With You

Chapter 4

That afternoon she arrived at their meeting place entirely too early, to pace. She must have braided and unbraided a strand of her hair a thousand times trying to talk herself into leaving before he arrived. However every time she got close to leaving, the image of him spotting her and smiling drifted through her mind, returning her to her place beside the tree.

She did not notice when the sun had set, only hearing a rustle of noise coming from the path. She hid quickly, her back against the tree, her palms clinging to the rough bark for balance. When the rustling noise stopped, she felt something soft touching the top of her hand, another's hand clasping around hers. She fearfully looked to her right, only to be confronted with Thranduil's gently smiling face.

She released an unsteady breath, "You startled me."

"I see that," he replied, stepping closer.

She stared at him for a few moments, feeling his breath trail over her cheeks, feeling her heart thunder in her chest. She bit her lip, fighting off a smile that threatened to answer his own.

When he leaned closer, his eyes straying to her mouth, her heart almost stopped completely. She panicked and tightened her hand's grip in his and turned her face to the side.

"Come, I have something to show you," she told him, pulling him along with her.

She dropped his hand and began to climb the nearest tree, only pausing to make sure he followed her. She felt nervous showing him this place she had found, and carefully cultured, the place she had frequented often in the nights when she could not sleep, missing her parents.

She was so very concentrated on her nervousness, that she did not notice when she grabbed on a branch entirely too small for her weight. When it snapped, she stumbled, and she felt his hand wrap around her waist to catch her.

"Careful," he murmured.

She flushed and continued to climb. She lead him to the very tops of the trees, careful to lead him over strong branches that she knew would carry their weight.

She stepped over to the patch of branches she had cultured into a resting place during the year she had been here. Then laid down on top of them on her back. She wiggled slightly to get comfortable, and watched as he stood over her, watching her curiously.

She gestured for him to do the same, and stared as he folded himself down beside her with easy grace. He placed a hand on his abdomen and stared up at the sky beside her. Her head was angled towards him, to watch him out of the corner of her eyes. She glanced down at his free hand, not far from where her own lay, and wondered if he had done that on purpose.

She heard him inhale as if to begin speaking and her eyes quickly snapped to his face, which was still staring at the stars.

"It is a beautiful night," he said softly.

She looked up again, and agreed, "It truly is."

He took another deep breath, remembering the advice from a newlywed warrior he was training, to be vulnerable to create connection. It was slightly uncomfortable, but he knew he had to try, "I wonder if my mother would have found beauty in this night as well."

Celebelen stilled, unsure how to answer him. She was surprised at how forthcoming he was turning out to be in private.

"Do...do you remember much of your mother?" she asked hesitantly. She had heard of the tragic way King Oropher had lost his mate. Though she had only been told in whispers, as many were hesitant to speak of it at all. The loss of the queen had deeply effected them all, but none more than the king.