The King's Heart (Thranduil Fanfiction)

Chapter 14

(Miniel?)

"What is your real name?" Thranduil asks again, his voice rising slightly. I stagger at his question. How could he have known? How could I tell him? What would he do to me? I can not lie to the king again, besides, I need his trust for this mission to work.

"You are Rhovanel of Lothlórien aren't you?" he whispers. I can hear the shock in his voice just as easily as I can see it in his eyes. I refuse to make excuses. I will not meet his shock with disgrace. I was wrongly accused.

"Yes, Rhovanel is the name I was given. I know you may think I am a monster for what I am accused of in Lothlórien, but I can assure you, none of those crimes were ever my own," I spit through gritted teeth.

"Rhovanel," he whispers, "what crimes were you accused of? I do not remember my betrothed in a cell." I jerked my head up. I thought he had forgotten about that long ago.

"I was accused of stealing, and of killing my father." Now it was his turn to be surprised. I still remember that awful day...

The bells were ringing in a chime of three. Three for a murdered noble. "Belegnaer is dead!" I heard a guard yell. I was not upset that my father was dead, but I was worried that I would be a suspect. I had plenty of reason to kill him, but I knew there was no clean way to do it, so I never did. Someone had done what I could not: get close enough to my father to kill him.

It could have been one of the many suitors he had promised me to, without asking me of course. There had been human kings as well as Elven princes. I hadn't wanted to marry so young, but it was my duty, Galadriel did not have any children of her own, so I was the closest thing to a princess in Lothlórien. My father had finally settled on a prince from Greenwood, who was to arrive today.

I ran to my room and found his circlet there. I was being framed. I quickly threw it out the window, sending it flying through the trees. But I was too late. The guards crashed through my door and forced my arms behind me. They led me toward the dungeons under the trees. I hated being in cramped spaces, especially those underground.

At the last moment, I kicked my foot into the guard's knee. He fell with a grunt and the fight was on. I had to escape. I would not be given a fair trial; my father had been one of Galadriel's favorite advisors. I launched myself into the air, kicking two guards in the head. The third came at me, spinning twin blades. They were my own work, he must have taken them from my room! I quickly disarmed the guard and forced him to the ground.
"I am innocent!" I screamed at him. He spat in my face, forcing me to break his nose with the hilt of my knife.

I ran through the forest and nearly got trampled by a horse. I had fallen in the road in front of a guard. 'Miserable elfling!' he yelled, raising a whip. I raised my arm to protect my face, knowing my effort will be in vain. 'Tampa!' An elf yelled. The voice was full of youth and authority. I lowered my arm to see who had spoken. A young elf atop an elk was staring at me with tremendous curiosity. He dismounted, and I tried to crawl away. He ran to me, and offered his hand to help me up. I had thought he was going to beat me, but now I saw his eyes. They were pale blue, like the sky after a rain-shower. I immediately trusted those eyes, and allowed him to help me up.

After I was off my knees, I noticed the silver circlet on his head. I bowed my head, muttering an apology for falling in his path. He silenced me kindly, 'please, it is not your fault. What happened to your face?' I raised my hand gingerly to my lips, and came away with blood. One of the guards must have gotten a blow in and I didn't feel it. Adrenaline had always pumped through my veins stronger than most. It was a healing trait in my family. 'It is nothing, my lord,' I began but the prince interrupted me. 'Thranduil, my name is Thranduil.' He corrected softly. I wanted to tell him everything, but I would never escape if I did. 'Please, my lo- Thranduil, I must return to my duties. If I am late with the water...' I knew the stream we collected water from was just ahead, a perfect excuse to be out here.

Thranduil nodded, but as I began to walk away, he gently pulled my clean hand to his lips and kissed my palm. I blushed deeply and bowed to him, walking away. I felt his eyes on my back as I walked, I don't think he believed my water story, but he let me go anyway. For that, I would be in his debt.

After I escaped Lothlórien, I was on the run. My family never heard from me again, but I knew my brother had gone to fight under Oropher in the Great War.

Gandalf had found me and taught me how to talk to other creatures, mainly dwarves and men. I did not know how to speak in Common, but he was a good teacher. He eventually took me in as a student, he taught me some of his magic, and I was eager to learn.

When I was 1370, Gandalf told me that it was time to find my own way. I lived among men for a few hundred years, but grew tired of their company. I then moved into Greenwood, seeking solace in the trees. I lingered there for a thousand years in near solitude, but for one month a year, Gandalf would visit me. That was always the best, we would tell each other stories and exchange new tricks we had learned.

The last time he visited me, he gave me a task. 'Protect the new Elven King. The orc armies are gathering at his doorstep and he will need your guidance to defeat them.' Gandalf knew I had been engaged to the Prince of Greenwood, and I suspected that was his reason for giving me this task. I agreed only because I had never imagined actually meeting Thranduil again.

I blinked at Thranduil. He was staring at me again, just like he had a thousand years ago.

"I had thought you ran away because of me," Thranduil whispered. He sounded so hurt...

"No! I was quite happy to follow my duty, that was all I had ever planned on doing. But when I was accused, I had to leave," I pleaded. It was the truth. Thranduil had been my first choice in suitors. Oropher was a kind king, when he was not deep in his cups, and the young prince of Greenwood was said to have inherited his father's wisdom and kindness.

I searched Thranduil's face for... for anything actually. I saw a mixture of relief and pain, curiosity and something else I could not grasp. When he finally looked at me again, I could see tears in his eyes.