Daughter of Arnor - Servant of Fate

Chapter Fifteen: The Woodland Realm

"Great Eagles are not in the habit of taking passengers," - Calenamath

16th August/Urui T.A 3010, The Elven Halls/ The Woodland Realm, Mirkwood

King Thranduil woke with a start. "Lasseth!" he cried out. Then his mind returned to the present. From his large comfortable bed, he looked about the vast cavern that was his bedchamber. Starlight Lamps hung down among the stalactites from the high ceiling. The light from the lamps made them appear to glisten and glow above him. The sumptuous chamber was silent, despite all the most exquisite furnishings, many from far-flung places. To him, the chamber felt cold and empty. He sat up, leaned over to the side table, and rang the little bell.

At once a brown-haired Elf wearing a green tunic with the King's sigil upon it entered the chamber carrying a bed robe. On seeing the king, he bowed low. "Mae Govannen, my Lord King. I hope your rest was refreshing."

Thranduil rose from the bed and Padir wrapped his bedgown around him. "Alas Padir, I am not refreshed."

"Was it the dream again?"

"It was."

Ever since the battle of Dagorlad at the end of the second age, he had relived the moment he had become king. But it had come at a price. The loss of his father and, more tragically, his beloved wife Lasseth, the mother of his son and only child. But this time, the dream had been different.

As usual, he relived finding his father, King Oropher's body slumped over a mortally wounded Lasseth. He had clearly died trying to defend her. Thranduil had desperately tried to comfort Lasseth, willing her to live for him, their son and the future children they had promised each other. But Lasseth shook her head.

"Three more I promised you and three more you shall have. I swear by The One, no rest in Mandos shall I take. Our son must not walk alone. Till a queen walks again in the Great Green Wood and my oath to you be fulfilled. My Fea shall remain houseless! For your sake and my son's, you must love again."

He had begged and pleaded with her to repent the oath but to no avail. The light from her eyes had departed. But this time as he shook her and begged her to return to him. He heard an eagle's cry far above and the light in Lasseth's eyes returned but for a moment. "Hope comes on Eagle's wings," she whispered. Before the light left her again.

Thranduil's day began like any other. Padir clapped his hands, and several male attendants entered the chamber in the same livery as Padir. Some carrying clothing, others attending to the vacated bed. He then assisted Thranduil as he groomed and dressed for the day. The attendants presented various garments to the king, and he selected what he wished to wear and discarded others. "Any Important news this morning, Padir?" He was not expecting anything out of the ordinary.

The summer had been very uneventful, even the spiders had been little trouble of late. Today he intended to tour his realm with his son and brother, perhaps even camp out under the stars if they so desired. For it would not be long till the first harvest and he would change the adornments on his crown to mark the coming of autumn.

Padir handed Thranduil a scroll."Ah, yes, my Lord King, there is a message from Grimbeorn, Chief of the Beornings."

Thranduil grunted as he broke open the seal and unrolled the scroll. "What is the cantankerous old fool complaining about this time?" he muttered.

But as he read the words, his mood changed. He asked Padir to summon Calenamath and Legolas to his command chamber. Padir exited the bedchamber and Thranduil followed him down a small passage of highly polished stone. A number of doors led off to other chambers. The other end of the passage opened out into a parlour, where the king entertained and relaxed after his daily duties. The chamber was full of comfortable chairs, daybeds and tables, and a small flight of steps led up to a musician's gallery. And wall tapestries depicted scenes from Elven legends.