The Year 108 TA

After Unede's Arrival in Mirkwood

"She is very sad you know." The King said quietly.

He found his guest sitting quietly under an old oak at the edge of the mountains. He hadn't the heart to throw her in the dungeons as he had threatened. Instead his guard reported that she had spent three days sitting on a stone bench in the shadow of an ancient tree. Before her was the memorial for those fallen in the great war. She sat alone in a silent vigil, the shadows cast by the tree shoulded her in a veil of green solace, as if the forest mourned as deeply as she did. Thranduil recalled the day Gelmir had died and his likeness seemed to shimmer across his mind, but he wiped the memory away, and called his eyes to remain dry. So many had fallen in battle, and he had shed enough tears, they were wasted on the dead. Surely, he thought, surely it was his duty to protect Gelmir's daughter, and already the King had let him down. Thranduil hid a frown when he remembered that it was he who had given the order to close the gates when Laurebrian had decided to return to Lothlorien. The mourning elleth had held her screaming child close to her breast as she road away south. Sometimes he still heard the echo's of Unede's cries when he escorted his troops into the woods, and his heart became heavier.

Unede looked up at the King then, but she did not rise. He stood there in silence, as she wiped silent tears from her cheeks. When at last her face was dry and her posture upright, Thranduil produced a letter from the folds of his robes and took a seat next to her.

"What ease could I give her heart, even if I were to sail with her?" Unede whispered.

"There is none you could give. But this does not explain why you are so eager to come to me, and to serve me, when I am not your kin. I need your words now in sooth, not the words of a homesick youngling. Tell me now, and let not a lie come to your tongue Itarilde, for I will know if it does."

"I would swear the truth to you on the grave of my father." Unede said.

"Then let it be so." Thranduil nodded. Unede was quiet again for many minutes as she sat alone with the King. She wondered if he had already made up his mind, or her words would help him come to a decision. She thought though that truth was best.

"I love this forest. It sings to me, it is in my blood. It is to me equal as the blood of Finwe. I can be both of these. And Lorien," She sighed. "Lorien felt like all the trunks of the tree's were a cage, and every day they closed about me like a trammel until I could not breath, and I felt my life shrinking around me."

The King nodded again and let her go on.

"The Golden Wood has left me with faltering feet, but I am of age and they falter no longer, so now my meaning comes. I am loyal to you, as my father was loyal to you and your father. By blood it is so. But I desire revenge, and I ought to spend my life as I will, for am I not of the house of Gelmir and Finarfin?. Morgoth razed my house, destroyed our noble name, stole the light that is ours by right, and never will we see it returned. Now The Deceiver has taken my father, and he has slain my kin. Sauron has cut down our Kings, and seeks to extinguish my home. Even Galadriel would keep from me what is mine, and let the greatest kingdom of the elves fall to ruin while she holds both the elfstone and a ring of power."

"Careful child, your house is not without it's sin."

"No it is not, but was there sin in seeking to bring back the light of the two tree's though it be a hopeless task? Feanor is not blameless, but his heart was true, and so is mine. Sauron will come back. I have seen it, and you know it. You know he is not defeated. He will put a strong hold in our forest, in your Kingdom, and I seek to raze it and to protect my people. I desire to finish what the High King's before me have left undone. I want to serve you, I want to fight for you and defend Eryn Galen. I would face Sauron and cut him down, even to my end. That is why I brought the elessar to you, that is why I come to you ready to train and fight. For your glory, and for glory to my house, and so this forest can thrive. May Yavanna aide me as she can and would."

The King thought long on her words. For he knew them to be true. The ring had not been destroyed, and his council to remain ever watchful fell to deaf ears. He had come to realize after his father fell, and when the council of Gil-Galad went unheeded that the alliance between the elven kingdoms would be irreparable. Yet here the youngest of the House of Finwe had come to him, speaking of danger to his people. An extension of an alliance he thought was over. He wondered if Elrond would heed her, or if Unede even knew of the courtly battles she would face when she became old enough to bear a crown if she so chose. It was said that Elrond would wed Celebrian, and the King had wondered if it was only to secure his claim over the Noldor- for he was of the disinherited and not the chosen ruler of those peoples. Elrond had not been joyous at the news of Itarilde's birth, and when her father had fallen in battle, Elrond had lamented the end of the house of Finarfin. Thranduil realized fElrond had thought both Laurebrian and her child would fade from this world, and that he would be looked to as a leader. Perhaps the blood of the Silvan elves was stronger in Unede than he realized, and perhaps even a bit of Feanor's spirit was in her.

Thranduil saw then what she could become, a mighty Queen, a fierce warrior, perhaps even the uniter of the Noldor and the Nandor. She was a child of kings. Fair yet terrible, and about her sat the cold might of one ready to face peril.

"How is it that you have come to know this, that Sauron will come here?" He said to her.

"The tales of Galadriels mirror are true, but I will say no more about it, for the fear of what I saw in its depths is to near to my heart." Thranduil nodded at her words.

"This is a letter from Galadriel." Thranduil held up the parchment in his hand. "Your mother will leave for Valinor. She tarries with her sister in Imaldris. Laurebrian and Elrond are displeased by you." He was silent, and then added at last. "They know too, that you have the elfstone, and have asked for its return. While your grandmothers words carry a kinder tone, Lord Elrond is holds no pitty or forgiveness for your youth. He will not have you in Imladris, and counts your actions as an insult and betrayal."

"He has banished me." Unede whispered, looking up that the king.

"He is not wise in this matter I think." The King said knowing she was right, but seeking to comfort the youth.

"And your cousin, King Amroth, what would he have me do?"

"He would have you do as you will."

"It is mine, the Elessar, Galadriel gave it to my mother, now my mother sails and I should do with it as I see fit, and we should use its power. All of the other elven Kingdoms-"

But the King took her hand and Unede ceases speaking. "It should be yours, and we should be protected, but alas, Your mother denied this gift, and now it is meant for Celebrian. I do not fault you child, your heart is true, but I can not accept the Elessar, though I desire it greatly."

"You would send me away then."

"No child, I would have you fight for me, to take up arms as my shieldmaiden. But I would send the stone to Imladris."

And so Unede kneeled before the King, and drew the slender knife from her belt and placed it upon The King's knees. She bowed her head and spoke words of fealty to the King "Here do I swear fealty and service to Eryn Galen, and to Thranduil the King of the realm, to speak and to be silent, to do and to let be, to come and to go, in need or plenty, in peace or war, in living or dying, from this hour henceforth, until his majesty release me, or death take me, or the world end. So say I, Unede daughter of Gelmir of the Woodland Realm."

"And this do I hear, Thranduil son of Oropher, King of Eryn Galen, and I will not forget it, nor fail to reward that which is given: fealty with love, valour with honour, oath-breaking with vengeance." And Unede returned her sword to it's sheath.

She stood and bowed her head to the King. "I am yours to command." She said firmly.

"And I will not forget it." He replied, and took his leave.