A shadow lies on Thranduil and his forest, and only a power stronger than the darkness of old can save them.
Grief and loss have turned him into a king with a heart of ice, and if he is ever to find redemption, the chains of guilt and remorse holdin...
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Legolas caught up with her quickly and greeted her with one of his open smiles. He seemed to have come from outside, as he had his bow slung around his back and his quiver sported considerably less arrows than the usual. "You seem worried. Is everything all right?" Concern was in his voice as he noticed that she was slightly flustered.
"Yes, yes, everything is fine," Anna retorted a bit more rash than she had intended. But neither did she want to reveal anything about her encounter with the hobbit nor did she want to give Legolas the impression that she was too eager to hear news from Thranduil. "I was just on my way to the room." She gave him an awkward smile and added quickly "The long session in the library has tired me a little and I was lost in thoughts; that's all." She straightened herself, pulling back a stray lock behind her ear, and looked at him expectantly. "But do tell me what news do you bring from your father."
"Well, it is precisely about the library." Anna's face turned pale, afraid that she had upset the king by her frequent and extended visits. Maybe he did not want her nosing around after all. "Is it a problem?" she inquired, trying to keep her voice calm. "If the king does not want me to go there, I will stop."
"No, no, do not worry. My father approves of your visits. As a matter of fact he wishes to meet with you there." Legolas smiled at the look of relief dawning on her face and added "Tonight, if that is convenient for you."
"Oh yes, yes of course it is convenient." Gone was her resolution to appear indifferent, she could not conceal her obvious delight that Thranduil was finally reaching out to her again. She did not know what evoked this change of heart, but the fact that she would be in the same room with him after such a long time was anticipation enough for her.
"Very well then. I will inform my father." Legolas was quite pleased and walked her back to her room, all the time happily chatting away about today's hunt and it seemed to her that some sort of tension had been lifted from him.
°°°°°°°°°°
Anna took dinner in her room like most of the days, although once in a while she would be invited to join the elves in one of the halls. She didn't mind to eat alone tough, since she still did not feel altogether at ease in the company of the elves. It was a slow process to blend in, after all she had thousands of years to catch up, she thought to herself slightly amused.
A soft knock at the door announced that it was time to go. It was Brethilwen who came to accompany her to the library. Brethilwen had gotten to know Anna quite well throughout the last weeks and it was no use trying to hide her emotional turmoils. Although Anna knew her way to the library, she was glad that Brethilwen insisted on walking with her. It gave her a feeling of support when she didn't know what to expect from her meeting with the king tonight. Before she would enter the library her grey eyes lingered on Anna's face with reassurance. "You will be fine. The king has been waiting for this."
She did not get a chance to ask her about the exact meaning of what she just said, because the doors of the library were suddenly pulled open and Brethilwen had turned away before she could even say goodbye to her.
