Gwen turned around and saw two maids carrying two big vessels with hot water into her room. She stood up from her chair and looked confused. Pouring the water into the golden bath-tub, Gwen stuttered while asking. "I am already bathed…Why are you bringing me water?"
One of the maids looked up and smiled. "Our King is going to take his bath here." She bowed her head and left the room with the other maid. Gwen stood there still confused and irritated. Just seconds later as the maids left, Thranduil was standing in the door frame, watching her flustered self, which made him chuckle softly.
He made his way into the room, standing in front of the bath-tub, he opened the buttons of his robe and then it fell on the floor. Gwen sharply sucked in some air as she turned around. He was naked; he didn't even wear something under his robe. "My King…I didn't knew you wanted to take a bath here. Excuse the mess." She headed over to the night stand with the mirror and grabbed some jewelries and different phials to put them away.
While the blonde was talking, Thranduil let himself slide into the bath-tub with the hot water. He leant against one side and looked over at her, his arms settling on the edge. "Come here." His voice wasn't as demanding as she was used to hear it. She looked at him and came closer.
His long blonde hair was half wet and he had closed his eyes. His expression was calm, somehow relaxed but she felt that something was afflicting him. Gwen sat down onto the edge and looked at him. His one hand moved to her thigh and ran it over the fabric of her long, white tunic. Gwen found a washing cloth. He put it into the water, soaking it and then lifted it up, moving it over his shoulder and squeezing the water as it was falling over his skin. "What troubles you, my king?" She asked in a whisper and repeated her motions with the cloth.
The elf let out a heavy sigh; he finally opened his eyes and watched her. "Political things are always exhausting me. Sometimes, I feel like the whole world is lying on my shoulders. And I am the only one who had to solve the problems of all." He never spoke about his feelings. Not even to his son. But with Gwendolyn it was different. She changed him.
While Gwen was listening to him, she changed her motions and was now squashing the water from the cloth over his neck and then chest. His eyes followed her hand, and then he grabbed her wrist and removed the cloth, throwing it to the side. Gwen let out a shocked pant and looked at him.
"I—I am sorry…Did I do it wrong?" He looked at him, breathing heavily. Thranduil shook his head; he sat up a bit and wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling Gwen into the bath-tub onto his lap. Gwen let out a shriek of surprise and then started to laugh once the water splashed around her, and so did Thranduil.
His hearty laughter made her smile even more. Gwen tried to turn in the bath-tub to face him. He lifted his hand and moved some wet hair out of her face. Gwen cupped his face in her hands and leant closer but he moved his head away. Gwen stopped and frowned a bit, she didn't want to make him mad again so the young woman decided to not go further. She leant back again but Thranduil moved quickly and caught her lips in a kiss.
She let out a sigh of relief and moved her hands from his cheeks to wrap them around his neck. Thranduil wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest, his tongue conquering her mouth. "You are wearing too much fabric." The king mumbled into her mouth and pulled the wet tunic over her body. Shortly they were breaking the kiss so he could pull it over her head and toss it onto the floor.
Without hesitation Gwen closed the space between them immediately and captured his lips again in a kiss, leaving them breathless in the already cold water…
