towards the home of his wife, and saw that there were two figures inside. He knew the shadowed form of his wife well. Fearing that she was in danger, Thranduil drew his sword and walked silently towards the tree where Glineth's home rested.


With little skill, or tenderness of touch Haldir fumbled with the removal of Glineth's shirt. "I prefer you in dresses." he whispered against her neck.

"Haldir, stop this. It is not the time. " Glineth said, gently pushing him away.

Stung by her refusal, Haldir looked at her with hurt in his eyes. "Have I said something wrong?" he asked.

He received no answer to his question from Glineth, but it was answered by the musical cry of a child. "Did you hear that? What a strange sounding bird." Haldir said, looking out of the nearest window.

"That was no bird." Glineth smiled, "That was my son."

"Oh, I see. Legolas is here." Haldir said nodding.

"No. I very recently bore another child." Glineth said as she looked towards the stars.

Haldir shocked, sat down and quickly counted the months it had been since he and Glineth had shared his bed. "Speak the truth to me, is that my child I hear?" he asked.

"No, Haldir. He is a gift that was given to my husband and I."

Haldir's heart sank into the very lowest place in his heart. "I would like to meet him." he said.

Glineth smiled, and took his hand. "Come with me, he is in that room, there."

They then walked no more than ten steps to the bathing chamber turned nursery. As Lindir caught sight of his mother, his cry turned from one of panic, to a sound of joy.
"Yes little one, mother is here." Glineth said as she took the child into her arms. "This is Haldir, little one. He's my...aduial." Glineth then turned to face Haldir, so that he may see the child. "This is Lindir."

Haldir stepped closer to the child and looked at him closely. But as much as he had hoped for it to be untrue, this was not his child. "He has your eyes. " he said, "but he has the noble nose of his father. He is the son of a King."

"Yes." Glineth said, happy that the truth was now plain to Halidr. "Would you like to hold him?"

Haldir bowed his head towards Glineth and her son, and opened his arms. As the child was placed carefully in his arms, a sudden wave of hurt crashed through him. "How can this be, Glineth. I thought that you, you were ready to come with me. That you had so little love for your husband."

"You will unhand my son." a voice like thunder said, "Now."

Glineth rushed to meet her husband, "Please, Thranduil. He only wished to meet our son." she said quickly, trying to calm her husband.

Thranduil let loose a bark-like laugh and said, "My son, or your bed?!"

Haldir set the child down on the bed of Glineth and stepped between the King and Queen. "Please my Lord, there was nothing improper about this meeting."

"Be silent. You will speak only when I address you." Thranduil snapped. "Here. These are for you." Thranduil said, tossing the gem-wrapped bouquet to the floor.

"Husband, please." Glineth said, steeping out from behind Haldir.

"You will silence yourself." Thranduil said as he stepped closer to a frightened Haldir. "Draw your weapon."

"No. I respectfully decline."

"Ah, a coward! Brave enough to bed the wife of a King, but not brave enough to duel for her hand."

Glineth took the arm of her husband and pulled him away from Haldir. "That is enough. Haldir, leave this place. Now."

"As you command, my Queen." Haldir said bowing. He then knelt down to retrieve his cloak from the floor, a gift from his Queen. As he reached out it hand to take the cloak, the hell of Thranduil's boot came forcefully down upon it. Haldir let out a cry of pain and shock, as Thranduil twisted his heel further into his hand, the bones quietly breaking.

"That belongs to my wife." he hissed.

Glineth put her hand on Thranduils shoulder, in an attempt to quiet his rage. "Please, there is no harm in letting him keep it. "

Thranduil , hearing the desperate tone of his wife's words, released the hand of Haldir from beneath his heel. He then turned to look at the face of his beloved, full of terror. In an instant, his own demeanor softened, his eyes returned to their natural luminous blue. "Go, Haldir. Leave this place, take the cloak if you wish. " he said, not breaking eye contact with Glineth. "Why, Glineth."

"There are some things that cannot be explained, Thranduil." Glineth said, taking Lindir in her arms and taking him to his bed.

As Glineth returned Thranduil sat on the bed and said, "We were happy. I thought that you and I were finally on the road to having...everything. Happiness, love, more children. I thought that at last, your love for me was true."

"I do Thranduil. We would not have our children if I did not love you. You know this." she said, taking his hand.

Thradnuil took his hand back and stood before her, "Then why was he here? " Thranduil asked.

"It was kind of you to let him go unharmed." Glineth said as she stood.

"I did not do it for him." Thranduil said, looking down at the floor. "I did it for you."

The love that Glineth heard in the voice of her husband filled her with shame.

"Why do you so this to me? Why do I let you?" Thranduil asked, gripping the pommel of his sword.

"Thranduil. Lay your sword on the bed, please." Glineth said calmly.

He tilted his head to the side, looking at her closely, "I love you, Glineth. I would have gone to war for you. Does that not matter to you?" he asked as he stepped closer to her.

"It means everything to me." she whispered.

"You. LIE. Haldir would not have been here in your bedchamber were that true." Thranduil said, sounding defeated. "I am sorry my love." Thranduil then removed his sword from its sheath. As he readied himself to strike his wife down, he closed his eyes, unable to face the horror that was to come.

Glineth quickly saw that this was her only chance to defend herself, she quickly knelt down and took from her leg her dagger. The sharp ears of the King missed nothing, and without opening his eyes swatted her blade easily from her hand.
Tasting the bitterness of defeat and her own mortality Glineth said, "I accept your punishment. I only ask you this; do not tell our children how I met my end." Thranduil then opened his eyes and as they met those of Glineth, he began to tremble, as silent tears began to form in his eyes.

"Thranduil, steady yourself. I will not have you botch my execution." Glineth said, "And take these. I shall not need them where I go."
Glineth then removed her betrothal and wedding rings from her fingers and placed them into the shaking hand of her husband. She then went to her knees before him, keeping her eyes on the floor.

Thranduil fell backwards into a chair, and as he looked at the rings in his hand he said, "I remember the night I asked you to be wife. The night I gave you this. I had kept this ring with me at all times for weeks, waiting for the perfect moment."

Glineth smiled, her eyes still on the floor. "I r-remember it well. I also treasure the memory of giving you that brooch."

Thranduil's hand immediately went to the spider shaped brooch, and ran his fingers along its delicate design. "I could not believe that you had accepted my hand that night. I had never known such happiness. Not until the births of our children." he said, no longer holding back his tears. "How have we come to this, Glinny?" he asked, gesturing to the sword that now leaned against his leg.

"I have wounded you, most grievously. But before this is done, know this. I love you. For a lifetime I have loved you, since the very moment I saw your young face in the Wood, as you stood by your father. I knew it was to be you. Haldir came here at my request. His skill would benefit our own Guard. He could teach them much. Indeed, I sought his comfort, and allowed him to kiss me."

"I wish I could believe you. " Thranduil said, his voice barely above a whisper, as he took his blade in his hand. He then placed the rings of his wife on the table beside him, and rose form the chair. "Turn around, please."

Glineth did as commanded, and was now on her knees, her back towards her King.
With his free hand Thranduil reached out and took her golden hair in his hand, and brought it to his nose, inhaling its flowery scent. He let it fall to one side, leaving her neck bare to his blade. Thranduil then let his fingers brush her neck, making Glineth cry out in fear.

"I love you, Thranduil. " she whispered. "Take care of our children, and live well."

With one hand, Thranduil raised his blade and lightly placed its cold steel on her neck, raising its flesh.

Suddenly, the cry of Lindir deafened Thranduil, causing his whole body to jerk. As he spun towards the sound, Thranduil's blade cut deeply into the back of the neck of the Queen. Hearing the cry of his wife, Thranduil saw the blood flow freely from the back of her delicate neck. As he looked on in horror at what he had done, he let the blade fall.
The cry of her child cause Glineth to stir weakly, despite being gravely wounded and began to crawl through her own blood, to the room of her son. Unable to fight the lure of darkness, Glineth became still and whispered, "Lindir."


A/N:

So. That was a bit...dark, wouldn't you say? Who do you sympathize with? Haldir, Glineth, or Thranduil? Once again, thank you all for reading. It means a great deal to me that I am able to amuse some of you with my nonsense. -M