till forever falls apart

chapter 35: midnight

Days turned into weeks. Idhrenel kept herself locked inside their bedroom and didn't go outside for anything. The guards and people of Greenwood believed that she had died sometime after she had returned back but these rumours where shut down when Thranduil told everyone that his wife was in fact alive and recovering.

Queen Idhrenel's restlessness got the best of her, sending her on countless late night walk across the twisting property of her and her husband. Her bare feet guided her to nowhere in particular, silently pattering against the floor. She allowed her fingers to trace the growth on the walls as she walked, letting go of all worry and tension, setting herself free in the typical labyrinth that harboured all sorts of emotion.

Every thought was erased from Idhrenel's mind and flowed away with the slight billowing of her snowy white fluffy dressing gown. (Image above) The fluff on her dressing gown turning slightly brown the more times her feet touched the ground. This was the best hour to explore the nothingness, for guard posts were reduced during the night, as they were only needed to guard the essential entrances, this allowed Idhrenel to have the maximum amount of privacy. She still wasn't ready for people to see her, not in her state. She was so focused on emptying her mind that she barely noticed the figure standing at the end of the particular turn. Thranduil had been watching his wife for a good half hour, he had noticed that she was walking in circles and whispering things to herself. Though he was happy to see her outside of just their bedroom. Their son, Legolas, had been continuously asking to see his mother and it pained Thranduil to tell him that his own mother didn't want to see him due to the state that she was in.

Torchlight barely illuminated his features. Slowly turning around, his eyes met Idhrenel's. He chose his words carefully, allowing them to slowly drop off his tongue like thick honey. "What are you doing out here all alone, meleth nin?" Before Idhrenel could form anything coherent, he was already at her side, just with a few strides. His slender hands gripped her hips firmly, perfectly hugging the shape of her body. She couldn't do anything but close her eyes as he leaned closer to her ear, his breath gently tickling her neck, it's warmth sending faint tickles across the exposed skin. Her mind and heart were fighting at which response she should unleash. "Thran-" Idhrenel was cut off as one of his fingers lifted up to silence her lips. She shut her eyes as the slightly rough padding of his fingertips swiped down her lower lip, parting it ever so sensually. Idhrenel took a deep breath in. "Oh i'm such a bad mother.." She then felt a tear flow down her exposed cheek. Thranduil brought his hand to cup her cheek and Idhrenel looked up to meet his stern gaze.

"What makes you think your a bad mother?" He questioned as he gently placed a kiss on her smooth jaw line. The tears kept flowing, "These past few weeks, I haven't even allowed my son, my own son, to see me. I just feel so ashamed.. I don't want him to see me like this. I can't even eat. I can't even sleep as he haunts my sleep! I can't even look at the people that I love like I used too, cause all I see are them and what they did." Idhrenel's voice sped up as she rambled and spat out the words 'them' and 'they'. Thranduil wiped the tears from his wife's cheek, now Idhrenel couldn't do anything but melt into his touch. But as she moved closer to fill in the space between their bodies, he suddenly stepped away, sending her eyes flying open and frustration crashing upon her being. She missed him and she missed their son. But it all came to her relief as he reached out his hand, asking her to take it. "Come back to bed my dear" She heard him whisper in her ear.

As they reached their chambers, his hands moved themselves toward her shoulders, he leaned in once again, this time borrowing his face in the crook of his wife's neck, taking in her scent. He stayed there for a moment before moving his lips across her neck. His hair and robes traced her body. Idhrenel dared lift her hands to his clothed torso, grabbing onto the loose fabric, pulling him towards her ever so slightly, deepening the kiss despite that he had full control. "Gi melin," (I love you) He whispered sending shivers down his wife's spine.

"Thranduil," Idhrenel couldn't avoid it any longer, "What did I do to deserve you?" She sat up, her whole body becoming weak as she exposed herself for disappointment. "You are a great and handsome king," she stated, "And I'm crazy.. mad even." It appeared that his wife's degrading comment about herself hurt him slightly, "You are not crazy or mad, what happened to you should've never happened; I am going to always be with you from now on." he whispered as he leaned into Idhrenel, "you are loyal and powerful," his somewhat cold hands snaked around her bare waist. "You are intelligent and are true to yourself and others," his soft lips met her jaw line, making Idhrenel give out a subtle gasp. "You are the one who makes the sun shine brighter, the stars cannot compare their twinkle with the light you brought to my life. You also brought our son into our world, and soon another."

With each passing word and sensual touch of Thranduil's fingers Idhrenel felt her body melting into his, her mind becoming clearer for the first time in a while. It was possible that the was saying these things just to make her feel better, but his voice sounded so genuine. As a peaceful silence was enveloping the room, Idhrenel heard his silky voice once more. "You make me the best version of myself." Slowly Idhrenel moved into a comfortable laying position, turning herself to face him, who did the same. "All that matters is that I love you and I'm not going to let anything happen to you, I promise." So they stayed this way, Idhrenel felt safe in his arms. "And I love you too," she added as she closed her eyes, darkness closing in on her as she drifted off to a peaceful sleep, with the only person that she needed by her side. With Thranduil's word, there was no other reason to doubt herself anymore.