Helke of Mirkwood ~ thranduil love story (sequel to 'an Iceling in mirkwood)

Chapter 2 ~ archery

Sorry it has been so long since the first chapter guys! I promise the next updates will be quicker. So any of you wondering this story will be set in the hobbit timeline and will have a few surprises in store. Hope you enjoy!

The next morning helke awoke to thranduil stroking her hair as they lay together under the fur covers. Her head rested on his strong chest and her hand rested on his toned stomach. She yewled in disagreement as he went to move and he chuckled. "What a change, you were a little ball of energy last night" he teased and she smiled in embarrassment.
"Thranduil, can I ask you something?"
"Of course darling."
"Do you ever think about...a family?" She asked.
"How do you mean?" He replied, sitting up.
"Like me having a baby"
"Helke we both know that you cannot-"
"I know but if by some chance I could....what would you say?" She asked and he thought for a bit.
"If I said I have never thought about it I would be lying" he began. "I think it would be wonderful thing to experience with you, truly life changing"
"What about legolas?" She asked.
"I think he would welcome a new child into the family, he was certainly open to the idea as a child" he remembered. Helke fell silent and thranduil stroked her slender pale back, his warm hand in stark contrast to her cold back. Ever since wearing the circlet and anklet from both thranduil and Luca helke found she was able to enjoy thranduil's affections more. She could bath with him in a steaming hot bath, sleep close to him without feeling uncomfortable in the heat. She looked up and gently pressed her lips to his.

Once dressed and presentable thranduil went to his throne room and helke headed out to meet legolas for archery practice. She found him outside the stable, talking to tauriel and smiling. She decided to let them have their moment and began to pet the nose of one of the horses. "Helke?" Legolas smiled upon noticing the white haired Iceling.
"Hello" she smiled to both tauriel and Legolas. "How are you tauriel?" She asked and tauriel nodded.
"I am in good health, and yourself?"
"Good" she nodded. There was an awkward silence and Legolas cleared his throat. There had always been a small sense of competitiveness and dislike between the two female though they obviously tried to hide it.
"Well, we should probably start practice" Legolas said cheerily to cut the icy silence.
"Yes" helke tore her milky stare away from tauriel and to Legolas. They picked up their equipment and headed to the training area where there were already some guards. Helke felt her heart sink when one guard hit a perfect bullseye from 10 metres.
"Don't worry helke" Legolas comforted upon seeing her expression. "They've had years of practise, you'll be just as good as them in a few years" he reassured her. She nodded though she was not convinced.

"Your stance is wrong" Legolas corrected her feet. They had been training for over an hour and helke was beginning to wish she had just stayed in bed. By now ringa had joined them and watched as his mistress shot arrow after arrow, often missing her mark. "All the way back" legolas reminded, helping her pull back the bow
"I'm trying" she huffed and blew some hair out of her eyes. She let go and hit one of the inner rings.
"See!" Legolas smiled. "You hit it"
"You did all the work" she reminded bitterly.
"Try it again, I'll step back" he promised and watched her. She notched another arrow and pulled it back.
"Keep you front arm straight" he reminded and she bit her tongue in anger. "Your stance-"
"I'm Trying!!" She exclaimed angrily and as she turned to snap at him the arrow went flying. The arrow was encased in ice from her flurry of emotions and as it hit the bullseyes it made the target shatter and break. All the guards watched in amazement as the target crumbled to the ground. Helke however was not pleased. She was destructive and she hated it.
"That was amazing-" legolas started but helke snapped the bow and stormed off back to the stables. She threw the case of arrows against the stable wall making a horse whiny loudly. She unlocked Hithui's stable and sat down with Thranduil's elk. Laure had passed away a few years ago and her calf now served thranduil. He was a little faster then his mother and was apparently excellent for hunting trips. Like his mother he was fond of helke and allowed her to pet him as she wished.
Legolas crept soundless into the stable and peeped into Hithui's stable, hoping helke was there. When he saw her white hair he backed away before he was seen and returned to the king's halls. She was sure to calm down when given the time by herself to do so.
"Legolas" he recognised his father's voice as he walked along the empty corridor to his room.
"Father?" Legolas bowed and addressed him.
"Where is helke? I expected you both to return earlier then this"
"I am afraid there was a small incident at the training grounds. She's with Hithui now" he explained and saw worry in his father's eyes.
"Is she hurt?"
"No nothing like that, she just lost control a little" he mumbled and thranduil nodded.
"Very well" as the two were about to part Thranduil spoke again. "Legolas?" His son looked back round "come to my study later, there is a matter I wish to discuss with you" he said and strode off confidently. The matter was something he had been turning around in his head for quite a while but wanted a second opinion, especially from his son. He did not show it well but he cared deeply for his son. He valued his opinion and still remembered the nights he had to sooth him as a baby. He smiled to himself as he walked calmly to the stables and remembered the long sleepless nights with his child. Also ironically with helke. At a younger age she had been very hard to contain and calm down but with time the over active energy had disappeared. She was becoming an Iceler.
He reached the stables within fifteen minutes and silently unlocked Hithui's stable though his white haired beauty was nowhere to be seen. His heart began racing and he looked in the neighbouring stable. His heart attack stopped when he saw helke standing in her own horse's stable. thilivern had been a present for helke from a visiting elf lord. She was a good rider although going over jumps was still something that she required assistance with.
"Helke" he cooed in a soft voice and helke looked round. She was in the middle of plaiting thilivern's mane who stood calmly.
"I do not want to talk about it" she said simply, turning back to thilivern's mane.
"That is fine my darling, I just wanted to see that you are safe" he explained.
"I was trying" helke sniffed quietly, unable to hide her upset.
"I'm sure you were helke, archery is not for everyone and I am giving you my permission to stop if you wish"
"Then I'd just be running away" she grumbled and picked up a soft brush and began to brush thilivern's soft coat.
"It is your decision, I will not sway you either way" he promised. He opened his mouth, about to ask her about the thing that was circling his mind. But did not. He felt it best to get legolas's opinion on the matter first.
"Do not forget next week is the winter ball" he reminded and she nodded. "You have been down and been fitted for a dress?"
Helke did not reply.
"Helke" he sighed.
"I'll do it today" she promised.
"You know you'll just get flustered last minute-"
"Which is why I'll do it today" she promised smiling.
"Very well" he sighed and pecked her on the lips before returning to his study to talk to his son.