A/N: Happy Friday! Weekend means a new update! Usually, this chapter is from Thranduil's point of view, but I decided to write it from Millie's again because she had more things to say! Thank you for all the reviews so far! Someone told me that I don't have the right understanding of Middle-Earth to write the elves justice, but I'm doing my best and I grew up reading Tolkien, as well as watching the movies. However, this is an AU based on a series I've been writing for years so I hope you guys will still like it. Let me know what you think?

I will tell you now, and if you've read my other fics in this series, there are relationship structures involved that are not canon and maybe not conventional to a lot of people, but I feel it's important to have representation no matter what you write.

Chapter Ten

Confrontation

I couldn't even begin to explain how excited it was to have Maggie in Mirkwood. Not only because she was human and a woman, but because she was from my world. Albeit a different time, which took some time getting used to, but I had a feeling that I'd have to get used to a lot more stranger things if I was to accept my life here. Maggie was a breath of fresh air, and

I woke up to loud, arguing voices and it took me a few moments to ascertain who they belonged to. The first voice was Maggie's and something had made her angry. Her welsh accent bounced between the walls of the palace and I noted it certainly became a stronger accent when she was angry. At first, I wondered what had made her blood boil, but when I realised that the second voice belonged to Thranduil, I only sighed. Things had certainly been slightly less awkward between us over the past few days and with Maggie around, I was able to relax more and be myself. Perhaps I had overreacted a few nights ago and maybe I ought to speak with Thranduil about that in private. I was still a little hurt, but more than anything I realized I was clinging onto Charlie's memory because I was afraid of letting it go. It was as if sharing him with someone else meant I had to accept that he was really gone, rather than keeping him preserved in an untouched memory within my mind. I couldn't help but wonder what Thranduil would think of my explanation. It was impossible to sleep with the argument going on, so I put on a sort of night-robe the elf-maidens had gifted me and carefully sneaked out my bedroom door.

I sat atop the stairs, like a child eavesdropping in on their parents as I watched the argument play out beneath me.

"You ask me here to help you and yet you treat me like I am a criminal!" Maggie said, I could tell she was trying to keep her calm "Look, I get it, my opinions don't matter as much because I'm human."

"Meleth-nin…." Elrond said "Let us not judge hastily."

"No, Elrond. I am tired of being treated as if I'm less worthy because I am not elf-kind. What the hell was even the point of asking me here, if he is just going to disregard what I say and mock me?"

"But you are not elf-kind, you do not understand our struggles…" Thranduil reminded her

A part of me realised that Thranduil wasn't trying to be intentionally mean, something about how his gaze shifted revealed that information. In a way, he was also right - how could humans possibly understand the life of elves? Appearances and pointy ears aside, elves were entirely different beings, at least in my understanding. From the first moment I entered this realm, I got the sense that they were sort of ethereal in a way that I couldn't quite explain. In our world, perhaps they might have been seen as angels of sorts, with powers beyond what our mind could comprehend. I had only witnessed a small amount of that power and I was almost scared to think how else it could reveal itself. I immediately understood that Elrond was such an ancient, even though he did not look it, I knew he was ancient. Something about the way he carried himself and the way he spoke was different from the Mirkwood elves, he was a bit less reserved and seemed to understand humans differently than Thranduil.

"No of course, forgive me. I'd forgotten all about the struggles of poor hir-Thranduil who sits alone upon his throne and rules his woodland kingdom with a damned iron fist." Maggie said Hir-Thranduil who so desperately wants to be respected by others, yet lacks the grace and humility to accept the flaws that make us who we are. God forbid I should understand the struggles of poor hir-Thranduil, who thinks life is unfair because he cannot learn how to love with his heart of stone."

In one swift movement, I watched as Elrond stood between Maggie and Thranduil. I saw the fire in Maggie's eyes, while Thranduil's eyes turned black for one split second. At that moment, I was terrified of him and anyone else would have been too. Yet, Maggie stood unmoved and barely seemed to blink while Thranduil was right in her face. I'd known from the beginning that she was a queen, but that was when I truly realised it.

Eventually, Thranduil's eyes returned to their blue shade and the king took a few steps back, with his hands behind his back as always. Elrond relaxed and the tension faded. I exhaled a breath I didn't even realise I'd been holding and when I did, I saw Elrond meet my eyes and as they did, my pulse quickened.

"Might I suggest that we return to the subject matter at hand? Without bloodshed." Elrond proposed, diplomatically as seemed to be his nature. "There is no word of Gandalf, not even Radagast the Brown knows of his whereabouts. I suspect that he does not wish to be found, as is usually the ways of wizards."

"Do you think it's possible that he's somehow involved in this?" Maggie asked "Bringing Millie here? It wouldn't be the first time he's known of similar things and after all, don't the Ístari serve the Valar? They were responsible for bringing me and the others here the first time, so it's not too far-fetched to believe they sent Millie here too."

Valar.

I'd heard that name being mentioned before. I didn't know exactly what they were, but from the way Thranduil, Elrond and Maggie spoke about them, it seemed as though they were more powerful than even the elves.

That, if anything, was something that truly scared me.

"For what purpose?" Thranduil wondered, his frustration was clear. "There is no war beckoning or grand quest to complete. Our world is at peace, so why would they send her here, to my kingdom?"

"Beats me," Maggie said "But they must have a reason, they always do, even though it isn't always clear."

"Perhaps that is young Millicent's quest?" Elrond suggested, "To understand her purpose in Middle-Earth. I have a feeling that until her task is complete, she will be unable to return home."

Something changed in Maggie's expression and I saw her eyebrows furrow as she turned to Elrond, with her arms cross over her chest.

"You've had a vision haven't you?" she realised. "You have that look in your face. What did you see?"

"You know as well as I do, my love, that it is not for me to share." Elrond said calmly "As the vision is regarding Millicent, she is the only one with a claim to it."

I knew then that Elrond had spoken directly to me, even if Maggie and Thranduil were unaware. I had to admit that I was a little apprehensive about seeking him out alone, but I was curious about this vision.

"What do you propose we do in the meanwhile, mellon-nin?" Thranduil asked "Simply wait around for this purpose to reveal itself?"

"Actually, I had an idea about that." Maggie replied "Millie mentioned that she wanted to see a little more of Middle-Earth and I told her that if she wanted, she would be welcome to visit Erebor. Yuletide and winter solstice is coming up in a few weeks and nobody should have to spend those holidays alone. Besides, Erebor will be really busy and my friends will be visiting. It might be good for Millie to spend time with more humans like her and so that she can see that this world isn't so scary."

It was true, Maggie had invited me to visit Erebor and I was really considering it. Something she had said about how people shouldn't spend Christmas alone stuck with me though. Did elves celebrate Christmas or Yuletide? Would Thranduil be spending it alone?

"And you think spending weeks dwelling under a mountain is a good way to show her that?" Thranduil scoffed "Absolutely not! That mountain is not safe, dragon or no dragon."

"You had better think carefully about your next words, Thranduil." Maggie warned "That is my kingdom and my husband's kin you are insulting."

I saw fire stirring in Maggie's eyes again but with one look from Elrond, the tension once again faded. One day, I reminded myself, I would ask her about the real reason why she and Thranduil did not get along.

"I believe that is an excellent idea." Elrond agreed "A change of scenery might do Millicent some good, and she would be well-looked after in Erebor. If she doesn't like it, she can always return to Mirkwood. Now, it is getting late and I believe a good night's rest will do us all some good. Shall we agree to bury the hatchets for one more night, at least?"

Thranduil and Elrond were polar opposites of each other. For one thing, Elrond had a sense of humour that the king of Mirkwood sorely lacked. Or at least, if he had it, I certainly hadn't noticed it. Elrond was also much softer and seemed to trust others easier than Thranduil. Despite their differences and even despite Thranduil's clear dislike for Maggie, it was obvious to me that the two elven kings were great friends and had been so for thousands of years. Over the past few days, I'd come to hold a great deal of respect for Elrond. I appreciated his honesty and his diplomatic reasoning. He took no sides and presented facts as they were, but he was also caring. At the end of the conversation, both Maggie and Thranduil walked off in different directions and when the throne room was empty, Elrond was still there.

"It is quite safe to come down now," Elrond assured her "We shall not be interrupted."

Carefully, I walked down the spiralling wooden staircase and finally met Elrond in the middle of the throne room.

"Is it true that you have visions?" I asked "What kind of vision do you see?"

"Sometimes they will show me things that are to come and sometimes things that have passed in order to understand the present. Would you like to see your vision?"

Did I really want to see it? I was only just beginning to understand magic and I was frightened of how my perception and understanding of things might change if I delved further into the magic of this world. Strangely, something pulled inside me and I found myself with little choice but to accept Elrond's offer. The elf-lord of Rivendell already knew I had accepted and reached out his hand towards me. When I accepted it, the whole world fell away beneath my feet…..

…..Elrond's vision was like a different images fleeting by at an impressive speed. At first, I saw myself back at the hospital in London, talking with Mr Grayham, but something was different about his appearance. His words of warning on the night of the bombs echoed in my mind and I knew then that he had known all along about what would happened…

...In the next moment, I found myself in a giant kingdom of stone. From what I had heard I could only assume that this was Erebor. I was running through the dark hallways and all around me, I hear voices whispering. I came to the end of a corridor and saw Thranduil, looking at me with icy blue eyes. His hands reached out towards me, but as they did, the vision changed again.

….This time, I knew immediately that I was in the past. Thranduil had told me about the day his wife passed away in his arms, but seeing it happen before me was almost more than I could bear. This was a different Thranduil than the one I had come to know. I saw the tears streaming down his eyes and I could almost feel his heartache burn inside me. A promise from him that he would never love anyone again. Then suddenly, the doors closed in front of me and when I turned around I was back in Mirkwood.

….This time, I was running through the forest and I knew something was chasing me and when I tripped over an ancient tree root, I knew I was done for. Just as the beast was about to jump over me, the world fell away beneath me again and as I plunged into darkness, I heard fragments of different conversations echoing around me.

"I don't know how you have so much patience with that Elf."

"It's not easy, that's for sure."

"You can't die! I won't let that happen! You are stronger than this!"

"Millicent, there is something I have been wanting to tell you…."

Just like that, the visions ended and I found myself kneeling on the floor. The palms of my hands touched the cold floor, as if to assure myself I was holding onto reality. I looked up at Elrond who offered a hand to help me up, and then he gently wiped away tears that I hadn't realised were streaming down my face to begin with. My heart was still racing and I had so many questions to ask, but I knew I wouldn't get the answers from Elrond because he was only a messenger.

"For as long as I have known Thranduil, his heart has only ever been opened to one person." Elrond said "It seems as though that now, perhaps this is changing and maybe that is your quest."

"I don't understand any of this." I whispered and I realised how frightened I truly was. "I know that Thranduil and I have both lost people we loved but…why does that mean I have to be the one to get him to trust again?"

"I am afraid that that is one questio, Millicent Thomas, which I cannot answer for you."

I knew Elrond was right.

And I also knew what I had to do.

I was either brave or stupid.

In the nearly four months that I had resided in Mirkwood, I had never once knocked on the door to

"Enter."

The words were spoken like a command in such a way that only a king could. At first, I was apprehensive but eventually I convinced myself to face my fears and pushed open the wooden doors to Thranduil's chambers. I wasn't sure what I expected, but the first thing that surprised me was how remarkably cozy his bedroom was. It was almost like a small cottage with several bookshelves in a row, a roaring fireplace crackling and an armchair in the corner. Thranduil himself sat at his desk and seemed to be writing down something that looked like journal entries. That was the second thing that surprised me and I wasn't entirely sure why.

"I'm sorry, I know it's late and that this is unusual." I said, realising how nervous I was. "If this is a bad time, I'll come back. Or not."

"No. It is quite alright." Thranduil said as he shifted his weight and turned to me. His body language changed and I could swear he looked nervous. "What is on your mind?"

I walked further into the room and the large doors closed behind me. Being alone with Thranduil in his private sphere felt strange and surreal. I was incredibly self-conscious of every twitch and movement of my body. Instead of continuing to sit down, Thranduil stood up and carefully walked closer to me, but was still sure to keep a distance.

"I spoke with Maggie earlier and I've been thinking." I began, painfully aware of my voice shivering. Why on Earth was I so nervous? "I think I will take her up on her offer."

"You wish to visit Erebor?" Thranduil realised "Is that correct?"

"Yes, for a while at least." I nodded "I think I need to be with other people...no offence. Maggie and her friends, they're like me. Not just because they're human but because they're from my world."

Silence.

Thranduil was excellent at making silence feel like sharp nails digging into your skin. I could tell a question was at the tip of his tongue, but it was almost as if he was too afraid to ask it. It was almost laughable; King Thranduil was frightened.

"Does this have anything to do with what happened a few weeks ago?" Thranduil finally asked "I understand that you are angry with me, because I clearly intruded on something very personal to you. Please know though, that it was never my intent to cause you hurt, but if I did, I am truly sorry."

If I was completely honest, I was utterly dumbstruck. King Thranduil did not strike me as an elf who easily admitted his flaws, or let alone apologised for them. Yet, the words that had escaped his lips were nothing but sincere. I couldn't help but wonder how often in that past millenia or so, Thranduil had actually apologised to anyone.

"There's no need to apologise," I said "I overreacted and there was no need. I have a tendency to be a little protective about Charlie's memory. To be honest with you, the reason why I don't talk much about him is because it makes his passing more real. I keep thinking that if I preserve his memory, then he won't fade."

I shook my head as if to cast those thoughts out of my mind and cleared my throat.

"Anyway, I just thought I would let you know of my decision." I continued, "If that is alright with you, of course. I know you and Maggie don't exactly see eye to eye."

"You heard the argument?" Thranduil asked and for a moment I saw a hint of embarrassment in his eyes

"It was impossible not to." I teased "This place does echo. Are you really worried about my safety in Erebor? I don't think Maggie will let anything happen to me and Lady Signe only had good things to say about Fili."

I heard a sceptical 'humph' from Thranduil and that was all the answer I needed. He didn't trust the dwarves and he certainly didn't like Maggie, yet he had asked her to come here.

"Would it make you feel better if perhaps you came with us?" I suggested "I think maybe the change of scenery would do everyone some good and it might give you a chance to actually get to know Maggie."

"I highly doubt that King Fili would be too happy about that." Thranduil chuckled "His Uncle Thorin and I were not good friends."

"That's in the past though, isn't it? Almost 70 years ago, as I understand it. I know it isn't my place to say, but maybe it's time to put old grudges behind you."

I could tell that Thranduil was conflicted. He paced back and forth in the room and said nothing for a few minutes, until he turned and walked up to me. This time, he was standing much closer than he had before and I could hear my heart beating louder, especially as I thought about Elrond's visions.

"Is that what you would like?" the elf-king asked "For me to come with you to Erebor?"

I nodded. While I really liked Maggie as a new friend, it would be nice to have another familiar face in Erebor.

"Yes, I would. Although, I will understand if you'd rather stay here because-"

"I should like to come," Thranduil said "I will gladly accompany you."

I must have looked dumbstruck again because for a split second, I saw a smile tug at the elf-king's lips. All I did was nod and then bid Thranduil goodnight as I returned to my bedroom, exhausted after the night's events.

"Okay so, let me get this right." Maggie said in disbelief "You want to come with us to Erebor and stay there? Willingly? With dwarves?"

"Yes, I should like that." Thranduil confirmed "Only by Your Majesties' permission, of course."

The following day, I told Maggie that I had decided to take her up on her offer and as I did, Thranduil said that he also wanted to come with me. I watched as Maggie exchanged a confused glance with Elrond, who seemed greatly amused by the whole thing. Even though Elrond and. Maggie wasn't the only one surprised by Thranduil's wish to travel with us to Erebor, because from what I'd heard, the Mirkwood elves didn't get along well with the dwarves. In the corner of my eyes, I caught Hallath's rather surprised expression.

"Sure, yeah, why not." Maggie said "Stranger things have happened."

Elrond quietly cleared his throat.

"What I mean to say is, you would be an honored and welcome guest in Erebor." Maggie said "Both you and Millie. We will be delighted to have you."

"Excellent. I shall make arrangements and then we can discuss departure."

With that, Thranduil left and the conversation was over and I had a feeling that my life was about to become a lot more interesting.

To be continued….

Another chapter done! Rather a long one as well! Things are picking up speed now and are getting more excited! We're off to Erebor! What do you think will happen? What does Elrond's visions mean? Did I handle all the characters well? Please let me know what you thought!