"Now, remember," Thranduil was saying, "lords and ladies of my court always eat all their food, especially their vegetables." A couple of the children complained and Thranduil frowned at them. "And they certainly do not whine. Sit down so you may be served. Sit on the bench Edda, not the table, please." A couple of elves appeared with plates of roasted vegetables and loafs of bread to set in front of the children. "Now, because we are in Dale, Lord Bard sits at the head of the table," Thranduil looked at him expectantly and Bard jumped at being addressed. He gestured him to the stool placed at the end of the table and Bard obediently sat. "And because I am the visiting king and next in rank, I sit to his right, with my Queen to my side." Thranduil placed himself so, twisting his cloak to drape across his lap and out of the way. Aredhel smiled and took her seat. "Sigrid, being the eldest daughter, sits to Bard's left. Tilda, you are next to her." Sigrid and her sister sat themselves as such, sharing an amused grin with their father. "Bain, being the male heir but not yet at his crowning, would sit next to me but since he's busy trying to wheedle a second helping of beef from Mistress Imogene, we'll leave him to it." There was a smattering of laughter around them and Bard rolled his eyes.
The food hall was filled with Men and elves mixing together. Each elf that passed by gave their king and Queen a deep nod before continuing on. Someone shouted across the tent and everyone near there broke out into loud laughter. Aredhel glanced at her husband but it seemed he was unbothered by the noise. Bard was struck by the oddity of the sight and felt his chest tighten. He looked around the crowded tent and had to fight back tears. A few scant days ago, these people had been beaten down and grim. Their future had looked bleak. And now to even have a future where they might survive long term, even thrive, was almost unreal. A light touch to his arm had Bard turning toward Thranduil. The Elvenking looked at him questioningly, frowning slightly. "Are you alright?" he asked softly. "Do you feel well?"
"Aye, I'm fine. Merely thinking," Bard said, a bit sheepishly. Thranduil's expression eased and he gave the man a little nod before turning his attention to a boy trying to cram a huge piece of bread into his mouth all at once. Aredhel grinned uncontrollably as her husband stopped him from choking himself.
After all the children had eaten, Thranduil stood and looked down his nose at them. "Now, lords and ladies of my court, do you know what we do after the midday meal?" The children hung on his every word, waiting for his pronouncement of what they would do now. "We nap." There were loud protests from the children. Thranduil looked shocked. "You do not nap? Then how will you be able to stay awake during the nighttime revelry?" That got the children agreeing to take a nap. Bard followed behind the duckling procession as Thranduil led the children to the great hall and their cots. Some elves helped their parents settle them into bed. "But I'm not sleepy," said one boy. "Then close your eyes and pretend," ordered Aredhel and began to hum. The other elves joined and then a soft melody drifted across the children, dragging eyelids down. Even Aredhel felt sleepiness tug at her limbs but she shook it off. The song drifted into quiet. The woman and old men that were in the great hall tiptoed around, careful not to wake the sleeping children.
Someone offered a chair to Thranduil, a grand thing with a pillow on the seat that must have come from the Master's house, and the elf sank onto the seat with a gracious nod. Somehow, Tilda had ended up in his arms. "Here, I'll take her," Bard said, reaching for his daughter. Thranduil pulled away. "No need, Lord Bard. She sleeps and it is no trouble." Bard grinned, looking around at the other elves that were gazing raptly at the sleeping children. "I feel the need to remind you that you have to return the kids to their parents. You can't keep them." Thranduil tilted his chin up disdainfully. "Do not be ridiculous, my lord." There was a smattering of laughter from the parents and Bard grinned. "Alright, I'll leave you to it then," he said. The bowman stroked his hand over his daughter's hair, before looking over at Aredhel who was stroking a young girls cheek trying to settle her down as she couldn't sleep.
YOU ARE READING
Heart Like Yours
FanfictionOf the thousand who left, two hundred returned. She was gone. But what happens when a mysterious elf appears in the wood not knowing who she is and how she got there?
