A soft knock of the fine wooden door woke her from her slumber. She blinked a couple of times, taking her some seconds to remember where she was. The large bedchamber remained as tranquil and elegant as it did some moments ago, the pale moonlight still washing over the marble floor, filling its room with its silvery splendor. The feathered silk bedcovers remained pulled up to her shoulders, Lossenel's porcelain frame laying still beside her, platinum hair splattered over the pillow, sparkling as silver as the Moon outside, iced eyes glazed in elven sleep. It was not yet close to dawn. She must have slept for only a couple of minutes, an hour at the most.
Another knock, this time slightly louder, although still gentle, echoed through the quiet air.
"Lossie?" A tender voice whispered almost tentatively, the door cracking slightly to reveal Tadion's head peeking inside, the bright light from the hallway outside filtering into the room.
She sat up on the bed, careful of not moving much as to not wake her sleeping sister, the latter not even stirring. Sky blue eyes met hers immediately, as open and warms as vast welcoming oceans, so untroubled and carefree, a gentle smile making an appearance on his lips, making her smile mirror his own. Tadion was simply so easy to like.
"Is she asleep?" Her older brother mouthed, not even whispering the words as he steeped into the room, closing the door in complete silence behind him, one of his hands motioning in Lossenel's direction.
She nodded her head, watching as Tadion gracefully approached the bed, easily climbing under the covers to Lossenel's other side, as if he had been cordially invited. The snowy Princess stirred slightly at the shift on the sheets and mattress but did not wake, Tadion's hand carefully brushing aside some strands of her long platinum hair form the pillow so that he could rest his head on it.
"Sorry I woke you, Rëa." He whispered, the sound so low she had to partially read his lips, and she waved his apology with a movement of his hand.
"You did not." She lied easily. In truth, she was glad for his sudden company. She knew she would not be able to fall asleep again, and being alone was the last thing she wanted. There was simply too much in her head at the moment, the images from the painful memory her sister had shared with her still dancing vividly before her eyes. Her mother had been murdered. And she had been supposed to die that day too. It had been no accident.
"Liar." Tadion whispered in return, eyes sparkling with a mocking smirk, and through the carefree and light tone of his voice she caught a glimpse that told her why he too had come seeking the Princess' soothing company. He too did not feel like sleeping. He too longed for company.
"Where is Legolas?" She asked, determined to keep a light conversation going as to distract her thoughts. She wished she could sleep as peacefully as her sister was currently sleeping between them.
"I do not have the slightest idea." Came Tadion's answer. "But in case you were wondering, your husband to be is fast asleep on your bed at this moment. I went there to check if you were all right or needed anything."
Tadion's voice came a little too loud this time, causing Lossenel's delicate figure to stir again, ice blue-green eyes blinking a couple of times, still half asleep. For a second, the stunning Princess looked confused, her head turning around to look at her brother, as if not expecting to have anyone else lying on the bed next to her.
"Tadion?" Lossenel mumbled, her younger brother smiling sheepishly at her before placing a light kiss on her porcelain cheek.
"Sorry I woke you, dear sister." He whispered to her, once again careful to lower his voice. "Go back to sleep."
She could not help at the small interaction between siblings. It was so casual, so light and at the same time made her feel slightly jealous at simply how comfortable they seemed around each other, the Princess not even bothering to reply to her brother before wrapping the covers over her head, not seeming to be entirely content to have been woken.
"Go to your bed, Tadion." She heard Lossenel's voice yawning from underneath the covers, her body turning around so that she was curled on her side with her back to Tadion, facing her instead.
"I am lonely in my bed, I want to lie here close to you." Tadion's voice cooed through his mocking smirk, fighting back a laugh as he wrapped his arms around his sister's delicate frame, pressing himself as close to her as he could.
"Tadion!" Came Lossenel's almost immediate complaint, trying to wriggle her way out of her brother's playfully cloying grip, only managing for a small chorus of mischievous chuckles to escape Tadion's mouth, having gained the exact reaction he had been aiming for.
"All right, stay. But let me sleep. And go to sleep too." Lossenel commanded once Tadion had let go of her, not even poking her head from underneath the covers, her body going still once more as if once again falling into her peaceful slumber. However, Tadion's hand gently but quickly shook her by the shoulder before she could fall asleep.
"No, no, no, no, Lossie." He whispered rapidly, a smile still on his face, clearly not in the slightest guilty of waking his sister, a thing that only made her own smile widen. "Now that you woke up, I need you to do me a favor."
"You woke me up." Her sister corrected, pale hands pushing the ivory covers form over her head, looking visibly annoyed at her younger brother, but there no hint of anger in her eyes. "What do you need?"
"Could you talk to Ar for me?" Tadion asked, his voice no longer carrying the mirthful mockery that it did only moments ago. "Could you tell him to let me talk to him? I know he is still angry with me, and I did not mean what I said. Could you tell him that?"
"Tadion…" Lossenel said in a low voice, eyes still dazed with sleepiness. "It is the middle of the night. Can it wait until morning?"
"No, it cannot wait until morning." Her brother said impatiently, and she let out a small laugh as she suddenly had the feeling that this seemed to be a regular occurrence.
"Tadion, I already spoke with him. I have told him that already, just as I have told you that that is between Ar and you. I do not want to be a mediator between you two, the both of you always place in between your arguments. Yes, you did not mean what you said, but you overstepped the line there, and yes he is behaving wrongly and needs to let you talk to him, but solve that between you two. I did not fight with anyone, I do not want to be the one apologizing back and forth." Lossenel's voice was gentle as she spoke, once again pulling the covers over her head.
"But he listens to you." Tadion complained, his hand pulling the cover's back down from his sister's head.
"It is not me he needs to listen to now. He needs to listed to you." The Princess pulled the covers back up. "Now let us go to sleep."
However, before the Princess could even get a single second of quietude, another knock sounded on the fine wooden door.
"Lossie?" Legolas' head peeked through the cracked door, a look of surprise coring his infinite blue eyes as he caught sight of the three of them currently lying on the Princess' bed, a thing that he had most certainly not seemed to have been expecting.
A wide grin crossed her brother's flawless face, not even waiting for an invitation before stepping into the room in long strides, closing the door behind him and squeezing into the bed on her other side, leaving her and Lossenel sandwiched between their two brothers. The Princess let out a light chuckle, iced eyes closing for a second as if cursing her luck, and at that second she knew that neither one of the four would be sleeping any more that night.
"Where were you?" Tadion asked Legolas, speaking over her and Lossenel in a playful tone.
"Trying to sleep, but could not." Came Legolas' easy reply from her left side. "Now I do feel slight slightly neglected that I was not invited to this reunion."
Legolas' eyes turned to Lossenel, holding a playful accusation in their vast infinitudes.
"I did not invite anyone." Was the Princess' reply, although her playfully complaining voice did not hold the slightest hint of annoyance or irritation, on the contrary, she too seemed to be enjoying the company, even though her hopes of sleeping had been very obviously smashed. "You all invited yourselves, save for Almarëa, who is the only one I invited into my bed."
"Well then, sorry for waking you, Lossie." Legolas said with the warmest of grins on his face, leaning over her to place a light kiss on the snowy Princess' cheek. Much in the same way Tadion had done earlier.
"You did not wake me, Legolas." Lossenel let out a light laugh, the sound like hundreds of tiny silver bells ringing on the air. "Tadion did."
"And good evening to you too, Rëa." Legolas added, not seeming to have listened to Lossenel's words, placing another light kiss on her own cheek this time before lying back down on the pillow, pulling the covers over himself.
She saw Legolas reach over, about to grab at another pillow when the door was suddenly once again cracked open, the four of them turning their attention to it. Her heart nearly paralyzed as pair of impenetrable emerald eyes met hers from the opened door, as unreadable and silent as ever, holding her gaze with such ease and power that made her feel as if he could look right into her very soul. The Crown Prince stood there, slowly closing the door behind him, but not walking further into the room, forest green eyes looking at each one of his siblings for a second.
"This explains the noise coming from this room." He said, his voice as serene and melodic as ever, one eyebrow raised at the sight of his four younger siblings squeezed tightly in Lossenel's bed.
Arahaelons' impenetrable green eyes met hers once more, and for a second they softened, as powerful and unreadable as ever, but as open and consuming as deep pools of melted emeralds. She did not know what to make of that look, but of one thing she was sure: it was no longer the cold and distant look he had given her previously that night. He did not seem suddenly wanting to explain everything to her, but he did not seem wanting to push her away either. On the contrary, the look in his eyes seemed to be letting her in, seeming to be trying to open up for her, and at that moment she would take that. She still wanted him to tell her so many things, wanted so many explanations, but at that exact moment she would keep her questions to herself, if only to enjoy a small moment with her eldest brother's company. Beside her, Legolas and Lossenel looked up at the Crown Prince with equal grin on their faces, seeming to be as comfortable around him at the moment as they were with everyone else. Only Tadion seemed slightly tense on the bed, his eyes once again guiltily looking away, as if not daring to meet his eldest brother's gaze. And yet, she saw Arahaelon's eyes fixed in Tadion's direction, as if silently pleading his younger brother to look at him as he approached the bed, still as patient and graceful as ever.
"You do not fit in the bed, Ar. You arrived too late." Legolas said just as Arahaelon reached the bed, his eyes sparkling teasingly but not in a rejecting manner, letting out a light laugh. True, she could see that there was indeed no more room in the already crammed bed, but Arahaelon did not look like he was going to simply accept that and stay standing beside them. Her eldest brother's powerful green eyes met hers once more, once again making her feel so incredibly young, and at the same time they seemed so gentle, carrying a silent apology in them, and for the moment she accepted it. He could have been pushing her away, or at least try to avoid her, after all she knew very well that he was aware of all the question she would most certainly ask him. And yet he did not seem to be sealing away from her, there was no cold mas covering his penetrating eyes.
The Crown Prince looked at the tight gap in between her and Lossenel, emerald eyes once again looking at her, as if silently asking for her permission or approval, offering her the faintest of smiles. And oddly enough she smiled in return, watching in strange contempt as he squeezed himself in between her and Lossenel, seeming to be trying to wriggle his way in a space in which he obviously did not fit.
"Ar!" Came Lossenel's complaint, her voice a joyful mixture of a cry and a laugh, pushing at her eldest brother who was almost halfway on top of her.
"You do not fit!" Legolas exclaimed again and she could not help but smile wider at the light and playful tone her brother used.
"You do not fit." Came Arahaelon's answer, and she was genuinely surprised at the teasing mockery in his voice as a smirk crossed his usually composed face, suddenly resembling Tadion more than ever, managing to squeeze himself next to her, only making Legolas nearly fall off the edge of the bed as room was made for Arahaelon in the center of it. And yet, what surprised her the most, what once again made her feel like there really so many things she did not yet know about the Crown Prince was the fact that none of her siblings seemed slightly surprised by his playful tone or his teasing smirk. It was as if for a second, his Crown Prince façade had vanished as he found himself in the comfortable company of only his siblings.
"Arahaelon, get off me!" Lossenel complained between chuckles as her hand continued to push at her brother's shoulder.
"I am trying, Lossie!" The Crown Prince replied, managing with some effort to finally lay entirely flat on the mattress, her body now tightly sandwiched between Legolas and Arahaelon, almost unable to move.
Then, she felt his hand suddenly coming to rest on her arm, consuming emerald eyes once again piercing through hers, so serene and yet open, his voice echoing through her head, so calmed and sincere. "I am sorry about earlier, Rëa. Would you forgive me?"
She could not say no. No matter how much she wanted him to explain everything her, how much she wanted to simply interrogate him, she could not say no. There was something else in his melted emerald eyes, some kind of deeper apology, one that seemed to be apologized not only for his earlier behavior but for the answers he could not yet give her as well, the answers that he was not yet ready to give her, and at that moment she got the feeling that he was not telling her not because he did not want her to know, but because he could not bear to talk about it. At least not yet. There was a kind of pain in the farthest depths of his emerald eyes that she had never seen before in his always sure and impenetrable eyes. And she nodded her head silently, accepting the wide smile he offered before he leaned over Lossenel.
"Tadion?" Arahaelon's gentle voice echoed trough the air, Tadion almost immediately looking in his direction, as if unable to ignore his older brother, clear blue asking silently for forgiveness, but there was no anger in Arahaelon's emerald eyes.
She did not know what she had been expecting to hear, what she had imagined Arahaelon would say, or even if he would apologize to his younger brother, but the thing that he said when he spoke had been the last thing she had most definitely imagined.
"Those sad eyes looked cuter on you when you were an elfling." Arahaelon's voice was seemingly serious, his eyes calmed and quiet, face almost expressionless, Tadion looking at him for long seconds, neither of them saying anything. And yet, to her wildest surprise, Tadion's lips suddenly cracked up in a smile, suddenly bursting in laughter, the Crown Prince almost immediately joining along. And she did not understand. She could not understand, but she knew that the apology had been accepted. Neither of them had said an 'I am sorry'. Neither had asked 'will you forgive me?' And yet, there had been an apology. An apology so deep between the brothers that she knew she would never understand it, as mysterious and strange to her as the bond Elladan and Elrohir shared, and no matter how much she tried to understand it, to find an explanation of how their fight, which had seemed so intense only moments ago, had as simply as that suddenly vanished. How had they so easily forgotten their argument, and now were merely laughing. But she knew that they were brothers, and she knew that the strength of their bond, she would never even begin to understand. They had asked for forgiveness in their own, unique way. And then suddenly, just like that, the tension between the two seemed to vanish, Tadion's eyes looking at his eldest brother with the same admiration she could not begin to understand, Arahaelon's eyes once again playful, so open and welcoming.
"Finally." Lossenel suddenly added, narrowed eyes looking from one of her brothers to the other. "Now go to sleep, all of you. I really want to sleep."
"Then go to sleep." Arahaelon said in his gentle, calmed voice, a wide smile still present on his face as his powerful green eyes turned to look at his sister, one of his hands pulling the cover's over her face before he lay back down on the pillows.
"Ouch! Ar, you are on my hair! You are pulling at it!" Lossenel's voice echoed through the room, her hands once again pulling her head free from the covers, Arahaelon quickly rising once more, brushing the Princess' platinum hair from the pillow before lying back down.
"Sorry." He said with a light chuckle, placing a light kiss on his sister's cheek
"No kiss for me?" Legolas' playful voice echoed through the light air, one eyebrow raised mockingly at his eldest brother.
"You want one too?" Came Arahaelon's reply, starting to lean over again, his face holding the most mischievous of grins, letting out a laugh as Legolas quickly pushed away from him.
"Do not even think about it." Legolas said quickly, Arahaelon falling back down on the pillow in a fist of laughter, making her and Lossenel laugh along with him.
A warm feeling washed over her body, swelling her hear the light and comfortable teasing between siblings, at how it seemed simply so easy to lie there, squeezed in between Legolas and Arahaelon, talking about nothing in particular. It was a feeling almost entirely new to her, and yet they all seemed so used to it, so used to each other it seemed hard to believe. And yet, even through their light teasing, Arahaelon still made her feel so incredibly young next to him, his eyes, even though open and unguarded, still so mysterious and impenetrable. And still it felt so strange to see him so unguarded as he was now.
"Of course I am sure you would rather kiss someone else, is it not Ar?" Legolas chanted, his voice dripping with mockery as his eyes narrowed at his older brother, Arahaelon's eyes suddenly widening in perplexed disbelief, his mouth in funny gapping grin.
"Who do you want to kiss, Ar?" Lossenel demanded almost immediately, clearly not having missed Legolas' implying tone, the Princess not looking as teasing as Legolas, but more serious, as is she could not believe her ears.
"You little…" Arahaelon whispered to his brother, eyes narrowing in a threatening look, even though the disbelief was still dancing vividly in his endless blue eyes, his face still looking entirely perplexed. "I cannot believe you just said that."
"Wait, is this a real elleth we are talking about?" Tadion suddenly added, eyes as perplexed as Arahaelon's, and yet there was a wide grin on his mouth.
"We are not talking about anyone." Arahaelon added instantly, narrowing his eyes at Tadion.
"Do you not all know? It is obvious." Legolas said, Arahaelon's eyes flying in his direction, the same stunned look in his face.
"Know what?" Lossenel demanded again, this time sitting up the bed. The Princess did nto seem at all too happy about what she was hearing. "What is Legolas talking about, Ar?"
"You fancy an elleth!" Tadion sang over Lossenel's question, the teasing grin now wider on his face.
"Who is Legolas talking about?"Lossenel demanded again.
"Nobody." Answered Arahaelon, quickly sitting on the bed, seeming to suddenly be in a rush to get out of the tight bed and away from his questioning siblings. "And you," he said pointing at Legolas "you better sleep with guards watching you tonight."
"What is her name?" Tadion continued just as Arahaelon managed to climb out of the bed.
"There is no name!" Arahaelon exclaimed as he stood up, his eyes once again unreadable, face perfectly composed, even though Tadion's chuckles still echoed freely through the room. "Nobody is talking about anyone, now all of you go to sleep, it is late."
And with that, the Crown Prince walked out of the room, closing the door behind him, Tadion's laughter still dancing freely in the air, Lossenel still not looking in the slightest bit happy, Legolas holding back the widest of grins.
Tadion's musical chuckles died down after some minutes, a peaceful silence settling comfortable inside the large room, the bedchamber no longer seeming overly spacious, no longer seemed cold, but warm and embracing, even under the solitary gleam of the silver moonlight. And for the first time, sleep began to pull at her softly, as alluring as the lullaby of the trees outside, suddenly feeling safe there, still squeezed in between Legolas and Losseneland slowly, peacefully, she started to drift off into the welcoming unconsciousness…
She woke up to the sound of a commotion in the corridor outside, only to find that neither Lossenel nor Tadion were in the bedchamber any longer. She heard the door hastily being cracked open, turning her head just in time to catch a glimpse of Legolas' handsome figure disappearing through it. The pale pink light of dawn caressed the room with its tender hand, reflecting beautifully in various shades of pinks and violets on the silk ivory curtains. She could hear voices outside the perfectly crafted door, even though she could not catch a single word. They were speaking elvish. Occasionally she would hear rushed footsteps coming back and forth the corridor.
She could feel her heart starting to drum widely once more, although she did not know exactly why, but something was most definitely not all right. Without thinking it twice she rose form the bed, quickly walking towards the door in hopes to catch up with wherever Legolas had gone. She did not have to look far though. Outside, in the long elegant corridor were more elves than she had expected to find, guards rushing back and forth, Legolas and Lossenel caught in what seemed to be a very frantic conversation in elvish, and even though she could not understand the words, the sheer worry and fear in the Princess face made her imagine the worst. Elladan and Elrohir were out in the hallway as well, standing right next to her siblings, even though neither of them seemed to have anything to add to the conversation.
Elladan's liquid silver eyes met hers immediately, swallowing her in their endless depths as they always did, ad she felt her heart nearly paralyzed as she saw something else in those vast starlit orbs, there too was worry, worry and sorrow. She felt herself almost instantly making her way to him, his arm instinctively wrapping protectively over her shoulders, pressing her small body close to his. Elroihr's eyes met hers for a second, offering her what had most likely been an attempt f a comforting smile, but there was nothing comforting in his pained eyes.
"What is it?" She asked Elladan, trying in vain to hide her fear from showing in her voice but failing miserably.
Elladan sighed before answering, as if trying to find his words, his hold on her only tightening before his sad silver eyes met hers once more, placing a tender kiss on her temple before speaking. "The King's condition worsened considerably during the night. He developed a fever some hours ago and the healers have been trying to lower it for the past two hours but to no avail. It is only rising."
The news hit her like a wall of brick, the few hours that she had simply spent enjoying the company of her siblings and their casual teasing suddenly vanishing before her eyes, a new kind of guilt and fear consuming her body. She had been to the King's chambers earlier that night. She could still vividly remember the pain she had felt as she had come in contact with the wound, the sudden dangerous look in her father's ice blue eyes as he was brutally awakened, the force of the trees trying to push her away, to claim the King al to themselves. Had she done anything she was not supposed to? What if this was her fault? What is she had made it worse?
Elladan's endless silver eyes remained fixed on hers, and in that second she understood he knew everything, he knew what had happened between the King and her, knew that she had been able to reach the wound, had felt her own pain at the sudden contact. But of course he did, he could feel everything through their bond.
"You did not do anything." His gentle voice reassured her inside her mind, but it did not make her feel any better. How could he know that? She was only glad that he did not further comment on that. She did not want to talk about it.
"Where are Tadion and Arahaelon?" She asked, not sure of what else to say, feeling Elladan sending her soothing waves of calmness through their bond.
"They are with your father right now." Elladan answered, his voice as soothing as before, even she could still hear the evident worry in the melodic sound. "Do you want to go there?"
No. She did not want to go there. She want to go far away form this, far away from everything, to ignore where she was or what was happening around her, and yet, against all odds, she nodded her head, allowing Elladan to gently lead her down the corridor, Elrohir following closely behind.
She started to see healers populating the corridor as they drew closer to the King's bedchambers, the elves rushing back and forth down the hallway, giving or receiving instructions. She could feel the tension in the air, the collective fear and worry visible in every elf's face. And yet, what caused her heart to freeze, her fear to nearly paralyze her body, was the sight she encountered as they reached the majestic pair of doors that led to her father's bedchamber.
A figure sat on the cold stone floor by the door, elbows resting on his bent knees, head held in his hands looking down, long golden hair hiding his face from view. Tadion did not move as they approached him, hot even lifting his face to look at them, and she did not know what to do or say, only managing to slide down next to him against the wall, Elladan imitating her, remaining always by her side.
"You can go inside if you wish, Rëa." Tadion spoke after along moment, his voice suddenly sounding broken, making her heart grow colder, falling deeply to her stomach. She had never heard her brother's voice sound so grave, so serious and lacking of any trace of his usual humor and carefreeness, nothing. "Ar is inside with Ada."
"Why are you out here?" Was all she could say, once again failing to hide her fear from showing in her voice.
"I do not know." One again his voice sounded empty, too serious to be Tadion's gentle and warm voice. "There is nothing I can do in there. Not even Lord Elrod seems capable of doing anything right now."
She did not answer. What was there to say to that? She could not think of anything, no words coming to her mind, and she simply sat there, curling her body against Elladan's, hiding her face in the crook of his neck, allowing his long curtain of dark hair to shield her from reality even if only for some minutes, drowning in his sweet scent.
"Perhaps you should go inside, Rina." Elladan's soft voice echoed inside her head, feeling his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back.
She shook her head lightly. "There is nothing I can do either." She replied, too scared of walking inside the bedchamber, of feeling that it could have very well been because of her that the King had worsened. Nobody knew exactly what she had done. Valar, she did not even know exactly what she had done.
"If there is anyone who could do something right now, it will be you." Came Elladan's answer, his hand never stopping from tracing patterns on her back. "Nobody can do anything right now. Not even my Adar can help him any longer. You reached what nobody has been able to reach. Perhaps you could help."
"What if it only makes it worse, Dan?" She replied, fear once again consuming her. "I do not know what I a doing. I did not know what I did."
"I am not asking to try anything." He said, his voice still as gentle and soothing as before. "I am just asking you to tell my father what you were able to do. Just tell him. Perhaps he will know what to do."
She wanted to say no, but knew he was right. She did not want to tell anyone what had happened. She already felt overly guilty even though she did not feel like she had done anything wrong. And yet she knew that Elladan was right. She should tell the Elf-Lord. The only she did not want was to be asked to reach for her father again. She did not want to feel that pain once more, did not want to feel the fear of needing to pull at him, of her own powers demanding her to consume every bit of energy he had to give, of the trees trying to push her away, pulling at the King stronger and stronger.
"All right. Let us go inside." She complied, starting to rise to her feet, only to find that Elladan was not following her, silver eyes still fixed on her, so deep and welcoming, so endless and hypnotizing.
"It is not my place to go inside, my love." He said, his voice sounding apologetic, and she understood what he meant, even though she wanted nothing more than to tell him he was wrong. But once again, he was right. True, it was her father the one resting on the other side of these majestic door, but he was also the King of Mirkwood. It was out of respect that the twins were staying outside, choosing not to witness sight of the King in his moment of weakness, not stepping into his private bedchambers when they had not been invited. Another pang of fearful realization traveled through her body as she remembered that the twins had walked inside her father's bedchambers only a day ago, but that time the King had been fully aware of his surroundings. Did that mean that her father would not be aware at the moment?
She did not stop to ponder on that, taking a deep breath before stepping into the bedchamber, no one, not even a healer or a guard, stopping her as she made her way through the spacious antechamber and into the main bedchamber, trying to prepare herself for what she would find. But she could have never been prepared.
Her father lay on the bed, just as he had the last time she had been inside the room, as still he suddenly seemed to sink deeper onto the pillows, the red silken bedcovers swallowing his seemingly frail figure. There were healers everywhere, a thing that only made her worries increase. Lord Elrond sat on a chair next to her father's bed, brow furrowed in evident worry, one of his hand on the King's forehead, saying something rapidly in elvish to a nearby healer she did not know. The King looked alarmingly pale, except for the flush on his fevered cheeks, beads of sweat accumulating on his forehead, dampening his long silvery hair. He looked restless, his head rolling wearily from side to side on the soft pillow, eyes closed tightly, his breathing coming in labored shallow intakes and even from the distance she could see he was trembling violently.
She could see Arahaelon sitting on the edge of the bed, his hands squeezing the excess water from a piece of cloth before laying it neatly over the King's brow, the later not even opening his eyes. And yet what made her blood freeze inside her veins was alarmingly weak aura she could feel surrounding her father's usually powerful figure. She could feel the agonizing pulsating of his injured spirit, crying almost desperately in weak shrieks, no longer carrying even half the strength with which it had cried some hours ago. The trees roared outside, and she could feel the fear in their frantic cries as they too could feel what remained of the King's broken powers starting to slip away, becoming less and less reachable, the trees now trying with all their might to reestablish the connection that had been brutally ripped apart.
She saw the King's face contorting in pain, a barely audible moan escaping his lips, the panic rising on the healers' faces, all of them looking completely lost, not knowing what else to do, pleading eyes fixe don't he Elf-Lord, as if hoping against hope that the Lord of Imladris could to something to aid their King. Arahaelon's eyes fell closed, one of his hands automatically reaching for his father's trembling one, but this time she felt no change. She could feel Arahaelon's energy passing to the King, offering him some stability in his tormented turmoil, but it did nothing to help, there was almost no change this time, the King's spirit too weak to even try to hold onto his son's spirit. And she would have run, she would have turned around and left the room had it not been for Legolas suddenly walking in, rushing past her and towards the bed.
"Ada?" She heard Legolas breathing out as he sat next to the Crown Prince, his hand gently traveling to caress the King's cheek, only to draw back almost immediately, wide alarmed eyes darting in Lord Elrond's direction. "He is burning."
Elf-Lord's king grey eyes looked directly at her brother, no sign of consolation in his powerful eyes, only looking sad, as if he wished there was something to say. Arahaelon did not speak either, only dipping the cloth on his father's forehead in cool water once more before replacing it.
"I do not understand." Legolas kept speaking, the fear in his voice making her heart shatter. "He was ice cold last night. How is he burning like this now? Why?"
The Elf-Lord shook his head, not saying anything in return, but at his silent gesture a new fearful realization plagued her brother infinite blue eyes, a realization that she too suddenly understood. Elves did not get sick. Elves were not susceptible to fever, except when seriously injured or due to poisons. And yet, she understood. The King was weak beyond measure, weak to a point in which he was vulnerable to this fever, a fever caused by his own body trying to desperately fight against the wound in his spirit. He was fading. And he was fading fast.
The King's eyes fluttered open only halfway, ice blue eyes glazed with fever, dancing back and forth through the figures surrounding him, but he did not seem to be looking at any of them, he did not seem to understand what was happening. He mumbled something in elvish, voice barely even audible.
"Shh, Ada. It is all right." Arahaelon replied to whatever it was her father had said. "Try to rest."
The King's eyes fell closed once, not seeming to have heard his firstborn son, only to open once more, once again dancing across the room. This time, his dazed eyes fell on hers, and what she saw in them made her cringe pain, she saw herself staring back at her, fully reflected in his mirror ice blue eyes, there was nothing behind them, not a hint of the usual depths that seemed to pierce through her, all of that glazed by the fever.
"Alarya?" Her father's weak mumble hit her like a bucket of cold water, adding something else in elvish she could not understand. He was asking something, but she could not tell what.
"Ada, that is Almarëa." She heard Legolas adding softly, but the King did not seem to listen, only repeating his question to her, and out of the corner of her eyes she saw pained expression crossing the Crown Prince's face.
"Thranduil, my friend," The Elf-Lord's calming deep voice caught her father's attention, confused and glazed eyes looking in his direction. "That is your daughter, not your wife."
The King's eyes looked more confused than before, and for a moment she even doubted if he knew where he was.
"Where is my wife?" The King's voice asked in return, the words almost dying before he could fully pronounce them, as if running out of breath to speak, eyes falling closed once more. Nobody answered, Arahaelon once more replacing the cool wet cloth upon his father's forehead, hoping that the King would forget his question in his fevered delirium, but her father asked once more, eyes now turning to gaze at his eldest son. "Where is Alarya?"
She could see the healers growing tense, their eyes falling to their feet.
"Ada, Nana is outside in the gardens. She was here earlier while you were sleeping." Legolas lied easily. "I will send someone to get her and she will be here shortly, just try to rest for now."
The King nodded his head, his eyes once again falling closed. He looked exhausted. However, at that same moment the trees roared again, making her father's face contort in pain once more, a new overwhelming fear traveling through her as she started to doubt he could take the strain for much longer.
"Can you not do anything?" Arahaelon demanded Lord Elrond, the fear and worry easily distinguished in his voice, no longer calmed and patient.
"If there was something I could do I would have already done it." The Elf-Lord's voice was as calmed and kind as ever.
"But you have helped him before." Arahaelon continued. "Can you not do that this time?"
She knew to what her eldest brother was referring to. She too had witnessed how the Lord of Imladris had called upon the powerful ring, Vilya to provide strength for her father, to calm him if only momentarily, but she knew the Elf-Lord could not reach the wound in order to heal it.
"I cannot, Arahaelon." The Elf-Lord's voice was as patient as before, a soothing tenor. "I have tried that and it is no longer helping, and if I try to reach him further he will not be able to take it. The strain will kill him."
Arahaelon's eyes looked down to his hands, and she let her eyes fall once more over her father's now limp figure, seeming to have succumbed once more into his restless slumber.
"Can you reach him?" The Elf-Lord asked the Crown Prince but the latter shook his head.
"No."
"I…" She started, all pairs of eyes suddenly turning in her direction as she walked closer to the bed, gathering her courage to speak up. "I…can. I already did."
Legolas' eyes widened in surprise, but Arahaelon's expression remained pensive, as if he could fully understand what she had said, the advantages and dangers of her abilities. The Elf-Lord's stormy grey eyes looked at her calmly, and she once again felt as if he could look through her very soul, even though they remained always kind, always so wise and powerful. And then, he nodded his head.
"Did you reach the wound?" the Elf-Lord's voice echoed in her head. She had almost forgotten what it felt like, to hear that penetrating voice inside her mind, Vilya's whispers dancing around it. And still, part of her was glad that he had not spoken out loud, she already felt too scrutinized.
"Yes." She was able to reply. "But I do not know how."
"You can reach past the protection of the trees." The Elf-Lord added. "They let you through. Do you think you can do it again?"
It was not a question of whether she could or not, she could see it in his patient grey eyes. It was a question of whether she would dare to try again, and she had her answer almost immediately.
"No." She felt scared to trying, scared of loosing her control this time. Only the Valar know how she had managed to keep control of herself that time. What if something went wrong this time? What if she slipped? She remembered how her body and soul had demanded her to pull at him, it had felt so natural that going against her instincts had felt wrong. She knew that if she slipped, she would not be able to stop herself.
"Fear not." Lord Elrond seemed to have read through her answer, seemed to have caught her fright, her nerves. "You can do it. You have done it before. And I will be here if anything were to happen."
"No. I do not know what I am doing. I do not know how to control myself." She was starting to panic now. She could not be the one to end the King's life, the sole though of what could happen if she slipped adding too much pressure to her. She did not know what to do or how to do it. She did not know her limits. No one had ever taught her anything.
"Yes, you do." Lord Elrond's answer surprised her, still as calmed and wise as ever. "You have done it before, Almarëa. You have done it through Vilya and you have done it through your own. You do not need to fear. You think you do not know how to control yourself, but you do. You have done it many times, you just have never noticed, and you have done it because you have not being scared. Just concentrate, stay calmed and do not panic. I will be here to help you, but I cannot reach him. Can you try?"
She did not know from where she got her courage. Perhaps it was from the Elf-Lord's words reminding her that she had indeed done it before. Perhaps it was from the need to prove to herself that she could indeed control herself, that her powers were not entirely simply dangerous. And perhaps it was because of the sight of the King's figure lying limply on the bed, looking so pale and weary. And she nodded her head, not sure of what she would do once she reached her father once more, if she reached him.
Lord Elrond offered her an encouraging smile and she found herself walking to where he sat, lowering herself across from Arahaelon on the edge of the mattress. Neither of her brothers had said anything, and yet they both seemed to have understood that there had been some kind of conversation between her and the Lord of Rivendell, Arahaelon's eyes seeming to exactly what she was about to do, but there was no sight of fear in his eyes, as if he knew she would not loose control.
"I will be here." The Elf-Lord reassured her, and strangely enough, that made her feel safe, gave her the security she needed at the moment, and before she could have time to think it twice, she slowly reached for her father's cheek, much like she had done the night before, holding back a wince at the heat emanating form his skin.
Once again, the connection was immediate. She felt it almost instantly, just as she had the night before. Her father's spirit latched to hers, searching desperately for a relief, for something to hold on to, and she could not help but notice how significantly weaker it felt. His powers cried in dissonant wails around her so weak that this time it was her the one who had to grip to him, allowing his spirit to pull her in with her being the one holding onto the bond. Once again everything inside of her seemed to scream at her to pull at him, to enable the connection to happen properly, the way her own spirit felt it was natural, to pull him to her instead of the other way around, until she felt she was going in wild circles, doing everything she could to hold back, ignoring her screaming instincts.
She could once more hear the trees roaring inside her head, their force swirling widely around her, gripping at the King just as much as she, and yet strangely enough, they seemed to recognize her once more, to let her through, as if she was one of their own and not an intruder.
And there it was again, more vividly and evident as the night before: the agonizing tear in her father's spirit. It somehow felt more consuming this time, more dangerous. Or was that simply because her father's seemed weaker? The same pain tore through her again, the trees screaming in tune this time, and distantly she could hear cries calling at her, asking what was happening. Arahaelon? Legolas?
"You are there, Almarëa. Do not pull back." She heard Lord Elrond's voice speaking through her spinning mind, the pain she felt at the contact with the wound and the tormented cries of her father's spirit and the trees claiming to him making her want to pull away immediately, just as she had the night before. Ands yet she remained in control, trying to remain steady against the torturing pain, against her instinct to simply pull at his energy and end her torment or simply pull back away from this connection.
"I cannot." She managed to reply. "I have to pull back."
"Stay calmed." The Elf-Lord's voice tranquilized through the distant demands she could hear form her brothers, although she could not hear their words. "You are already there. If you feel like you have to pull back, then pull back, but do not do it out of panic."
She could hardly concentrate. The pain was too much, her father's spirit crying too loudly at her in agony, and she felt as if she was only causing him pain. And yet, she stayed in control. It took every inch of her will power. Every ounce of her concentration, but she remained in control, not reacting to the torturing pain and wails that assaulted her mind.
And she was about to pull back, she was about to simply return in defeat, to escape from her misery when something else caught her attention, something that she had not noticed the night before due to the pain and fear she had felt at the contact with the wound. It was an instinct once more, and instinct that seemed to be guiding her, telling her what to do, and yet this time the instinct did not feel wrong or dangerous. She could feel something she had not noticed the night before. There, through the tortures of the wound, she could feel the shards of her father's spirit trying to reestablish their bond with the trees, the trees trying to claim at them too, but her father was too weary to reach them, to ignite the connection that had been ripped apart but not entirely separating. And it was as if an instinct kept telling her what to do.
It felt right. She could feel the trees screaming around her, and only then did she understand that they were not simply screaming or letting her through, they did not only recognize her, but she could also reach them, much as she could reach her father's spirit, much even as she could reach Vilya and call on it. And it felt natural, to allow the force of the trees to reach her as well, carefully guiding them, serving as mediator until she felt what she had been aiming for without even realizing it. The trees reached the pieces of her father's torn spirit, the connection relinking suddenly so powerfully, so immediately that she was brutally pushed away, a flash of bright light blinding her vision, instinctively pulling away from her father, breaking that connection now that she could feel the other one returning.
It all happened so fast, she heard someone yell her name, then felt her body being caught in a pair of strong arms, her senses suddenly coming back to her. She opened her eyes instantly, still feeling the powerful change in the air around her, hearing the trees roaring more powerfully this time, but the King's face did not scrunch in pain. Instead it felt as if the wildest of powers she had ever witness was gathering around him, the trees finally able to reestablish the bond in fierce cries, the wind howling loudly, slamming against her body as it entered from the balcony and open windows. And strangely she knew she had succeeded, the connection had been reestablished.
She had never felt this more power in a room before, it felt maddening, the arms wrapped around her only holding her tighter to a body. She could see the healer's eyes looking widely around them, as stunned as sacred as she was, the forest screaming outside with such a power as she had never heard before, her hair slapping against her face at the sudden raging wind. She barely even noticed that it was Arahaelon the one holding her, that Legolas still remained petrified on his spot on the bed, that the Elf-Lord's eyes seemed to be studying the space around them.
And then, the next thing that happened would forever remain vivid inside her head. The trees roared again, the power she could feel building around her father's figure suddenly much stronger than before, not a sign of his previously crying and torn spirit, even he still remained sickly pale and unmoving. In a sudden move Arahaelon carried her away from the bed, her wide eyes watching in a combination of surprise and fear as all the elves gathered around the bed suddenly rushed away from it, the forest crying as she heard the roar of thousands of branches suddenly cracking loudly, stretching, the wind blowing harder than before, until she felt that she would have fallen had it not been for Arahaelon's arms holding her steady.
And then, so suddenly that she could barely believe her eyes, robust branches crept inside from the balcony and windows, stretching wildly into the room, roaring so powerfully she felt she was going to go deaf. She could see some of the healers screaming and ducking, others as petrified as she herself was as the branches swiftly invaded the room, crawling over the bed until they started to wrap around the King's unmoving figure, as if building a protective cocoon around him, the thinnest of vines lacing over her father's wrists and ankles, the green leaves on the branches all trying to get in contact with at least one part of her father's body. And every time one leaf would touch her father, it was as if their powerful connection grew visible, a magical glow spreading through the branches at a fast rate, as silver as the most powerful of starts, until every branch and every leaf was glowing, the King's power floating majestically around it. And it continued to spread, the branches growing and reaching for the King until she could not longer see him, a safe cocoon now intertwined around his figure, where no one would be able o touch him even it they tired, the glow growing, spreading like water from leaf to leaf, from branch to branch to branch, until she saw it reaching the trees outside the balcony, spreading through the entire forest of Mirkwood, all of the trees suddenly glowing with that blinding silvery light. And at that moment she knew that everything she had previously witnessed or seen of the Elvenking's powers had been nothing but less than a fragment of what he was capable of. Suddenly she saw a glimpse of just how far and how strongly her father's powers really extended, and wondered if she would ever see the full extent of them one day…
Here is chapter 35! Sorry for the wait! I hope you enjoy it! It's a little longer than the previous one! Please let me know what you think! I love reading all of you comments, they are truly refreshing and inspiring!
Again, THANK YOU to those of you who reviewed my latest chapter! I can't tell you how much your words made my day! I hope that this wait was not too long! Martine9295, the witch cat warg, Paperlantern86, The Lead Mare, booklover1698, Jasperslittlesister, Sofia, Elves are awesome, AmazingWriter123, Wtiger5, and my guest reviewers!
Love,
Elena