Chapter 40

In the early hours of the morning and the guards at the city gates stood watch over the walls of their beloved city. Percy had long since been elevated to position of captain of city guards, patrolled the thick walls with a unit.

The attack on their walls had lessened greatly, thanks to the dwarves finally sealing off the wormholes. He had finished patrols for the hour when one of the soldiers on the watchtower called for his attention, pointing to the horizon of the open vastness beyond the city.

Percy peered at the distant figures riding to their gates. He narrowed as his sharp gaze caught the sight of figures moving in calm strides towards their city gates. After waiting to see who would come to their gates so early in the day, a banner floated in the air, flowing in the current of the morning breeze, he sucked in breath and shouted to the helmsmen at the gate.

"Open the gates at once...!" He turned swiftly to a guard beside him and gave his instructions briskly in a flurry of emotions and excitement. "...Find Lord Bard and tell him we have guests from Mirkwood" . The young guard nodded in response and took off to his errand, leaving a joyful crew in his wake.

Percy headed down to the gates and watched it open slowly as the men at the gates turned the giant gears to pull up the giant gates. It was never a sight that ceased to amaze those who managed or guarded them, for there in lied one of many inexplicable crafts of dwarvensmiths.

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Thranduil and his company has trotted through the gates, displaying no sign of interest beyond the content of his arms. The sleeping woman in his arms had remained so even after they had prepared to leave camp that morning, insisting noone would wake her he took her up gently into his arms and cradled her as Tallahir knelt to make the climb easier.

Percy met the company at the gates and grew wide eyed at the sight of Mirkwood's Elven king carrying their lady in his bossom, his eyes flicked to Thranduil in question and back to Leanna who had yet to wake.

"While we are thankful no incident occurred on our journey, it has been an arduous one nonetheless " The captain who Percy recognised as their sword instructor, spoke up. Percy looked at the elf and then turned to Thranduil who was still holding Leanna in his arms. Sensing the grand displeasure Thranduil was about display he bowed quickly and responded.

"Yes of course, forgive me. I was merely concerned, please follow me" Percy said. Thranduil not wishing to delay any further, nudged Tallahir to go further and the rest of his warriors followed, taking lead from their king.

Leanna stirred, squinting at the blast of light that hit her eyes as she woke. Feeling her body leaning on a hard surface, her hand slid up to feel iron plated armour and a thick arm surrounding her. Bolting her eyes open, clear blue eyes came in contact with a piercing gaze and gasped.

She felt the large arm carefully caging grip her tighter, not leaving any chance for her to struggle, she looked at Thranduil coldly as though silently relaying her feelings of disdain towards him.

She turned around and looked over the sight of Dale and shuddered, when last had she been here? She scanned the enmassing crowd for the familiar faces of people she had not seen in months.

So many new and curious faces peeked at her in the arms of the rumoured secret patron of Dale and Leanna felt her cheeks bloom red at their inspection, this was not how she intended to return after a long time away.

Tallahir, gracious in his gesture knelt down and waited as Thranduil came down. Leanna feeling a renewed sense of loss, followed his movements with her gaze and turned to him when he held up his hand to help her down from the great elk.

Clenching her jaws, she deliberated on disregarding his offer altogether until she saw him glance at the crowd before cocking his eyebrow up. She returned a frosty look as her answer but his hand regardless. He had once again leveraged on Dale's regard for the Mirkwood envoy to score points for himself and the thought that he intended to be shrewd made grieve for her fate.

"Leya! Leya!" She could hear voices she recognized screaming for her at the back of the crowd. Beaming, she anticipated the impact of their hug and opened her arms to receive them.

"Oh! Oh! Oh children...oh I missed you so much" Her heart swelled with warmth, she felt tears trickle down her face as she squeezed them as much as she could. After reuniting with the young lord and ladies of Dale, she sighted Bard who had come to welcome them formally.

"Da! It's Leya! Leya's back!" Tilda squealed in glee, unable to contain her excitement anymore.

"Yes, she is" Bard said smiling softly, pressure and weariness made obvious by the grey beards he was sporting. He kissed her cheek and held her hand in gladness over her return.

In the fashion that was expected of the Lord of Dale, he personally oversaw to the lodgings of both his surprise guests, a matter he would be sure to ask Leanna about.

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A private sitting was held at Bard's home as Leanna insisted she was too tired to participate in a feast, a stance that was further reinforced by Thranduil. It was strange for everyone else to witness, the elven king seemed far more protective of their lady than they expected.

" I asked Bertha to prepare every one of your favourite dishes and desserts, while I hold no doubts over the culinary delights of the woodland realm, having food made by homely hands fills the hole in your stomach, maybe even the heart" Bard smirked as he teased the elf who had invited himself to the family gathering.

He gestured to the servants who trooped into the room with dishes served on platters. Feeling giddy, Leanna smiled in excitement as she waited for the food to be placed before her. How long had it been since she last ate beef stew with boiled potatoes? Or had sweet ale paired with caramel dipped fruits?

The servants on cue, lifted the bowls off their plates and stepped away as the children giggled and cheered in excitement of a special dinner. Thranduil however frowned as he watched Leanna's disturbed reaction, not being given the chance to ask what was wrong, he stood in alarm as did the rest of the occupants seated at the table when she shot up from her seat and ran out the door.

"Leanna!" Bard called out to her.

Leanna ran quickly to a flower bed outside the house and bent over, wretched out all the contents of her stomach into the pristinely decorated rose bush. She could not care much for the soft brush or the hand pulling her hair back as she continued to empty her bowels unto the dirt.

Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she rose from her position and moaned. Feeling herself lifted up from the ground, she looked up to see the one person who would find himself right next to her always. A tear slid from her eyes as a feeling of relief hit her the moment she felt his touch.

"Find a healer! Now!" Thranduil turned to Feran who had been stationed neared by, the warrior took off immediately at the sound of his king's voice and went to find a healer.

"She needs to lay down, come...there's a room upstairs" Bard said urgently and Thranduil nodded while following quietly with pale woman in his arms. Leanna moaned again and buried her face in his robes, a sight that left Thranduil worried. The last time she was in a state like this, it meant she was dying, surely this could not be the same thing.

Feran rushed in with a healer as soon as they layed her down on a bed. The healer looked grim as she looked Leanna over before turning to everyone in the room.

"Please vacate the room so I may properly examine her ladyship" the old woman said sternly, waiting for the men and children to leave the room. Leanna who had recovered somewhat from her ailment looked to Thranduil who held a worried gaze in return, she looked down at the pale blue sheets and said nothing as the healer maintained her stance.

"As much as I'm inclined to leave you to handle such matters privately, I too would like to make certain she is well" Bard spoke firmly, despite his fear for the scowling old woman.

"I have no intention of leaving" Thranduil said deadpanned, blatantly disregarding the look of disapproval from the healer. His only concern being the safety and well-being of his beloved.

"Very well but any disturbances and you both will be thrown out" the healer said before turning to a nervous Leanna.

"Your ladyship, I will require you to relax, I merely seek to find what causes this sickness" The old woman said gently. Leanna nodded her head in approval, watching the old woman touch the pulse on her wrist lightly.

The healer paused for a moment and gestured to the girls standing by the doorway, instructing them to hold a cloth over their heads as a curtain. The girls did as they were told as they watched wide eyed while the old woman worked in silence.

When she was finished, she requested a clean bowl of water and washed her hands clean while the servants tidied up the room. She smiled as she turned to her lord and the tensed elf king who had both been waiting impatiently for any discovery the woman had made.

"The mother and child are well, I had feared her body was straining due to the journey she had just undertaken but-"

"-Mother and child? You're saying she's pregnant?" Bard asked in astonishment. He looked at Leanna who was as white as snow, her eyes glazed over in disbelief.

"I'm pregnant?" She whispered out in the confusion.

It made sense now, why Tallahir had been feeding her wild berries throughout their journey. The sour taste curbed nausea and morning sickness and as such pregnant does ate it to subdue such displeasurable traits. Thranduil felt his heart leap at the thought of fatherhood again, after Legolas, he expected he would not father any more children afterwards, not since the death of his first wife.

"How did this happen and under your watch?!" Bard seethed at Thranduil who raised an eyebrow at the bold stance of the new lord. He could understand the disappointment he felt, however the young Dragonslayer did not know of their arrangement and knowing how crafty Leanna was, he suspected she had not yet informed him of their less than simple situation.

"It appears she has not informed you" Thranduil walked to stand beside Leanna, placing his hand on the head rest of her bed to drive home his point.

"Informed me of what?" Bard looked from Leanna to Thranduil with a questioning gaze. In a shaky tone, Leanna who had been on the sidelines finally spoke up, mustering what composure she had to speak with Bard and hopefully quell his anger as justified as it was. She had planned to tell him the moment she arrived in Dale, however she never anticipated Thranduil's presence, much less that she would be pregnant...

"Bard, Thranduil and I we...I" her struggling with the admittance that she was forever tied to the Elfking of the woodland realm formed a hard knot in her throat.

"In the course of her stay in our home, Lady Leanna has become my mate" Thranduil completed, his gaze possessive and his body stiff with the air of resolution. The man would have to accept this reality whether he desired it or not. There was no going back from this. Bard remained stunned, speechless at the news had just received, he looked up slowly to Thranduil and snarled openly.

"You bastard!" Right before lunging at him.