Thranduil soon dismissed Cembeleg from his rooms, having confirmed the final instructions to be distributed to the soldiers on the border. Then the Elvenking turned to Elluin, still seated at his side.
"Is there something you wished to discuss, Elluin? I see you came prepared."
"Yes," she said, lifting the tray she had been holding on her lap to set it on the table. She unloaded the small pieces of paper, ink, and quill. "I thought it would be a good for you to write a letter to Lorinand to inform them of…recent events."
"It would, indeed," he said, instantly moving to comply. "Will you write to Turiel?" he asked as he prepared the quill.
"If that is permitted," she said uncertainly.
Thranduil looked at her in confusion. "Why would it not be permitted?"
Elluin hesitated. "I assume you will be using a bird messenger. It is, as yet, a rare and precious resource."
"Turiel explained to me in Lorinand," he continued, "that a messenger bird can certainly carry two or three pages without any undue risk. Turiel serves the kingdom well, and I am pleased that you count her a friend. You should write to her if you wish. I will write to Celeborn and my aunt."
Elluin gave a reluctant smile. "Very well."
Thranduil stared at her a little longer, then abandoned the quill to take her hand.
"You are to be Elvenqueen of Greenwood," he said, pointedly running a thumb over the betrothal ring on her forefinger. "You may use any of the kingdom's resources, however you will. In your hands, I know nothing is squandered."
"In my hands?" Elluin smirked. "My mother told me I hold your heart in my hands."
"She's right," Thranduil said. He searched her face. It was obvious that she had spoken with her parents about their relationship. Somewhat tentatively but daring to hope, he asked, "What else did she say?"
Elluin indulged him by telling him about the conversation: how Linalda had surmised that Thranduil had feared relinquishing control over his own heart's protection—control which would pass to Elluin as his bond-mate. And that Soronume had summarized Thranduil's mistake as trying to drive her away, meaning that he would henceforth need to prove his willingness to do the opposite, lest he feel her father's wrath. Elluin had smiled as she delivered the threat, but Thranduil looked thoughtful as he continued to stroke her hand.
"Elluin, I would like to request again that your parents join my council. Such perceptiveness as theirs is valuable. Do you think that they would agree this time? Now that you will be queen?"
"You would ask them to be your advisors, who have criticized you thus?"
"The most helpful advisors are not afraid to criticize," Thranduil replied earnestly. "I recall a palace servant who once criticized her king for canceling the summer festival after the Attack of the Unseen Army. She came to be my most favored advisor."
Elluin looked slightly abashed but mostly pleased at the recollection. She recalled also, with a melancholy twinge, that it was Lord Berenil's wish for her to be just that for the king he left shortly after that very event.
"You were hurting then," Thranduil said sadly. "The Attack had left its mark on your heart."
"You helped heal it, when you lent me your sword," she answered.
"I hope to do so again, though I fear Gaelang will be of little use this time."
Elluin cast him a glance that was at once nervous and hopeful. "I might know a way—a start, at least," she said, and lightly bit her lip, concealing a shy smile.
"Anything," he answered keenly, watching her.
"You might heal it…with a kiss."
Thranduil realized a few moments later that his mouth was open in surprise, as he stared into her glittering eyes. He recovered, and cleared his throat. "I recall you using the same technique with an elfling in the healing rooms of Rivendell. If memory serves, the little warrior still required his bandage…but his spirits were certainly high after such treatment." They smiled at the memory, then Thranduil allowed his gratitude for this invitation, and his desire for her, to show in his expression. "I am indeed very happy to aid you in this way, Elluin."
He rose from his chair and came to kneel beside Elluin's, slowly, as if not to startle her. He raised a timid hand to her cheek, noting how her breathing had quickened. At first he thought she was afraid and he froze, but then felt instantly reassured when she moved into the caress, watching him with eager eyes. He brought his body nearer to hers and could feel her warmth. His eyes tracked the movement of his fingers as they slid down to her jaw. Then they brushed lightly over her earlobe to circle the back of her neck, pressing gently to close the distance.
Elluin needed no coaxing, and met his lips with her own, sweetly and firmly. Warmth spread through him and he realized just how much he had missed this sensation that only Elluin could invoke in him. They lingered thus for a few more rapid heartbeats, then Elluin seemed to sigh. She brought her arm up to pull Thranduil closer, deepening the kiss, and he only barely managed not to shudder.
His hands traveled leisurely across her back, sides, shoulders as hers did on his, reacquainting themselves with the other in a form of intimacy that was much more raw than anything they had shared before, when all they knew was their echoed heartsong. Now, they had bared their hearts, revealed their innermost desires and fears and hurts to one another. Elluin knew of Thranduil's prideful self-isolation and doubt, and had been his reason to overcome it. Thranduil knew of Elluin's cowardice and self-denial, and had been her reason to overcome it. They recognized how considerate and strong the other was in their own ways, and could rely on it.
It was more than an embrace of bodies. It was two spirits drawing near to one another.
Thranduil had trailed his kisses to Elluin's neck, reveling in her scent as she tangled her fingers into his hair. Recognizing his temptation to continue further down and nearly deafened by the frantic rhythm of his heart, he gripped her waist tightly and settled his forehead on her shoulder, catching his breath as he basked in the heat radiating from her skin. Elluin's hands slowed their exploration in response to his sudden stillness.
"How my body calls for yours, Elluin," he growled softly against her skin.
Thranduil felt the vibration of her voice as she hummed her agreement, unable as yet to form words. After a few moments and a steadying breath, he reluctantly lifted his head and met her gaze. What he saw there, beneath that desire that echoed his own, gave him pause. He pursed his lips in concern, and Elluin drew back a little more, trying to interpret his expression.
"Your wounds are still too fresh," he explained sadly.
"Yes," she agreed after a while. And yet, her features brightened. "But the wedding is not until autumn… and I enjoyed that," she said.
Thranduil could not help but smirk back at her. "So did I." He wrapped his arms around her tightly, as if the steady pressure of his embrace could be the bandage to aid in her heart's healing. Elluin returned his embrace with equal firmness, and hope seeped into him.
"My love, I will not ask you yet if you forgive me," Thranduil murmured into her hair. "But you are on the mend, aren't you?"
She stroked a hand across his back. "Yes, Thranduil." He could hear the smile in her voice. "But I think I will need a few more kisses."
A chuckle rumbled through them and they withdrew slightly to share a few more lingering kisses before Elluin eventually drew back again. "We should write our letters," she said somewhat reluctantly.
The Elvenking rose with a sigh. "You are right, of course, my lady. But I confess it might take me longer to complete the task now that my thoughts have such cause to stray." His eyes bore heatedly into hers and she blushed.
"Would you rather I tell you something abhorrent?" she challenged, slightly breathless.
"A kind offer, I thank you, but no," he answered swiftly. "I have no objection whatsoever to my current struggle."
They managed to write their letters. Thranduil thanked Celeborn for his advice, told him it had yielded fruit, and invited him, King Amroth, and the rest of the court of Lorinand to his wedding in the autumn. To Anarrima, he wrote a brief summary of events since he saw her last and instructed her to inform the party of Greenwood Elves that they were to abandon the plan of touring the borders in favor of making their way straight back to Greenwood in time for the wedding once they had concluded their visit.
Elluin wrote to Turiel, assuring her of her health, thanking her for her help and friendship, praising the birds whose messages had made such an impact, and announcing the betrothal and wedding plans.
Later, the recipients wondered at the occasional ink splotch or awkward phrasing in these letters. It seemed to them that the authors were somewhat distracted.
~.~.~
When the sun had set, Sulros brought them an evening meal, completely unable to hide his joy at his king's reunion with his lady love as he served them. Then Thranduil offered Elluin his arm and they made their way out of the palace through the gate closest to the barracks.
They met General Cembeleg there, dressed in his leather armor and one hand resting casually on the hilt of his sword. He bowed deeply when they appeared. "If you will follow me," he said.
The old ellon set a leisurely pace, which Elluin realized was to accommodate her as she was still in recovery. He led them off the usual paths until they had achieved a good distance from the inhabited area around the palace, and Elluin tried to ignore her faint worry about walking all the way back in her condition. They came to a stop by a huge oak tree. Elluin had felt eyes on her for the entire journey, but now there was an additional atmosphere of expectancy.
Thranduil turned to her. "You will soon meet your guards," he told her weightily. "They and I had devised a series of signals with different meanings—specific bird calls for specific purposes of ours. Do you have any practice with these sounds?"
"I'm afraid not," she admitted, "much to Turiel's dismay."
"Then we will teach you at least to understand them, and perhaps use hand signals to indicate your wishes whenever you leave the palace, if you cannot mimic them yet."
"Can I not just speak to them, when we are alone?"
"It is not advised, my lady," Cembeleg said. "If any enemy by any means should learn the number or nature of your defense, it places you at risk. Direct contact with them is best left for times of need."
"I see," Elluin said, casting a look at Thranduil. The Elvenking kept his face carefully blank, but while Cembeleg's back was turned, he winked surreptitiously at her, much like a child who hadn't yet been caught in his mischief. They were both thinking of the day he had tossed the apples she brought for their picnic to his guards, revealing their number and locations to whoever could have been watching. Elluin only barely managed to hide her amusement.
"I will call first for Nidhair," Cembeleg announced in an even tone. At that, an Elf suddenly dropped out of one of the branches of the oak tree, landing gracefully two arm's lengths in front of where Elluin stood. He was tall even for an Elf, but only allowed her the briefest moment to notice it, because he immediately came to kneel at her feet. His hair, the dark color of rich earth, obscured her view of his face as he bowed his head. Then Nidhair took her right hand reverently and kissed it near where the silver betrothal ring lay.
Light brown eyes filled with determination and devotion met hers. "My lady," he began in a near whisper, and it seemed that his voice would have traveled easily across the whole of the forest if he had not reined it, "I count it the honor of my life to serve you."
"Thank you, Nidhair," she muttered after a moment, working past her surprise both at the abrupt appearance of this Elf and the apparent strength of his conviction.
"Nidhair is the captain of your silent guards, my lady," Cembeleg explained as Nidhair rose, saluted to Thranduil, and stepped back.
In quick succession, the general introduced the others, who appeared from their hidden places around the area to kneel before her and salute the king. Unlike Nidhair, who still observed, the other ellyn made their way quickly back to their posts after their introduction was made.
"This is Tinalfir," Cembeleg said of a thin blond Elf. He never met Elluin's eyes, seeming to constantly and covertly study the ground, but he pressed her hand almost lovingly against his bowed forehead for a moment before he retreated. "He is known for his stealth. And Benavorn is the quickest." This Elf was lanky with a friendly, open face framed by the typical brunette hair of the Silvans. He smiled at her as he rose. "Delwion is the most skilled with weapons," Cembeleg said of a more muscular brunette with a confident but affable expression. He gave her a salute before stepping away. "And Sadron, expert tracker that he is, will soon learn to recognize your trail from a thousand others." Elluin thought that the tawny-haired ellon was perhaps studying her feet, as he remained kneeling before her for a heartbeat longer than the others. His bright green eyes were kind when he met her gaze.
"It is an honor to have met you all," Elluin told Nidhair honestly once Sadron had disappeared again. The captain bowed deeply in response before leaping back up into the branches of the oak tree. Elluin turned to Thranduil to catch his bittersweet expression.
"Thank you," she murmured to him as she took his hand.
"I am responsible for your protection as much as you are for mine," he told her, his crystal blue eyes warm.
"It is no small thing to let go of companions who have guarded you so closely for over three hundred years," she pressed.
"And yet," Thranduil replied readily, instinctively surveying their surroundings as he placed her hand in the crook of his arm, "it is an easy sacrifice to make for your sake, my heart." The Elvenking cast a brief glance at Cembeleg. "You may see to your duties, General."
The old warrior accepted the dismissal gracefully and saluted before marching off in a different direction, leaving the path back to the palace open for Thranduil and Elluin to wander back in imagined privacy. The elleth steeled herself for the journey, fighting against her rapidly tiring limbs.
"I think we should have an audience with Galion tomorrow," Thranduil said. "We should discuss the shifts in your duties, and the preparations for the wedding."
Elluin grinned. "He likely has a plan already," she said.
"True enough. He usually knows my wishes before I do."
Elluin tried her best to disguise her weariness by lingering to look at the summer plants, now turned a glistening gray under the starlight, not wishing to keep making Thranduil feel guilty as she recovered from her brush with death. But he saw through her attempts.
"Elluin, stop. You are tired. Let me carry you."
When she looked at him, he seemed to be trying to hide his feelings of guilt for her sake. But she could see his concern for her plainly.
"I confess I would not be opposed," she said with a playful air, lifting her arms to him.
Thranduil chuckled as he swung her into his arms and resumed walking, hugging her more tightly to him when she nuzzled her nose into his bare neck. She inhaled deeply, enjoying his scent and the way he tried not to giggle and squirm when her exhale tickled his skin.
"I don't suppose my new guards will carry me whenever I feel tired," Elluin mused distractedly.
"They will not touch you unless there be danger," Thranduil declared with some steel.
"A shame," she sighed, taking private pleasure from teasing him. "And what if I were to fall asleep in a meadow, and a bear were to come upon me? Would they not come and carry me to safety?"
Thranduil raised a curious eyebrow at her. "Sadron would have spotted it long before it reached you. Tinalfir would put an arrow through its eye and Delwion would gut it to take it to the tanner later. All while the Elvenqueen sleeps the day away."
"And what if the Elvenqueen decides to bathe in one of the mountain streams? Would they not be obliged to leave me unprotected to preserve my modesty?"
Thranduil was finally catching onto her teasing tone. "They can watch over you without looking directly at you," he replied with a straight face. But then he turned his face to hers, mere inches away, and spoke his next words in a purring whisper that sent a shiver down her spine. "And if the Elvenking were to join his queen in such a stream, they had certainly better turn away, for modesty would be the last thing we concern ourselves with."
She was captivated by his passionate gaze and suddenly found it difficult to breathe as she felt her face heat. Perhaps teasing him this way was unwise, for instead of amusing her with Thranduil's mild discomfort, it left her disconcerted, hungry for something she had never tasted.
Thranduil seemed to guess her thoughts and smirked as he resumed watching the path ahead of his strolling feet. "So you see, my lady, there is nothing to fear," he said casually.
Elluin breathed deeply to allow her heartbeat to slow to its normal rhythm, and was distantly pleased to note that Thranduil did the same. They continued in silence, allowing Elluin to contemplate the implications of Thranduil's words. It was true, she loved him, and there was little she would not do for him. The physical aspect of forming a bond, however, made her nervous. There were the rumors spread among maidens, and the occasional sounds heard among the talans of married Elves at night, all alluding, she believed, to pain. It was difficult for her to justify that thought against the warmth that pooled in her stomach when Thranduil had his hands and lips on her.
Finally, she sighed, knowing that only experience could reveal the mystery. In any case, she was resolved—she could weather anything, as long as she shared it with the ellon whose heart was beating even now beside hers.