Frowning deeply at the map that had been laid before him, Thranduil listened as the scouts relayed to him what they had seen. The Elvenking had expected the news would be bad. He had been able to see the concern written on the scouts's features as soon as they had entered this room and how desperate they had been to speak to him as soon as possible. But Thranduil hadn't expected the news to be this bad.
« The orcs are growing in number every day, my Liege. » The first scout explained breathlessly, drawing light lines just outside the southern frontier of Greenwood.
« They will be at our doors by this time tomorrow morning » The second continued, gaze flicking quickly between the map and their King.
Drawing in a long, quiet breath : Thranduil frowned at the map for a few moments longer. It was easy for him to see that both the odds and the time were against them. While the Woodland Realm may have been able to provide a considerable protection before, the sheer number of orcs was too much this time. The Elvenking knew that keeping his people within the kingdom and trying to hold the orcs off would end up in a slaughter. He would not let that happen.
« Thank you for your report. » Thranduil said. He then gave the scouts a quick wave of his hand, already formulating a plan in his mind as to what would have to be done. « You are dismissed. »
Each giving their King a deep, respectful bow : The three scouts then took their leave.
Waiting until they had left : Thranduil then rose from his seat and headed towards one of the large rooms of the castle that overlooked the entire kingdom. He had his wife called to meet with him, wanting to discuss the decisions he had made with her. She had always been his closest confidant and being able to speak with her about the impending situation was necessary.
Within a few moments : Nänielle – acompanied by their daughter, Enetarï – entered the room.
At the sight of his beloved daughter, Thranduil smiled softly and walked over to the little elf. He kissed her forehead and smoothed back her hair, engaging in a quick conversation with her about the day she had had.
From his right, Nänielle watched their reunion with a warm smile. Though she could tell something was bothering Thranduil, she kept quiet for the moment so as to not upset the young Princess.
« Your mother and I have much to talk about. Perhaps you would have more fun in the gardens for now. » He softly said after a few minutes of a quiet conversation, before leaning forward and leaving another gentle kiss over her head. He then straightened and gave a quick glance to the handmaiden standing beside Nänielle.
She quickly bowed her head and smiled at the little one, as she offered her a hand.
Enetarï looked at her mother and seemed quite sad, but she gave her a little smile nontheless.
« I will join you soon, my little Star. » Her mother reassured her.
Enetarï smiled and looked up at the servant, before she walked away with her to the gardens.
Once the door shut behind the handmaiden and the young Princess : Thranduil turned to Nänielle. Judging by her expression, Thranduil could tell she already knew that something was wrong. Unable to help himself, the Elvenking laughed dryly : « You know me all too well, my Dearest. »
« Well… I do believe I have learned how to read you over the years. » Nänielle replied with a loving smile. With her free hand, she reached up and caressed the side of Thranduil's face. « I can tell that something is bothering you greatly. » She recalled sensing the alarm that rippled through the kingdom when the scouts returned. Gently taking one of Thranduil's hands, Nänielle tilted her head inquisitively. « I take it that the report from the scouts were as grim as we feared it might be, then. »
« Indeed, it was. The orcs are continuing their massive march from Dol Goldur. » Thranduil sighed, irritation already starting to enter his voice. He ran his thumb along the top of Nänielle's hand for a few moments, finding some comfort in the action. Then, sighing again and shaking his head : Thranduil stepped back and began slowly pacing around the room. « Sauron's forces will be at the gates of our kingdom by tomorrow morning. They're fueled by an insatiable bloodlust and hunger for carnage. »
Though she felt concern snagging in her throat, Nänielle remained silent.
As widespread as the war was, it had been borderline expected that it would eventually reach every kingdom. Even so, such knowledge did not make the fact of the matter any easier now that it was actually coming true.
However, Nänielle also knew that Thranduil needed the time and the opportunity to speak his thoughts and verbally work through whatever plans he may have had in mind.
« What is even more infuriating is the fact that I tried to warn those around us about such a possibility. Even the White Council… » Thranduil grumbled, his pacing continuing. « Not only did they refuse to provide any aid, but they even went so far as to refuse to simply believe me. »
Frowning lightly at the statement, Nänielle sighed softly and shook her head slowly in disbelief.
« Now, because they decided to stubbornly remain ignorant : War has spread across the lands of Middle-Earth and is about to reach every kingdoms. » Thranduil continued, anger rapidly seeping into his voice. « My own included. We are all paying the price for their blinding refusal to heed any warning. »
Though she loathed to voice the questions on her mind, Nänielle couldn't help herself. She took a shuffling step forward towards her husband, giving another inquisitive tilt of her head. « We cannot stay here… Can we ? » She whispered. « We need to evacuate the entire kingdom to some place safe… »
« We have to. » Thranduil answered bitterly but without hesitation. « Despite the wide forest and the fact that this is our kingdom, our people would be slaughtered if we tried to make a stand against Sauron's forces. We must get them to the Undying Lands… »
Already Nänielle could feel a sliver of worry working its way to her core, but she remained composed. She knew that Thranduil needed her calm presence even more so in the face of such a dire situation. But she also knew that in order to evacuate an entire kingdom in such a short matter of time, the army would need to hold the front line to keep the civilians safe as they escaped.
And the soldiers would need a leader.
Their King.
But what Nänielle couldn't figure out and what was feeding the worry gnawing at her was how Thranduil planned to command and maneuver his forces. There would have to be enough of a show of strength to catch the attention of the orcs, but not so much that the orcs were given enough time to overwhelm the Elven forces. Because despite the fact the Elves were far more skilled warriors, all the skill in the world couldn't make up for being massively outnumbered.
Remaining quiet for a moment, Nänielle bit down softly on her bottom lip in thought. She watched Thranduil as he continued to pace back and forth around the room.
He was completely lost in his own contemplation at the moment.
Nänielle certainly couldn't blame him. She hated to interrupt his thoughts, but she needed to know the answer to what she was about to ask.
« How do you plan to outmaneuver the orcs… my Love ? » Nänielle asked softly, gaze never leaving Thranduil. « I know that the forests will provide valuable cover, but… » The female Elf trailed off for a moment, grimacing at what she was about to say. « I have heard they readily use fire and metal to get through woodland areas with alarming ease. »
Though he had stopped and turned to Nänielle when she spoke, his wife's question made Thranduil avert his gaze. He knew that she would not like his answer. However, the Elvenking was not about to lie to his Queen. Never. So, with a long sigh and a downcast gaze : Thranduil looked out the nearest window, surveying the kingdom that he knew would soon be lost. « I will lead our forces into combat. » He explained slowly. « We will hold the enemy off for as long as possible so as to ensure you are able to lead our daughter and our people to the Undying Lands safely. »
Nänielle wasn't sure what shocked her more. The fact that her husband was already planning on dying on the front line. Or the fact that he expected Nänielle to abandon him and leave him behind while she would lead their people to Valinor.
« I most certainly will not leave you ! » Nänielle countered sharply and without hesitation.
The sudden outburst caught Thranduil by surprise, and he was speechless for a moment. He then realized the implication of her words and shook his head. Thranduil had prided himself on being a loyal King to his people, so he certainly wasn't about to send his soldiers out into a fight alone. Even if it was a terribly costly fight…
More importantly, however : Thranduil wasn't about to risk the safety of his beloved Nänielle nor his darling Enetari. They were his family, his whole life. They were both more precious to Thranduil than anything else in Middle-Earth. « You are not staying here ! » Thranduil retorted firmly. « Our people need a leader and– »
« Exactly. » Nänielle interjected, her worry for her husband giving her a new edge of stubbornness. « Our people do need a leader. Their King. Alive. »
« I am not about to abandon my soldiers to die at the hands of the orcs ! That would be a most egregious way to reward their loyalty. » Thranduil had to admit he was somewhat surprised by Nänielle's reaction. He knew she could be a fiery advocate in the midst of an argument. He had seen it on occasions, but never had such turned on him. Regardless, though : He wasn't about to risk his wife or his child's life. Thranduil knew he had to ensure their safety.
« You do not need to remain on the front line with them. » Nänielle continued. « They are all skilled warriors and could easily outmaneuver the orcs as soon as they are given the order to. You only need to give them the word to do so. »
« Which I cannot do if I am sheltered on the back line… » Thranduil argued tersely, leveling a pointed frown at Nänielle. « It would also look incredibly weak-willed on my part if I were to stay hidden behind them. Our soldiers will need all the assurance they can get in this fight. »
« Our soldiers are also not fools. They will know why their King cannot be on the front line. They know he needs to return to his people safe and alive. » Already Nänielle could feel her heart beginning to beat faster in her chest, and the strength in his voice fading away. She wasn't about to leave Thranduil to go marching to his death. « Why can you not simply give them the orders to hold the line for as long as possible before tactfully retreating ? »
« Come now, Nänielle… Do not be silly. » Thranduil chided. « You know as well as anyone the tides of battle can change at a moment's notice. I need to be there in order to ensure our soldiers are not left without proper guidance. » The Elvenking couldn't help but grimace inwardly.
This was the first, true and heated argument he had with Nänielle. Their relationship had been nothing but full of love and passion since the moment they had met. There had been the occasional mild disagreement every now and then, of course but nothing like this. And such knowledge only added a new edge of bitterness to the entire situation.
« Then let me be there with you to ensure there is someone watching out for you. » Nänielle countered, her voice taking on a slightly more stern tone. She could sense the argument was escalating, but she wasn't about to give way on something as important as this. « You can command your armies and I can ensure that you make it home safely. »
The thought of his precious wife in the midst of the battlefield's dangers sent a cold shock of horror through Thranduil. For a long moment, he was stunned speechless. His senses then returned to him and he shook his head quickly.
« No ! Never ! I forbid you from partaking in such a dangerous endeavor ! » He retorted sharply, temper flaring.
Now it was Nänielle's turn to be momentarily silenced, but she recovered faster than her husband.
« I will not leave you to face those dangers alone ! I will not abandon you ! » She protested.
« Yes, you will. » Thranduil could feel his heart beating faster. The idea that his dear wife and daughter could be in any sort of danger – especially from Sauron's orcs – was an horrifying one. « Our daughter will need you with her. As will our people. »
« And the same can be said towards you. You have been their leader for far longer than I have. Our people look up to and admire you. They need your presence. They need their King. Our daughter… even more so… needs her father. »
« I am not about to take the coward's way out and leave my soldiers to fend for themselves. » Thranduil argued sharply. « I have never abandoned my people and I am not about to start now. »
« Getting yourself killed for their sake will do nothing but make things worse ! »
« This is not something that is to be debated, Nänielle. » Thranduil stated firmly, his tone still having a definite edge. « Our people need to be evacuated safely and securely. You – my Queen – are the only one I trust with such an important task. I must remain behind in order to provide our soldiers with the necessary guidance to ensure that you are given as much time as possible to escape safely. » The Elvenking paused, before he breathed out a long sigh. He then fixed a pointed look on Nänielle that went straight to her heart. « Finally… And most importantly… I am not about to risk you or Enetarï being hurt. If something were to happen to either of you, I… » Though he trailed off, Thranduil's voice never wavered.
His gaze never left Nänielle's, and the two were locked in silent gazes. The Elvenking's piercing eyes flicked over his Queen's countenance. Though he hated having to take such a stern tone with her, the alternative was simply unacceptable. He was not about to risk Nänielle's well-being for comfort's sake, regardless of how much it pained him to definitively be apart from her.
From her standpoint, Nänielle knew Thranduil was not going to relent on the subject. No matter how much she may have argued or pleaded, the answer would remain the same. He simply did not seem to understand how important he was to the kingdom as a whole. And, more so… to his wife and daughter. It was something Nänielle could respect to some degree. She knew her husband was a proud elf and rightfully so. But she also knew that sometimes, his pride could get the better of him.
« Very well…. my Liege… » Nänielle finally sighed heavily, averting her gaze. Deep in her heart, she knew it was a lie and she was only pretending to acquiesce Thranduil's request to soothe his temper. And though she hated to lie to her husband, the alternative was to continue arguing back and forth with seemingly no end in sight. « I... and Enetarï will guide our people to the Undying Lands… as you wish. » She stated, as she bowed respectfully.
The relief that spread across Thranduil's face was visible, despite his temper still being hot given the recent argument. He nodded slightly in approval, walking over to caress the side of Nänielle's face. But when his hand cupped her cheek, Nänielle simply stood there. She did not lean into the touch as she normally would, but did not shy away from it either.
Frowning at the change in demeanor, Thranduil withdrew his hand and shook his head. He loathed to have Nänielle upset with him, but this was for her own good.
« Very well. » Thranduil stated icily, unaccustomed to Nänielle shying away from him.
« Was there anything else we needed to discuss ? » The Elvenqueen asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She hated being forced to lie to her husband, but she also knew it was the only way to appease him for now. He was far too stubborn and his temper was too terrible for Nänielle to argue against. « Or may I return to our daughter ? »
« I… » For a moment, Thranduil wasn't sure what to say. Frustration then settled deep within him and his frown darkened. With a wave of his hand, he reluctantly turned away from Nänielle feeling almost ill having to send his wife away on such tense terms. « You may leave. »
Without another word more, Nänielle nodded graciously and left the room. Already, she could feel sadness beginning to weigh down her heart.
Thranduil watched his wife leave with a mute, forlorn gaze. The conversation had most definitely not gone as he had hoped, but the Elvenking knew his choices were for the better. It was the only way his people and – most importantly – his beloved wife and child could survive.