Erebor, Lonely Mountain

36. Thranduil | Indifference I

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In a low mumble from behind the large hands running over his face, the Elf King stated in Quenya, "This is why I hate all Dwarves and their allies."

His hands lowered at the only female voice in the group, belonging to the half Elf, in a somewhat pleased tone, "You hate me?"

The icy blue eyes in his face reflected the light from the floating lanterns around his throne when they finally had noticed the web coated leaf eared woman standing a clear head above the rest of the scowling Dwarves. Curiously they watched the straightening of the King marking his readying to back step on his comment at the unnecessary insult he had cast at the innocent woman. In a firm velvety tone he stated, "I do not hate, you."

A soft giggle came from the woman who gave a small elated bounce as she repeated in a near musical tone, "You said you hated me."

His eyes narrowed as he stated, "To be precise I said I hate all Dwarves and their allies."

Her head nodded as her smile grew and she responded in the same pleased tone, "Including me."

"Not including you!"

She giggled again and replied, "You do know the opposite of Love is Indifference?"

His brow rose as the guards in the room all gave her a curious once over. "What?"

"The opposite of Love is indifference. Meaning, you cannot hate anyone without first loving them. And you said you hated me." Her smile grew as she giggled again. A smile inched on the guard's faces spotting the stunned agape expression from their King who's mind was scrambling for a response.

His eyes narrowed again as his mouth closed through his sharp inhale before he stated, "I am indifferent to Dwarves then."

"But still not me."

His brow twitched again as he added, "I do not know you, therefore I am indifferent to you as well."

She giggled clearly again drawing another twitch from the King's brow while the Dwarves bit back their pleased expressions at her clear irritating conversation she was having with the normally stoic King. "You don't know them either past Thorin I gather. And yet you have such an impressive bond with them at first glance. To love so deeply in an instant."

Through a shaky inhale he taped his fingers on the arm of his throne and along his tall staff before he repeated, "I am indifferent, to your Dwarves and yourself."

"That's not what your eyes say."

A clear snort came from the lone blonde Elf guarding your group that he soon tried to mask with a breaking stoic expression, "My eyes say nothing!"

"But they're shimmering with adoration."

"They are not! My eyes do not shimmer!"

Another giggle sounded drawing the King to his feet, "You clearly do not have the best point of view to comment on that. All I've seen since we entered is shimmering adoration."

Sharply inhaling he ordered, "This group clearly has not recovered from their time lost in the forest, take them to their rooms!"

A firm hand from the trembling blonde guard turned the giggling woman who glanced at the Dwarves and repeated in the common tongue, "The King said he loves me."

Another snort came from the blonde and other trembling Elves leading them to their rooms as the King shouted back, "I DID NOT!"

With a glance back the King's eyes caught the woman's as she called back in Quenya, "Don't be afraid to fall, I promise I'll catch you!"

In another agape frozen moment the King watched the group pass through the doors after her momentary wink that was broken off by the closing of the thick doors that left the stunned and rapidly blinking King to sit back on his chair staring at the sealed doors. A clear breaking of chuckles from the guards around him forced his eyes to roll and his body to lean forward, now propped up by his elbows meeting his knees as he rubbed his face and mumbled to himself under his breath.

Remaining fixed like that until he raised his eyes again at the timid throat clearing of the surprising appearance of the Hobbit before him. Fidgeting his fingers over the buttons on his coat Bilbo timidly spoke, "Your Majesty. Um, I was in the bathroom, would you um, be able to tell me where my group went?"

Thranduil inhaled and rose again, moving to the Hobbit's side as he stated, "I will take you."

After the short walk they had met up his eyes landed on the source of the giggle ahead of him, that continued through the question, "Miss me already?"

The group chuckled as they stood in their assigned doorways to their rooms while Thranduil gently patted Bilbo's back leading him to an unclaimed doorway and to say, "I was simply escorting your friend to your group."

A forced stern expression through a curt nod formed on her face as she stated flatly, "Of course." Her eyes shifted to the Hobbit and she stated while the King passed the group heading to his own room, "Bilbo, you missed it, the King said he loves me."

Thranduil's shoulders tensed as he forced himself to keep walking as he gritted back, "I said no such thing."

Bilbo smirked catching the woman's wink as he stated, "His eyes did have a certain glimmer when he spotted you."

Thranduil turned briefly, "My eyes-!" the icy stern gaze landed on the chuckling group before shifting to the woman whose own eyes warmly reflected the lantern light around her causing a softening of his gaze, only to be forced back as he turned and continued his walk, "Rest well, Company of Thorin Oakensheild! I will speak with you in the morning."

"I'll be counting the hours, Your Majesty." Her eyes rose to meet the eyes of the blonde guard who snorted from behind his hand once again as he leaned against the redheaded Elleth's back, also covering her mouth to muffle her bubbling laughter. In a shared glance with their teary eyes she nodded and stated as the King turned the next corner, "Yup, he loves me." before entering her own room. Going to lay down on the bed after thorougly scrubbing herself clean through the night until breakfast. A meal she was placed on the King's left where he firmly kept his gaze through the discussion and meal at the baffling Elleth.