Alright here we go my lovelies, i apologise that it is only a short and sweet chapter, but more is coming!
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Chapter 39
Thranduil POV
The Elvenking tapped his hand on the arm rest of his velvet chair in irritation. He prided himself on his usual level of self control, but today he had no more patience with the Wizards, the grey one in particular that had lead to him being kicked out of the meeting with his wife.
He did not like being left out, but then nor did anyone else, but he knew his comments had been a bit harsh even if he had heard the wizard's ramblings before.
So here he was, alone in his study, unable to concentrate on the mountain of paperwork on his desk while his wife took council on her own.
He raised his hand to cover his eyes and sighed. He had put this meeting off for a week, dreading the inevitable turn of the discussion to Evie going back into the forest.
It was not that he didn't trust her, it's that he had no control over the situation and it scared him more than anything else in his long life.
He got up suddenly, finding walls constricting, and made for the door, wondering if his little leaf was ready for a new sparring partner.
Evie POV
Evie was dressed in a dark blue tunic and grey leggings, the outfit finished off with black boots to her calf and her read hair braided back off her face as she sat across from the wizard dressed in grey.
The brown wizard had long since departed the palace on grounds that he needed to return to tend the animals in his care and that he'd already been away too long.
So that left Evie with only Mithrandir to help her train her magic.
Their reunion a few days prior had been drama filled, for despite her happiness at seeing him again, she knew her husband did not share her affection for the travelling pilgrim.
The meeting started off ok with pleasantries, but had quickly soured when Mithrandir had repeated the ill news he had delivered to The King before her return.
"The spiders have come from Dol Guldor. I know not how or why, but there is started and I fear they shall breed in the forest if the problem is not dealt with swiftly."
"And what do you expect me to do Mithrandir? March into the forest with an army of warriors and dispose of them?"
The look on the wizards' face told Evie that that is exactly what he wanted the King of the Greenwood to do, but was wise enough at that stage not to push.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but was another pressing issue to take of first if you don't mind."
She had placed a warning hand on Thranduil's leg at his tone, but he ignored her.
"Yes,…the ah growth. I have heard of it."
"Indeed. And do you wish to impart your wisdom for that too?"
"Well, I have give the matter some thought…"
"Pray tell us wizard…."
"Oh hush and let him speak!" Evie voice was loud enough that it startled both males to stop their conversation and look at her. She gave the wizard a gestured to keep going while reaching out a hand to clasp one of Thranduil's.
"From the reports I've heard, the growth is very strong and I believe that magic is the only weapon strong enough to vanquish it. That is where you come in my dear, for your power is far strong than any I, or Lord Elrond, have ever seen, you just need to learn how to wield it."
"Yes, I absolutely agree. The firsthand experience I had with the evil lurking there was not nice, but we did learn that I do have a positive effect on it if given the chance."
"Yes, that is good to know. We must find out your range, for the more damage you can inflict from long range would ensure your safety, although we do not want you to burn out. Tell me how is your mental shield?"
"That seems to be a problem that we need to remedy…"
The conversation had gone on and on, the wizard and the woman leaving the King almost entirely out of it. It was when the topic had moved along to her going in on her own that the King had finally interrupted with his temper flying up.
"When it comes to the safety of the Queen, I will be the one to make the arrangements."
"But when threatened, we don't know how the evil will affect the warriors and the fact is that they do not posses enough magic to defeat this…"
"And you would have her go in there…"
"She is the only one that can…"
"And what about you? Are you just going to slink off…"
By now the volume In the room had risen considerably and Evie had had enough. She loved Thranduil and after their discussion the previous week, she knew whatever she decided that he would support her, but this discussion would go round in circles if she didn't bring it back.
"Right. That's it. Thranduil, out!"
He looked at her in utter disbelief. She stood and crossed her arms over her chest in emphasis.
"Out. And I will fill you in later."
She saw the debate between his eyes as to whether she was serious or not that went on for a moment, but eventually she saw him choose wisely not to cross his wife.
"hmmmpppphhhh." He stood in a graceful motion and left them to it without a backwards glance, not bothering to acknowledge the wizard's bow.
The discussion had proven to be fruitful for Evie after that, with the wizard agreeing to help train her in preparation for the task ahead of her.
That was how she found herself in lessons everyday since. The mind shield had been the priority and once she mastered that, they moved on to see just how much her magic had improved since the last time they'd met.
"Very good." She beamed at the praise, knowing just how much better she was, when she let her golden glittering magic disappear back into her palms.
"So as we discussed when we began your training, the mind shield is of vital importance, so that you do not suffer the same experiences as you did last time, but the physical shield you just showed me is so that nothing can weaken you physically while you vanquish it. You are in essence light magic Evie, the very thing evil detests and tried to snuff out. And we must be mindful that they will use any tactic possible to stop you. Make sure to practice it everyday, but now we will focus on the strength of the offensive attack. Take a deep breath and think only of those you love and the feelings inside you. Hold onto those tightly as you draw your magic back out…"
These training sessions continued on everyday for months, the red head being shut up with the wizard for hours on end, but the effort was paying off, because Evie had never felt so strong in her life.
Along with these sessions, Evie also trained everyday with Feren just in case something happened to her magic and she needed to rely on her sword.
After a frank discussion with her husband after the meeting with Mithrandir, he had made no more attempts to be discourteous to the wizard and had backed off while she trained, instead he took an active interest in helping train her use of the sword, where his particular skillset came in handy.
He still received regular reports from scouting groups that were monitoring the growth in the forest and they were pleased that it seemed to be very slow, but it wasn't long before those reports included more regular sightings of the spiders, who were edging closer and closer to the decaying part of the forest.
As the months past, their relationship too grew in strength, which their people noticed with more smiles and laugher in the palace, and their love life was more active than ever, especially since Legolas had grown again and spent less and less time in their bed.
The day of their second anniversary came and went with the coming of the starlight fesitival, which brought back special memories for the King and Queen as they danced beneath the stars, Thranduil commenting that his beloved looked like a fallen star in her silver glittering gown which caught the light as they twirled.
It had been a night of merriment for everyone, bringing a tear to Evie's eye to see her little Prince looking so grown up in his dark blue tunic with metallic silver accents and the silver circlet that graced his platinum hair, but she couldn't shake off that feeling that something terrible was imminent.
And as she went to bed that night, her dreams were filled with death.