Author's Note: Thank you to everyone to left reviews on the last chapter: ElenaGal, inperfection, Mika & strangers. in. the. night. ! As well as Favorited and followed this story. Here is a long one from me! Hope you like and please dont hesitate to let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to The Lord of the Rings. I own my own original characters and ideas... but I am just playing with Tolkien's genius.

Chapter Two

"I hope you are real proud of yourself," Caldawen hissed over breakfast the next morning.

"Cal, please," I started slowly, taking a sip of my too hot tea, feeling it burn my throat.

"What do you think will happen, Ari? The King singled you out in front of all those people. The King!"

I sighed as I set my cup down. "I know who he is."

"Then you ran out of there like there was an Orc on your tail. Tell me, does the King have bad breath?"

"No."

"Obnoxious body odor?"

"Cal, really? I don't want to talk about it."

Caldawen huffed as she fell back into her chair, staring at me from across the small table. I made myself busy by buttering a piece of toast, I had no intentions of eating.

My stomach hurt. I didn't want to talk about it, I didn't even want to think about it. To be so close to him in those few moments. Gods, I just wanted to crawl back into my bed, pull the blanket over my head and I hide there until the whole thing had passed. I was afraid to go to the library that day to work. What would people say? Not that ever really cared what people thought of me, since I paid them even less mind.

But then I had danced with the King.

A knock sounded at the door, jarring me from my thoughts. Caldawen was immediately on her feet to answer it.

"A message for Lady Lostariel."

I barely heard my name before my sister took the missive and thanked the messenger.

"I wonder what this is about," she teased as she walked back towards me.

"Give it to me, Cal." I carefully stood and made my way over to her, where she had stopped suddenly.

She stared at the dark green seal on the back then up at me. Her eyes wide as dinner plates.

"Oh, I don't think so!"

I chased after her as she scurried over to the fair side of the room.

"That note was intended for me, now hand it over."

Caldawen was taller than I by a few inches and held the missive up above her head. I didn't give the gratification of making me jump. Instead, I kicked her in the shins.

"Come on, Ari!"

"Give it to me," I growled.

I was posed to kick her again, before Mother entered the room.

"Now, girls, what is the meaning of this?" Her words were calm and not at all surprised. Caldawen and I were known to fight.

"I received a message and now she won't hand it over."

"Now, Caldawen, what have I told you about teasing your sister?"

Caldawen managed to skirt passed me over to our mother who had taken a seat at the breakfast table.

"But Naneth," she whined. "It's from the King!"

My knees hit the floor with a thud and I gasped to breath.

"You cannot be serious?" I whispered.

Mother took the note from my sister and turned it over in her hands.

"Quite. Your name is written on the front. Shall I read it for you?"

"No." I pushed myself off the floor and over to them. I snatched the note from my mother's hands. "I am quite capable of reading on my own."

I walked over to the window and sat down on the small bunch. I turned the note, staring down at the wax seal, embellished with a leaf. I had seen it many times before – when the King would send correspondence to my father, or when it had to be logged in the library. But there was no mistaking the elegant script on the front that spelled out my name.

Caldawen hurried behind me and I could almost feel her breathing down the back of my neck as I broke the seal and unfolded the note.

I barely got to read two words before she snatched it again and began to read it aloud:

My Lady,

I cannot seem to get you out of my head and I greatly desire to see you again. I will send a messenger to fetch you before the evening meal, with the hope that you will dine with me. Until we meet again.

Your humble servant, T

"Sweet Elbereth," my mother gasped as she brought a hand to her heart.

I couldn't even begin to process what my sister had just read. I rested my suddenly hot cheek against the cool glass of the window. My heart was racing and my stomach clenched into tight knots. This wasn't happening.

"And what is going on in here?" Father asked as he too entered the room.

Not one of us said a thing as Caldawen immediately rushed over to give him the note from the King.

My father had the audacity to chuckle. "It seems like you have made quite the impression, Ari."

"Is that a good thing, Ada?" I asked stiffly. I forced myself away from the window to join the rest of my family at the table. I reached for my tea, which was now cold, but it didn't matter. It gave my hands something to do other than fidget.

Father reached over and took hold of my hand, which I only then realized was shaking.

"Of course, it is."

Mother finally managed to compose herself. "To think I made you go to the party last night in the hopes that one of you would catch the eye of the prince!" She stood and coming to kneel before me, took my face in her hands. "My bookish daughter has caught the eye of the King instead."

I made a face. "Maybe I shouldn't go."

Mother planted her hands firmly on her hips. "Oh, you will go. You will smile and keep that tongue of yours under control."

"Oh yes," Caldawen interjected. "We can't have you saying anything stupid in front of the King and have you jeopardize everything."

"It will be fine, Ari," Father said. "Thranduil is a good elf and an even better king."

Caldawen rolled her eyes. "You have to say that, Ada. You're one of his Captains."

"And even if I wasn't, I would still say so. He has done much for our forest and lost so much in the process. If he wishes to have dinner with my daughter, then they will dine."

At the very least, I had my father's vote of confidence that I wouldn't make a fool of myself.

My elder sister smirked and there was something about it I didn't like.

"Cal…" I started as a warning.

"What if it's not only dinner?" she asked.

"Caldawen," I warned her again, shooting daggers at her from across the table.

"I mean it, Ari. Would you let the King ravish you?"

Now, both of our parents yelled.

"Caldawen, must you really be so vulgar?" Mother asked as she stared at her eldest.

"The King isn't ravishing anyone!" I jumped to my feet and stared at them all. "If you will excuse me."

As calmly as I could keep myself, I crossed the small sitting room until I reached the door to the room I shared with Caldawen. I slammed it hard behind me and punched it hard. Well, that hurt more than it should have, I thought as I shook out my hand.

I sat down on my bed and buried my face in my hands.

Today had only just begun and it had already turned everything upside down.

Dancing with the King at the party had been like a girlish dream come true. To feel his arms around me as he led us across the floor. But then it had been over and he thanked me. Never in my wildest imagination had I thought, it would ever amount to anything. But now, the King wished for dinner. It was like my begetting day and Yuletide wrapped together for the next hundred years. It was more than I had ever dreamed it would be.

I heard the door to the room open and the soft foot falls that followed. It knew it was my father. Mother would have started with a scolding for running away and Caldawen would only continue to torment me.

He sat down beside me on the bed, draping a comforting arm around my shoulders. I leaned into his embrace, burying my face in his chest.

"You do not have to go if you do not wish it. I can make an excuse for you."

I sighed as I pulled my face back.

"Thank you, Ada. But do you think I should go?"

He smiled softly as he touched my cheek. "You are wise enough to make your own choices. I trust you to make the right one. Whether you wish to spend the evening with Thranduil or not, I will support you. He summoned me this morning, you know."

I gapped at him for a long moment. "He did?"

"Yes, why do you think your mother beat me to breakfast? I am never late."

"For official business?"

"No, to make sure I would not be offended if he were to ask you to dinner. I don't know what happened between the two of you last night, but you have caught his attention. The King hasn't shown an interest in anyone in over a century. You can imagine my surprise. And don't tell your sister, I always knew you would be the successful one."

I smiled, testing my head on his shoulder. "But what if what Caldawen said is true? What if he really wants to…"

He pressed his fingers to my lips to get me to shut up.

"Then I would trust you to make the right decision."

Again, my father was full of surprises.

"You mean, you wouldn't…" I couldn't even complete my thought.

"There is honor to be had to lie with the King. You know Lady Valadhiel?"

I frowned. "General Orthorien's wife?"

Father nodded. "She was Thranduil's lover for decades, long before you were born. They parted amicably and he sought a rather advantageous marriage for her. They are actually quite happy. She bore him a son, not too many years ago. My point being, Ari, is that only you know what is right for you. And like I said, I will support you in whatever path you choose. And the only choice right now is if you will dine with him."

I thought about it long and hard for a moment. It really could be just dinner. A chance to see him again. To be close to him. To really find out if all my dreaming about him was right.

"Yes," I whispered. "I will dine with him."

*/*\\*/*\\*

"I swear to the Valar, Cal, if you don't stop it, I will throw this brush at you!"

It was like the previous night all over again.

"Come on, Ari, you're no fun." Caldawen fell back onto her bed.

I stared at her prone form through the mirror as I finished brushing out my hair.

The whole day passed as if it was nothing. Not even being in the library surrounded by everything I loved, made me feel better. And Lord Velethuil noticed. My mentor could be quite astute if he wanted to be, but said nothing of it. For which I was eternally grateful, I really didn't want to have to try and explain it to him.

I secured my hair back with a small clip.

"Mother suggested the red one, but I like the green better. Do I dare ask what you think?" I asked as I regarded the two dresses on my bed.

Caldawen giggled, rolling over and propping her chin up on her head.

"Does it matter what color it is? He'll be stripping you out of it before the night is over."

I removed my slipper and threw it at her head.

"I really do hate you!" I hissed, grabbing the green dress and disappearing behind the dressing curtain.

"Come off it. You love me." She dropped the slipper over the curtain where it hit my head. "Besides, you can't go visiting the King with only one slipper. And you promised me."

"I promised you nothing," I replied as I came back around. I took my mother's pearl necklace from the table and secured it around my neck. "I said I would think about it."

"The least you could do is get me an audience with the Prince."

"Spare me." I grabbed the bottle of lavender oil from the vanity and dabbed a little bit on my wrists and on my throat. "If all we know, the King will be disgusted with me for saying something inappropriate and we will all be out in the forest with the spiders."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Ari!"

Mother stuck her head in the door to let me know that my escort had arrived.

Not wanting or needing any more of my family attention or opinions on the matter, I quickly followed my escort out the door. My father had leaned in and whispered something to the young guard but I hadn't heard what he said, only the boy's answer of "Yes, Captain".

I took his arm when he offered it and allowed him to lead down to a place in the palace I didn't even know existed. Granted the King and the Prince had to have chambers somewhere, but I never really thought about where they might be. Let alone, imagine myself going to them at all. I was a little taken aback that the King would request dinner there, but I tried to now let it show. Trying to keep my breathing as even as possible.

We had almost reached out destination, when a door opened on the far end of the corridor. There was no mistaking the blonde head of Prince Legolas. He was obviously dressed for immediately departure, his bow and quiver attached to his back.

He regarded me as we crossed paths with a raised brow and a slight shake of his head. I inclined my head as he passed to at least acknowledge his presence even as my escort did not stop until we reached the last door on the end.

The guard station outside the door looked at me with the same confused expression the Prince had. I squared my shoulders and looked up at him.

"Yes?" I hissed when he wouldn't stop staring.

He said nothing as he wrapped on the door before pushing it open. I shot him another look as I slipped inside.

Thranduil, son of Oropher, King of the Woodland Realm was the picture of ease as if he was not king nor had a single care in the world. He sat crossways on the sofa, his long lean legs dangling over one armrest. In one hand, he held a small red leather bound book, in the other a goblet of wine. A great fire roared in the hearth beside him and it gave the room an oddly comfortable warmth. He glanced up from his reading at the sound of the door opening.

He snapped his book shut and set it aside on a small table with his glass of wine. He approached me with a sort of predatorial prowl, taking my hand and kissing the top of it like he had the night before. My skin burned where his lips had touched.

"I'm most pleased you have come, Lostariel," he said, before he dismissed the guard with a flick of his wrist.

I found myself smiling even as he stared at me with those cold, hard blue eyes, which seemed to soften somehow when he flipped my hand over and kissed the inside of my wrist. I felt my pulse rising, even though I had been there but a minute.

"Thank you for inviting me, sire. Though Ari, please or at the very least Ariel. The only person who calls me by my full name is my mother and only when I have displeased her."

"Ariel, then. And while you are within these walls, you will call me Thranduil," he replied. He led me over to the sofa and I sat down into the spot he had just vacated.

I gasped at his suggestion. "But you are my king, sire. I couldn't possibly…"

He held up his hand and I immediately clamped my lips shut.

"You can and you will. It would please me greatly to hear my name upon your lips."

"Yes, si… Thranduil." Even though I had said it before, the name felt odd upon my tongue and yet even odder to say it in his presence.

He crossed to small table on the far side of the room, where he retrieved a second glass and a bottle. Returning he placed the bottle upon the small side table and handed me the now full glass. I stared down into the deep red wine for a moment before taking a slow sip. It was fruity, spicy and definitely very strong. I was going to have to be careful with this.

I peeked over the rim of my glass as he watched me drink. I don't think I had ever seen him in this sort of light. He wore no crown, his long golden hair spilling freely over his shoulders, the neck of his silver robe open to expose the long line of his neck. If it weren't for the numerous rings upon his fingers, he looked no more a king than my father.

"Do you like it?" he asked when he noticed my scrunched-up nose. "I can have something else brought for you."

"It's wonderful actually," I admitted even as I stared down into the cup. "It's just more potent than I am accustomed."

"Ah, yes." Thranduil reached for his own glass and took a deep swallow. "Fine Dorwinion wine such as this is an acquired taste. One I quite enjoy myself."

"I can see why," I replied, taking another small sip, feeling the wine warm me from the inside out.

There was a prolonged silence and I chewed nervously on my lower lip. What could I possibly say? What even should I say? He was the king, after all and one I had no intention of displeasing or saying something incredibly stupid. I caught sight of the book he had been reading upon the side table. A volume I was familiar with and wondered what he thought of it. I fully intended to ask him such a question, but stopped before I could even speak.

He ran his thumb over my lower lip, pulling it free from my teeth. He continued to stroke my lips as the rest of his fingers wound around my chin. Tipping my head up towards his, he leaned down. I could smell the wine on his breath, the warmth of it caressing my cheek. His other hand joined the first until he cupped my face in his large strong hands.

"Did you invite me here simply to seduce me, my king?" I caught myself whispering before I could stop myself.

Something changed in his eyes and he pulled away abruptly. He stood, taking his goblet with him as he turned his back to me, staring into the fire. He downed the contents of his cup.

"Is that what you truly think my intentions were?" He asked slowly, not turning around.

"I don't know what your intentions are."

"Then why did you come?"

I worried on my lower lip again and took a gulp of the wine to steel my suddenly fraying nerves.

"Because I…" What could I possibly say? That I had admired him my entire life? That I wondered what it would feel like to be wrapped in his arms? To feel his bare skin against my own? No. I dared not to say it.

He turned slowly as he approached me again. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tightly to his chest. My hands coming to rest lightly on his shoulders.

"Tell me," he commanded.

"When you asked me to dance last night, I never thought," I stopped as I found myself staring at his chest. He tapped my chin to get me to look up. That didn't help my confidence one bit, but I forced the words out. "I never thought you would ever notice me. I'm no great beauty."

"That is where you are wrong."

"Than what do you want of me, Thranduil?" I found myself asking and speaking his name.

He leaned down, his nose trailing along the side of my neck. His lips lightly kissing as he went. I shuddering in his arms, my knees growing weak and I was thankful for his tight hold.

When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and barely a whisper. "Say it again."

"Thranduil." His name like a sigh and a prayer.

No sooner was it spoken that Thranduil dipped down his head and kissed me.

His lips were soft and warm as he stole the very air from my lungs. My hands clutching handfuls of his silver robes, trying to pull him closer, to feel more of him. His tongue darting out to lick my lower lip, begging entry to my mouth. My lips parted in a gasp as he lifted me off my feet.

Before I even knew what was happening, I felt him lowering us to the floor, my ack resting against the plush fur carpet that was laid before the fire. His lips never leaving mine as he stretched out above me, resting his weight on his elbows so not to crush me. My head cradled in his hands.

He eased away from the kiss long enough to stare down into my eyes. His golden hair falling like a curtain around us and I reached up to tuck the loose strands behind his pointed ears. My finger so lightly grazing the tips, making him groan.

"Will you take me as your lover, Ariel?" he practically growled, the evidence of his arousal pressing into my hip.

I wanted this more than I could put into words, like a dream that had become a reality. The great Elven King offering himself to me. Whether this was the beginning or the end, it didn't matter. I wanted him. I needed him like I needed air. And if this was my only chance, then who was I to deny him something we both clearly wanted.

"Make love to me, Thranduil. Please."

He didn't need to hear my consent twice.

The rest was a whirlwind of passion, of feeling things I never knew existed. The feeling of his warm slick skin against mine, or his hands and lips all over my body. Or the way he filled me when we finally joined together – right there on the carpet before the glowing fire.

I threw my head back with a loud moan, burying my fingers into his hair as my climax came crashing down around me. He buried his face in my neck, biting into the soft flesh as he finished soon after. He rolled over onto his side as to not crush me, cradling me in his arms, my head tucked under his chin.

"Stay with me tonight," he whispered into my ear.

All I could do was nod, every fiber of my body feeling relaxed.

I barely noticed when he scooped me off the floor and carried me to his bedchamber on the other side of his office. He laid me down on the massive bed, curling up behind me, pressing my back firmly to his chest.

And it was there in the safe confines of his arms, that I somehow fell asleep.

TO BE CONTINUED…