Imagines - The Hobbit

Maid of a King

Imagine: Alex is King Thranduil's personal maid - has been since she was eighteen. One day, the King becomes utterly furious when he finds Alex talking to one of the male servants who was flirting with her. Thranduil snaps at his maid but instantly regrets his harsh words.

Thanduil's P.O.V

Today had been a long and busy day. I had meeting after meeting from eight this morning to two O clock this afternoon - after joining my son for breakfast of course - then I joined a group of my guards as they patroled around my kingdom, visited a few of my dear friends before returning to the palace where I soon found myself locked away in my office to attend to all of the paper work that had been mounting up. This was what I was currently doing. I had been in my damn office since half past four and it was now seven O clock; I decided to take a break by taking a small journey to find Alex - my personal maid. Twenty five year old Alex Hunter was one woman that, no matter what she did, could easily put a smile on my face - even after some of the worst days. Even if she was a human. I had met young Alex when she was only seventeen years old, though it was quite a surprise; my son had receieved word that a band of slave trafficers were camping just on the out skirts of Mirkwood, so he - along with myself and a hand full of guards - tracked and took the group of ten down. What Legolas hadn't been told, however, was that a young human woman had been tied and locked up by the slave trafficers after they had swiped her up off of the streets of Rohan two months prior; they found her unconscious, locked in a chest in the back of a wagon attached to two horses. I had told my son to take care of the trafficers with the guards whilst I returned to the palace with the young woman in my arms - she was clearly injured and needed healing. Alex had woken up after the healing had finished his work and, to my surprise, wasn't hesitant to question who I was or where she was - I had expected her to be terrified and silent, maybe intimidated. She was nothing of the sort. It took a compromise of both of us asking and answering questions for either of us to learn anything about the other. I explained what had happened, where the girl was and who I was whilst Alex did her own share of explaining - I learnt that she was some what of a traveller but was kidnapped by the trafficers whilst she was in Rohan. She doesn't have an family to worry about her so no one was looking for her for the two months that she had been held captive; her parents had been killed in a house fire when she was very young, soon followed by her brother who died protecting her durng an attack. Alex was alone.

Upon learning such a thing, I felt a pang of sympathy for the woman, though she told me specifically that she didn't want any pity; I knew I couldn't just let her leave and carry on in the world. But as she spoke the words "I'll probably go somewhere and look for some work" an idea came to mind; I had been looking for a personal maid anyway and it seemed this was a golden opportunity. I offered the job to Alex, telling her she would have a maid's room within the palace, would have regular meals and would have sets of suitable clothes, as well as payment for her work - all she would have to do is stay and be my personal maid. Although she clearly had the issue of little to no trust in me, the woman hesitantly agreed; I allowed her to rest and heal for a couple of days before putting her to work. And what do you know?? She's near enough a natural!! Knows everything a king's personal maid should do, shows great respect - though she made the point of telling me she believed respect cannot just be given out for free, but is to be earned. Now, however, a long eight years had passed since our first meeting and Alex had stayed by my side as my personal maid; we had found ourselves growing close so that we were more than employer and employee, but where good friends. We trusted one another and enjoyed the other's company, proceeding to share deep and long conversations whilst she worked - normally those times would happen either in my office whilst I worked and she cleaned, or in my bed champers either in the morning when she would wake me up and assisst with getting me ready for the day or at night when she was cleaning up after my supper which I always ate in the room. She was the first face I saw the in the morning and the last at the end of the day. Alex never complained when I asked her to do things, no matter what it was. Don't get me wrong, she could be a stubborn and annoying woman when she wanted to be, though it was normally in my best interests - like when I had been injured in a battle when orcs had attempted to take over Mirkwood and she had ordered myself to bed rest whilst she took care of me, fed me my meals, helped me change my clothes after assisting me in the bath and kept me company. And I do believe she and my son, Legolas, get along greatly, laughing and chatting to one another whenever they had the chance. It was as if Alex was a part of our family - it felt that way at least.