She did not know how long it took her to finally be able to let go of her father's rich robes. Was it seconds? Minutes? Hours? She could not tell; and she did not care. Her entire body continued to shake with slight sobs, the tears still flowing from her eyes, but at a slower pace, as she finally pulled away from the King's comforting embrace.
The King softly lifted his hand, his thumb gently wiping away the tears that slowed down her cheeks. She could feel her smile still present on her lips, where she knew it would stay for a long while, even with tears in her eyes. She could not contain her tears; it felt as if her entire body could not contain this amount of joy within itself.
Her eyes remained fixed on her father's face, unable to look away from his infinite ice blue eyes, so powerful and yet now looking so soft and welcoming. His own handsome face showed the thin traces of dried tears along his cheeks, ice blue eyes still shimmering slightly as he smiled in return.
In the distance she could still hear the music softly playing inside the large Halls, where the feast continued animatedly, oblivious to the whereabouts of their King. She let her head turn in that direction, a faint chuckle escaping her mind as she remembered the ongoing celebration. Her siblings were still there, probably chatting or dancing once again.
Elladan was also inside said halls, most probably with Elrohir, although she could tell that he knew what had happened between her and her father, she knew he could feel her emotions through their bond. She knew he could feel her immense joy and pain, the emotions too overwhelming for him not to be able to perceive them, and although she could tell he was desperate to offer her his comfort, she knew that he would patiently wait for as much time as she needed with her father.
"Do you want to return to the celebration?" Her head turned back around at the King's soft voice, her eyes immediately finding his, once again unable to contain her smile.
She shook her head as a response, not really capable of formulating any words in her shaking state, hiccupped sobs still escaping her lips every once in a while. She saw the King chuckle lightly at her, eyes never leaving her face, his thumb once again wiping away the new tears that had rolled down her cheeks.
"Come, I have something else I wanted to give you" The King smiled at her as he softly started to lead her away from the magnificent terraces and into the elegant long corridors of the Palace. "It was my intention to way until the celebration was over, but I do not think I will be returning to the Halls either. It will also be good for Tadion to be in charge for a change, since Arahaelon is not there to take over the hosting duties."
She could not contain a light laugh as she followed the King up an ample staircase. The entire Palace seemed to be empty, every elf in Mirkwood appeared to have attended the solstice celebration. The frail columns of the exquisite pointed arches seemed taller than ever, the corridors longer, the halls larger, and the balconies wider, and yet, even though they remained as strange and magnificent to her eyes, the Palace somehow felt less cold and imposing. Suddenly, these gorgeous columns that seemed to branch into thin, delicate arches felt welcoming to her, their beauty now no longer something to merely be admired. This was her father's Palace, it was her father's home; her home.
"Has Tadion ever hosted before?" She asked as they stepped into the quiet Private Quarters of the Palace. The turned his head to smile at her before answering, one of his hands placed lightly on her back as he guided the way.
"A couple of times, yes. He is very capable of doing so, although he always chooses to stand behind Arahaelon. He will do anything that Arahaelon asks of him."
"Is Arahaelon all right? I saw him leaving the Halls, and Legolas told me what happened this morning. " She asked as her father opened the fine wooden door that led to his own private chambers, letting her walk inside first before following.
The chambers inside were as elegant and rich as they had been to her when she had come with Legolas earlier that day. It was as if her eyes would never be able to get used to this finery. She remembered her own plain small childhood bedroom, which had never seemed small and plain to her, and suddenly though that it must have seemed a pitiful attempt of a bedroom to the King's eyes.
A welcoming fire had already been started at the fireplace, even though the chambers had been empty, its flames warmly brightening the room with their vivid dance. She also noticed that the number of unwrapped gifts at the small wooden table in one corner of the room had nearly doubled since she had last been in here with Legolas.
"He was not feeling well. I could see that his wound was bothering him since before we stepped into the Halls. He is all right, though, do not worry. The wound is deep, but harmless. It is the venom what causes the damage. The venom is lethal, and he was lucky it barely penetrated into the injury. He will be fine."
The King explained as he led her to the comfortable, elegant seats by the fireplace, the sound of their footsteps silenced by the exquisite carpet. He smiled reassuringly at her, and she once again could not contain her own smile as stared into her father's ice blue eyes. She sat on one of the seats, her eyes following the King's elegant figure as he roamed about the room before returning to where she sat, a beautifully crafted wooden box held carefully in his hands.
"I think you should have these." His voice was soft as he spoke, ice blue eyes mirroring the frail smile on his face as handed her the beautiful box. "Some of these things already belonged to you."
She did not say anything, trying to search for an explanation in his infinite eyes before taking the box carefully in her hands, slightly taken aback by its unexpected weight. Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed the King gracefully moving to the comfortable seat closest to the fire but she could not keep her eyes from the intricate carvings on the lid of the box. One of her fingers delicately traced the fine shapes of leaves and branches carved in the wood, not really taking herself to open it. Part of her wanted to know what was inside, and part o her was scared of what she might find, not really wanting to succumb once again to her finally ceased sobbing.
Slowly, she lifted the lid of the box, curiosity taking the best of her as usual. Inside was a pile of papers, of all different sizes and sorts, some folded neatly into a small square, others ripped at the edges or wrinkled carelessly. Carefully, she took on of the top pieces of parchment in her hands, almost fearing that it would rip at her touch. A messy slanted handwriting covered the paper, tiny black dots indicating where the inexperienced writer had accidentally let drops of black ink fall onto it. It was a letter. Her heart nearly stopped as she immediately recognized the plain handwriting, her eyes quickly dropping to the very familiar signature at the bottom.
Naeraviel
Her eyes flew up to meet the King's, only to find him softly staring at her, ice blue eyes as welcoming and infinite as before. She quickly took another one of the many pieces of parchment, only to find the same slanted handwriting adorning its yellowish surface, the familiar signature once again present in the bottom. Nearly every paper in the box contained the same handwriting and signature, and they were all addressed to the King. Unable to contain herself, she took the one she had been holding in her hands and read it silently.
Your Majesty,
Not much has happened since the last letter I wrote. Elerrina is now learning how to write, and she is learning very fast. So far she can write her own name, and a couple of other words. I must say that I have now lost every single piece of parchment that I had in the house. Today I returned to the house and found her sprawled on the floor over a carpet of papers. She had ink even on her ears!
Here are some of the pieces that I managed to collect before she threw them away. I thought you would like to have them.
-Naeraviel
Her eyes darted back down to the box on her lap and there, among the many letters, were also pieces of parchment containing drawings on them. There were various of them, in different sizes and qualities, some of them messy and nearly incomprehensible, others clearer, the lines thought of smoothly and precisely.
She could no help but laugh lightly as she took out one of them, immediately recognizing it as she remembered herself drawing those messy lines. She could make out that the drawing tried to illustrate something that appeared to be a woman or a girl, she could not tell, the clumsy traces of the inexperienced little hand awkwardly crisscrossing one another. The word 'Elerrina' was written in clumsy letters near the bottom of the page, the mismatched scale of the shaky letters clearly indicating that these traces had not yet been mastered by the hand that had written them.
"You do not have to go through all of them now. You can look at them whenever you want to." Her eyes turned up to meet the King's deep ice blue ones as he spoke, a small smile on his face.
"How often did she write to you?" Her voice was lower than she had expected as she spoke, her eyes not able to leave her father's infinite irises.
"That depended. Whenever she had an opportunity to do so I guess." He smiled softly at her and she returned the gesture before letting her eyes fall back down on the pile of letters. She wished she had known her mother had been sending these letters when she was an elfling. She would have made drawings specifically for him.
"I have not heard from Naeraviel in a while." Her eyes flew once again to the King's gentle ice blue ones. "Almarëa, may I ask you how did you end up in Imladris? Elrond notified me that you had arrived there with his sons. What happened?"
She let her eyes fall for a moment, not sure of how to answer that question in a pretty way. Carefully she placed the lid of the box back into place, letting her hands brush against the intricate carvings before answering.
"Orcs." She said finally, lifting her gaze to fall once again on her father's gentle eyes. "They attacked the village, destroyed it. Nothing remains. No one survived."
She saw the King's eyes darken at her words, brow softly furrowing as a new concern shone in his powerful ice blue irises.
"I was not there when it happened." She continued. "I was out for a walk, deeper into the forest than what I usually did, and then I ran into Elladan…or he ran into me…quite literally. There were orcs in the area, and he pulled me out of the way, took me deeper into the forest to escape from them. The next day we found the ashen remains of what used to be the small village."
The King did not say anything, but barely nodded his head in response, and she could see in his eyes a new worry starting to appear, lost in some thoughts of his own. His eyes looked apologetic, as if trying to say he was sorry, but the words were never spoken, the look in his eyes speaking louder and clearer than any words could ever do.
A soft knock on the door made both pairs of eyes turn in its direction, just in time to see Tadion gracefully walking into the room. The Prince's clear blue eyes, identical to those of his father's, widen slightly as they fell on her, the soft smile suddenly vanishing from his face. She immediately became self-conscious of her tear stroked face and red eyes, knowing that she must have looked horrible at that moment.
"Almarëa!" He breathed out as he rushed to her side, suddenly seeming to forget whatever reason it was that he had come in the first place. "Are you all right?"
All right? She was more than all right. Her body seemed not to be able to contain her joy, even though she knew the dried tears in her face conveyed a different message. She felt her smile growing wider on her face, Tadion's eyes flickering between confusion and concern. He looked as clueless as he had the first time that she had met him.
"Yes." She said, the smile perpetually present in her lips as she nodded her head. "Yes I am all right."
Her brother studied her for a second, as if trying to consider whether or not to believe her words or her face. She saw him throw a glance at his father, as if trying to find come confirmation of her words. After a moment he nodded his head slightly, offering her a smile as he placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. She could not tell if he had believed her words, but it seemed that he would accept them as an answer.
"Ada, I came to tell you that the celebration has finished now. Legolas and Lossie will come upstairs soon." Tadion did not move from his spot behind her as he spoke, his hand still on her shoulder. Then he leaned to one side of her seat so that he was able to look into her face.
"Your gift's have been brought to your rooms, dear sister." He smiled at her as he spoke and she felt the hand on her shoulder give it a comforting squeeze. She could not help but smile at him, now more than ever regretting that she had not grown up by his side, that there were still many things she did not know about him or the rest of her siblings.
"Thank you, my son." The King smiled as he spoke and Tadion nodded his head. At that precise moment she could point out the evident similarities between father and son; the same clear blue eyes and fair features, Tadion's long golden hair only a shade darker than the King's. Still there was no mistaking that out of all of her siblings it was Legolas the one that resembled his father the most.
"Is there anything else I can help you with, Ada?"
"No, Tadion, thank you. You may retire to bed if you wish, you must be tired." The King's voice was gentle, not the voice of the King of Mirkwood but the same tender voice that he had also used when addressing her earlier. "If you see Sidhel please tell her not to wake Arahaelon for the meeting tomorrow. Let him sleep through the morning."
Tadion nodded his head again, not saying anything else as he leaned forward around her seat, his head at the same level as hers now.
"Shall we go?" He smiled softly as he extended one hand for her to take, gently pulling her up to her feet.
Her eyes found her father's gentle ice blue ones, her smile once again appearing on her face as she gazed into their clear vastness. Those eyes had always been so strangely familiar, but now, it felt as if she had stared at them her entire life. They were so reachable, so welcoming and reassuring, even with the strong power and cold authority that they seemed to carry daily.
"Thank you." She said softly and he nodded his head as a reply, smiling warmly at her.
Without any more words, she felt Tadion's arm wrap around her shoulders, in the same brotherly way in which Legolas had done a couple of times before. It felt good, and she instantly liked it, smiling to herself as she allowed her older brother to lead her out of the King's chambers and to her own ones.
Even though Tadion had not commented on it, she could tell that he had a very clear idea of what had happened between the King and her in order to explain their absence from the celebration. He could see her dried tears on her face, and her red tired eyes that she knew would not return to normal for at least a couple of more hours. The King had not looked as if he had cried at all, but he had not looked as composed and neat as he had while in the Halls.
They did not talk. There was no need to. Her brother's arm around her shoulder said more than the words could. Besides, she knew that if she attempted to speak, she would not be able to stop herself from crying once again of joy at having her brother here with her. Instead, she remained silent, the only sound that followed them was the deaf echo of their footsteps as they reached the ample hallway with five exquisitely carved doors, the very last one being the one leading to her own bedchambers.
Tadion stopped two doors from hers, unwrapping his arm from her shoulders as he offered her a kind smile. She smiled in return, softly throwing both of her arms around his middle in a warm embrace, her face pressing against the fine fabric of his deep blue robes. He returned the gesture, one hand rubbing her back comfortingly before letting go.
"Thank you, Tadion." She whispered as she pulled away, watching him smile wider at her with a silent nod of his head, his clear blue eyes sparking with their usual peaceful carefreeness, as if nothing could ever trouble him.
She made a mental note to talk to him in the morning, once she had complete composure again. As she turned around and headed towards her own door she could hear Tadion softly knocking on another one of the five doors.
"Ar?" She heard him whisper lowly, his voice incredibly gentle as he softly pushed the door open. She smiled at the shortened name. She had heard Tadion calling Arahalon that way only once before.
She could not hold back a glance in his direction as she reached her own door. He had the door opened only a crack, tentatively peeking inside the room, his clear blue eyes suddenly resembling those of a young elfling worried about disturbing his oldest brother. She did not hear a reply, but apparently one came, for Tadion smiled very softly before opening the door a little wider.
"How do you feel? Can I bring you anything?" She barely heard Tadion whisper as he disappeared into the darkness of the room, opening the door only wide enough for him to slip inside before softly closing it, as if not wanting any of the light that filled the hallway to get inside the dark room.
She smiled to herself as she walked into her own elegant bedchambers. Tadion's voice had sounded so gentle and caring that she felt she wanted to run back out and embrace him again. None of the usual teasing and mockery had been hearable in the soft, honest sound. She loved Tadion dearly, he truly felt like the older brother he was to her, and she knew she would do anything he said.
And yet, she could not help but to feel pained at the clear admiration and care that Tadion showed towards his oldest brother; her oldest brother. She remembered the Crown Prince's impenetrable green eyes, so powerful and serene, every emotion seeming to be concealed behind hard emeralds, so close to the surface and yet so unreachable, so mysterious. She remembered his handsome face, always perfectly relaxed and peaceful, looking so graceful and elegant without any effort.
Why could she not see through his eyes? Why could she not see him in the same way Tadion did? In the same way Legolas and Lossenel did? She had seen Legolas' eyes holding the same love and admiration that she had heard in Tadion's voice when he looked at the Crown Prince. He felt so distant to her, and yet so fascinating.
Forcing her thoughts in a different direction, she looked around her room, suddenly finding it more welcoming than ever before. A warm fire had also been started in her fireplace, the flames casting golden reflections on the pale ivory curtains that had been drawn closed over the balcony. As Tadion had told her, her unopened gifts had been brought to her chambers, and were now resting atop the small round table in one corner of the room.
She absently placed the carefully crafted box containing the letters from Naeraviel next to the other gifts. There were plenty of them, more than she had ever received her entire life. She recognized the ones from her father, placed slightly apart from the rest of the gifts. She carefully took one of the finely wrapped items in her hand, her fingers toying with it for a moment before placing it back down. She was not really in the mood for opening gifts by herself.
The door opened softly, but she did not turn her head, a smile growing on her face as she knew the identity of the newcomer without needing to look at him. She felt a hand coming to rest low on her waist from behind and she leaned back into the touch, her smile widening in the process. Elladan's other hand found hers, his fingers entwining with his as she felt his chin coming to rest lightly on her shoulder, his cheek slightly brushing hers. She could smell his sweet scent, feel his long dark hair brushing her bare shoulders and the rich fabric of his deep green formal robes enveloping her.
"I missed you in the Halls, my love." His melodic voice whispered in her ear and she felt him press a quick kiss on her cheek. She felt her heart flutter inside her chest at his words. Never before had he called her anything other than Rina.
She turned around in his arms, her eyes immediately free falling into endless pools of liquid silver. He stared at her face for a moment. She knew he could perfectly see her reddened ayes from crying and the stroke of dried tears on her face, even with her smile attempting to hide them. He cupped her cheeks gently with his hands as he let out light laugh before pressing his lips to hers.
He pulled her closer to him, letting out another light laugh, and she rested her head on his shoulder feeling his hands softly stroking her hair. She could not contain her smile, it felt as if it had settled on her face permanently for the night. She knew he could tell exactly what had happened between the King and her, as well as the fact that her tears had been of joy.
She felt more tears starting to blur her vision, her smile only becoming wider. She had not even thought it possible for her to shed any more tears, but she could not contain them. Her emotions were still too overwhelming inside of her, and now in Elladan's arms they threatened to overflow once again, her joy doubling in intensity, if that was even possible. It felt too good to be true.
He guided her towards the bed, sitting down next to her as she let her head once again rest on his shoulder, his arm instinctively wrapping around her. She felt her tears soaking the fine fabric of his robes, her emotions once again set free in his presence. She felt him pulling her at arms distance, his silver eyes searching to look into hers.
"Why do you cry?" He said softly, a smile on his handsome face as his thumb gently wiped away the tears from her cheeks. She simply looked into his eyes, her smile as wide as before, feeling new tears sliding down from her eyes.
He let out another musical chuckle, once again wiping her cheeks before pulling her to him again, this time wrapping both of his arms around her small frame, shifting her until she was sitting on his lap. She laced her arms around his neck, burying her face in the crook of his neck as a choked sob escaped her smiling lips. One of his hands rubbed gentle circles on her back, and she could feel his spirit reaching hers, could feel his joy at feelings hers through their bond. She felt ridiculous for crying but she had lost control of herself many hours ago, and right now she could not care less.
"You know, you are supposed to cry when you are sad." He whispered playfully, letting out another chuckle before placing a kiss on her head, his arms holding tight to her.
She let out a chuckle, sounding more like a failed combination of a choking sound and a sob, but her smile only widened on her face. She placed a kiss on his neck in return.
"Dan." She managed to say through her smile and tears. "Be quiet."
He laughed again, but did not say anything else. Instead, she felt his hold tighten around her body as his hand continued to gently rub circles on her back, his spirit intertwining with hers through their bond. Long moments passed as he simple held her, her smile never fading, not even for a second. She knew he would not let go of her, and she did not want to move, feeling too welcomed and comfortable in his arms.
"I love you." She said, finally lifting her head from his shoulder, her arms still loosely wrapped around his neck. His silver eyes found hers, a true smile present in his handsome face.
He leaned in and kissed her fully on the lips, less gently than he had done moments ago. She kissed him back, feeling his hand on the side of her face, fingers tangling on her golden hair.
"I love you too." He said when they pulled apart, his silver eyes so honest and transparent, sparkling with the deepest feeling of love adoration she had ever seen on a pair of eyes, a sparkle that she knew belonged only to her. He wiped away her tears for what felt like the hundredth time, but only that this time no tears followed.
His eyes then scanned the room, falling on the pile of unopened presents before retuning to meet hers, a dark eyebrow raised questioningly.
"You have not opened a single one?" He mocked her, his perfect smile still present on his face.
"I have not yet been granted permission to open the one I really want to open."
He let out another musical chuckle at her words, pressing another quick kiss on her lips before answering.
"You may open it now."
She rose from his lap almost immediately, rounding the bed towards the small bedside table where the small wrapped item was placed. She took it in her hands, glancing again in his direction before walking towards where he sat.
"I still do not have anything for you." She said guiltily as she sat down on his lap, feeling his arms wrapping loosely around her waist. He placed a kiss to her cheek, and she let her attention fall back down on the gift in her hands.
She gently pulled at the thin silver ribbon, letting it fall over the bed before her fingers continued to carefully unwrap the gift. Her eyes glanced inside the small box, slightly confused at what she found in there. Inside the box was a tiny silver key, the most beautiful key she had ever seen. She carefully picked it up in her hands, her eyes turning to look at Elladan questioningly. He laughed at her expression, pressing yet another kiss on her cheek.
"What am I supposed to do with this key?" She asked him, only managing to make him laugh lightly.
"The polite thing to do would be to say thank you." He commented, a playful sparkle gleaming in his liquid silver eyes.
"Thank you." She complied with a chuckle, kissing him quickly on the lips. "Now, what does this key open?"
He chuckled again, his chin coming to rest on her shoulder from behind as his hands travelled to hers, fingers entwining with hers.
"A box in my chambers back in Imladris." He whispered in her ear, his lips brushing the skin there.
"And what is inside said box?" She asked, shivers running down he nuzzled his nose against her neck.
"Stuff." He shrugged in response, his smile still on his face, and she let out a laugh, knowing that he would not give her an answer.
"But if said box is in Imladris, how am I supposed to use the key?" She turned around in his arms to look into his eyes, once again drowning in a pool of liquid silver.
He simple stared at her, his silver eyes so deep and inescapable, so consuming, sparkling with more love than she had ever seen in them. His expression was calmed, his lips faintly curved up in a smile, all traces of mockery and playfully gone from his eyes, now so honest and open. She could not look away. She did not want to look away. She wanted to remain there forever, drowning in his endless liquid silver eyes.
"Marry me."
The words hit her suddenly, her heart stopping inside her chest as she felt her entire body paralyze. His liquid silver eyes remained locked on hers, so loving, so honest, there was not a single glint of playfulness in his voice. Then he moved, one hand travelling to the pocket of his robes, taking out a tiny box. He opened it in front of her, revealing a gorgeous ring.
She jumped to her feet in shock, one of her hands travelling to her mouth. She did not know what to do, what to say, her insides feeling as if they would burst from love. He too moved from the bed, lowering himself to one knee in front of her, his silver eyes never leaving hers.
"Almarëa, Princess of Mirkwood, daughter of Thranduil, and my Rina" his eyes sparkled as he smiled at the last part. "Would you marry me?"
She felt her throat tighten, her heart beating harder than ever, threatening to burst. One of her shaky hands placed a lock of her golden hair behind her ear as her eyes stared deeply into his. She wanted to drown in his eyes, to stare into them forever, so reachable, so loving, his spirit so entwined with hers. She shook her head yes, trying to find her words.
"Yes." She finally managed to say, and never before had that word been so easy to pronounce, never before had committing to something been so easy for her, never before had she wanted anything more than she wanted this, to be his forever. There was one thing she was completely and utterly sure of in her life: She loved him.
"Yes" She said again, her lips curving up into the widest smile they possibly could. "Yes, yes, yes."
His smile mirrored hers, silver eyes sparkling with love as he rose to his feet. He then took her left hand in his, the simple touch of his skin over hers telling her so many things as he ever so carefully slid the precious ring on her third finger, keeping her hand in his as he did so. His silver eyes found hers once again and she let herself free fall into their endless depths. Somehow they looked different now, the sparkle in them one she had never seen before. These eyes were hers now, hers to look into them for eternity.
Then, without any warning, he closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to hers in a passionate deep kiss. Her arms instantly locked around his neck, hands tangling in his long dark hair as she felt his on her waist, lifting her from her feet. There were so many words drowned in that kiss, so many feelings, so many thoughts.
They pulled apart after a long while and he spun her around the air before placing her back on her feet. As soon as her feet touched the ground she kissed him again, and he kissed her back, his hands resting low on her waist, the touch so loving and yet so passionate.
She could not contain her smile as they pulled apart, her eyes fixed on his silver ones, his smile mirroring hers. She had never felt this happy before; she had never seen him look this happy before. His arms remained locked around her waist, as if he was planning on never removing them from there, and if that were the case, she would not complain.
In that precise moment, as she looked into his endless silver eyes, she saw so many things. She saw her future with him, saw him staring into her eyes endless times to come, saw the rest of her immortal life in his arms without any touch or any kiss being inappropriate.
She took a look at her hand again, eyes falling on the gorgeous ring now perfectly placed on her third finger. A large diamond rested in the middle of it, crowned by a delicate band of tiny ones before dying out in a simple thin band of white gold. She had never seen a ring this beautiful before. Not even Vilya, in its glowing splendor could match this simple ring.
"I have been carrying that for a while now." He commented, his smile not faltering from his face. "It was my mother's. She left it to Elrohir and me when she sailed. She did not know what our choices would be and she wanted us to have the ring my father gave to her. It was Elrohir who suggested that I should give it to you, saying that he would not be marrying any time soon."
She simply stared into his eyes, her smile so wide she thought her cheeks would break. Elrohir. She remembered his words earlier in the celebration, when he had called her his sister. Of course he had known. She simply stared into his eyes, smiling too much to be able to speak so he continued.
"I told myself that I would not propose to you until you were sure of who you are. I see that you have finally spoken with you father, and you know where your home is."
"Does my father know?" she asked, suddenly remembering the King and her siblings. What would they say about this? Did they all already know?
"Yes, he does." His hand travelled to her cheek, silver eyes reflecting his smile as he chuckled lightly. "I asked him for your hand tonight. He already knew that I would ask him sooner or later, and he gave us his blessings. The engagement needs to last at least a year, and I will not make you leave Mirkwood until you want to do so. I have permission to stay here as long we want to, even after the wedding."
The wedding. The word suddenly felt more beautiful than it ever had before. She would marry him. She was his future bride. Nothing in Arda could have prepared her from what she was feeling at that moment, and she thought that it should have been impossible to feel this much love for anyone. Everything was perfect. Only the two of them in the room, no curious eyes to look.
She did not know what to say, everything felt too good to be true. Her thoughts wonder to King once again. He had given them his blessing before she had even looked at him as a father. He had accepted the fact that he would loose her before even having her.
Her eyes remained fixed on Elladan's, unable to look anywhere else. She would marry him. It was official now. She would be his in front of everyone, and no one would be watching their behavior; no one would be glaring at him if he placed a hand on her; no one would be saying anything if he kissed her.
The night seemed to stretch for eternity, Elladan staying long hours with her on her chambers, neither of them willing to separate. They stole many kisses, his arms never letting go of her, until finally she dozed off to sleep in his arms, the long night downing on her. She distantly felt him lay her down on the bed, placing the covers around her and removing all the trinkets from her hair before she heard him slip from the room, her mind already drifting into her dreams, playing over and over again her future with Elladan, when he would no need to leave her side and she could sleep in his protective embrace.
She had never slept this comfortably before, this relaxed and happy. She was in her home, her siblings only some doors down in the hallway. Her father was only some distance away, probably also sleeping in his overly large chambers. And she had Elladan, feeling his spirit close to hers even in her sleep, the gorgeous engagement ring safely placed on her third finger. Outside the trees sang, but she could no longer hear them. The entire realm slept after the jovial night, all of them oblivious to the royal engagement that they had yet to celebrate.
She woke up with a start. She could not breath. She was choking. Her heart beating loudly in her chest, the most overwhelming fear she had ever felt consuming her body, panicking. She could not see anything. The sheets had been pulled over her head as she trashed around, feeling a heavy weight over her, preventing her from moving. One hand was pressed to her neck, pressing a little too hard, making it impossible to breath, choking her as she desperately tried to get some air to her distressed lungs.
She kept kicking and punching at the air, desperately trying to free herself from the choking grasp, but managing nothing. The stranger kept strangling her neck, his other hand pressing the sheets to her face, making her vision turn black. She tried to scream for help, but there was no air inside her lungs. Air. That was all she needed. Air. And she could not get any. She felt the stranger's fingers tightly curled around her neck, the pressure feeling as if it would snap her neck. She kept kicking, trying to get this stranger off of her, but only managed to knock down a crystal glass that rested on her bedside table.
Her limbs started to become weak, not responding to her as she tried to breath. The pressure at her neck was too much, the sheets over her face slow asphyxiating her. Her lungs desperately demanded for air…
Here is chapter 12! My apologies for the long wait. I have had my final examns this week, thus it has been impossible for me to update. I hope this chapter makes up for the wait! Please let me know what you think!
Again, thank you a million times to my reviewers: Mary Elrondile, Hirilnin, FioreDiRosa, smulderalert, Martine9295, CeffylGwyn, Mj, Danda225, xX-MissyMoo-Xx, SarahWeasley, Jibril, The Grimreaper PT, ShieYun, AmazingWriter123, Coco99, gossipghurl, BigFanOfYou, Paperlanterns86, luckyponygirl, wonderpanda10, booklover1598, and Wtiger 5.
Thank you very much for your patience, and my apologies for not having yet answered all of your reviews, I feel very bad for that. I have been incredibly busy this past week, but you will hear from me very soon.
Martine9295 this chapter is especially for you!
Love,
Elena