Her heart seemed to have stopped inside her chest. She felt almost every pair of watching eyes silently string at their King, curiosity easily seen on their faces. The Elvenking remained unmoving, a heavenly statue sitting royally on his throne-like chair, ice blue eyes staring at the newly unwrapped gift. His expression was a perfect stone mask, unreadable.
She saw Tadion rise form his chair, clear blue eyes narrowed in confusion as he rounded the table to stand behind his father. She watched in silence, feeling petrified, as he looked over the King's shoulder, his eyes glancing at the gift before darting back up to meet hers. Clear blue eyes were wide, astonished, seeming to study her in a way he never had before.
Tadion did not say anything, and she watched in despair as Legolas also rose to take a look at the gift, Lossenel quickly following him. She did not know if to run from the halls or to stay, she wanted to disappear, or to at least for the King to react in a way, in any way.
Legolas' eyes widened as he looked inside the tiny box, infinite blue irises instantly lifting to meet hers. He looked shocked, surprise easily readable in his face. She felt fear starting to consume her, suddenly regretting giving the King the missing pearl. Had that been wrong? Had she offended him somehow?
Ever so slowly, the King's eyes lifted in her direction, his perfectly composed face still a stone mask, entirely relaxed and looking as royal as ever. Ice blue eyes met hers, piercing her dark green ones, so silent and impenetrable, not allowing her to see behind their iced wall.
Most of the hall had gone silent by now, nearly every elf seeming to have noticed that something was going on. She could see out of the corner of her eyes some of the elves whispering silently to each other, trying to get informed on what was happening.
Slowly, the King's lips curved into a smile, the gesture polite and perfectly well orchestrated, but never touching his impenetrable eyes. He nodded his head in thanks, before placing the tiny box with the gift inside his robes' pocket. Every single one of his movements was so elegant and polite, and yet so cold and distant…so Kingly.
The perfect smile remained on is handsome face, almost looking genuine, and she was sure every single elf in the feast believed it, for she felt the eyes starting to look away, once again concentrating on their own conversations and dances. Everything seemed different to her now, the joyful aura of the room suddenly feeling less welcoming as she gazed at the King's perfectly composed expression.
Every second seemed to stretch into hours, every noise and every sight suddenly becoming so distant. She did not know what to do, did not know what to think, regret slowly starting to consume her. Her siblings had all returned to their seats, taking their father's polite yet distant reaction as an example to act as if nothing had happened. None of the elves seemed to be paying attention now, everything appearing to be once again normal and joyful to them.
Elegantly, the Elvenking rose to his feet, looking tall and regal, not saying a single word as he casually walked through the halls, silently disappearing through the large pairs of doors. She felt her heart stop beating, her insides feeling heavy, sinking to the ground in the worst of ways. She did not know what she was doing, or why was she doing it, but she found herself silently following, avoiding every single pair of eyes as headed towards the doors. She needed to apologize, to tell him that she had not meant to do anything wrong, but she did not really understand what had been wrong.
Outside the King's Halls, the Palace was silent, feeling more magnificent and empty that ever, the tall stone columns suddenly feeling colder and imposing, even in their delicacy. She felt scared, regret invading her heart as she walked through the large Main Hall. She could see the King in the distance, rounding a corner that led to the main terraces of the Palace. She could tell that he knew she was following, but he did not turn to look as he disappeared from her sight. She quickly walked in that direction, not really knowing what was causing her sudden impulse.
The main terraces were overly large in size, opening widely towards the forest-like gardens. She had never seen them empty, and suddenly, in their solitary silence, they seemed larger than ever before, illuminated only by the frail silver light of the Moon.
The Elvenking stood silently in the darkness, hands lightly resting on the delicate railing as he stared into the forest ahead. The pale moonlight washed over him, shimmering at the silver and gold embroidery of his wine colored formal robes, making his long blond hair looked silver in color and reflecting beautifully on his crown. She stopped in her march, standing at the entrance of the terraces, not daring to take a step further, her body suddenly feeling petrified.
Without warning, the King of Mirkwood turned around to face her, everything about his tall figure looking royal and elegant. And yet, his ice blue eyes were no longer sealed behind a Kingly mask, but vast and open, like infinite clear blue oceans, stormed with a swirl of emotions she could not name. Happiness? Sadness? Pain? She could not tell, but she felt overwhelmed by it.
"I am sorry." She heard her own voice saying, but she hardly recognized it. She felt small, like a child who had just insulted the grown-ups. The King's eyes continued to look at hers, suddenly looking puzzled.
"What for?" His voice was low, nearly a whisper, the same swirl of emotions that she saw in his eyes was hearable in it. She opened her mouth to answer, but closed it again, not finding an answer to his question.
His ice blue eyes continued to look at hers, never before had she seen so many different emotions in those infinite eyes, never so close to surface, so overwhelmingly transparent and unguarded. He was staring at her, studying her closely, exactly in the same way he had done the first time she stepped into his study upon her arrival at the Palace.
"I…" She started, her voice shaky as she hesitated whether or not to speak. "You had lost that, had you not?"
Her voice was low, sounding frail and unsure, feeling guilty for whatever emotions it was that seemed to consume the King's usually guarded ice blue eyes. She saw his hand travelling to his pocket, taking out the tiny box containing the pin and the missing pearl. He twisted the box in his fingers, as if he could not take himself to open it again. His eyes found hers once more, and once again she was swept into that hurricane of unamend emotions, so intense and unguarded.
"Yes." He whispered to her, his voice so low she was not sure if she had really heard it or had merely read his lips. She saw him open his mouth, taking a breath before finally speaking again.
"How did you know it was mine?" Every word was pronounced so carefully, so slowly, as if he had to make an effort to speak them out loud. She felt once again overwhelmed, unable to look away from his infinitely expanding eyes, so consuming.
"Pearls were not things that usually appeared in the house where I lived." She managed to say, her body feeling frozen to the marble floor, feeling his eyes staring deeply into hers.
The Elvenking took a silent deep breath as he closed his eyes, turning around to face the forest ahead, his back to her. A long second passed in silence, her body feeling cold, her heart sinking with guilt, still not understanding the King's reaction, or what had been wrong with giving him back the pearl that had already been his.
"How did a thing like a pearl get under my childhood bed." She heard her own voice asking the question she had asked herself many times as an elfling, hoping that this time she would get an answer.
The King's shoulders fell slightly, but he did not turn to face her, his hands leaning his weight one the frail, elegant railing. Without warning she felt a familiar strange sensation take over her, the large terraces and silent forest suddenly disappearing from her view as new set of images took over her vision.
A moonless night covered the silent forest outside the tall windows of the elegant study. Only two silent figures occupied the large room. The Elvenking sat quietly on a comfortable seat near the fire, ice blue eyes lost in the dancing flames that casted reflections in strange patterns over his fine light blue robes. No crown rested on his head, his long light blond hair free from all of its braids, falling elegantly over his shoulders and down his back. He looked lifeless, his eyes empty of emotion or thought.
A familiar looking blond elf stood silently behind his King, dark blue eyes looking absently at the ground. She recognized him as the high-ranking elf she had seen many times with the King, but she still did not know his name.
The delicately carved wooden door opened with a deaf sound, both elves quickly lifting their eyes in that direction as another elf walked into the room. The King rose to his feet, ice blue eyes silently piercing the newcomer with a force she had thought impossible.
"Did you find her?" The King demanded sharply, eyes looking desperate for an answer.
The new elf in the room lowered his head, eyes looking at the polished marble floor, his gesture giving away his answer before he spoke it.
"No, My Lord." He spoke softly, and she could easily tell the elf did not like being the one to have to tell these news to his king. He was dressed in travelling clothes, his dark hair slightly coming out of his intricate braids.
The Elvenking let out a sigh, his eyes once again turning to stare emptily at the cracking fire.
"Send another party and search again." The King did not turn to look at the dark haired elf as he spoke, the latter lifting his eyes to look at his King, something that resembled pity filling his greyish irises.
"My Lord…" The dark haired elf started, falling silent as the King's sharp eyes turned again in his direction.
"I know what you have come to tell me, but I will not make her death official until you come here to inform me that you have found her body." The King's voice was harsh, cold authority easily hearable in the sound as his hard eyes started icily at the elf.
"Send another party and search again." The King repeated flatly, sinking back down on his seat as the dark haired elf bowed respectfully, silently taking his new order.
"Yes, My Lord." The dark haired elf silently exiting the room, leaving the two silent figures alone again in the large study.
The elegant blond elf that had remained quiet and still the entire time suddenly moved, softly kneeling next to where the King sat, their heads at the same level now.
"Thranduil, it has nearly been a year…"
"I can keep track of time perfectly well, Doronor." The blond elf did not look surprised or hurt by the King's hostility, the informality with which he addressed his King letting her know that they were close friends.
"Even if she survived the orc attack, she could not have survived this long in the woods." The blond elf, Doronor, continued as if he had not heard the King's cold interruption.
The Elvenking did not say anything in return, acting as if he had not heard a word the elegant elf had just said.
"My Lord, do you really believe your daughter is alive?"
The King's head fell into his hands, his shoulders slumped, answering the elf's question without the need of words, Doronor's hand travelling to rest lightly on the King's shoulder in a pitiful comforting gesture.
The image shifted, the same study now filled with the warm afternoon light, the King sitting silently at the large oak desk, tending to a tall pile of paperwork. He looked casual, peaceful eyes concentrated on his elegant writing, a crystal cup of red wine resting atop the desk.
A light knock on the door echoed through the room, and the King's serene and impenetrable ice blue eyes turned in its direction as he gave permission to enter. The same dark haired elf she had seen before walked into the room, bowing his head respectfully at his King as he did so.
The Elvenking nodded his head in acknowledgement, smiling politely at the elf, his eyes no longer harsh and unfriendly as they had been in the previous images.
"How may I help you, Cunir?" She heard the King asking politely as the elf reached his desk.
The elf, Cunir, smiled gently as he reached his King, his eyes beaming with joy, making the Elevenking look at him in puzzlement.
"I see you had a good trip back from Imladris." The King commented, clearly amused at the elf's beaming expression.
"Indeed, My Lord." The elf spoke, his smile not fading from his face. "My brother and I had a very eventful journey on our way back."
The Elvenking raised a fair questioning eyebrow, and dark haired elf continued speaking.
"We passed through a small village of men, not far from Imladris. A young woman raises an elfling as a human child, by her clothes and behavior she can easily pass for a four year old human child. We asked around to the men. The elfling's name is Elerrina, and the woman, Naeraviel, they told us, has been caring for the child after she found her alone in the forest when she was nothing but a baby. They said that the girl was found among a large group of dead elves."
The King's smile had vanished from his face, his expression entirely unreadable as he listened carefully, eyes looking as he did not believe what his ears were hearing, filled with so much hope that it seemed to almost distract the elf from continuing his tale.
"She has long golden hair and beautiful green eyes. She looks to be about the age Princess Almarëa would be, and she fits the Princess' physical description as well."
The King had risen to his feet by now, his eyes unbelieving, a heart-breaking smile on his perplexed face. He seemed to be processing the words, silently staring at the smiling elf in front of him.
"After all these years..." She heard the King whisper, although if to himself or Cunir she could not tell.
The image changed again, a cool summer's night now covering the dark blue skies.
Three elegant cloaked figures walked through the small village in which she had grown up, going unnoticed in the late hour. She watched as the three tall figures gracefully walked towards the door of the small house in which she had lived with her mother, the first of the three lightly knocking on the plain wooden door.
The door opened short moments later, only halfway, a young woman stepping in the small gap to look at her visitors. Naeraviel's deep brown eyes widened at the sight that greeted her, and she immediately stepped aside, opening the door wider for the three figures to step inside. She could clearly see Naeraviel's nervousness written in her face, looking incredibly plain next to these three regal looking creatures.
The first of the figures stepped inside silently, reaching his hands to take the hood of his fine cloak from his head, revealing a stunningly handsome face, long light blond hair contrasting beautifully against the dark green fabric of the cloak. The Elvenking wore no crown on his head, but that did not make him look any less royal. Even in this plain setting, and without his rich elegant robes, his sole presence seemed to carry a regal aura and authority.
Her eyes immediately noticed a very familiar, gorgeous piece of jewelry adorning his chest. The large emerald that composed the center of the pin shone in perfect harmony with the dark green color of the King's fine cloak, the tiny pearls seeming to shimmer along with its intricate silver embroidery.
The other two figures imitated him, stepping into the plain room at both sides of their King as Naeraviel closed the door behind them. She recognized them as the two elves she had seen before: Doronor and Cunir, standing silently next to the King, their presence seeming to be solely to ensure the King's security.
Naeraviel seemed stunned, looking at the three elves as if she could not believe her eyes, admiration and fear clearly readable in her deep brown irises.
"Excuse us for the late hour, my Lady." The Elvenking's serene, yet powerful voice echoed flawlessly through the small room, seeming to daze Naeraviel for a moment, for she did not move until some seconds after.
"It is alright." She said, her voice trembling slightly, words coming out in a nervous rush. "Please, make yourselves comfortable."
The two elves followed the King to the small wooden table in one corner of the room, nearly the only piece of furniture that filled the plain space. The Elvenking calmly sat down on the plain wooden chair, Doronor and Cunir remaining on their feet behind him as the young woman took the seat across them.
"I am Thranduil, and these my closest advisors, Doronor and Cunir." The Elvenking started, his voice so soft and peaceful, exuding and aura or royalty that did not pass unnoticed by Naeraviel. Every single one of his movements as graceful and effortless as ever, impenetrable ice blue eyes carrying an unquestionable authority without the need to even raise his voice.
"I know who you are, My Lord." Naeraviel said, looking small and insignificant next to this royal elf, her eyes betraying her bewilderment at being the in presence of this well-known historical figure. "You are the Elvenking."
"That is correct." The King said, nodding his head in graceful, polite gesture before continuing. "It has reached my ears that you raise an elven child here with you."
His voice was soft, incredibly low. Naeraviel's eyes instantly widened, betraying her sudden fear and pain as she realized why these three figures had shown up at her doorstep.
"Yes." The woman admitted, eyes almost pleading silently for the King not to continue. "She was a baby, and she was alone. There were no other survivors from that battle. It was darkening, and no one was coming for her. I could not leave her."
The Elvenking's eyes closed for a second, letting out a silent breath. When he opened his eyes again they were as impenetrable and serene as always, his face perfectly relaxed in a peaceful expression.
"How is she? Is she happy here?" The Elvenking continued, his eyes not betraying any emotion.
"Yes, she is happy, and she is very well and healthy." Naeraviel's voice was becoming more and more shaky, as if she feared the way in which the conversation would end.
"You have come to take her back with your kin, have you not?" the young woman finally asked, her eyes silently pleading the King to prove her wrong, her hands slightly shaking on her lap. The Elvenking took another deep breath, closing his eyes for another moment before answering.
"She is my daughter."
Naeraviel's brown eyes were wide with shock, fear clearly visible in them, her expression now looking hopeless, all of her expectations of keeping her adoptive child suddenly seeming to vanish from her. The Elvenking remained looking at her, his expression as perfectly composed as always, as if any sign of emotion would make his entire mask crumble down.
"No, I cannot take her with me." The King said, Naeraviel visibly relaxing at his words, now looking confused and perplexed at the sudden change of things.
"I have come to ask you more than I could ever ask of you, especially since you have done so much already."
Naeraviel patiently waited for the King to continue, her deep brown eyes watching attentively, puzzled.
"She is safe in here; safer than she has ever been inside my realm. She can grow up peacefully and happily here, a thing that would be impossible for her if I take her with me, no matter how much I wish that was not the case. I came to ask you to continue caring for her as your own child until she reaches her majority. Tell no one who she really is. I You will be forever in your debt."
The woman seemed astonished, her eyes not believing what had just been asked of her.
"Yes. I will care for her. I love her as my own." The young woman immediately answered, not asking the King for explanations in clear fear that he would change his mind in his request.
The Elvenking nodded his head, his eyes absently looking around the room, not really paying attention to anything in particular. He seemed detached from reality, lost in his own thoughts.
"Tell me about her, please." The King's voice had dropped to a low whisper, the evident pain in the peaceful sound making the woman's expression suddenly turn sad.
"She enjoys playing outside, running around with the other children." The young woman complied, her voice sympathetic, trying to sound comforting. "It takes me hours to get her back inside. She laughs a lot, and can come up with the most creative excuses to not go to bed at the hour I say. She is very curious and asks about everything. She also loves to draw, and strawberries are her favorite thing to eat."
The King was looking absently out the window, a sad smile suddenly appearing on his lips as he listened, the smile so pained that she felt sure it could easily make any heart shatter to pieces.
"Would you like to see her?"
The Elvenking's head suddenly snapped in the woman's direction, eyes wide, his expression stunned.
"No!" He said almost immediately, his eyes suddenly looking fearful, his perfectly composed mask vanishing for a split second. "I do not want her to see me."
"She is asleep, My Lord." Naeraviel continued, her voice calmed, almost soothing, and yet her deep brown eyes looked at the King attentivel, looking sad at the King's obvious pain. "I can assure you that she will not wake up."
Ice blue eyes stared at the woman's deep brown ones for a long silent second, the King seeming to be fighting with himself whether to accept the offer or not. The King then let out breath, closing his eyes as he slowly nodded his head.
"Very well." He said, his eyes seeming to be silently pleading to the woman, their impenetrable mask slowly starting to break against his will.
Naeraviel smiled softly as she rose to her feet, the Elvenking quickly imitating her, following her up the narrow staircase of the house, and leaving the other tow elves standing quietly in the room below. The woman led him to a plain wooden door, opening it quietly and stepping aside for the King to follow her into the room.
The familiar sight of her childhood bedroom looked as it always had to her. A small window was opened in one of the plain walls, the cool night breeze entering freely. A couple of toys laid scattered on the floor, as well as little plain brown dress, and pair of tiny shoes.
There, on the small bed that was placed at the center of the narrow room, she could see a very young version of herself, easily mistaken for a four-year-old human child. Golden strands of hair lay splattered freely over the white pillow, her tiny body curled on one side, holding the blankets up to her chin. Her dark green eyes were opened, glazed in elven sleep.
The Elvenking suddenly stopped as his eyes fell on the peacefully sleeping elfling. His perfectly composed expression suddenly vanished, a number of emotions she had never before seen in his eyes suddenly taking possession of his ice blue irises. She saw him take in a shaky breath, eyes fixed on the tiny sleeping child. Never before had she seen so much pain and at the same time so much joy mixed together in any pair of eyes.
The King walked towards the bed, eyes never leaving the sleeping child, as if he could not believe the sight, his lips curving up in the most joyful and at the same time most pained smile she had ever seen, all of his composure now entirely forgotten.
He reached the side of the small bed in only a couple of steps, one hand reaching hesitantly towards the sleeping child. He stopped midway, once again seeming to be fighting with himself, as if he was scared to touch her, but at the same time needed to do it if only to prove the child was real.
"Go ahead. She will not wake." Naeraviel said softly, reading the Kings hesitation from her spot near the door.
The Elvenking did not turn to look at the woman, his eyes did not seem capable of looking away from his sleeping daughter, and she knew that this was the first time that he saw her since her supposed death. The King's gentle hand reached down to caress the elfling's cheek softly, the touch so light and careful, as if the child was a precious thing he was scared to break.
The tiny version of her stirred at the touch, pulling the covers of the bed tighter around her before once again going still, breathing slowly in her sleep. The King let out a shaky breath, something that resembled more of a chocked chuckle as he sat at the edge of the bed, his had once again travelling to caress the elfling's cheek.
Ice blue eyes remained fixed on the child, so pained that it hurt to only see them, the saddest of smiles perpetually on his face as his hand gently rested on the child's cheek, thumb tenderly caressing the edge of her eyebrow. A tender hand softly caressed the child's cheek, and forehead, slender fingers stroking her golden hair with such gentleness and care. His other hand reached to his chest, griping at his tunic as if in physical pain.
The elfling instantly and unconsciously responded to the touch, one tiny pale hand coming out of the tangled blankets, little fingers curling around the fine fabric of the King's dark green cloak, pressing it close to her face. It was as if the child felt secure next to this presence, as if she knew whose was the hand that tenderly caressed her face.
"What is her name?" She heard Naeraviel inquire form the door, her voice gentle, a gorgeous smile on her face as she watched the father lose all of his composure and guard at the sole sight of his sleeping daughter.
"Almarëa."
The King's eyes did not leave his daughter as he spoke, his pained smile only becoming wider as his tortured eyes gleamed with pride. He then leaned softly, gently placing a kiss upon the sleeping child's forehead, his hand not seeming capable of detaching from its tender task of stroking the child's long golden hair.
The sleeping elfling pulled at the cloak harder, her little hand unconsciously tugging at the gorgeous pin that secured it around the King's shoulder. One of the many tiny pearls that adorned the central emerald suddenly came loose, rolling onto the plain bed covers.
The King then sat back straight, pained and troubled eyes watered with the silvery shimmer of unshed tears. Ever so gently he uncurled the tiny hand from around his cloak, the simple motion seeming to be the hardest task he had ever done. With what seemed to be the greatest of efforts, the Elvenking rose back on his feet, looking away from the child and walking towards the door, where Naeraviel waited.
"I must go now." He said flatly, his voice seeming to have lost all of its life, as if every single drop of life that he possessed had been left with the elfling peacefully sleeping on the bed.
The woman quickly walked to bed, picking up the tiny pearl that she had noticed falling out of the King's pin.
"You lost this, My Lord." She said gently, showing the King the tiny pearl on the palm of her hand.
The King's miserable eyes turned to glance at the tiny jewel, his eyes uninterested, empty, before turning away, not caring about the pearl.
"I have lost many things." He said flatly, his voice so pained and at the same time so empty and lifeless that it left Naeraviel stunned for a second as the King reassumed his march.
"What should I tell her." The woman managed to ask just as the King reached the door.
"Nothing." Was the King's reply, not even turning to face the woman. "Tell her nothing."
The images faded away, and she found herself once again standing in empty large terraces of the Palace, which suddenly felt emptier and larger than before. She did not know what she felt, she could not name the emotions that swirled through her body, they were so strong, so overwhelming. Her body felt like a cold statue, unable to react, unable to speak. Her chest felt tight, her insides crunching as her heart fell heavily.
The King had not moved an inch, perfectly still against the delicate railing, his back to her. The fresh image of this same elf sitting next to the tiny version of her on the bed was still playing on her mind. And this figure did not feel like the powerful King of Mirkwood anymore.
For a moment, she wished she had been awake that night. She wished she had been able to see him sitting next to her, wished she had been able to jump into his arms and be rocked back to sleep. The deepest, most overwhelming feeling she had yet felt washed over her as she realized that she had always known this elf. Even if her mind could not remember him, her entire self did. She had reacted to his touch. She had known who it was. Her heard sank deeper to the ground as she realized that her spirit had never forgotten his presence. He had always been her father.
She suddenly felt small, as if she was shrinking. She felt powerless, defenseless and dependent, like the little elfling that she had just seen lying asleep on the bed. Her whole body and soul felt like an incontrollable swirl of emotions she could not name, crushing her, making her smaller, her eyes unable to look away from the royal looking elf, who suddenly felt like the only thing that could make her safe at that moment.
It was as if her spirit had finally realized that which it had been missing all these years. She did not know what she was feeling, but this unparalleled pull to him that she felt within her was something that she had never felt with Naeraviel. It felt natural, and she could not control it. It was a if her entire body and spirit recognized his.
The emotions were becoming too strong for her to handle them as she silently stared at the King's tall figure. At her father's tall figure. An overwhelming pain mixed with the strongest happiness and relief she had ever felt seemed to be crushing her lungs and heart to pieces, with a force she could not understand. This was her father. Her mind kept repeating that over and over again, her throat constricting painfully at her joy, and at the same time at the incomparable pain at all the childhood years she had spent without his company.
Slowly, the Elvenking moved, looking down at the tiny box as he once again twirled it in his hands. Then, he turned around, his expression something she had never seen in his face before. Ice blue eyes met hers, looking so pained and at the same time so joyful that she felt her throat constrict even further. Suddenly those eyes were completely reachable to her, as if, for the first time, she remembered them exactly. And she guessed part of her always had.
The King carefully took the thin chain from the hung the tiny missing pearl in his hand, lifting it out of the box, eyes absently falling on the tiny jewel for a long moment, as if his mind was still trapped in the distant, painful memories she had just witnessed. Then, his ice blue eyes turned to look at hers again, and she saw in them the same look she had seen in those infinitely expanding eyes as he had looked at her sleeping form. It was a look no words could describe, a glance no other could match.
"Thank you." He said, and never before had she heard so much meaning behind those two simple words. His fist curled around the tiny pearl, but his eyes never left hers, and she could not look away. She did not want to look away.
She could no longer contain herself, her breathing coming out choked and shaky trough her tight throat. The overwhelming happiness was too much for her, merging with the piercing pain inside her heart as her eyes started to fill up with silvery tears, her vision becoming blurry.
The King opened his arms, and she did not even think before she found herself running into them, the need to be held in his safe, protective touch something that she could not comprehend. She felt herself loosing control, feeling like the tiny, defenseless elfling sleeping on the small bed. Tears started to flow out of her eyes as her body shook widely with sobs, the emotions the most overwhelming she had yet felt. And yet, her lips curved up in the most joyful of smiles as the tears streamed freely down her cheeks, her face pressed hard against the fine fabric of his robes.
She felt his arms holding her tight against him, softly stroking her hair. His touch was so gentle and comforting, the same way she had seen it be in the memories before, only that this time she did know who it was who held her securely. This time she was awake…and this time she remembered him. Merely some meters away, the great feast continued in the large halls. Elves danced and sang joyfully, enjoying the night together. But that seemed so far away and irrelevant now.
"I have you back." She heard the King whisper as she felt him place a gentle kiss on the top of her head, but that voice suddenly did not feel as the voice of the King, but the voice of her father. Her father. This was her father. Her mind could not stop repeating that to her, her joy and pain duplicating in intensity. This was her Ada. And every single particle in her seemed to believe it.She could not find her voice to say anything, her body wracked with choked, uncontrollable sobs, her smile only growing wider as she felt her hands gripping tightly to his robes, as if trying to prevent him from suddenly disappearing.
"I love you, my Almarëa." Her father whispered to her as she felt his hold tighten around her shaking frame, his voice sounding broken, as if he too was struggling to keep his composure. But she had lost hers a long time ago. She pressed her face tighter against his robes, feeling more childlike than before. Never in her life had she felt this kind of protection, this kind of joy and security in her spirit. It was a kind of love that she had never known before. So different from what she had felt for adoptive mother, and even more different from the love she felt for Elladan.
She pulled away from the King, not entirely letting go of him, only enough distance to look at his face. His eyes immediately looked down at her tear stroked ones, one gentle thumb carefully wiping away her cheeks, but it was useless. The streams of tears never stopped flowing from her eyes. His own ice blue eyes shimmered lightly with the silvery sparkle of fresh tears, although not a single one had been shed.
She felt her trembling lips curl up into a wider smile, her eyes not able to look away from his face, as if she was looking at him for the first time. But she was. She had looked at the King of Mirkwood many times before. But for the first time, she was looking at her father's face.
She reached her hand up to his face, her mind not even thinking of what she was doing, her body seeming to be acting on its own, guided by the swirl of emotions that seemed to consume her sobbing form. One finger softly reached his eyebrow, tracing it down to the end of his eye and continuing down his cheekbone, barely even touching him, as if her hand was simply tracing a distant memory, a memory she had not known she remembered until now.
He remained still the entire time, his arms still loosely wrapped around her small body as infinite eyes stared intently at her, shimmering with unshed tears. She let her hand fall back down to her side, felling another wave of sobs wrack her body as her trembling smile grew wider.
She had kept that tiny pearl with her during her entire childhood, never really knowing that it had been her father's all along. But suddenly, it was not the pearl what seemed important to her. No. It was he fact that she had finally found its rightful owner. She had finally found her father, and not simply the Elvenking.
"I love you too, Ada." She choked out, the words flowing out naturally from her, so easily and real.
That seemed to make it. Her father finally lost his control. She felt him press her against him once more, arms holding her so tight, as if wanting to make up for all the years they had not been able to do so. She pressed her face once again against the fine fabric at his chest, feeling his breathing becoming ragged and uneven this time, his hand once again stroking her long golden hair at the back of her head, tangling among the many intricate braids and fine hairpieces that adorned her hair. And even if she could not see his face, she knew that he was crying.
Not far from them, the feast continued jovially. The music continued to play softly in the air, more wine and food were served, presents where opened, couples were dancing. Even her own presents still remained on the table where her siblings, still wrapped and waiting to be opened. But neither her nor the King would be returning to the crowded halls.
Here is chapter 11! It is I think the longest chapter I have yet written, so my apologies for the over amount of words. Please let me know what you think of it! I hope you like it!
Again, I cannot say thank you enough times to my reviewers: Martine 9295, The Grimreaper PT, K8Y, Mary, Mj, booklover158, Paperlanterns86, xX-MissyMoo-Xx, Danda225, Jibril-Kadamon, BigFanOfYou, gossipghurl, saku-kamiya, wonderpanda10, ForbiddenShandow0, AmazingWriter123, and my guest reviewer.
I will send replies to all of your reviews shortly, but first I wanted to let you have this chapter…I know I left a terrible cliffhanger on the last one, so I concentrated on updating fast to make up for it.
Love,
Elena