A/N – So, Thranduil had allowed to feel again, but he's not a changed man – er, elf. He is still king, and he still has his agenda. It's interesting to try to balance both.
Again, thank you for your gracious reviews, and the follows and favorites. I feel honored that this has been so well-received.
I have received requests to somehow have Thorin and Fili survive, but I just don't see it as realistic for this particular spin of the story. I've also received requests to keep Kili dead – so, now I can definitely say that I can't please everyone. :)
x
Three days after the battle, Thorin and his nephew were laid to rest in the bowels of the mountain, along with the accursed stone. Only Dain Ironfoot seemed to be truly unhappy about the arrangement, but he outwardly said nothing to contradict leaving the stone with Thorin.
Almost immediately after, Thranduil and his guard began the journey back to the forest, escorting the wizard and the hobbit on the first leg of their journey back to the Shire. Thranduil studied the small creature who had braved Thorin's wrath to bring them the Arkenstone and recalled his description of the dwarves. He'd called the creatures "kind and loyal." Hardly descriptive of any of the dwarves in Thranduil's history, but his personal contact with the creatures had been, deliberately, limited.
If they had extended this loyalty to an outsider such as this hobbit, perhaps Tauriel might also have earned some aspect of loyalty due to her connection with Thorin's nephew. Such a connection might be useful, but that remained to be seen. He did not wish to use Tauriel in such a way but would not hesitate if the need arose.
The hobbit appeared introspective, clearly still in reflection over the recent funeral, but Thranduil needed to learn more about this hobbit, and what he knew of the dwarves and their loyalties.
"Hobbits are a rare sight in this part of the world, Mr. Baggins," the king said, trying to draw the quiet creature into conversation.
The hobbit nodded. "I can't say that's surprising. It's not considered proper for hobbits to go adventuring. We tend to like things to be... predictable."
"As do elves," he replied. "Yet, events happen that foil our best efforts sometimes."
The hobbit nodded.
"Our Mithrandia has made note of your unique insight and character. With such traits, I find it remarkable that you would choose to travel with a company of dwarves."
The hobbit smiled humbly. "Yes, well, I hardly expected it myself. But, I don't regret it."
Prompting for more, the king said, "I was rather intrigued by your description of them, when you brought us the stone. You say that you found them to be good companions?"
The hobbit gave a small smile. "I can't say I liked them much at first, but I've come to grow rather fond of them."
"Indeed. You must have done well to earn their respect."
"I'd like to think I was honest, and I did my best to contribute. I wasn't exactly helpful at the beginning of the journey. I think I tried Thorin's patience."
Thranduil nodded and the pair rode on silently.
After some minutes, the hobbit spoke again. "Do you think that they will return? The orcs, I mean."
Thranduil sighed. "The wizard is correct. The darkness has returned and this is a strategic location. However, we may have some time to prepare for the next attack. To be successful, we must ally with each other."
The hobbit thought. "Thorin was a good person, you know. I know you had your differences but, he cared about his people. He wanted..." Then, he paused, clearly emotional. "When the journey began, he just wanted to reclaim his home, for his people. He was a man of his word."
Thranduil considered the information. "Dragon sickness is not a trivial matter."
"Yet you wanted your white gems as much as Thorin wanted the Arkenstone – enough to go to war." The words were said without malice, but with utter truthfulness and conviction, and Thranduil suddenly realized that there was more to this small creature than his outward appearance indicated.
He took a deep breath, uncomfortable with being confronted with his own actions. "Did you speak so plainly to Thorin?"
The hobbit shrugged. "Well, I suppose I did," he said, appearing thoughtful and slightly abashed. "I suppose that it's just in my nature that I have to speak my mind. I'd like to think that sometimes I was able to help."
Thranduil responded with a dry chuckle. Hardly a laugh, but the hobbit's forthright nature did amuse him. "I would see how you tried his patience."
The hobbit looked up at the elegant king from his small pony and said possibly the most surprising thing that Thranduil had ever heard in three thousand years. "You know, you and Thorin are very much alike. I would think that, given time – and a bit of understanding - you might have been friends."
x – x -
As soon as the hobbit and wizard were settled for the evening, Thranduil went to check on his young former captain and her secret charge. Reports of her recovery had been troubling and he felt the need to address her himself.
He entered the room to find her seated, still in the same clothing that he'd last seen her, dirty and unkept, keeping vigil at the bedside of the still-unconscious dwarf. She held his head, gently spooning broth into his mouth, carefully ensuring that he swallowed the liquid. The sight was troubling, and Thranduil once again found his heart softening toward his adopted daughter's plight.
"Tauriel," he said, as gently as he could.
She stood, her legs shaking from weakness. "My Lord," she replied, forcing a formal bow, her stiff action showing that she was still in some pain from her encounter with Bolg.
He looked at her critically, taking in her haggard appearance. "You have not rested," he stated. "You have not properly attended to your own injuries."
"No, my Lord," she said, gesturing to Kili. "He still sleeps. He needs care, and as long as he breathes, there is a chance..." Her voice broke slightly, giving indication that she still feared that the dwarf would not recover.
The king frowned and took a deep, annoyed breath. "You do him no good if you do harm to yourself."
Tauriel looked down, her eyes darting across the floor as if looking for an answer. "No, my Lord."
He huffed in annoyance, then walked over to the dwarf. A brief check showed that his breathing was regular, and his heart was beating strongly in his chest. Clearly, the dwarf was recovering, but Tauriel's anxious fear had skewed her perception. She had come close to allowing herself to fade, and was still under the stress of the traumatic experience.
Physical injuries were simple to address. Emotional ones were almost foreign to him. He'd nearly faded from life, and had only survived by pushing aside his own feelings, making him almost immune to the emotions of those around him. He'd seen companions fade away after their own losses, but never had he seen one go through circumstances as drastic as Tauriel had experienced in the past few days. His heart had opened to this child, but it did not give him the ability to help her through her current ordeal.
However, he was still her king and, as such, he did not need to rely on reason. He stood, towering over her, and was rewarded by her taking a step back, her chin lifting, as she automatically reverted to habit, awaiting his command. "He has improved. I will watch over him. Eat..." he commanded. Then, he paused, looking her over again, his nose lifting in disgust, "Bathe. No harm will come to him, I assure you."
She appeared surprised, and a bit hesitant. He almost expected her to object, but a tilt of his head gave indication that he was not about to tolerate any argument. Immediately, she cast a glance to the dwarf to verify that his condition did not seem too dire, then a look back to him, she nodded and left the room, unable to deny a direct command from her king.
Thranduil allowed himself a smug smile as he watched the door close behind her. His first, and most important objective seemed to have been achieved. Tauriel no longer seemed to be in danger of fading, but the circumstances brought a great many complications.
He turned back to the dwarf. Unlike Tauriel, he had clearly been fed and bathed. His coloring was good. His ruined tunic had been replaced with a garment of fresh, clean linen. It fitted the dwarf perfectly, and Thranduil couldn't help but notice the particular pattern of stitching, one that Tauriel commonly used. The stitching brought forth memories of Tauriel when she was young, and it made the ancient king smile with affection. Tauriel was a fine fighter, flawless with her bow and daggers, and willing to work endlessly to perfect her skill, but she had always hated seamstress work and had always bartered with others when she needed such work done for her own use. Now, it was clear that she had put aside her personal distaste for sewing and had handmade an appropriate garment for the dwarf.
"It is time for you to wake, dwarf," he said. "I do not care if you live or die, but she needs you."
x
She returned quickly, although Thranduil was not surprised. Despite her king's assurance, it was apparent that she had no desire to be away from the dwarf's side any longer than necessary.
Thranduil eyed her carefully. Outwardly, she was the picture of calm efficiency, but small details showed her inner turmoil. She was now clean, but her hair was still damp. She carried a plate of fruit and wore a loose dress, clearly something she had borrowed because it was rare to see her wearing anything of the sort. Still, it was an improvement from the stale clothing she'd worn earlier.
Hoping to lift her spirits, he gave her an encouraging smile. "He is much improved since we tended to him. However, I have ordered him to hasten his recovery, for your sake."
His attempt at humor was weak, but she picked up on it, and then, for the first time in far, far too long, he saw the small sparkle in her eyes as she responded, "I do not think that a dwarf would take much heed of an order given by an elf, my Lord. Even a king."
He felt a small smile lift his lips. Her cheeky reaction was reminiscent of his fiery Tauriel. Rising from his seat, he bowed his head in affirmation. "Agreed, but I feel it was my duty to make the attempt."
She bit her lip to keep from smiling and it warmed him. "It is good to see you smile again, Tauriel. I feared that I had seen the last of such things."
"It is good to have reason to smile, my Lord," she said, her voice even, but a mild blush coming to her cheeks at the unexpected compliment.
His expression turned gentle. "I will leave you to finish your meal, then," he said, taking a step toward the door. Then, he motioned to a cot, which had been placed against the far wall of the room. "And I order you to rest. He is recovering. As I told you, it will take time."
Before he could leave, her voice interrupted him. "I thought you said we have things to discuss."
He turned back, forcing his response to be even and patient. "There is no need to do so until he awakens."
She appeared confused. "But, won't his people wish to see him?"
Thranduil frowned. Her world had revolved around the fate of the one dwarf and, having shut herself away, she was probably not even aware of all the events that had happened during the battle. Not wanting a lengthy conversation, he decided to give only the most pertinent facts. "His brother and uncle are dead, Tauriel," he said softly. "The others do not yet know that he lives."
She appeared saddened by the news for a moment, her mind processing the information. He remained silent, knowing that it would only take her a few moments to reach a particular conclusion. He was rewarded by watching her sadness disappear, her eyes flash in realization, and her mouth drop open slightly before she spoke.
She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "That leaves Kili..."
He nodded solemnly. "Yes," he said in confirmation to what she was thinking.
"We must tell them," she said, her voice trembling slightly with urgency. "We must tell them or they will think that we have stolen the heir to the throne of Erabor."
A part of him was annoyed that she questioned his judgment on the matter, and another part of him rejoiced for the same reason – because that was his Tauriel. She was still full of youth and a sense of righteousness that made her overly impulsive. There was much that she needed to learn.
He chose to deal with her reaction with patience. "Perhaps. But, at the moment, they think that the orcs tossed his body into the chasm below where you fought. Winter has set in, making it impossible to search. They are not looking for him. That is all you need to know."
"But," she continued with desperation, "My Lord, we would risk war if they find out that we have hidden him."
His Tauriel was still young and rash and idealistic. He almost smiled at the look of alarm in her eyes as she came to the logical conclusion of their action. Yes, they had indeed stolen the prince under the mountain and, indeed, their action could risk a conflict, but the people of Dale and Erebor were still recovering from a horrific attack and battle. They would be reluctant to enter another. There were many possible outcomes, and war was not his concern at the moment.
"I have thought much of this through, Tauriel. For the moment, the dwarf is where he needs to be, in the best interest of all. You must trust me," he said calmly.
He could see the uncertainty in her eyes and it saddened him to think that his past actions had caused her to doubt him. There were many reasons for keeping the dwarf hidden for the moment and not all of them were in the best interest of Mirkwood.
Thranduil took a deep breath. "If the dwarves know that he lives, they will take him, and you will not be allowed to see him ever again." He paused to give meaning to his next words, letting her see the utter truth in his eyes. "I did not save him so that the dwarves might have their king." With hope, he watched for her reaction and was not disappointed. Her gaze softened and he saw an echo of the child who had adored him at one time. She now knew that he'd saved the dwarf for her benefit alone. It was a first step to repairing the deep rift that he'd formed in his relationship with the elleth.
He opened the door and began to step out, but paused, turning back to see her still standing in the middle of the room, shocked and trying to comprehend the meaning of his words. "I have bought you time, Tauriel. I suggest you use it wisely. And I remind you again, do not hold too much hope. The dwarf loves you, I have no doubt, but he also will feel obligated to return to his own. You must prepare yourself."
- x -
Tauriel stared at the door for some time after her king departed, stunned. His final words echoed in her head. They would take Kili and keep him from her. The king had put Mirkwood at risk to buy her time. It was a shocking revelation.
She dropped her gaze to the still-unconscious dwarf.
Kili.
"He loves you. I have no doubt."
Her heart raced. Her king had bought her time, but for what? Did Kili live, only to break her heart again when he woke and returned to the mountain? It was too soon to think of such things, since he hadn't recovered enough to awaken. Perhaps he might never recover.
She looked over at the cot, suddenly feeling more exhausted than she had ever felt in her life. Thranduil had commanded her to rest, and she knew that he was correct in doing so. But then, she looked back to Kili, watching his face, so peaceful and youthful in sleep.
She knew so little of him, but then, she remembered a moment on a crowded beach, when he'd laid his heart bare and asked her to come with him. She remembered the hurt in his eyes when she'd chosen her duty instead. She remembered the joy she'd felt when she saw the stone in her hand, promising that he'd return to her. She'd lost her heart to him in that moment, watching him sail away. There was no going back.
Perhaps she was too exhausted and not thinking properly, but she decided that, if she only had a little time, then she intended to make the best of it.
Removing the top layer of her dress, leaving her in a light shift, she crawled into the bed, curling up next to Kili's warm body, although not quite touching him, and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, meleth nin," she said, before drifting off into a deep but troubled sleep.
- x
Thank you again for you wonderful follows and reviews. I do hope you enjoyed the arc shifting to some of Tauriel's perspective. Do not fear, we will be going back to our king again, but now he needs to share time. :)
