A/N: This is for orochimarutrash Hope you like it.

***

It disheartened you to see what had become of Greenwood. The once vibrant, lively forest was now dark and forbidding to the point it bore the name Mirkwood. It had been an age since you had visited the area, not since the now king was a mere prince in fact. You hummed at the thought of Thranduil. Once upon a time, the two of you had been great friends. 

There was a time you hoped for more than that in fact, but then Thranduil had chosen another for his bride. You'd stayed for a time but when her pregnancy had been announced, you had taken your leave, unable to watch them be so obviously in love. It hadn't been your intention to stay gone for so long but when you received word of the queen's death, you'd felt too ashamed to return home. You had secretly wished so many times for her to disappear, to leave, to no longer be an obstacle between you and the man you loved that you felt guilty. 

Rationally, you knew your wayward thoughts had nothing to do with the queen's death but that didn't make looking in your friend's eyes any easier. Finally, you made your way home and wondered briefly if the king would even remember you. When you arrived at the gates, one of the guards escorted you to the throne room to present you to the king. 

You were at the end of a line of visitors being presented as there was a festival coming in a few days. Several elves that did not live in the kingdom proper were arriving for the festivities. You watched Thranduil as each person stated their name and the reason for their visit. He looked exceedingly bored, simply nodding and waving his hand to the side in dismissal. Your lips twitched as you fought a smile. He had never cared for the mundane tasks of leadership. 

Finally, it was your turn. Thranduil's gaze ran over you, but you got the feeling his mind was elsewhere. "Greetings, my king. Though it has been many years, this is still my home. I am simply returning to it. With your permission of course."

Thranduil's attention was now focused completely on you, his lips parted slightly in surprise. "Y/N?"

You flashed a lopsided smile and bowed in acknowledgment. "It has been a long time, mellon. I was afraid you might have forgotten me."

"Everyone else is dismissed," he said as he stood. He made his way quickly down the stairs and came to stand in front of you. Grasping your upper arms in his hands, he ran his gaze over your face. "You look exactly the same."

"I would hope so, my king. It's only been a few centuries."

He offered you his arm and led you from the room. "None of that my king business. I am Thranduil to you."

"Of course," you replied as you bowed your head, hoping he wouldn't see the blush that colored your cheeks.

***

The first night of the festivities had arrived. You dressed, anxious to see Thranduil. This was the first day since your arrival that you hadn't spent time with him. He was busy making sure everything was in place for the evening. He did send you a letter however asking you to be his personal guest and sit at his table during the banquet. 

The more time you'd spent with the king, the more you realized that your feelings for him had not changed at all despite your long absence. You'd also been introduced to Legolas and the two of you had become quick friends. 

You took a deep breath and ran your hands over your dress before walking into the room where the banquet was. You'd worn your best dress in your favorite color with golden embroidery covering the bodice. Your gaze immediately found Thranduil when you walked through the door. His eyes widened when he spotted you and he stood from his chair. His obvious appreciation had you smiling. 

"Y/N, my friend, it has been far too long," a voice drew your attention, interrupting your moment with the king. 

You turned and smiled widely when you found Elrond standing beside you. His arms grasped yours as he leaned forward to kiss your cheeks. "If I had known you were here, I wouldn't have waited so long to accept Thranduil's invitation."

"Well, he wasn't exactly aware I was coming either. I showed up a few days ago much to his surprise," you said. 

Elrond offered you his arm but before you could take it someone cleared their throat. You turned and were surprised to find Thranduil standing on the other side of you. "Pardon my intrusion, Elrond, but Y/N is my guest this evening," he said to your friend, his eyes hard. They softened when he turned to you to offer his arm. "Shall we?"

You took his arm and glanced back to find Elrond following behind, his lips twitching as he tried not to smile. Thranduil guided you to your seat and you were amused to find yourself between the king and Elrond. 

Legolas sat on the other side of his father and the two quickly fell into conversation. You turned to Elrond. "How have you been, mellon?"

He smiled. "Things have been well. Peaceful. I am most anxious to hear of your travels, however."

You tapped your chin as you thought about which adventure to tell your friend. "I encountered some trolls not so terribly long ago. Filthy things. Quite vile really."

"Are you enjoying your meal?" Tranduil said from your other side.

You smiled at him. "Yes, it's delicious. Thank you." You looked back to Elrond. "There were two of them. A male and female unless I'm mistaken. Hard to tell. They were so distracted by their--

"Is there anything you need, mellon?" Thranduil asked and you glanced over.

"No. I'm fine. Thank you."

"Please continue," Elrond requested, drawing your attention back to him. 

"Where was I? Oh, yes, they were busy arguing over their meal of orc and warg. They never even knew I was there. So I--

"How is the wine?" Thranduil asked, interrupting you once more.

You clenched your teeth for a brief moment before smiling at Elrond. "Would you excuse me for just a moment?"

"Of course." His amusement was clear. 

You turned your attention to the king. "Could I have a moment of your time, my king?"

His eyebrows shot up into his hairline as he looked around the room. "Well, we are in the middle of dinner."

"Legolas will see to things in your absence," you assured him and glanced at the younger elf. "Won't you?"

"Go, ada. All will be well here, but Y/N looks like she might hurt you if you don't cooperate," he said, laughter coloring his words.

Thranduil cleared his throat before standing and offering you his arm. He led you out a small door to the side and you were surprised to find yourself in a small garden.

You were too annoyed to appreciate the beauty around you and instead crossed your arms over your chest as you glared at the king. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," was his quick and ready answer though he didn't meet your eyes.

"Is there any particular reason I am not allowed to speak with Elrond this evening?" 

"I never said you could not speak with him," he insisted.

"No, you just continue to interrupt. What is going on, Thranduil?"

He sighed and turned his back to you. "When you arrived, I felt things I had not felt since my wife died. I thought at first that it was simply that I had missed you for so long, but quickly discovered that was not the case. Then this evening when you appeared in that dress, well, I could hardly breathe." He glanced briefly over his shoulder. "You look stunning by the way. I understand if my feelings are not returned and I apologize for my jealousy."

You covered your mouth with a hand as tears filled your eyes. You were grateful his back remained turned to you so you could take a moment to compose yourself. Centuries you'd waited for him to feel even a portion for you of what you felt for him. You could hardly believe it had finally happened. You wiped your eyes though you were uncertain how much good it did. "Thranduil, you idiot."

He spun quickly then, his scowl turning to confusion when he saw your smile and the lingering tears. "Why do you think I left when your lovely, perfect wife announced her pregnancy? It wasn't a coincidence. I couldn't bear to watch the two of you together any longer. It broke my heart."

"Are you saying..." he trailed off, afraid to voice his thoughts.

"I've been in love with you everyday since we were children, Thranduil. All you had to do was ask and I was yours."

He stepped forward, taking your hands in his. "In that case, Y/N Y/L/N would you do me the great honor of becoming my queen?"

Too overwhelmed to speak, you nodded and pressed your lips to Thranduil's. He eagerly returned the kiss as he ran his fingers through your hair. Pulling apart only when he needed to breathe, he pressed his forehead to yours. "I will love you for eternity, my stars."

"And I you, my moon."