Chapter 9: Assembly

Thranduil was rather chagrined he was made to sit. He didn't have to make much of an effort to do so, the pillows and Tauriel did most of the work, he would've much preferred being left alone, cocooned and hibernating, closed into himself and into a stillness that almost stopped him from thinking even. His stomach didn't bother him much in that position either, as if lulled and drugged into a subconscious presence, which it probably had been with the help of the drugs that had been administered to him at regular intervals. But Tauriel had to come and poke and prod and prompt and cajole him into no less than a frustrated groan.

"Are you in pain?" The redhead observed him attentively, mindful of the displeased sound.

The elvenking waved her off, "I wish to rest." His hand moved towards his belly reflexively though as the changing of positions indeed initiated a jolt of a twinge settling down to a dull ache in his belly.

"You have been resting for four days in a row," Tauriel advised him, "Idhrenion informs me that you should be over the worse of the withdrawal symptoms we've saved you the trouble of experiencing by keeping you sedated. We have to get some good food into your belly if we're to restart your digestion and get your strength up. And to be honest, some council members have grown impatient as well. You haven't been seen in public for weeks and the court was hoping for assurances."

"Court. Assurances, weeks?" Thranduil grunted scandalised, "is that all it takes in these wretched parts of the world to become questioned?"

"No, My Lord, of course not," the elleth appeased, "nobody is questioning you, your people would simply like to be assured that their dear king is well, as would I. How is your stomach? Do you think you could manage some broth? Any nausea?"

"Of course I'll be nauseous if you jiggle me so!" Thranduil continued to complain about having been uprighted.

"You could be nauseous because you're hungry," Tauriel tried, "I've been taught an incantation for calming your stomach. Even so, we might encounter some initial difficulties getting your insides working as they should be, but we're not to be discouraged by those. You could be entirely well in no more than a few days."

"Well?" He repeated sarcastically.

"Physically at least for the most part," she corrected herself, "should I get the broth or do you need me to do the spell first?" The handmaiden sounded very keen.

"Spell," he huffed on instinct, irritated. He would've wanted to be left to his grievances, but his subjects had gotten used to a certain image of their king he himself had always been promoting and it felt wrong and less than his self-worth dictated not to give them that. Unhurriedly though. A part of his will still kept him back, urging him to delay having to get himself together. That was why he had accepted her offer of the incantantion and not because his stomach greatly needed the treatment for the moment.

"Could you please uncover your front, My Lord," Tauriel averted her eyes. She had attended to his bare stomach on numerous occasions while he was unconscious, sleeping or not completely with it, but now that he was clearly lucid and in control, it was no longer appropriate for her to touch him arbitrarily.

Thranduil slowly raised a hand in response, shaky fingers clumsily fiddling with the fastenings of his night gown. It surprised him how much difficulty the simple task posed for him and how much of his energy it took. The redhead waited patiently, "the tremors are part of the withdrawal process, don't mind them," she observed, "they will lessen and cease in a few days as well."

"In that case I hardly think anybody should see me till then," he grumbled, unhappy with himself and his body's weaknesses foremost.

"Of course, My Lord. There's quite a lot of progress to be made for when the time comes to greet your assembly. May I?" She reached towards him without touching just yet.

Thranduil rubbed a hand across his own belly and looked down, as if testing. It was strange how it didn't hurt much, it wasn't what he had been accustomed of late. He had almost forgotten how it felt not to always be under the impression as if acid was eating him from inside out. He had to admit, keeping it like this was tempting, but then so was trying to forget mistakes he made raising his son and ruling the kingdom. And at remembering that, his stomach churned renewed with guilt, something he had been trying to remedy in the first place, which turned out to be a no win situation. His belly hurt if he was drinking and if he wasn't, then also, along with suffering the heaviness of burdens on his chest and a swirling thought storm he could not quell, not without the stupor of strong and a lot of liquor. A vicious circle as it were. "My Lord?" Tauriel was still waiting for his response, looking at him concerned.

The tortured elvenking nodded minutely and gave her access to his abdomen now that he really felt like he needed her. None of his turmoil was as bad when she was around, she could distract him if nothing else. "You're too tense," the other elf observed, deciding to rub his belly in circling motions a little before she stopped above his navel and pressed a little, eyes half lidded and murmuring something repeatedly. Thranduil watched her as she filled most of his vision up close, her naturally flushed cheeks, the slightly curvy red locks that were a rarity amongst the elvish, her shapely nose, full lips and green eyes the colour of a vigorous forest it once was. He had to admit she was beautiful and unique and her conduct made her stand out more. She would fight like a fellbeast if she believed in the cause or the soul she was fighting for. He would have to count himself lucky that her cause was currently his wellbeing.

"Did it work? Is your nausea diminishing?" Tauriel jolted him out his musings by looking up at his face and startling herself away and back a bit when she found his intense gaze boring into her very fae.

"I am well," he answered truthfully, once again drawing a hand to his belly to test that unlikely and unexpected development.

"I could try again if the results are not sufficient," the elleth misunderstood the gesture.

"No, you have done well," he praised. "You are an accomplished healer. You talents would be wasted in the role of a handmaiden once I'm recovered."

Tauriel brightened to the extent of her eyes widening, but it wasn't his compliment that pleased her, rather him voicing an intention to indeed recover. "The broth is still warm. Not too warm, just right. It's a vegetable stew mash with little bits of lembas soaked in it. If you could manage just a few mouthfuls, that should be wholesome enough," she stepped back to the table to fetch the bowl. "Shall I feed you or will you feed yourself?"

Thranduil held out a hand for the item. No, he will not further his already undignified situation by letting her spoonfeed him. The aroma of the well made soup reached his nostrils now that it was very close and he instinctually inhaled deeper, finding that it didn't make him nauseated, but hungry.

Tbc