Chapter 9

When Daenerys found Thranduil, he was in the library, seated behind a large round table, and was looking intently at a map unfolded before him.

"My lord?" she called from a distance, and his eyes at once shot up.

"Daenerys…"

She came closer and glanced at the yellowed parchment. The map depicted most of Middle-Earth, and she had seen such maps before, during the long hours she had spent in the library, studying the lore and legends of this world.

The Elvenking sat back in his chair and sighed in resignation. "No matter how long I look at it, I can find no place I would have you go to", he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But how much longer can you postpone it? A fortnight has passed since we last spoke… and you have not given me your decision yet. Already I have been gathering looks of discomfort and suspicion by some of your people. Should I just leave, then, and cause you trouble no more?" she asked him, her fingers fidgeting with the torn edge of the map.

"No."

His reply came curt and absolute, and his steely gaze matched the tone of his voice. But Daenerys was unfazed, and met his look with a stern one of her own. "Find a place then."

The Elvenking looked back at the map and grunted in frustration. "I would not have you go far away, as my councilors wish. They even suggested Forochel", he said gesturing to the place on the map. "Forochel! Where there is nothing but ice and Arvedui's shipwreck! Can you believe it?" he exclaimed.

She stood thoughtful. That place reminded her of the stories of the Land of Always Winter, far beyond the Wall. She shivered. "I would not want to go there", she murmured.

Thranduil shook his head. "And go there you will not. You will leave my Halls, since I cannot oppose the will of my people forever, but I will not have you be too far from my reach either. I will not visit upon you a fate worse than what has already befallen you, to be stranded in a world that is not your own, alone amongst strangers, and with three dragonlings to account for."

"Were it not for my dragons, the problem of my presence here would be much lesser", she mused.

Thranduil sighed. "Indeed."

She looked sharply into his eyes. "Are they in danger?"

His brow furrowed. "No one would dare harm them. I have forbidden anyone to come close to them… And no one would wish to. The wood-elves are frightened of them. You know already that my people harbor a great enmity for drakes and their kind."

She leaned a little closer. "But you have seen beyond that enmity. You have seen that my children are not evil, although you lost so much in dragonfire. Why cannot the rest see it as well?"

He locked eyes with her. "There is a difference, Daenerys, and it is that I have chosen to trust you. All this time that you are here, I have gotten to know you, and I know your heart is innocent. But the rest do not know you as I do. They mistrust you, and even see ulterior motives in my keeping you here…" he said, his voice trailing off in the end.

"What ulterior motives? I promised to help you in your war, but that is no secret, and it shall benefit all your people. How is that an ulterior motive?" she protested.

Thranduil dropped his gaze and sighed once more. "Some say I keep you here for myself", he whispered.

Her voice was caught in her throat. It was one thing to hear that being said by some councilor behind a closed door, and another thing to hear it from Thranduil himself. "That would be… absurd", she uttered.

"It would be. But so many years have passed since my wife died, and some may think I yearn for the company of another…" he responded, his voice strained and low.

Daenerys swallowed hard. How much longer are we to keep up pretenses? "But is it not so, that elves love only once?" she daringly asked him, flinging back to him his own words.

His eyes darted up, liquid ice bearing hard into her fiery pools of indigo. They stayed so, assessing each other, until he yielded, and said with a fist clenched so hard that his knuckles turned white, "Yes, it is so."

She noticed his agitation, and her gaze softened. "There is no road on which we both might walk together. You are elf-kind, and a King. I am mortal, and of another world, to which I must return. Your people worry needlessly. Tell me where I should go, but please do not abandon me completely, for without your aid I will never find my way back."

Her voice was smooth and pleading, and sorrow was born in the heart of the Elvenking. There is no road on which we both might walk together. The truth of her words cut him deeply, but he acknowledged it nevertheless. With a frown he glanced back at the map. His eyes fell on the mountains south of his Halls. "Emyn-nu-Fuin…" he murmured. "Once we called them Emyn Duir, when the world was greener. Silvan elves lived there in ages past… but now foul creatures haunt them. Could I perhaps have you dwell there, or is it too dangerous?" he asked himself pensively.

Daenerys looked at the small mountain range on the map. She had read about those mountains in the books. They were not so tall, mostly green, fir-covered rolling hills to the west, rising to greater heights in the east. And they were just south of the Elvenking's Halls, perhaps a day's ride or so. "You said Silvan elves dwelled there once. Surely there must be some ruins of their homes there?" she asked with hope.

The King looked at her. "There are, but they are mostly infested by spiders, for all we know. The hills to the west are less unforgiving, though, and there was the majority of the elven homes. Maybe we could have you relocate there…"

"I would prefer it over frozen Forochel", she said with a small smile.

He sighed with sadness, for he truly did not want her to go anywhere. "I will have scouting parties report to me of how things are there. Once a proper abode is found and prepared, you shall go to live there with your dragons, far from my people's eyes, but not too far, so that I may still visit you and know that you are safe and hale."

"Thank you. And do not worry about my safety, my lord. My children will see to it. They are grown to the size of a deer now, and I doubt any spider would dare provoke their flames", she told him with a small smile.

He managed a smile as well. "All your needs will be seen to. You shall have warmth, food and clothing, and fresh water. And our agreement still stands; I will search for a way to get you back to your world, and you shall come to our aid, if needs be."

Daenerys nodded and stood. "Thank you. So be it, then. I will await your word, for when I am to leave."

She then bowed and turned to leave, but he called her name. "Daenerys." She glanced at him over her shoulder. "I shall miss our lessons. My Valyrian is still too basic…"

She smiled and turned to face him. "It was just a pastime, my lord. You shall never need to use it."

He stood before her, peering down into her eyes. "I never imagined there would come a day I said that, but I had hoped I could see more of your dragons. You have opened my mind to things I considered impossible, Daenerys", he told her in a low, velvety voice.

A shiver coursed down her spine, for even the sound of his voice was thrilling to her. But she suppressed her feelings; now was not the time for weakness. And she sensed that Thranduil was holding back too. She opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment the doors burst open and Galion, the King's butler, came through panting.

"My lord Thranduil! I have been looking for you everywhere!" he rasped.

The Elvenking's brow furrowed, and he moved towards the servant. "What is going on, Galion? Catch your breath and tell me!"

The elf steadied himself and said, "My King, Prince Legolas is here!"

Thranduil's lips parted in astonishment. "Legolas… my son… I thought he might never return…" he whispered. But then he regained his composure. "Where is he now, Galion? For I must see him at once!"

"He is waiting in the throne room, my lord."

"Thank you. Inform my son that I shall be there presently."

"Yes, my King."

Galion bowed and left. Thranduil turned to Daenerys, and his countenance was grave. "This is most unexpected news. I must go and see my son immediately. Go to your room, Daenerys. Do not make your presence known to him, at least for now."

Not waiting for a reply, the Elvenking grasped his oaken staff from where it rested against the wall and marched out of the library. Daenerys hesitated for a moment, torn between respecting his will and satisfying her own curiosity, until the latter won, and she followed after him in quiet.

The throne room was less of a room and more of a vast cavern in the Halls, in the center of which rose a grand plateau upon which was Thranduil's throne, and all around were numerous pathways, stairs and bridges. The throne itself was majestic, carved in the living wood, and fashioned in the likeness of elk antlers, which rose from the sides of the seat and expanded above, creating an elegant and at the same time ominous look. There upon that plateau stood an elf tall and fair, with long blond hair, adorned with fine braids which met at the crown of his head. He was dressed in hues of brown, and a dark green cloak was upon his shoulders. He held a large bow, and two daggers were fastened on his belt. Thranduil walked to the platform, and Daenerys hid on a lower level behind the throne and watched the scene unfold before her.

"Legolas", the King called to his son in a regal tone, and the younger ellon turned.

"Le suilon, adar", he spoke, and his voice was lighter and less sharp than his father's, but warmer and friendlier.

"Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn, ionneg", Thranduil spoke, his voice now rich with sentiments of love and longing for his only child. "Mae tollen na mar."

"And I am glad to be back, for many were the years I was away. My heart sings with joy to see you well, father", said Legolas and placed his palm at the place of his heart.

The King walked up to his son and rested his hands upon his shoulders, squeezing him gently. "You will never know how much I missed you."

Legolas nodded. "And yet I had to leave… I had to find my own path."

"Did you?"

"I traveled a lot, and saw the world beyond our borders. I met with men and dwarves, and saw their cities and their works. I met the Dúnedain, and Aragorn, the heir of Isildur. The fates of the world are stirring, ada. Soon we will bear witness to grand events."

"Of that I am certain. Tidings of the workings of the world beyond our borders reach me frequently. But I will not needlessly engage in acts of war, lest our realm is directly threatened", the King responded.

The Prince sighed, realizing that his father's views had indeed changed very little over the years that had passed. "It is said that Sauron searches for the Master Ring. How long before he finds it?"

"We can only hope he does not. But this is a talk for another hour. Come now, my child, you must be tired from your journey. Rest, eat, and then we shall speak again", the King said.

At that the two ellyn left the throne room. Daenerys soon abandoned her hiding place and made for her own chambers as well. Legolas had made a fine impression on her. He seemed to be an intelligent elf, who cared for the fates of the world and wished to take active part in them – unlike his father, who was unwilling to engage with the world outside his borders unless completely necessary. But then again, Daenerys could perhaps understand why Thranduil was like that: he had seen and suffered much in his younger years, and wished for no more pain and death.

Upon returning to her rooms, her thoughts traveled back to her discussion with the King. Her departure seemed imminent now. She should begin to prepare herself for that. The material needs did not worry her, for Thranduil promised he would take care of everything. But what upset her was the fact that she would be forced to be on her own, with naught but her dragons for company, to live in the wilderness like a wild beast. A sense of gloom overwhelmed her at the thought that she would be parted from Thranduil, and even from certain elves she had come to call her friends. She had always disliked loneliness, and yet life seemed so eager to serve her more of that dish, as if in mockery. Furthermore, she would have to rely completely on Thranduil for information about a possible exit of this world. And what if he indeed found something but chose to withhold it from her, until her dragons grew and were fit for battle against Sauron? And who could assure her that he did not already possess such knowledge, but deliberately kept it from her? Poisonous thoughts crept in her mind, and darkened her heart. Not few were the times she had been betrayed or tricked in her life. Why not once more? These elves were not as divine and innocent as she had first thought, after all. Hearing the councilors speak had confirmed that. Now she could place her trust in nobody. Not even in Thranduil. Yet he had told her he had chosen to trust her. Could he by lying? Could all these feelings that brewed beneath the surface between them be a deception? She refused to believe that.

Frustrated, she quickly changed into leather pants, a woolen tunic and boots, and draped her heavy cloak around her shoulders. On her way out, she did not forget to fasten Deldhin on her belt. Her fingers momentarily traced the cool metal, and she shivered. She had thought of it as a gift. No, it cannot all be a lie, she told herself. Hastily she headed to the dragons' chamber. She had in mind to take Rhaegal out in the woods. It was his turn, and she wished to give him the same freedom his brothers had already tasted, once before the four of them were once and for all expelled from the Elvenking's Halls.

The following days passed in relative peace and quiet. Thranduil was mostly preoccupied with his son, and Daenerys wondered if he had truly forgotten about her and his promise to find a suitable dwelling for her in Emyn-nu-Fuin. But circumstances came to prove her wrong, when one afternoon she heard a knock on her doors, and opened them only to be met with the regal face of the Elvenking.

"Hîr nín Thranduil, I did not expect to see you", she told him with a startle.

He smiled faintly. "Forgive me for not announcing my coming in advance."

Was he mocking her?

Her brow furrowed slightly, casting dark shadows on her violet eyes. "I suppose you are here on some purpose. Would you like to come inside?"

"Yes. Of course", he replied absent-mindedly, and strolled into the room. Daenerys showed him to the sofa in front of the fireplace, and he reclined upon it, leisurely draping one arm along its back and crossing his long legs at the knee. "Have you wine, mayhap?"

She glanced at him and quirked an eyebrow, but moved to the cabinet and poured them a glass each. "Dorwinion, your favorite", she informed him as she passed him the cup.

He smiled again. "Yes…" he muttered as he brought the lip of the goblet close to his nose and inhaled the fruity aroma of the crimson liquid. "How come you keep one such bottle here?"

"I turn to it sometimes, when sleep does not seem to come", she answered him with a frown, and proceeded to take a seat in the armchair near the sofa.

Thranduil nodded in agreement. "I understand that. Wine can be good solace, when all else fails." His voice faded in the end, and they both remained silent for a while, until he spoke again. "I came here to tell you that a place has been found for you to live, and it will be prepared within the week."

He broke the news so suddenly that Daenerys gasped. "So soon?" she uttered.

He could almost taste the disappointment in her tone, and his heart wept. "It was not a difficult thing to do", he listlessly said, and took a sip from the wine.

She recollected her senses. "So when am I to leave?"

"By the coming week."

She sank back in the chair, and cast her eyes low. She had truly hoped that Legolas' arrival would buy her some more time to scour the library for hidden information, but Thranduil had not forgotten his promise, and she had indeed found nothing useful in the ancient tomes.

"It will be spring soon", he told her in a soft voice, as if he was trying to soothe her.

She nodded solemnly, but did not lift her eyes. She had accepted her fate, but now that it was so close to be realized, she felt indescribable sadness, to the point of despair. What would become of her, out there in the woods, alone in a place unknown?

"The chill of the winter will melt away, and the trees will flower", he went on, attempting to paint a pleasant picture.

She remained sulking, while tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She was not so strong, after all. Why did she always have to be strong? She needed to be weak now, she needed to cry and plead to stay. She was afraid to leave the safety of the Halls and the protection of the King. There were orcs and spiders out there, and who knows what else lurked in the shadows. How was she ever supposed to survive on her own?

Thranduil watched her closely, as she remained irresponsive to his words. "Daenerys", he called her name. At last she looked at him with glassy eyes. There was fear and desperation in them, and a sting of pain tore his heart. "Daenerys", he said again, "I do not like this any more than you do. But we have discussed it. It is how it has to be. At least for now. At least until I can find a better solution."

"There will never be a better solution", she murmured bleakly. "The dragons will only keep getting bigger – if they survive out there – and your people will continue to fear and despise them. It will only get worse."

"Do not despair", he said and touched her hand. Her first instinct was to yank it away, but he held her firmly, and she yielded. "Do not think my care for you is lessened, only because I have acceded to the will of the majority of my people. My care for you is unchanged", he told her tenderly.

She looked at him with a bitter smirk. "Your care? And what care is that? To keep me at a distance and yet ensure that my dragons will fly to your aid, if you go to war? You only care to benefit yourself from the situation, and you play that game very well, my lord", she accused him boldly and removed her hand from his grip.

His lips parted and his eyelids fluttered in indignation. "How dare you speak to me thus!" he hissed, leaning towards her in a threatening manner. He was incensed by her blatant words, and his eyes burned with icy fire. "You are alive thanks to me. Your dragons are alive thanks to me! I could have you be put to the sword the moment I saw those serpents crawl under your arms, but I did not. I sheltered you, I fed you, I gave you clothes to wear and jewelry to adorn yourself – I trusted you", he said, stressing the words, and by now he sounded more hurt than angry. "And this is how you repay me, by throwing my kindness back to my face. Oh, the ingratitude of men!" he lamented. "Perhaps I should have you thrown to the dungeons once more, and have your dragons executed. How would you like that?" he challenged her, and a cruel half-smile played upon his lips.

Daenerys trembled in her place, and a hot tear ran down her cheek. She had been wrong to speak such words, it had been utter folly, and she could see that now. She had worsened her position horribly, and there was no repairing the damage done. She lowered her face, and her voice was barely audible as she spoke. "Do with me as you will. I have no place in this world, and very little hope of returning to mine." She paused to take a shaky breath. "I expect no one to trust me, or love me. But I should not have insulted you. It was wrong of me. But I am dismayed. This is all I can say in my defense."

Thranduil sprang from his seat and paced around nervously, not bothering to hide his irritation. "You have caused me a great deal of trouble from the day you appeared in my path."

"It was not my choice!" she cried. "Do you think I like any bit of this life? To be a prisoner of a King I can barely understand? To have gained sympathy only amongst the plain people, while the powerful ones mistrust me and look at me with suspicion? Tell me, my lord, if I am indeed so vile, why have I not set your Halls and your forest aflame just yet? If I am here to destroy you, why have I not done it already? Why must I subject myself to these trials and humiliation?"

He looked at her with his lips drawn into a thin line. She sat there shivering, tears silently streaming down her cheeks, brow trembling in agony. He did not speak for a long time, and Daenerys finally gave up waiting for an answer. She turned her eyes to the window. Outside the light of the day was waning, and the sky turned a dim yellow. Thranduil slowly stepped close to the sill, and a deep frown was upon his handsome face. "Once, many years ago, I made a choice, which cost me the love of my son. I disappointed him, and he left…" he started in a low tone. "It took him over seventy years to forgive me and return to his home, and to his father. And I cannot give him wrong", he sighed. "I am quick to anger, and my wrath knows no bounds, when ignited." He then turned his eyes to her. "I am sorry if your life here has indeed been so unpleasant as you say. I tried to make it bearable. I see that I have failed." He turned now to fully face her. "I never considered you vile. I even defended you against my councilors' suspicions. If I did not trust you, I would never have come close to your dragons. How could you ever doubt me?" There was hurt in his voice again, and a flicker of pain in his eyes.

Daenerys remembered the conversation she had overheard. Thranduil had never shared his councilors' accusations. He had spoken in her defense, and tried to change their minds about her. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I do not doubt you. They were words of anger and despair." A small, sad smile rose on her lips then. "I am glad that your son is back. You are lucky to have him. I wish I had mine", she whispered, and hastily wiped away a fresh tear.

The Elvenking approached her and looked down on her grieving face. "The baby you lost?" he asked softly.

"The witch's black sorcery had him dead before he was born. I was foolish enough to trust her to save my husband, and she took my unborn baby's life in exchange for his. But Drogo never truly lived, and I lost my son because of her lies. Never again will I be able to bear another child, she told me this. Do you understand now why my dragons mean so much to me?" she turned her glistening eyes to him.

His countenance became grave. "Yours is a sad tale. You are so young, and yet you have known so much death and misfortune. I never meant to cause you more grief", he told her almost apologetically. "You are safe, whilst under my protection. No harm will come to you, or your dragons. And you will have guards in your new home, for your own protection, and for my councilors to be appeased. They would not trust you roaming free with three great serpents."

"So I am not to be thrown into the dungeons?"

He dared a small smile. "No. It was an idle threat, spoken in anger."

A light was lit in her eyes then. "I know that you care for me", she whispered to him, and her eyes never left his.

He was a little surprised by her comment, for he had not expected her to talk about that. "I do…" he breathed.

She rose from her seat and stood to face him. "I do not wish to be parted from you."

His expression turned more sorrowful, and he closed his eyes. "There is no other way."

She then extended her hand, and touched his fingers. Her move sent a jolt of shiver down his spine, and his heart took up a faster beat. But his fingers sought to entwine with hers, as if they were possessed by a will of their own.

"How much longer must we deny what is plain truth?" she asked him in a whispering voice.

He peered deep into her eyes. "If we acknowledge it, it will only cause us pain."

"It causes me pain to deny it."

His fingertips touched her chin then, gracefully, and ever so lightly, that Daenerys felt as if she was being caressed by a feather. She inhaled his scent – trees, leaves, flowers, earth, and something strong and male, but indefinable, which was exclusively him – and closed her eyes, relishing the sensation. She needed nothing more than to be touched and soothed by him. Somehow, when he was close, and when his spirit engulfed her, she felt safe, hopeful, invulnerable even. He lent her a sense of completion, which she sorely missed, when he was not with her. His own defenses began to relax then, and warmth emanated from his whole being, body and soul. And his warmth wandered over to Daenerys and touched her soul, and made her heart sing and flutter. His fingers were still beneath her chin, and he gazed at her with a loving smile. She then dipped her head and rested it on his chest, just beneath the hollow of his throat. Her arms came to slowly embrace him, and Thranduil shivered as he felt her conquering him. There was only Daenerys for him now. The air he breathed was hers, and it smelled of fire, seawind and summer nights. The thoughts he thought were hers, and they were of love and kisses and limbs tangling in passion beneath sheets. And the life he lived was hers, and it was full of new wonders and bloodred horizons waiting to be discovered. He held her there against his breast, wondering if she felt and saw the same things he did. She dropped then a kiss on the exposed skin at the base of his throat, and he was assured that she did.

Translations

Le suilon, adar = I greet you, father (Sindarin)

Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn, ionneg = A star shines at the time of our meeting, my little boy (Sindarin)

Mae tollen na mar = Welcome back (Sindarin)