Chapter 15
Nearly two days had passed since the attack of the orcs. Thranduil was feeling better. Bregedir, the elven guard, had returned to the Halls with the last pair of guards, as he was not seriously injured and fit to ride. Now Daenerys and the Elvenking were alone, and sharing breakfast in her modest kitchen.
"How long before your people come for you?" she wondered. "It has almost been two days…"
"The guards I sent back to deliver the news departed at dusk the day of the attack, and it is a full day's ride to the Halls. So, I expect a rescue party to arrive today at noon, or early afternoon. I would have ridden back, were it not for the persistent pain at my side. Though I can walk now, I doubt I would have been comfortable on my elk's back for a whole day", he explained. "But have you prepared your things?"
She sighed. "Yes… It is not like I own much. It is just my clothes and the books I have been gifted…" Her mind went then to the book Istuives had gifted her, the one lord Oropher had written. "You know, I have a book written by your father", she told him, looking into his eyes.
"Really? My father has written quite a few books, so which one is it?" he asked her as he sipped his tea.
"It is titled 'The House of Oropher'… I have read most of it. I found it exceptionally interesting", Daenerys commented.
Thranduil's gaze darkened. "In that book he describes the Fall of Doriath, and the War of Wrath."
Her hand covered his. "Yes."
"He never wanted me to fight in that war, you know. But I was foolish; I wanted to prove my worth, and the heat of battle burned hot in my veins. I wanted to wield my sword and slay my foes… In my youth I was brash, and unwise. And my foolishness cost me dearly", he muttered.
"But it was a war. All wars come with risks. Does anyone ever march to war with the certainty that he will come back alive and hale?" she countered.
"No, that is true", he agreed. "But our people had no part in that war. The Ñoldor committed the kinslayings. We had no business aiding them in their war against Morgoth."
She squeezed his hand. "But you saw beyond that. You joined them to fight the common foe."
He shook his head. "I did not go to war out of love for the Ñoldor. I hated Morgoth, true enough; but I went because I wanted to fight, and I thought this was my chance to be seen as the best warrior. Do you see now how vain I was, Daenerys?"
"You are still vain, sometimes", she teased him, wishing to lighten his mood.
He gave her a small, mirthless smile. "I know. Some traits never abandon us, it seems. But I wish I had been wiser then, and listened to my parents. For this was not a simple war of the sword and spear, Daenerys. It was the greatest war of Arda, and there fought dragons and balrogs and the Valar themselves. Morgoth swept his hand and mountains collapsed; Manwë wielded his scepter and the skies were torn; Oromë blew his horn and ravines were opened; and when Eärendil came upon his ship Vingilot and slew Ancalagon, the dragon's fall shattered the three peaks of Thangorodrim, so great was he… And in the end the whole world was changed. Beleriand was drowned, and much of what we once knew was lost."
"But you survived that terrible war, Thranduil. Do not darken your thoughts now with events of ages long gone", she bade him.
"Though the events of those times do not often come to my thought, the memory is always there. And again I fought in another war, in the end of the Second Age, and it was the war that cost me my father his life… That war might not have reshaped the world, as happened at the end of the First Age, but the despair that was upon the free peoples was greater. For Sauron was a lord more cunning than Morgoth, though he was not as powerful. His purpose was not to destroy Middle-Earth, like Morgoth sought, but to dominate the minds of its peoples and bend them to his will… So much horror have my eyes seen, that even now I tremble when I turn my eyes south, for there in Mordor sits the Dark Lord, where the shadows lie…"
Daenerys stood from her seat and came to embrace Thranduil. "In the war to come, we will fight together, and we will defeat the Dark Lord. This I promise you", she told him fervently.
He turned his deep eyes to her and cupped her cheek. "Bold words you speak, sweet child. And yet they are a balm on my heart."
He kissed her then, and she kissed him back, and there they sat and kissed for some time, relishing the feeling of each other. And then they talked some more, until noon came and the sound of hooves was heard in the yard. The Elvenking rose, and said, "My people are here. I will go out and meet them."
"I will come with you."
And so both of them walked out of the door, and there was Legolas with three other elves dismounting their horses, all dressed in hunting armor. "Adar!" the young ellon called as soon as he beheld his father. "Are you well?"
"I am well, ionneg", Thranduil answered. "I am sorry to have worried you."
"The guards told us the tale of the attack. They said her dragons rescued you", the Prince said, gesturing towards Daenerys.
She bowed her head before him. "My lord", she said.
"Yes, it is true", the King confirmed. "The orcs were many and well-armed; had it not been for the intervention of Daenerys and her black dragon, we would have been grievously wounded, or even dead…"
Legolas stepped up to Daenerys, who was regarding him with a solemn face. In his blue eyes she saw much of the father. "Hannon le, Daenerys. My father spoke to me of you, but only now I meet you. It is an honor", he said and inclined his head slightly.
"The honor is mine, my Prince."
The Elvenking then took a step forth. "I have decreed that Daenerys shall return to my Halls. It is my will, and it is not negotiable", he declared.
Legolas and the other elves looked at him, pondering his words, but soon they bowed before him, accepting his will. "As you wish, my lord father. No one will object", the Prince said.
"Make ready then, and soon we will depart", he ordered.
"Are you well enough to ride? I have been told you were wounded…" Legolas said.
"I am. Daenerys has become quite the healer, it seems", the King replied with a small smile, and gave her a side-glance. "Daenerys naur-nestril I shall call you, for your magic is in the flames, and you can destroy as well as heal with its power", he told her.
A shy grin curled her lips, and she bowed her head again. "Hannon le, hîr nín."
Then all of them hurried with the preparations, and before the sun had set they were ready to leave. As she mounted her horse and began on the forest trail, Daenerys looked back at the place, which had been her home for more than two months. A feeling of sorrow filled her heart, for she had come to love it, and felt it her own. She was free there, a mistress of the house, and nature was all around her. But it would be too dangerous now to remain here any longer, she knew it well. Furthermore, she deeply wished to share the same roof with Thranduil again. She wanted to be back in her chambers, with the ornate furniture and the balcony with the lovely view of the forest. And so she turned her head and galloped forth. I must never look back, she reminded herself. There is nothing for me here.
As they trotted through the forest, she brought her horse close to Thranduil's elk. To the front rode Legolas and two of the elves, for the Prince's eyesight was unmatched, and everyone knew that. And to the back followed the rest of the guards, making sure no ill would befall the company in its journey.
"Daenerys", he began. "I can tell you are somewhat sorrowful. Am I wrong?"
She shook her head. "I cannot but feel a small measure of sorrow. But it will soon go away, of that I am certain. How is your side? Does it pain you to ride?"
"I am quite alright for now. My people brought me some athelas infusion, and I have taken a few sips. I feel well, do not worry", he reassured her.
"Good."
A loud roar then tore the air, and everyone looked to the sky. There flew Drogon, and beside him his brothers, proud and free. Daenerys smiled at the sight of them, and her heart sang in joy, for every time she saw her children fly, she felt she was flying up there with them.
"Are they upset?" the Elvenking wondered.
"No. They are delighted", she chimed, and her violet eyes glimmered in joy. Thranduil saw her and her emotions were not lost on him, and his heart swelled in warmth and affection for her.
Far above the trees Rhaegal chased Viserion, and he struck back, the dragons twining their tails as they flew higher and higher, and then they shot down from the sky with cries and shrieks, parting ways just above the treetops, their wide wings creating currents of air and causing leaves and branches to shake.
"They are breathtaking", said Thranduil in awe.
"They are still children. This is how they like to play when they fly together", Daenerys explained.
"I hope they do not breathe fire for sport", an elf riding close to them said.
"No, they do not breathe fire needlessly. They do it only to protect themselves, or their mother", she replied.
In that fashion they rode, and went on for several hours after the sun had set. But the darkness made everyone wary, and even the dragons kept quiet. Still, it was a warm night in the heart of spring, and the scent of night-flowers filled the air. Daenerys noticed how the elves glowed lightly as they rode in the dark, and a few of them had begun singing in low, mellow tones a hymn to Elbereth, praying to her for guidance and protection on their way. Their voices were beautiful and melodious, and their presence so ethereal and gracious that the sight mesmerized Daenerys, and she felt lucky to have met the elves, such a majestic and ancient race, far superior to any race of her own world. Perhaps they shared some qualities with the Children of the Forest, of which she had heard stories when she was little; but then the Children were supposed to be small, and their magic was lost over the centuries. The elves, however, were tall and fair, noble of countenance and gentle in their every move, and their magic felt deep and potent.
At some point the King called for the fellowship to stop and make camp for the night, when they came to a clearing in the woods, and a small stream ran nearby. The guards set up tents but lit no fire, for fear of attracting the attention of the enemies. After sharing a modest meal of bread and cheese and berries, each looked to their own business, and the guards decided upon shifts to safeguard the royals and Daenerys as they slept. But little anxiety had they, for there were three dragons here to protect them.
Daenerys saw the King conversing with his son, and so she decided to pace away. She found Drogon perched upon a large rock by the stream, and she climbed on beside him. He hummed deep in his throat when he sensed her presence, enjoying her caresses with closed eyes. She leaned against him, and the warmth radiating from the dragon brought her comfort. "Once you nestled in my arms, Drogon", she murmured. "Now you are grown, and our roles are changed." The black dragon snorted in response. "I feel safe when I am with you, my child. I love you, you and your brothers. I love you more than you know. You are precious to me beyond measure."
Then she turned her eyes to the sky. It was cloudless and clear, and myriads of stars shone silver. In the distance above the trees a waning moon was just rising. "Once there were only stars in this world. Can you imagine that, Drogon? A world of night and perpetual starlight… Such a magical sight it must have been, to awaken under the stars…"
Her thoughts then shifted to her own world. If the time ever comes that I return, how will I be able to leave this place? For, if I am to be honest with myself, I have come to love this world, this forest… I wish I could see more of it. I have read so much in the lore-books, but seen so little… I wonder how the halls of the dwarves in the mountains look, and the great cities of men in the south, and the green villages of the hobbits, and even the other elven realms, Imladris and Lothlórien…
"What is my fair lady dreaming of?"
A familiar voice brought her out of her musings. She turned her eyes to see Thranduil standing at the foot of the rock, hands tied on his back and smiling softly. "I was enjoying the light of the stars, and thinking of places I would like to visit one day", she replied.
"And what would those places be?"
Daenerys stood and came beside Thranduil, and Drogon shifted lightly, turning his head the other way in his slumber. "The lands of men, and dwarves, and hobbits… all of your world, actually. I do not wish to leave this world and have seen so little. I want to see as much as I can, and to make memories to keep me, when my time of struggle comes…"
He touched her shoulder softly. "But have you found a way out yet? Have those books I gave you proven of any use?"
She shook her head. "Two of the tomes I have read, and they say a lot, but nothing as to how one may travel between worlds. My last hopes remain with the last book."
"Even if this last book does not contain any answers, we will continue searching for them. The knowledge of the world is vast, and there are places where it is well kept and protected", he told her.
She smiled faintly. "Thank you."
He looked deep into her eyes then, and his heart fluttered. "Such a night it must have been, when Elwë beheld Melian and became entranced by her", he murmured.
"Are you entranced by me, Aran nín?" She turned to face him fully, and placed her palms on his chest.
"I would gladly spend the long years of my life looking into your eyes, even if it was the only thing I ever did", he confessed.
Her smile grew brighter then, and she tiptoed to kiss his lips. Amused by her sweet effort, he bent and kissed her tenderly, with great care and reverence, unhurried and slow, relishing the feeling of her in his embrace. And she melted in his arms, and was kissed like she had never been kissed before. And spring and new life was all around them, and filled their hearts with hope.
"Come and sleep by my side tonight", he invited her, holding her hand upon his heart.
"They will say the King is enchanted by the fire-witch."
"You are not the fire-witch, not anymore. They respect you. And I want you by my side. Will you not come?" he asked again.
"I will."
Together they walked back to the camp, and silence was over it. Legolas was nowhere to be seen, probably gone to sleep in his tent, and a guard stood with his spear, watching vigilantly the woods for signs of danger. Thranduil lifted the sheet of his tent and allowed Daenerys to walk in, and he entered behind her. He then lit a candle, for he disliked utter darkness, and placed it upon a flat stone. Furs were on the ground, and Daenerys knew this was to be the bed.
The Elvenking removed his cloak, and she did the same. Long shadows danced on the sheets of the tent, and the music of the night was heard outside.
"Our last time in a tent has been most intimate…" Daenerys noted.
"Yes… It is where we bonded for the first time, truly", he agreed.
"Much time has passed since then", she said.
He smiled. "Not that much."
She smirked at him. "Well, if your measure of 'much time' is a century or so, then yes, very little time has passed!"
"You are teasing me again…"
She laughed softly, and he laughed after her. She then went to take his hand in hers. "I wish you laughed more often. It is such a lovely sound… I understand why your parents chose this name for you", she commented.
"I had forgotten how it is to laugh and be merry, but you have reminded me of all this. You bring joy into my life", he told her lovingly and kissed her knuckles.
"And what will it be when I am gone? How will you laugh then?" she asked him with concern.
His gaze instantly darkened, and a frown descended upon his brow. "All I can say is that I will keep the memory of you close to my heart, and I will be consoled by the knowledge that you have returned to the world you love and belong to, and that you will take back your throne and all that was stolen from you. I will be consoled by the knowledge that you are happy and content, at last", he replied, and looked at her with sorrow and longing.
But will I truly be happy in a world where you are not? Will I be strong enough to let go of what binds me here, which I so dearly cherish? Her thoughts upset her, and she sought to hide her face in the hollow of his throat. "No more talk of parting now. Tonight you and I are both here, and I care for little else."
She raised her eyes to his then, and he nodded in agreement. They kissed then, and she poured in her kiss all her feelings of sorrow and uncertainty. But his bright aura encircled her, and soon she felt calm, and her fears were chased away. She relaxed into his arms, and pulled him closer to her, wishing to feel as much of him as she could. His fingers threaded through her tresses, destroying her braids purposefully. She smiled at that, noticing how he always wore his hair down, simple and unadorned. "You never braid your hair…" she murmured.
"No. Unlike you."
"It was a custom of my late husband's people to braid their hair. It was a symbol of power and authority, and they would bind little bells in their braids for every victory they won. But if they were defeated, their hair was cut. Drogo had the longest braid…" she mused.
"He must have been a great warrior."
"The greatest."
Thranduil took her by the hand to sit beside him on the furs. "Do you miss him, Daenerys?"
She stood thoughtful for a while. "Sometimes I miss him terribly. But the pain of his passing has numbed… and I know it will fade with time."
"Such is the gift of men. You have a short time to live, but you make the most of it, and free yourselves from grief; your hearts are made to heal, and the sorrows do not linger forever", he spoke solemnly.
"You envy that, Thranduil…" she observed.
"I do. Oh, I do. If only my grieving heart could find its peace…" he lamented.
"But you will sail west, when the time comes."
He looked at her. "Of that, I am not sure."
"Why?"
"I have not heard the call of the sea… And I have my son here, and a duty to my people. I know not what the future will bring, but for now I have no thoughts of departing", he answered. She caressed his hand, and he turned his palm to grasp hers. "And I have you, too… for now."
His lips found hers then, and his kiss was filled with abandon, as if she would vanish from his arms any moment. She sensed his turmoil and cradled his face as she kissed him back. Slowly he leaned back on the furs, and she followed him, twining her limbs with his. One of his legs was between hers, and she bent her knee above his thigh, and drew him close. They kissed again, with greater urgency this time, and he gently pushed her on her back, covering her body partially with his. She gasped and panted, but he gestured for her to be silent. She laughed under her breath, for it was a sweet conspiracy they shared, and he traced her luscious lips with his thumb. Daenerys flicked out her tongue then and licked his finger. The look in her eyes was seductive, suggesting what more she could do with her tongue for him. And it was now Thranduil's turn to gasp and blush, and he felt himself stiffen in his breeches despite himself.
She saw his reaction, and thought to provoke him further, taking now his finger in her mouth and sucking upon it. He was breathless and watched her with wide eyes as she continued her ministrations, spreading now her legs for him to settle between them. He stifled a groan, but pushed against her all the same, clothed as they were. Daenerys tightened the grip of her thighs around his hips, and lifted her face to kiss him. His tongue delved insatiably in her mouth, as the carnal desire overwhelmed him. She bit lightly on his lower lip in response, and he pressed his lower body against her, seeking more contact with her. His hands traveled up the curves of her sides, from her hips to her waist and her ribs, until they reached the underside of her breasts. There they lingered, and his thumbs teased her through the coarse material of her riding tunic. But she grasped one of his hands and boldly guided it over the mound of her breast until it lay beneath his palm. He squeezed her flesh there a few times, and then his fingers fumbled with the laces, impatient to crawl underneath and touch her skin.
Meanwhile, her own hands were not idle. She followed the line of his back as far as she could reach, but he was too tall, and the heavy material of his tunic allowed little for pleasure. Instead, her hand crept between their bodies and to his front, and slowly descended from his chest to his abdomen. But before it reached its destination, Thranduil froze above her, his breath erratic and shallow. "Daenerys…" he uttered her name, and conflicting emotions were written all over his face.
She gently pushed him in a seating position then, and knelt beside him. "We are playing with fire", she murmured.
"You are fire made flesh. And you might be impervious to flames, but I am burning with my desire for you, so much that I fear I will overstep", he admitted breathlessly.
"Is that why you stopped me from touching you?" she asked him sweetly, as she cupped his cheek.
"Yes…"
"And what if you overstepped? Do you not know it is all I want?"
He looked into her eyes. "I do not want it to be all you want", he replied.
Her gaze flickered then like a candle, for she understood his meaning. "I know, Thranduil, I do. And I do not forget what we said and agreed upon. But it is so hard, when I am alone with you, to keep that promise…" she confessed.
"It is exceedingly difficult for me as well, when all I wish now is to join with you not only in spirit but in body, too. My desire for you is threatening to consume my reason, and it is a frightful thing…" he told her.
"No, I do not want to agitate you", she said and embraced him tightly. I love you too much to cause you pain, she thought, but at once wondered at her own unbidden thoughts. She drew back and looked at him with puzzlement and uncertainty evident in her gaze.
"Daenerys? Are you alright?" Thranduil worried, and touched her shoulder.
But she shrugged from his touch. Suddenly the thought of loving him filled her with inexplicable dread. I will be hurt again. I will suffer loss again. No, I must protect my heart. I must not allow myself to bond with him. I have strayed too long, but I must not lose sight of my true purpose again. She pulled back, averting her eyes from his.
"Daenerys? Talk to me, please", he urged her, now very much alarmed.
She stood and clumsily gathered her cloak. "I am sorry… I must go."
"Daenerys!" his voice came as a hiss.
Without another word or glance, she ran out of his tent.