Chapter 14

When Daenerys returned to the bedroom, rain had started falling and a dank chill had set in the chamber. Glancing at Thranduil's half-naked form, she softly stepped close to the bed, and asked him, "Thranduil, are you cold?"

His eyes fluttered open and he shifted, propping himself on the pillow against the bed's headboard. "A little."

"I will light a fire."

She knelt by the fireplace and placed a few logs in it. These days she rarely needed to light it anymore, for the cold had dissipated, but she kept a few pieces of wood there, in case a night proved to be particularly chilly. The Elvenking watched her through half-lidded eyes as she lit the fire. She had changed into a soft nightgown, which looked quite loose and was light blue in color. She had untangled her hair, too, and it now fell in long tresses, unbound and glistening under the young firelight.

"I owe you my life", he murmured, and his words prompted her to look up from her crouched position, tongs still in hand.

"Would you not have done the same for me?"

"Of course…"

"Then there is no debt." She rose with a smile and walked to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, I believe. Breathing still troubles me somewhat, but it is nothing I cannot endure", he replied truthfully.

She sat on the edge of the mattress and gazed into his eyes. He looked tired but peaceful. "When I saw you surrounded by those monsters…" she began in a shaky voice.

He took her hand in his, and smiled softly. "I know, my heart. I know."

Tears rose to her eyes then, and she was unable to hold them back, for the tenderness of his words overwhelmed her. But he caressed her hand, soothing her. "Daenerys… forgive me for hurting you earlier, please. I was a fool. I should never have made you suffer", he told her apologetically.

"Oh, Thranduil…" She brought his hand to her lips. "Of course I have forgiven you", she cried in a stifled voice.

His lips curled in a trembling smile, and he nodded. "We suffer enough in the state of our separation, struggling with the knowledge that we may never be able to be truly together."

She sighed. "We do." Then she shook her head. "I should not have put pressure on you. I did not realize how difficult it is for you, to know that all this is fleeting, and that sooner or later you will have to suffer heartbreak and loneliness again. I cannot imagine how it is to live forever, and be doomed to bear your wounds for eternity…"

He reached forward and touched her silver tresses, where they cascaded like a waterfall of moonlight upon her shoulders. She shivered and closed her eyes, relishing the sensation. "Yes, that time will come… But denying you now will not make that time easier. It will only fill it with pain and regret for what could have once be had, but was shunned. I see it now. You were right."

Her eyes peered deep into hers, and were filled with a torrent of feelings, waiting to be unleashed. Daenerys leaned forth and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, touching the cool skin there and gently rubbing the muscle beneath. The Elvenking closed his eyes and sighed, giving himself unto her touch. She followed the line of his shoulder to the back of his neck, massaging the soreness and tension away. And then she dared put her lips where her palm had been, raining soft kisses upon his shoulder. He let out a moan then, and dropped his head back. Passion ignited within her, she kissed his white throat, carefully leaning now against his chest, for she did not want to disturb his injured side. But Thranduil lifted an arm and circled her waist, drawing her into his lap. His eyes were now open and dark with desire, and he pulled her against him. The realization that he was utterly naked beneath the coverlet made her heart beat like a drum in her chest, and her nipples hardened in response. And the thin material of her nightgown did little to cover her reaction, and he saw it. His fingertips tentatively slid from the side of her head to her shoulder, and toyed with the cloth there, until they crept underneath, gently tugging at the gown until it slipped down her creamy-white arm. It came loose in the front, and the material gave way to reveal one round breast. His breath was caught in his throat as he beheld her, and felt himself stiffen beneath the covers. His fingers slowly glided over the soft curve and there they lingered, until the weight of her breast filled his palm, and he kneaded it gently. Daenerys closed her eyes and shivered and gasped, for she had not been touched in a long time, and feelings she had believed dead after Drogo's demise came alive inside her again. And this time everything felt so real, and so much stronger. An indisputable force drew her to Thranduil, and her whole being yearned to be one with him.

"Daenerys, Daenerys…" he whispered, her name like a prayer upon his lips.

She opened her eyes and took in his face in his hour of desire, marveling at his chiseled features and the pools of icy fire that were his eyes. Her hand went and caressed his cheek, his temple, his hair, and back again, and he turned slightly and kissed her palm. He pulled her to him again then, his front making contact with hers. Skin touched upon skin, and Daenerys fully unlaced the bodice of her gown, allowing it to drop to her waist. She clung to him, eager to feel him against her. And his lips descended on hers, soft but demanding, inviting and yet domineering, expressing all at once what Thranduil was. She melted, giving into his kiss willingly, and one arm went around his back, holding him close to her, but she was careful to avoid putting pressure on his right side.

But then he had to break the kiss, as he gasped for air. "Thranduil? Are you alright?" she worried, searching his eyes for traces of discomfort.

He coughed a couple of times, and had to lean back against the headboard until his breath became even again. "I am alright now, worry not", he reassured her.

She climbed off of his lap, drew her gown up, and perched herself at his left side. "We forgot ourselves, and you are wounded", she murmured, caressing now his hand.

"No such trivial wound can rob me of my desire for you", he told her, locking his eyes with hers. She smiled, and he bent his head and kissed her forehead, her cheek and then her lips. "You are beautiful… so beautiful, and strong, and intelligent, and passionate… a Queen…" he whispered to her, and then kissed her again.

Daenerys cradled his face as he kissed her, and then her hand slid down upon his chest, feeling the taut skin and the hard muscles beneath. She felt him grow tense as her fingertips glided over his abdomen, skin smooth and hairless, as was the case with all elves. "And you, my King, are perfect…"

"Perfect?" He laughed. "I am far from perfect. Perhaps I am the most flawed elf that has ever walked this Middle-Earth…"

As she was about to respond to that, her eyes fell on the compress on his side. It looked soaked in blood. Instantly her brow furrowed, and she sat up, reaching with her hand to lift one corner of the cloth and inspect the wound beneath. The Elvenking sighed, averting his gaze. "Is it bad?" he asked her.

"I need to change that compress", she said and stood from the bed. While she was preparing a new one, Thranduil turned and lay on his left side and pushed the covers down. She came to him then and carefully peeled away the old compress. The hematoma had expanded, and blood trickled through the gashes on the skin. "I think you need a healer, a proper one", she muttered.

"You can do it, Daenerys. I will tell what you the words to chant for a healing spell", he said.

"Me? A spell? But I have no magic", she protested.

He lifted his face, propping himself on the elbow. "No magic?" He shook his head. "You have birthed dragons through fire. You can touch fire and it will not harm you. And yet you say you have no magic? I would say, your magic is deep and potent, but you do not realize it."

She stared at him for a long moment, pondering his words. Perhaps he is right, she thought. I can give it a try. I will only speak some healing words. What ill can it cause? "Alright. Teach me the spell."

He nodded. "Anor valthen, togo laugas lín nestad enin gûr hen… Ceven dhaer, anno vellas lín enin 'raw hen… Suil annui, erio thûl lín i faer hen."

Daenerys repeated the words several times, while her hand hovered over his wound. And soon enough Thranduil felt a welcoming warmth seeping through him. The feeling was not the one he had experienced when his own elven healers had over the years treated his battle wounds, but still it was a reviving feeling, and it seemed to him that the healing potential of the cathartic flames was channeled through Daenerys.

She saw his eyelids close, and his brow eased. "Is it any good?" she worriedly asked him.

"Yes… It is good indeed. Thank you", he replied.

She smiled, clearly relieved, and then bent her head and dropped a kiss on his cheek. "You need to rest. I will stir up the fire in the hearth a bit."

She went and did that, but then the Elvenking said, "Daenerys… come here. I would not sleep alone tonight."

She looked into his eyes and saw they were full of longing, and then she realized she could not deny him anything. Noiselessly she climbed into the bed and crawled under the covers beside him, drawing them up and covering them both. Her face now was only a few inches from his, and he smiled at her softly. "Do you see now that you can heal as well?" he murmured. "You have to believe in yourself… and what you can accomplish."

"Yes… You were right." She took his hand and held it on the pillow between their heads.

"You will be Queen of your world one day, of that I am certain. And you will be a great Queen, just and compassionate", he went on.

Her hand now went to his face, where her thumb traced his sharp cheekbone. She looked at him, and could not get enough of him. She leaned closer then and kissed him, and he eagerly responded, parting his lips and allowing her to taste him. His hand slid along her spine, tracing the curves until it reached the small of her back. There it stopped, him being reluctant to go further. But he pressed closer, and his kiss became hungrier, desire building up in his groin again. How long has it been since I last felt this way? It seemed impossible for him to count the years, for they had been too many, and after Gilwen's passing he had felt no desire for carnal love. Only grief and longing nestled in his heart, and all other emotions had been banished. Until Daenerys appeared in his path one day, and brought his world upside down.

Excited by his ministrations, and also triggered by his sweet reluctance, she brought her hand on his hip beneath the coverlet. His nakedness set her imagination ablaze, but she felt a measure of uncertainty herself. But then he moaned in her kiss, and she squeezed his flesh where her hand was resting. His own fingers glided lower then over the swell of her hip and buttock, eliciting gasps from her. He tugged at her gown and pulled it up, hand now creeping underneath and touching her thigh. She bent her leg towards him, allowing him to feel the length of it, and he caressed her from knee to hip and back.

"Thranduil…" she whispered weakly.

"Yes?" He brought his hand up to tenderly cup her cheek.

Her leg pushed between his own. "I do not think I can hold back any more", she confessed breathily.

He gasped when he felt her, and his brow creased. "I have not… I have not touched, or been touched by anyone… for a very long time", was now his turn for confession.

She took a moment to consider this. Clearly, his own very long time meant centuries. Millennia, even? How could he have lived in utter solitude for so long? To deny the warmth of another living being… To keep his grief and solitude as his sole companion… But then perhaps so are the ways of the elves. Their needs are not like ours, and they are more spiritual than they are physical. So, instead of touching him further with her hands, she decided to open her spirit to him. She had no idea how to do it, though, for she had no aura of light to command. But what she could do was reach deep within her thought, and focus on Thranduil, and her feelings for him. And she willed with all her power then for him to feel that, and she tried to invite him in her thoughts.

True enough, soon the familiar warmth of his fëa washed over her. "Daenerys…" he whispered, connecting now with her. His spirit had received the invitation, and it eagerly joined with hers. Daenerys felt energy surging through her whole body and bringing it to life, and her fingers tingled with his essence. He surrounded her completely, and she basked in his light, naked and unafraid. And he cherished and adored her openness, and his spirit twined unbreakably with hers.

"Can you feel that?" he murmured in her ear.

"I do. I tried to reach for you with my spirit, as you do, and I am glad I succeeded", she replied. "And I feel even more bonded with you now."

He held her protectively against his breast. "For us elves, this union equals to what humans call lovemaking", he explained.

She lifted her face slightly to look at him. "And… do you not unite… in other ways?" she tentatively asked.

He laughed, and looked into her eyes. Her puzzled look made him laugh again. "Do not mock me!" she protested.

He kissed her lips fleetingly. "I do not mock you. And yes, we do unite like humans do."

Her heart went back to its place. "And for a moment I thought that the Valar bring you your children…"

"Who is mocking whom now?"

She smiled brightly. "I am only teasing you."

His lips crashed against hers, and she accepted him eagerly. When she broke the kiss for air, he looked somber as he spoke. "What I meant to tell you is that bodily union, lovemaking, is considered sacred by the elves, and we do not give into it lightly. That is why I told you I have not been touched by anyone in countless years. It is not in our ways to take lovers for idle company. Do you understand now, Daenerys, what an exceptional thing it is for me to lie naked beside you now, in the throes of passion, ready to be united with you, not only spiritually, but in flesh as well?"

She peered deep into his starlit eyes. "I understand."

He smiled. "There is one last thing, however."

Her brow furrowed. "What?"

"We do not bond with anyone unless it is for love confessed."

Love? Love, yes, love. The elves are so romantic, and feel everything so truly and so deeply. This should not have surprised me. She sat up, casting her gaze over to the flickering flames in the fireplace. Do I feel love for him? I feel so many things, but can I name them? Is this admiration, desire, need, or is it love indeed? Can I answer him truthfully, or do I risk a lie?

"Daenerys…" he whispered her name, and his fingertips touched her shoulder from behind, as he sat up as well, though with some discomfort, for the wound reminded him of its presence with stabbing pain in his side. "You are uncertain."

She could tell he sounded hurt. She turned her eyes to him, though, and said, "You have not spoken of love either, as far as I recall."

His gaze flickered. "You are right… I have not spoken the words. But are you ready to hear them?"

Her lips parted, and she lowered her face. "I do not know. I never thought I would consider loving another, after my husband's death", she replied.

He pulled her in his arms. "It was the same with me, and I understand you completely. You need not rush to say words you do not mean, nor hear words you might feel place you in a position of debt, that you will need to repay them some day." He caressed her hair tenderly. "When you told me in the tent that I want you to love me, it was the truest thing you could tell me. And I do want you to love me, Daenerys. I know it now. I want it with every breath I take. But I want you to love me freely. And so I will wait. I am patient."

She tightened her arms around him. "Thank you", she muttered in a quiet tone, and hot tears ran down her cheeks.

Then Thranduil lay back on the mattress, pulling her with him. She was unwilling to leave his embrace, and huddled close to him. "We shall not speak of it anymore now", he told her softly. "It agitates you, and I hate that."

Daenerys knew not what to tell him. All she wanted was him, to look at him, to touch him, to be with him. But she realized now she needed some time, if she was to be frank and honest with him, for he deserved no less. Thranduil was the Elvenking. He was no mere human, to take as a lover and enjoy for some time, until she gets bored or finds a better replacement. But Daenerys believed in love, and her heart was gentle. "Thank you", she told him again.

He lazily caressed her hair. "Let us try to sleep. We had a very trying day…"

"Yes… And you need to heal. Losto vae, Thranduil", she wished him and kissed his shoulder.

"Oltho vae ne fuin hen… Guren min gaim lín. Estelion allen. Estelio enni."

The dawn broke golden and clear through the darkness and chased it away. That first light of the day illuminated the bedchamber through the drawn curtains, and Thranduil's eyelids fluttered open. He had gotten little sleep during the night, his mind racing with thoughts and his right side paining him from time to time, until exhaustion claimed him and he fell asleep in the small hours before daybreak.

He shifted a little, and saw Daenerys beside him. She was still asleep, silver tresses splayed upon the pillow, lips slightly parted and soft breath coming through. The covers had slid down as they slept, and the loosened laces of her gown partially revealed a breast. He took in her form under the dim light, and he sighed with longing. Oh, Daenerys… you have awoken such life within me that I did not know existed. His fingertips traced her chin, and she hummed softly in her slumber. He bent his head then and dropped a butterfly kiss on her lips.

"Thranduil?" she murmured, voice hoarse from drowsiness.

"Good morning, Daenerys."

Her eyes opened and they glowed purple with the light of the dawn. She saw his face hovering above hers, and a smile came upon her lips. "You are here."

"Where else could I be?"

She extended her arms then, and he drew her into an embrace. She was still warm from sleep, and he sighed against her hair. "I want to wake up like this every day", she whispered to him, and he caressed her back as he held her. Then she drew back a little, so as to look into his eyes. "How are you feeling?" she asked him with concern, and her gaze fell to the compress on his side.

"A little better, I think. The pain has not worsened, and I can breathe normally", he replied.

"Let me change the dressing." She stood and spread some athelas poultice on a clean compress. Then she removed the old one and carefully applied the fresh. "The wound does not look so bad."

"Your healing has worked…" he told her, smiling.

"Let me chant the spell again, then."

For the next few minutes she sang as he lay there on his side, and soon all discomfort dissipated from his body. He felt warm and revived, and when she was done chanting, he sat up vigorously.

"Be careful…" she warned him.

"Do not worry. I am fine", he said and flung back the covers, and made to rise from the bed.

"Thranduil!" she cried. He turned to her with a startle. "You are naked!"

"Oh, that…" he smiled and lowered his gaze. "You have seen me before. In the tent, and in my bath, some months ago…"

She felt her cheeks redden. "Yes, but… This is different. Or do you want to provoke me?" she asked him and looked at him suspiciously.

He leaned towards her with a smirk of complacency. "Perhaps", he told her under a raised eyebrow.

"You fey, mischievous creature!" she yelled and sprang on him, shoving him on his back and straddling him.

His hands went to her hips. "You have me under your power, hiril vuin", he murmured huskily. His eyes danced between her eyes and her lips, and desire pooled in his loins.

Daenerys felt him beneath her, and she gasped. She bent her head then and kissed him passionately, and he responded in kind. His hands slid over to her backside, and pressed her against him. She moved her pelvis then, grinding lightly against him, and he moaned. "You will be my undoing", he rasped.

"Oh, I do want to see you come undone", she assured him. "But I also do not forget what you told me last night." At that she removed herself from his arms and stood from the bed. He remained there, flushed and hard and heaving, to watch her in dismay as she stepped off.

She gazed at him unabashedly, taking in the perfection of his naked form in its aroused state. Her eyes roamed over his strong shoulders, his broad chest, his taut abdomen, his long legs, and lingered over his prodding manhood. But she was determined not to give into the temptation. She turned her back to him and gathered a cloak from the rack. "I have to check on Bregedir, and also make some breakfast", she said casually.

"Daenerys", he called her name, and his voice sounded calm and serious, all playfulness gone from him now. She looked at him from over her shoulder as she fastened her cloak. "I want you to return to my Halls", he stated firmly.

His unanticipated suggestion made her turn fully to him and give him a questioning look. "What?"

"You and your dragons saved the King. What more proof need my people that you are not a servant of evil?"

"Yes, but…"

"And this notion of your exile has been folly from the beginning. I should never have given my consent to it", the Elvenking went on in the same resolved manner.

"You seem to have made up your mind already", she observed.

"Indeed. I slept little, and thought much. Your place is in my Halls, and not in some cave in the mountains. This is absurd and dangerous, and now that the enemy has discovered the house, you cannot remain here anyway, for it is certain that they will seek to assault you again", he told her.

Daenerys took a moment to consider what he had just said. "Yes, you are right about that. Staying here is dangerous. I will never be able to get a night's restful sleep for fear of the orcs." But then her face became worried. "But what of the dragons? They will surely make a lot of your people uncomfortable again. And as they grow, they will need more space… And their roars – you heard them! They will upset the Halls ever so often. Your councilors will not stand for that", she argued.

Thranduil grunted in irritation. He knew the dragons would always pose an insurmountable obstacle for some of the narrow-minded elves. But this time he would not relent. "They can re-occupy the cavern I had given them, and my councilors may whine all they want, if they wish to know my wrath."

But Daenerys shook her head. "That might work for a time. But you have seen how much they are grown. Soon they will not fit through the hallways and gates of your Halls. What then?"

He peered deep into her eyes. "You told me that a dragon is not a slave. And I would not keep your dragons chained in the dungeon. Let them nestle on the mound above the Halls, if so you wish. The hill is large and rocky, and there is bound to be many caverns and crags the dragons can use as their nest. When they grow enough, let them be outside my Halls, and hunt and live freely, as they should."

She sat beside him on the bed and took his hand, deeply moved. "You would allow them freedom, but for the dangers that come with it?"

"Yes… Because I trust you. The dragons obey you, I have seen it with my own eyes many a time. They will only harm your enemies, and none else." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "So… do you wish to return with me to my Halls, Daenerys Targaryen? I have expressed my wish, but the choice is ultimately yours."

Tears rose in her eyes, and she smiled at him brightly. "Yes, yes I do!"

Translations

Anor valthen, togo laugas lín nestad enin gûr hen… Ceven dhaer, anno vellas lín enin 'raw hen… Suil annui, erio thûl lín i faer hen = Golden sun, may your warmth bring healing to this heart… Great earth, may you give your strength to this body… Western winds, may your breath lift this spirit (Sindarin)

Losto vae = Sleep well (Sindarin)

Oltho vae ne fuin hen… Guren min gaim lín. Estelion allen. Estelio enni = May you dream well tonight... My heart is in your hands. I believe in you. Trust in me (Sindarin)

Hiril vuin = beloved lady (Sindarin)