Tauriel sighed looking down at the stairs in front of her, leading down to the dungeons of Erebor. It had been two weeks since Thranduil had arrived and he still refused to answer any of their questions or move into proper mourning. It was a small comfort that Lord Elrond would be here any day now, though they had word that Lady Galadriel had found out and was going to join him. She had not been down to see her former king herself and felt she at least had to try before they turned elsewhere for answers. Namely a sealed leather case that her former squadmate had pointed out, the only thing Thranduil had brought with him when he was moved from Dale. She nodded at the guard that she passed as she approached the cell. "Leave us?" She asked knowing there was no danger from her former king. Though from here she could see him pacing like a caged animal, as angry as she had been at him it broke her heart, he had been her king, and almost been like a father. The betrayal on both her and his parts had left scars. "... Thranduil.." She said approaching her dark robe was still worn, though slowly she had begun to wear color again.

"What do you want? Come to scold me as though I am a child?" He asked bitterly not looking at her.

"No, I have come to help.. I want to help you. Do you want me to beg? To cry? My brother, my prince, my friend is one and part of my heart has gone with him." Tauriel had not thought of what she would say, and found the words pouring out. "Please, stop this madness and come with me. Mourn Legolas as he deserves. I once said you could not love, prove me wrong! Show me that you loved him!" She pleaded as he finally stopped to look at her.

"My heart is not made of ice as so many believe, the opposite it is true, it is alive with fire. I cannot do as you ask and disrespect my son while he lives. I lost him once due to my own actions, and I must bring him home... Tauriel I have made what many would consider terrible choices in my past… but I do not regret any of them. Everything I have tried to hide in my past has been for the good of my people…" He softened, she had not seen him look upon anyone but Legolas like that in decades. "Including you… I have wronged you as of late… lost the daughter I should have loved." He closed his eyes. "I need you to believe me… I have given everything I have to protect the people of Greenwood, but I cannot give my son…"

Tauriel watched him with wet eyes as he reached out for her, she stepped forward allowing him to touch her face. "Ada… I don't understand. I know you held back the sickness of Dol Guldar, I watched you wear yourself thin, as you stopped eating and sleeping… but I never understood why you would not…." She sighed as he hushed her gently.

"Lady Galadriel will understand, whether she agrees with my actions or not…" He said. "... Finish mourning if you will. I am sure Legolas will appreciate knowing how much you all love him."

Tauriel squeezed his hand before pulling away wiping away the tears that had fallen despite her best efforts. "...I must, for my own sake." she replied stealing away her resolve to get to the bottom of all this. "I… must go… please, try to rest?"

"Of course.." he replied stepping away again to resume his pacing as Tauriel turned and left.

"Are we sure we want to do this?" Tauriel said as she looked around the table that contained her husband and friends. "Remmy?" She asked looking at the squadmate that had suggested his in the first place. She was unique among the elves. Her mother being a halfling, and having lived among humans before meeting Thranduil, who had invited her to live in Greenwood.

"...If this is something he thinks the Lord of Mordor wants.. we need to know what it is. And why he has whatever it is." The half elf answered.

"...Well uncle said we can look." Kili offered pulling out a knife and carefully cut off the straps that held it closed. He used the blade to flip it open and finally relaxed. "... Papers." He said, sounding underwhelmed as Tauriel pulled them out. There were several books, loose letters, sketches. And a pouch that felt like it contained something metal.

"Ok let's start with the… books then." Tauriel said, sighing and opening one cautiously. She frowned, noticing that this writing was Thranduil's. "... It's a journal." She frowned after a moment of flipping through it. "From when he was a teenager. He is writing about… Celebrimbor coming for a visit." The other elves exchanged looks among each other.

"I had forgotten that he knew him." Orben, the oldest among them, spoke frowning at the memories himself. "I had just joined the guard. So I never saw them." He added.

"Who's Clelebrimbor?" Kili asked, noticing how uncomfortable the elves were now.

"He was an Elvenprince, and blacksmith during the second age… he helped to make the rings if power. Fooled by Sauron in his fair form of Annatar." Orben replied, his eyes darkening as he explained. "He gave his life trying to keep the rings hidden, Thranduil was the first one to see what became of him.. I remember that… he was sent home from the battle and was in an awful state."

Tauriel listened as Orben spoke, she had been a child when that happened, it was the battle that had taken Orophers life and made Thranduil king. It had also been the battle to leave her an orphan. She winced at the memory and pushed it away, turning back to focus on the writing in front of her. She frowned as she read more. "... oh.." she gasped a little.

"What is it?" kili looked over to read the page she was on. He had learned quite a bit of elvish to his credit. "Oh, teenage thranduil has a crush?"

"Yes, and that would be.. Normal if he wasn't… let me read it." she sighed.

" 'Cel came today, it's been so long since he's visited, I guess ada really didn't want him to, I wish he would be kinder to visitors, but he says they'd spoil the perfection of Greenwood. Anyways, Cel brought a friend! I think he's a Maia. they call him Annatar and hes like no one I've ever met. Ada was rude to him when they got here though. Telling Cel how he agreed to him visiting, not some stray blacksmith… but Anantar didn't seem to mind, he was very polite about it and petitioned ada for use of the forges up in north greenwood. He said that he would love to do some work inspired by the beauty of Greenwood and its royal family. My heart felt lighter than ever before at his words, and Ada agreed.

And with a little more persuasion allowed me to lead Cel and Annatar to the forges. Ada worries so much when I'm out of his sight, but he does trust Cel. I talked to Annatar the whole way, hes been all over Arda and of course Vallinor. I was rather pleased to find out that he approves of my wish to remain in Arda all my days. You would think a Maia would want all elves to go there.

Oh! Annatar, I should describe him… he has such pretty dark hair and such pale skin, he reminds me of the moon on a clear night, and his eyes are like two beautiful stars. He almost looks like an elf, but his ears are too pointed, I really don't mind, i have never seen anyone so beautiful like him before. I should go though, Ada is probably going to come in soon and I don't want him to find this, Cel gave me this book to write in, and I don't want it taken away.' "

Tauriel finished reading with an even deeper frown on her face. "...He knows Sauron… or.. At least his disguise.. And Oropher offended him…" She looked around at the other elves who looked horrified after listening.

"Is that why he laid his sights on greenwood you think?" Remmy spoke up again after being silent.

"And maybe why he's gone after Legolas.." Tauriel sat the book to the side and frowned at the letters. "... I hope these aren't what I think they are though.."

Kili followed her gaze and untied the stack of letters. "Let's see who wrote first.." he hesitated before unfolding it and laying it out. The handwriting was clear, careful, and elegant. And more importantly, definitely not Thranduils. "...Oh.." Kili retracted his hands looking sick. "Sweet Eru… is this… this is his handwriting?" He said pointing out the name Annatar at the bottom of the letter.

"...I hate this already." Thurinor, another squad member said from across the table.

"...None of you have to help us with this." Tauriel looked around at her friends worried. "We will not like what we find, we already know this."

"We have to, to help our king." Remmy said firmly. "And…maybe Legolas if he is still alive." she added.

The others nodded and Thurinor looked over at the open book. "I wish King Oropher had found this damn thing." He said as they started working through the contents again.

One thing Kili noticed very quickly, while reading through several months worth of letters judging off their dates, was that after a certain point they changed.. Thranduil had written thanking the disguised dark lord for the sweets he had brought on their visit. And the response didn't feel so empty, the writing became more passionate. As though the intentions behind the words had changed. Everyone else had gone to take breaks and it was just him and the half elf they called Remmy. "So… Remmy is… an odd name for an elf." he commented.

"... Remiel. My name is Remiel, though your point still stands, I was not raised with elves. I was found by Lady Galadriel and while on a visit to Lothlorian, King Thranduil offered me a place on his guard." She said it casually as though it didn't matter. "I have been in greenwood since the prince was a newborn, I guarded him." She said softly.

"Oh.. I'm sorry… I don't think it would have been different if it had been you by his side. You just… wouldn't be here." Kili said. "It is a miracle that Elronds captain lives."

"Of course… I do hope that Lord Elrond or Lady Galadriel can help. If my king is correct and our prince, our morning star still lives." She looked sad and distant. Kili couldn't help but wonder how lonely her life had been before meeting the other elves.

"Why is he the morning star?" he asked carefully. He had heard that before, Tauriel had called him the star of greenwood.

"I believe it has to do with being the last of the high elves born, and they call Lady Arwen the eveningstar. So morning and evening stars of the elves of Arda." She shrugged clearly not knowing a better explanation. "Lady Arwen is Lord Elronds daughter. I believe she was visiting her grandmother when you stayed in Rivendel."

"Oh, who's her grandmother?" Kili raised an eyebrow, he had not considered that Elrond had children.

"Lady Galadriel of course, her daughter, his wife sailed many years ago." Remmy explained as she flipped to another page in the journal. Apparently not wanting to look at the letters anymore.

"Right… find anything interesting?" He asked her.

"Mmm maybe, it seems that my king and his father… fight a lot. Or at least Oropher was often disapproving." She frowned slightly. "Not just about…. Annatar." they had decided it was far safer to use the false name of Sauron when referring to him. And as far as they had seen Thranduil may not have known who Annatar was, at the time at least. "...What if he thinks he can buy the princes freedom with this… proof of his actions in Greenwood?" She added

"Of what? That he was… falling in love?" Kili hated to admit it but thats what he was gathering from the letters. Sauron had been falling hopelessly in love with thranduil, and vice versa. Though Thranduil had gone on to marry Legolas' mother, so it was debatable if those feelings still held. He ran a hand through his hair, he would have to fill in Fili soon enough so they could make a proper report of their findings. It really wasn't looking like anything good.

"Maybe… Come on, we should take a break as well." Remmy said getting up from the table and putting away the letters and book. Kili nodded without protest knowing she was right.

Thranduil was pacing in his cell when Bilbo appeared again with food. The hobbit was the only one he would eat for, the only one he trusted not to poison or drug him in some way. He stopped his pacing and looked down at the hobbit, Elrond was always going on about them and until he had met one himself he had not understood why. Bilbo was sensible, practical, and brave. True to a fault as well given that the Arkenstone had no effect on him. It had not affected him either but Sauron had once told him that he was so sure of himself that he had no need for such things. He was fairly certain that his love had been exaggerating, however. "Consort Bilbo.." He said, laying a hand over his heart politely.

"King Thranduil, please just call me Bilbo, there really isn't any need for such titles." The hobbit said with a kind smile.

"Then I insist that you call me Thranduil… I feel very unlike a king at the moment." He admitted accepting the food but setting it aside. His appetite had been waning the longer he stayed. He wanted his son back, or at least to be with his husband. He could never admit that of course. How he saw the Lord of Mordor, and how Sauron saw him.

"Thranduil?" Bilbos voice was full of concern and sympathy.

"...I miss my son." Thranduil finally sat down in the chair and held his face in his hands. He felt like a frightened teenager again, full of pain, waiting for Annatar to come save him. "He is alive Bilbo...I know you all think me insane for saying so."

"I don't think you are insane. I think you are grieving. He may be alive for now, but you cannot help him by giving yourself over to Mordor." Bilbo sat on a bench, his short legs barely able to reach the ground. "I don't want to see Elrond make you sail. And I do not think he will. If you are correct then the white council are the best people to help Legolas at this point." He finished and Thranduil hated to think he was right.

"...Lady Galadriel will believe me." He replied, it was not a lie. He had gone to her for help with the newborn Legolas, as his wife would not nurse him. The Lady of light knew immediately who the childs father was. And to her credit had not been upset with him, even if he disagreed with her assessment that he had been manipulated. He knew that their love was real, Legolas was all the proof anyone should need.

"I'm sure Thranduil, but my point remains. Perhaps she can help organize a rescue but still." Bilbo sighed at him regarding him as Galadriel had on that rainy night he had arrived. As though he was a foolish child. He had admittedly been only slightly older than Legolas was now. Younger when he had first met Sauron in his fair form. He winced slightly as he remembered his fellow prince and former friend who had died at Saurons hands rather than give the location of the elven rings. Cel who had introduced them, and later came to warn him of Annatars true nature. Not knowing that Thranduil was already aware ever since- "Thranduil.. you should eat." Bilbo said breaking off Thranduils thoughts as though he could sense his distress. "They will be here soon and from there we can decide what to do."

"...Thank you for the food Bilbo… you really are an excellent cook…" Thranduil forced himself back to the present away from painful thoughts of the past.

"Yes well, any proper hobbit is. That and a great gardener. Though I am not much of a proper hobbit anymore now am I?" Bilbo laughed softly and messed with the small crown on his head.

"I would not know, I admit. The last time I had seen a hobbit was when I was a child…. As we followed Lady Galadriel over the misty mountains."

"We who? I have always wondered how you came to rule the Silven elves." Bilbo replied.

"Ah, me and my adar. My nana stayed behind and was… lost after the war of wrath.." Thranduil winced again. He did not remember her well. But knew that she had wanted to stay with the hopes of returning to Vallinor. "My father had an argument of some kind with Galadriel and moved on to the Greenwood where he discover the Silven elves and was taken with their simple lives. They in turn were enchanted by us as high elves and our company of Sindarian elves. And made my Adar their king." he shrugged. "I am afraid there isn't much more to the story."

"That's alright, I am sorry about your mother…" Bilbo gave him another sympathetic look that thranduil shook his head at.

"You are… far too kind Bilbo…. Thorin and Erebor are lucky to have you." He said as he started to eat. The food really was amazing.