Title: TH Elvenking's Visitors
Chapter 17: Love
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.
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Alyssa let out the breath she was holding. For a passing moment, she allowed herself to believe the lie that he loved her and would give up his kingdom for her. It was a precious moment that passed too quickly.
Thranduil reached into his silver robe and pulled out a broach that was smaller than his own. He extended it to her in offering as he continued to stay on his knees. Alyssa heard his teeth grinding before he spoke a word that had a sharp edge. "Please."
She stared at the delicate piece of silver in his hand and wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe him, but she did not. She took a step back wondering if he had deceived Gandalf in the way that Saruman had…she corrected herself, would. She pictured her fingers closing over the intricate broach only to have it activate a necromantic spell that would allow his dead wife to take over her body.
Alyssa made a fist with the hand that wanted to reach out for the broach. Her other hand closed over her fist, and she pressed them to her chest. Was he capable of something like that? Probably. Would he go to extraordinary lengths to get things he wanted? Most definitely. Was she willing to take the chance after everything that happened and blindly trust him? "No."
Thranduil's voice floated out almost entirely made of air. "No?"
Alyssa pressed her hands over her heart that shouted at her to give into him. She shook her head.
Thranduil sat back on his heels; his hands fell onto his lap. He gazed at the grass in front of him, "You truly believe I care nothing for you and wish only to spell her to possess your body or is there some new atrocity you believe me to be about?"
"How am I supposed to know what you could be up to?"
"Because you can feel me now." Thranduil's sparkling eyes flashed up to hers, "As I feel you."
"Feel me? There will be no feeling me. There was enough of that, and I think that is how I got so confused. We were feeling each other, and I fell for you. Hook, line and sinker."
He blinked at her last few words having no idea what she meant. "We are bonded, so of course we can feel each other. I cannot help but feel you."
Alyssa extended a hand. "Well, you're going to help it. I'm not having sex with you after all this!"
…
Gandalf tipped his head to the left. "See. They keep misunderstanding each other. He is talking about being able to feel her emotions because of their bond and that she should be able to feel his and would thereby know if he was lying. On the other hand, she believes he is talking about physical interactions."
"She does that sometimes." Legolas sat on the log next to Gandalf. He leaned forward so a branch would not obstruct his view. "She thinks most things are about…physical contact. I said intercourse talking about the fact that our speaking might not go over so well with him. She thought I meant sex."
Gandalf raised an eyebrow at him. "That word does mean sex in human speech, and besides you had just kissed her the night before when you were in bed together. You cannot blame her for thinking that was what you meant."
"You did what?" Tauriel leaned around Gandalf.
"I did not kiss her. She mistook me for him and kissed me. He walked in just as it happened." Legolas couldn't bring himself to look at Tauriel. "It was not as it appeared." He peered at Gandalf. "Just as he walked up seeing the two of you embrace. It did not mean what it could have appeared like."
Gandalf leaned back not letting Legolas hide beside him. "I suppose." He took a long draw from his pipe knowing that the kiss had meant more to Legolas than he cared to admit in front of Tauriel who was continuing to stare holes into Legolas. "I believe we should leave them alone to resolve the issue."
With that, Gandalf stood up to leave the other couple to figure things out amongst themselves as well. "I will check in with the scouts and sent part of the army to take the humans to Elrond's care."
…
Alyssa thought Thranduil would have said something by now especially after she yelled at him. He just sat there watching the sunset. "So that's it? I say we aren't going to fool around and you give me the silent treatment."
He thought of her words fool around and pictured a jester walking in circles. He shook his head knowing he did not understand her. Thranduil rubbed his thumb over the broach thinking his first love could saw a few words and he would understand volumes of knowledge from it. His new love could talk for an hour on end, and he doubted he would comprehend half of what she meant.
"Well?" Alyssa sat near him.
"I fear I am at my end."
"End of what?"
Thranduil tucked the broach back inside his garments. "Everything." He knew what he was about to say was the equivalent of admitting stupidity, but he knew if he was going to sort everything out he needed to know what she was saying. "I do not understand what you meant by fools and treatments."
"Um fooling around means sex and the silent treatment means that you are pouting so you don't talk to the other person."
"Pouting?"
"Yes, sulking. Your feelings get hurt or you don't get your way so you say fine I'm not talking to you so there." She made a humph sound and stuck out her bottom lip. She stopped when she noticed he was looking at her as if she transformed into a pink Orc wearing an evening gown.
Thranduil spoke in deep tones. "What do you want of me?"
"The truth."
His voice boomed out. "I have given that very thing to you, but it is not enough. I love you with everything that I am and every action since my poor behavior at the meeting should prove that."
Alyssa stood up. "You're actions? You're actions?"
Thranduil quickly followed her and towered over her. "Yes."
"Planning what appears to be a demon possession, making me barter my freedom for my friends so they can get to Rivendell, and threatening to kill Gandalf. Yes, your actions speak clearly. If you really loved me, you would have swept me off my feet and been romantic not whatever the hell this is."
"I came here willing to leave my kingdom for you, but that was not enough for you because you were still here and did not get to see my torment at actually living in your realm. You insult me accusing me of being a Necromancer when I was trying to plan your coronation and our wedding. You did not barter the human's freedom; it is part of your wedding gift for not having as grand a ceremony as it could be if we planned a few hundred years for it. I have humbled myself to beg on my knees for your hand where half my army can hear and see but that is not enough for you either. Do you have any idea how many times I have allowed my army to leave my lands or how many times I have left?"
Alyssa's eyes went wide, and she thought about how obsessive he was in The Hobbit that his people stay within Mirkwood. "I um. Um."
Thranduil's rate of speech kept increasing with his agitation, "Yes you…you have been speaking about how Bilbo would take you in if you needed a dwelling and how Legolas never appears tired even when he is in battle, but I do. And now I hunt you down to find you are on your way to live with Elrond. The one who choked so loudly on his wine when you were describing what you wanted to do with your wicked mouth. I have no doubt with you near he will start picturing it or you will imaging it. Or have you fantasized about him already?"
Alyssa floundered knowing that in the past she had fantasized about Elrond when she first watched Lord of the Rings. "I did, but he was just so lonely and regal and sad because his daughter was going to die. I wanted him to be happy. He needed someone. And all of that was before you. Well in the timeline it would have been after you. The Lord of the Rings is after the Hobbit. So technically I thought about him before you but it is really in the future. Um. I'm not explaining this very well."
Alyssa stopped talking at seeing his expression. She had never seen such a tempest in his eyes and knew instinctively it was the last thing his enemies beheld on the battle field before their destruction at his hands.
"Right now, do you desire him?"
"No. For me, that was years ago."
"But still you go to him!"
"I was going to Rivendell because it was a safe place and not to be with him. I wanted to be somewhere I know and a place that Gandalf goes. I think he can help."
"And there it is again! Whenever you mention him, your face brightens as if he is the sun itself shining on you."
"Oh my god." Alyssa pressed her hands to the sides of her head.
"Yes he is, and you keep pointing that out too while being angry at me for threatening him. I take exception to how many times I enter an area and men are touching you in ways that appear to be inappropriate. And you wish me to stand idly by and watch. You berate me for trying to defend your honor."
"I don't need you to defend my honor." Alyssa practically spit the words out.
"You have made that abundantly clear. And so you strip my pride layer by layer and unman me and still I let you. I do not understand what else you want of me, so as I have said I am at my end."
Alyssa knew she had asked for the truth from him countless times, and he always avoided it. "You know what I want, so don't play stupid."
Strong arms wrapped around her, and she felt herself lifted into the trees. She screamed and tried to fight free to no avail. Her heart pounded in her chest as she gasped for air.
Thranduil secured them on a thick branch toward the top of the canopy then ripped the top of the tree off launching it into darkness.
"What the hell are you doing?" Alyssa only now noticed night had fallen. Her Elven eyes had made things appear lighter than it was.
"What you wanted." Thranduil loosened his grip on her after he set her on his lap. He knew she had to hold onto him or fall.
Alyssa wrapped an arm around him pulling the side of her body to his chest. "What I wanted? I wanted to be scared to death? How did you get that from what I said?"
"Did I do it wrong?" Thranduil thought over her earlier words. "Surely you do not expect me to find a broom out here somewhere, and we had to land somewhere."
"OK, you've lost me." Alyssa shook her head at his bizarre words.
"You are right here."
"Yes but why?"
Thranduil glanced down at the ground then to her boots. "You said you wanted me to sweep you off of your feet. I do not have a broom so I improvised."
Alyssa paused a moment then burst out into laughter.
Thranduil had to keep a good grip on her or she would have fallen to her death. "You laugh at my difficulty?" He couldn't help but grin as her outburst continued.
Alyssa finally found her voice. "And I thought guys were I'm from have a hard time understanding women, but you take the cake." She started giggling when he glanced at her hand. "Not a real cake."
Thranduil tried to comprehend and gave up. "An imaginary one?"
"Sure. Alright, so you swept me off my feet now what?" She remembered that he wanted the ceremony to start at sundown and if she had not left they would be married by now. She watched him hoping he was not manipulating her and that Gandalf was right…he truly cared.
"Something romantic." Thranduil waved his hand above them. "You study stars in your realm, but as an Elf you can experience them."
Alyssa leaned her head back on his shoulder and peered up. "So beautiful." She gazed from one twinkling star to the next. "This why you ripped the top of the tree off. I really didn't think Elves would damage trees."
"It is frozen in time, and I will restore it before I unfreeze it so the tree will not feel any pain."
She lifted her head to look at him. "The trees feel pain?"
"Everything that lives feels pain, and I still feel yours."
"What do you mean?"
Thranduil scrutinized her face. "Being bonded means if I wish then I can sense your emotions and intent of your thoughts. You want to believe me, but my harsh words caused damage."
"So when you said I could feel you, you meant that I should be able to feel what you are and know if you are being manipulative or not?"
He nodded.
"How?"
"Our hearts beat to the same rhythm when we are near. Focus on that." He took her hand and placed it over his heart. "Feel and listen."
In the quiet of night, Alyssa's ears were able to hear the beat of their hearts as she felt the reverberation against her hand. "This isn't possible. They are beating at the exact same time."
Her eyes lifted from his chest to his sapphire eyes, and it was as if she fell into them. Beating all around her was a bombardment of his emotions. Anguish at her leaving. Determination to leave his world behind for her. Helplessness at watching her arms around another man. Guilt and shame for not defending her. Anger at himself for how difficult it was to kneel in front of her and humble himself for love. Love.
Alyssa jerked her hand off of his chest. Everything he had done since he met her was because he loved her. Even when he spoke coldly about her to the other men, it was because it pained him that he loved her and knew he was losing himself to her. She nodded knowing that she wouldn't have fully believed it unless she had experienced his emotions about it just now.
"You love me." She made it a statement.
"Yes." Thranduil's troubled eyes watched her. "To the point of insanity it seems."
Alyssa started to cry, but it turned into laughter and back to crying again.
Thranduil feared he had done something wrong again, so he held onto her and let himself experience what she was. Her emotions changed so quickly and intensely that he remained silent deciding that a war was being waged inside her…then he changed his mind knowing instead it was a storm. There weren't two opposing forces battling, but it was as if a violent tempest wracked her with each gust of wind the force of a new emotion blending with the others raining down to her damaged heart. When the storm finally subsided, all of the pain was washed away leaving unadulterated joy and love.
Thranduil finally risked speaking. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," She wiped her face and patted her hand over his heart. "I think we will be." She rested against the warmth of his body as a gentle night breeze floated over her skin. Her eyes went back to the stars. They sat together holding on to one another as they gazed at the magnificence of the twinkling lights above them.
"You said experience stars right?"
"Yes, you watch the sky till a star catches your attention then focus on it. The light will connect you then you may speak to the star. Not with words, but have one simple thought and give it a moment. You will feel the thought go out then if the star wishes it will return a thought."
Alyssa grinned shaking her head thinking of everything she had learned in college about stars. "Are you serious?"
"Try it." Thranduil focused at the sky. "With your new eyes, you can distinguish the different colors and variations of reflected light. I usually chose by the intensity of the light. A radiant sparkle usually catches my attention."
Alyssa thought of the box of jewels she saw him reach for in The Hobbit. "Yes. You like things that sparkle." She glanced around till she saw one that was a pale violet. She focused her eyes on it and thought one word over and over beautiful. A shimmer of light flickered over her eyes then thinned out like a sunbeam. After a few minutes, the light wavered again and she felt a push at her mind. "Oh wow! It talked to me. The star talked to me. No one at NASA would believe this."
Thranduil grinned watching her. "What did it say?"
"I felt it instead of words, but it felt like the star was saying I'm beautiful too."
"That is well and true."
"What did yours say?" Alyssa was practically bounding in his lap.
Thranduil did not respond.
"What was it?"
Thranduil stopped grinning. "As you say it is not words, but if I had to put it in your words…I believe it told me to fuck off."
Alyssa's hysterical laughter filled the silence.
Thranduil's deadpan words didn't make a dent. "It is not that humorous."
"Yes it is. Now, what did you say to it?"
"I expressed it was marginally less bright than the last I inspected."
"Well, no wonder." She squinted her eyes at him.
"It was a compliment. The last one was exceedingly bright."
"It's still insulting." Alyssa reached into his robe, pulled out the silver broach, and pinned it to her shirt. From what he said before, she knew he had spent countless times with the last Elvenqueen in trees watching stars. If she took him at his word concerning everything he said since he arrived, then she had been far worse to him than his cruel words at the meeting. She pressed a hand over the broach knowing she couldn't possible fathom how hard this had been on him. "I'm sorry for all the misunderstandings and for anything I did that hurt you."
Thanduil's eye went wide. "It is I who should apologize to you for all that has transpired. I have been monstrous. I am truly…sorry."
"Oh that hurt. I appreciate it." Alyssa couldn't help herself because she felt his emotions knowing it was as hard for him to say as it would be for a person to saw off their arm, but she knew he meant it. He was willing to sacrifice his pride for her and that meant more than a fancy coronation and flowers.
"This is romantic and all but seriously I want to go home now." Alyssa shifted her weight then felt waves of anxiety and dread radiating from Thranduil. "What is it? An Ork army?"
He didn't speak.
She whispered, "A dragon?" It was the only other thing that she thought could instill such fear in him.
"You still wish to leave me?"
Alyssa stopped glancing from the sky to the ground. "What? No, you idiot. When I said home, I meant our home. It is ours right?"
"Most definitely." Thranduil breathed in and let the anxiety leave.
"I swear to god you're bipolar."
"No, I prefer women." With that explanation, he launched them into darkness, kicked off another tree's trunk, and landed them securely on the ground.
"Shit! You really need to warn me before you do that." Alyssa watched him raise a hand toward the tree they had been in moments before. The top of the tree hovered then landed back in place. A blue mist radiated where the two ends met, and Thranduil chanted till the fog dissipated.
"You fixed it."
Thranduil nodded and held is hand out to her.
Alyssa took it. "Why did you say you prefer women?"
"You said I liked two poles, and I prefer just mine. I do not think I would ever like playing with another man's pole as you call it. You know, laughing at me constantly would damage my vanity if I were a lesser Elf."
Alyssa was still giggling. "That's not what that means."
He pretend to look down his nose at her when she finally stopped chuckling. "Then say what you mean."
"I love you."
Thranduil drew her in close for a soft kiss that lingered between several of their heart beats. "And I you."
"Then we need to get going before I scandalize you in front of your men." Alyssa knew he was sensing her desires.
"To my…our bedchamber then."
"No." Alyssa tapped his chest thinking of her drawing of him. "I'm thinking the throne chair. I have to admit I love the way you lounge on your throne. Very sexy."
"I will clear the chamber, and we will proceed as you wish, my Lady."
"And what about the coronation?" Alyssa glanced up at the massive moose that walked out into the clearing.
"Next week or next month I care not. I only know for a time I will want you all to myself." They walked hand in hand as Thranduil continued. "Have you ever ridden astride a moose?"
"No never."
"Then you are in for a treat." He grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her up onto the moose. He quickly joined her. Alyssa leaned back against his chest thankful that the drama was finally over, and he was hers.
Thranduil tipped his head down and kissed the top of her head. He breathed in the scent of her hair knowing that no force in existence would ever separate them again. For the first time in thousands of years, he was content and filled with love.
They ventured into the forest joining the others to journey back to Mirkwood…their home.
A/N: I think this is the end. Thank you for taking this journey with me; I hope you enjoyed it.