Title: TH Elvenking's Visitors

Chapter 16: Reality

Spoiler Alert: The Hobbit, LOTR (books, maps and movies)

Warnings: Language, Sexual Situations, Violence, Humor, AU (means not all canon), Angst

Pairing: Thranduil/OC

Summary: Ship - Thranduil lost his wife years ago to war. After the death of the dragon, there is a group of humans who are causing problems. One sparks Thranduil's interest.

A/N: Thank you for leaving reviews and sending me messages about this story. It helps me write. And I want to say hi to everyone who set this story to their faves and alerts.

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"Tauriel how come I can hear a waterfall but don't see one? Is it an Elf thing?" Alyssa glanced around the lake.

"There are no waterfalls my Lady." Tauriel glanced to the side seeing one of their horses relieving itself. She guessed her quick transformation was causing her to have adjustment issued that usually only young children have. "Your ears are focusing on that thereby dulling your awareness of other sounds."

Alyssa turned. "That's just gross." She put her hands over her new Elven ears. "Not only is my life messed up but my ears are fucking up." She rubbed them wondering if there was some trick like holding your hand in front of your face to force your eyes to focus correctly. "What can I do to make it stop?"

Tauriel stood when she noticed that Legolas had signaled for the army to prepare to continue. The humans were already in their wagon far afield. "We are not far from Rivendell. The mistrals there will sooth your senses. They play during meals because that is a time when our hearing sometimes focuses on the chewing sounds. The harps take the focus, so when we arrive we can have them play for you. It should help."

Alyssa remembered the musicians playing instruments for Gandalf and the Dwarves when they ate. "I don't know if harps will cut it." Alyssa walked to her dark Friesian horse and mounted. As soon as they started moving, she knew he would follow the horse in front of her without her having to use the reigns to let him know where to go. She let him fall in line behind Tauriel's blood bay Andalusian horse.

"We should arrive within a couple hours. I could find someone to sing to you while we ride if you wish." Tauriel spoke over her shoulder noticing Alyssa pulled out the devil box that glowed.

"No thanks. I'll find something on here." Alyssa put in her earbuds and set her music app to random.

The first song started with a woman's voice: "I laid there feeling sorry for myself in a bed of Kleenex stuffing chocolates in my mouth, on the phone with my best friend cussing my ex…"

Alyssa shook her head and let her hands hold onto the long wavy dark mane that softly flowed over her hands. "Reba. She's crazy. I love her."

Tauriel slowed her horse so she was next to Alyssa. "My Lady?"

"It's a song about getting over an ex."

Tauriel did now know why someone would sing about climbing over an axe. She raised her eyebrows.

"Here they're still scouting up ahead. I'll restart it. You might like it." Alyssa handed her one earbud and started it from the beginning.

After they listened to the song three times, Tauriel and Alyssa were quietly singing along together. "He broke my heart, felt like the world had ended, I cried myself to sleep thinking I can't get over him…strange."

Legolas waved at Tauriel and Alyssa to move forward with the rest. They ignored him even as he heard them singing about men breaking their hearts. He glanced around noticing that no one paid them any attention. "Strange indeed."

Tauriel glanced up then sang louder so Legolas could fully hear. She was still upset that his father had deemed her unworthy to bond with Legolas. What made it worse was that after the death of the dragon Legolas had been giving her a wide birth and treated her like a guard. They were no longer in each other's confidence.

So Tauriel sang with attitude that would make the original singer proud. "Strange, talk about luck I woke up and the sun was shining. Strange, I ought to be in bed with my head in the pillow crying over us, but I ain't, ain't love strange…" Tauriel raised an eyebrow then removed the earbud giving it back to Alyssa.

Tauriel rode past Legolas murmuring the words of the song. She spoke of wearing a strapless black dress and laughing if he commented on it. He had never seen her in such a dress and his imagination ran wild with all the possibilities as he watched her long red hair fan out behind her.

He watched her in a state of shock. It was the first time he had ever heard her use the word love, and it was directed at him. The other part that confounded him was the fact that her body movements and demeanor made it clear that she was indifferent to him that she was leaving him behind. Realizing this might be the truth he instantly nudged his horse to follow her.

Alyssa smiled watching Legolas follow after Tauriel knowing that Tauriel was taking the song to heart. And she was put in mind of the Hobbit, Tauriel had led Legolas to do something that his father had told him not to do. Maybe he would defy his father once again, but this time instead of following her to kill Orcs he would bond with Tauriel. Her smile widened at the thought of them ending up together and how it was kind of Romeo and Juliet.

Alyssa finally let the song move onto another one after it finished that time. The next song started out with a man singing softly: "Say something, I'm giving up on you…"

The familiar pain sprouted to life again in her heart stealing her grin. It was always there so close to the surface ready to kill any happiness she felt. Her eyes went wide and blind as it burst to life taking over her body again.

The song continued in her ears: "I'll be the one, if you want me to…"

Alyssa's eyes teared as she closed them. She stupidly hoped that Thranduil was the one for her, and she had giving herself to him. She lowered her head knowing she had givin more than just her body. She had offered him her heart, and he had carelessly broken it into pieces that bleed anew as the song played.

The piano toned the melody as the man continued singing: "Anywhere I would've followed you…"

Alyssa let go of the horse's mane and wrapped her arms around herself as Christina's soft and tormented voice joined his. She didn't even notice her horse slowed down.

Her eyes opened only long enough to see Legolas was still behind Tauriel even though she parted from the group and left for the trees. Legolas was pursuing Tauriel.

Alyssa whispered, "No one's following me." Alyssa remembered pleading with Thranduil to say he cared, which he denied. She left his kingdom and thought he would have caught up to them by now. She wanted him to ride up, speak of his stupidity, and pledge his undying love then sweep her off her feet…literally. "Not gonna happen. This isn't a romcom."

With a shuttering breath, Alyssa knew if Thranduil had returned the sentiment then she would have literally followed him even if it took them to Mordor's gates with no hope of survival. She was the one that would follow him and as the song kept saying she was giving up on him. Giving up on the dream that she thought was real, but it was only part of his manipulative plan to further his own ends.

The song continued with a steady rhythm that pressed on her heart: "…I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you. Anywhere I would've followed you. Say something, I'm giving up on you…"

Alyssa felt disoriented as if her pain were taking over her existence. She leaned forward feeling the horse slow even more under her. She blindly gripped its soft mane feeling the rocking gait match the song as she continued to listen: "And I will swallow my pride. You're the one that I love and I'm saying goodbye…"

Alyssa openly cried not even aware that there was an army of Elves around her. She allowed herself to feel how much she truly loved Thranduil, and she knew he wasn't coming for her. She would never see him again and hadn't even said goodbye before she left.

Her mind offered that her torment was only one sided. She took a deep breath trying to calm herself down, but the seduction of the song was too strong. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket knowing that on some sick level she wanted to keep listening to it and tormenting herself because it was a way of keeping him close even though she would never physically hold him again. With an unsteady hand and eyes blurry from tears, she managed to make it change the song. She tapped her thumb down hard on the last song.

She didn't know if the emotions were this strong on their own or if her transformation was causing the intensity, but she decided to try to calm down. Alyssa wiped the tears away taking solace in hearing a strong woman sing about being over her ex. She finally noticed that her horse was no longer walking, and she glanced around.

She was in a field on her horse….completely alone. "Where?"

She had no idea where the army had gone or when they left her. She guessed that the music had distracted her and dulled her acute senses as Tauriel said it would. Alyssa pulled out her earbuds out, "Hello!" When there was no response she rubbed at her forehead trying to relax the tense muscles that were causing the start of a headache. "This is so bizarre."

Alyssa turned her horse around the way she came. She ran her hand over her horse's neck speaking to him, "Who knew a little crying could scare off an army of Elves. They left me. They just left me out here alone."

"They did not my Lady." A male voice sounded.

Alyssa held tight to her horse as it turned to the side. In the distance, she saw a man astride a white stallion.

"Oh thank God." Alyssa took in several deep breaths feeling relieved as the man dismounted and slowly walked toward her. "You're here."

"Yes my Lady." He said as he approached her on the uneven ground.

Alyssa dismounted with less grace than he did and knew it was her frayed nerves getting the better of her. "Everything's a mess." She threw her arms out and hugged him.

"Not entirely." He had not expected her to wrap her arms around him, so it took a few seconds before he put an arm around her. "Are you quiet alright?"

"I am now. You're here." She released him knowing everything would be alright now. "Gandalf, I don't know what to do. You have to help me. I'm a complete mess. My emotions keep taking over and my hearing well never mind that. I need help."

"I can assure you my Lady I intend to do just that."

"I don't know where the Elves went. More importantly is that I don't want to be demon possessed by the dead Elvenqueen. I love Thranduil, but I can't do that. You have to help me get home because I don't know how long I can resist him even thought I know he really doesn't care about me. You have to help me."

Gandalf shook his head. "Who said you will be possessed or have you seen that it shall come to pass?"

"No that's not in the movie. I'm not in the movie um Thranduil said I would become the Elvenqueen."

"And so you have."

Alyssa shook her head. "I'm still me. That's why I left."

Gandalf listened to a bird relay a message then he turned his full attention back to her. "My Lady by all appearances you are the Elvenqueen."

"Appearances yes, but she hasn't possessed me yet."

"As far as I know, you are not going to be possessed. The last Elvenqueen is dead and gone never to return."

"No, he said he will give me the broach and then I'll become her." Alyssa said.

"My Lady he was most likely speaking about you turning to Elven kind because of his bond with you."

"No, she is going to possess me, and you have to help me so that doesn't happen."

"Lady Alyssa, you will not be possessed." He smiled at her knowing it was the reason she left and that the misunderstanding could have cost Thranduil his entire kingdom like it had the last time when he fell in love and his last lady.

He decided to try to speak to her as a human and not the Elf that she appeared to be. "He loves you and wants to marry you. When you marry the king you become the queen. This past day he has been preparing a coronation and wedding not a necromantic possession. I asked the others to leave us so we could talk this out, and I believe the problem is as simple as you have misunderstood one another."

Alyssa stared at him for a minute before talking. "But he doesn't care about me. He said so himself."

Gandalf straightened and blinked several times while wishing for pipe weed. "My Lady, I'm afraid he does care for you. A great deal it appears."

Alyssa turned around to see Thranduil striding toward them with his sword in hand. "I come in search of my Elvenqueen and army to find the two of you alone in an intimate embrace. What is this?"

Gandalf took a step away from Alyssa knowing that Thranduil had watched their interaction. "Elvenking Thranduil, I was merely trying to slow her progress toward Rivendell so you would have a chance to catch up before she fell under the protection of Elrond. No one wants bloodshed. I was speaking of your love for her and trying to counsel her back to your kingdom."

Thranduil sped up getting closer. "Counsel? You dare call that counsel. She was wrapped around you."

Alyssa finally got over the shock of seeing him and recognized the expression on his face as the one he had when he almost killed the healers. She extended her hands out at her sides blocking his path to Gandalf. "Stop being crazy. He's Gandalf. You can't seriously think…he's a god yes but he's in the body of an old man right now. What are you going to do challenge him to a duel because I hugged him? He's an old man, and I'm not into old men." Alyssa remembered that Thranduil was also thousands of years old. She shook her head knowing she was rambling, but couldn't help it. "Yes, I know you're old too, but he looks it. Shit."

Alyssa lowered her arms and turned to Gandalf. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you."

Gandalf smiled and nodded.

Thranduil moved to step around her. Alyssa threw her arms out again and almost backed into Gandalf. "Stop it! You'll just cut me again."

Thranduil stopped his advance. His eyes darted to her arm then he sheathed his sword. "Very well."

They stood there watching each other a few moments before Gandalf spoke. "It would appear my Lord and Lady have a matter to discuss. I will take my leave." He bowed and headed in the direction he knew Legolas was. His horse trotted up and followed him.

When he left the field, Alyssa finally spoke. "Were you really going to hurt him?"

"I do not know. Were you really leaving me to go back to your own realm?"

Alyssa thought of Rivendell then of her apartment and never seeing Thranduil again. Her eyes flashed up to his as another thought set in. If what Gandalf said was true, Thranduil bonded with her just for her and not to bring his dead wife back. She blinked a few times not knowing how to believe it after all that had happened. Her faith in Gandalf won; she knew Gandalf would never do anything to harm someone and he would speak the truth. Another though occurred to her that felt more feasible, maybe Thranduil was up to something that Gandalf didn't know about.

She shook her head having completely forgotten what Thranduil asked. "What?"

"Are you leaving me?" His eyes flashed with intensity.

"And if I am going back where I belong?" She knew she shouldn't push him because it appeared the sickness had not fully worn off or was coming back, but she needed to be realistic about the situation. She reminded herself this wasn't a fairy tale and real life was closer to a tragedy than a romance. If real life were a romance then he would have rode up professing his feelings and would have begged forgiveness. He hadn't. He showed up more concerned with wanting to fight with Gandalf, which to her proved he was an ass. Because after all only evil people tried to kill Gandalf.

Thranduil's temper visibly calmed. "I am sure is it a strange place, but I will follow you."

"Is that what you think I want to hear? Pretty words that don't mean shit. You wouldn't follow me there. What the hell is going on? Why are you here because I know you aren't really going to go to my realm. Gandalf said you don't want to demon possess me with your dead Elvenqueen. OK, if that's not what this coronation broach thing was about then what are you really up to?"

Thranduil opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. It was worse than when he lost his speech in the hall from staring at her ass. She had thrown so much anger and pain at him in such a short amount of time he was losing the ability to think straight.

Alyssa forced her arms to stay at her sides instead of wrapping around her in a futile attempt at protection against his kind words that could easily be a manipulation…again. "Give up your kingdom? Your power? Why?"

When he still didn't respond, she folded her arms over her chest and glanced in the direction Gandalf had left. She then peered into his sapphire eyes feeling her emotions dwindle to the point where she could breathe without it hurting.

Thranduil spoke one word of truth as he kneeled before her. "Love."

A/N: Love may be invisible to the eye, but its existence is proved by the heart that beats for another. I played Say Something while writing the second half of this and it just about killed me. *reaches for another tissue and turns the music vid on again*