Daughter of Stars of Earth

Epilogue

The trip back to the woodland realm in one word would be long.

As much as I've grown to care for the king, this newfound feeling in him seems to have awoken some slumbering man within him that worries over my every move.

"I wish you would reconsider riding with me." He grumbles just as we leave Rivendell while I smile and shake my head at his concern.

"And I thought you were worried about keeping the proper decorum between us since announcing our courtship." I bounce back but his lips don't budge from their resolute position as a straight line. "How would it look for the princess of Lothlorien to be clinging to the King of the Greenwood as they swayed and bumped along the road?" If anything, his frown deepens.

"You don't make the best case against my suggestion." He says and my smile widens. In all honesty, being snuggled against him as we ride wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but if I give in now, he'll insist on doing everything for me. I've got to prove I can do everything on my own and I will. But that doesn't mean he'll make it easy.

"And what would your soldiers think? Are they not your people?" I point out and his nose wrinkles.

"Damn what the soldiers think." He growls and my eyes roll.

"Either you care what your people think of us or you don't. You cannot have it both ways, King Thranduil." I dare him and quirk an eyebrow up to see what his choice will be. His jaw clenches and ticks once, twice, and a third time before he nods. Still, he doesn't leave my side as we ride, nor when we stop.

"That's too far from the camp. You'll sleep closer to me." He instructs and takes my tent from the pack on my horse before my feet have even hit solid ground. He hands it to a passing soldier and gestures to another soldier setting up the king's tent. "Beside mine." Thranduil bids as I huff while tying off my horse.

"Stop." I command and the camp freezes. Staring down Thranduil, I walk over to the soldier holding my things before meeting her eyes. "What's your name?" I ask gently while her brows furrow softly.

"Eindir, princess." She responds as I swiftly reclaim my belongings from her hands.

"Eindir. Would you mind assisting me with my tent?" I ask and her eyes clear slightly as she glances from me to the king with a tentative smile.

"It would be an honor, princess."

"I doubt that, but I thank you all the same. Once we're finished, I'll assist you with yours." She nods once and I hear a distinct groan from the king as we begin setting up my tent just a bit further away from his than he'd gestured. After Eindir and I are finished with both my tent and hers, I retreat to brush down my horse only to find my ever-present shadow is still near.

"Must you insist on treating me like a child?" He asks and I scoff as I face him.

"I'm treating you like a child? I'm surprised you haven't strapped me to your back and started feeding me from a bottle the moment we left Rivendell!" We both take deep breaths to steady ourselves and hopefully prevent having a loud argument in front of his soldiers. "I am not a wayward ward that you've come to retrieve. I am a princess who has traveled the world and worked hard for her autonomy. I demand that you respect that."

"You've just been coerced from the brink of death itself and you'd like me to leave you to your own devices? I'd sooner have stayed in Rivendell!"

"Perhaps I should have left you there and made the journey myself! Taryn could have me there in days if I hadn't chosen to ride with you out of some idiotic affection!"

"If what you feel is so repugnant, then perhaps you should!" I huff and shake my head at this stubborn, impossible ellon before walking past the staring soldiers and into my tent. A few hours pass with sleep evading me before I decide to duck out and survey the campsite. It's easy to dance over the sleeping bodies of the soldiers before reaching the edge of the camp where the canopy opens just enough for me to see the stars.