Weaving a Song

Chapter 57

c.2941 TA

Thranduil, partially still angry, was sitting in the throne room alone thinking on the situation at hand. Not expecting anyone to enter, he jumped slightly as Almiel threw the doors open. "What are you doing here?" Thranduil asked.

"Wondering what you are doing."

"I am trying to figure out what to do with our guests." Thranduil said simply. Then, a little darker, "Both of them." Lord Bundraeg and his son still had yet to leave.

Almiel stared at him for a moment. "I think you should let the Dwarves go." She said softly.

Thranduil's eyes darted to hers surprised. "Why?"

"They meant no harm. They have nothing to do with us."

"They were trespassers."

"They were starving. Nothing more."

"You know very well they were not here for food."

"Are you really so blinded by greed and pride? I told you once that your pride would be your downfall, now look what you've done."

Thranduil stood quickly, his eyes flashing. "How dare you!" Almiel only lifted her chin, completely defiant in this instance.

"I know not of what you speak, dear father. I only know that I only speak the truth." She said. Her eyes were alive themselves.

"You would betray your own kingdom?" Thranduil said softly.

"Have I let them go myself? No, I am asking you to let them go. Give them safe passage down the river. It will cost you nothing save for a few guards' time, and it may improve our relations with them."

"Does it matter if they rile the dragon and bring its treasure back the way they came? I do not relish a visit by Smaug."

"Neither do I, but do you really think they would return this way?"

"They might. Either way I am not interested in letting them go until they admit they were after more than food."

"I really had better faith in you than that. Even the wisest of us may fall to arrogance I suppose."

"You know not of what you speak!" Almiel smirked. Any other elf would have thought that was dangerous in her present position but then again, they also knew the King could never bring her harm in anyway, much less inflict it himself.

"I think I do. You know I do." She said. "What will you do now?"

"Wait for them to admit their error. And what will you do? Will you continue in your defiance?"

Again, anyone else at this point might have found their humility and deferred to the king, especially if it was this particular king. Almiel vaguely realized she had seen this before, in Galadriel's Mirror. "I would not dare," Almiel said scornfully, "my King." She flourished her hand in front of her, quite mockingly bowing before Thranduil and turned on her heel to march out the door. If it had been any other, she probably would have been dead before she reached the door. It seemed that, as of late, most everyone had forgotten one important thing about the princess.

She was truly the daughter of the King, who, quite ironically, was left standing rather surprised watching his daughter leave.

*

Almiel changed quickly and grabbed a cloak. She slipped from the palace and called for Condu. She then met Haldir where she had left him. "Come," she said, "we will join them now." Haldir sighed, still not sure he was doing the right thing before swinging up behind her on her horse. They galloped off towards the south, Almiel cunningly guiding them around Spiders and Orcs and other such nuisances. It was toward two days from when they set out that Almiel pulled in Condu for the first time.