CONTENT WARNING: Rated M for Strong language, sexual content.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything created by Tolkein and Middle-Earth. This is for entertainment only.
A/N: Please forgive me, darling readers! I finally got my cluster headaches under control and then I promptly tore my ACL. I've been recovering from knee surgery and other distractions so I hope you don't hate me too much I hope you enjoy the next chapter! Please read & review! XOXO - Presephone
Song of the Chapter: "Warrior" by Beth Crowley
Confessions & Concessions
"People are always meaning well, that is often the problem."
Penelope Lively
The door to the grand hall opened and shattered the silence. Priamos looked around as he was led in by soldiers who once served underneath him. He looked to the centerpiece of the room to see a somber tableau laid before him.
On the floor in front of the dais stood Legolas, Tauriel, Haldir, and August. All four were dressed in their uniforms, their weapons glimmering on their hips. Above them stood the six elven leaders; Galadriel stood as still as a statue between Celeborn and Elrond. Sankrovyn stood at the forefront of the other side of the dais, Gawain and Alistair flanking either side of him. At the top of the winding staircase, Thranduil stood in front of his throne with his head held high.
Tauriel shifted uncomfortably as Priamos stopped in front of them and he immediately dropped his eyes to the floor. She couldn't believe that the closest person to her aside from Legolas. He had stood up for her when the soldiers struggled to accept her as Captain. They had been kidnapped and tortured together. How could she have been so blind?
A heavy silence hung in the air and only Thranduil's boots descending the stairs could be heard. He stepped in front of the disgraced former Captain and held his hands behind my back. He waited until Priamos eventually looked up at the towering monarch. When Thranduil spoke he began to slowly circle around Priamos until he was standing just to the side of him, "You will not make a single movement towards her or you will be struck down. Ni chenille? (Do you understand me?)"
"Yes," Priamos muttered in confusion.
Without another word, Thranduil finished his circle and began walking away to the door at the side of the throne room. A guard opened the door and Thranduil's broad shoulders blocked everyone's view. He leaned down slightly and all that was heard was an incomprehensible whisper.
When he turned around, Aurora walked from his private study with her head held high. She wore a deep blue dress that flawlessly accented her pale skin. Her hair was in loose curls that trailed over her shoulders and down her back and her ring shone in the sun that streamed in through the ceiling.
All present were surprised at the sight of her. The silver pieces twisted around her head like ivy and joined just above her brows where the simple deep blue sapphire seemed to accent her jade eyes. Although she wouldn't officially be named Elvenqueen until after the traditional celebration, she looked every bit the part as she and Thranduil came to stand in front of the others.
"Hiril Vuin Aurora (Beloved Lady Aurora)," Priamos whispered and bowed his head in reverence. He kept his eyes trained on the ground but he could feel the weight of her gaze on him, just as she could feel Thranduil's attention trained on her.
"Ceno nin (Look at me)," her voice was soft yet strong as she took a step forward.
Priamos looked up at her, "Diheno nin (Forgive me)," his bottom lip almost imperceptibly trembling, "I never intended—"
"I risked my own life to save you," she cut him off with a matter-of-fact tone, "I rode through the darkness of the woods to the clearing that night to save you. I would have taken the place of you and Tauriel that night… and now I learn that you were on his side the whole time?" She looked at him with pained eyes. She couldn't understand how someone she once trusted with her life had now betrayed her to someone who wanted to kidnap her. "Wait," she spoke louder as Priamos' words from the Equinox celebration echoed in his head, "'He loves you deeply and he'll take care of you.' You weren't talking about the Elvenking, were you?"
Priamos lowered his head, "My words were true, Hiril Aurora (Lady Aurora). Duath Aran nin (my Shadow King) only wants to—"
"No dhinen (Be silent)," Aurora interrupted again, her voice growing lowered as her anger rose, "There is only one King of Eryn Galen. Thranduil son of Oropher. Either he holds your allegiance or no one does. This Shadow King is nothing but a monster who hides in darkness and sends others to commit treason in his name because he is too cowardly to do it himself.
"The other prisoner confessed to all charges with the exception of one," She continued, "So I'll pose this question to you only once… Were you responsible for the death and macabre display of your fellow soldiers the same day as the kidnapping of you and Tauriel?"
Priamos swallowed hard and closed his eyes for a long moment before looking up to her again, "Yes."
She watched as the last remnants of hope faded from Priamos' eyes. Aurora looked at him and there was a pang in her chest, but she knew that she couldn't be weak now. She steeled her emotions and spoke with the strongest voice she could muster, "Priamos son of Priandorel, before the Valar themselves it is declared that you are hereby a stranger to all Ellyn. The Grey Havens are closed to you and you shall never join our kin in the Undying Lands. You will spend the rest of your days within the deepest cell in the dungeons of Eryn Galen."
Priamos exhaled a ragged breath and Aurora saw tears welling behind his eyes. He repeatedly opened his mouth to say something but no sound came. She looked to the guards who stood behind Priamos and gave them a short nod and he was led from the hall. She stood frozen until the echo of retreating boots was a distant sound and could feel tears of her own threatening to fall from her eyes.
She felt warm arms wrap around her shoulders as Augustus moved in front of her and pulled her into a tight hug. She instantly wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest as her tears silently fell. "It was the only option, Auri," he whispered into her hair and pressed a light kiss to the top of her head.
Aurora sniffled but didn't lift her head, "Why do I feel so bad?"
"Ilma nin (my Starlight)," Thranduil's voice came from behind her and she felt his hand on her lower back. She looked up and saw that his eyes had softened as he looked down at her, "It's because you have a kind heart. Being a ruler is not easy, but you did very well. If you both would follow me to my study, there is something else we need to discuss."
The grand hall had begun to empty of the others from the dais as they left and the door closed behind them. Aurora looked around to see Lady Galadriel and Thranduil standing by his desk. She heard someone clear their throat and she turned to see Gandalf standing by the fireplace.
"Hello, my dear," Gandalf warmly smiled, "you look beautiful as ever."
Aurora smiled softly as she and Augustus joined him by the fireplace and sat on the settee, "You are kind as ever Gandalf."
Galadriel sat in one of the chairs as the aged wizard sat in the chair opposite her. Aurora looked to her right as Thranduil sat next to her and kissed her temple. His fingers laced with hers and he gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"Aurora," Galadriel's soft voice filled the room, "I know that you have asked both Mithrandir and myself about how you'll be able to aid Greenwood in pushing the darkness from the forest." Aurora nodded in agreement as she met her gaze, "With your unique ability, we believe that if you use that talent on something specific within the forest, you'll be able to cast out that darkness."
"Something specific?" Augustus questioned.
"The tree," Thranduil murmured and looked from Galadriel to Gandalf, "you want her to go there?"
"King Thranduil," Gandalf sat forward in his chair, "if we can heal the tree, that will change the forest. It will not only banish the spiders but—"
"No." Thranduil curtly interrupted.
"What tree?" Aurora asked and she felt Thranduil's hand tense around hers. She looked around the room as all remained silent, "What tree?"
Thranduil sighed heavily, "The Eryn Galen Tree. It is the tree that balances the magic within the forest," he looked to Lady Galadriel, "But there must be another way."
Galadriel looked at the Elvenking's concerned face, "You know there is not."
Augustus spoke up again, "What's wrong with going to this tree?"
"It's location, Master Augustus," Gandalf looked between the twins, "is within a five-mile ride of Dol Guldur. By now it is most likely overrun with spiders, orcs, and a number of other foul creatures."
"The darkness that has been emanating from Dol Guldur has tainted the tree," Galadriel explained further, "If we can restore the tree to its former glory and possibly more with what you have stored within Ondo Ilma, I believe that we can push the darkness from the forest entirely."
"I'll do it," Aurora immediately agreed.
"No," Thranduil stood up and looked down at her, "I will not let you go so near to the place that would take you away from me."
Aurora held his gaze, "Thranduil I can help our Realm. I need—"
"I said NO!" Thranduil shouted and turned to walk away.
"I wasn't asking your permission, Aran nin (my King)!"
Thranduil turned to see Aurora standing at the edge of the settee, her expression hardened as she glared at him. The room fell into a contentious silence as the pair continued to stare."Leave us. Inform Gailon we're not to be disturbed," he stated with little emotion.
The other three in the room hesitated for a moment and then all rose together and left the study.
They silently watched each other as they both calmed their emotions. Aurora watched as Thranduil turned and walked to his desk. He sat down with a heavy sigh and ran his hands over his face. She walked quietly to the side of his desk and took one of his hands from his face, entwining her fingers between his own. "I need to do this, meleth nin (my love)," she spoke with a soft and simple tone.
Thranduil held her hand as if she would vanish if he let go. When he finally spoke he continued to stare at the surface of his desk, "I swore I would protect you."
"I know you did," she crouched down next to him. His eyes were shadowed with fear as she took his now scarred face in her hand, "but you made that same vow to our people long before you had even heard the prophecy of our destiny. You have fought countless battles in the defense and preservation of our people. Now it's my turn, Thranduil."
He covered her hand with his own and his features softened as he pressed his forehead to hers, "Vaethor Ilma nin (my starlight warrior)," he pulled her hand that cupped his cheek backward so that it looped around his neck as he captured her lips in a heated kiss. Taken aback by the sudden shift of events Aurora gasped into Thranduil's mouth and his tongue quickly made its way into her mouth. He groaned softly as her other hand gripped his tunic and pulled him closer to her.
"We prepare for every detail," he mumbled between kisses as she stood up.
"Yes," she laced both her fingers into his hair.
"Your guards will surround you at all times," his hands roamed up and down her waist as he slowly pulled her dress up.
"Naturally," she pulled his outer robe off as he stood and pushed her against his desk.
"You never leave my sight," he gripped her hip with one hand as the other ran up her center and circled over her twitching bud.
"Of course," she panted as she untied the laces at the front of his leggings and partially pulled them down, wrapping her fingers around him.
He shuddered and picked her up so she was sitting on the edge of his desk. She wrapped her legs around his waist just as his hand dipped behind her panties and he quickly pushed two fingers into her as his thumb pressed against her bud. His other hand roughly grabbed her breasts through her dress as he kissed and nipped at her neck.
Aurora tossed her head back and moaned loudly as his fingers continued to pump in and out of her. The crook of her arm now sat at the back of his neck as her other hand continued to fervently stroke him in rhythm with his fingers. He gasped loudly as she took the tip of his ear into her mouth and rolled her tongue around it.
He removed his fingers from her as he moved his hips with her hand. Both his hands gripped her hips and he pulled her closer to the edge as he completely filled her. They paused for a moment and held each other's gaze until Thranduil leaned down and softly kissed her. Their kisses quickly heated up as he began thrusting into her. She rolled her hips to match his pace as he quickly got faster.
Harder, Thranduil heard her breathless cry in his head and almost fell over the edge at that moment.
He began to passionately thrust further into her and she leaned back so she was lying across his desk. Her moans began to fill the room with each thrust and she found herself reaching up and gripping the other edge of the desk. This caused him to move deeper within her resulting in loud gasps from both of them.
Thranduil continued his rough strides and growled again at the sight of her laid before him. She clung to the desk as if it were a lifeline as she cried out in pleasure, her breasts moving with each thrust within her dress. One of his hands drifted from her hip and began circling over her bud causing her to scream his name. She suddenly saw stars as her eyes closed in ecstasy and she felt herself clench around him as she fell over the edge. She screamed his name again as he continued driving into her, stretching out her orgasm.
When she started to come down from her high she lifted herself off the desk and pushed his shoulders away from her, causing him to land back in his chair. She quickly moved from the desk and straddled his lap, immediately pushing him back into her. He fully moaned as she began moving up and down on him, her hands secured around his neck. His hands gripped her waist as he helped her move against him and his eyes rolled back and he partially closed them. His head fell back against the chair as she expertly rolled her hips against him. She quickened her pace atop him which caused him to spill inside of her as he yelled her name.
They stilled and she pressed her forehead against his as they both struggled for breath. His hands ran up and down her back as he kissed her lightly again.
"And lastly," he panted, "once the tree is healed we return home."
She slightly leaned back and cupped his cheek, her thumb running across his bottom lip, "Always."
Priamos rested his head against the cold stone of the cell that was now his home. He had expected the punishment, but that didn't lessen the pain. He heard the footsteps echo before the outline appeared in front of him. He snapped his head up and quickly moved to his knee, "Aran nin (my King)."
"You may rise, Priamos," the Shadow King spoke with a collected tone. "Although your sentence is not ideal, our Queen truly stepped into her regal role today."
"She did," Priamos agreed, "if I may speak my mind," he paused again until the Shadow King gave him a short nod, "I do fear that this newfound confidence she wears will make her more difficult to turn from light."
The Shadow King considered his most faithful servant's words for a long moment before speaking, "You're right and I have also had this fear. It saddens me that I now must take an extreme measure."
"Aran nin (my King)?" Priamos furrowed his brows, "What do you intend to do?"
"It's simple," the Shadow King heavily sighed, "I'm going to kill Augustus."
