18. The Chosen Path
…
The next day came fairly quickly at Imladris, and with it, the moment of truth.
Thranduil cleared most of his schedule at the time, knowing that a series of endeavors would follow his audience with the Red Queen regardless of her decision. Bearing that in mind, he made his way to Reiya's guest apartment swiftly.
The Xandorian guards at the entrance door granted him access without questioning that morning, suggesting that the Lady of Fire was expecting his visit as much as he did her answer.
Thranduil walked into the familiar office to find several ellith in the room, including the queen herself.
Reiya was sitting at her desk while Zila and two royal guards were keeping watch at her side.
Thus, the queen stood up from her chair, and the royal guards bowed to him as soon as he made his presence known.
"Quel amrum (Good morning), King Thranduil. You've arrived early." Reiya stated with a passive tone as she went to stand in front of him and performed her royal salute.
"To you as well, Queen Reiya, and yes. Many duties lie ahead, as you know." Thranduil responded with his deep-toned voice, greeting her in Elven fashion.
"That I do." Reiya remarked.
The queen turned to her subordinates and nodded, politely gesturing for them to leave so she could begin her audience with Thranduil. All of them nodded back and proceeded to exit the apartment.
Once Zila and the royal guards made their way out, the Lady of Fire shifted her attention to the fellow monarch.
"How are you faring this morning, your highness?" Reiya inquired, as she walked back to her desk and began clearing the table.
"I am faring well, my lady. Hope you are too." Thranduil responded in an impassive manner.
"Have your guards detected anything unusual since last night?" She asked with genuine interest while her back was still turned to the king.
"They have not. The manor is clear at this time." He assured her. "Your answer to the proposition that I put forth has yet to unfold, however. Care to share it?" Thranduil pointed out, bringing up the pressing matter without further ado.
Reiya hummed at his remark.
"Is that urgency I am sensing in your words, King Thranduil?" She inquired. "Are you usually this hasty when seeking the counsel of other rulers?" The queen remarked as she turned her face towards him and smiled snidely.
"Quite the contrary, your majesty. I am patient." Thranduil responded. "Much more so than other fellow monarchs, for what I've seen." He added with a hint of taunt as he looked at her attentively.
Reiya glanced at the king with a sardonic expression, being aware of the meaning behind his words.
Unlike their first conversation, Thranduil was not holding his tongue at the beginning of the exchange that time around.
Good. They would have a proper dialogue from the start, it seemed.
Reiya looked at the king attentively for a couple of seconds, but quickly relaxed and smiled in a pretentious manner as she turned her attention back to the items on the desk and replied to him.
"Right. If you say so." She left it at that.
"You doubt my words?" Thranduil inquired with a raised eyebrow as he began walking towards her in a paced manner.
"Doubt is not the accurate term for it." The queen rectified.
"What term best suits your thoughts, then?"
"Unlikely, I'd say." Reiya responded. "I've read about self-proclaimed patient monarchs who were driven to madness by all sorts of things, your highness." She pointed out.
Thranduil chuckled lowly at the statement as he kept questioning the queen.
"Things such as …?"
"Everything; war, the burdens of the crown, corruption, riches, conflicts among kin, grudges, and so on." She stated, turning around to face him as he now stood in front of her.
"And you believe I will meet the same fate as them. Is that it?" He asked in an inquisitive manner.
"I do not know what to believe in that regard, Elvenking. I cannot attest to your strengths at this time." Reiya remarked, turning her attention back to her desk as she resumed her task.
"You will, eventually." Thranduil stated with a husky voice as his frame remained unmoved behind her.
Almost as if sensing the king's subtle teasing, Reiya turned to face him and pursed her lips slightly.
Thranduil smiled smugly at her for a brief moment, seemingly satisfied by her reaction. However, his expression turned serious when he continued to speak.
"In any case, lack of patience is not the issue prompting my question, but rather limited time, my lady." The king explained. "A series of measures will follow this banter, no matter the outcome. Thus, time is of the essence." He concluded with his impassive voice.
"Hmm… Fair enough." Reiya stated in a nonchalant manner as she turned her attention back to the desk and continued reorganizing the items on the table.
Thranduil looked at the queen with a narrowed gaze.
He had brought up the issue of her undisclosed decision twice already, but she had yet to provide an answer.
That was odd…
He still wholeheartedly believed that Reiya was an impatient ruler in many regards. Nevertheless, she had remained strangely calm since their exchange began.
'She is up something.' The king concluded as he resumed the conversation.
"So, are you planning on telling me your answer as of this moment? Or do you intend to make me grind for it, Red Queen?" Thranduil inquired with a sardonic tone.
Reiya turned to him and raised an eyebrow. However, she gestured a light smile soon after as she spoke. "Very well. I shall give you my answer now, then." She remarked.
Thranduil looked at her attentively, awaiting her response with an unspoken hint of suspense.
"I intend to accept your proposition…" She stated.
The king managed to hold off a sigh of relief following her words. However, his comfort was soon ended when Reiya finished her statement.
"…if, you abide by my terms—seven, to be exact." She pointed out while smiling as she went to stand next to her chair.
Thranduil directed his attention to the female monarch, looking visibly confused.
"… Come again?" He asked out loud, wishing to reconfirm her statement.
"I said that if I am to accept your proposition, you should fulfill seven terms for me." Reiya restated, voicing her wishes clearly that time around.
'Seven?' Thranduil thought, looking at the queen with a startled expression that verged in annoyance.
Was she being serious?
They had only spoken once, and she was already making demands out of him?
Not even Galadriel had pushed for that many terms in past diplomatic endeavors.
Reminding himself that they were still in great need of the Red Queen's intelligence in spite of her insolence, Thranduil tried his best to remain calm as he proceeded to ask about the terms in question.
"And those are…?"
"…the ones listed on this document." Reiya interjected as she opened two sealed parchments that were carefully placed on the desk table. "These are copies of the contract for the prospective arrangement at hand, which I will discuss with you presently." The queen explained. "The parchments contain my signature and a blank space for you to add yours, if you were to agree to my terms, that is. You would keep one of the two copies for your records, should it come to that." She pointed out.
Thranduil tensed considerably following Reiya's explanation.
'I knew she was up to something.' The king thought with an annoyed expression.
Almost as if sensing his disbelief and growing disapproval of her sudden actions, Reiya continued to speak.
"You see, King Thranduil, in Xandor we do not take propositions such as the one that you are making lightly." The queen explained. "We hold people accountable for their premises under such prospective agreements, both in verbal and written form." She pointed out. "I will state my terms in the exact same order as listed in the document at hand, and you are more than welcome to ask for any clarification on those, if needed."
Thranduil narrowed his eyes slightly at her remark.
"Number one; you shall facilitate both the time and resources for me to fulfill my queenly duties as required throughout my stay at the Woodland Realm." Reiya remarked. "You already stated that there wouldn't be any issues with that one measure in particular, so I expect that everything will run smoothly, in that regard." She pointed out.
The king raised an eyebrow at the statement.
"Number two; I will bring a larger company comprised by a diverse group of subjects, ranging from cooks, ladies-in-waiting, healers, warriors from different military branches, and so on." Reiya pointed out. "Thus, all of them should also be properly lodged and provided with the necessary accommodations so they can perform their tasks accordingly." The queen explained.
Thranduil kept a collected exterior following her words.
He did not like the idea of allowing a large group of strangers from an arcane Elvish realm into his turf, to be honest. However, he had more than enough room to accommodate all of them, per the queen's request.
Thus, he continued listening to the female monarch attentively, as the remaining terms were still on course.
"Number three; The elves in my company will acknowledge your authority as king and lead commander throughout this endeavor." Reiya stated.
'Hmm… what's the catch?' Thranduil thought with a hint of suspicion, knowing quite well that Reiya wouldn't just concede all her power in such a manner.
"However, I am still the Xandorians' queen by law, so your authority will not outrank my own amongst my subjects." She stated. "Following that lead, I will assume the role of lead commander if any of the worst-case scenarios that we discussed take place or you are deemed unable to perform the role for any other reason."
'And there it is.' The king thought in a sardonic manner as Reiya continued to speak.
"Number four; I may venture out of your kingdom whenever I please." The queen emphasized with a firm tone.
Thranduil suppressed a chuckle at the ridiculous term, which he was unlikely to abide by anyway. Nevertheless, he kept quiet for the sake of appearances as the queen proceeded.
"Number five; I ride a mighty beast that has served with me in battle for most of my life. He is a creature of larger dimensions, just like your great elk, but a completely different species on his own. Thus, he is to be allowed to roam your forest freely, and your guards cannot harm him." Reiya explained with a wary expression.
Thranduil raised an eyebrow following the statement.
So she knew about his great elk, as well…
What kind of creature her mount was, he'd wondered. His guards and Elrond's wardens had not reported any sights of a mighty beast in the surroundings, other than his great elk, of course.
Did she just let the creature venture off whenever it pleased?
That sounded rather risky...
Sensing the king's doubts on the matter, Reiya provided further clarification.
"There is no need for you to worry, Lord Thranduil. My mount will not disrupt the wildlife in your lands because I have trained him to hunt and feed solely on creatures prompted by evil forces. Thus, he can coexist with nature quite peacefully." She stated, smiling in a light manner.
Thranduil was not entirely convinced by Reiya's assurances regarding her mount, but he let his concerns slide for the time being as he continued assessing the queen's terms.
"Number six; I now own a dog pup as well, and I intend to bring him with me on this expedition. Therefore, he is to be allowed in my chambers and the common areas within your kingdom." Reiya affirmed in an assertive manner.
Thranduil's expression remained blank at first, but his eyes widened in realization soon after.
Was Reiya referring to the dog pup gifted to her by that group of hobbits in the courtyard?
Well… the puppy seemed harmless enough, at the very least.
If the small canine companion would keep the queen in good spirits while fulfilling the prospective role, so be it.
Thranduil was brought out of his thoughts when Reiya proceeded to conclude her list of unforeseen requests.
"That leads me to number seven; the last and most crucial term of them all." Reiya affirmed. "Your proposition will require the two of us to work together to a considerable capacity. Therefore, in order for this collaboration to be a fruitful one, I ought to make myself clear with a certain expectation, if I may." She stated.
Thranduil raised an eyebrow at the remark.
"And what is this expectation, exactly?" The king asked in a wary manner, suspecting that he was not going to like what was coming next.
Reiya looked at him attentively as she proceeded to speak.
"I am not one of your servants, maidens, subordinates, prisoners, or possessions, King Thranduil." The Lady of Fire remarked in an assertive manner. "I am but a queen who is not bound to you in any way or form. Thus, you will respect me as you would any other lady of station and honor my wishes as far as myself and my realm are concerned." She pointed out. "I will help Middle-earth defeat this evil in any way that I can, no matter what. However, if this one term is broken or not fulfilled to satisfaction at any point, I reserve the right to end this prospective collaboration between us effective immediately." The queen pointed out, accentuating the warning in her words.
Thranduil's lips tensed, and his eyes glinted as his expression gradually turned into a glare. Nevertheless, Reiya was not shaken by the sight of his aggravation, which further showed that she was dead serious about what she said.
The king was about to interject; however, Reiya did not allow him to speak, as she herself did more of the talking.
"Now, before you go ahead and argue that my terms are outrageous, here lies the issue, my lord." She stated. "You are asking me to stay in your realm indefinitely. The mere fact that I am even considering such a measure is already putting my life and those of the Sun-elves that I sought to protect at risk. If you were in my place, you would have gone to similar lengths to mitigate the risks, I'd imagine. Thus, I deem my terms to be quite fair, in the midst of such circumstances." The queen explained in an objective manner.
Thranduil's eyes narrowed further, and his frown became more apparent following the queen's statement.
"Very well, I believe I gave you my answer in its entirety, Elvenking." Reiya concluded. "Interestingly enough, the following outcome is now subjected to your decision in regards to my conditions, as you can see." She stated. "Thus, are you willing to fulfill the terms in question? Or would you rather disregard them and withdraw your proposition altogether?" Reiya asked in a collected manner as she awaited the king's answer.
Thranduil took a deep breath and pursed his lips, making a conscious effort not to lose his temper with the queen at that moment.
Did she have any idea of who she was talking to?
Adding to his growing frustration, Reiya had forced him into a position where he did not have any other choice but to abide by her terms, if they wished to gain her insights on the enemy, that is.
The Lady of Fire was clever, without a doubt, but not infallible, as he had come to realize. He would have to remind her of that fact soon enough, but other priorities awaited at the time.
Managing to tame his temper, Thranduil looked at the queen with a cynical expression and walked towards her in a paced but menacing manner.
He stood in front of the female monarch and looked at her attentively for a brief moment, as he finally interjected.
"You do not intend to make this easy for me, don't you?" He stated with a sardonic look, speaking rather informally.
"I am just making sure that this agreement is more equitable for both parties. That is all there is to it." Reiya responded in an objective manner, matching his informal tone.
"Right. I guess it did not cross my mind that you would be this hard to please." He pointed out with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"You could please me now, if that is what you wish." The queen responded in a gutsy manner, choosing to build on his statement rather than argue against it.
Following her remark, Reiya placed her hand on the quill pen set at the table and slid it over to his side. She took the pen out of the base and held it close to the king's chest as she met his gaze once again.
"The task wouldn't be that hard to fulfill at this time, would it?" She pointed with an objective tone.
Thranduil looked down at the quill pen for a brief moment as Reiya awaited his response.
Soon after, he rolled his eyes and shook his head in a resigned manner as he took the item from the queen's hand and followed her instructions.
He dipped the quill pen in the small bottle of ink and signed the two parchments on the table, while Reiya smiled at the action with a subtle hint of fulfillment. An absurd sign of victory per her schemes, he presumed.
The queen's little gesture did not go unnoticed by him, but he chose not to duel over it.
He would just give her what she wanted; plant the illusion that she was in control. Once she made her way into his realm, he would show her who was truly in control.
Thranduil placed the quill pen back on the base after he wrote down his name on the contract, and Reiya waited a couple of seconds for the ink to dry out. She then carefully folded the two parchments and secured them with a string.
She handed one of the sealed parchments to the king as she proceeded to conclude their exchange. "Very well, seems like we have an agreement, Lord Thranduil." She stated.
Reiya then adopted her royal posture before speaking further.
"As for this moment, I formally commit to fulfilling the role that you put forth to the best of my abilities. Thus, Xandor will join Mirkwood and the other Elven realms in this fight against evil. May we protect our nations and the rest of Middle-earth with this collective effort." The Lady of Fire remarked in a resolute manner.
Thranduil's own expression turned to one of fortitude as he nodded to her in acknowledgement.
He had plenty to say about the way the relentless female monarch had pursued her interests throughout their exchange, but he respected her courage and determination to succeed in the upcoming endeavor, at the very least.
"When should we expect you at the Woodland Realm?" Thranduil asked, shifting his focus to matters of logistics.
"Considering the nature of the quest ahead, my company and I should be arriving at Mirkwood in a month, give or take. I need to head to my realm first and make the necessary arrangements." Reiya explained in an objective manner.
"Very well. That should also give us enough time to prepare and double our security measures in the meanwhile." Thranduil corroborated. "I will make sure that all of your demands are set in place by then, as well." He stated with a hint of sarcasm while looking at her attentively.
Reiya smiled at the king with a hint of satisfaction.
"I will see myself out then. I should attend to other tasks now that the path ahead is settled." He concluded.
Thranduil gestured his farewell and was about to leave; however, Reiya had one last thing to say before he made his departure.
"Lord Thranduil?"
He turned his attention to her, raising an eyebrow at the call of his name.
"Do not transgress me, your highness." Reiya stated in a wary manner as she folded her arms and looked at him attentively. "Otherwise, I might get a little… angsty." Her eyes turned shimmering scarlet at the mention of the last word, while her gaze was still on him.
Thranduil glared at the queen, following her statement.
There she was again, playing her little mind games and provocation attempts. She just couldn't let the opportunity to annoy him slide, could she?
The king looked at the floor in a contemptuous manner, then made his way back to Reiya, as his piercing gaze never left her frame.
"A word of advice, Red Queen." Thranduil stated with his deep voice as he stood in front of her while exhibiting his commanding presence. "Perhaps you will fare better saving both your energies and that power of yours for the time being, my lady. Believe me. You will need them when you are in my kingdom." He emphasized with a hint of warning as he looked at her attentively.
Reiya's expression did not falter, however, as she remained unaffected by the tone of his words that one time.
Deciding that he had bantered enough with the queen for one day, Thranduil turned around and exited her apartment in utter silence.
Reiya's features relaxed slightly and the scarlet glow faded from her eyes when the fellow monarch made his way out. She remained in place, contemplating her immediate impressions of the exchange that transpired.
Her royal councilors would have probably advised against her little farewell gesture to the Elvenking at that moment. Nevertheless, she deemed the action justifiable for the circumstances, given that Thranduil was still withholding information from her, as she remembered.
Hopefully, the sight of her Krisha power would dissuade the king from pursuing any hidden agendas or silly ideas involving her.
Reiya looked at the floor and raised an eyebrow as her mind shifted to a curious observation.
She had displayed her power in front of Thranduil twice throughout their banters already, and yet, he did not look frightened in the slightest.
That was rather peculiar.
…
Thranduil was on his way to meet with his captains and lieutenants after he exited the queen's office. However, he stopped at the turn of a corridor when the other Elven rulers appeared on sight.
Galadriel was standing in front of the fence, and Elrond and Celeborn were speaking to one another before shifting their attention to him.
Judging from their inquisitive looks, it seemed like they were awaiting his arrival and wished to learn the outcome of his audience with the Red Queen, most likely.
Thus, he went to greet them and proceeded to share the verdict in question.
"Lady Reiya accepted the proposition. She is on board." Thranduil left it at that, choosing to omit the part of the unforeseen contract that he was now obligated to fulfill per the queen's request.
Galadriel smiled lightly, and Elrond sighed in relief.
"And so, another war is now unleashed in these lands." Celeborn stated in a contemplative manner.
"And we will do what we must to protect Middle-earth and those dear to us." Elrond responded in an assertive manner.
"That we shall." Thranduil corroborated.
"Several Elven rulers have changed the course of history throughout the ages of the world." Galadriel stated with her reflective voice while keeping her sight forward. "Two of them together, might achieve something even greater." She remarked in an encouraging manner as she turned her face towards the king.
Thranduil nodded in acknowledgement.
The Lord of Mirkwood excused himself and proceeded to walk towards his next destination. However, he stopped in his tracks when a voice resonated in his mind.
'The queen's resolve burns strong, but she will need you in the darkest hour. A decision lies ahead of you. Listen, and choose accordingly.'
Thranduil widened his eyes slightly as he recognized Galadriel's voice speaking to his thoughts. She had relied that last part directly into his mind, which was quite unusual in their exchanges.
He was still in the corridor when her voice echoed within; however, he did not turn around to look at the Lady of Light as he remained still.
Galadriel was observing the king attentively from the corner of her eye, while a secretive smile adorned her face.
Thranduil, on the other hand, remained put in place as he pondered her statement for a brief moment.
Had Galadriel foreseen something else concerning his upcoming collaboration with the Red Queen?
She did most probably… However, her words were pretty vague and cryptic, as expected.
As far as he could tell, Reiya was not seeking his help for anything beyond the boundaries of their agreement at the time, so he did not contemplate a need of such nature on her part.
There would certainly be difficult moments throughout the course of the conflict, as it was customary in any war, but he had no way of knowing what moment in particular Galadriel was talking about as well.
Deeming her words undecipherable at the time, Thranduil resumed his walk, and his expression turned distant once again as he revisited the aims of his plan.
The king's proposition was actually meant to fulfill three different goals.
The first was to gain intelligence from the Red Queen in order to come up with more efficient strategies to defeat Loitar. That was the most crucial aim of the proposition, as discussed with the other Elven rulers.
However, he chose to keep the other two aims to himself so he could pursue those without the interference of his peers.
Following that lead, the second purpose of his plan was to restrict Reiya to a secured location if she were to become a threat throughout the war.
They still did not know the full extent of her power or the range of risks associated with it, so they would need to put measures in place if she were to retaliate at any given time.
Last but not least, the third goal of his plan was to establish a position of power over the Red Queen by gaining any sort of leverage over her.
The balance of power between the Elven realms would shift considerably now that Reiya's royal claim was at play. Thus, he would need to figure out what made this elf-queen tickle in the most subtle of ways.
Furthermore, Thranduil suspected there was much more to Reiya than the eye could see, given her unusually idealistic portrayal as a queen, and he was set on finding out what that was.
A smug smile gradually formed on the king's face as he thought about the task that laid ahead.
Wars were never happy affairs, and they should not be taken lightly. However, he couldn't deny the slight excitement that came with the possibility of deducing the Red Queen's little perks and veiled flaws.
She would not be able to go about her ways unreprimanded any longer. Not in his realm, at least. Hence, he would figure out Reiya's shortcomings and use those to his advantage somehow.
….
A/N: Moves are being made across the board!
The upcoming collaboration is finally underway.
Reiya setting him straight! But Thranduil scheming on his part too, haha.
Up until the next one!