Thranduil heard the thunderous roar of the dragon from his kingdom. It was hard to miss. Instinctively, his army prepared itself in record time and Thranduil marched them towards Erebor. They hadn't gone far when they saw Laketown aflame from end to end. The dragon was talking to someone, taunting them as he got closer. And then with a giant splash, the infamous dragon Smaug fell.

Thranduil stopped his march only for a moment to see if the beast would get up, but it didn't. The king smiled to himself and lead the march on, sending a messenger back to order supplies for the obviously displaced townsfolk. Laketown wasn't too far from Greenwood by water, but by land the trip would take some time.

By morning the Greenwood army, the largest in Arda, took over the old city of Dale. The soldiers stood in perfect form, waiting for their king's orders. Thranduil had expected to meet the old fat greedy townmaster, but was instead met by the bargeman, Alfrid on his heels.

"My Lord Thranduil, we did not look to see you here."

"I heard you needed aid." At his command, a wagon load of vegetables rolled into town.

Eagerly, the starved townspeople began taking and passing out the food.

"You have saved us. I do not know how to thank you."

Thranduil took a moment to analyze the new spokesman for Laketown. So far, he seemed genuine.

"Your gratitude is misplaced. I did not come on your behalf. I came to reclaim something of mine. There are gems in the Mountain that I, too, desire. White gems of pure starlight. The White Gems of Lasgalen." Immediately after, Thranduil began pulling his steed in the direction of the mountain, but was stopped.

"Wait! Please wait! You would go to war over a handful of gems?"

"The heirlooms of my people are not lightly forsaken."

"We are allies in this. My people also have a claim upon the riches in that Mountain. Let me speak with Thorin."

"You would try to reason with the Dwarf?" Thranduil asked with a brow raise.

"To avoid war? Yes."

Thranduil was struck by the man's hopefulness. It was naive. He would make a terrible king. But a good man.

"What is your name, townmaster?"

"This is no townmaster!" Alfrid answered.

Thranduil could stand him even less than the old master.

"Bard. Heir of Girion. King of Laketown."

"King of Dale, to be correct. I knew your grandfather. He was a valiant king." Thranduil sighed and changed his mind. "Come, then. To bargain with the dwarf king."

He ordered one of his men to give king Bard a horse, and the two leaders went over to Erebor. Thranduil chose to stay closer to Dale as Bard went ahead.

"Hail, Thorin, son of Thrain..."

Thranduil watched Bard go, and watched Bard come back.

"He will give us nothing."

"Such a pity. Still, you tried."

"I do not understand. Why? Why would he..." the kings looked back to the mountain to watch ancient runes fall and close the passage to the dwarf kingdom. "...risk war?"

"It is fruitless to reason with them. They understand..." Thranduil pulled out and examined his sword, "only one thing. We attack at dawn." He turned his ride back to Dale.

"Are you with us?"

"Aye." The mortal king sounded defeated.

Back at Dale, everyone was preparing for war. The since unprepared Laketown men sharpened their tools and practiced their sword play with the much experienced elves. A camp was set up for the kings, for their comfort and to serve as a war room.

Thranduil retired in the camp, pouring himself a wine after the stress of dealing with dwarves. His biggest concern, however, was his own family. Legolas and Eluriel had left long before him, yet he hadn't seen either of them once. His worries were distracted when Bard came back in with a wizard.

"You must set aside your petty grievances with the Dwarves." Gandalf ordered, "war is coming!"

Bard looked to Thranduil, and the elf king only looked exasperated, as if wizards were the most annoying thing on Arda.

"The cesspits of Dol Guldur have been emptied. You're all in mortal danger!" Gandalf roared and Thranduil quickly returned his attention to the wizard, like a student caught making distractions in class.

"What are you talking about?" Bard asked, making Thranduil pity the mortal king.

"You know nothing of wizards." He told him and got off his throne to get another glass of wine.

"They are like winter thunder on a wild wind, rolling in from a distance, breaking hard in alarm. But sometimes a storm is just a storm." He condescended the wizard.

"Not this time."

The stubborn elf king argued emptily till the middle of the night, with the poor bargeman caught awkwardly in their argument.

"Since when has my counsel counted for so little? What do you think I'm trying to do?"

"Save your dwarvish friends, and I admire your loyalty to them. But it does not dissuade me from my course. You started this, Mithrandir." Thranduil was done. "You will forgive me if I finish it." He said on his way out the camp.

"Are the archers in position?" He asked the first soldier that crossed his path.

"Yes, my lord."

"Give the order. If anything moves on that mountain, kill it. The dwarves are out of time.

"Bowman! Do you agree?" Gandalf chased after Bard, and this time, the mortal king came back with a hobbit.

"If I'm not mistaken... this is the halfling who stole the keys to my dungeons from under the nose of my guards."

"Y...yesh." The hobbit mumbled, reminding Thranduil of a guilty child.

"Sorry about that. I came... to give you... this." And from his coat he pulled out a package, unraveling it to reveal the Arkenstone.

Thranduil almost jumped off his throne to get a better look.

"The Heart of the Mountain. The King's Jewel." His voice showed amazement.

"And worth a king's ransom." Bard added, before turning to the hobbit, "how is this yours to give?"

"I took it as my 14th share of the treasure."

"Why would you do this? You owe us no loyalty."

"I'm not doing it for you. I know that dwarves can be obstinate, and pigheaded..."

The more the halfling talked, the more Thranduil was reminded of his wife. Stars knew where she was right now.

"... In exchange for its return, he will give you what you are owed. There will be no need for war."

Thranduil looked over to his co commander and saw that the new mortal king was smitten with the hobbit's attempt at peace. Intentions aside, Thranduil was over ruled. Tomorrow he would give them one last chance of peace, but should the dwarves deny it, they would get no more threats. Only war.

Morning came, and the greatest army of Arda marched to stand against 13 stubborn dwarves. Bard had left to meet with another incoming army, which someone told Thranduil was a small platoon from Arendale. The elven king was just about done wearing his battle armor when he heard his name being called. In the voice of his soulmate.

Thranduil left everything haphazardly and ran out of the camp just as a running doe whinnied to a stop. Eluriel jumped off her ride and ran to Thranduil's waiting arms.

Thranduil picked her up and swung her in joy as he kissed her, not caring who watched him. The joy on Ellie's face was beyond comprehension.

"You came!" She breathed.

"Of course I did! Do not think I will let you go alone again."

Gandalf watched the elven royals reunite, but the tender moment was broken when Bard came back with the boy from Arendale.

"You there! Get yourself away from her!" The man, known to Ellie as Niklaus, stormed past Bard, accusingly yelling at the elf king.

Bard stood by Gandalf, helplessly watching the fool with a knowing grin on his face.

"Who do you think you are, taking my woman?" He made the mistake of pulling Eluriel by her arm.

Thranduil raised a questioning brow to his wife, who only played with him. He then turned back to the idiot, and with a smirk, cut off his arm with a single blow.

"I am Thranduil," as he began his introduction, every elf in ear shot took a knee.

"King of the elves."

The man had fallen to the ground, holding to the stump down his shoulder.

Thranduil swung his sword so the tip dangerously pressed against the man's chin.

"You will not look at my wife again, let alone touch her. Or your eyes will be next. Think of her again, and it will be your head. Am I understood?!"

As Thranduil roared, the boy's father came running to his son's side, panicking as was his fatherly right.

While the mortal lords cried, Eluriel took Thranduil over to Gandalf and Bard.

"The dwarves are not your biggest problem, love. The north rides again."

Thranduil's gaze shot to Gandalf. It was kind of the wizard to not gloat.

"Gundabad. The orcs..." Ellie rambled as she cried, afraid from the last time she'd encountered the place. She had died there.

Thranduil cupped his wife's face, forehead touching hers in an attempt to console her.

"They will not take you from me again."

"We cannot rally without the dwarves." Bard spoke up.

"Eluriel, this is Bard. The new king of Dale."

Eluriel made a hasty curtsy.

"Where is Thorin?"

"He's holed up in the mountain. I'm afraid he's bit with dragon sickness. He sees no reason."

"Except the Arkenstone." Bard told her as he showed her the gem in his possession.

Eluriel looked awestruck as she saw it.

"The King's jewel. We were leaving, yes?"