Beauty and the Elvenking

Chapter Five

As soon as Calilmal was out of sight, the king spoke again. "Take her to her chambers," he ordered. You glanced back at him, slightly confused. "My chambers?" You were a prisoner, weren't you? Why should you have chambers when he was probably going to kill you when he got bored with your presence? The smirk never left his face as he replied to your question, "I suppose you could spend the rest of your life in my dungeons if that is what you prefer." Taking a moment to consider the options, you shook your head. You did not desire spending one more night in the dank dungeons of the Woodland Realm.

You were silent as one of the guards lead you to your chambers. You tried to pay attention to your surroundings so you would not get lost in the vast kingdom, but eventually you gave up trying to remember which corridor lead where. There's no denying that the palace looked lovely, like its king, but you couldn't help but wonder what secrets they held. Both the palace and the king. You could tell there was something under that cold and cruel exterior.

The guard opened the door to a set of chambers and pushed you inside. You turned to the door and glared at the guard as he shut the doors. "You needn't worry about him, my lady," a soft voice made you jump. You turned back around and saw a tall, brunette female elf. "Pandir is a bit quiet, but he is truly remarkable. My name is Elebridith. The king has asked me to wait on you personally." You frowned and crossed your arms over your chest.

"The kings wishes for you to bathe and dress for dinner," she told you. While a bath sounded lovely, sitting at dinner with the Elvenking was less than appealing. You still said nothing as Elebridith continued to babble on. She seemed to be a fairly happy elf despite serving a malicious king. You couldn't fight the slight upturn of your lips as she chatted. She certainly was chatty for an elf. She lead you into a bath chamber adjacent to your room where the bath was already drawn and waiting for you.

Elebridith left you to bathe in peace and you sank down into the warm water. After so long without bathing, the water felt amazing. You stayed in until the water was cold and dirty. You got out and wrapped a towel around yourself. When you entered your chambers, you nearly jumped. "I suppose privacy is too much to ask?" you growled. The tall frame of the king turned to you. His eyes scanned your body for a brief moment before returning to your face.

"I have brought a gown for you. I expect you to wear it to dinner tonight," he said plainly, with almost no emotion. You clenched your fists and fought to keep your voice even. You didn't appreciate being ordered around, even by a king. "And if I refuse?" Thranduil cocked a perfect brow at you. "I could always have you thrown back in the dungeons. I believe dinner with me would be preferable to that. Dress and Elebridith will escort you down to dinner." Without waiting to hear your answer, he turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

As soon as he was out of the room, you grabbed a pillow from the nearest chair and screamed into it. "My lady, I promise you, this will get better. King Thranduil is not as cold as people believe. You will feel the same when you get to know him." You had a feeling that Elebridith saw only the good in everyone. You glared and moved to the bed where the ornate gown was laid out. It was (f/c) with long, flowing sleeves that had silver trim. You had to admit it was beautiful.

Dinner was a tense and uncomfortable affair. You refused to look at the king, but you could feel his eyes on you and it made you nervous. Your hands were shaking with every movement and prayed the meal would soon be over. "I grow tired of your stubbornness. You could at least attempt to make conversation," Thranduil's voice droned. You finally looked up at him with fire in your eyes. "And what would you have me say? You have captured me and made me your prisoner. You expect me to be joyous? I will never see Calilmal or my father again."

Thranduil's face clouded over for a moment before the tiniest hint of a smile crept onto his face. "There is that intriguing fire. Come," he said, standing and offering you his hand. You glared at it for a moment before looking up at his face. For once, his eyes showed something other than malice and cruelty. They were almost pleading. Reluctantly, you took his hand and allowed him to lead from the table. He took you outside and showed you the gates of the kingdom.

"This is your home now. You are welcome to anything and everything it has to offer, but never go beyond the gates. You saw what those beasts can do," he told you, never once actually looking at you as he spoke. Your eyes watered as you thought about spending the rest of your life hidden behind the walls of the palace. "I-I should like to retire now," you whispered and left without looking back.