She couldn't recall how long the Elk had galloped at speed for, but by the time he stopped and lowered himself to allow her to dismount, she had felt completely frozen to the bone.

The clearing in which they had stopped was in the middle of Greenwood, and covered in snow. But beyond this she was too frozen and dazed to orientate herself.

Within moments of her taking her first steps, a large warm cloak was wrapped around her and she was scooped up.

Tired, frozen, and unable to stand any longer, she collapsed into blackness...

When she awoke, she found herself wrapped up in many soft, warm blankets, laying on a large bed. Still feeling quite weak, she slowly sat up. It seemed to require incredible amounts of strength to do such a simple task, but finally she managed, sitting propped on her pillow and attempting to gain her bearings.

Her hair had been let loose, and was still a little damp but no longer cold, and she had been stripped of her cold wet clothing and dresses in a simple shift.

She had no idea where she was, other than to note that everything looked larger. And then she recognised some of the fine carvings that were similar to the patterns on the woodland elves armour.

At least the fire was roaring and warm.

"Are you cold my dear...?" A voice startled her from somewhere in the room.

She looked around in the dim light to find a figure standing in an archway to one side.

It had been a long time since she had heard his voice, or even seen him from afar, but it was unmistakably the Elvenking.

"It appears that my Elk, has taken a liking to you and carried you away..." he walked over to her. "He lingers here still, I imagine he is worried about you..."

Instinctively she panicked. She had run away from Thorin, and without thinking ended up in Greenwood! He would no doubt be livid!

She clutched the blankets to her chest. The shift she wore was thin, and she felt naked and vulnerable.

"You have nothing to fear from me here...you are safe. And if you are fleeing your husband..." He spoke arrogantly in an almost 'I-told-you-so' tone. "Well, even my guards are not aware of your arrival. You are in my private chambers, and I dressed you myself. Your dress and undergarments are still drying by the fire..."

He looked towards a large armchair that had the dress draped over it beside the fire, before turning his strange, pale gaze towards her again.

"I must leave..." She finally spoke. But she was not certain she had the strength to do so right now.

"You are in no state to do so, little one." He sat down on one corner of the bed and reached out a hand to touch her forehead. "You have a fever. You should not have left in such haste without proper clothing. It is fortunate Daer found you."

Everything was a mess, and she wanted to simply lay down and sleep. Forever.

"I have requested some hot soup...you will need to rest, eat and gather your strength before you return. I insist." He concluded as if it was final.

Feeling powerless and tired, she curled up again in the middle of the bed, attempting to hold back her sobs.

"You need not say a word, but I can see that the dwarven oaf is not worthy of you," he tucked another warm blanket over her. "I can offer you sanctuary. Perhaps you may refuse it today...but my offer will remain..."

He was careful to keep his distance, as though she were some sort of wounded animal he had found.

"Why...would you help me?"

"Because I have not forgotten the courage and generosity you have shown in returning my only memory of my wife." He stood, careful not to appear to be prying or too familiar with her and took a few paces towards where he had first emerged and turned back to her where she lay curled up so small. It almost pulled at his heartstrings, but he did not need any further bad blood with the dwarves. "As I said before, you are safe here. My private study is over there, where I shall remain, should you require anything. Rest, gather your strength and I will take you back when you are ready. If that is your wish."

...

She carefully slipped out of the bed and moved towards the fireplace. The flames still burned brightly, dancing and flickering to a tune of their own.

Moving on unsteady feet, she poured a goblet of water out for herself and took a sip. She had slept for at least a day and a half, waking only for a bowl of soup.

Watching the flames dance, she stood there sipping the water carefully. Her head still throbbed, and her eyes still felt swollen, but she had cried silently each time she had woken up.

A strange rasping sound, made her almost drop her goblet.

So steadying herself, she turned to find the tall figure of the Greenwood King, slumped asleep in a large armchair, with his feet up on a footstool. He no longer wore his strange crown, or any of his ostentatious clothing. It made him look strangely relaxed, in a way she had never seen.

He appeared to be snoring!

She turned back and poured herself another goblet, drinking a little quicker this time so that she could return to the bed, before he woke up.

"Feeling any better...?"

Apparently it was too late.

She set the goblet back and turned around, carefully getting back to the bed and throwing a blanket around herself, blushing, for the shift that she had been dressed in was indeed rather thin.

"Forgive me, but I had nothing else that would fit you. My winter shirts are thicker and less comfortable..." He spoke coldly.

"I suppose, I should be returning..."

"Not if you do not wish it." Even half asleep, he was arrogant!

"You would risk war upon your people and perhaps mine, for me?" She blinked surprised. "Why?"

"Why not?" He dismissed her, as if she was a child, worried about a monster under her bed. "Have you so little value of yourself?"

"No. But my marriage was a duty to my people, and the dwarves...and their lives, together with those of your elves, are surely more valuable in group than mine alone?"

He seemed to sit up and look at her with interest.

"They would get lost in the woods attempting to find us...and those who reached our gates would be worn, tired and brought to their knees, in no state to fight." He tilted his head, watching her climb back into his large bed. "Tell me this...why do you return to him, if he hurt you? And there is no need to lie. I have seen the tears you cry silently, when you think no one sees you..."

"Out of duty..." She mused herself. It was hard to find a reason, beyond her knowing the consequences of what it would mean, if she did not. Thorin was not a kind or forgiving man. And there would be consequences. Even her mother would be in danger, now that her father was taken ill, and her step-brother was ruler. "And what good would I be here, your highness? Where would I live?"

He looked at her as if surprised by the question - as though it was stupid that she even wondered.

"Just as you are, of course."

"I would spend the rest of my days here, in your bedchambers...?" She clutched the blankets tighter to her body, feeling disheartened. Her mother had taught her to read and write, and given her the chance to live her life freely, in a way that even she had not been. And yet, in the end all that she would be was a concubine to that horrid dwarf, or this ancient elf! "Wearing next to nothing...?"

Thranduil laughed at her.

"You would be most welcome to stay in my bed chambers, wearing next to nothing always. But I am quite busy maintaining my kingdom. I posses no magic rings. So you would be waiting for me much of the time...although you would never have any complaints from me. It would be a most welcome sight after a long day..." He smirked at her, as if she had offered herself to him. "Or I could make you more comfortable, in any way you wish. You would find my halls are much more welcoming than the lonely mountain."

She pulled another blanket over herself. The idea of being as far from Thorin as she could was wonderful, but she had no desire to be a concubine to this arrogant elf!

"Unlike your vile husband, I would not force myself upon you. You would be free to stay as my guest..." He stood up avoiding her gaze, that reminded him of an injured doe.

He would have been lying to say he was not in the slightest bit curious as to what she would feel like in his arms. He had after all undressed her completely from her wet clothing. Nor could he deny that seeing her entirely unclothed had not set his heart racing in a way that he had not felt in a long time. But she was nothing but a girl, compared to him. And a mortal.

Falling in love with her would have serious and lasting consequences. Ultimately she was of the race of men, and their hearts were easily turned.

"I should return, really. For the sake of all."

"Then let me offer you a place to return to if you should ever wish to...escape your turmoil for a day or two..." Thranduil extended a hand with an elegant movement.

She turned to catch his gaze again. His pale, cold eyes seemed to bore into her. And it reminded her of the strange and unexpected kindness he had shown her once after the battle.

Slowly she slipped out of the bed again, as he watched her with great curiosity, and then she slowly walked over to him where he sat.

"This is not the first time you have been kind to me in a time of need," she paused by him, before leaning up cautiously and planting a gentle kiss on his cheek.

It seemed to take him by surprise. He had never allowed a man in his kingdom for long, let alone this close to him. She had been different from the moment he had met her, but he had also liked her brother. And now she had, unfearing of him just walked over and kissed him!

Not knowing how to respond he wrapped a long arm around her waist, snaking under her blankets so he could almost feel her bare skin through the soft, thin shirt he had dressed her in.

His touch was light, such that it did not feel as though he wanted anything more to come of their strange interaction. At least not for now. Although she couldn't help but wonder why he would ever show someone like her such kindness, particularly since he has behaved so cold and arrogantly towards her.

"Why would you be so kind to me?" She looked up at him, observing his face closer. His features were finer than the dwarves, but not as handsome as her own father or Arvind. And his eyes looked cold. And his face looked hard, with his Stony pale skin. Slowly, she reached out her own hand and touched his left cheek, which looked different to his other side, as if by some old scar that was concealed in some manner. "What happened to your cheek?"

Her small cool hand on his cheek, made him draw in a short breath, closing his eyes, and bringing his own hand to cup hers.

"You are able to see that?" He sounded taken aback.

"Forgive me - I hope I have not overstepped myself -"

"They are old scars from an old battle with fire drakes... But they are hidden by enchantments, and you should not be able to see them."

"I cannot see them, and yet...I think I can...feel them…" She stroked that side of his face. "You should not need to conceal them...real beauty comes from in here anyway. And most people can see that."

She let her hand trail down to his chest, where she lightly pressed her palm against his large, firm muscular frame.

Then she slipped out of his arm taking a short step back to the bed.

"May I spend one more night here...before I return?"

"As you wish, my lady..." He waved his hand, trying not to appear in any way affected by her touch from before, or that he was still thinking of it.

She quickly clambered back into the bed and wrapped herself up, watching him attempt to settle in the chair. It was clearly uncomfortable, but he did not complain.

Suddenly she felt sorry for him. For all his prejudices and the burdens he bore from his lifetime, he had found an ounce of kindness to save her and permit her this time of respite, or she would have been handed back to Erebor, to face whatever consequences Thorin had in store for her. And she had no doubt, Thorin would punish her for fleeing.

She watched him again as he attempted, silently to find a comfortable position to fall asleep in his chair.

"There is enough room here for you..." She spoke without thinking, and then worried that it sounded like an invitation to bed her! "I mean there is ample space...I can move over -"

"You would share a bed with me?"

"You have given your bed to me. And you were kind enough not to take me back right away."

He carefully positioned himself to lay on the very edge of the bed, leaving a space between them. It was not difficult to do so, since she was so small in comparison to the large bed. He lay on his back looking up, lost in silent thought, while she watched him through half closed eyes.

"Why do you honour your marriage to him, when he does not afford you the same?" He finally spoke, still looking up at the ceiling. "It is common in many races where unions of alliance are formed, that both husband and wife take lovers."

She remained silent, pondering this herself for a moment. Was he offering himself?

"In truth I never considered marriage to another unless I had fallen in love. I am not of a high born mother, nor am I considered one of my father's most beautiful daughters according to our courtiers," she confessed. Her life would have been far simpler had it remained that way. She had Gandalf, Dwalin and Thorin to thank for her current circumstances. "I suppose I also always imagined that once Thorin had his usual court returned, that he would quickly tire of me, or bring a former mistress back."

She just hadn't anticipated that she would in the meantime fall in love with him and have her heartbroken.

"At least you have given me the chance to gather myself, so that when I return, I may do so with some grace," she whispered, realizing that she would also have to face the consequences for running away. "And find a way to carry on."

"Then, sleep well, Princess of Rhun." He seemed to smile as he closed his eyes, although he did not look at her still. "And know that should you ever need respite again, then my chambers and halls will always provide you sanctuary..."

...

She had arrived to a great big furore. Thranduil himself had taken her to Erebor on his while elk, where the guard that had blocked their path had quickly parted as they saw her.

So she had been met half way by a rather sour faced Dwalin. And that was when the very smug Thranduil had finally allowed her down from his Elk. Even the Elk had initially snorted and pawed at the ground as if threatening to charge the guards of Erebor at first!

"We have been worried sick, Princess!" Dwalin groused.

"You were most fortunate that she crossed into the woodland realm. Her Highness was frozen to the bone, and spent the last two days being treated by my own healer." Thranduil called out haughtily from atop his Elk. He had come dressed in his most flashy cloak and crown.

"What in Mahals name made ye run off like that?!" Dwalin whispered.

"This is not the place to discuss that." She snapped at him quietly, before bowing her head to the elf quickly. "Thank you, King Thranduil..."

But he too didn't seem to let it go, quickly disembarking from his Elk, and towering over the sea of dwarves and men, he halted Dwalin from guiding her back.

"Will you be safe, my lady?"

"Aye! Why wouldn't she be safe?!" Dwalin growled, from beside her.

"Please. I will be fine. Thank you." She replied, although part of her wanted to stay in his room.

"I am always at your service, my lady." He gracefully bowed his head once more before finally mounting his Elk again and turning back, as they watched for a while.

"What is going on here?" She looked around at the rows of guards who were all dressed in armour. It was unusual to see so many like that together, at least not since the great battle!

"Well...in return for your impertinent disappearing act, your school has been sealed shut!"

"What?!" She stopped straight away. "Why would Thorin do that...? Or allow it?"

"Because your tracks were found leading to Greenwood, and with no sign of return!" Dwalin grunted back. "So he was angry -"

"Oh?! Well he didn't tell you then that as I arrived to discuss the festivities planned for his royal approval I found him with his pants around his feet, and some dwarrowdam attempting to swallow his...his...his...man sausage!" She whispered angrily, watching Dwalins face redden at her description. It was hard to tell whether it was from rage or from embarrassment.

"Elise!" Dwalin spat out angrily. "But I thought ye two were really getting along -"

She stopped briefly, feeling afresh the sadness she had first felt, clutching at her chest and closing her eyes momentarily to swallow down the tears.

"Lets go together Lass - I will sort him out -"

"No."

Her words stopped him this time due to the utter shock of it.

"What dya mean no? Eh lassie?"

"He is right. He didn't fall in love with me...I was always something he had to tolerate for the sake of my father's army...I was foolish to have ever allowed myself to think otherwise," she shook her head sadly. "He was always going to have a mistress. And after all, I am not even considered the prettiest or most capable at tapestries or anything like that...I was such a fool for falling in love with him -"

"You love him?" Dwalin pulled her over to a quiet corridor now and looked around, before stopping. "You told him?"

"Yes."

"You told him? How?"

"I think I love you..?" All she could recall was how he had not said anything other than questioning her!

"What did he say?"

"Nothing...I should have known all along. I am the foolish one..." She wrung her hands together in frustration. "I think I was so miserable before, I wanted to believe that perhaps some part of him loved me too..."

"Och lassie, but he DOES love ya! He is just too much of a gormless coward to believe it himself."

She remained silent to that.

"Come princess. Let's go and talk to him -"

"No. I don't want to talk to him or look at him. I need to move into another room...at least if he doesn't love me, he should not force me to sleep in the same bed every night..." She pleaded with him. "YOU! It's because of you that I am in this mess! Help me please?!"

"Very well, lass, let me talk to Dis. Ye can stay with her, I am sure she would help." Dwalin offered. "Come let's go and collect your things..."

They quickly made their way back to his bed chambers, where she began collecting the few things she had arrived with.

"Better hurry lass - he will have seen ye arrive. And he'll be pissed ye didn't come to see him first." Dwalin warned. "I will talk to Dis and return immediately. Will ye be alright?"

After a slight delay, she looked at Dwalin, apparently distracted and nodded.

She had found the Sapphire necklace he gave her. It reminded her of the few times he had been kind or gentle. And it made her want to cry again. Placing the jewels on the large dresser, she forced herself to return to her task as hand.

She would take a few of her new dresses that Dori had made for winter. The practical ones. And her capes.

For the sake of their people both in Rhun and Erebor, she could not leave. But she was sure Daer would collect her again if she needed it. Even the Elvenking, for all his prejudices and arrogance was more tolerable than her husband!

"Going somewhere, my lady...?"

She froze briefly. It was him.

"Or perhaps I should really ask...where you have already been?" He sounded angry!

Well, she was livid too! She spoke without turning to greet him.

"Yes, my Lord. I am moving to another bed chamber to permit you better freedom. After all, our union is nothing but...a burden to you. So you may as well enjoy your bed with whomever you please-" but before she could finish saying what she needed to he had come to stand right behind her.

"I asked you, my wife, where you have been all these days?!"

"I lost my way through Mirkwood and nearly froze to death, but the elves found me and I was attended to by their healer who revived me," she replied, but when she tried to move away, he merely stopped her with a firm hand to her waist, pressing her to the dresser behind her. "Surely it matters not to you anyway?"

"Oh it matters. It very much matters to whom you have been whoring your little body out to," he snarled, moving closer and inspecting her face carefully. "It matters to me where you have been sleeping. And you will no leave my bed unless it is by my permission-"

"Get away from me! You vile brute!" She pushed against his chest, finally letting all her anger out. "There was no need to shut the school! You promised me!"

"Just as you promised to be my wife!" He yelled grasping her wrists firmly.

"This is not a marriage!" She snapped back. "I am just part of a trade to you - and one you cannot even bear to honour!"

"Honour you! My wife who whores herself away to elves or any other kind..but then I guess you are nothing but your mother's daughter-"

"You beast!" She pulled her wrists away, twisting in his grasp, to slip out and without thinking, she slapped him!

In the silence of his large bedroom, it made a resounding noise. And they both seemed to realize too late what was about to happen but each was too shocked to do anything about it.

His face twisted to the opposite side with the momentum of her hand, and her palm stung with force of their connection. But he didn't let her left wrist go, and didn't seem to be particularly affected by it, other than to feel some level of humiliation.

Her heart began to race in her chest. She almost expected him to slap her back, so she attempted to pull away, but his vice like grip only tightened on his ensnared wrist further.

"And apparently you haven't been taught any manners either!" He pulled her onto the bed, pressing her front down onto the sheets and bringing her hands back behind her back making it hard to move.

At first she attempted to kick out, but it only allowed him to press her further into the bed and immobiliser her better, until she finally gave in, like a trapped animal.

"Let me go you monster! Let me go!"

With his hands pinned behind in the grasp of one hand, she heard him unbuckling his belt with the other. The clinking sound made her heart beat still faster, until she felt positively as though she would soon faint.

"Are you going to beat me with your belt? Go ahead - I couldn't care less if you killed me!" She shouted, turning her head to one side attempting to see what he was doing.

But to her horror, he didnt beat her.

"No. That would release you of your duties to me. It would make it far to easy." He growled in anger.

Instead she felt the thick, cold leather wrapping around her wrists tightly. He wrapped it around several times binding her tight, so that she couldn't move her arms.

And then he tore her dress open from the back, pulling the thick velvet away like it was a thin worn rag.

Suddenly her breath caught in her throat and she felt sick.

"You are right about one thing. I am a monster. But you have never had the pleasure of meeting my monstrous side..." He sounded eerily calm now and it was even more chilling than if he had been angry. "You see, we dwarves value our agreements and contracts to the letter...and hate it when others break an agreement made to us..."

He continued to tear away her dress bit by bit. It was almost leisurely now, as though he was unwrapping a present.

"And you have broken your duties to me, King under the Mountain! The greatest of all dwarves! So I am going to take my payment from you..." He seemed to pause briefly. "So if you are wearing a shirt that belongs to the Elvenking... Then I can only expect that you have slept in his bed. Of course there is no point asking you -"

"He didn't touch me! What about you?! You are a dirty hypocrite," she desperately struggled one last time with all her strength.

"Oh? Elise...? I did not bed her. That is why I have you sleep in my bed. You know I return to you each night..." He tore the elvish shirt away finally leaving her completely naked laying on nothing but a few tatters of her old clothing that she once wore, with her wrists bound together tightly and her legs now parted between his. "She merely attempted to tempt me, by sucking my cock. Something I wish you would learn to do... My, to have your lips around my cock, would be a fine way to wake up each morn..."

He paused again briefly to fiddle with something. She turned struggling to see what he was doing but it was all futile.

She was bound and exposed to him, completely. It was humiliating and horrifying all at once.

"Of course...Dwalin is right about one thing. I have no interest in Elise...even if I tried to..." He now stroked the naked skin of her lower back and buttocks as though it were a work of art. "No...I would not scar this soft skin of yours...do you know that Dain had a bedslave from the Harad once...beautiful, with skin like yours...and with a fire inside like you too...I set eyes on her for the first time when I visited him some many moons ago. I was younger and had better stamina then and had I the chance I would have enjoyed her all night I imagine too. He could never get her to bend to his will though - she would always fight him. And he would always force her...one day, he gave her to me for the night. And she was so worn and broken, I felt sorry for her. So I let her rest rather than service me. In thanks she sucked my cock like no one has ever done...oh Mahal...to this day thinking of her, much like you, gets me hard. Dain was cruel, used to beat her. And her beautiful, deep brown skin was carved up with pale scars throughout...it was very sad...so you see...so you see I would never beat you and mark your beautiful brown skin like that...NEVER."

Her gently began to draw circles over her core, lazily running his fingers through her, despite her resistance and protests.

"You are perfectly positioned and bound...but if you keep protesting I may just gag you...?" He pressed his cock to her entrance, hushing her as if she were a jittery pony. "You are not ready, I know. And it will hurt. But we can consider it fair payment, for your betrayal, hmmm? And next time you will learn NEVER to run away..."

Suddenly she stopped fighting him, knowing she had no choice, softly sobbing into the covers where she lay on one cheek.

"What is it that you wanted to say...my darling wife...?" He lowered his face beside her, pressing his frame against her, so she could feel how erect he was. "Go on...I am nothing if not fair..."

"You ARE a monster..." She sobbed, her anger now spent, with no way left to fight. He used to be rough with her when they first coupled, as if he had something repressed within him desperate to get out.

He brushed the hair out of her face, that had fallen around her during her struggle. For a brief moment there was even something tender about how gentle his touch was, that she closed her eyes.

So he pulled at her hair, forcing her to open her eyes and look back up at his face.

"Aye, but I am YOUR monster...and I will make sure you NEVER forget that..."

Completely helpless and exhausted, all she could do now was give in, and await what was to come next...

…