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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The piece of cloth Thranduil had given her became Anna's most prized possession, her own small piece of happiness. It still bore his scent and if she closed her eyes and allowed the delicate silken fabric to run through her fingers, any physical distance between her and him evaporated into nothingness. She was almost sure that it was the one he had used to blindfold her on her first day in the forest. It was her loyal companion while she slept, easing the feeling of loneliness that overcame her more often than not in the darkness of night, and she carried it with her wherever she went, reminding her always of why she was still here after all. Of course she kept this hidden from everyone, after all she did not want people to believe that she was acting strangely, and even less she wanted to have to give it back if she were spotted with it in hand.
For several days after the meeting with Thranduil in the library she was so elated that she felt like floating around with a glowing smile on her face and a generally cheerful mood seemed to suffuse the halls of Mirkwood. On the surface things had not changed much, she was still only a guest, albeit a slightly less alien one, and still she did not see as much of Thranduil as she would have liked to. He was for most of the time busy with his many obligations, but the few instances they did meet, be it in the hallways or during a dinner with his guests that she had been invited to, there was a distinct warmth emanating from him that enveloped her heart like the sunlight caressing a budding flower in spring.
Brethilwen seemed especially pleased with this development and she kept peppering Anna with questions about her encounter with the king. "It fills me with joy," she told her one morning as she organised things in Anna's room with the nonchalant grace Anna had come to admire in her, "to see the king so at ease. It is like a weight has been lifted from him. He has not been in high spirits like this in a very long time." She turned around with a pile of sheets in her hands pressing them against her body and smiled. "Thank you for staying here."
Anna was slightly embarrassed that she would think the king's renewed liveliness was solely owed to her continuing presence. "I am sure that the change in his spirits must have other reasons too." But deep down she knew very well what was the truth, the image of the heartfelt relief on his face when he had heard her words had forever been etched in her mind. "There was a sincerity about him when he asked me. It was not a command, but a wish. A wish I could not deny him." She wanted to add, that she also did not have anywhere else to go, but instead she only said: "That is all."
But Brethilwen would not hear of it. "No, my dear, do not underestimate the importance of your decision," she said with a meaningful look and made to pick up the leftover food from the table when she realised that it was getting late. "I'm afraid, I will have to do the table later, but I will take the sheets with me." She turned around slightly flustered. "If that is all right with you?"
Having a servant attending her still felt somewhat strange, so she simply assured her not to worry. "You can come back anytime whenever it is convenient for you. I will be possibly going out for another walk into the forest with Legolas."
