Dragon Fire (Thranduil Fan-fiction) #Wattys2016

CHAPTER 7: Thoughts of a King

Thranduil's PoV

"My Lord?"

My mind snaps back to reality to see a very concerned Tauriel staring at me, her brows stitched together and for good reason. I had been distracted, something I did not do often.

I straighten myself on my seat, looking down at Tauriel. She continues to look at me with concern when I start to speak.

"Forgive me, what was it you were saying?" I ask, though my voice didn't sound as firm as it usually is. Which she had probably noticed but decided to ignore.

"The spiders, my lord. They are getting stronger and multiplying faster than we can kill them." She starts, phasing from left to right. My eyes follow her as she continues to explain the current situation of the forest and the dangers our kingdom might face if we do not do anything about it.

"We must kill them at their source. Their home." She finishes, looking at me with the same ferocity in her eyes that my son had grown fond of.

"We have had this conversation before, have we not?" I tell her as I stand and make slow steps to approach her, descending the stairs while looking at my feet.

"Yes but-"

I cur her off with a raise of my hand, not wanting to repeat the conversation we already had.

"My decision remains the same. Protect our borders and our kingdom. There is no need to go further." I say and that was the end of our conversation. She stays still for a moment probably thinking about how foolish of an idea I had before bowing and taking her leave.

I retreat to my chambers having done all my duties as king for today. I sit on my chair thinking about what distracted my mind a while ago. It was my sons letter. I still could not understand it. He had said that he wanted to come home, to talk. Talk about what? Something about it unnerved me but still I could not deny the happiness I felt when he said he wanted to come home. Wanted. Something must have happened in Rivendell for him to want to be back here.

The arrival of the letter and the words of my son had changed me, although the changes are small and unnoticeable, they were still there. I was considering Tauriel's idea to attack at the source and end it once and for all. To protect the forest as a whole. But risking my people was something I needed at least two nights to think about.

I had been out of sorts of late. Doing things I did not normally do. Like smile at a stranger and bidding her goodbye and a safe journey. Why I had smiled I had no idea, she seemed to have been surprised by it as well by the expression on her face. Was my smile scary? I wonder. Maybe smiles are not for me. I had thought long and hard about giving her that letter. My reply to my son, but somehow she was the only one I could trust with it. I was not one to let my people know I wrote letters to my son. Or wrote any letter for that matter.

She knew about it and I would like to keep it that way. That she would be the only one who knew of the problems I had with my son. He had pledged himself to Tauriel, but not publicly. Because he knew I would not allow it and now Tauriel has pledged herself to another, who was no longer with us. How complicated it has become.

My eyes travel to my bed, a bed I have not used for so long. A bed that by the mere view of it brings back painful and sad memories. The reason for my anger and sadness, although Legolas must not understand it for I never told him about it. About his mother and the day I lost her.

I feel the familiar sting in my heart. The only thing that reminds me I had one. Pain. I close my eyes to try and forget. Thinking only of now instead of swimming and drowning in the past. When Legolas comes home I will tell him everything. I think it is time he knew of such things. Of all things.

The letter that would hopefully change everything was now in the hands of Mantheniel. Who was on her way to the city of Dale. How odd for Lord Elrond to have sent her for such an easy task and only a half-elf to accompany her. He must trust in her skills more than anything, knowing fully well how dark the days are becoming and how dangerous it was when the sun was down. I find myself hoping for their safety and return. Return to my kingdom. I brush the thoughts away although I knew they would stay there. I had grown an interest in the elleth known as Flame of the dragon, an interest that is merely just that.

Especially an interest on her skills in battle. I wonder how she is with a sword. I chuckle lightly knowing how no one could compare to how I wield a sword but I had a feeling she would be quite a match. Even when she is fearful, her eyes still burned in them the strength I had not seen in anyone in years.

I must remember to ask Elrond for a spar with her. I get up from my chair and head to my bed wanting to lie down after so many years. Things were changing in the forest, I could feel it in the air. Good or bad something was about to happen, and for once in a long time I felt the need to lie down.

My son was coming home. He wanted to. I find the odd smile on my lips again -a stranger on my face, before lying down on the soft bed that I had ignored for the past 200 years.