Beauty and the Beast | Thranduil x Reader

Chapter 31

After running up the stairs that Tauriel had directed you to at the back of the wine cellar, you had found yourself slipping through one of three other doorways at the top and, to your relief, came back out into familiar ground.

The Elvenqueen's chambers.

You had burst from behind a curtain - this one red as you'd noticed most that led to the queen's chambers were - at the same moment that Vermund himself had rushed from a room somewhere down the hall.

Stunned, you had stood there, staring dumbly at him as his gaze had fallen on you. He was moving before you could even really register his approach, so shocked were you at his being here of all places. In Thranduil's wife's private rooms. In the back of your mind you registered that the room he had come fleeing from was the one that took you to the garden where the roses lived!

How dare he!

Your anger began to bubble up past the surface then but your time was already up. Just as you had opened your mouth, Vermund's large hand had come clamping down over it, his other arm wrapping around your body as he began to pull you with great haste away down the hall, back through the other unseen way he had come here from.

You struggled against him, of course you did, but you were simply no match for Vermund. The realisation made your blood run cold.

Before you knew it, you were outside. You thought you heard Tauriel's voice from somewhere far behind you but you couldn't turn to be sure, so tight was Vermund's grip on you. He dragged you out of some back door and away into the forest and, if you had fully been able to, you would have gone kicking and screaming.

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Thranduil was beyond furious now. He was practically burning with rage as he moved through the forest. He knew the paths of these trees like the back of his hand and following the trail that Vermund's lumbering steps had left was not difficult.

He was desperate to find you - and find you safe and unharmed. This man had no right, no right to come into his realm armed for a fight, no right to drag you away anywhere against your will.

Thranduil had placed you in a cell the first time he met you, yes, but if you had not made the offer of switching places with your father he would not have done so. It was your choice, even if you might have felt that you had none. As bad-tempered and impulsive with anger as he may have been, he would not have put you anywhere had you been unwilling. Vermund had no right to force you into anything, especially this. Thranduil would not allow it. Could not.

He had no doubt that this oaf's plan was to drag you away back to your pitiful little village and force you into a marriage you had absolutely no desire for. He would rip away your freedom and cage you in a life that was not your own. Did he think that Thranduil would not come? Did he think that he would let you go so easily? That he would allow this man to disrespect him and his people and let him walk away without punishment?

No, Thranduil decided, he was probably counting on it. He had made clear that he wanted to kill Thranduil. The thought caused a grim smirk to tug at his lips, his eyes flashing as he urged himself to move even quicker through the trees, following the incredibly conspicuous trail.

As if that fool would get a chance to do so.

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Bursting into a gloomy clearing, Vermund threw you down into the dirt beneath a large tree. Landing hard with a pained grunt, you scowled up at him, and then turned to look around, wondering if you could get onto your feet and outrun him quick enough.