till forever falls apart

chapter 12: stress

Thranduil wanted to scream and cry. It was almost midnight and he has just finished with his royal obligations of the day. Between three of the border patrols coming back with horrendous news, mountains of papers to read and two very long council meetings, it had been a stress inducing day. Thranduil's head was pounding, his neck and shoulders were wound up so tight they hurt. The forest he so deeply cherished was being attacked by large packs of orcs every so often and the abandoned capital of the Woodland Realm, Amon Lanc, was darkening. The wood was unsettled and by proxy Thranduil was too. His worries had fallen on deaf ears, the other significant Elven lords and lady choosing not to head his concerns was beginning to agitate him. Thranduil understood why Elrond, Galadriel and Celeborn did not want to acknowledge any possibility of the peace they were experiencing being broken, but they did not live in the real world. They were shielded. 

He reached his private chambers. Quickly dismissing the guards stationed there, ordering them to go to either side of the hall. He swiftly opened the large double doors and entered his space. Thranduil leaned against the doors and let out a shuddering breath. The urge to scream and cry lessened slightly. The lights in the front room were dim and his beloved wife was nowhere to be found. Thranduil began walking to their shared sleeping chambers, noticing that there, the lights were still quite bright. There she was, his dear Queen Idhrenel. 

Her hair long, blonde almost gold hair was loose and fell down past her lower back. It was slightly curly and somewhat wild, but still fell down her back elegantly, not one hair out of place. Some hair was tucked behind a beautifully pointed ear. She wore a floor length robe, very nearly sheer if not for all the embroidered flowers. The sleeves were large and airy and the robe was tied at her waist in a perfect bow. "Thranduil?" Idhrenel finally said, shaking him out of his thoughts. He blinked a few times and smiled at her, earning him a bright smile from his beloved. She glided over to him, her long robe fluttering behind her slightly. Idhrenel pressed a small kiss to his cheek and then a deeper one to his lips, which Thranduil eagerly reciprocated. They parted after a moment, Idhrenel's hands on his chest and one of his on her waist.

"You look weary meleth-nin. Your eyes are not as bright as they ought to be." Idhrenel spoke with concern. Thranduil simply dropped to his knees in response, proceeding to wrap his arms around her lower body and press his forehead into her abdomen. Idhrenel brought her hands to his hair, running her fingers through his silver tresses. "Your duties were particularly stressful today I think?"

"Unbearably so." Thranduil murmured. He shut his eyes and simply allowed Idhrenel to take over his very being, his every thought. "Would you like to discuss it?" She whispered tentatively. Thranduil looked up at her for a moment and shook his head. Idhrenel nodded in response. "I was just about to bathe before you came in, would you care to join me?" She asked putting her hands to his face and tilting it up, allowing her to look at him. He smiled slightly and looked at her lovingly through tired eyes. He nodded, slowly standing up, towering over his wife once more. Idhrenel extended her hand to her husband, pulling him along as they made their way to their bathing room. Here they were no longer the Elvenking and Queen. They were just Thranduil and Idhrenel, husband and wife. The heat of the bathing chambers hit Thranduil very suddenly, causing him to stagger ever so slightly and Idhrenel smiled.

"Come my love, undress, I shall ease your worries." Idhrenel beckoned Thranduil with her soothing voice. He did not protest, shedding his outer robe and quickly dropping it. Idhrenel started unbuttoning the ornate buttons of his dark green kingly attire, revealing a thin white tunic underneath. Thranduil quickly took off both, revealing his lean but muscular chest. She took a moment to admire his almost nude form and planted a kiss on his collar bone, then his neck and then finally his lips again. Thranduil sat facing his wife and pulled all of his hair to one side over his shoulder. He closed his eyes for a moment, the stress of today's events starting to melt away with the hot bath water. Thranduil opened his eyes again to untying the bow that held her robe closed. She pulled it off of her shoulders, allowing it to slip off of her easily and pool at her feet. She then made her way towards the bath and submerged herself in the water, until it reached her collar bone.

"You are so tense Thranduil, I fear you have wound yourself up tight. Relax meleth-nin, the day is over." Idhrenel spoke with such gentleness that Thranduil could not help heading her words. He released a breath he had not realised he was holding and smiled at her. He then leaned into her, pressing his chest against hers and kissed her once more passionately. 

Thranduil sat quietly, simply staring out at the night sky and relishing in her touch. When she finished brushing through his hair she picked up one of the glass bottles. She poured the natural purple oil in her hand and began massaging it into his scalp. Idhrenel could feel the tension in his head, his heart beat pounding in his temples. "Meleth, I can feel your heart beat in your temples, what happened today?" Thranduil inhaled sharply and then released a shaky sigh. Idhrenel saw his back muscles tense up as he prepared to speak. "Everything is... just awful." Thranduil finally said. "My councillors are unable to make one sound and simple decision. Three of the border patrols returned with grave news. The Peredhil and your father still choose ignorance over acknowledging the evil that resides behind Gundabad, constantly telling me that it is dormant. I had hoped that maybe your sister would listen, but she too will not acknowledge it."  Thranduil paused for a moment and took a shaky inhale. Idhrenel's breath hitched slightly, anxiety radiated off him in crashing waves. "Orc packs and spiders come more frequently than before. What was Amon Lanc seems to fall deeper into ruin every time I look. The forest is darkening, it may not be visible yet, but I feel it, like a tree beginning to topple excruciatingly slowly. There are so many things wrong and our realm looks to me for guidance I am unable to give."