Despite the King's promise, the prisoner's condition worsened and by the end of the day, the healers appeared to have lost hope. Aradan went to check on her and found her lying pale and sunken. The skin upon her lips was cracked and dry and each intake of her breath was laborious. Unlike Legolas who had been rambling away under his fever, the prisoner hardly released a word.
Aradan looked at her and like his King, he remembered the evidence of her suffering that she carried on her body, her total selflessness as she helped them time and again despite them treating her as a captive. He raised his fingers, scarred as hers but otherwise smooth and healthy unlike her bony, dehydrated ones, to her head and gently smoothed down her tangled strands of hair. There were almost like a babe's, just above her ears and the reason behind it enraged him. No one should have to suffer this much. He looked at her wrists, at the light blisters on her skin from his elven rope. "I am sorry," he whispered, "I did not intend for you to suffer more than you already have. Please forgive me."
Inexplicably, a great sense of despair rose in him and he quelled it. More fiercely this time, he bent down to her ears and whispered, "I do not know who you are but I had better warn you that, by the order of the King, you are not allowed to die. And I take my King's orders very seriously." He felt foolish saying it but he did take his King's orders very seriously. Perhaps, she would too. He liked that argument despite the fact that it made little sense. In truth, all he wanted to tell her was that that no matter what the elves of Mirkwood would always be there for her.
He sat beside her awhile and not knowing what to say, eventually began to talk to her about Erienne, the cherished and much-loved Queen of Mirkwood. He told her about their younger days of innocence and youth, Thranduil's serious nature, his own and even worse grumpy nature, Erienne's carefree laughter, her regal dismissal of the then Crown Prince Thranduil and the then Lieutenant-General Aradan and her friendship with their gentle healer, Galaden. Galaden was not here. She ought to come to Mirkwood to see him. He was the Chief Healer of Mirkwood. Knowledgeable and caring, he was also easy to play tricks on. He told her about the tricks that he and Thranduil would play on Galaden only to earn the ire of Erienne.
Eventually, Aradan stopped and merely said, "Please don't die." Unable to control himself, Aradan moved to leave when he felt her fingers touch his. He turned to her and saw that she was stirring, and beckoning him. He leaned closer and she mumbled something in his ears, words that only served to make his heart heavier. She had asked if he would ask the King for permission to bury her in Mirkwood.
Unable to control himself, Aradan left the tent awhile, only returning much later with food for Thranduil and Legolas. The latter was much better, already sitting up and able to eat. "Are you feeling better, ionin?" Aradan asked gently. Legolas did not answer, only nodding and looking down. Beside him, his Ada sat, looking stoic as always but Legolas knew that he was tormented inside. But he could not help himself. He was so confused. Why had his Ada been so harsh to Tauriel? Why had he broken her bow and threatened her at swordpoint? Were his Ada's soldiers mere slaves to do his bidding whilst they, the high and mighty rulers, made decisions regardless of consequences? Why had his Ada held back aid? Tauriel's love was gone. She was grieving and upset. Legolas knew for he had been informed that she had left a day back to see to the dwarves' burials.
"I need to leave," he said quietly. Thranduil looked up and then turned his eyes down quickly. Aradan pressed his lips again and turned away. He could not bear to see his King's face even if Legolas was happily unaware of the pain that he was causing. Thranduil looked blank as he nodded. "You ought to heal more before you leave."
Shaking his head, Legolas' reply was distant and non-committal, "I will be okay." Turning to his Ada, he refused to meet his eyes as he said, "Will you give me permission to leave, King Thranduil?" Aradan's eyes were blank but Legolas knew that he was angry. He dismissed the Commander's feelings. The latter never saw the bigger picture, only his Ada's words mattered to Commander Aradan. That was not the way things ought to be.
His Ada had stood up from his seat. "Be safe, ionin." As he hurried out of the tent with those words, he would not have seen the tears that trickled from the prisoner's eyes as she remained a silent witness to their conversation, even as she lay unconscious.