Learn To Love - A Thranduil love story [discontinued]

Chapter 10

Hearing that name felt as though you had been run through with a double-edged blade of ice, which was twisting agonisingly slowly, gradually tearing apart your insides, membrane by membrane. Your lungs only allowed you to take shallow breaths, your heart began to throb with fright, your head began to spin so much you lost balance.

Thranduil was swift to catch you before you collapsed, sitting down on the sofa with you on his lap. He held his arms around you protectively, pressing long kisses on the side of your head.

"H-he's going to find me, oh he-he's going to b-beat me again! I can't-I, I-" your words became disconnected as panic flooded your whole body, causing your breathing to become erratic. Your hands trembled uncontrollably as you lifted them to your face, memories of staring down at your own blood stained fingers flashing before your eyes.

It was all too clear in your mind.

Denethor had drunkenly hit you with a fire iron, creating an open gash on your head. You stumbled forward from the impact, feeling liquid heat trickle through your hair, down your face and your neck. The blood dripped onto your hands, and you passed out.

A short cry strained from your throat and you dug your fingers into your scalp, squeezing your eyes shut in an attempt to get rid of other memories. You heard Thranduil's voice calling out your name, but you couldn't bring yourself to open your eyes, and you felt yourself beginning to spiral down into an abyss of your own nightmares.

A gentle yet strong force pushed you onto your back, holding your hands next to your head.

"Calathiel, look at me." Thranduil's velvet voice said, immediately pulling you from your thoughts. Slowly prying your eyes open, you noticed that he was hovering over you with one knee rested by your side to support himself, and his hands clasped around your wrists. Strands of his hair curtained around his face, and softly tickled your cheeks. His expression was solemn. "He will never take you, he will never find you. You will be safe, I will see to that." A stray tear streaked down the corner of your eye. He wiped it away, before pulling back and standing upright. "I must arrange further security, enforce more guards; he will not find out anything." As he began to walk away, your hand desperately reached up and gripped onto his sleeve. He looked down at you with widened eyes.

"...do not go...please..." you whispered. His eyebrows furrowed sadly, and he nodded, sitting by your side and placing an arm around you.

"I'm not going anywhere." he said back, kissing your forehead.

* * *

Thranduil held your terrified frame, letting your salty tears soak his fine robes, soothing you with loving words of care and protection.

Ever since you had escaped the prison Denethor had trapped you in, you thought that you were on the road of recovery, however many obstacles had come in your way. Granny June and Edwin had taught you love and self-appreciation, accepting yourself for who you are and knowing that you are beautiful in so many ways. They lit up your life. Those dwarves spoke otherwise, taunting you so much that you shrunk down to your old self once more, feeling worthless, insignificant, in the dark.

"Calathiel." Thranduil's voice caught your attention. He offered you his arm, and escorted you around the grand halls as a way of occupying your mind. Magnificent orange sunlight beamed through the windows, glistening across the wooden floors. You glanced up at Thranduil. The light behind him created a gleaming halo around his silhouette.

Thranduil was a ray of light in your life. So was Legolas. They showed you kindness, gratefulness, they gave you love like Granny June and Edwin had. Except with Thranduil, there was more, and the feelings you felt towards him differed to the love towards everyone else.