Chapter 28
"My Lord" Gwuineth said with a smile playing at her lips as she stepped aside for Thranduil to enter. Thranduil found his surprise most unpleasant as he looked from the elleth and then about the room, finding it empty of its resident.
"It seems she is yet to return from her walk, does my king require a service from her?" Gwuineth asked as she looked Thranduil in the eye, the knowing glint in her eye told him she had expected this of him at some point and it left him...uncomfortable.
"I wished to enquire information regarding a personal matter" Thranduil tilted his head up in a natural show of kingly arrogance as he spoke. He was caught in his lie however, he had no intention of admitting the real reason he was here.
"I do not doubt that my lord. There is however another matter to discuss" Gwuineth said plainly. "Lady Leanna leaves for Dale in two days, thus preparations have begun in relation to her departure"
"I…see, very well then"
"Perhaps the warriors should make certain the roads are safe for travel in the meantime" Gwunieth said, watching Thranduil from the corner of her eyes. A spark lit in his eyes for moment before his face turned stony.
"You grow fond of her" Thranduil smiled wryly. He had always known Gwuineth was a cunning elleth and that made him understand never to underestimate her.
"I merely wish to make certain she has a decent enough impression of us before she leaves for her homeland" Gwuineth responded with a smile of her own. He had not taken the bait which was to be expected, Thranduil had seen through her intentions.
"Indeed, Lady Leanna is more than capable of protecting herself should the matter of her safety arise. That and the escorts provided will ensure she arrives at her destination in one piece". Thranduil turned to leave the room. This was not a discussion he intended to have in the first place.
"I hope you do not regret this"
"I do not care enough to" He responded in finality and left Gwuineth amidst the silence of the room.
He had come out of his haze as he left the guest chambers to his own. He stilled for a moment, breathing deeply and exhaling a shudder of disbelief and disgust. Had Leanna been present instead of his former nursemaid, he grimaced to think of the lengths he would have gone to deal with his current situation. If there was any justification, it was that she was cause of this condition forced upon him.
In a few days, he would make certain their agreement would end in its finality and his business would truly be done.
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Leanna had had a change of heart before reaching her room and turned around, she did not wish to be reminded of the contents of her dream the previous night and decided fresh morning air was remedy enough to clear her head.
She made her way to the gardens and sat on a wooden bench, content to ignore everyone and everything around for the time being, until she heard a twig snap close by. Leanna sighed and opened her eyes lazily to look at the intruder who had imposed themselves on her privacy.
"Haelros" Leanna said bluntly in a tone that indicated displeasure.
"My Lady" Haelros bowed in greeting and looked at her solemnly. Leanna sighed and shifted to the edge of the bench, giving space for her unintended companion.
"Whatever reason you're here for, you might as well sit at this point" She said closing her eyes again. She had decided some time ago to settle matters with Haelros as she did not have the heart to nurse a grudge against anyone. Silence further ensued after the ellon sat down. He had been trying to speak to her for weeks but to no avail, which was one reason why he could not so easily shake his surprise.
"I did not think you would not wish to speak to me ever again" He said quietly.
"I had no planned to at first, but then I saw no point to it. You were only following your orders" Leanna said coldly in response, still sour over the thought.
"Yes that may be…however, it wasn't the king's order I was following…" Haelros said quietly, well aware of the implication of his words and the impact it would have on his presence in the kingdom.
"How do I know you're not trying to deceive me again?" Leanna masked her surprise at this hefty revelation.
"Elves are a lot of things but rarely do we see the need to tell lies"
"How noble" Leanna muttered in a condescending tone.
"There are others in service to King Thranduil who would've informed him of your activities" Haelros bit down on the frustration he held at not being able to convince her.
"I'm assuming this…correspondent of yours wishes to remain anonymous"
"They mean you no harm my Lady. If anything is certain, it is their intentions to ensure you settle into Dale well enough" At his words Leanna's head tilted up as she smirked at him.
"You mean, to determine if I am a threat of some kind or not…" Leanna said bluntly. Haelros knew there was no point in sugar coating his words anymore.
"I was but an elfing when I was left alone in this world, my father had marched with the Late King to Dagorlad where both never returned from. Middle earth was saved and the enemy defeated" Haelros looked at the woman in front of him firmly in a bid to covey his words as sincerely as his oath of secrecy would allow. "But there are still forces in this world who seek to change that and they would use any means to do so"
"Rest assured Haelros, I am capable of protecting myself"
"Of that I do not doubt but it was only to make certain there was no immediate danger present"
"The only danger I face, is staying here much longer" Leanna the words slipped out before she could stop them. She stood up quickly realising her blunder and tried to leave but Haelros was too quick on his feet.
"What danger? Is someone threatening you?" Haelros grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving. He searched her eyes expecting an answer.
"And If there is?" Leanna asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Then I would see that they trouble you no more"
"Why?" This feeling she felt came on strong and she looked away from Haelros , his actions along with the look on his face reminded him too strongly about Gilford.
"You are my friend regardless of what you think of me" Haelros said softly and Leanna yanked her hand away, sighing.
"The danger lies in my yearning to return home, it has been three long months after all" Leanna smiled.
"Three months would be regarded as a short moment, one that I hope you'd extend by visiting sometime in the future"
"That decision is best left between King Thranduil and Lord Bard" Leanna said as she turned around to leave. She had stepped on the stony pathway before she stilled and turning her head around.
"Oh and Hael, it…would be nice to… talk again sometime" With that she walked away, pretending not to see his eyes sparkle with excitement.
"It would be my pleasure" Haelros mumbled, elated to know that she had forgiven him. It was an opportunity he would not take for granted again.
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Leanna walked in the pathways, barely paying attention to where she was headed. Her thoughts floated around her head as she fixated on the most obvious one.
' The only danger I face, is staying much longer' Of course she had not meant a physical threat to her life, no one would dare it, not even if she were a 'guest' in this kingdom. No, the danger lied in her unsettling proximity with Thranduil, one she needed to break and replace with as much distance as possible.
Another thought came to her and her shoulders sagged slightly. Of course she would be watched, they would all be watching her, this new information did not sit well with her and while it was to an extent not unexpected, she felt herself disadvantaged. All she had any desire for at the moment was to be forgotten so she could live her life in peace.
"Do you have nothing more to do other than wandering the halls like a wraith?" Leanna looked up at the voice and smiled slightly.
"Tauriel…I did not expect to see you so soon" Leanna said, falling into step as they walked together.
"I have only just returned to the palace, I hear you're fulling recovered and with the help of Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond as well" Tauriel looked pointedly at her. Leanna scoffed as she looked away, embarrassed over the admonishment directed at her.
"It was nothing serious"
"Word spread is had they not intervened, you would've died"
"Rumours, nothing more. How long do you intend to stay this time?" Tauriel noted the change in subject but made no mention of it.
"For the remaining time you have left here"
"Oh, then I'll be seeing you right until the moment I leave…" Leanna said in the silence of the passage way. Tauriel merely stared at her in response, she had come to respect Leanna in more ways than one, cared for her even. No one managed to hold their own against Thranduil so fluidly except her, but it did not change the fact that Tauriel found the young mortal far more reserved now than when they had first met. She smiled.
"Oh course, I'm certain the little ones in Dale miss you"
"Yes and I them" Leanna chuckled.
A guard walked up to them and bowed before addressing Tauriel in sindarin. Once his message was relayed, the guard left and Leanna turned expectedly to the elleth beside her.
"It appears duty calls me on the hour" Tauriel grimly before smiling at Leanna.
"Nothing too serious I hope?" Leanna prodded, she had heard the word 'yrch' in the middle of their conversation and imagined it had something to do with orcs.
"No but a patrol unit killed some orc trying to infiltrate our borders earlier today and I must go on a full perimeter sweep palace to make certain none were left alive"
"Orcs? Is this a regular occurrence?" Leanna frowned at the news, knowing how hard the enchantment of the greenwood forest made it impossible for unwelcomed visitors to breach.
"No, in usual circumstances orcs are stupid creatures and as evil as they are ugly, there are some things or places they do not venture near"
"I see…" Leanna said quietly, processing the information she had received.
"You have no cause for alarm, all will be well once investigations are carried out" Tauriel placed her palm on Leanna's shoulders as a sign of assurance.
"Then I wouldn't want to keep you any longer than I have to" Leanna smiled in response.
"Yes, do make certain not be in harm's way, some of us quite like the idea of you living" Tauriel said cheekily before storming off.
"I'll try to keep that in mind" Leanna chuckled at the elleth's remarks. Not wishing to return to her chambers, she sought out a place she had not had time to visit since her ailment.
She made her way to the store rooms and was met with the usual sight of Elaran holding a large book while moving from shelf to shelf, most likely recording the items in use for the day.
"If isn't the princess of Dale come to grace our humble office" Elaran murmured as he placed his book down on a desk and turned towards Leanna.
"If I had known you regarded me so highly I wouldn't have bothered with the work at all" Leanna smirked as she responded to his light jab.
"I see you have recovered well from your...ailment" Elaran folded his arms. "I wouldn't call your circumstance a sickness" Leanna looked stunned.
"You know about what happened?" She asked tentatively, it was not particularly a good thing to have the details of that encounter known to the general public.
"No" At his response, she sighed quietly. Elaran smiled at her reaction, understanding well her reasons for this much secrecy, matters of magic were meant to be handled with a great deal of discretion. Too many sought to take advantage of situations involving magic which brought him to another matter.
"But there is a change around you..." He watched Leanna look about her and rolled his eyes, deciding to explain further. "It is not a visible change but rather a feel, you carry the warmth the forest much like..." He stopped as a thought came to him.
"Much like what?" Leanna asked, curious about his discovery. There was more to the ceremony, she knew, but no one was telling her anything.
"The magic of the forest is not accessible is to anyone except the king. You carry the same aura as he does, one wrapped in old magic" Elaran said. He had imagined the rumours were just rumours spread around by gossips who were envious of the lady's position in the palace. With this, Elaran was certain there was something deeper between the two, for if the song of the forest was mixed with her fea, then rest assured so was Thranduil's.
"I did not know The Green Wood had a wizard" Leanna spoke in amazement.
"While I'm flattered, there are no wizards here and certainly not amongst elves" Elaran scoffed.
"Then how did you know...?"
"I've been a storekeeper far longer than Thranduil's been king..." Elaran said, pausing for effect. The revelation of his age as he expected must've come as a surprise to her, given his aloof nature. Leanna leaned on the aged wood of the desk and chuckled.
"I never could get accustomed to your immortality, how do you live with it?" She turned to him in dismay, her heart still twisting over the idea of dying twice.
"Immortality has always been an undeniable reality, and as such it is pointless to dwell on it. No benefit comes from worrying over such" Elaran said, he moved to stand beside her, folding his arms and tilting his head playfully as he looked at her.
"then it is unlikely we will ever see each other again"
"Is this your way of saying goodbye?"
"I leave two days from now, what better time to do so than now?"
"And here I thought life in the palace would grow on you" Elaran smirked as Leanna cast a cold look to him. She sighed, knowing fully that he was poking fun at her.
"The Woodland realm is a very beautiful place I will admit that at the very least but let us not pretend I was brought here on a diplomatic tour. The heavens know I could barely keep still in one place for three months, let alone live here for the rest of my live"
"No, I cannot imagine you lay quiet under the rule of one such as Thranduil" Elaran smiled this time and chuckled when he saw her raise an eyebrow.
"Your level of disregard for the king is not subtle enough to go unnoticed"
"Which I do not regret... I've burdened you long enough, I hope that we do meet again someday Elaran and if not, then I'm grateful for your acquaintance" Leanna turned around to walk out the doors of the storeroom.
"I as well... take care of yourself Lady Leanna" Elaran said softly as he watched her leave the room. He had chosen to keep his peace, wondering what would happen next. Matters of the fea were not easily disregarded, Thranduil had shared a piece of himself with him and the implications alone were not something he would dare think of without clear evidence. All that was left to do now was wait and see what the future held.
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She was headed to the lower levels again, after she had visited the storekeep for whatever reason and he knew too. He knew how to find her, he had always known how to for there was no where she would hide that he wouldn't find her. He rose from his seat and opened a secret passage way only he knew about. He was in the mood for a walk.
He had stepped out unto the earthy path that was the garden and glanced around briefly, noting it's emptiness.
He observed the white roses grow and wondered at how or when things had quickly spun out of his control, was it during the transfer ceremony or perhaps even before that. He thought of the first moment their wager was struck and wondered if things would've been different had he chosen to give another answer.
"Oh...I did not realize someone was already here" Leanna said in mild surprise as Thranduil turned to her, his head moving in one graceful and curt turn. Leanna turned to leave when he spoke.
"Stay" he blurted out unexpectedly. Rest assured even he was stunned by his own impulsive words, not intending to use that very word but when she had spun so quickly to leave at the sight of him, his mouth had opened on his own accord.
'No'
Her words stuck at the base of her throat refusing to come out, she swallowed them back down. Common sense at this juncture was necessary she thought, as her logic wrestled with a dangerous adversary... Curiosity.
She bit her lip in contemplation. By all accounts of past dealings with Thranduil, this was a scenerio she was meant to avoid, being alone with him. However while that part was justified, something in her mellowed at the tone of his voice which for the first time she noted, was a request and not a command.
She breathed deeply, cursing her soft heart and moved to the bench where the imposing ellon sat. She sat at the edge and waited in silence, for what she was not certain but he would not have asked her to remain here for no reason.
"The gardens are to be enjoyed by all, you need not leave on my account" Thranduil said.
"I did not want to intrude, it seemed like you wanted to be alone" Leanna responded quietly.
"Yes...such is the norm of your actions these days" Thranduil said as he slanted a knowing look to his companion for the evening. His demeanor was lazy and indifferent and yet Leanna managed to note his a gleam of displeasure in them.
"Would you have preferred I not stay out of sight?"
"I merely imagined the noble lady would treat all around her equally, while you welcome others with open arms, my very presence discourages you from enjoying a favoured past time" Thranduil said blandly turning to her fully to watch the expressions on her face. The mild surprise on her face settled for a displeased look of her own.
"Anyone treated with such inconsideration and subterfuge would deem it fit to distance themselves from you...my Lord" Leanna said, her last words being a jab to him. Thranduil said nothing as he watched her snarl at him.
Only a fool with a death warrant raised their tone to him, let alone defied him openly and yet she had done so and remained unscathed, even now she treated him as she would a mere mortal man and it irked him.
In the dim lighting of the setting sun, her hair had managed to capture the last bit of golden sun rays sinking behind the trees and yet still her face remained fair. Even while suffering her anger, he felt the heat of his blood flow to his loins. He rose up from his seat and decided he was better off standing.
"What was your other world like? The one you died in?" The question popped out of nowhere and had she not been surprised, she would've cringed at its crudeness. Why was he acting strangely this evening.
"It was... beautiful in its own way, there was magic but not as much as what Ive in this world, magic in my world is controlled. We have enchanted forests, magical creatures, dwarves-"
"-Dwarves, how pitiful, they plague not only this world but yours as well" Thranduil's face twisted in disgust as he listened to her words.
"Yes there are dwarves, though stubborn much like the ones here, they're not unreasonable. They helped my grandmother defeat an evil witch at the time"
"How noble" Leanna understood his detestation for dwarves, elves and dwarves had never had a decent relationship before, well decent was putting it mild.
"Yes, they were" Leanna looked down at her hands nestled in her laps, hands that held the grubby calloused hands of her mother's friends and smiled softly.
"And dragons?" Thranduil asked.
"What?" Leanna's head shot up to look at Thranduil. The mention of that word always tensed her up.
"Are there such creatures as well? Dragons, fell creatures of darkness?" Thranduil, turned around to look at her, noting she had gone pale. Her silence could only be interpreted as one thing.
"Is that how it happened?" He asked, remembering the vision he saw weeks ago when he had unintentionally entered her mind. Her body engulfed in flames. The thought itself made him feel sick. It created an all too familiar feeling in him, for it was a shared experience.
"I should leave" Leanna did not want to stay here any longer, she had done her best to bury those memories somewhere dark in her mind where it would not see the light of day. She rose quickly, intent on leaving swiftly.
"Leanna, it brings me no joy to see you suffer" Thranduil caught her hand before she could run. Thranduil said, his voice calm and deep. Leanna looked at him in a mix of surprise and despair. Her eyes red from the tears that she refused to let fall. Why was he doing this to her? Ever since she met this ellon her life had been upsidedown, as was her heart.
"I know what this...come with me" Thranduil took hold of her slender hands and led her through a secret passage way. He looked like he wanted to say something but stopped midway and she was not certain if she wanted to know.
They came out from a small thicket that had created an archway. As they came out of it Leanna looked back to mark it's location and found the pathway had closed, like it was never there. She rolled her eyes, of course magic was involved.
"We're here" Leanna turned at his words and let out a small gasp at the sight. A little calf half was struggling to stand on it owns, bleating out as it called for its mother.
"He was just born the hour before" Thranduil said softly but his companion had forgotten he was there, inching closer as she fixed her sight on the pure white creature with no antlers. He found the sight amusing as though he were watching a child play with a new toy for the first time.
A twig snapped and Tallahir came from the trees beyond. As he came closer he bowed before lord and however what he did next stunned Thranduil. He bowed to Leanna, the gesture catching her off guard as he did so. She understood why he would do so to Thranduil, but wondered why the great elk was giving the same gesture to her. She turned to Thranduil who returned her gaze with one of indifference.
The great elk came closer to inspect the new addition to his home, cleaning the calf as a sign of welcome. It would be taken away for a certain time by his lord to be cared for properly before it's time to roam free.
"Can I touch him?" She asked, waiting for his permission before she acted. She felt like an intruder in this beautiful sacred sight and did not wish to offend them both.
"He says yes" Thranduil answered. Leanna looked back at him and then to the calf.
"Hello little one" she smiled softly cooing at the frightened calf, lifting it up to her Bossom. In bleated in protest of the slight disturbance it received but quietened when it caught a sweet scent coming from his capture. She turned around to face Thranduil as she nursed the calf in awe.
"What about his mother? She asked the silent Elvenking who had been watching her.
"She is near but she keeps her distance, so her scent does not latch unto him"
"Why?" Leanna said in shock, wondering how a mother could leave her baby alone at all.
"The calf does not carry a scent that is detectable to predators so it is safe as long as no scent comes from it" Thranduil explained.
Leanna finally put the calf down, sighing in peace before speaking.
"We were meant to have a festival that day, when it came. Why it came, we do not know but I could not leave my people to die" Leanna knew he was listening, she felt that ever prodding gaze at her back. "I knew I couldn't possibly kill it on my own so the best I could do was give others time to escape, the next thing I knew were flames all around me and then everything went dark"
She turned to look at Thranduil whose gaze had not left her form, his striking blue eyes flitted to her eyes. She looked away from the intense sight of them. Thranduil on the other hand came closer to her until he was a breath away.
"Do you regret it?"
" No, I would never! I would do it again if I had to" She looked up at him, her resolution shining in her clear blue eyes.
"Then you did well" Thranduil said as he look at her lips and to her eyes. The compliment shocked her and left her speechless. Thranduil had managed to surprise her even more with his actions this evening.
"The hour is late, we should return" Thranduil murmured.
"Yes" Leanna responded softly, her cheeks flushed red at his deep voice. Thranduil stepped away, turning towards the palace grounds. It had taken his sheer willpower to ignore the desire burning in him. Staying here any longer with her would tempt him to do something foolish.
She was certain he was going to kiss her. While she was glad he did not behave crudely, she felt a twinge of disappointment. Maybe it would not be so bad if he did. Perhaps it was best he didn't, it would not do complicate this situation as it were.
Once in the palace, Thranduil called for a maid whom he instructed to bring food up to her room and had a guard escort her there. As she walked away with a guard beside her, Leanna looked back to find Thranduil still watching her until she turned around a corner. She truly did not understand him, one minute he was gentle and considerate, and in the blink of an eye he would turn cold and uncaring.
He was certain, that were he the one to take her to her chambers this night, he would not want to leave and there was no telling if she would be able to convince him to do so.
Enough had happened in one night, but the matter that was on the forefront of his mind, was Tallahir's action. The great elk throughout his lifetime only a knowledged one authority his presence, himself. Bowing before Leanna meant one thing and one thing only.
The Great Elk had acknowledged Leanna as Queen.