Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit, everything belongs to Tolkien, and this story is not for profit.

Author's Note; I would like to thank everybody who favorited/followed/reviewed the last chapter. Your support keeps me writing! I especially appreciate reviews; for some reason this story has way more favorites and follows than reviews. I'm not sure why that is. But anyways, I hope you all enjoy! I think this is one of my favorite chapters

Chapter 16

Lately I had been thinking of my mother more often than usual. Before my parents had been killed, I had still been young enough that I was allowed to spend most of my time playing my harp or exploring the fertile river lands around our castle. I knew how to sew and spin and do a few useful household things, but my mother and even my father had died before they got the chance to teach me the most important things about being the lady and wife of a lord, much less a queen.

I tried hard now to remember what my mother would have done in my situation. Whenever there was a shortage of food in the kitchens or high-ranking elf asked royal permission to marry or depart from the woods, I tried to remember exactly what my mother would have said in my situation. And I wasn't even fully a queen in all aspects; there were only a few duties that I had agreed to take responsibility for as of yet.

"My queen, you seem somewhat…sorrowful. Is there anything wrong?"

I looked up, breaking my trance. It was an elf maiden named Delia that had spoken. She was a young Sindar elf, who, like Esteldes, was distantly related to Thranduil. Esteldes was the daughter of Carfon, Thranduil's cousin and advisor, but even after Delia explained how she and my husband were related I still didn't understand. It seemed to me that all elves were somehow related to one another, at least distantly.

Delia was smart and like all elves, extremely beautiful. I tried to get close to Galessel, but she always kept herself somehow distant from me, I think because she was my maid. Among the elf women, Esteldes had been my only close friend, although she was younger even than I. But I was excited to make a new friend in Delia when she returned to Mirkwood, having previously spent most of her time away traveling.

She was a welcome companion with her level-headedness and calm demeanor, so different from the wild and reckless Esteldes.

Bending back down to take a look at my sewing, I finally spoke. "I'm alright Delia. I was just thinking about my mother."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Esteldes and Delia exchange a look.

And no wonder; I had never spoken of my parents, or my family for that matter, to anyone since their deaths aside from Aeiliel and Thranduil. And only a little to Thranduil.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I didn't mean to bring a cloud of gloom over our fine afternoon." I looked towards the sun high in the sky as if its brilliance might vanish some of my sadness. We were sitting on a balcony of the palace, me and Delia each sewing some dancing shoes for a festival that was coming soon, and Esteldes was stroking Carotene's fur, who was napping happily on her lap.

"No, Laurwen, it isn't that at all. We are overjoyed to hear you speak of your family." Esteldes said, Delia nodding in agreement.

"Why ever so?" I said, looking at the two of them in surprise.

Delia, as usual, struggled to find something to say that would not be seen as insensitive, but as usual Esteldes took over for her older relative.

"It's so rare, your highness, that we elves ever truly get over a sorrow. When we lose someone that we love, we never truly heal from the pain." She said.

I believed the truth in her words. I had seen its reality all around me. Hardly anyone ever spoke of Thranduil's first wife, the late queen. Coruven had done so, but his pain and anger had been very obvious. Even Thranduil had never spoken of her to me, and I was afraid at this point to ask. I remembered when Elrond had visited and told me of his own wife's suffering and departure. That ordeal had happened to her ages ago, but I had seen him wince when he spoke of it as if it had happened only yesterday.

"You mortal men are different. You live shorter lives and are therefore blessed with being able to heal quickly, or so it is said. Many of us found it worrisome that after all of this time you still never spoke of your own family. It is a comfort to know that your heart is healing." Delia said, finally speaking.

"Yes, it is isn't it?" I agreed out loud, while secretly questioning myself. Yes, I was able now to speak of my parents, but still not Aeiliel. I missed her so much, the wound even more fresh than that of my parent's death. I hoped not Thranduil nor anyone else in this world knew how much I mourned for her day and night, and how torturous it was not knowing if she lived or died.

"Tell us about your mother, lady." Esteldes said eagerly.

On her lap I watched Carotene yawn and stretch. I smiled watching him. "Well, she would not have approved of my pet here. She was a very great lady, I think. A wise lady…even wiser than my father. I never heard anyone, servant or family, speak of her without love."

"Did she look much like you?"

"She was taller and more beautiful than I could ever wish to be, but I did get my dark curls from her."

"And your golden eyes? Where do they come from?"

"I don't know. And my mother did not know either. She used to say that one night when she was pregnant with me she couldn't sleep, and went to the window and saw instead of the quiet rain that had been falling all evening a shower of golden dust, giving the early morning grass a fine misting of it. She said when she woke up in the morning that there was none on the ground to be found, that the garden fairies had gathered it all up, but that they had left some for her in the form of my eyes."

When I had finished talking I saw them both looking at me, smiling. I felt myself blush; I was not used to talking this much about myself. "Anyway, she was always teasing like that. She was away most of the time with my father, who couldn't bear to leave her behind, but whenever she was around she liked to tease and play tricks."

"She sounds wonderful, lady." Delia said softly.

"She was," I said, "And I find myself thinking of her now that I am queen and in charge of so many things. She never got the chance to teach me all the things that I should have learned. I try to think of what she would do in my situation. She pleased our people so much, not to mention my father. There is nothing I fear more than letting down my King."

"No fear of that!" Esteldes said happily. "King Thranduil loves you! We all see how his gaze follows you as if no one else in the room exists."

"Ssshh!" Delia said. "Here he comes now!"

I turned and indeed saw Thranduil gliding over in one of his long robes. He took my hand and quickly pressed a kiss to my palm in greeting before nodding to the other girls.

"How goes your day, my queen?"

"Excellent. As you can see we are getting ready for the festival. Where are Legolas and Tauriel? I haven't seen head or tail of them all day."

"They have left for the border," he said, leaning against my chair, "to swap out with the rangers now defending it. I am sadly not sure if they will be back in time for the festival."

"I see." I said sadly. I had come to greatly enjoy Legolas and Tauriel's company.

"Never mind that. I came to ask you if you needed any new clothes or supplies. I am having a few scouts go into Laketown to trade a little."

"Oh, I see!" I said, my eyes brightening momentarily as I had an idea. I had not left Mirkwood since I had arrived here, and it suddenly occurred to me how much I would like to leave and go visit Laketown myself.

Thranduil, seeing the sudden brightness of my eyes, smiled just a little himself. "What is it, my wife?"

"Well," I said taking my hand in his own and looking up to meet his eyes, "it is only that I would very much like to accompany these scouts to Laketown myself." I saw the sudden surprise on his face but kept speaking before he could say anything. "It has been so very long since I left Mirkwood, and I would love to see this famous town where my fellow men dwell. I think this town built over the water will not be unlike my own home, the river lands of Gondor where I grew up!"

As I had spoken I had seen his face change from amused to something else that I couldn't decipher. He had the strange, upsetting look for a moment before he composed himself and was once again stoic. He placed another hand over my own. "There is nothing more I would like than to let you go visit Laketown with the scouts, but I am afraid I cannot."

"But, why?" I said.

"It's just too dangerous, with your brother still a fugitive and your cousin out there wanting to marry you or use you as a hostage."

"But I thought that was why you married me, my lord? So that there was nothing more my cousin could do. Baldrick cannot make me marry him when I am already wedded to you."

"We don't know what he may or may not do. I am afraid it would not be the first time that a lady who was already wedded was kidnapped and then forced to marry another against her will. At this time it would just be too dangerous."

"Nonsense. I am sure that my cousin is back in the South by now, fighting my brother for his land no doubt. There is little to no chance that he will be in Laketown."

"Perhaps not, my dear, but he certainly will have spies or bounty hunters out after you."

"Oh, I suppose you are right." I tried not to sound as disappointed as I was. Normally I would argue with him a little, but how could I argue about this? He was right. If it was dangerous for me to leave Mirkwood still, then I would just endanger everyone else by leaving.

"Thank you for understanding, my dear."

"Of course. I apologize for asking. You may tell the scouts that some more dresses would be just fine."

He nodded and then kissed my hand, bidding me farewell.

Before I went back to my sewing I saw Esteldes looking at me with a conspiratorial look in her eye. I glanced down, choosing to ignore whatever mischief she was up to.

….

Thranduil was sitting on his throne, staring off into space when Esteldes approached him later. The elven king of Mirkwood spent quite a bit of time just sitting on his throne, waiting to hear petitions and problems that rarely happened between elves, so he stood up straighter and raised his eyebrows in question as his niece curtseyed before her king, begging to be heard for a few minutes.

"This is a rare honor, niece."

"It is kind of you to say so, my King."

"What can I do for you?"

"It is not on my own behalf that I would ask, my lord, but on behalf of your wife, my queen."

Brushing some non-existent dust off of his sleeve, he frowned. "Oh?"

"Yes, my lord and king. I would beg you to let her go to Laketown, and to let me accompany her."

"Esteldes, you are younger than my queen is, and even more reckless, there is no way that I would allow you to visit Laketown. And as for my wife, it is much too dangerous to let her go. Her cousin…"

"Yes, yes, I know, your highness. But say that the queen's brother is never able to take back his father's property? That her cousin Baldrick defeats him and takes over Pelargir. Will she never be allowed to leave Mirkwood for her entire life? She will be like a prisoner here. And people all already talking…"

"What do you mean? What are the people saying?"

"Well, I hate to spread vicious rumors…" Esteldes smiled, and Thranduil couldn't resist smiling a little back. It was well known that Carfon's rambunctious daughter loved little else than to get into trouble or to gossip. She laughed but then suddenly straightened up, serious. "They say troubling things about the situation my lord."

"What do they say?"

"They say that Laurwen was running away from her cousin and that she wandered to far close to Mirkwood. That you saw her riding through and you were so captivated by her beauty that you captured her and took her back to your palace. She begged and tried to leave on several occasions, but you would always make up some excuse or go back and get her because you could not bear for her to leave you. Finally you broke the normal elven way of only marrying once and made her your wife."

"Well, it's not so far from the truth now is it?" He said. Except it was much more than just her beauty that I was captivated by.

"But my king, these rumors are so disrespectful and unkind. What better way to dissipate them than by letting the kind and loyal people of Laketown see your human queen with their own eyes so that they may know that she is no prisoner?"

Thranduil was silent for a few moments. "Esteldes, if your father has no problem with you going to Laketown, then you have my permission to leave. After all, you're getting older, and I think getting into a little trouble and having a subsequent punishment might be just what you need to grow up a little."

Esteldes bowed, unable to conceal her excitement. "And my queen Laurwen?"

"Stays here in Mirkwood."

"But my King!"

"We are done, Esteldes. Be grateful with what I have given you."

"No, please your highness, grant me one more minute…"

Thranduil said nothing, but she took that as assent and began to speak. "Earlier today, Laurwen spoke of her parents for the first time."

Thranduil's eyes widened. "She did? What did she say?"

"She spoke of her mother and father and how great they were and how much she loved them and misses them. She also spoke of how much she misses her home of Southern Gondor. Please, my King, she seems to be finally beginning to heal, and she clearly misses her home. If Laketown beckons her, than it will be a good thing; it will help to heal her broken heart."

"No, Esteldes. It is too dangerous, can't you see that? The queen could be taken or worse."

"But-"

Thranduil stood up suddenly, slamming his staff into the ground. "That's enough! We are done now."

Esteldes bowed, and hurried away. She was glad the king could not see her face. They were not done, she thought to herself, not yet.

"Esteldes, please, quiet your voice." Delia said, peaking out from the hooded cloak that she was pulling down over her head.

"I can't, Delia! I am far too excited." Esteldes was excited. The girl was practically glowing.

I peeked out from under my own cloak. "Delia is right, Esteldes. Hush now, or someone may hear us. My word. If someone had told me that an elf could be louder than a human I would have laughed at them until this night."

"Oh, you all worry too much." She said looking back at us with a flouncing look.

"Indeed." I hissed. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this!"

"You're the one who wished to go to Laketown so desperately. And here, look now, I've made it happen!"

Delia shook her head. "The King will be furious."

I shuddered to myself, agreeing with Delia.

"Oh, it's his own fault." Esteldes said, "What was he thinking, forbidding you to visit Laketown and then going away south to fight bandits? He doesn't know his queen very well, I must say."

I shot her a mean look that she probably couldn't see in the dark. "He knows me, but he trusts me, too. Now I've betrayed him…"

"Will you three hush back there?" Said one of the scouts up ahead.

As luck would have it, the young men chosen by Thranduil originally to go to Laketown were Estedles' two older brothers. The third scout was their friend, a young Silvan elf who clearly loved Esteldes. He was a quiet lad, and I was not sure if Esteldes knew how he felt or even returned his feelings. It had been easy to convince the three of them to let Delia, me, and Esteldes come along. Delia had not wanted to go at all, but she had been worried about the two of us, and begged to come. She need not have, however, Esteldes was delighted to have more company.

"There it is." Said one of the boys, the quiet one who fancied Esteldes. He moved aside a tree branch that was blocking our view, and showed me my first glimpse of Laketown.

….

We made our way down to the settlement, where I saw mortal men for the first time since my run in earlier with Baldrick and his followers.

The place called Laketown bore little resemblance to the land of my childhood. But seeing a large body of water once again was somehow comforting. We arrived in one of the boats that the king owned and kept tied for use, and when we stepped onto the suspended wooden city of Laketown I exited the boat almost as gracefully as the others, having spent a lot of time on the water as a child.

The others stood out in the crowd, but to my surprise no one paid them much mind. The settlers of Laketown appeared to be used to foreigners. I even saw several dwarfs in the crowd as well. After living with elves so long the comparable gracelessness of these town folk made me wonder if I could ever go back to living with humans if I wanted to. So much noise and so many smells.

We strolled around for a while, gazing at the town and people going about their business. The folk who lived here mostly fished, Delia told us, for she had been here before, but they made most of their money off trade. That's why there were several stores here that sold exotic wares from all over middle-earth.

We secured several deals with the folk who had food to trade so that there would be enough for our people throughout the next three to four months even if the weather was bad or if there were a storm of some kind, which I was happy to have assisted in since I was the queen, and would be delivered days later by the traders themselves. We also bought some practical things and after a while Esteldes suggested that we all separate.

"It's too dangerous, with the queen being hunted and what not. We cannot risk it." Said Rumon, which I learned was the name of the Silvan elf who liked Esteldes.

They argued for a few minutes before Rumon finally gave in. Truth be told, the boys wanted to go off on their own as well and visit some friends they had made in town as well as their own favorite shops.

We had a bite to eat before we shopped, at a small pub owned by a dwarf couple, and had the messiest food I had ever eaten in my life. Delia and Esteldes had wanted to eat somewhere else, but I had insisted this time.

The two of them sat at a table in the corner, as far away from the rambunctious crowd as they could, but I was curious and so I went and ate at the bar where I could get a closer look at the dwarf.

I sipped my ale for a while, trying to sneak a look at the dwarf here and there, but eventually the dwarf raised an eyebrow and huddled over to where I was eating.

"You look as if you've never seen a dwarf before, lady."

I blushed a deep crimson, thoroughly ashamed that I, queen of Mirkwood, had been caught staring in such a rude manner.

"I have seen a dwarf before, sir, it is only that it has been such a long time, and I have wished for many years to speak with one again."

To my relief, he laughed, a deep, bellowing sound that came from his stomach. He told me his name was Fowler, and that he and his wife owned this pub, and also asked me which dwarf I had met as a child.

I told him his name as near as I could remember, and Fowler's eyes shone beneath his bushy eyebrows. "Why, that'll be my cousin once-removed you've met!"

We spoke some more until I nearly choked my drink when he said, "So, you'll be the queen of Mirkwood, then. Laurwen, is it?"

I knew there was no use lying to a dwarf. "How did you know?" I whispered.

He patted my hand with his own smaller one. "There, there now miss. Nothing to be scared about. I've heard a bit about your situation, but we run off any bounty hunters we can around here. It was your companions gave you away." He nodded towards Esteldes and Delia sitting in the corner. "Not very common in these parts for humans to be traveling with elves. It was also your eyes. People say that the new queen of Mirkwood has eyes brighter than the purest gold. Not a bad color to have miss!" He laughed again, loudly, but then he was once again serious. "They say that that good-for-nothing king of Mirkwood kidnapped you and forced you to stay with him on account of his great love for you. This isn't true, is it? There aren't many dwarfs left in Laketown and we try to pay that traitor no mind, but after meeting you and seeing how kind you are, I could help you escape if you was looking to do so, madam."

I assured him that no, it was not so, I was very happy with my husband and had married him of my own free will. I didn't even understand how these stories came about. Didn't they understand that there were much more clever and beautiful women than me in Mirkwood and that my King would do something so terrible?

"I would appreciate if you could dispel these rumors whenever you get the chance." I said.

"Well, I can't promise you that. If people want to believe these things about the elven King of Mirkwood, then it's not my place to discourage them!"

He laughed again but by this time Delia and Esteldes had come over to tug on my arm and tell me that it was time for us to leave.

He waved the mug he was holding in his hand at me in farewell and said he hoped that we would meet again soon.

We strolled around for a while and went in several shops. Esteldes purchased some material to dye clothes and also some combs for her hair. Delia surprised me by purchasing some thin knives that she slipped into her boots. I bought Thranduil a vintage wine that was supposedly all the way from Isildur's time, which I hoped might appease his anger somewhat.

While Delia and Esteldes went to find the boys, they left me in a tailor's shop where I could buy some clothes. I still insisted on wearing outfits for humans, as I was not yet ready to dress like an elf, nor did I suppose I would ever be able to.

They took my measurements and they got to work on some dresses right away while I explored the shop until they were finished.

The shop was quite large and carried everything from hats and cloaks to party shoes. I stopped over a shelf that had ribbons, and under a glass case was a long blue hair ribbon studded with diamonds. I immediately thought of Aeiliel when I saw it. With her blue eyes and blond hair it would be perfect for her. I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing as I thought about how mad she would be if I bought her something so expensive, and how she would respond by threading it in her hair and no doubt wearing it everywhere, even to do chores and feed the pigs in.

Before I even knew what I was doing, I found myself buying it.

It made me suddenly sad, standing there holding it in my hand, knowing I would probably never see her again, but I swore if I ever did I would give this to her.

Finally my dresses were completed and I was able to go and purchase them. They had asked me when they were measuring me if I was newly married, spotting the ring on my finger. I told had told them yes, which explained what they meant as they now showed me how they had purposefully sewn laces into the sides in case I needed to make the dress bigger.

"I don't intend on gaining that much weight." I said laughing, "Elven food isn't that good."

"No, no" the lady who had sold me the dresses laughed, "in case you are with child! Then all you have to do is let the laces loose a little and you may still wear the dresses even in your ninth month."

"Well, no worry of that," I said as I scooped the dresses up and made my way outside where Esteldes and Delia and the boys were waiting.

We made our way to the docks, and as we sailed over to Mirkwood, I thought about what I had said, and suddenly I began to panic.

I had not had my courses for two months.

Of course, Thranduil didn't sleep with me very often since we had first been married…but then I remembered the night around two months ago when Legolas had returned and we had made up…how he had taken me into his arms several times into the night…

My hand drifted to my stomach. Not much of a bump there, but it didn't matter.

I still knew it.

I was pregnant.

….

It was late when Thranduil and his rangers made their way into his dark halls. The others scrambled away to their own homes, but Thranduil gestured for a servant not to help him take off his cloak. He would wait for Laurwen to do it. He loved how she would spring up out of bed when he came in late, her dark head bent as he reached down to take off his rings with her soft hands, and hang up his coat and take off his boots…or how, if it was the other way around and she were coming in late, how he would help her undress. How he would slowly unlace her dress until she were in naught but her shift, and take down her hair last of all…

As he made his way to their bedchamber he froze in the doorway when he saw that Laurwen was not in bed. He went to the baths, but she was not there either.

"Where is the queen?" He demanded of a servant who was standing out in the hallway.

"Laketown, my King, with the others."

"What?!" He said, his voice so sharp it echoed through the empty halls.

The servant, whose eyes were now wide in terror, had to squeeze his bow so that his shaking hands would not show. "The queen is in Laketown, my king. Along with the others. Lady Esteldes assured us guards that she had gained your permission to take the queen when she went."

Thranduil didn't say anything as he stormed away. Swiftly he made his way back down the stairs and outside where the stables were. As swiftly as possible he put on his riding boots and strapped his swords to his waist, ignoring the stable boy's questions.

He didn't look up until Legolas came in.

"What is, father? Please, speak. Some servants came and were afraid of how angry you were. They don't know what's wrong."

"What's wrong is that I will skin the guards alive." He took a breath, still pulling his boots on, before he spoke again. "Laurwen has gone to Laketown."

"Ah." Legolas said. "I see. Well, you mustn't be angry with the guards; they surely did not know better. And you shouldn't worry. I am sure the queen is perfectly fine. Five elves and one feisty human are more than a match for anything that might come their way."

Thranduil said nothing as he continued to saddle his horse.

"Father," Legolas said, laying a hand on Thranduil's arm and finally causing him to pause his actions, "please let me go after them. You are too angry at this moment to do so yourself. And besides, you are needed here. Let me and Tauriel go."

The king, who was still trembling from emotion, nodded his head and watched as Legolas and Tauriel grabbed their weapons and sprinted away.

Still shaking, Thranduil made his way back inside the castle.

He thought about what Legolas had said, that he was too angry to go himself and that the servants were scared about how angry he had seemed.

He actually laughed, a cold sound that would have made someone who heard it shiver.

Angry? No. He was not angry. Not even a little.

Thranduil was afraid.

Rumon and one of Esteldes' brothers threw a rope about a post as our boat gently stopped against the bank.

Delia let out an unnaturally loud sigh for an elf.

Esteldes laughed as she took my arm and helped me out of the boat. "I do indeed think that Delia has been holding that same breath in for our entire journey!"

"And why not?" Delia said, lifting her skirts as she followed behind us onto the shore. "A million things might have gone wrong. I for one am glad to be back on our side of the lake."

"Indeed." Rumon muttered to himself. "Every time I make a journey outside of our realm I become more and more astonished at how wild and unsafe the world of men has become." He raised his eyes up the trees above us, as if he never wished to leave their safe embrace again.

"I think that the danger and excitement of the outside world is what gives the world of men its charm. I plan on seeing the entire world one day when I come of age!" She turned and smiled at her brother's friend. "You surely wouldn't stay here if I asked you to come with me? I wouldn't feel safe without your brooding seriousness!" She laughed and skipped up ahead of the group, hitting a low branch overhead.

My eyes went over to Rumon, who had stopped in his tracks before composing himself and continuing on. His eyes were wide, and although she had been teasing him the intensity in his gaze was shocking. Delia, I saw, was watching Rumon as well, before gazing over to exchange a glance with me.

Was it possible that Esteldes had no idea about Rumon's feelings for her? Young as she still was it would be years perhaps before she thought about marriage, but Rumon and she were so different from one another; I feared that he would be very sorrowful indeed if he told her of his feelings and she were to not reciprocate them.

She called something back to us, which I couldn't hear, before Delia abruptly stopped in her tracks.

"What is it?" Esteldes' brother asked. She put a finger over her mouth. Esteldes turned back to look at us, wondering why we had stopped.

A man jumped down from the trees, and on either side a man and a woman followed. From the glint of light coming through the trees and reflecting off their blades I saw that they were armed, but just as quickly as they had dropped down out of the trees, Delia jumped ahead of us.

She pulled a knife out of either of her boots, throwing one each into the man and woman on the right and left, killing them instantly. The man in the middle, not having time for anything else, threw his entire sword straight at her, but she ducked swiftly and threw a small blade from her sleeve into his chest.

All three now lay dead on the ground, but by now we were surrounded.

Several more men and to my surprise almost as many women had circled around us. There had to be at least twenty of them. Even for elves there were too many, since most of them had arrows pointed at us, ready to let them fly.

We made a circle ourselves, so that no one's back was unprotected. Everyone except me, who had no weapon, had drawn their arms.

"Bounty hunters." I heard Rumon growl under his breath.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small woman step forward. She appeared to be the leader. Her hair was cut short like a man's, but she moved gracefully and had a stunningly beautiful face. Her smile was as catlike as her voice when she spoke. "We just want the queen. The rest of you all are welcome to leave here alive if you surrender her peacefully. I have no wish to shed more blood than is needed."

Esteldes growled and spat on the ground. Rumon put a restraining hand on her arm and stood firmly. "We would die before we let you bandits take our queen to Lord Baldrick."

She shrugged, taking two swords out of either belt. "Very well."

There was a tense moment as everyone waited to see who would strike first.

The head bounty hunter appeared to be about to step forward, but before she could she made a gurgling sound and fell flat on her face, an arrow in her neck.

We took the opportunity to start fighting, Delia throwing her knives and Esteldes firing her arrows as the boys raced forward with their knives.

I looked from where the woman had fallen to see that Tauriel and Legolas had saved us.

"Run!" Legolas shouted to me as he shot at an enemy.

I made my way to the outer trees for more cover and saw, from above somehow, an arrow hit one of Esteldes' brothers in the side. I looked up and saw that not every bandit had come down from the trees. A few had remained to shoot from above. It appeared they had orders not to shoot me.

I ran over to where a dead bandit lay and took the quiver of arrows and the bow out of his dead hands.

There were three bandits still in the trees. One on one tree and two on another. I tried to drown out the sounds of the swords clanking against one another and arrows whizzing past as I closed one eye and aimed for a shooter. He had not been watching me, and so did not see me fire at him or have time to duck as my arrow flew true and hit him in the neck. He fell from the tree, as the other two snipers in the other tree turned to look at the sound of him crashing into the ground. I shot more arrows at them but they deftly moved aside from each one until an idea struck me. I pulled three arrows out and put them all on the bow and let go.

One man on the right was hit in the leg, and he lost balance and fell, the height of the fall killing him. The last one had also been hit in the leg, but it was in the thigh and not the calf. He did not lose balance. Pulling an arrow out they shot me back in the arm.

I fell to the ground, hissing with pain as I grasped at my arm. I saw black spots in my vision but I struggled to not pass out.

In no time at all the others had surrounded me. Someone must have finished off that last sniper. I looked around and saw that everyone was accounted for and appeared not to be wounded aside from me and Esteldes's brother.

Legolas stepped forward and laughed when he saw that I had already pulled the arrow out myself.

"Well the worst part for you is over now. How are you feeling? How is the pain? May I look?"

I pulled my sleeve up and he said with relief that the cut was not very deep; the arrow that pierced it appeared to have been very dull.

Tauriel tore a strip of her dress off at the bottom to wrap around where it was bleeding. While she worked he spoke. "You must be very foolish indeed to stay and fight when I commanded you to leave the fight."

Still in too much pain to feel like speaking, I just smiled at him, which probably came out more like a grimance. He smiled too, and I swore that he looked almost impressed.

"I must go and see how Sivurd is doing." He said, making his way over.

Esteldes's brother's wound was much more serious than mine, having hit him in the side, but we bandaged him up and he was still able to walk back himself with us to the palace.

My dear, sweet sister,

I hope this letter finds you safe, healthy and happy. It has only been a few years since we last saw each other, but it seems now like it has been an eternity. Since I last saw you our parents have been murdered, and I am sad to inform you, so have our beloved younger brothers. I thought for many years when no one knew what had become of you that you were dead as well, and that I was truly all alone in this world. I have since learned that it is not so, and I could have cried with joy when I learned that you were safe in the elven land of Mirkwood. I have sent you several letters, but I fear they have been intercepted by Baldrick since I never have had a reply from you. I have sent this one with my own special messenger to be sure that it reaches you, because I have something important to tell you.

Not a fortnight ago, I engaged our traitor and murderous cousin Baldrick in battle, and as you may have surmised by now since I am alive to write this letter to you, I defeated him and my army triumphed over his. I killed him myself and took from his dead body the sword that had belonged to our father, that he had taken when he killed him. I fought with the aid of our neighboring province to the west, where I have been sheltered all this time, and with much of our own people, who were eager to fight against Baldrick. He was horribly outnumbered and outfought.

I have regained control over Lebennin and have retaken our castle at Pelargir. You would weep, sister, to see the disarray and state that our cousin left our beloved homeland in, yet, I still would invite you, no, beg you, to come back to Pelargir and stay with me for a while. They say that you are the elven King of Mirkwood's queen. I am not sure if this is true; they say many strange things about the king and what has happened to you, some of them so upsetting that I am not sure what to believe. Nevertheless, I need you to come visit me. I need your help setting the affairs of our land in order; I have always respected your opinion and strength and I am in great need of it now, especially as I am not sure who I can trust. I would like to know if you really have been married to the King, and if not, to please ask you to come back home to stay. We can find you a husband of Gondor if that is your wish. But most importantly sister, I need to see you again. It's just the two of us left in this world. Please come home and remind me that I'm not all alone anymore.

I eagerly await your reply, and with all the love in my heart,

Your brother, Fiske, Lord of Lebennin.

Thranduil frowned.

He had not meant to open the letter.

…But it was addressed simply to Laurwen, nowhere was it written where or whom it was from. He had been worried that perhaps it was a threat from Baldrick, or someone else, and that if she read it first she might not let him see it. And then, when he had paced back and forth across his chamber, wondering where she had gone, he had not been able to resist.

It was worse than he had even imagined.

Thranduil had learned over the course of his long life how powerful was the passage of time. As days and seasons changed so did people; people who once loved grew to hate, children grew up into adults, people changed the way they thought and even how they spoke.

As time went on, he feared that Laurwen would grow restless, and perhaps wish to leave him. The initial pleasure she had felt at being safe after so many months on the road running from bandits he knew would fade one day. That gratitude, which had perhaps prompted her to marry him, would weaken one day, he knew, and she would wish to move on, away from Mirkwood.

After all, what was there for her here anyway? He may look young, but he was hundreds of years old. A king, yes, but an aged elf with two grown sons, and already married once before. Never to change, never to move on. To live and rule in Mirkwood for the rest of his days. And she…she was so young and beautiful. So full of hope and spirit. Resilient even after all the tragedy that had befallen her.

He had never been so scared in his life as when he had woke to find that she had left to give herself up to her cousin Baldrick. He knew she had done it for her brothers' sake, but he had worried, even then, that maybe there was another reason why she had left. Some instinct, or yearning, to be back with her own people. Some knowledge she dared not admit to herself that she did not belong here in Mirkwood with these elves, that she did not fit in. Or perhaps did not even wish to.

Terrified as he had been, he had married her immediately when they returned. Leaning now against the railing on his balcony, and staring off at the stars, he wondered what he would have done had she said she had no wish to be his queen. The words Carfon's daughter had spoken came back to him, that people said he had been so enchanted with her that he had refused to let her leave and married her by force. He had not, of course, but would he have? He thought of her smiling face. Of how peaceful she looked when she slept, of how her golden eyes had sparkled when she had spoken her vows, how she would glance at him as she played her harp. As if she played only for him. He wished to believe that she loved him, that she had no wish to leave him.

But then she had asked to go to Laketown; she had been so insistent upon it, and he had thought perhaps he wasn't crazy after all, and she truly did have a yearning to leave Mirkwood.

And now she had truly gone. He wondered if she would ever come back.

He sat down with a sigh in his great chair in front of their fire, his face in his hands. He was an elf, but for the first time in his entire life, he felt old and weary. Could he even get out of this chair when the time came? He felt as if he might sit here forever…

Voices filled the halls, carrying their sounds throughout the echoing hallways. There were shouts, and in the confusion he heard the one voice he knew he could never forget in his entire life. The most beautiful voice to him in the entire world.

All the weariness and sorrow of the last hours completely vanished. Suddenly all the distress gone like someone had blown out a candle.

He was out of his chair in one swift movement just as the door to their chamber was thrown open.

They flew to one another.

He crushed her to his chest so tightly that he thought he might break her. She had been composed a moment ago, but now she was sobbing into his chest. She cried and apologized and hiccupped so loudly and often that she had to catch her breath. "Hush," he said, "just hush now. Everything is all right." He stroked her hair and laid his cheek on top of her head as he waited for her to be calm. He closed his eyes, completely at peace. After a bit she pulled away just enough so that she could turn her face up to his.

"Aren't you angry? Legolas said you seemed angry…" She asked, her voice still quivering.

He wiped away a tear with his thumb. Her golden eyes were glassy with tears. "No, I'm not angry."

She smiled and leaned back into him, holding him tightly.

Of course I'm not angry, he thought to himself, I was never angry. Just scared.

He kissed the top of her head. And they stood like that for a few moments, until she whispered softly, "I have something that I need to tell you."

His heart skipped a beat. Could she still be meaning to leave after all? He pulled her back once more to examine her. "Did you say something a moment ago about being wounded?" He said trying to change the subject.

She frowned. "Just a little. And just in the arm."

He called to his servants. "I want you to let them guide you to Padhrion in the infirmary and let them take care of it. I don't want to take any chances."

"Yes, Thranduil. But first I-"

"Please, go right now. You don't want it to get infected. You can tell me whatever it is you have to tell me later." He nodded at his guards and they stepped up to take her away.

"Wait," she said, reaching for the sleeve of his robe. "Will you come with me? I don't want to leave you."

He leaned down to lightly kiss her cheek. "Of course, dearest wife. I will follow you in a moment. First I must take care of something."

"Alright." She said.

Thranduil stood there for a moment, watching them lead her away down the dark hallways. Their shadows danced in the soft light cast by the flickering torches on the wall. She looked back once and he raised a hand in solute.

After they were gone from sight, he stepped back to his desk, where the letter from Laurwen's brother Fiske was lying on the table. Wasting no time, he grabbed it and swiftly made his way over to the fire.

He held a corner of the letter to the fire until the flame caught it.

Nothing was certain in this world. Not life or death and certainly not love. And he wasn't taking any chances.

He watched as the letter burned slowly, its ashes falling onto the ground as the Lord of Lebinnin's words of wishes for a reunion with his sister disappeared forever.