A/N: Hopefully this worked, having trouble uploading to the site.
When she woke up, she was aware of a few things.
At her core, she felt exhausted. Like she had been through a rigorous week of training and her body had just given up.
And she was thirsty. Her tongue felt like sandpaper. She tried to reach for her side table. There was usually a jug of water there.
When her hand grew tired after grasping nothing but air, she gave up her endeavours.
She groaned into her pillow.
At least she was in her bed. Her soft, comfy bed.
But how did she get here?
She didn't remember the journey back to her quarters this morning.
The last thing she remembered was…
Oh no.
She remembered trading insults with the king, and then nothing after that.
What happened last night?
She was too tired to recollect now, she could try to figure that out later. Right now, she wanted to sleep.
As she tried to get comfortable again, she could feel the bed dipping, like something was behind her.
Whatever it was, she didn't let it bother her. But then she felt a hand snake around her waist and pull her backwards.
Green eyes sprang open. Exhaustion now gone, and panic set in its replacement.
A subtle glance behind her and she immediately recognised the King's face.
Oh shit.
Her breathing grew rapid.
What was he doing in her rooms?
The king would never stay in the guards' quarters. Let alone have an excuse to be near them.
Or would he?
Before Raelee could jump to any more conclusions, she took in her surroundings.
Shit. She was still in his rooms. And it was the morning.
It was way past the end of her shift.
What was she still doing here?
Why wasn't she in her chair.
What had happened last night?
Raelee wanted to wake him and ask, but she also wanted to enjoy the peace. His bed was so comfy.
No, she can't stay. She needed to leave. Now she only needed to figure out how to do that without waking the king.
He shifted her closer to him. She tried to keep her breathing steady. And although he wasn't awake, a certain part of him was starting to arise.
This couldn't be good.
She attempted to shift away, but her movements seemed to rouse the king.
He groaned behind her.
"Good morning, Raelee." He pulled her closer.
"Morning, my king." She cringed when she felt his morning erection pressed between them. He noticed her reaction and chuckled and tugged on her arm until she was lying on her back.
Xxx
Thranduil knew she was trying to not disturb him as she woke, but his body was accustomed to waking at this hour. Raelee would typically be long gone by now.
He leant up on his elbow to look down at her.
Raelee looked exhausted.
After she had collapsed suddenly, he placed her in his bed after checking her over to make sure she was not in serious danger. Once he was satisfied that she only needed to rest, he climbed in after her.
He knew she would not be happy in the morning, but she could hardly disagree with his course of actions.
Her eyes darted down to the tented fabric at his waist. He could see her swallowing in unease.
Little fool.
She was so damn worried all the time. Did she think he was an animal? Ready to mount her at any opportune moment.
"I am afraid I cannot control it." He moved her hair behind her ear to look at her face.
She blushed beautifully.
"It is completely natural for an ellon in the mornings." He watched her blush die down and her eyes grow sad.
"Oh I thought-" She stopped herself from speaking.
"What is wrong now?" He sighed.
"Nothing, I just feel stupid for thinking-" she stopped herself again. "Wait, why am I here?"
"You collapsed." Did she not remember the events from last night?
"How? Why?" Her face contorted into a mass of anxious furrows.
"I imagine you are more equipped to answer that question than I am." He could only guess last night.
"I don't remember much. I remember having wine and then we-" her blush returned. "Just tell me what happened, please."
Her fatigue was replaced with worry. He could see the sweat forming on her brow.
"You have made it clear that you cannot function without sleep. And you have not been taking care of yourself. You are stressed and under too much pressure. Your body shut itself down and you fainted." His voice came out scolding in tone.
She had the decency to look ashamed. He could see her mind racing in thought. Desperately trying to remember last night.
"Why didn't you call the healers?" Her eyes became angry.
He pushed down the fury he felt at her tone. How dare she speak to him like that.
"Why would I?"
She gapped at him.
"Why? Don't you care about m-" She stopped herself. His eyebrow raised in question. "Never mind." She huffed.
"I have seen many ailments over the centuries that have required the attentions of my kingdom's healers. You only needed to sleep; a healer would have only recommended the same. No need to reveal our arrangement."
"Oh yes, safety first." She rolled her eyes.
"Raelee!" He was growing tired of her petulant attitude.
"I'm sorry, my king." Raelee took a deep breath to calm down.
"You may not agree with my logic but keeping this bargain a secret is vital if you wish to benefit from it."
Her jaw tightened.
"My only wish is to leave your kingdom."
"You consented to this arrangement, Raelee. And I will uphold our bargain if you agree to stop trying to kill yourself."
"I'm not trying to do anything. I'm-"
"You are stressed. Perhaps if you got some sleep-"
"When am I supposed to sleep? I barely have any time to myself. And I can't sleep properly in that chair, I've tried. I have been training whenever I get the chance. My parents occasionally show up and invite me to tea when I'm about to sleep and I can't say no to them. I have been avoiding Daron like an orc since he came back from the patrols which just adds to my str-." He could see her breath getting shallow. She was going into a panic again.
"Raelee, I do not have time for this." He held her face and she tried to focus her breathing. "From now on, you are going to sleep here at night." She was about to protest when he cut her off. "I will not continue this bargain if you cannot hold up your side."
Her breathing calmed down considerably.
"Of course, what kind of elleth would I be if I couldn't do what is asked of me." She sneered quietly.
"A married one." He shot back.
He thought she was going to fight back. He could see the fire building behind her eyes. The same he saw when she first threw that drink at him. But in a blink, it was gone.
He was almost sad to see in extinguished. But he was glad that she was controlling her temper.
Xxx
She wanted nothing more than to hurl an insult at his haughty face, but as usual, the king was right. She did this to herself. She knew that she needed to take better care of herself.
And the last thing she wanted was to be married.
Why did he always have to be right?
"How are you faring?" He asked.
"I feel drained." She answered honestly.
"Would you like to stay a little longer?" He asked.
No. She wouldn't. If she stayed any longer, she may do something else she'd regret.
Her eyes would not stray to his-
"Thank you, but I have stayed too long. I should go."
"I suppose you are correct." He sighed.
She made to get up when his arms caged her on the bed. She stared at him in confusion when he made no move to let her leave.
"You are not to put yourself through anything like this again."
"Yes, my king." She nodded dejectedly.
Once he was satisfied with her response, he moved off her and reclined back on his pillows.
She made to stand when she realised that her uniform was on the other side of the room. She held the sheet to her chest as she pondered how to cross the room in her state of undress. She looked back at the king who was studying her.
"Not ready to leave the bed?" He smirked at her.
"C-close your eyes." She said quietly.
"It's not as if I haven't seen all of you, Raelee." He pointed out.
She knew it was almost pointless to try and maintain her modesty around him, but up until now, the lights were always dimmed for their activities and now sunlight flickered into the room through his skylight. She wasn't ready for the kind of exposure.
"It doesn't mean that I enjoyed parading around nude in your chambers." She instinctively held the sheet closer to her.
"And yet, I would enjoy that very much." He chuckled and proceeded to get out of the bed and walk over to where her clothes were left last night.
She had to fight to keep her eyes averted from his naked body. When he walked back over to her she made sure to only look at him in the eye.
"Thank you." She took the garment from him and quickly put on the slip. When she was finally covered, she stood from the bed. The king was watching her with ramp attention.
She turned her back to finish dressing and once she had the belt in place, she made to leave the room.
"Wait." The king called her before she reached the door.
"Yes?" She turned back around to face him.
"I will be late tonight. I expect you to be waiting for me in here."
"Of course." She bowed and walked into his main chamber and left the king. She could feel his eyes burning into her as she departed.
Xxx
Thranduil sat during the meeting of the council.
Councillor Bragi was speaking of the increased orc attacks. They were growing bolder, increasing in numbers and territory.
Thranduil, as the Elvenking, was duty bound to help circumvent the spread of the Orcs and goblins to his kingdom.
"We need to kill them at their source. If we find the root, then the attacks will cease. It is the only way, my King." Bragi implored the king.
Thranduil heard this proposal being made many times, over and over. Why didn't the members of his council understand that his kingdom was his first and only priority. The vermin were coming from outside his borders.
"You will keep the perimeter of my kingdom free from vermin, there will be no excursion to the north."
"But, my king, Varil was a loyal lieutenant." Councillor Daithi said forlornly.
"And she will be remembered fondly. You are to keep my borders clear and that is final." He spoke, silencing the wave of agreement that followed Bragi's proposal.
All council members remained silent in the aftermath of his declaration. None would meet his eye.
"If that is all the business today, then I shall adjourn this meeting until tomorrow." When he stood up, all other members followed and waited for him to leave the council chamber.
As he walked out of the chamber, he found his mind drifting to Raelee. She was probably waiting for him right now. The sun has been set for a few hours. He knew that the meeting would run late.
The king's guard had lost an elf after she became separated from the patrol and was found by a pack of orcs. She died quickly according to Tauriel. There was some solace in that.
The council sought fit to attempt to reason with the Elvenking about attacking head on, but the king would not be swayed. His word was final. The council was there to give advice. He could choose to accept their guidance, or he could do what he thought best. Which is what he always did.
He made his way to his chamber, opening the door and slipping in quietly.
He did not spot her at the guards' post when he first walked in. He locked the outer door so the pair would not be disturbed tonight and Raelee could relax.
His bedchamber door was ajar. She must have been in there.
He made his way over and opened the door fully.
He was disappointed when he didn't find her on the bed as he walked in. He noticed her cloak was lying across one of his chairs, along with her bow and arrows. Where was she?
"My king?" A meek voice asked from the washroom.
He turned and saw her, standing in a robe. His robe.
"What are you doing in there?" He asked harshly.
"I-" She looked like she was about to answer but then stopped herself before she did. That would not do.
"Raelee." He said in warning.
"I usually have a bath at this time."
"Is that so?" He asked raising an eyebrow at her.
"I-I thought that you wouldn't mind if I was finished before you came back."
"Well then, do not let me stop you." He raised his eyebrow at her.
He expected her to squeak and refuse.
He couldn't contain his disbelief when she quickly turned and untied the robe. It dropped to the floor and she quickly sank into the deep pool.
He watched her as she lowered herself into the water. The pleasant scent of flowers wafted through the room.
Where was the nervous elf from this morning?
Xxx
She submerged herself under the water and resurfaced a moment later. She pushed the hair from her face and when she opened her eyes, she noticed that the king was still watching her.
"I will be finished in a moment." She said and turned her back to him to finish cleaning herself.
It was when she heard the rustling of clothes and the sound of a body entering the water that she turned back to find the Elvenking standing mere inches from her in the water.
His golden hair was spread out on the surface of the water. While she struggled to touch the floor of the pool, he was standing tall.
"What were you trying to accomplish, my little runaway?" He asked as he backed her against the edge of the pool. She grabbed onto his arms to stop herself from sinking.
"Nothing, my king." She spoke softly.
"Do not lie to me." His hand made his way into her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her neck.
His teeth grazed her collar bone as he made his way up to her ear.
"You are not the first Elleth that has graced my private pools."
"And I'm sure I will not be the last." She scoffed.
She felt his hand leave her hair but a second later she was hoisted up against him. Her legs automatically wrapped themselves around his waist. She gasped when she felt his hard member pressed against her.
"You certainly are brazen tonight." He grinded against her as he spoke.
"Forgive me if I'm disappointing you, my king." Her voice became high pitched as she spoke. She was enjoying this.
"Disappointing me? Never, my little runaway." He moved one of his hands from his grip on her leg to one of her neck. She gasped at the contact and he used that opportunity to kiss her lips.
It was rough and demanding. She tried to match the king's caresses. Her hands moved from his arms to his broad back. His tongue caressed hers, she couldn't help but moan.
Xxx
He loved to hear her moans. They awoke something primal inside of him. He needed to hear more.
His right hand moved towards her centre. He ceased their kissing to watch her reaction to his touch.
His fingers glided along her slit; her pupils dilated as he circled her opening.
"Beautiful." He said as he pushed two fingers inside her. She yelped at the intrusion. Her hands were strained against his back as he pumped them in and out of her. Her back arched which presented her breasts to his greedy gaze.
"You are so tight." He groaned as he continued to curl his fingers inside her.
She didn't reply, only continued to let out quiet whines.
His member twitched at the sound of her groans. Her walls were starting to clench around his fingers, he had to be inside her.
She released a whine when he pulled his fingers out of her. But she barely had the chance to recover when she felt him lining up at her entrance.
"Wait!" She begged.
"Not this again." His frustration was obvious. Here she was, wet and wanting and she was stalling his pleasure. "What is wrong now?"
"I was just going to ask if we could go to the bed?" She asked shrugging her shoulders. For a moment she looked so innocent and naïve, in total contrast to their salacious position.
"Do not worry, I will have you in the bed after we're finished here." He said as he slowly pushed into her.
Xxx
She cried out at the sensation. His fingers were uncomfortable, but his manhood was still difficult to have inside her.
She was beginning to feel pleasure build earlier when it was just his fingers, but when he stopped and was about to enter her, she had a flashback to their first time.
Her natural lubrication helped him, but it was still a tight fit. The king's groans were synced with his thrusts. She thought he would have been careful with her after last night, but he almost exited her with every thrust.
He looked down to watch his manhood enter and leave her body through the water.
He hadn't kissed her again. She had no choice but to watch him. The pain was still there, but she had stopped crying out at every hard thrust. The king however, got louder.
"You have the tightest cunt." He said through gritted teeth.
She didn't answer. She didn't know how to respond to that. She could only groan when he increased his pace.
He was almost lifting her out of the water. She threw her head back only to have the king's hand weave into her hair to bring her eyes back to him.
She felt so uncomfortable staring into his intense gaze. She was tempted to kiss him just to distract herself.
A few hard thrusts later, he groaned as he released into her.
She was still holding onto him as he grew soft inside her.
"How is it that you give me more pleasure than the most talented whores in my kingdom?" He asked as he pulled from her.
"I don't kno-"
He cut her off with a chuckle.
"That was rhetorical, my dear." His condescension stung. She hated it when she felt foolish.
Her legs almost gave out when he moved away from her. He was already getting out of the pool, leaving her there to swim back.
He was watching her as she moved out of the water.
She bent over to pick up the robe and quickly wrapped it around herself. She walked back into the bedchamber.
He followed behind her in another robe.
She moved to stand in front of the fireplace, ignoring the lush bench behind her.
She began to plait her hair as it dried.
Earlier, she had arrived in the chamber and expected to wait for a while, but not most of the night. She spent hours pacing, sitting, and debating how to pass the time when she spotted the-
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the puddle on the floor. She slipped and almost fell. She caught herself on the bench.
Damn, she thought it was all cleaned up.
"I see now why you wanted a bath." She could hear a note of disappointment in his voice. She turned and saw him holding up the half empty carafe.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think you would miss a glass."
"That would probably be true. You should have been more careful not to spill my wine on your uniform." He pointed to her soaked uniform hanging by the door. This couldn't get any more embarrassing.
"I'm sorry." Her quiet voice was barely audible.
He hummed in response.
Grabbing a cloth, she quickly cleaned up the mess. She cringed as she stood, she must have strained her back at some point.
She moved in front of the hearth and tied her hair in place.
Playing with her hair was always something she did when she was anxious.
Raelee was never a nervous wreck before the king entered her life. Now every little noise from a darkened corner sets her off. It's why she spilled the wine she'd been drinking. She thought she had heard someone in the room, but it was only the crackling of the fire.
She hated feeling like this.
Thankfully, he wasn't there to see her wringing out her uniform in the sink.
"Come here, Raelee." He called from the bed.
She turned and saw him reclined under the covers. He had taken off his robe.
She knew from her nights in his rooms that he probably slept naked. She didn't sleep naked when she was in her own bed, but she didn't want to disappoint the king. If he preferred to sleep naked then so should she. He had all the power in their bargain. All she had to do was please him.
She made her way over, trying not to limp. Why was she so sore?
The bed was calling her, she remembered how comfortable it was. However, when she sat down, she whimpered.
"What is the matter now?" He sighed.
"Nothing, I'm fine." She went to sit again but there was more pain.
"Stand up, Raelee." She did as he said and felt him lifting her robe.
"You have a rather large bruise forming." He caressed her sore back gently.
How did that happen? Maybe in the pools? He must have been too rough. She righted the robe but felt the material being moved off her shoulders by the king who was now untying the cord. It pooled on the floor and she stood bare in front of him.
"Get on the bed." He pulled her back, but she stood firm. "You need to sleep."
"I can't lie down like this." Now that she was aware of the bruise, the small twinge she felt earlier was now like a burn.
"Lie on your stomach." He sounded irritated at her.
She almost slapped herself. Why didn't she think of that? Lying on her stomach was new but not uncomfortable. It took the pressure off her bruised back and allowed her to relax.
"Better?" He whispered.
"It's fine." She tried not to wince as she shifted on the pillow.
"Next time I will try to be more careful." The king said out of the blue. She turned to look at him. His eyes were focused on her lower back. In the past, she would have felt self-conscious, but the sorrow in his eyes made her realise that he felt guilty. He moved the covers over them.
"Is that your way of apologising?" He scoffed at her question.
"I said I would be more careful next time, not that I was sorry." He said coldly.
She thought that maybe the angry king would be different in private company, but so far, he was still as cold and arrogant. Perhaps it wasn't guilt he was feeling before. Maybe he was irritated that perhaps she may not be able to fulfil her part in the bargain with this bruise.
He only wants her for her body. Nothing else.
Nothing.