Feigning Diamonds (A Thranduil Fanfic)

Chapter 21: Malachite

"At the edge of madness you howl diamonds and pearls." -Aberjhani

***

Thranduil is surprised at how well Idriel takes all of the events that happened in such a short amount of time. All in one day, she lost her kingdom, found out why her father was reluctant to see her, and became as fragile as a flower petal.

It's not until days after that she starts acting strange, a sad strange. She has a frown on her face all the time and not even Thranduil can make her laugh.

"What's wrong, love?" Thranduil asks one evening. Idriel and her people are staying at Mirkwood until things are put back together.

Idriel sighs and turns away from the window to look at him. "I failed. I promised everyone that I would fix Aeldyn. I said they had nothing to worry about and now look. Everything they loved is gone."

"They loved you, and you're still their queen," Thranduil reminds her. "You tried your best, but sometimes, the best isn't good enough. I always thought that if even your strongest strides toward repairing something were futile, it's still an effort--an effort to start over."

Idriel's gaze is on the bare wall behind Thranduil. "I just don't know what to do."

Thranduil gently takes her hand in his and makes circles on the back of it with his thumb. "You don't strike me as someone to give up easily."

"I am not giving up." Her eyes meet his in disbelief. "I do not know where to go from here; I can't think straight. But I'm not giving up."

Thranduil kisses her softly and leaves her to think. When he enters his bedroom later that night, there is a spark in her eyes and her skin is glowing again. She doesn't reveal her plans until they are lying in bed.

"I'm going to rebuild Aeldyn."

Thranduil kisses her forehead. "I knew you would want to."

"This time, it won't be glass," she says confidently. "Glass is vulnerable and weak. We need something that represents the kingdom, something strong and durable."

"What do you have in mind?" Thranduil asks as he traces patterns on her back.

"Ivory."

Thranduil smiles down at her and sees the excitement growing in her eyes. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

"We start building tomorrow."

Thranduil manages to talk Idriel out of building Aeldyn the next morning, convincing her that she should rest as much as she can before she takes on a project like that. She agrees after a short amount of bickering.

"I'm going to hold a ball here tomorrow night," Thranduil tells Idriel the next evening. "It will be in honor of my brother and your kingdom."

Idriel smiles. "I think that sounds lovely."

***

The ball arrives and Thranduil greets guests from Mirkwood and Aeldyn at the door to the Great Hall. Idriel is yet to be seen; Thranduil is patient.

When it seems like everyone has shown up but Idriel, Thranduil starts to worry, but only for a fleeting moment as she rounds the corner.

Idriel takes his breath away, and that's not terminology Thranduil uses lightly. Her dress is deep red and shimmering gold, flowing or tight in the right places. Her hair mirrors the night sky, and Thranduil swears he can see the moonlight reflecting off her glass bones.

He offers her an arm and she glances at him curiously. It's her understanding that their relationship is still a secret.

Thranduil senses her hesitation. "I think it's time our people saw a light." Grinning now, Idriel takes his arm and they enter the Great Hall to greet the guests, but not before Thranduil can sneak a kiss on her forehead.

Thranduil speaks first. "Thank you for coming, and thank you for being so hospitable towards our guests. Or, I hope you are." He shoots a demeaning glare at some young elves known for causing trouble, and they look away. "Tonight is to commemorate the memory of Aeldyn, a fallen kingdom."

"I'm afraid 'fallen kingdom' is not the correct phrase for Aeldyn. As of last night, I made the decision to rebuild Aeldyn right where it was before." Cheers erupt amongst the crowd, loudest from the Aeldyn elves. "But this time, glass isn't going to do it. I have decided on ivory, something much more sustainable, and I cannot wait to start building." More clapping and cheers arise as she finishes and they depart, telling everyone to enjoy themselves.

"I thought this was for your brother, too?" Idriel asks Thranduil once they get a moment alone.

"No one exactly knows of him except for the oldest ones here," Thranduil says. "I don't think--" His gaze shifts behind Idriel and he smiles broadly at the approaching figure.

"I heard there was a party," Legolas says with a grin. "I thought I'd come visit."

Much to Idriel's surprise, Thranduil pulls Legolas into a hug, a fatherly embrace. When he pulls away, he says, "I've missed you more than I'd like to admit. You remember Idriel?"

"Of course," Legolas bows to her, "it's lovely to see you again."

"And you," Idriel responds honestly. "Thank you for coming."

"I will always attend," he promises, before floating away to find some others.

"That was a nice surprise," Thranduil says. "I wonder how he knew about this. I only planned it yesterday." Idriel just smiles at him, and Thranduil catches on rapidly. "You? You let him know?"

"I knew you would need some family after everything," Idriel says. "I figured he missed you, too, so it seemed fitting."

"Just when I thought I couldn't admire you in a greater amount." Thranduil pulls her into a warm hug and pulls away to kiss her cheek. "You know, when I was battling Treyt, he had a sprite named Juwin. Juwin used to be our childhood friend, but he got banished with Treyt."

"What'd you do with him?"

"I told him to go live a sprite life." Thranduil laughs softly. "Whatever those are like."

Idriel gets more encouraging compliments throughout the night, including one from Eranthe.

"I'm so grateful for the information you gave us," she says to him. "This could've been a lot worse if you hadn't revealed it."

"Anything for my favorite ruler to date," Eranthe says, listing off complaints about past kings or queens or Aeldyn, although there were not many.

"That's so kind of you." Idriel beams at him and thanks him once he promises to help with construction. He departs soon after; Idriel searches for Thranduil. She spots him across the room talking to Legolas, who is handing him a small box. She wonders what that is, but doesn't ask him, knowing he'll tell her eventually.

Thranduil joins her later, wrapping an arm around her waist carefully. "As of tonight, the world is yours."

She smiles up at him, placing a kiss on his cheek. "The world is ours."