Beauty and the Beast | Thranduil x Reader

Chapter 14

The next few days passed slowly but not uncomfortably as you began to get used to your new normal. A guard was no longer posted outside your room but you'd heard that there were a few extra stationed at the entrance... which you supposed was expected considering how easily you had been able to slip out into the forest that night after Thranduil scared you. You hoped nobody had gotten into trouble for you escaping like that.

You spent your time in the library that Thranduil had taken you to. You had been cautious at first, worried that it was all part of some elaborate ruse, however you had relaxed as the time passed. You spent a lot of your time curled up in the corners of the library itself, lost in whatever book you had picked up that day, finding in between those pages a sense of solace and freedom for the first time since you found yourself stuck here.

The time when you were not in the library, you were usually with Myleth or walking around exploring... tentatively of course. However, you had not actually seen the King since the night he allowed you access to the library and you thought that, with some more luck, you wouldn't see him again. Maybe he would forget all about you and you could blend into the background of his kingdom, living out the rest of your days in exactly the way you were now. Though, you couldn't fully shake how... nice it had been of him to allow you access to this lifeline of a room.

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Legolas had been in the forest for the last few days with Tauriel and the rest of their group, destroying a spider nest that had reappeared almost overnight. He felt better about leaving you there now that his father seemed to have relaxed just a little since his recovery. He felt secure enough in the knowledge that his father wouldn't throw you in the prison again at least. Legolas was also pleased that his father had recovered from the poison, though the speed with which it had affected him worried him - was this something new from Mordor? Still, things were better for now so Legolas could focus fully on destroying the spiders and scouting the woods, keeping the border of the Realm safe.

The group were travelling back to the palace and would hopefully be back in another day and a half. Tauriel turned to him during their final camp set up, the two of them being on watch while the others rested. "Do you think he is really going to keep her here forever?" She asked, having been working up the courage to get the words out. Sometimes Tauriel didn't know quite how to take the King. She knew that he favoured her, yet he did not seem accepting of Legolas' obvious feelings for her. She respected him as a King but she did not always agree with him... in fact, Tauriel often found she disagreed with him but she was not in a position to disobey like Legolas could sometimes get away with.

He sighed, shrugging as he fiddled with a stick between his fingers, thoughtful. "I have honestly given up trying to understand the inner workings of my father's mind." Though he did think that he was actually pretty good at understanding his father and his... complications. "I do not see him keeping her prisoner forever." He said after a pause. "It is not his way."

"He seemed to be pretty set on it." She couldn't help but mutter, gaining a look from Legolas but he always appreciated whatever Tauriel had to say to him. He liked that she didn't hold back because of who he was and wasn't afraid to speak her mind. "She does not deserve to be a prisoner at all."

"Trust me, Tauriel. She will not be here forever." He assured her, though he found himself feeling ever so slightly sad about it. He had come to see you as something close to a friend already. Legolas liked you and thought that you were a person of true kindness and strength. You had given your freedom for your father's and again for his own. You had shown his father kindness where nobody would have blamed you for not doing so. Something about your actions had even seemed to get through to his father in some way, though he knew the King was loath to show it, but after being graced with yours he had shown his own kindness in return.

"Did you hear that?" Tauriel's voice pulled him back from his thoughts. Legolas became alert again at once, various voices reaching his ears from a distance away. He glanced at Tauriel, who was already up on her feet, and nodded as the two of them crept away from the camp to find the source.

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The library was quiet, peaceful, as the night descended. The curtains at the large window that stood in between some bookcases were open but you couldn't see much of the sky from here unfortunately. You wished you could see the stars again, even just once. Sighing, you turned back to the book in your hands, getting lost once more in the words. You had stayed quite late here tonight, not feeling able or ready to sleep. You had even missed dinner, choosing instead to stay in here and hide away in your beloved words.

When the door opened, you jumped, startled by the sudden noise. Looking up, you expected to see Myleth having sought you out with a tray of food much like she had done the first night you'd come here. Instead, you met the King's steely gaze once more. Surprise instantly flooded you as you stared at him. He kind of stared back at you for a long moment before he walked towards you, setting a tray of berries down on the floor. "A servant was on her way with this. Apparently you have not yet eaten despite it being so late."

He probably meant Myleth so you just nodded, though wondered why he would now be here instead of her, but you didn't question him. It almost felt like he was telling you off for skipping meals but you decided you were being ridiculous to even entertain the notion that he would care. You tentatively reached out and popped a berry in your mouth, wanting to look like you were grateful and not just completely confused and intimidated by his presence.

You were both quiet for another long few moments before Thranduil started moving again, his long legs carrying him across the room. Your shoulders relaxed as you let out a tiny breath of relief. However, he did not move to the door as you had expected and hoped. Instead he made his way towards a bookcase where you knew from your exploration that all the books were in Elvish, plucked one from the shelf, and moved to sprawl out in a large armchair on the other side of the room. All you could do was stare at him, wide eyed, as he studied the page of the book in his lap as though you no longer existed. It seemed that he was intending to stay here... with you.

Swallowing down your uneasiness, you forced your gaze away from him and back down to the book, though you now found that you were completely unable to focus on anything at all, the words on the page as jumbled as your thoughts had become.