With You

Chapter 27

Eventually, she produced several harvests of fruit that she was satisfied with. It made her happy to see how excited he was to get the fermentation process started when he received the barrels of different assortments of grapes, berries, and apples. He promised her that he would make excellent use of it all as he inspected all of them.

Not long after he busied himself with his task, she began to think of other things she could do with her plants. An idea began to form when the other healers mentioned not enjoying having to wash their hair so hard to get the scent of the previous night's bonfire out. She wondered if she could use the distillation process she had learned for her medicines to extract scents from herbs and flowers. It would be convenient to be able to control the way certain things smelled.

It took months of planning, but eventually, she produced a small bottle of lavender perfume. She gave it to Elian to test, encouraging her to ask one of the warriors she had been eyeing on a date while wearing it. When she returned to her after the experiment, Elian's blush was bright on her cheeks when she explained that it had been a success. Soon, she had produced several bottles of different kinds of perfumes, full of combinations she had tried herself. It had quickly become a hobby of hers, combining the perfumes with different soaps and lotions that she had created.

Word quickly spread of her creations, and she began getting requests for different scents. When she confided in Thranduil about her new hobby, he made her laugh when he asked her to make him a bottle that smelled like her. He grabbed her hips with both his hands, pulling her close and tilting his head. Taking a deep sniff along her throat, he whispered, "Yes, this scent exactly."

The gentle trail of his nose against her flesh made her giggle before she gasped when he opened his mouth to softly nibble at her throat. It was easy to feel his lips curl into a grin against her skin as she squirmed under his touch.

Seasons came and went, and time passed normally. She and Thranduil developed a routine of meeting in the library to sit and read together during thunderstorms. He liked for her to lounge across his lap, rather than read at his feet. It felt good having his arm around her, hand resting on her thigh, while his other hand held his book aloft. He would occasionally, remove his arm from around her and take her hand to kiss her knuckles absentmindedly, never taking his eyes off the page. Sometimes, she would peek over the top of her book and stare at him for hours, instead of reading her book. His face was always so solemn and serious while he read, it was always a pleasure just to watch his eyes glide across the pages.

Often, in winter, he would keep them in bed until late afternoon. His reason being that the floor was too cold for her feet, so he had to keep her warm. When she did venture out into the palace, it was only after he had approved of how many layers she was wearing to keep the cold away. It always warmed her heart when he brought mugs of hot tea to their bedroom in the bitterly cold nights. Sometimes, when it would snow, she would surprise him by throwing a snowball in his direction. Which of course, began the resulting chase around the palace in retaliation.

In the springtime, they spent most of their free time in the treetops. The cool wind always felt so good on her skin as it swept both of their hair in the breeze. It made her smile to look over to see his brow furrowed in concentration while he made her flower crowns. He got better and more creative the longer he practiced. She always giggled at his proud expression as she bowed her head to let him place it carefully on her. They took baths together at night, letting him take special care in washing her dirt covered and cramping hands. He often admonished her about working too hard, but she couldn't help that her garden needed the most work in spring.

Many summers they would take a trip out of the forest to camp on the beach of the River Anduin. They never seemed to pick the same place twice, always making his elk trot along the edge until they found a spot they both liked (meaning she always picked). It felt good to let her hair drift lazily in the rushing water, as she lay on her back on a partially submerged rock and stared up at the clear blue skies. Despite the heat, it was always fun to pick up little shells to put in her pocket to take home. As night fell, Thranduil would build a small fire for them while she dug her toes in the sand and braided her hair. They did not even need a blanket in the nights, as it was so warm. She slept perfectly comfortable with his arms securely around her on the warm sand beneath them.