A/N: The moment you've probably been waiting for… I hope it satisfies. As some of you may have figured out, Elluin's name means "star of blue," and Thranduil's, as we know, means "vigorous spring."

41 - Sapphire Revealed

Elluin's feet made no sound as she walked ahead of the king toward her garden. The faint song of crickets and the breeze through the canopy almost masked the rustle of her dress as it swept over the grass and fallen leaves. The full moon and the clear, star-studded sky cast their silvery glow across the forest, beaming down into the clearing where Elluin finally stopped.

"Here they are, sire," she said, kneeling beside a few bushes. Her voice was quiet as she continued. "I'm afraid the daisies close up at night."

Thranduil had seen this space before from afar, riding past on errands around the kingdom, but had never stopped to truly notice what it held.

"They are lovers of the sun. In her absence, they hide away to bloom again at dawn." Her fingers traced the velvety petals. The heady scent of the flowers hung thick in the air. Elluin turned and reached toward another plant.

"These bluebells are dormant now," she said, almost to herself. "If I am careful with the leaves, and trim away plants around it, springtime will give me more blooms to pick for—" She looked up at him as he stepped closer, and her lips curved into a contented smile. "For you, sire," she finished. The stars were reflected in her eyes, where he could clearly see her heart, lying open to his gaze.

Thranduil could not help but smile back. "You have such a generous heart," he said, turning his own eyes to the flowers. "Your generosity is one of the many reasons why I love you." He stilled, realizing what he had said. Once more he inwardly cursed his lack of self-control. Tensing, he dared to look down at the elleth kneeling silently beside him.

He felt a tightness in his chest when her smile disappeared and she dropped her gaze to her hands. Thranduil fought the sudden fear that he had judged her attentions incorrectly and that he had revealed his heart where it would not be welcomed. In the wake of their new friendship, did she find that her love for him was of a different kind, after all? After a breathless moment, Elluin picked up a thorny twig and pressed it to her finger, watching as a droplet of blood grew on the punctured skin.

Alarmed, Thranduil knelt beside her and took her hand in his own. "Elluin, why—"

"Please, sire," she interrupted, "I am not dreaming?" At last, she turned to look at him, disbelief still evident on her face.

Thranduil used the edge of his robe to wipe the blood off her finger. "No, you are not. Elluin, forgive—"

"Say it again," she interrupted once more. Her eyes were now pleading and she remained frozen, as if afraid that any movement would shatter the illusion.

Thranduil realized his heart was pounding, and he struggled to take a breath. "I had not intended to say these words tonight," he began, taking her other hand as well. "But they are the truth of my heart, and I shall no longer refrain. Elluin, I love you."

He struggled to keep his composure as he saw tears brimming in her eyes. He was certain she would be able to feel his racing heartbeat through her hands as he still held onto them lightly. He took a few breaths but then could no longer bear her silence.

"Please, Elluin, say something," he softly begged.

His words seemed to break her from a spell. Her tears started to fall as laughter escaped her lips. For a moment, Thranduil's heart plummeted, thinking he had made a fool of himself. Seeing his expression, Elluin's laughter instantly stopped and she gripped his hands tightly in return.

"Sire," she whispered to him through her smile, "my heart overflows. I have loved you for so long, but I never thought…" She looked down at their joined hands and laughed again.

Thranduil realized he was smiling back at her, finding that his heart now held a joy that seemed to seep through his body and spirit. Elluin raised a timid hand to his cheek, lightly brushing off a tear he did not know he shed. He reclaimed her hand and kissed it softly.

"My Elluin," he said with a sigh. "My star of blue."

Suddenly, Cirdan's prophecy rushed to the forefront of his mind, and he could not help but chuckle in turn. Elluin raised her brows in question. His expression sobered as he recited,

The sapphire bright will sweetly sing

And heal the heart of Elvenking

"A star of blue...a sapphire," he said. "I had not realized it was you."

"Oh," Elluin said. "Well, I had my suspicions. But I did not think you would grow to love me."

"I suppose it should not surprise me that you would serve in the palace all these years with the goal of healing my heart."

"You have a heart worth healing, my king," was her simple reply.

"Elluin, please, you will call me Thranduil," he insisted. "And I hope you realize I intend to make you my wife."

The surprise returned to her face, and her cheeks reddened.

"Not tonight," he laughed. She smiled back at him, but her blush did not fade. He rose and helped Elluin to her feet, settling one of her hands on his arm as he started walking slowly back toward her house.

"I shall come to speak with your parents tomorrow to request permission to court you," he declared.

"Sire, you—" She stopped to correct herself, savoring the name on her tongue. "Thranduil, you could have them appear at the palace."

"Out of the question," he said, delighting in the feeling of walking on air in his bliss. "I will go to them, just as any other ellon courting an elleth of the Sindar."

"I will tell them to expect you," she said. "I wonder if they will believe me."

Thranduil stopped to face her again. "They have recognized your value for far longer than I," he said somberly. "You are more than worthy to become queen." He kissed her hand again and resumed walking.

"Queen," she breathed incredulously.

"The position usually held by the wife of a king," he replied with kind amusement. Sensing her sudden apprehension, he again halted his stride.

"Elluin, you will be the greatest queen in all of Elvendom. I have it on good authority."

"Have you asked many people?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes," he admitted sheepishly. "Berenil, before he left. And my aunt, and my steward…" Thranduil grinned at her with a twinkle in his eye. "I may have asked Galion to investigate how you stand among the Silvans, as well."

"Oh! I hope the reports were favorable."

"There was only one negative comment," Thranduil said sternly, but his eyes betrayed amusement, instantly abating Elluin's worry. "It was from Maethon. He claimed that you are continually inventing needless tasks for him that you insist he complete himself, when he could instead be playing his harp."

The pair laughed, a bright sound filling up the clearing as they left it. The surrounding trees, glistening in the starlight, seemed to capture it in their curling leaves to treasure its joyful memory.

Thranduil sobered after a moment, lightly caressing her hand where she held his arm and savoring the way his fingers tingled. "I requested the reports to help measure how easy it would be for the people to take you as their queen. For myself, the decision was already made." He looked at her with regret in his eyes. "Will you forgive me, Elluin, for taking so long to acknowledge our bond?"

Elluin smiled softly at him, realizing now the reason why he had not requested her presence during the weeks at the start of the season. "I know you, Thranduil. You prefer to think well before making judgments. I would not expect you to act outside of your character."

Thranduil nodded. "You do know me. Lamentably, I do not have such confidence in my knowledge of you. It is a matter I intend to remedy over the rest of our lives." Joy sparked instantly on both their faces at the thought. "However," Thranduil continued, "I beg some enlightenment now. Your answer was somewhat intellectual. What does your heart say?"

"You ask if my heart will forgive you?" Elluin asked, almost puzzled. "Does the sunlight ask forgiveness from the flower to which it gives life? In this way, you secured my heart even before I had recognized my devotion as love."

Thranduil felt his heart melt at her reply and stared at her, adoration budding in his gaze, along with a fascination with the beautiful creature that was fated as his spirit's mate.

He smiled as he shook his head. "No, my love," he said softly. "You are the light, and I am the spring. You are the life-giver; I exist merely as a proof of your regard."

Elluin laughed gently and squeezed his arm. "I cannot take much credit for your life up to this point, Thranduil. But loving you will be my primary mission from now on."

With a wide grin, Thranduil resumed walking. "I hope you will also take some time to attend to your duties as queen." Noticing the trepidation spring to her eyes, he encouraged her. "Have no fear. Recall, I have already been assured that you will make a marvelous queen."

"No, Thranduil, I believe a little apprehension is necessary at the moment," she replied, beaming at him. "I am so happy, I am very much afraid that if I let go of your arm, I shall float right up into the sky!"

~.~.~

Soronume crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared boldly at the ellon across the table from him, the picture of paternal censure, if not for the mirth in his eyes.

"I find myself in an unusual position," he said. "You are my sovereign, and I am obligated to do as you command. And even if you do not command explicitly, it would not be proper of a loyal subject to go against your wishes. Furthermore, you are my senior in age, and it would be ill advised to ignore a suggestion from one who has lived to gain more knowledge and wisdom than I."

Thranduil wasted no time in responding. "While I am currently in a position of authority over you in the political sense, it is a temporary situation. Any number of factors could remove me from the throne, however unlikely. And I must forfeit the crown when I cross the sea. On the other hand, Elluin is, and always will be, your daughter. Thus, I find no difficulty in deferring to your authority regarding this matter. And while I may be older than you are, I lack the wisdom granted by marriage and fatherhood. I therefore trust you to make a wiser decision for Elluin than I would."

"It seems, then, that on both counts I hold more power than the King of Greenwood the Great." Soronume's face was solemn, but his eyes twinkled.

"It would appear so." A smile twitched at the corners of the Elvenking's lips. "What will be your decision, then?"

"Wait — Allow me to indulge in this sensation another moment," Soronume said, sighing as he leaned back in his chair with a grin. He studied the ellon at the other side of the table, who was looking back at him serenely. "For an Elf in this position, you do not seem at all nervous."

"I have no foes here. And just a moment ago, you declared yourself my loyal subject."

Soronume's bright laugh filled the space. "True." He now folded his rough hands on the table, his expression sobering. "Now, the real business," the carpenter said. "For what reason should I give my consent to your courtship with my daughter?"

"I would say that this is what Elluin has wanted," Thranduil replied in an echoing tone. "And now that she and I have come to terms, I believe it would be unkind to deny her. But more importantly, I would beg this of you to allow me the chance to care for that which has become most precious to me."

Soronume's eyes betrayed neither pleasure nor disapproval at the king's words. He slowly straightened in his chair.

"The relationship between bond-mates begins with such hope and joy," the carpenter said. "There is an initial burst of heartsong that comes when the spirit recognizes the complement to its refrain. It is easy, and it is beautiful. The excitement then withdraws as the two learn the different notes — the personality of the other, and how it manifests with regard to the new relationship. It is a time of discovery as the bond either breaks or strengthens. It is revealing, sometimes tumultuous, and it is beautiful."

Soronume noted with satisfaction that Thranduil was attentive to every word.

"If the bond is true and survives," the younger ellon continued, "knowledge of the other begins to deepen in a more expected manner. Love in its everlasting form emerges, eventually stronger even than the joy of the initial discovery. It is a time of connection and growth. It is rewarding, and it is beautiful. At that point," Soronume said, poking the table with his finger in emphasis, "we may discuss a formal betrothal… if you are both still in agreement. Elluin has been content in her love for you, thus far. I wish to see her now thrive in your love for her. In the meantime, I give my consent to a courtship."

Thranduil quietly released a breath he had not realized he was holding. "Thank you." He hesitated a moment as Soronume leaned back in his chair again. "And then," Thranduil asked quietly, "what follows?"

The carpenter was slightly taken aback by the timid question and raised his eyebrows in surprise. Realizing that it was asked in earnest, Soronume smiled and continued. "After that period of connection and growth comes the anticipation. The two Elves see each other in the context of spending forever together, and they begin wishing to take the final step of forming a bond. It is a time of longing and excitement, and it, too, is beautiful. And then…"

Soronume's eyes twinkled with joy as he glanced at the enthralled Elvenking, still listening across the table.

"Bliss unparalleled," he continued reverently. "The spirits of the two are taken up into the very music of Iluvatar, and find each other there to form a single, enchanted melody, unbreakable while the world endures. That which was broken is mended; that which was empty is filled. It is an overwhelming elation, and perfect and …and the most beautiful thing in all of Arda."

A small, hopeful smile made its way across Thranduil's face. The sounds of birds singing gaily beneath the morning sunshine drifted through the open windows of the cottage for many moments, seeming to cheer for the newly established courtship.

"Now, Elvenking," Soronume said, returning to a more serious tone, "you have not had many people prioritized above yourself in some thousands of years. This is something you must learn to balance: the development of your bond and the obligations of your station. I admit, I do not envy you." The ellon smiled as happy memories drifted through his mind. "It was easy for me as a carpenter and minor council member to escape notice every once in a while and spend an afternoon in Linalda's company. I would warrant that the King of Greenwood the Great may have more difficulty slipping away."

"Yes. I will seek a balance. I must," Thranduil added seriously, "for the sake of Greenwood as much as for myself. For my heart beats now in another chest, and both I and the kingdom would perish if it were to forsake me."

Soronume's eyes twinkled in mirth as he stood and murmured, "Easy and beautiful." He produced two goblets from a shelf and filled them with wine, handing one to the Thranduil.

"To the heart of the Elvenking," Soronume proposed, raising his glass.

"Your daughter," Thranduil confirmed, and they drank.