Chapter 16: A Pillar Most Passionate, The Elvenking Of The Woodland Realm

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"How about, why is it swordsmaster all of a sudden instead of priestess?" Thranduil offered as the opening of their conversation. His hand leaving her face in favor of grasping one of her hands in his own.

This made Celine think. At some point she knew just what it was that drove her into making that choice, some pointless reason she shoved down that same untouched corner of her mind when she had let anger get the best of her.

She knew Thranduil knows the reason she tried so hard to forget, but why was it that he still felt the need to ask?

The answer to his question seemed distant and irrelevant now yet some part of her wanted to reach out and remember the reason why. That part of her that...

Sparing a look to the side, she sees the Elvenking's gaze transfixed by something that seemed to be placed on her right hand. It didn't take her long to realize that her glove had somewhat been torned and on the expanse of her open palm was an ugly red cut.

"What hap-"

"You must have cut yourself when you unsheathed your sword." Thranduil answered, his voice calm and soothing as if this was nothing out of the ordinary.

But for Celine, it is -in every single way- anomalous, "But... That's just foolish. I've been wielding swords for a great part of my life and I had not once cut myself, especially not upon unsheathing it." She shook her head, unsure and unnerved with just what exactly had it been that possessed her to lose a great deal of her customary concentration.

The Elvenking remained silent for awhile as he retrieved a handkerchief from somewhere within the robes underneath his armor and began dabbing on her wound with it, "There is nothing to worry about, Celine." He looks up at her and reaches one vacant hand up to tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, "Everyone loses their composure time and again, it is as customary for all creatures as breathing is. You lost yours, but what really matters is that you had regained it by your own volition."

Raising her hand to his face, the Elvenking closely inspected the wound before looking around their barren surrounding, and allowing himself a rather disappointed sigh, "I take it this place does not grow athelas."

Celine shakes her head with a slight chuckle, "I do not think it does,"

Raising both brows in moderate surprise, Thranduil allows himself a tiny smile before placing a fleeting kiss on the cleaned surface of her formeely bleeding palm, "A kiss should do then," he slowly lifts his head up to come face to face with the completely flushed and disoriented face of one swordsmaster. All parted lips, widened eyes, and dilated pupils.

He couldn't have helped the smug grin that spread on his features even if he tried, and so he bowed his head to hide it as he went on bandaging her hand, "-at least for now."

"W-wha... What was that?" The swordsmaster found herself at a loss for words. Sure she knew there had to be something wrong about this but there was just something in her that was drawn to the Elvenking that she couldn't just pull away.

Something about him made her feel protected and cherished. This wasn't the first time he made her feel so. Even all those years back he had always kept watching over her and it had always been welcomed and comforting.

But something about this felt different... And confusing.

Though before she even had the time to dwell on it, Thranduil's deep and clear voice had once again broken into her thoughts, "Kisses are once thought to have healing capabilities according to tales of old, especially ones given by the elves." He answers, playing with the fingers of her hand before adding, "As for my inquiry not too long ago, when will you be answering?"

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