My old friend, Thranduil

Chapter One

My head throbs.

That's the first thing I notice when I come to my senses.

Then, as my eyes adjust, I see the silhouettes of dwarves, and they are all looking at me through their cell bars.

"Where are we?" I ask them.

"We are in the dungeons of the palace of your king." One dwarf spits angrily.

"You mean Oropher?" I ask the dwarf.

Suddenly a set of doors swings open and my eyes are blinded by the light that floods.

I clamp my hands over my eyes, slowly allowing them to adjust to the new brightness.

"No. They mean me." A very familiar voice says.

I gape for a second, but then I compose myself.

"Thranduil?" I ask him.

He unlocks my cell door, the dwarves all glare at me.

"Come." He says.

I follow him out of the dungeons.

Once the corridor is clear, Thranduil whirls around and glares at me.

"Why." He asks sternly.

"Why did you do it." He continues.

"Thranduil, I had no other choice. You were supposed to find a girl to marry, and your father thought me a distraction." I tell him.

He looks sadly at me.

"You weren't a distraction Maybelline, you were the girl I wanted to marry." He says softly.

"Thranduil." I say.

"Don't Thranduil me, it's been since 2930 that I saw you last." He says.

"And in that time you have managed to build a life for yourself." I say.

"It wasn't the same. You took my heart away from me. I never loved my life the same after you left." He says.

"The guards were talking about Prince Legolas. Do not tell me that you don't love your son." I tell him.

"Of course I do! Legolas has-" He starts.

"I have what father?" The prince asks him.

I laugh at Thranduil's face.

"Allow me to answer you highness." I say.

Legolas looks at me.

"My name is Maybelline, your father and I were just catching up, we are old friends." I tell him.

"My father has friends?" He says, and then his eyes grow wide as he realises what he just said.

The air becomes very tense, but then Thranduil starts laughing.

Legolas looks at his father in disbelief.

"Go get ready for dinner Legolas." Thranduil says after he calms down a little.

Legolas turns and leaves us alone in the corridor.

"Follow me." Thranduil says.

I follow him down the corridor and up several flights of stairs.

"This is my room." Thranduil says as he opens a pair of massive wood doors.

I gape at the sheer luxury of the room.

Thranduil chuckles and walks into what I presume is the bathroom. The sound of running water confirms my suspicions, and Thranduil walks back into the bedroom.