Gentle Readers,
Thank you so much for the lovely reviews. I've tried to respond to most with a PM, and I apologize if I've missed anyone. Writing in this universe is new to me, so I've been working to get my head around where this story is going, so I apologize for the long gap. I do not abandon stories – however, I did suffer from a bout of writer's block with this one - but have come up with an ending that I feel is deeply moving and I look forward to sharing with you. Once again - getting into the thoughts of a three thousand year old king has been enlightening. I hope, eventually, you will agree.
Thank you again for reading.
Xo
Thranduil entered his breakfast chamber feeling less than rested. It was an unusual feeling. Normally, he did not require a great deal of sleep, but he'd had none at all since the Battle of the Five Armies and that had been more than a week ago. He'd had dead to bury, allies to soothe, and subjects in need of direction, leadership and reassurance.
For millennia, this had been his burden and his responsibility, and he simultaneously reveled in and despised the task. It was his duty. It was his destiny. None had the strength or fortitude or the endurance to withstand the safety and security of elves through the Ages. Galadriel and Elrond certainly attempted to do so, but they had the assistance of the power of the Elven Rings. He had no such luxury. It made his fortitude all the more admirable, in his own opinion. But he cared not for other opinions.
Which made today's breakfast all the more difficult to tolerate because he had … guests. The very word made his nose wrinkle in distaste.
Thranduil, king of Mirkwood, did not like guests. Yet, they seemed to be a necessity in an ordered society. His last guests were easily thrown into dungeons. Unfortunately, Mithrandia carried far too much influence and needed to be treated with excessive amounts of hospitality.
He entered the room with his usual grace, taking some satisfaction that the hobbit in his company was suitably impressed. After seating himself at the table, he acknowledged the two visitors with a regal nod of his head and an indulgent smile and then proceeded to privately mull over more important matters.
It could no longer be denied that Mordor was awake. His stubborn denial was no longer practical and, while the hobbit droned on about the Shire and comparing food grown there against that in Imladris, Thranduil was calculating how to rebuild and train his army, how to better strengthen his borders and drive back the darkness that had invaded his lands.
He thought of Tauriel and her skill at clearing spiders from the Greatwood, and he worried for his adopted daughter, hoping that, if her dwarf failed to survive, she would have a purpose noble and worthy enough to rekindle the fire within her.
And, in the spring, he needed to find a young, strong elk calf to replace his former, formidable mount.
Unfortunately, he was distracted as the hobbit delved into one particular story with vivid details that spoiled the enjoyment of his breakfast. The king could not merely respond with a non-committal nod. His nose lifted in distaste.
"Trolls," Thranduil said, hoping to change the subject. "Unsavory creatures, but easily dealt with."
"It didn't seem so at the time," the hobbit replied, seeming a bit abashed.
"Ummph. Indeed," the wizard interjected, taking a long draw from his ever-present pipe. "But my concern is that they were located so close to what was once a well-traveled trade route."
Thranduil was not particularly interested with the speculation. It was interfering with him returning to his private thoughts. "An isolated incident," he said with little inflection in his tone. "Unfortunate, but I should think that you will not see such adversity on your return journey."
However, Mithrandia seemed determined to continue. "This was not an isolated instance. The mountain goblins are becoming more bold, and I fear even more foul creatures will be lurking in the common lands," he said, giving dramatic pause. "You are well aware of the spiders that Thorin Oakenshield's company encountered in this very forest."
Thranduil listened calmly to the subtle jab. The wizard had a longstanding habit of questioning his authority - sometimes publicly - which annoyed the king to no end. "We hardly have enough resources to keep our own lands clear. Are you suggesting we patrol all of Arda?"
"Not at all," the wizard responded, putting aside his pipe to focus his attention on Thranduil. "But the fact that the trade routes are no longer safe affects us all. It will isolate those who should be uniting against a common foe."
The king remained silent, unwilling to admit that the annoying wizard might be right. He sat back and templed his fingers, neither confirming nor denying the wizards words.
Sensing an advantage, Gandalf continued, "It was only by chance that both Dain's and your army were at Erebor. Had you not been united, Azog would have taken the mountain, and an army of Orcs would now be entrenched at your gates."
Thranduil lifted his chin defiantly. "Do not underestimate the strength of my kingdom. Our walls would withstand."
The wizard gave an impatient growl. "Don't you see? Even if you could withstand such a force alone, you would have been isolated. Just as danger along the roadways inhibits travel and trade, being separated from others makes it easier for dark forces to conquer."
Anger coursed through Thranduil's veins. He snarled at the wizard. "Already, I put my people at risk to protect the men who have relocated from Laketown to Dale. I have lost many of my finest in the last battle. Mortals will be able to replace their warriors in a few decades time but, need I remind you, that it is not so for elves."
The tension between the king and the wizard was palpable, and the normally cheerful hobbit had finished his meal and was now fidgeting, clearly hoping to find an excuse to leave the pair, but Thranduil gave little concern for the tiny creature's comfort. He stood, ready to leave the room and be gone from the judgmental wizard's presence but, before he could take a step, he noticed a figure lingering near the entrance of the dining chamber. Finding a convenient excuse to keep the grey wizard from speaking further, the king turned his attention to the entrance, disrupting the heated conversation.
"You may enter," he said, not raising his voice but commanding, nonetheless.
The group turned to see an elf-maid step into the chamber and Thranduil found his anger immediately dissipate at the sight. She looked well. The color had returned to her cheeks and she appeared to be well-rested.
She was wearing a long silken dress. Her auburn tresses and the green of her eyes stood out against the cream color of the gown. Thranduil analyzed the unusual attire on his former captain, realizing that she had little idea of how stunning she looked in such a simple garment. It was far from her usual, yet it suited her. A gasp of admiration came from the hobbit, which the king noted for future reference.
He gave a small but genuine smile, knowing that Tauriel had left the solitude of her room and her dwarf without having been commanded. A silence fell over the table as the king, followed by the wizard and hobbit, rose politely to greet her. "Tauriel," he said, pleasantly. "You appear well. I take it that you have rested and are recovering."
"Yes, My Lord," she responded, bowing her head. "As you ordered," she added, the slight inflection of her tone giving a pointed reminder to him that she had not rested of her own free will.
He lifted an eyebrow. Her tone had been even, her posture formal and stiff, as one would expect from a member of his guard, but there was the tiniest gleam in her eye. Her response had indicated a spark of life. Apparently, her cheek had returned and, rather than being annoyed, he found his spirits lifted, giving him a welcome distraction from the irritating discussion with the wizard. He lifted his hand, gesturing her to the table. "Please, join us. I know our guests would enjoy your company. "
She looked at him in confusion, unaccustomed to being included in a meal with her king. Her reaction did not surprise him; her position had always been in the shadows, standing guard and away from important visitors. However, Thranduil had come to the decision that her role within his kingdom would be changing and the current company allowed him the opportunity to test her. It was a convenient coincidence that her attire suited such an occasion.
She hesitated and he raised an eyebrow, indicating that his request was a command, not an invitation. In response, she moved to the indicated seat the others bowing and re-seating themselves politely as she settled herself at the table.
"I trust you know Mithrandia. and this is Mr. Baggins, a hobbit who traveled with Thorin Oakenshield's company."
She nodded graciously, greeting each. The smile on the hobbit's face brightened as she bowed politely in his direction. Clearly, Mr. Baggins was taken with her. It was not surprising.
"My honored guests," he continued formally, biting back any hint of sarcasm. "May I introduce you to Tauriel, my ward, formerly Captain of my personal guard and one of my finest warriors – second only to my son."
She paused, clearly taken aback by the title and praise. He had not introduced her as his ward for almost five centuries. To her credit, her moment of surprise was almost hidden and she recovered quickly.
Thranduil, mildly entertained by his subtle taunting of his young captain, continued the conversation, "Tauriel was injured during the Battle. However, she has taken her duties far too seriously and I have been forced to command her to rest and eat to recover properly."
Both guests smiled knowingly and engagingly. Tauriel ducked her head, appearing appropriately contrite.
"Well, then," the hobbit said quickly and graciously. "Far be it for us to keep you from eating by distracting you with too much conversation." He motioned for her to fill her plate.
"You are kind, Master Baggins. I assure you that I am fine." She looked down, not quite shyly but slightly unsure, her eyes showing a hint of amusement at the hobbit's eager motion.
Thranduil could tell from her posture, the set of her shoulders, that she was indeed feeling more like her old self. Something had clearly changed since he'd seen her the previous evening. "I take it that you came to see me to deliver good news," he said.
"Yes, my Lord," she said, her eyes meeting his, and he could see relief, gratitude and, he hoped, a hint of affection.
"Then, eat, Tauriel," he said, still a command, but with no edge to it. "I wish for you to regain your strength and I will hear your news later."
He knew, without words, that the dwarf had awakened. He could see it in her eyes, in her posture, and the relieved tone of her voice. The first part of his plan had gone well. With the dwarf well enough, his Tauriel could now recover.
But now, things would become interesting. There were many possible outcomes, many of which he could not control. As much as he hated to admit that the wizard was right, there was no denying that darkness was overtaking the land and unwelcome changes were coming to Arda. To protect his kingdom during such a difficult time required planning, and it just so happened, that his plans could serve a dual role of helping Tauriel.
He sat back and observed his dining partners. Both wizard and hobbit seemed intrigued by the red-haired elf-maiden in their midst. The hobbit more so, although the wizard seemed to be amusing himself by watching the pair.
"You are a warrior?" He asked, his bright eyes fixed on Tauriel, his expression open and curious. "I didn't know that female elves were warriors. Is that common among elves?"
Thranduil looked down upon the hobbit, answering in her stead so she could eat her meal. "Perhaps not so typical among other Elven peoples, but here we adapt as we must," he said. "Tauriel showed ability and a desire to defend our lands from a young age, and my son took it as a challenge to train her himself. She has proven to be an exceptional student."
Tauriel tucked her head and blushed. Such praise from the king was...uncommon. Again, the king smiled at her reaction, enjoying the act of putting her out of place and observing her ability to handle herself.
Gandalf smiled "Legolas is a fine warrior. One of the best. I can only presume that his student would also be the same."
"Legolas is indeed a fine warrior," she said abashedly. "My skills cannot be compared."
"Were you one of the elves at Laketown?" the hobbit asked. His tone was one of genuine curiosity. "The dwarves there spoke of a red-haired elf who'd saved Kili."
Tauriel's grip tightened on the utensil in her hand, a gesture obvious only to Thranduil. "I was there," she replied diplomatically.
The hobbit's cheerful expression immediately sobered at the mention of the young dwarf. "I'm sorry. I understand he was fond of you. You know of what happened on Ravenhill."
She drew a breath, as if to speak, but Thranduil stopped her by placing a firm hand over hers. She looked up, meeting his eyes and understood his unspoken command to remain silent on the matter. It was not yet time to reveal what had happened at Ravenhill, or young Kili's fate.
The others in the room merely took the action as a gesture of comfort.
The wizard smiled engagingly and reached for his pipe, quietly observing the interaction, which Thranduil found annoying, his patience wearing thin. The wizard was far too inquisitive about matters.
The silence in the room started to drag on, until the hobbit spoke again. "Did you know that the dwarves said they sing songs and celebrate the lives of the ones lost?" he asked.
"I did not know that," she replied, partly interested, and partly grateful for the change in subject.
The hobbit brightened, although there was a tinge of sadness in his eyes. "Oh yes," he said. "They sing songs for just about anything. They even had a song for wreaking havoc on my house when I first met them."
She smiled kindly in return, nodding to a servant who refilled her water goblet. "Tell me more, Master Baggins," she said, diverting attention to the hobbits story and away from any controversial topics in a smooth, diplomatic way, Thranduil noted with satisfaction.
"Well, dwarves are rather...shall we say... 'enthusiastic' dinner partners," the hobbit explained, clearly using an overly polite description. "When they came to my home, I can't say I was impressed by their manners at first, but when they left, there wasn't a thing out of place. It surprised me, I suppose."
"And you were saying about their music?" she prompted, taking a polite bite of her meal.
"Bofur had a flute that he always carried with him and Fili and Kili were both quite good on the fiddle, but I didn't get to hear them play until they found a fiddle in the halls of Erebor, the strings on the bow were a hundred years old and barely lasted through a handful of songs."
The hobbit's expression turned sad at the memory, and Tauriel smiled gently. "They were your friends," she said.
"Yes," he said firmly. "Yes, they were. I learned a great deal about myself thanks to my travels with Thorin's company."
The rest of the meal progressed pleasantly. Tauriel graciously prompted the hobbit to talk about his adventures and the hobbit was far better company than the wizard. By the meal's end, Thranduil was more than satisfied that his plans for Tauriel were not only in her best interest, but the best interest of his realm.
xxx
The breakfast was hardly lengthy, but Tauriel found herself glad to be leaving the king and his guests. She had left her dwarf alone and grieving, and she was anxious to return to him.
She gathered items for a light and nutritious meal, knowing Kili would need to regain his strength, and began her journey back to her chambers. For an outsider, her pace might have resembled a brisk walk, but for an elf, she was practically scurrying like a nervous creature of the wood.
"You rush, Tauriel," a smooth voice came from behind, causing her to pause mid-step.
"My Lord," she acknowledged, giving a reverent bow of her head.
The king merely raised an eyebrow, prompting her to respond to his statement.
"Kili will require food to regain his strength. I would think that your highness would prefer that he be well and leave your kingdom as soon as possible."
He nodded. "I will accompany you," he said firmly.
She did not know what to make of the king's actions but nodded in acquiescence and continued on her path.
"You wish to know why I asked you to join us this morning," he said, with little inflection, although she could sense he was looking to draw out her opinion.
"One does not question the king's wishes," she said demurely, although she was burning with the desire to understand why her king had invited her to dine at his table.
"I wished to test you," he stated calmly.
She stopped, confused, and the king obligingly stopped and turned to face her, deliberately hiding his amusement at her reaction. Yet, he said nothing, waiting until she could stand the silence no further.
"You introduced me as your ward," she said. "I have not been called such for almost five centuries."
He turned, tilting his head in affirmation. "It is time to reintroduce the title. With Legolas gone, I will need to change your role to something more suitable."
A moment of panic struck her heart. "Legolas is gone?"
"He remains well, Tauriel. But, he no longer wishes to remain in our Halls," he said, showing no emotion on the matter. Then, he turned to Tauriel, giving her a level gaze. "I also believe he did not want to remain to see you fade after the loss of your dwarf."
She dropped her gaze, uncertain of how she felt about that. She loved Legolas, as a friend and a brother, and maybe more in some unique way. She was certain his feelings matched hers. To no longer have him in her life caused an ache in her chest, and she could only imagine the loss of a father losing his son.
"I am sorry, my Lord," she said, uncertain of what else could be said.
His cold steel gaze focused on her, making her shift uncomfortably. As Captain of the Guard, she'd often spoken her mind but rarely felt out of place. In those young years, she'd known her job and her duty and had little doubt when addressing her king, even when she'd contradicted him. But this was uncharted territory. What the king was sharing was almost personal.
She looked up to see that his gaze had not wavered. He was weighing her, judging her. She stood to her full height, put her shoulders back and awaited his verdict.
He smiled, which in itself was unnerving.
"I do not wish to lose you as well, Tauriel."
She felt the breath leave her chest and she looked down, as if the ground would give her an indication of what to say in response. '
"I do not understand, my Lord."
He stepped closer raising his hand as if to touch, but stopping short, causing her to impulsively look up at him.
"You once accused me of having no love in my heart," he said, dropping his hand, knowing her attention was unwavering.
He was an imposing figure. Tall, elegant, beautiful, yet capable of uncanny power. There were few who would dare to challenge him, and Tauriel had done exactly that in Dale. She had defied him, drawn her weapon on him. "Yes, my Lord," she agreed, remembering the moment, remembering her anger and desperation. She was not ashamed of her words during the battle but now, facing her king in the calm aftermath, she felt torn.
He smiled at her discomfort. "I would challenge you to consider that only love would have provoked the anger that I felt toward you in that moment."
The statement left her momentarily speechless.
His smile did not waver, and the smallest hint of amusement flickered in his eyes. "I surprise you."
"You said you were testing me. Was that why?"
"There are many reasons and many possible outcomes. Your loyalties are divided."
She was offended by the remark but she was unable to be angry because of the king's unusually personal admission. He'd implied that he had acted out of love, for her. She pursed her lips, a scowl coming over her features. "I would not betray my people," she stated firmly.
His smile remained, but it was hardened. "No. But your affection for the dwarf would cause you to question my command. I cannot allow any of my kingdom to usurp my authority."
"So, I will remain banished. My return is only temporary," she concluded, sadly, but she straightened her shoulders and stood tall, awaiting her king's verdict.
His smile finally faltered and he looked at her with sympathy. "That is yet to be seen. All that is certain at the moment is that your role in my Guard is at an end."
"I understand." Although not unexpected, the words still hurt. She'd worked hard to obtain her position as Captain, hearing confirmation of that loss hurt, even though agreed with her king's decision.
Unexpectedly, he reached up and touched her cheek. It was an almost scandalous action for an elf and a king, yet his expression held only comfort. She found her heart was pounding heavily at the implication of his action. "I do not wish to lose you, Tauriel. You have been dear to me."
"Yes, my Lord." The response felt lame to her lips, but she was completely unprepared for what a proper response should be.
He smiled at her discomfort. "I would speak with your dwarf," he said gently. "After he regains his strength, of course. There is much we need to discuss."
"Of course, my Lord," she said, with the deepest respect although, internally, she was very confused by his words and actions He was a difficult monarch, and extremely reserved about his personal feelings, but he had never been dishonest with his words. With her emotions still raw, his action left her with much to consider.
He turned and left, leaving her standing with a plate of food and many questions.
X
A/N – Thank you for reading. Again, I do not abandon my stories, but sometimes I really have issues with the storyline and would rather wait and rewrite a dozen times than post something that I consider to be substandard. If anyone is interested in beta for this, or my other story, "In Search of a Memory" please contact me. I would like someone who is willing to talk about details and discuss options on how detailed some scenes need to be. Thanks! Next up: Thranny has a difficult conversation with the Heir Apparent of Erabor
