Outside of the court hall, Arodeth is waiting for Tauriel, bobbing up and down trying to see past the crowd of onlookers.
"I'm so sorry for everything you've been through," someone tells Tauriel with a bow.
"If you need anything don't hesitate to ask," says another she vaguely recognizes.
"Uh, thank you. I appreciate your support," Tauriel mumbles, looking for an escape.
Like a ram, Arodeth comes pushing through the crowd, entwining her arm with Tauriel's.
"Thank you everyone, but the Captain really needs her rest," the maid says with as much authority as she can manage.
Slowly, the crowd begins to thin and disperse enough for Arodeth to lead Tauriel through it and away.
"That was extremely uncomfortable," Tauriel complains.
"You're a celebrity! Well, even moreso than before," Arodeth tells her. "You already were for being the youngest captain ever, but now… youngest captain ever, assigned secret special missions from the king, taking on the council, and there seemed to be a conspiracy plot against your life. Quite thrilling to gossip about."
"Not quite as thrilling to live."
"Oh, now, everything is fine. That's behind you now, and you can focus on the future."
"Whatever that means," Tauriel sighs.
Despite it seeming like the worst is behind her, Tauriel has a sinking feeling that there is more yet to come.
She wants to begin training immediately to build her strength back up, but after not getting any rest last night she knows she should wait. So, instead of heading to the training pitch, she allows Arodeth to lead her to her bedchambers.
Pausing in the doorway, Tauriel finds everything in her room is exactly as it was before her attack with no signs of what happened.
"Is everything alright?" Arodeth asks, peeking over her shoulder. "I didn't miss anything did I?"
"No, no, it looks fine, thank you."
Tauriel enters the room and approaches her desk. Both daggers are back in place, and she traces her finger over the hilt of one, thinking how close she came to losing her life the other night.
Though she had briefly thought death might be favorable to her grief, she now knows that she truly wants to live.
As long as I live I can still help people.
"Are you hungry?"
"I'm famished, actually," Tauriel replies, turning to face her maid, "but I'm rather tired. I think I'm going to rest a bit, and then I'll just take a large supper."
"Of course."
Arodeth bows her head and begins backing towards the door, but pauses suddenly.
"You know," she says, "it seemed like Lord Haewon was trying very hard to paint to in a negative light."
"I noticed," Tauriel agrees with a humorless laugh.
"It's just… he seemed to have a lot of information on you, I'm wondering why he didn't bring up that bit about you drawing your bow on the King."
"Well—" Tauriel pauses, "that is a good question."
"Probably nothing," Arodeth sighs. "I'll be back later with your supper."
Her 'thank you' comes out a little too late, as Tauriel ponders the maid's observation.
Shaking her head, Tauriel throws herself onto her bed, luxuriating in the softness. The feather mattress is heaven after her wooden pallet, but she feels a strange pang when she thinks about her impromptu nightshirt pillow, still balled up in her cell.
Pushing all thoughts away, Tauriel rolls onto her stomach and lets her weariness carry her off. Underneath her pillow her hand is tucked away, clenching the small dagger the King gave to her, ready in case of another intruder.
X
A King's word is his honor… and yet I have lied to my entire kingdom.
Thranduil does not regret saving Tauriel from prosecution, but he can't help wondering what kind of a king it makes him, holding no shame for his actions.
He's also beginning to think he hasn't paid enough attention to his government in the wake of the battle. Thranduil will admit he's been a bit preoccupied lately, first with the monument, then with Tauriel's declining health, and always wondering where Legolas is and if he is all right. It seems while he has been distracted, Lord Haewon has grown bolder.
That unpleasant little man has always been a bit of an overreacher, grasping for power that is not his to take, but if today were any indication it seems Haewon has been pushing even more lately.
Thranduil did not miss the pointed questions about Tauriel and his bedchamber.
The nerve of that man! There is nothing like… and even if there was… what business is it of…?
He can't even think clearly on the matter. It is quite improper.
Currently, Thranduil is trying to focus on the maps spread across his desk. He is considering sending new patrols out past the kingdom borders, perhaps even aiding those surrounding them.
The recent losses have made him reconsider his stance on being so self-contained. If they had helped end the problem, before it really grew out of hand, there might have been fewer casualties for everyone.
Knock. Knock.
"Enter," Thranduil commands.
"My King."
Glancing up Thranduil sees it is his most senior Captain of the Guard, Dagon. He's bowing, his brown hair hanging in a curtain, hiding his face.
"I'm not quite finished sorting the new patrols, Captain. I will have them to you and your men shortly.
"Of course, your Majesty, thank you. However, that is not why I came."
"Oh?" Thranduil asks, studying the man in front of him. "What is it that brings you here then? Is there a problem?"
"I don't know, is there?" Dagon asks, sounding cross.
"Beg pardon?"
"There is rumor all over the kingdom that during the Battle of Erebor you sent Tauriel on some sort of secret mission."
"That is correct," Thranduil lies. "What of it?"
"Well, your majesty, it's just that I have served you for many centuries. I have protected this kingdom and everyone in it. I have helped plan countless assaults and defenses, and I can't understand why now you would choose to leave me out of the loop on this."
"Captain—"
"I know this is out of line," Dagon continues, staring at the ground, "as it is ultimately up to you with whom you share classified information, but this is something I needed to know. I figure I lost two good men over this, maybe Erwarth and Langon were a bit hot headed, but they are both gone now because I was not informed of what was really going on. Had I been, perhaps this could have been avoided."
Having hoped he could put this lie behind him and never think about it again, Thranduil finds himself very uncomfortable. Dagon is a good soldier, and a good man, and Thranduil knows he takes the actions of his men personal.
"No, you are right," Thranduil finally replies with a sigh. "You should have been informed, if not beforehand, since it happened rather quickly, than after the fact so it could be understood why Captain Tauriel seemed to be going without punishment. I am sorry. I won't allow such an oversight to happen again."
"Thank you, your majesty. That is all I ask."
"I'll have the new patrol routes ready for your men by morning."
With that Dagon takes the cue and bows before dismissing himself, leaving Thranduil with his troubled thoughts.
At dusk, Thranduil rolls up all of the map parchments and summons Nimmon to have them delivered.
Once that is settled he slips out of his office and heads for the garden, not sure how early Tauriel will show up.
It's empty when he arrives, and he paces back and forth by the pond's edge, watching one by one as the evening stars appear reflecting in the water.
The peace he usually finds among his flowers does not find him tonight, and he once more finds himself plagued by reminiscence.
"I used to come up here all the time with Legolas when he was a child," Thranduil says, hearing soft footsteps approaching. "He had terrible nightmares after— after he lost his mother. We both did."
He still remembers those early days with perfect crystalline clarity, when the pain was so prominent. When he could still taste ashes in his mouth and smell sulfur with every breath.
"Legolas would creep into my room late at night, always to find me already awake. We would come up here, spread out a thick blanket, and lie back to watch the stars. Minutes felt like hours, waiting for the dawn light to wash over us and clear the fog of our nightmares. To pass the time we would rename the stars after heroes we made up, each earning their place in sky with foolish and ridiculous exploits, until our sides hurt from laughter."
He smiles sadly, still staring into the pond.
"I find it difficult to imagine you taking part in something so frivolous," Tauriel says, from behind him.
"Some people bring out the unexpected in us," Thranduil replies, finally turning to face her.
She's standing just a couple feet away, hands clasped behind her back, and staring at him with a look that breaks his battered heart.
It isn't pity she wears, which he would loathe, but a look of true empathy that reflects his own losses back at him. Tauriel knows what he's been through, because she has been there herself.
In that moment an understanding falls over them, hanging so heavily in the air it is almost tangible.
"I—I don't think I can ever thank you," she says, after a long pause, "for what you did today."
Tauriel reaches out as if to touch him, but freezes, letting her hand fall back to her side.
Thranduil doesn't know how to reply, so he just nods stiffly and tries to change the topic.
"I don't think this is truly over," he says. "I think you were right about this being more than just two random attacks. While I have no proof, my intuition is telling me there is something going on, and I suspect Lord Haewon to be involved."
"What should we do?"
"Remain watchful."
"So do nothing?" she asks, her eyes narrowing.
"As I said, we have no proof. Even as King I cannot go throwing council members in the dungeons for merely annoying me. Oh, how peaceful life would be," Thranduil says wistfully, eliciting a small smile from Tauriel.
Thranduil turns away to sit beside the pond, and she follows sitting beside him with only a slight hesitation.
"I'm going to begin training again tomorrow," she tells him, after a long stretch of silence.
"Are you sure you're ready? You haven't allowed yourself much time to regain your strength."
"I won't regain my strength until I push myself. The other night I thought I was going to die. I felt powerless… weak. I never wish to feel that way again."
"We'll be lucky to have you back. The new patrols will need your experience," Thranduil insists.
"What new patrols?"
"The ones I initiated today, that stretch out past our borders. A wise Captain once spoke to me of seeking out evil at its source. I've just recently come to appreciate the wisdom of her words."
Looking over, Thranduil finds Tauriel beaming broadly at him.
"Really?"
He nods.
Tauriel throws her arms around him unexpectedly, and places a kiss on his cheek. Energy crackles between them where her lips brush his skin, and from the way she pulls back Thranduil knows she felt it too.
"I—uh… I should get to bed," she stumbles, cheeks blossoming red. "T-training in the morning. I need the rest."
"Yes, of course," he replies, unable to meet her eyes.
Thranduil doesn't look up again until he hears the garden gate close, and his hand comes up to trace his fingers over where she kissed him.
X
Tauriel gets up the next morning before dawn, wishing to get to the training pitch before anyone else. That way she can evaluate her skills without being a public spectacle.
She is nervous to see how much she has let herself slip, but as soon as she puts on her light leather armor a calm settles over her.
The top is a bit loose, so Tauriel just cinches it tighter, refusing to let it get to her. Today is about starting her journey back to health.
Kili would be proud, she thinks, feeling both sadness and determination.
After leaving a note for Arodeth, telling her not to worry, Tauriel heads outside. She is pleased to find that she is indeed the first person there.
She stretches thoroughly, working to loosen tight muscles. Then she heads straight for the obstacle training course.
It is a winding path, littered with traps, hurdles, and practice targets. The goal is to make it through in as little time as possible.
Taking a deep breath Tauriel crouches at the starting line, her bow in her hand and quiver on her back.
Launching forward she begins counting in her head as she skips over the first trap; a trip wire.
Six. Seven. Eight.
There's a broken tree blocking her path and she jumps over it, though her landing is less than graceful and she almost rolls her ankle. She keeps pushing forward.
Twenty-two. Twenty-three. Twenty-four.
She snags a trip wire, sending a rock falling from the tree in front of her, swinging from a rope. Tauriel drops to the ground with a loud grunt and manages to miss being hit, but it costs her time.
Forty-five. Forty-six. Forty-seven.
A target springs from a bush on her left and she quickly draws an arrow. Her arm muscles quiver in protest as she draws back her bowstring, but she manages to fire and is only slightly off her mark.
Fifty-eight. Fifty-nine. Sixty.
Tauriel continues on, urging herself forward. Even after her foot catches a root and sends her into a bramble bush, she doesn't quit, just swears to set the bush on fire later and pulls herself up.
When she finishes the course she is muddy, covered in scratches, and out of breath. She's also about two minutes slower than her best time.
Growling in frustration she throws her bow to the ground.
"It's going to require time and patience to get back to yourself," someone says.
Tauriel spins around, feeling embarrassed by her outburst.
Sitting off to the edge of the pitch is Arradon, Lord Haewon's son. He's stretched out across the grass, papers spread before him. He seems to be using the early dawn light to write.
"I didn't realize anyone else was here yet," she says. "Forgive me."
"Don't trouble yourself about it," he insists, waving her worry away.
"What do you mean about me getting back to myself?"
"Oh, I… sorry, my big mouth. I heard my father talking about your… situation… in the weeks after the battle."
"My situation?"
"About how you were not eating," Arradon say, looking extremely uncomfortable.
"Oh."
"I wasn't trying to pass judgment on you. I was just speaking from experience. Well, not quite the same experience. I tried to quit the guard once, several hundred years ago. I made it about a month before my father convinced me to come back. Then, when I did come back, I was terrible."
Against her better judgment, Tauriel walks over and plops down into the grass beside Arradon.
"Your body is like a musical instrument," he continues. "You have to keep practicing for your optimum performance. If you don't practice for a while, it's going to take a bit to get back in the swing of things. But, also like when you learn a musical instrument, you develop muscle memory. You just have to remind yourself you know what you're doing and everything will fall into place. It took me twice as long to get back into shape as it took me to fall out of shape."
Tauriel nods thoughtfully, considering his words, and glances down at the papers in front of him. It's sheet music. It looks like he's composing his own piece.
"You really like music, don't you?" she asks.
"That's why I left," he admits.
"Why do you stay?"
"My father. He… it would cause a rift in my family. He says that perhaps one day, after reaching glory, I can retire from the guard and focus on something else. Like he did."
"You are a very talented warrior," Tauriel compliments. "If you are that talented doing something you don't like, I would love to hear you doing something you are passionate about."
She taps the papers in front of him.
"I don't have a lot of free time to practice. That's why I come out here so early."
Inspiration strikes, and Tauriel has an idea.
"How about we make a deal?" she asks.
"What kind of a deal?"
"You join me here every morning, before anyone else arrives, and help me train. In exchange I'll speak with the King to see if he might consider showcasing your music at the next full moon banquet. Then everyone will know where your true talents lie, and if the whole kingdom is bragging about you, your father will hardly be able to say you are wasting your time."
"You've never even heard my music," Arradon argues. "Why would you do this for me?"
"Like I said, I can't imagine how talented you must be at something you are passionate about. Call it a leap of faith. Besides, my motives are a bit selfish. I am in desperate need of a sparring partner to retrain with so I don't make a fool out of myself when I rejoin the guard… and you've already been witness to my currently abysmal skills."
And the King said "remain watchful", what better way than to get close to Lord Haewon's son.
"Alright," Arradon beams, holding out his hand. "Deal!"
A tendril of guilt snakes into her gut as she shakes his hand, and she has to look away from the thrilled glint on his green eyes.
"When do you want to start?"
Author's Note: I have to say I am absolutely thrilled at how much the fandom for this ship seems to be growing! I'm seeing so much amazing artwork, and wonderful oneshots! Keep it up!
As always, thank you so much to everyone who reviews, I sincerely appreciate them, and read every single one, even if I don't always reply. (I do try to respond to direct questions, so long as it isn't asking for spoilers). Please let me know what you think of this chapter!