Time Isn't Healing [Thranduil Fanfiction/The Hobbit]

IX. Laebon. A Father's Secret

He was scribbling the letters down a parchment when the rushing whispers drew away his attention to the work. Either because the speakers were not aware of the transmittance of sound there or they did that on purpose, Laebon could not stop the curiousity inside him from growing.

From the other side of the door, the healer heard a elf and an elleth talking. Their conversation was buffered, however it was just enough to be concluded that the elf was urging the elleth to meet with Laebon.

"If you... to know... ask him!" Said the elf annoyingly.

Followed was a chain of pushing and hushing sounds, and then the elleth voiced, "I... sudden... don't... to..."

Laebon frowned, the voices were not of strangers, the elf knew it, in fact, those were from someone well-known to the healer himself! Sadly, he could not remember who.

"You... bothered... weeks... it's time..."

"But... if..." Anxious the elleth was. "You... NO-!"

And before Laebon had time to figure out what made such loud protest, the door of his study was pushed open as it revealed the to guests of that evening.

At the entrance stood King Thranduil and his daughter Faeryn. Laebon was surprised to see them at that moment, however, he was more surprised with their secret conversation just before.

King Thranduil strode into the room with Faeryn dragged behind him. His daughter looked unease as the elleth kept nailing herself back from where the king was headed to.

Laebon could tell his beloved Faeryn was reluctant to tell whatever it was, in her beautiful green eyes there was fear and dismay but still there was something in it called eagerness. Afraid as she was, his child wanted to know something after all.

"My Lord, did this silly child of mine do anything to displease you?" Laebon bowed in deep respect.

Thranduil shook his head and motioned his healer to straight up, "No need for that, my friend. And no, Faeryn is very well behave, actually."

The elleth glared at the king as he said so; she yanked his hand away, irritated. Laebon watched the two elf friends and remembered how they were a thousand years ago.

When his little Faeryn was younger, when her mother passed away, Laebon did not know what to do. As a healer he was always busy and Faeryn, Faeryn was so innocent at time, however she was timid, too timid for children of her age.

The elleth liked spending the day in his study, which amused Laebon at first, she loved to be his little assistant, reaching up shelves that were too high for her own sake, accidentally mixing up the herbs and medicines.

Faeryn's world was wrapped in a room and the only social she made was Laebon. And that was not a father hope for.

"Faeryn dear, why don't you go out and play? I'm sure you'll like the weather." Laebon would asked his daughter everyday like that and the elleth, being as stubborn as her mother would pretended not to listen and made herself busy again with the books.

Eventually, Laebon gave up. He knew his child so well that he was almost sure that this would be how Faeryn become mature. Almost, he thought, as in one day the elleth was nowhere to be found.

The father started to panic at the idea of losing his daughter, his only family. He asked the guards, the servants, even the king Laebon did not spare.

And then he saw little Faeryn in the garden, sitting on a low branch of tree with another child elf poking her feet.

Prince Thranduil was telling her something and it made her bursted out with laughter. Laebon was stunned at the sight, he was overwhelmed by the sudden change that he had long hoped for.