Chapter 11: Slackened

Tauriel gave a sound that came as close to a giggle a grown elf was ever capable of, reminding Thranduil of the unabridged laughter that used to waft through the Halls all the way up from the stream below the fortress, where the few elven children who had had the luck of growing up with and around the redhead had played. As his people had less and less offspring of late, he could think of only a couple of youngsters who would currently be of the right age to entertain themselves frolicking down below, not enough in numbers to make much of a noise or as much as realise that given their age it would be acceptable to behave in such unrestrained way.

The elf he was drinking with was unaware of his longing, sad musings, but Thranduil was glad to find Tauriel was a happy drunk. He should get her inebriated more often then, away from her own heartache and demons. The king propped an elbow on the table and his cheek in his palm, staring, taking in and admiring her bubbly manner, but not hearing much of the tale she was so zealous telling. Only fragments that reached him through his more disconnected, than drunken haze. "…forest patrol…filthy wizard…never imagined any spider would run from nothing but a kine of araw, but one had to admit there were a lot of them. My only regret is that I could not follow the man on the mearas as I had to assure the safety of my comrades, not that any of them believe me to this very day," she smiled to herself, shaking her head.

"You aren't destined to sit idle inside these Halls," Thranduil deduced the gist of the story despite not hearing much of the words. Her enthusiasm and dreamy looks were enough. "I promise you this Tauriel, I will never confine you to the stronghold."

She shrugged, "don't promise things you don't have control over."

Thranduil hissed some air in and tensed, his features turning contrary, "your place, Tauriel," he warned, in truth a lot more mellow than he would've been in the past.

"I'm simply meaning that my future sins might be forcing your hand to harsher punishments," the elleth hastened to explain.

"You're planning on a lot of disobeying?" He raised incredulous eyebrows.

Not that she had ever been particularly economical with the truth, especially since his illness forced her to try to put her foot down more for his own benefit, but a couple of bottles of wine certainly didn't favour her inhibitions. "I don't know. But I do know that I will always travel by my own personal moral compass foremost."

Thranduil sighed, "lirimaer, that is exactly why it's you I entrust my life with." He regarded her contemplatively though given the depths of the frankness she went to. "Daybreak is in a short hour." He stood and took the bottle out her hand to set it down on the table. "Come, poikaer, you need a little rest," the king lead her to his bed somewhat amused by the results of her drinking and pulled her down as he sat, holding her close by the waist.

"Oh. Oh," Tauriel came to her senses somewhat at close quarters. If she didn't know better she would've thought he was encouraging her to rest her head on his shoulder, "I apologise," she somehow found herself guilty of the occurrence and gathered herself enough to rise. "Do you need anything? Are you well?" She got on with her duties, smashed or not.

"I need you to stand guard."

Tauriel looked started, "I am no longer a member of the guard, Sire, and even if I was, I would be inclined to suggest I am not the best person for the undertaking in my current state," she blinked slowly, for the purpose of trying to dissipate the fog around herself. "I am sorry, My Lord, I was under the impression you wanted me to share your drink with you."

Thranduil regarded her slow and dazed movements with considerable amusement. "I would like you to stand guard and assure my wellbeing," he specified. "My stomach seems settled enough, bar for the occasional twinge, no different than over the last few days. I would like it to stay that way."

"I cannot predict the effect of the alcohol you consumed today, My Lord," Tauriel felt herself sobering somewhat now that she remembered the reason behind their circumstances.

"Oh, but you can prevent attacks," Thranduil pulled himself back and arranged his long form on the pillows, "come, apply your magical hand."

"It might work," Tauriel didn't look very pleased, "but I hardly think my healing you aforehand would be an appropriate way to tackle the problem each time."

"Whatever works," the king argued, waving her over. He flipped a side of his robe out the way to expose his belly, "come lie with me." At her reluctance he added, "my innards calm at your touch, I believe you don't as much as have to actively chant, you have the flair. You would like me to be fit for the ride shortly, I'm telling you a way I will be. Lie with me Tauriel," he repeated, "you need your rest, you sleep as well. Your hand will do its job nevertheless."

Tauriel continued to look weary and confused and doubted the method suggested would be vastly effective, but it was feasible to take advantage of the little it could do. Not as if she could argue with her king, especially not through the haze in her head. The redhead wordlessly climbed beside him and slid her hand onto his flawlessly ridged, smooth abdomen, not noting any bloating or additional rigidness that wasn't meant to be there. She found a comfy place for her palm, the heel of it resting in his navel, started a chant in her head, but phazed out somewhere around the start of the third line, her body giving into the heavy tranquilising effects of his delicious wine.

Tbc