The King's Hope

Chapter 9

Thranduil

These eyes stare at me hungrily, like a warg that has been chained for weeks without food. Where they should be blue, they are blood-red with pure black pupils that are smaller than a quill-point. A hiss escapes her parted lips as she lunges at me. I manage to grab her wrists and restrain them until Annoneth, Fornor, and Tarawen burst into the room. They help tie Rhovanel down throughout her thrashing and and sickening cries for blood. I lean back against the wall, breathing hard while I watch the love of my life struggle against makeshift bonds of shredded curtain and blanket.

"My lord, it is not wise to linger here while she is glaring at you like that," Fornor says, glancing at Rhovanel. Despite her attempts to escape, she stares at me with the more hatred than I have ever seen in any being. She seems as if she is not in charge of her own body, someone else is.

Harthor runs into the room just as I am stepping out. He notices her state and looks disappointed, but not surprised. He comes out behind me and leans against the wall.

"I did not believe Hoknath could get her to take it," he mutters.

"Take what?" I ask, facing Harthor.

"The serum. The one that gives him complete power over another's body. I assumed Rhovanel would not fall for his trickery."

"How can Hoknath possess such a power?" I ask incredulously.

"I have never even heard of such a thing," Tarawen chimes. She is listening intently, eyes fixed on Harthor.

"It is true. Hoknath has spent nearly all of his life creating this formula, and has tested its effect on me and other races for the past five decades. He used it on me so much, I developed a resistance to it, I was going to escape the next time they gave me a quest, but I never got a chance. You freed us before they could. They may have meant to give it to me, but you attacked sooner than they planned, so they slipped it into her water when they first saw you approach," Harthor explains, shaking his head the whole time. This is something I never could have expected.

"What will it do to the baby and how long does it last?" I ask quietly.

"I cannot say what would happen to the child, but Hoknath has been enhancing his serum progressively. Last time I was under its direction, it lasted moon's cycle."

"I am going to write to Elrond and Galadriel. They will know more about this than I," I decide, walking away.

"Lord Thranduil, I think you should know what I was told to do when they administered my last dose," Harthor calls, stoping me dead in my tracks. I turn and raise an eyebrow.

"They ordered me to kill you if Rhovanel should fail." That statement settles over our small group, leaving a stunned silence in the air. Rhovanel is trying to kill me.

"My lord, are you alright?" Fornor asks worriedly.

"No, no Fornor I am not alright. I believe it is high time for me to retire to my room until dinner. No one is to disturb me, lest there is a crisis," I say, leaning heavily in the wall. Then my balance fails, but Harthor takes my shoulder before I hit the ground.

"Thank you, I will be fine from here," I mumble, leaning on the rail. As I limp off to my room I can feel three worried pairs of eyes glued to my back.

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I collapse on the bed, depression seeping through my thoughts. A moon's cycle or longer is far too long to stay away from her. I barely lasted two weeks know where she was but forcing myself away. The months spent Ina dungeon were only survivable because I knew she would be fine if I did all that was asked of me.

Now, all I know is that the only elf I've ever loved is under orders to kill me, and if I stand close enough, she will do it. I know that the baby is due soon, but not what will become of it if Rhovanel is still in this servitude when it comes.

I get up and throw the doors to the balcony open. Fierce wind rips through my hair and blows the tails of my tunic out dramatically. The sun would be just beyond midday, but the clouds are as black as night and render the sun invisible. Thunder rumbles from just beyond the mountains and lighting crackles through the air.

I am left alone to write to the other Elven leaders for the remainder of the evening before dinner is offered. I choose to stay isolated rather than present my destroyed self to my people.

As I strip down and change into night clothes, I think about Rhovanel screaming and kicking in the dragon room. She cannot hurt anyone, but she can hurt herself. I fear that Hoknath has somehow forced her to self-destruct at some point, though I have no basis for such fear.

I take one last trip out onto the balcony. A storm is raging, but I enjoy the feeling of rain on my face. I gaze upon the darkening forest, lamenting about the dying forest. The trees grow darker every day, becoming a mirky shade of gray. The few beautiful places that are left are under constant threat of falling to darkness. While I am thinking about my forest, a flash of white darts along the tree line. A white stag rests at the foot of the bridge, staring right at me.

Oropher is still watching over me from the Undying Lands. I watch as the stag bounds away, deep into the desolate trees. Perhaps it is pointless to hope, but if Annoneth thinks it can save the soul, I will hope for all the best things.