The dwarves were a stubborn folk; this much I had known for many millennia, however, their resolve never failed to surprise me.

It was not easy to gain their trust. In the beginning, I was denied of many faculties which made for survival due to the shape of my ears. The dwarves hated me, it was as plain as day. Many times, they sought to remove me from their lands.

After many attempts to gain their trust, I was at last successful in doing so on a particularly dreadful stormy night, one on which I was yet again denied simple shelter and food. I was particularly frail and dispirited, yet again resolving myself to simply cower in a dark corner floored by muck and protected by naught but the shredded cloak on my shoulders and the dagger strapped to my side.

Screams rang out through the desolate night, the sounds of deep and grotesque laughter interrupting the laments of agony and fear. It was startlingly familiar to me in my exhausted, malnourished mind. The laughter sounded once more, followed by more shrill screams and suddenly, I understood.

Even in my weakened state, I brandished my dagger, my feet quickly and quietly leading me to the merciless onslaught. I launched myself at the largest attacker first, catching him by surprise as I swiftly stuck my dagger into the side of his thick, grey neck. The troll, clearly perturbed but not severely injured, reached his large, knobby hand backward as if to grab me. It was too late. I had jumped onto his head, dagger in hand, and gouged his eye out. The troll sunk to his knees with a large thud, and I scampered off quickly. His slow but large counterparts had finally discovered what had happened, and were now  making their ugly way to me.

There was a gruff shout. A glint in the vague moonlight caught my eye. Swiftly, I caught the sword, and immediately took to fending off the trolls.

With two and soon, five against three trolls, quick work was made of the unsightly creatures. I dropped the bloody sword to the muddy ground. Four male dwarves surrounded me: two with only slight disdain, one with high suspicion, and one with reverence.

From then on, I had lived peacefully with the dwarves, eventually befriending all of them over the course of the many years I had spent with the proud but protective creatures. This was why it was no surprise that upon the realisation Thorin Oakenshield would be taking a small group of dwarves to reclaim their homeland, I offered to join. The dwarves, while sceptical at first, were convinced when Balin gave a short discourse describing my aid when the trolls struck the village many years prior.

Through all that had occurred, the dwarves still were haughty and high-minded as ever, but I now knew them well enough to pay them no mind...

"You may want to return to camp. Bilbo's found something of yours, and the whole company means to get to the bottom of it, drawing all sorts of conclusions that only you can answer to."

My brows rose slightly as the white-haired dwarf smiled anxiously.

I had heard his footsteps approaching and had already redressed myself after bathing in a small spring just outside of camp. The coverage of the thick trees was just enough hide me from the many males that patrolled our makeshift lodgings.

"What, dear Balin, of mine have they begun 'drawing conclusions' about?"

Balin shook his head as if to say "it would be better if you saw for yourself." I sighed heavily. Knowing the males in this company, they could have found anything from the extra cloths in my satchel to my journal.

My journal.

"Just see for yourself, lass."

I thanked the white-bearded dwarf quickly, swiftly returning to our camp.

I stopped momentarily to seek the hobbit, and my eyes settled on the uneasy male as a familiar leather-bound journal was ripped from his hands.

"Who do you think it is? It's definitely not Bilbo, she'd never met a hobbit until we met him!"

"Well I think it would be me. I'm quite handsome!"

"You're scrawny, Ori. It must be me! She wrote that the man was 'well aware of the purpose of using his hands.' So she's definitely talking about me."

"Shut up, Bofur!"

I cleared my throat loudly, taking measured footsteps into the camp. The dwarves silenced themselves, clearly embarrassed that I'd heard their conversation, by the reddening cheeks and wide-eyed stares.

"May I have my journal please?" I asked calmly. My heart pounded swiftly, but I kept my composure. A wary Ori returned my journal to my hand. As my fingers curled around the spine, I observed the now crinkled pages they had clearly been reading and bickering over.

"If you want any of your questions answered, you must wait until after Bombur finishes dinner."

The dwarves grumbled unhappily, but they knew not to push.

"I would like to apologise," Bilbo piped up beside me. He was clearly flustered what with rosy cheeks and the lack of eye contact. I offered the hobbit a small smile.

"I forgive you, Bilbo. We are all curious about things we do not know," I assured the clearly addled male. He peered up at me with a relieved smile.

——

The flickering orange flames licked the wood, climbing higher and higher, almost in a competition with itself to reach the stars before the colour would fade. The heat emitted from the orange flames seeped into my bones slowly, almost unnoticeably.

I cast a glance around the circle, seeing most eyes on me, only peering away when they noticed my gaze.

Gandalf, who was well aware of most of what had occurred in my life, was the only one to gaze into the fire, the smoke of his pipe curling around his head.

I sighed heavily. I could make the curious males wait no longer. They wanted their answers.

"Before you ask any questions, I must tell you one thing: the travels I wrote of in my journal mostly occurred prior to my stay with you all. I am using the last pages to recount our current adventure. With that said, I will accept one question at a time."

The dwarves began to talk over one another, all looking at me. I shook my head in amusement.

"Silence! All of you!" Thorin bellowed. The voices ceased at once. "Kili, you ask the first question. Since you actually have a good one."

I thanked Thorin quietly, turning my gaze to Kili.

Kili puffed his chest out in pride, turning his body toward me. Although he was across from me, I could see his proud smile by the flickering fire's glow.

"Who is the male you wrote about in the journal?" He asked, pride faltering as he did so.

I sighed. My past had only somewhat been uncovered by the dwarves—they knew that I had wandered Middle Earth for quite some time before settling with them—, but this crucial piece of information had been left out. I had an inkling the dwarves would grow curious of my past, but I had not expected it to be done so while we were around a fire with no way for me to escape should they draw their typical dwarvish conclusions—conclusions typically including that of treachery.

"In the time I knew him, he was then the Prince of Greenwood. Now he is the King."

"He's the Elvenking, isn't he? I can understand why you left him if he is as I've been told," Bilbo quipped, sharing chuckles with several of the dwarves. My lips rose in a solemn smile.

"I am terribly afraid I am the reason he is so...contemptuous," I spoke. A silence fell over the camp, the crackles of the fire licking its wooden captor being the only noises heard.

"Whatd'ya mean by that lass?"the blond Durin prince asked, scooting closer to the fire.

"What she means is—"

"It's quite alright, Mithrandir. I am happy to tell them. My friends have waited long enough to know my past."

The grey wizard nodded in understanding, and I nodded in return.

The wizard knew of the suffering I endured as a result of my leaving the then elven prince. After I left Greenwood, I simply wandered for several years until I wandered into the grey wizard. I told him if the hardships I had faced, and he became a great friend to me. Soon after, I left him to go on my own adventure; I left to find myself. After Thranduil, I felt I had nothing else. I knew I was mistaken, however, which led me on the journey by which I met my dwarven friends.

"Well go on then, we haven't got all night!" Kili exclaimed. Dwalin whacked him in the head, and Thorin shot him a searing glare. Kili scoffed but calmed down, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Thranduil and I grew up together. We were the very best of friends, and soon, we fell in love. We tiptoed around the fact for two centuries; King Oropher would have been severely displeased if he found his son was courting someone like me—a daughter born of parents in the guard—not of nobility," I began.

——

I peeked around the corner, a wide grin on my lips as I listened for the sounds of soft footfalls. Just vaguely, I could hear the soft padding of footsteps coming down the corridor. Perfect.

I pressed my back against the wall again, turning to the elf on my left.

"He's awfully loud for an elf," I remarked quietly, knowing our victim had remarkable hearing just as we did. The ellon beside me nodded in agreement, a mischievous smile on his lips.

"That's why he's the king and not in the guard," the ellon responded, and I did my best to hold in my little snickers, but it was too funny! Thranduil made me laugh like no other could.

My laughter alerted King Oropher of our presence, and the grumpy older ellon turned our corner, his long hair swaying and robes flailing behind him as he did so. Upon seeing the displeased expression on his face, I ceased laughing. The dark brows of the Elvenking rose in unamused curiosity, and I took a step backward, bumping into Thranduil, who braced me with his hands. My skin tingled under his gentle but firm touch, sending a shiver down my spine.

"What are the two of you doing?"

Shoving the tingly feeling away, I turned around to Thranduil, who met my eyes with his own. He nodded his head in the direction behind him. He wanted me to run so he could handle the situation. I shook my head. Thranduil would not take the fall for me.

Facing forward again, I responded, "I thought it would be funny to scare you, and I coerced Prince Thranduil into helping me. I intended no harm, Aran nin."

King Oropher studied me for a moment, his calculating gaze scanning over my face. He nodded once, and whirled around with a flourish of his robes.

I let out a sigh of relief as King Oropher's back turned the corner.

"Why did you say that? I was going to take care of the situation."

I smiled softly at the ellon.

"I don't want you to get in trouble," I replied, my smile dropping as I looked into Thranduil's concerned gaze. He sighed heavily, settling his gaze heavily upon me.

My eyes widened at his heavy gaze, and I swallowed thickly. I had never seen his eyes look like that before. They had a strange glow to them, more so than usual.

"And I don't want you in trouble, especially with my Ada."

I gazed into his concerned eyes earnestly, offering him my soft smile again. I gripped his hands, giving them a firm squeeze.

"It's okay, Thranduil. We've done far worse to be in trouble with your Ada.

——

The dwarves sat in eagerness, listening intently to my tale. They barely sat on the edge of their stones and logs, clearly teeming with curiosity. Dear Bilbo, who sat beside me, peered at me with such wonder in his gaze. I had never seen such a look of fascination.

"One night, we had snuck into the library—Thranduil was to depart from Greenwood the following morning and go into Rivendell for a meeting with the elven rulers of Middle Earth. It was in the library he confessed to me that he felt I was his one—that he knew it in the deepest parts of his soul we were meant to be together. I, too felt that way. I never doubted him. Still, I do not doubt him."

"So what happened? Why are you not together?"

I eyed the blond dwarf, a sad smile gracing my lips.

"He was betrothed to another elleth."

The dwarves grumbled their thoughts on the matter aloud to one another. I let out a small chuckle at their antics.

Ori stood abruptly, and the grumbles silenced.

"He didn't even try to get you? I hate him even more."

Kili and Fili agreed with a shout.

It was laughable, their enthusiasm to despise Thranduil. Truthfully—while I was not exactly happy with his decision myself—I never hated him. If he had gone to his Ada and muttered an ounce of protest in regards to his betrothal, his Ada would have only married the two off faster and banished me from the then Greenwood.

My decision to leave only made it easier on Thranduil. He was still respected by his Ada, and I was broken hearted, but my adventurous spirit remained intact. As a queen, my adventurous spirit would be squashed by regal and wifely duties which would only hold me back from being who I am—or, that's what I would tell myself to make leaving everyone and everything I knew and loved seem plausible.

My parents remained in Greenwood, most likely remaining members of the guard. My decision to leave saddened them, but they were understanding of my situation and agreed it would be best.

——

"He has a son now."

I nodded once, pursing my lips.

Naneth reached across the table, gently taking my hand in hers as she looked softly into my eyes.

"My daughter, I know you do not welcome this news—"

"I knew the day would come, naneth...I was not expecting it to be so soon, however," I replied, a faux smile painted on my lips. My mother was quite perceptive, so I knew she would see through it, but the gesture alone would offer her little reassurance.

"Thranduil's changed since you left."

I sighed again. Ada was always one to make grim news worse, even if he had no intentions of doing so.

"Thalias, hush. Do not speak of such; our daughter has done nothing wrong, and if our King sees fit to use our daughter's leaving as an excuse to act cruelly, it is not her doing, it is his alone. If he ever truly loved our daughter, he should have done something about it sooner. It is too late for him. He can't expect her to wait a millennium; she did what was best and moved on. He should have done the same. He now has a wife and son to think of."

Ada sighed, knowing Naneth was right.

"She must know of these things, Calaerel. She asked for a report on Greenwood, and I intend to deliver just that," Ada turned his gaze to me, " Thranduil has become a cold ruler. I am in no way saying it is your fault; Thranduil is the only one in control of his countenance."

Naneth sighed, shaking her head. She was never one to fully speak her mind, especially when it came to Ada. But I knew she was quite unhappy with his report of Thranduil. Naneth felt my escape from Greenwood should grant me escape from all talk of the now Elvenking. She knew leaving Greenwood was not easy for me, and she didn't like that Ada brought Thranduil up in all conversation; she felt that speaking of Thranduil would make it harder for me to move on. It was partially true. I was reluctant to venture too far from Greenwood, but I had eventually come to realise the only thing I could do to truly move on would be to move away. Far away.

I had already distanced myself from Greenwood quite a bit, as I was living nearly 12 miles from the borders, but I needed to go further.

"I am going to travel," I announced, interrupting the quiet bantering gazes of my parents. Their faces turned to me with shocked eyebrows raised and forehead creases.

"Where will you go?" Naneth asked. She gripped Ada's hand tightly, and I knew she was worried. While she was a stoic soldier for the royal guard, she was also very protective of me, as I was her only child.

"I have yet to decide. I will most likely wander until I get to Rivendell or meet with the Rangers; perhaps I will do both."

Ada leaned slightly across the table, his eyes both concerned and stoic.

"Remember all that we have taught you. You are a strong elleth, so do not back down, but do not start the fight. Should you come to the land of hobbits, befriend them. They are fiercely loyal to their friends, and they will feed you well. Stay away from dwarves...our King has recently left a bad taste in their mouths, and they no longer trust elves. Should you find the rangers, speak to them my name. They will allow you travel with them. Do you understand?"

I nodded slowly. Ada had never spoken so many words at once. It was surprising, but I knew he feared deep down in his heart he would never see me again—he would never voice such aloud, especially not in front of Nana.

Ada leaned back in his chair as Nana leaned forward. 

"Please know that should you return to Greenwood, there will always be room for you with us," Nana glanced quickly to Ada, then back to me, "Should you find someone...please notify us before marriage...we would like to be there."

I let out a small laugh. Only Nana would worry about such a thing.

"You will not have to worry with such a thing, Nana. My heart belongs to one, and I fear he will always have it. There will be no others."

Nana smiled sadly, for she and Ada knew of whom I spoke.

——

It had been several weeks since I had told the dwarves of whom I spoke in my journal. A few of them—Thorin—had not spoken to me since, especially due to the fact we were making ready to enter the forest—now Mirkwood forest.

The forest was not as I remembered when I left—not that I had expected the forest to remain unchanged, I had heard of the spider infestation and orcs lurking in—I had not expected it to become so dark, so misty, so...terrifying. Gandalf had warned us to stay on the paths, and looking at the entrance of the forest alone, I knew why.

The forest was not entirely safe while I lived here, however, it was never this dangerous.

As we trekked further into the mouth of the forest, I found myself alarmed by the dim lighting of the hazy sun; it was almost as if an evil mist shrouded the air.

Still, in the dim lighting, I made out a statue—although overgrown with vines and thorns—of a very familiar elleth.

"That's you!" Kili exclaimed, pointing at the effigy of my likeness. Carefully, I pushed the vines from the face, revealing a pure white statued resemblance of my visage.

"He must have erected this after I left," I remarked softly, staring into stone eyes which mirrored my own. It was as if Thranduil had carved it from the depths of his memory. The thought of Thranduil commissioning a statue of me sent a pang of guilt into my stomach. I swallowed thickly in an attempt to push it away, but the guilt remained.

"Come along! We've got to get through the forest!" Thorin exclaimed from far ahead. It was clear the elvish forest was getting to him. He was becoming increasingly agitated, specifically with anything to do with me.

I sighed softly, offering Kili a short smile.

"We had better listen to your Uncle, he gets cranky when his orders are not followed," I whispered to the dwarf, who chuckled in response.

A rusting noise sounded from above. I paused, searching the treetops overhead.

Shouts of protest carried from further in the woods.

The rustling grew louder, and suddenly, a giant arachnid plunged down, saliva drops flying as it snapped its large fangs.

I drew my sword swiftly, plunging it into the spider's eye and through its big, beady head. The spider emitted a shriek as the life ebbed from its grotesque form. As the spider I killed fell away, a horde of spiders was revealed, surrounding me in an instant.

I made quick work of the four behind me, their eight giant legs twitching and curling into their final form of death. The spiders before me edged closer, their mouths moving in anticipation of eating me. I backed up slowly, stepping onto the spiders behind me to gain ground. Looking around hastily, I spotted a small tree branch just large enough to support me. Jumping up, I reached the branch and pulled myself up onto it.

The eight-legged creatures turned their big, bulky heads.

A war cry sounded to my right, and the spiders became distracted from a sudden invisible fighter. Using their distraction to my advantage, I jumped on top of the fattest one, plunging my sword through its head and ripping it off in one swift motion. The spiders became confused as to what was going on when, to my surprise, my small hobbit companion suddenly revealed himself.

"Bilbo? How did you—?" I shook my head quickly, instead going for, "Thank you." The hobbit nodded once, then disappeared before my eyes. I blinked, expecting to see him, but I saw nothing. The spiders seemed to attack one spot, however. Surmising this was Bilbo, I attacked the surrounding spiders viciously, gutting them of their life.

There was only one spider.

Before I could begin moving, the spider bellowed a loud shriek, before collapsing. A single arrow stuck out from the side of its head.

Bilbo revealed himself once again, struggling to remove the large arachnid from atop him. I set to work immediately, looping my arms through his and pulling him out and right onto his hairy little feet. Bilbo's face burned red as I stepped away slightly.

"Are you okay?" I asked him searching him up and down for any sign of injury. Bilbo nodded, panting.

"Just fine. Thank you for uh," he gestured to the spider he had just been under. I removed my gaze from Bilbo to the forest.

"You're welcome. Where are the others? Kili was just here—"

Bilbo had disappeared again. I sighed heavily.

"Who are you?"

I withdrew my attention from the forest, only to be met with familiar piercing blue eyes and long platinum hair. The ellon's face was younger and softer, but he was most certainly the son of his father. He had an arrow notched in his bow and a few guards surrounding him. I sheathed my bloody sword instantly and raised my hands into the air slowly.

"I am but a traveller passing through with a small company of dwarves. I mean you no harm," I responded, holding my head high. The ellon tilted his head.

"You mean to say you willingly travel in such unrefined company as dwarves?" He lowered his weapon, and the guards did the same. "Come willingly to speak with my father, and perhaps your company may leave sooner."

To speak with his father; his father being Thranduil. 

I swallowed thickly, nodding my head in agreement.

——

The throne room was just as it had been thousands of years before.

Thranduil looked just as he had thousands of years before: just as regal, powerful, and graceful. But it was apparent to me an ancient weight was settled upon his shoulders. His blue eyes were ice cold, and seethingly so. His lips were set in a grim line, as if a frown had been permanently sculpted into his marvellous features.

Still, he was beautiful. No. Beautiful was too small a word to describe him; he was pulchritudinous. He was pulchritudinous in the most divine way.

I found it difficult to take my eyes off him as he spoke. His mere presence emitted such raw power.

But the words he spoke were laced with venom so potent, and I knew he was aiming for the heart of everyone in the room. Including mine.

He refused to look my way as he spoke, but it was obvious to me—perhaps not to the dwarves—as to why. I made him weak. If he were to so much as glance in my direction, he would no longer be seen as the intimidating and fearless King he was known to be.

He approached his throne slowly—gracefully—and dismissed the dwarves, holding up a single long digit to pause.

"...except the elleth."

All thoughts left my mind as the dwarves were forcibly escorted to their cells, and I, left with the King. Their commotion was static in my ears as Thranduil's cold, calculative gaze fell—finally—on me.

"You fought well today, in the forest."

I blinked. I had not expected our first conversation in over a millennium to begin in this manner.

"Legolas said it was as if the spiders had rained—dead—around you."

I cleared my throat softly.

"Legolas is your son," I stated, squeezing my hands together behind my back. Thranduil squinted slightly, leaning forward on his throne.

"Yes, he is."

"Spitting image of his mother, I presume?"

Thranduil paused, standing up once more.

"It pains me to so much as look at him."

"Because he reminds you of her?"

Thranduil descended his throne once more, circling around me.

"Because he reminds me of what I do not have."

He was directly behind me now, so close I could feel his breath rustle the hair behind my ear. I shivered slightly. It had been so long since I had been around him. I had forgotten this feeling.

"What, your wife?"

I knew Thranduil had backed away from me.

"You."

My body stilled as my heart began to race. The sloshy pumping of my blood-moving organ filled my ears, and slowly, I was able to hear the ragged breaths filling my lungs.

"You could never have had me, Thranduil. I am not a possession for one to own," I reminded him. The Elvenking sighed, now standing before me.

"You know of what I speak, and yet, you are playing the role of an aloof idiot. Three thousand years may have passed, however, I am still aware of your habit to speak the most stupid words in order to avoid what you know is a confrontation."

I squinted my eyes, casting a glare upon the Elvenking. He was right. He could read me like an open book; he had always had the uncanny ability to do so.

"The Thranduil I left behind three thousand years ago would never speak to me in such a manner as you have."

He clenched his jaw firmly, his eyes steely in their angered glare.

"I am speaking to you in this manner because you left me three thousand years ago."

"I left you because you were to be married! Did you truly expect me to stick around and mourn the fact I could not have you, the ellon I loved with all that resided within me? I would have withered away! I would have become what you are now—cold and cruel."

Thranduil's cold gaze sent a shiver down my spine. I had never seen him so angry.

I swallowed thickly, my glare unwavering as a dense silence settled over us.

"You admitted to me that you cannot even look at your own son because it pains you, simply because I was not his mother? I feel bad for your son. With the way you have spoken to me and made me feel, I can only imagine the way you speak to him and make him feel. I am surprised he did not run away from you."

I had spoken so softly, but it was clear my words had hit their mark.

Thranduil turned away from me, stalking back to his throne.

He paused when he reached the first step, nearly physically recoiling as if the stopping motion was involuntary. His shoulders sunk forward. He sighed heavily, turning back around, his body sinking onto the step.

"I had every intention of calling off the wedding. The morning of my decision, I went to tell you, but your father told me you had gone in the night. I searched you out for a little while, but you were long gone."

A pang of guilt resounded in my stomach as I watched him lay his burdens aside. I approached the tired king slowly. His gaze remained glued to the ground. Thranduil had not been so vulnerable to anyone in a very long time.

"I tried to love my wife in the way she deserved, but I could not find it within me. I had already given my heart to you, and it deserted me when you did. I was not a present husband. She told me once that she wished for you to return, if only so I could be happy again. I did feel sorry for her, but I was so far removed by then."

I carefully seated myself next to the ellon.

In this moment, he was my Thranduil again, vulnerable and full of emotion. He was my Thranduil who would write sweet sweet poems and read them to me under the stars. He was my Thranduil who had pulled me into the corner of a forgotten corridor and kissed me with a passion so intense, I felt an urge to cry.

I placed my hand on his arm gently. Finally, he looked at me. His icy gaze had melted, and his eyes were full of emotions he clearly needed to sort through.

"I have to go with the dwarves, Thranduil. I have to help them get their home back..."

The ellon's eyes changed instantly.

Before he could utter a hateful word, I continued, "...I promised I would help them. If not for those dwarves, Thranduil, I would be dead right now. You have to understand that. I was nearly dead when they took me in. But if you still find it within yourself to hold a love for me, I will return to you, Thranduil, after I help them. I will return, and we can figure all this out."

The ellon stood abruptly. I stood as well, backing away. His eyes were unreadable.

Thranduil made a motion with his hand, and two guards stepped forward.

My breath hitched in my throat. Did he hate me now?

"Release the dwarves, and send them on their merry way."

The guards bowed then left, clearly doing so to fulfil Thranduil's order. I released my breath slowly.

His gaze settled on me once more. I was rooted to my spot.

"If you do not die and you do not return, I will know you have lied to me. If you do not die and you do return, we will revisit our conversation."

"And what if I die?"

Thranduil's gaze became a heavy glare.

"You will not die."

——

The dwarf moaned, squirming around as I pressed my fingers into his chest. I sighed, removing my hands completely from him.

"Kili, if you do not stop squirming, I will not be able to assess your condition fully. I know it hurts, but you have stop moving."

The red-headed elleth beside me laughed slightly as he gripped her hand tighter.

I sighed again when Kili flinched away from me after I simply reached for him.

"Sorry, just my whole body hurts."

The dwarf held his face in a grimace as he clutched Tauriel's hand as tightly as he could.

"Tauriel, how about you assess him? He will probably be more comfortable with you touching him than me."

The elleth widened her eyes at my insinuation, and I only barely caught it.

"Do not act so surprised, just make sure his ribs and clavicles are the only bones broken."

The dwarf let out a groan.

Ignoring Kili, Tauriel shook her head slightly and cleared her throat.

"No, I—turn around, mellon nin. You have a visitor."

With widened eyes, I spun around. I was instantly locked onto an azure gaze. The gaze in question searched over me, and I knew Thranduil was looking me over for injuries.

I did the same, lingering my gaze on the small splatters of blood on his face. It was not his, which was all that mattered to me.

"I am entirely unscathed, which is a miracle considering I was surrounded not once, but four times by nasty orcs."

Surprise filtered into the elven king's gaze.

"You have not even a scratch?"

I nodded once, folding my hands together in front of me.

Thranduil stepped toward me once, holding out his hand.

"Would you mind coming with me? I would like to speak with you privately," Thranduil asked as I placed my hand into his.

"Whatever you say, you can say to me!" Kili exclaimed behind me. Tauriel hushed him instantly, shooting a nervous smile to Thranduil and me.

Thranduil clearly ignored Kili, as he led me through lingering masses and into a large tent which I knew to be his by the elven guards standing parallel to one another outside the opening. When we were inside, Thranduil released my hand gently.

With the warmth of his hand suddenly gone, my fingers curled into a fist at my side. I briefly entertained the thought that the warmth of his hand bore strength into my fingers. I pushed the thought aside. It was ridiculous. But I was unable to deny that my body reacted to his presence.

"I will be leaving for Mirkwood in two days' time. Will you be going with me?"

I settled my gaze onto his. At first glance, Thranduil appeared to be aloof. Upon searching his eyes, however, I saw he was secretly hopeful I would agree to go with him.

I cleared my throat softly.

"I will be staying for a little while to continue administering aid to the injured, so I cannot go with you immediately...I would also like to see Thorin coronated as the King Under the Mountain, but I can always come back for that," I responded quietly. Thranduil watched me silently, and I knew he was considering my words carefully.

"How long do you think it will be before you come to Mirkwood? Before you come home?"

The urge to tease the King befell me, and I found I could not help myself.

"Why? Are you afraid I may find myself attracted to a burly, grumpy dwarf? I have had many years to succumb to their rugged wiles and have yet to do so, but," I shrugged my shoulders, "there is still time."

Thranduil was clearly not amused. His brows had furrowed, and his hands were clutching one another so tightly, they had become nearly pure white.

"Have you grown affectionate toward one of their kind?"

I laughed softly at his blatant jealousy.

"No, I am only teasing you. I should only be a couple more weeks at the least, however."

Tension bled from his posture.

I approached the tall ellon slowly. Once I stood before him, I placed my hands on his cheeks gently. He leant down slightly, confusion clouding his glacier-like irises. I settled my hands at the base of the sides of his neck.

"I promise to come back as soon as I can, and we will discuss our relationship thoroughly. Until then, I leave you with a kiss."

I pressed my lips to his cheek, touching them just lightly to his smooth skin. His breath was merely a whisper on my ear as I did so. A shiver ran through me.

"If you do not return in two weeks, I will assume you have found a dwarrow lover," he whispered, his light breath tickling my ear. I laughed gently, forcing myself to stop touching him—no matter how badly I wanted to hold him and have him hold me.

"Normally, I am very patient—and I have been patient—but I will await your return most anxiously. I hope you know that."

I laughed again at his slight petulance—it seemed to have recurred very briefly— knowing he was telling the truth; Thranduil would most certainly be awaiting my arrival in Mirkwood without the most tolerance.

"I am well aware," I responded, a large smile on my lips as I exited the tent.

I, too, would anxiously await the next two weeks.