Erebor, Lonely Mountain

2. Thranduil | Saturn

Tumblr : bluebellhairpin

Song: Saturn by Sleeping At Last

Summary: The ties between you and the elven king grew thin, and even thinner once his beloved wife died. Then, one night, you were brought back together again, by the son his wife left behind. 

***

With shortness of breath, I'll explain the infinite

How rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist

You taught me the courage of stars before you left

How light carries on endlessly, even after death

The death of the queen came as an unexpected loss the the whole of Mirkwood. Mere months after giving birth to the prince and soul heir to the throne, she was taken to Gundabad and never seen again.

You were one of her closest friends, and admittedly had known her husband and the king even longer. You'd known him since you were elflings, and you were teetering around the thought that you might've been the one he was to marry, but that was before the Queen came along per to King Oropher's request. She was the one he married instead.

She was perfect. Poised like a angel, gentle and caring towards all, she was a picture of starlight and she truly was the heart of Mirkwood.

But when she left, she didn't only leave the population Queen-less and a elf without a wife, but a son without a mother.

It was that son, Legolas, that brought your distanced ties with King Thranduil back together.

The child would cry, every night. His nurses and his governess tried and tried, but he'd only stop for a few hours. It was almost driving you mad.

You understood he was somewhat missing his mother and her hold, and with Thranduil's lack of interest in anything to do with the Queen, he was also left without a father. He was left without love.

With shortness of breath, you explained the infinite

How rare and beautiful it is to even exist

On particularly clear night, the boy's cries seemed to be louder. You, being housed just down the hallway, decided to do something about it.

You quickly made your way down the carved hallways, silk green robe swishing against your legs as you moved to get to the child's room before anyone else heard him.

You entered his room, too large of a space to be home to a baby, and closed the door gently behind you before making your way towards the wooden crib.

Cooing at the child, telling him it was okay, that you were here to help, you picked him up, cradling him near your chest and continued to whisper comforting words to him as you ran your fingers down the back of his head.

As Legolas calmed, now only whimpering when he used to be wailing, you swayed on your feet, trading hushed words for a soft tune; one your mother had sung to you when you were much younger, unaware of an onlooking pair of eyes.

Thranduil was urged by those around him to take his son back under his wing, to care for him, mostly to stop the crying in the night. But the king wouldn't have a bar of it, thinking of the son his wife left behind washed a horrible wave of nostalgia over him.

I couldn't help but ask

For you to say it all again

Eventually he managed to pull himself from his distractions one fateful night, his child's cried echoing down the hall towards his chambers.