CONTENT WARNING: Rated M for Strong language and violence
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything created by Tolkein and Middle-Earth. This is for entertainment only.
A/N: Hey friends! Sorry for the slight delay with this chapter! But it is longer than the previous few have been and, I think, has some pretty fun content. But I may be biased. Thank you for the continued support and reviews! XOXO - P
Song for the Chapter: "Strange & Beautiful" by Aqualung
Chapter 19 - Counsel and Confessions
I'm so afraid to lose something I love,
That I refuse to love anything.
- Jonathan Safran Foer
"Permission to speak freely, Your Majesty?" The Captain asked hesitantly.
"Granted but don't make me regret it, Priamos," Thranduil replied flatly leaning back in his chair.
Thranduil sat at the head of the table with Legolas to his right, next to him sat the two Captains of the Guard, Tauriel and Priamos. On Thranduil's other side sat the Lords of his council. Lord Sankrovyn was Thranduil's High Advisor, Lord Allistair was the Guard Commander who oversaw the two Captain's, and Lord Gawain who was the Kingdom scholar and primary advisor regarding Greenwood's trade agreements.
The council meeting was being held over breakfast in the King's study. Thranduil had informed all those present of the twin's origins and the prophecy that had brought them to Rivendell, choosing to omit certain specifics of the prophecy. All had been in approval of the idea around driving back the forces of Dol Guldur and healing their sickened forest. But there were still hesitations regarding the twin's arrival.
All attention turned to the Priamos seated next to Tauriel as he cleared his throat, "I do rejoice in the thought of our beloved home being healed but at what cost?" His eyes met all those present before settling on the King, "With the likes of the Nazgul hunting this girl, does that not put our people in danger? Must these twins reside within the palace and cause a greater risk of harm to those who are innocent?"
Thranduil clenched his jaw as he listened to the Captain, "Tell me Priamos, what makes one Elven life more valuable than another?"
Priamos considered the King's question and opened his mouth to answer before being cut off by the King, "I do not intend for you to answer that," He glared at the Captain, "I wanted you to simply reflect on what a stupid question you just asked." Thranduil rose from his chair and began pacing the room. "Elves will always protect Elves, Captain. Why would we not extend the same courtesy to these two? Particularly, when one of them holds the fate of our beloved Realm in her hands."
"Forgive me, my King, I intended no offense," Priamos stammered, "I only wanted to ensure the safety-"
"If you are so concerned about the safety of our people, Priamos," Thranduil took his seat once more, "you may now oversee the girls protection and the protection of her brother. You will also work closely with Lord Allistair on battle plans should an attack befall the Palace."
"My King, I feel my talents would be better used—"
"Do you question my orders, Captain?" Thranduil's voice was as sharp as a dagger and his eyes flashed with anger. He held the Captain's gaze for a long moment as Priamos shrunk back into his chair, "This meeting is completed. All of you may go except Legolas."
Thranduil and Legolas sat in silence as the room emptied. After they sat for several minutes, Thranduil quietly stood and walked over to a large desk and opened a small drawer, producing a tattered and worn piece of paper.
Legolas watched as his father's eyes scanned the singular page. "Ada?"
Thranduil walked back over to the table where his son sat and looked at him with a heavyhearted expression. "Ionneg (my son), a few nights ago you asked a question that I chose not to answer out of a sense of unease to what your response might be." Thranduil paced the length of the table, Legolas sat in silence watching his father in amazement. He had not seen him so flustered in almost a thousand years. "Although I am the King and can do as I so choose regardless of other's opinions… I would like it. As a son to his father."
Legolas stood and circled the table to meet his father's eyes, "Anything, Ada. What do you seek counsel on?"
Thranduil took a deep breath and looked away from his son. There was no going back from the course of this conversation, "What would be your opinion if I decided— Should I choose to— If I wanted to formally court Lady Aurora?"
Legolas stared at his father for a long moment, barely recognizing the elf who stood in front of him. He had never seen his father so vulnerable. "Ada... I know that you held a deep respect for Naneth; that you cared for her as much as you could care for someone in an arranged marriage," Legolas placed a hand on his father's shoulder and Thranduil met his gaze once more, "But if you have truly found the one your fae (soul) calls for… What kind of son would I be to not support you?"
"La fael, innoeg (Thank you, my son)." Thranduil then surprised both of them and pulled Legolas into a brief hug, then, remembering himself, he pulled away.
Thranduil sighed heavily and turned his back to Legolas, "There is something that I have intended to tell you for a long time, but I have never found the words. What I'm going to tell you is only known by five others and the Valar themselves and it must remain that way for the current moment."
Legolas furrowed his brow, "What is it?"
Thranduil took a deep breath and extended the tattered paper in his hands out to his son, "A prophecy written 500 years ago regarding an elleth who would save Greenwood. But what she is aware of is not the truth. Not entirely."
Legolas took the paper gently and opened it and began reading the words written on the page.
Will darkness or light be witnessed that day?
Upon steps either shattered or shining the choice will be made.
Dawn will rise and destiny fulfilled, what will she see?
Will anger fill or light surround,
Will darkness consume and extinguish the hope once rekindled?
Hearts once alone will twist and join,
But what will become of the love found?
United in the light as darkness abounds.
As the light sings the darkness will dance,
Once more a chance to burn all it would touch.
Those who listen shall have a chance to change the song,
But will they choose to lift her to the stars or allow her to fall?
What can a light endure before turning from its path?
Will the forest be saved or the branches cry at the touch of the flames?
Exultation or tribulation will be laid before her,
Which path will she choose?
Will darkness or light be witnessed that day?
The Queen of the Woodland will determine all.
Legolas reread the final line several times, "The Queen of the— So Aurora is not only Greenwood's destiny but yours?"
"That will be her choice. The prophecy speaks of the elleth becoming Queen. But whether it is a Queen over a restored haven or a sundered wasteland, no one knows. If she accepts me, the light in her will strengthen; but should darkness capture her... " Thranduil trailed off at the thought.
"On my life, it will not, Ada," Legolas spoke with a newfound conviction. A growing sense of duty to protect the one who had finally captured his father's heart. "You said others were aware of the prophecy. Who?"
Thranduil's face returned to its usually indifferent appearance, "Myself, of course. Lady Galadriel, Mithrandir, and— and I informed Augustus of the true prophecy. If anyone will be able to counsel and comfort Aurora in the moments of these decisions; it will be him."
"That is only three others aside from the two of us," Legolas queried, "who is the fifth?"
Thranduil's eyes darkened as the lines of his mouth hardened, "The unknown evil that dwells in Dol Guldur. The one who would take her from me."
Legolas's eyes widened slightly, "How can you be sure"
"The Nazgul attack the other night...The creature called Aurora by Burz Gothlob," He spat the black speech and saw Legolas flinch at the sound, "It means 'Dark Queen'."
Aurora had not slept well the next several days; between her thoughts drifting back to the garden with Thranduil and her focus on keeping Augustus comfortable, sleep evaded her. Aurora hadn't seen Thranduil again since their arrival, which confused her but also relieved her. She knew that a conversation would need to be had, but she didn't want to focus on that until Augustus was better. His fever had broken but the poison was still being worked out of his system. All Aurora could do was sit and hold his hand as he slept, whispering words of encouragement. Was this what he had gone through with her?
The elderly elleth, Kasterren, had been kind enough to bring her food throughout the day so she did not lose strength. By the third day, Kasterren all but kicked Aurora out and the healing hall and encouraged her to go and explore the palace, explaining that Augustus was not likely to awaken for several more hours and she would send word to Aurora should his condition change. Reluctantly Aurora agreed, sensing that Kasterren could physically throw her out the door if she truly wanted to do so despite her frail appearance.
Aurora aimlessly wandered back towards, what she assumed, was the front of the palace but became hopelessly lost within a few minutes. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes as she rounded a corner, instantly running into a solid mass.
"Shit!" Aurora shouted as she looked into the face of a stern-looking elf, "I am so sorry!"
"It's quite alright," The elf examined Aurora closely, "You must be Lady Aurora."
Aurora blushed and looked to her feet, "Is it that obvious?"
"Yes," the elf chuckled and their face lightened slightly, "I'm Tauriel. One of the Captains of the Kings Guard."
"It's nice to meet you," Aurora smiled, "Uummm…. Could I ask a favor?" Tauriel returned the smile and nodded slightly, "Can you show me how to get to the stable?"
"Of course," Tauriel agreed and began walking, "I was heading that direction myself."
"So what exactly does the Captain of the Kings Guard do?" Aurora inquired as they made their way through the grand palace.
"I am one of two Captains, we are in command over all the soldiers within the army of Greenwood. We oversee the protection of the Realm from the likes of spiders, orcs, and any others that would mean us harm. We both oversee different sections of the Realm. My soldiers are over the Northwestern part of the Realm and Captain Priamos is over the Southeast."
The two elleth's talked animatedly as they made their way through the corridors. Aurora learned that Tauriel was not only the youngest elf to be appointed as Captain but was also the first female to do so. Tauriel listened with great interest as Aurora told her of their other Realm, the flower shop, Augustus, and quite looked forward to meeting the magnificent creature known as Egg.
The stable was grander than any Aurora had seen. It had two large buildings with 20 stalls in each and above it was connected by a loft that, Tauriel explained, served as the Stable Master's living quarters. Aurora walked to stalls admiring the beautiful horses, all with chestnut coats and manes. At the far end of the second building, she found Egg stalled next Odin and the elk she had become familiar with these last several weeks. At the sight of her, Egg nickered happily and tossed his head in the air.
"Hey handsome," Aurora wrapped her arms around the horse's face and kissed his forehead, "have you been staying out of trouble?"
"Is this one your brother's?" Tauriel had stopped in front of Odin and was stroking his nose.
"Yeah, that's Odin."
Tauriel eyed the buckskin horse carefully, "He seems a little... overweight."
Aurora laughed so suddenly that it startled Egg, "Oh please... Please tell that to Augs when he's feeling better because we've been having that debate for years."
Tauriel watched as the light around Aurora brightened at her laughter. Is that the power Legolas spoke of? "Why do you call him Augs?" She asked as Aurora stepped into the stall with a brush and began grooming her magnificent black horse.
"They're nicknames from when we were kids... Our parents always called us Augs and Auri. It was sort of our thing. No one else was allowed to call us that, or so we would tell people." Aurora smiled at the memory. "So are you allowed to go on trail rides or anything with all those creepy-ass spiders?"
Tauriel chuckled at the description of the creatures that plagued their Realm, "We can, but it is extremely discouraged to go alone."
"Noted," Aurora raised an eyebrow, "I'd love to explore the forest a bit after Augs is better."
"I would be more than happy to show both you and your brother around," Tauriel smiled, "Would it be an imposition to ask for a demonstration of this dressage you've told me about?"
Aurora smiled wide and the sun shone brighter within the stable.
Thranduil was slightly annoyed as he walked onto the training field with Lord Allistair and found none of the soldiers were training. Had training been relaxed while he had been away? Tauriel and Priamos would surely here of this at the next Council meeting. His silent chastisement was interrupted by a soft cheer and light applause from behind the stables. Behind the stables, there were three additional fields, reserved for training on horseback. As Lord Allistair and Thranduil walked around the back he saw around 20 of their soldiers lined along the fence, cheering and clapping. He followed their gaze and saw Aurora atop Egg, clearly demonstrating her dressage skills.
Aurora had pulled her hair back in a quick french braid and she wore a green tunic paired with black leggings and boots. The sun radiated off her porcelain skin as she smiled softly. She was completing an elegant pirouette and moved her horse into an extended canter around the field shocking the gathered crowd as she demonstrated a flying change. She soon brought Egg back over to where the soldiers stood and Thranduil watched as Aurora's cheeks flushed in embarrassment as they clapped once more.
"Stunning..." Lord Allistair whispered at the sight of the elleth and her magnificent horse.
"Tell me, Lord Allistair," Thranduil suddenly stated loudly, causing all the soldiers present to stumbled to attention, "has it been customary in my absence, for my soldiers to not train during their scheduled training hours?"
Tauriel stepped forward and gave a respectful bow to her King before speaking, "I was the one who asked Lady Aurora for a demonstration of her riding discipline. The delay in today's training is my fault."
"Yes, it is," Thranduil stated coldly, "and seeing as several of Captain Priamos' company are also present; both companies will have their training schedules doubled for the next two weeks. You are all dismissed."
The soldiers quickly dispersed, heading to the other training fields; after a few minutes, all that remained were Thranduil, Allistair, and Aurora atop Egg. The two approached Aurora as she dismounted Egg and quickly tried to smooth her hair. Aurora noted the Ellon she hadn't met, he had long brown hair with matching dark eyes. She turned around just as they stopped in front of her and she offered a respectful bow of her head, "My apologies for distracting your soldiers, Your Majesty." She met his eyes and quickly looked away, Thranduil continued to watch her as her cheeks slightly flushed once more.
"The fault is not yours Lady Aurora," Lord Allistair spoke up, "The soldiers know what expectations their King holds for them."
"Lady Aurora," Thranduil waited for her to look at him once more, "I would like you to meet Lord Allistair. He is my Guard Commander and oversees the army when I am not present."
Lady Aurora gave another slight nod, "It's nice to meet you."
Lord Allistair's dark eyes brightened at the sound of her voice, "The pleasure is mine, my Lady and if I may say; your horse is almost as exquisite as you are."
"You are too kind, thank you." Aurora blushed slightly and turned back to Egg, stroking his nose, "I should get him inside."
"Allow us to accompany you." Thranduil turned and began walking next to Aurora as she led Egg into the stable; careful to keep a proper distance when all he wanted was to take her hand into his and pull her close. They walked into the stable and Aurora led Egg into his stall, removing his tack and reaching for a brush. She made quick work of putting his elegant mane into dual braids. She gave him a quick kiss on his nose and left the stall.
"How are you enjoying the Woodland Realm, Lady Aurora?" Allistair asked as the trio made their way back to the palace.
Aurora sighed, "From what I've seen it's breath-taking. But, unfortunately, I haven't been able to experience much of the Realm yet."
"For that I am sorry," Allistair consoled, "King Thranduil told us the circumstances of your dear brother's injury."
Thranduil saw Aurora's eyes grow distant as she spoke, "Had it not been for His Majesty and the Prince; I fear I would be experiencing a worse heartache." Aurora glanced at Thranduil and she spoke again as their eyes met, "I owe them a great debt."
Aurora saw as the corners of Thranduil's mouth twitched upwards before his indifferent mask returned. As they walked, Aurora glanced out to the training field where she saw Tauriel and another tall Ellon engaging in hand-to-hand combat as the other soldiers watched on. Her attention was drawn back at the sound of footsteps rushing towards them. She turned back forward to see Legolas staring at her with wide eyes.
"Lady Aurora," He breathed coming to a stop in front of the trio. He offered respectful nods to the King and Lord present, "Kasterren has sent word; your brother is awake and asking for you."
Augustus had sat up and propped several pillows behind his head and back, the kind elderly elleth he had woken up to brought his a disgusting cup of tea, but she said it would help to calm him and she left him to rest. He believed the calming effect until the tornado that was her sister came bursting through the doors; followed closely behind by the King, Prince, and a third Ellon he didn't recognize. In a matter of moments, Aurora had sat at the edge of his bed and flung her arms around his neck pulling him close to her.
"Hey, Loser." He hugged her back.
"Don't you ever try to die on me again, asshole," Auri whispered, feeling tears stinging the back of her eyes.
Augustus smiled weakly as his sister broke away from him, he quickly wiped a tear from her eye as they began to roll down her cheek, "Nope. None of that. You can cry when I'm dead-Ouch!" Augustus rubbed the part of his shoulder that she had just punched, "May I remind you that I was just recently stabbed and am still recovering."
Aurora gave her brother a smirk, "Fuck you."
Augustus leaned back against his pillows again, "How is your leg?"
"It's okay," Aurora glanced down at her leg, "Still a bit sore if I am on it for too long."
"Well," Augustus started, "Don't be on it for too long." As he dodged another punch he finally looked at the other three standing in the room, his eyes landing on Legolas, "Thank you, for saving me."
Legolas covered his heart with his hand and bowed slightly, "It was my honor, Master Augustus. I am happy to see you are recovering well."
"We all are," Thranduil added, taking a few steps closer to the twins, "your sister has hardly left your side. Only when Kasterren forced her out would she leave you." Thranduil glanced at Aurora and Augustus saw his face soften."But now that you are awake and healing, within the next few days a meeting will be arranged with my Council as well as the two of you to discuss what safety measures will be set in place for you."
"You don't need to— " Aurora began.
"It is not something we are debating, my Lady." Thranduil caught her off, his eyes hardening, "As long as you are in the Woodland Realm you will be under my protection, and we will ensure the safety of you and your brother."
Augustus looked between Aurora and Thranduil as they stared at each other, "Thank you, Your Majesty. If I may ask, what happened to me? I've seen stab wounds before but this is different." Augustus lifted his tunic to reveal a wound surrounded by silver swirling patterns.
"It's called a Morgul dagger," Lord Allistair stepped forward, "a weapon crafted by our enemy and embued with dark magic and poisons. It's meant to cause death and in some cases turn its victim into a wraith; a creature similar to a Nazgul."
There was a heavy silence over the room until Thranduil spoke up, "We should leave Augustus to his rest. This includes you, Lady Aurora" He raised a hand and stopped her as she opened her mouth to protest, "He is awake now, you need to see to your health."
"Your Majesty," Augustus spoke up, "I would like a private word with you, if I may."
Thranduil spoke with a flat tone, "Everyone will leave us."
"Augs— " Aurora started.
"Auri, please," Augustus squeezed his sister's hand, "I promise we'll talk about everything."
Everyone cleared out and Thranduil sat down in a chair next to Augustus's bedside. "What would you like to speak on, Master Augustus?"
Augustus shifted uncomfortably, "I need you to— To see something. That power you told me about… To be able to see other's memories… I need to show you something."
Thranduil considered Augustus's words, "That is a lot to ask, Augustus. To share one's memories can be draining."
"How so?"
"It is based around the emotions of the memory. The more emotionally motivated the memory the more energy it will take from both of us. When we share the memory, I will not only see but feel everything that you do. I am willing to do as you ask, but I need you to fully understand what it is you are truly asking."
"I understand," Augustus whispered.
Thranduil watched Augustus with a pensive expression, "Very well." Thranduil moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "For this to work properly, you will need to maintain eye contact with me at all times; clear your mind of all thoughts that are not the memory you wish me to see. Should you think of any other memory during our connection, I will be privy to this as well. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Augustus sat forward.
Thranduil placed his hands on both sides of Augustus's head, his thumbs firmly placed against his temples, "Open your mind," Thranduil whispered and locked eyes with him.
Augustus felt a tug at the back of his mind as his eyes lost focus the last thing he remembered before being engulfed in the memory was seeing Thranduil's bright blue eyes widen.
Augustus walked up the steps and fumbled for his keys. Why isn't the porch light on? They never forgot to turn the light on. He shrugged and pushed the door open and walked in.
"Ada? Naneth?" He called out into the darkened house. "You guys here?"
He started walking around the house when he stopped, there was a broken vase on the ground, it was his mom's favorite, the sunflowers and roses spilled onto the ground. Augustus felt a chill run up his back… Something's wrong.
"MOM? DAD?" He shouted much louder and sprinted up the staircase, freezing on the top step, dread settling deep into his stomach. He saw the arm sticking out of the doorway, the hand still clutching one of the kitchen knives.
Augustus stood in the doorway looking down, trying to stop himself from throwing up his entire dinner. At his feet lay the limp body of his father with a deep and long cut across his throat, his jade eyes wide open with horror. Augustus stumbled back, his head smacking into one of the pictures on the wall. He turned and gazed into the smiling face of his baby sister, the picture showing the 4 of them at the state fair when he and Aurora were only 6 years old.
His eyes drifted to the bathroom door that was ajar, a small pool of blood forming along the line of the carpet. He wiped tears from his eyes as he approached the bathroom and pushed the door open the rest of the way. He felt his knees buckle as he collapsed to the ground. His mother was leaning against the bathtub her eyes closed. The large wound in her chest was still dripping fresh blood.
Augustus screamed. He didn't know if it was out of sorrow or rage. He just screamed.
His mind was pulled from its fog when he felt a vibration in his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone and began crying again as he looked at the caller ID.
Auri the Loser.
The connection was severed.
Thranduil stood up quickly, breathing heavily, his eyes still wide with shock at what he had just witnessed. As he gathered his senses again he looked down at Augustus. He hadn't moved from where he sat. He was breathing rapidly as fresh tears fell from his eyes against his pale skin, his hands trembling as they clenched the blanket in his lap. Thranduil moved slowly and sat back on the edge of the bed once more, gently placing a hand on the young ellon's shoulder.
"Augustus," he breathed, "Words cannot express how truly sorry I am for what you have seen. No child should— " Thranduil cut himself off as he felt a strange prickling behind his eyes. A feeling he hadn't felt in almost 500 years.
"But you saw…" Augustus whispered, not looking at the King, "You saw the wounds?"
Thranduil's brow furrowed at the question, replaying the memory in his head. He saw the man and woman on the ground, their ghastly wounds, and… "The silver spiraling…"
Augustus slowly nodded, "The coroner didn't know what to make of it, chalked it up to a dirty blade. But it wasn't, was it?" Augustus paused for a long while but then finally met the King's eyes, "Were my parents killed with a Morgul dagger?"
Thranduil knew that the answer was yes. But how? How had another from Arda got to them in this other realm?
"I will send for Mithrandir and see that he is here within the week."
DRESSAGE TERMS:
Pirouette - The Full Pirouette is a highly advanced dressage move where the horse with an inside bend, pivots on one of its hind legs and moving its forelegs and other hind leg turns around on the spot to form a circle.
Extended Canter - During extended canter, the horse opens out their frame and increases the length of each stride to the greatest amount possible whilst maintaining balance, cadence, and rhythm.
Half Pass - This is a lateral movement where the horse moves forward and sideways bent into the direction that it is moving in,
Flying Change - A Flying Change is a change of canter lead that occurs in between canter strides. A series of flying changes are called Tempi Changes and are ridden with four or fewer canter strides in between each flying change with one time changes being the most challenging as there are no canter strides in between the changes and the horse appears to simply skip from one canter lead to another.
