Chapter 2

Night had fallen and with it the people of Lake Town gradually retreated back into their homes. Yellow lights lit the rickety and makeshift houses as shadows moved about, most likely preparing or already eating supper. Leanna turned away from the window and looked at the stunned faces of the small family whose home she had regrettably intruded upon, the silence was heavy in the air but she had expected it, having given an equally heavy revelation. Now all that remained was to watch what they would do with this revelation.

Bard took the pot off the fire, the aroma of whatever he had used the rabbit to prepare, filled the room. The children however, continued to stand stock still and eyes wide, shocked with the unlikely news that a queen was here sitting and drinking tea under their roof.

"How do we know you're telling the truth? Anyone who moved around those snobbish stuck up nobles could easily learn how to behave like one… how do we know you're not just pretending or lying?" said Sigrid. She folded her arms and spoke ever so doubtful and suspecting.

Leanna looked to Bard, noting he had been silent ever since she spoke, she could see he was assessing her, most likely to find more than she was obviously telling. Leanna drank the rest of her tea which had cooled somewhat and placed the cup on the table in front of her, she sighed and sat up straight, a habit that came with the training she received from childhood.

"In a kingdom, one cannot ascend the throne unless they are crowned heir to the King" Leanna began remembering the day of her coming of age banquet, the day King Arden had declared her his sole heir to the throne of Cor Alvaron. Sigrid scoffed quietly interrupting.

"Everyone knows that, tis common knowledge"

"Sigrid! That's enough, I'll have no more out of you" Bard scolded, he nodded apologetically before ushering Leanna to continue on with her tale.

"Please milady, continue" Bard spoke gently, shooting another warning glare at his eldest for good measure. Leanna smiled wistfully, yes it was a well-known fact but there was more.

"Yes, young Sigrid, that is knowledge known by all. But for Cor Alvaron, the succession rites entailed much more. There is a secret passed down only within the royal family" Leanna folded her hands on her laps and heard boots moving closer but did not look up.

"Cor Alvaron is a great kingdom by the sea on the farthest reaches of the continent, a forest borders west of the kingdom. However what many people are unaware of, is that it is an enchanted forest. On the day the heir of the King is born, The King and Queen must journey alone, secretly to the heart of it and there they present the child to the lord of the forest who in turn must give his blessing to acknowledge the birth of an heir. Without it, one can never become King" Leanna smiled as she looked at their faces, it would've been impossible for her to believe it, had she not experienced it herself having been sworn to secrecy. An oath she had just broken.

"So…then what is it mi-I-I mean your majesty…the blessing, what is it?" Bain wide eyed, had dared to ask but Leanna turned to Bard instead.

"Your father here happened to witness it when he rescued me from drowning" said Leanna who smirked when she saw Bard's eyes grew wide with realization. Leanna then lifted her palm up to the air and gasps tore from the lips of the children as shards of ice formed, floating above her palm. Tilda drew closer, mesmerized by the act.

"Woooah! It's magic! How did you do that??" Tilda asked as her face lit up in pure excitement. She turned Bard whose face had at that point turned grim.

"Da! It's magic! Real magic!" Tilda turned to her siblings who were still speechless from the sight. Having shown more than enough, Leanna closed her palm and the ice melted away though it had never been formed in the first place. Bard then spoke, his tone more apprehensive than glad.

"It would seem you're not lying after all your majesty, but this does not explain your presence here since you're clearly not from around here" His words had confirmed his suspicions no matter how farfetched and impossible it seemed. And even more troubling was her ability to use magic which was not easy to accept since she was mortal, as far he knew no mortal man on Middle Earth had ever possessed such powers, not even the infamous Dunedain.

Leanna swallowed, she didn't understand how she had landed here or why but she knew one thing, when she faced the dragon…she had died.

!

!

Thranduil had reading reports of spiders nesting within parts of his forest. Legolas along with a captain of the guard Tauriel, assembled a patrol unit to scout the forests of any strange activities. His brow deepened as he read reports given by the accounts of the wizard Radagast The Brown.

Radagast who lived deep within his forest spoke of the trees growing sick, young trees and shrubs that were unable to survive whatever evil that was slowly spreading across his forest, would die and blacken.

A knock resounded on the doors of his study and when he gave the command to enter, he watched as a guard walked in briskly, bowing and rising in what seemed to be an urgent need to give him a report.

"Your majesty, Hirnin Legolas sends word, they have intercepted a group of dwarves in the forest and dealt with a spiders nest in the south region of the forest"

"Dwarves…" said Thranduil. He held a distasteful look as though the very word disgusted him. Wanting nothing more than to execute them on the spot merely for the crime of trespassing in his forest, he was curious to know who they were and what they were doing on these lands.

"Very well, inform my son upon his arrival to meet me in the throne room" Thranduil said and waved his hand in dismissal. The guard bowed and left in haste to deliver his king's message.

Thranduil rose from his beautifully decorated chair behind his large desk and advanced to his throne room. The guards stood at attention on noting the presence of the king who ignored their salute and briskly walked in.

Rising up to his throne and settling down as a court lady took his circlet from him grasp and watched him don his crown. Servants waited behind her to ensure there was nothing else he needed. Satisfied, Thranduil waved his hand gracefully which indicated his dismissal for their permission to leave and alone in the vastness of his throne room he waited.

Legolas watched as the dwarves were shoved into several cells, his gaze fell on Tauriel who was currently ensuring the dwarf before her entered his cell with no interruptions. Tauriel moved to close the doors of his dungeon cell when Killi looked to her in curiosity.

"Aren't you going to search me? I could have anything down my trousers" said Killi with a boyish smirk on his face. Tauriel slightly taken aback by what sounded like a flirtatious comment from the dwarf in front of her, regained her composure and quipped back.

"Or nothing at all". With that, Tauriel shut the door and walked away. Legolas who had watched the glared as Tauriel moved passed him.

" Why does the dwarf stare at you Tauriel?" said Legolas as he waited for a response. Tauriel stilled and looked down at the floor, the dwarf was looking at her? For some reason that fact caused a flutter in her that she chose to ignore. She glanced at Legolas and noted the cold look on his face, schooling her face into a blank expression.

" Who can say…he is quite tall for a dwarf" the words slipped out of her before she could stop them and smiled gently until she realized her mistake and tried to sound nonchalant.

" Do you not think?" she asked Legolas who sported a displeased look and watched as Tauriel bowed her head quickly before departing in haste. " Taller than some…" He turned and called after her.

" …but no less ugly" Legolas said clearly as it was intended for the dwarf to hear. Killi sat down against the rocky walls of his cell and glared openly through the bars at the elf who had spoken, Legolas sensing he was being watched, turned to the cell door Tauriel had just left and returned Killi's glare with a colder version of his own, his blue eyes glittering with dislike.

Seeing the last of the guards leave, the dwarves began to bash the doors of their cells in hope of finding a way to escape. After several failed attempts, Balin yelled over to the others with a tinge of frustration in his voice.

"Leave it, Leave it! There's no way out, this is no orc dungeon, these are the halls of the woodland realm! No one leaves here but by The King's consent…" Balin said as he sat back down and waited in anxiety knowing the guards had taken Thorin to see The King.

The doors of the throne room opened and announced the arrival of several guards leading a dwarf to attend an audience with The King. When word had reached him of thirteen dwarves being in fact that of Thorin Oakenshield, it quickly became clear the motive behind the dwarves daring to enter his forest uninvited.

Thranduil held a calm face and as the ElvenKing that he was, glided down on the steps on his throne. With the heir to the throne and riches of Erebor at his mercy, Thranduil saw an opportunity to take advantage of Oakenshield's quest. Waving his hand through the air, the guards stood back and waited quietly while their King addressed the dwarf in his presence.

"Some may imagine that a noble quest is at hand, a quest to reclaim a homeland…" Thranduil who spoke, stood beside Thorin as he looked around the great room that was his throne room. Thorin remained ever silent, listening to The ElvenKing speak.

"…And slay a dragon" Thranduil drawled mockingly, novelling at stupidity of such an idea but he knew Thorin Oakeshield, he better than anyone knew the outcome of facing a dragon, having faced the creature once and lived. He turned once more and moved closer to the dwarf prince who was currently covered in cobweb and filth and spoke further.

"I myself suspect a more prosaic motive…attemptive bulgary or something of that ilk" said Thranduil, there was something unnerving about Thorin's silence, it was no secret that dwarven cities possessed magic doors that could only be found through ithildin, such doors were hidden from plain sight and as such even their dwarven masters could not get in if they ever forgot.

There was of course still the matter of the dragon to consider. Thranduil bent closer to look Thorin in the face, his eyes squinting as a thought came to him.

"You have found a way in…" it wasn't a question and Thorin's mask faltered but Thranduil continued. "…You seek that which would bestow upon you the right to rule…The King's jewel, The Arkenstone" Thranduil's voice rang clear in the air as he moved away from Thorin, his eyes still pinned to the dwarf almost daring him to object his claim. Thorin looked away and behind his cold face Thranduil relished in seeing the dwarf prince lose his composure.

"It is precious to you beyond measure…I understand that…" Thranduil smiled, the warmth of his smile never reaching his eyes, his face grew serious as he made his interest clear. "…there are gems in the mountain that I too desire, white gems of pure starlight…I offer you my help" Thranduil bowed slightly feigning sincerity. Thorin smirked and looked down. He had expected no better of one who had abandoned him and his kin in the hour of their greatest need. For the first time, Thorin spoke.

"I am listening" said Thorin, signaling Thranduil to present the proposal he no doubt had wanted to give him from the beginning of his pointless tirade.

"I will let you go, if you but return what is mine" said Thranduil.

"A favour for a favour" Thorin said as he turned away from Thranduil, a discourteous act The ElvenKing was willing to overlook in light of their current situation.

"You have my word, one king to another…" said Thranduil, fully aware that Thorin was not King yet, not until he had the arkenstone. Thorin scoffed at the promise, it was a false promise meant to feed his ego and nothing more.

"I would not trust Thranduil…" Thranduil's face grew dark with fury as Thorin continued his blatant disregard for his title and authority but remained silent. "The Great King! To honour his word, should the end of days be upon us…!" spoke loudly for all present to hear and he turned back to Thranduil with an expression of anger on his face.

"…You lack all honor! I have seen how you treat your friends, we came to you once, starving, homeless, seeking your help but you turned your back on us, you turned away from the suffering of my people and the inferno that destroyed us! Imrid amrad ursul!"

Thorin's words caused the anger in Thranduil to reach its peak, and The ElvenKing launched forward into Thorin's face, his seething anger evident to all present there.

"Do not talk me of dragon fire! I know its wrath and ruin" said Thranduil as he shuddered in what seemed to be pain. "I have faced the great serpents of the north!" Thranduil spoke harshly as lifting the enchantment took a toll on him. Thorin's eyes widened as he watched half of Thranduil's face melt away to reveal a sickening sight of molten flesh and bones, his left eye white and misty. In an instant, Thranduil backed away as the illusion on his face was restored. Thorin who had been quite shaken from the sight, remained silent.

"I warned your grandfather of what his greed would summon but he would not listen, you are just like him" Thranduil turned away and rose to the steps of his throne, waving his hand in the air again. Guards appeared at Thorin's side and took hold of him.

"Stay here if you will and rot, a hundred years is a mere blink in the life of an elf, I am patient…I can wait" Thranduil's voice rang out clearly as his guards dragged the dwarf back to the dungeons.

The doors closed with a loud thud, and Thranduil sat in his chair, his eyes cold with fury. Never before in two thousand years had anyone seen the scars he hid from sight and yet in anger he lost his control, revealing a dark part of himself to a most pitiful creature, were he not King he would've spat out the foul taste in his mouth. Those dwarves would not leave those dungeons, not while he lived and ruled as king. Whatever quest Thorin Oakenshield and kin had embarked on, was at its end.