Chapter 17

Of Counselors and Travels

King Oropher was more than delighted to see that his son was coming home. He had been too worried the night before, having heard from Raithon about the attack in Lórinand during Aduial en Meleth. He was supposed to send out his Elven-guard for assistance until they realized that it was too late to do so. A warden from Lórinand reported about the return of the princes with the alleged abducted ladies, and that Thranduil would return the same day. He could not wait any longer, and so he exited his throne room to greet him. And he was surprised to see with Thranduil's companion.

Oropher watched as his son assisted Erynlith in climbing down from her grey horse; his two hands carefully placed on her waist, and then gently set her on her foot. And both elves were smiling, something Oropher thought was unusual. As Thranduil turned to him, Oropher smiled back and welcomed his son with open arms. "Welcome back, ion nin," he said quietly, embracing the younger elf.

Thranduil smiled against his father's maroon robes. "You knew I would be back soon."

"Oh, I do," Oropher chuckled, glancing at Erynlith who stood behind Thranduil. He smiled mischievously at his son. "What I didn't know is that you'll take a girl home…"

"What! Adar, really!" Thranduil exclaimed, suddenly embarrassed of his father's words. He worriedly looked back to Erynlith, who remained quiet. "There is time and place for that jest," he quickly told his father again.

The King laughed good-naturedly. He proceeded to welcome Erynlith back to Greenwood, noting how delighted he was to have her back, and how he was sorry of last night's tragedy. But the dark elf laughed it off and thanked the King for his greetings. King Oropher ushered them both back into the palace, calling forth many servants to attend to their needs. Erynlith was led to her own bedroom, a spacious carpeted room, with a four-posted bed covered in green blankets. There were bedside lamps and painting on the walls, and a small hearth sat on the middle of the room. It was simple yet beautiful, and quite modest. The window overlooked the forest up ahead.

"Woah," Erynlith breathed out, examining her temporary room. "It's more beautiful than what I have in Rivendell." She also examined the paintings, some depicted forest views, and others depicted merry-making elves.

Thranduil smiled. "You'll have to get used on this one. And before I forget, I want you to meet someone."

Erynlith turned to see who it was. A dark-haired Silvan appeared on the doorway and bowed politely at Thranduil. She wore a long brown dress and dark boots. Then, the Silvan turned to Erynlith and introduced herself. "Good evening, my lady. I am called Amardís, and I will be your attendant," the girl said politely and bowed again.

"You're what?" Erynlith looked at Thranduil for answer.

The elf prince sighed. "Amardís will be your attendant for as long as you stay here. And there is no turning back, little one. The King said so himself so deal with it."

"What? No!" Erynlith argued. "In Rivendell, I don't have any attendants. What makes you think I should have one here in Greenwood?"

"Oh, for the love of Eru." Thranduil groaned. "Can't you just accept things and say nothing else about it?" He opened the door in an attempt to leave. "Oh, and by the way, you're invited for tonight's dinner. All of the King's counselors will be there. Amardís will help you prepare. I'll see you later at dinner." He gave her a smirk, and then left.

Erynlith gaped at Amardís. "Is that true? There will be a big dinner tonight?"

"Yes, my lady," the Silvan girl answered. "We have more than an hour to prepare. Now, please have a seat and let me fix your hair, my lady."

And Erynlith did what she was told, awkwardly settling herself on a wooden chair, her back turned against the Silvan attendant. Amardís began to comb the umber hair, wild with the previous journey. A few moments later, two more attendants entered the room and offered help. They said it was Thranduil who requested for their assistance, and they should be done soon. The King's counselors would be gathering in the grand banquet halls any time soon. As Amardís took care of Erynlith's hair, and later pulled out a green dress and a corset. At the sight of the latter, Erynlith's eyes widened.

"Wait, what is that for?" she asked incredulously, pointing a shaky finger on the corset. She knew what it was, but never tried it on. She saw it once on Celebrían and witnessed how incredibly difficult it was. Erynlith gulped when a Silvan attendant only smiled at her.

"This will make your dress fit better, my lady," Amardís answered, already sizing up the thing on Erynlith's waist.

"You cannot make me wear that."

But it was too late. In the minutes that followed, Erynlith was ready to attend a big dinner, and she didn't even know why she was invited in the first place. What did she even have to do with the King's counselors? Oropher would have wanted to introduce her more formally, as she spent her first weeks in Greenwood in the infirmary with Erestor and Caladhir. When the attendant, now her friends was satisfied by the way she looked, Amardís offered to lead Erynlith to the banquet halls. And Erynltih accepted, not wanting to enter such a grand place by herself. It would be too awkward.

"Remember to breathe," Amardís whispered with a small smile on her lips.

Erynlith nodded. "Yeah, sure. It's not like I will be marching in a place filled with twelve unfamiliar counselors, and a king and a prince. I think I can manage."

Soon, they passed through the borderline of the said halls, and the elves who were gathered there instantly stood up. Erynlith tried to avoid everyone's gaze, and felt Amardís slowly slipping away. She wanted to grab her friend's arm, plead not to leave her, but Amardís had to leave. She gave Erynlith an encouraging smile and motioned for her to go forward. Erynlith gulped and turned back to the large table, only to realize that Thranduil had come to escort her.

She sighed in relief. "Get me out of here."

"I can't," Thranduil chuckled, and entwined Erynlith's arm with his. They began to walk towards the table, with the King and his counselors waiting. Thranduil leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You look stunning in that dress."

"Oh, joy," Erynlith snorted.

He had set her on the left side of the King, and he was on the right. The counselors were lined up continuously, all twelve of them, and they all greeted Erynlith as their guest. The counselors were all robed and dark-haired. What caught Erynlith's eyes was the female counselor who sat beside Thranduil. Her hair was perhaps the darkest shade that there was, but the eyes were bright blue, just like the clear sky. And she was beautiful, even for the stranger like Erynlith; it was too obvious to see. The lady was quiet and listened well, and when the food was served and the other counselors began chattering again, the lady resumed eating quietly.

Erynlith looked down at her plate and frowned.

Vegetables.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she pushed the plate away and grabbed a cup instead. She gulped once and almost retched from the unfamiliar liquor. It was then she realized that all cups were filled with the King's best-tasting wine, and that all counselors were forced to drink them. Erynlith shuddered from the taste, trying her best for the taste to fade from her tongue, but to no avail. The counselors around her were engrossed in loud conversations, even the King himself. Her eyes wandered to Thranduil. He ate silently, taking small bites from his plate of vegetables, and gave no attention to the loud counselors. Then, her eyes went to the lady beside Thranduil. She was finished eating; her plate was free of the food served, and now she was drinking the wine from the very last drop.

"How could she even eat the vegetables?" Erynlith wondered.

All of a sudden, the dark-haired counselor beside her turned to her, and he smiled warmly.

"Good evening, Lady Erynlith. I trust you are enjoying the evening." His eyes went down to her untouched plate. "Vegetables do not suit your fancy? And the wine as well?"

Erynlith smiled sheepishly. "Um, vegetables and wines are not really my thing. I prefer meat though, lots of them." She realized how stupid she must have sounded to the counselor. It made her cringe inwardly, and she wished to bury herself somewhere else.

The counselor laughed quietly. "Well, meat is actually good for the body, but too much might also risk your health. It would do you better if your meat and vegetables are well-balanced, my lady." When Erynlith forced another awkward, the counselor added: "But your build seems fit enough. Do you do a lot of chores?"

"Not really," she answered. Her fingers fiddled with the lace of her dress beneath the table. "But I do a lot of horseback riding and traveling with my friends back in Rivendell."

"Traveling?" the counselor repeated, taking a small sip from his cup. "That sounds interesting. In Rivendell, Lord Elrond dwells, correct? I have been there once, and you might not be there though." He laughed quietly again. "Who do you travel with, if I may ask?"

"Gildor," Erynlith answered quickly, finally smiling sincerely.

"Ah, Inglorion!" the counselor beamed with delight. "Yes, yes, I remember him! The golden-haired, yes? He was there to welcome us some centuries ago. It was rare for him to stay put in one place, is that correct?"

Erynlith nodded. "He always leaves Rivendell, and I sometimes come with him in his travels. One time, we reached as far as Cardolan, but we turned back when things turned worse."

"And I assume you've come to Lindon?" the counselor asked again. He was too attentive and engrossed in this conversation that he had forgotten his other friends.

Again, she nodded. "Yes, a few times actually. And I've met the High King; he was very friendly and regal, and intimidating at the same time."

"I'd love to travel back to Rivendell and meet more of your friends, my lady," the counselor said. "Would it be possible for me to do that?"

She laughed earnestly. "Of course, you can! I will show you all the beautiful spots in Rivendell."

"It is a deal then." The counselor smiled.

Thranduil fought the urge to prop his chin under his palm. The supposed grand dinner was now a loud, festive one. Some of the counselors were now drunk, laughing fervently at someone's lame jests. Even the King was participating, his eighth cup of wine on hand, and had left his seat to join the others who sat at the end of the table. Thranduil had finished his meal, his wine was always refilled by a butler, but he was now restless, and finding the event boring. He glanced at the lady beside him; she was too quiet and thoughtful to be disturbed. Not that he wanted to even talk to her in the first place. He knew this lady was one native Silvan elves, like Santien and Amardís, and that she was a long member of his father's council. He tried remembering her name, but to no avail.

His blue eyes drifted to Erynlith, and he was surprised that she found someone to talk to, despite her protests of attending the event earlier. She talked endlessly with the friendly counselor, his attention fully turned to her, and they both laughed amidst the throng. Thranduil wondered what they were talking about; he could not remember a time when he and Erynlith had been so engrossed in a conversation, and laughing. Their conversations were mostly filled with sarcasm and tease, sometimes rude comments and pride, and every once in a while, reflecting on their lives.

He continued to watch them on the corner of his eye, trying not to make it too obvious for them. He took another sip, and set his cup back on the table. He felt a yawn coming up, and he clamped his mouth shut.

"Are you free tomorrow?" Thranduil heard the counselor ask Erynlith, and she reluctantly nodded. "Maybe you would like me to show you the library," the counselor continued. "It is the grandest that we have here, better than that of Lórinand's, and you might appreciate some of the paintings there. Or maybe you would like to have a quiet time in the courtyard? A minstrel like you must prefer silence?"

"Anything would do," answered Erynlith, and Thranduil heard it. "Personally, I would like to explore the forest tomorrow. There are more things that I haven't seen here."

"We can make that happen," the counselor said, smiling at her. "After breakfast will do, yes?"

She nodded. "Of course."

Thranduil fought another urge to groan and roll his eyes. He called for the butler, had him refill his cup, and chugged the sweet liquor in one large drinking. But as he drank, the conversation in front of him continued until the night waned, and it was time to head back to their chambers. One by one, the counselors stood up and bade goodnight to each other; some were drunk and giggled. Such was the festivities in Greenwood. The Silvan lady beside Thranduil quickly excused herself, and wished the King and the Prince goodnight. Next, the counselor friend of Erynlith stood up and kissed the back of her hand, and said something about looking forward to their meeting tomorrow.

"I'm sorry, but what is your name again?" Erynlith asked before her friend could leave.

"Haldamir, my lady," the counselor answered politely. "My name is Haldamir."

With that, he left with his fellow counselor, assisting those who stumbled off their balance. Butlers and other servants rushed in to clear the mess. King Oropher smiled at Erynlith and said goodnight to her. His head was swirling with the wine, but he laughed it off, and told Thranduil to take their guest back to her rooms. Erynlith flinched, realizing Thranduil was still there. He had been too quiet throughout the whole dinner that she had forgotten about him.

"Let me take you back to your room," Thranduil offered and began to take her away.

Erynlith smelled the whiff of the red liquor from his breath, and she knew he had been drinking too much. His fair face was flushed, albeit still handsome, and he walked as though nothing happened. Thranduil had his alcohol tolerance well under his control. Somehow, it was admiring. Even Erestor and Amroth were not for wines. And she certainly had strong aversion to liquor, mainly because of its insufferable taste. Elrond rarely served wine in his dinner table; it was mostly tea. But in Greenwood, wine was basically their water.

On their way back to her room, no conversation fell upon them. Thranduil led her way, knowing that she was still unfamiliar with all the intersecting hallways, and she followed obediently. She was breathless from wearing the dress, and she wished to take it off as soon as possible. She looked at Thranduil's back, his golden mane flowing behind, and she knew he was not in the mood for a light talk. It was already midnight, and Erynlith thought he wanted to get some rest already.

She thanked Thranduil when they arrived at her room. But his eyes were staring quietly at her, like he always did. She avoided his gaze, unsure of what to say and do. At length, Thranduil said: "I'll see you in the morning."

"Yes, but—" She promised her new friend Haldamir to accompany him tomorrow after breakfast.

Thranduil narrowed his eyes at her. "I will see you in the morning, little one," he sternly demanded. "Until then, have a good night's sleep." He kissed the back of her hand and went off.

Erynlith shrugged and entered her room. She fervently began to strip of her green dress and that dreadful corset. But she could not reach the laces behind her back, and it was late to realize that her attendants were not there. She muttered a curse under her breath and continued pulling away the dress. The sleeves and skirt were ripped off, and Erynllith rolled over to the bed to get them off. More ripping noises. More curses. Then, she fell on the ground with a soft thud.

Author's Notes: Yes, I know, I have been gone since forever! There comes a time when an author suddenly feels off about his or her story, you know. And it just happened to me. And school is getting ridiculously exhausting. Thank you for the last review that I read: it inspired and motivated me to update even for just one chapter. I am really sorry for the delay of the updates.

And guess what?! BOTFA was incredibly amazing! I love the battle sequences, being the battle fan that I am, though Fili and Kili's deaths were somehow... different that I imagined. And yes, I do believe Fili deserves a better death. And then there's THORIN. (T⌓T)

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter!