Beauty and the Beast | Thranduil x Reader

Chapter 18

Myleth had been buzzing with excitement to ask you how your afternoon with the king had gone the previous day. She had come to find you at dinner but you had fallen into a deep sleep a short while after Thranduil had returned you to your room so she had left you to rest. The next morning, however, she shook you awake early, unable to wait any longer. She had been watching closer than you had even realised and had gotten it into her head that something with the king had changed since you arrived. Just like Legolas, she had picked up on... something. Something was changing and it certainly felt like a good thing.

Myleth admired her king. He was good to his people. He cared about his realm, the forest, and everything in it. Over the years, she had watched him shut himself off, but everybody in this kingdom knew about the king's past. They knew about the loss of their queen and the darkness that descended not only over Mirkwood but the palace itself. Things were not as they once were and the Woodland Realm was quite a lot more isolated than it used to be many long years ago. She knew many wished for those days to return, even the prince.

You rose from beneath the blankets, rubbing at your tired eyes, as Myleth woke you with a tray of toasted bread and jasmine tea, which you had never drank before but was incredibly floral and sweet. It soothed you inside and out and you were soon wide awake and readying yourself for the day ahead. Myleth's questioning both amused and embarrassed you in turn, but what made you flush bright red was the excited squeal she let out when you told her that you had been invited to dine with the king that evening and this time you had agreed.

You turned and stared at her with wide eyes, shaking your head at her. She only chuckled back at you, waving a hand. "We must find you something to wear." She said, moving to the little wardrobe and looking through it. A moment later, she huffed to herself, finding nothing there that satisfied her.

"I could just wear that." You gestured to the first thing that you saw, shrugging as you turned to continue fixing your hair for the day ahead before picking up a piece of the toasted bread and turning back to Myleth.

She was looking at you as if you had suddenly sprouted an extra head. "You cannot wear that to dinner with the king!" She exclaimed, shaking her head before she waved you off and moved for the door. "I will find you something suitable and be back in time to help you get ready."

Before you could say anything more, she was gone. You shook your head, chuckling to yourself at the big deal she was making this out to be, and then you turned and picked up the book you'd grabbed from the library the previous night and finally opened it up to start to read. After the afternoon with the king, you most definitely had not had the attention span to read a single word.

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Myleth, true to her word, returned an hour before dinner. She found you still tucked up on a chair, many chapters into the book already by this point. You had spent the day devouring it, even forgetting to go to lunch, to keep your mind occupied. As much as you were trying to not make it out to be a big thing... you had to admit that you were nervous. Legolas had not returned from his patrol in the woods yet, you knew this, so it would just be you and Thranduil and even despite how well yesterday seemed to have gone, you were still unsure exactly what to expect. Things could switch up at any moment, you had learned that already, but you found yourself hoping that it didn't.

The dress Myleth had returned with looked far too grand, too expensive. You had never worn such an item of clothing in your life. Truthfully, you didn't think you had even seen such an item of clothing in your life. It was the type of fabric that only the rich could afford and wear, at least where you came from. The little farm where you lived with your father didn't pull enough gold to provide as much necessary food some seasons, never mind pretty dresses.