An iceling in mirkwood ~ thranduil love story

Chapter 2 - helke's discovery

Helke awoke the next morning just as the sun was rising. She rose from her bed and looked out the window. Outside she could see tall elves with bows in hand walking to the forest and for the first time began to admire the beauty of the place. It was so pure and wonderfully natural and she began to wonder why then the trees in the forest had looked diseased. She stared out of the window at the beauty only to pull back when she realised that frost had began to collect around the window pane. She scowled at the frosted window and sat on her bed just as she heard a knock. "Come in" she said quietly, standing up.

anerin bustled in a smile on her face and a pile of tidily folded dresses in her hands.

"Now as you know you are to the king today, alone, so I have brought some dresses for you to try as the seamstresses haven't finished making dresses for you yet" Anerin said smiling kindly, keeping her voice as calm as possible. Helke remebered yesterday an elleth comming to measure her for clothes, than something dawned on her "Alone?" Helke asked surprised. "That's what the king has requested" the elleth replied beginning to gently unfold the dresses.

Helke admired herself in the mirror, her white hair had been brushed and the front part braided back. The dress she wore was ivory and came to the floor, with a sweetheart neck showing a small amount of cleavage (which helke kept trying to pull up to hide). "You look beautiful" said anerin also looking over the iceling. "Is there anything else you need?" She asked, folding the other dresses back up.

"I- I would appreciate a glass of water" said helke, turning around and trying to smile for the first time. "Oh my dear of course!" Anerin exclaimed. Helke gently traced the beautiful carvings of the oak bed posts as she waited and scowled deeply when those too frosted over.

Anerin came back a few minutes later with a cup of water and handed it the iceling. Helke smiled almost unnoticeably in thanks as she took the cup. The water inside the cup froze instantly and helke dropped it in fear and looked quickly to Anerin. "I-" started helke, not knowing what could be said.

"What are you?" Anerin whispered quitely in fear whilst backing away.

"I don't know" croaked helke as cold tears slid down her cheeks as Anerin ran out the room....

"It would seem that you have frightened one of my best chambermaids" said the king as he sat perched on his throne lazily with helke stood in front of him.

"I did not mean to I-" started helke started helke but the king rose his hand, signalling for her to stop, so she did.

"You are not to be punished, do not worry" he said smiling slightly but it was not as welcoming as anerin's had been. "I take it you enjoyed your first night" he asked looking down at the female and admiring her beauty. Helke nodded silently. The king stood and allowed his red coat to slip off his frame. He walked down the steps slowly nearing the iceling and stopped inches away from her. "Many people would take advantage of such power, such....beauty" he said, tucking a piece of her white hair behind her ear as he spoke. The top of helke's head came just under the king's chin. From the king standing so close to her, helke could smell his natural aroma. It smelt like some sort of tree, which name was in the tip of her tongue but could not get it out.

"Do not worry yourself, no harm will come to you as long as you are within my land" he said slowly as he paced around her figure, drinking her in greedily. "Of course if you want to be properly protected then I will have to keep a closer eye upon you" said the king turning away and smiling slyly to himself. "You are to stay in my chambers from now onwards" he said turning back round to face the iceling.

"What am I?" Asked helke, still replying the events from this morning.

The king chuckled and said "you are an iceling, a being that was supposedly...extinct" he said, trying to find the right words.

"So why am I here, you're highness?" She asked, quickly remembering that she was within the presence of royalty.

Thranduil chuckled and said "nature works in mysterious ways" as he gently caressed the icelings cheek. "I hope you will warm up to me" said the king, smiling.

"Take her to my chambers and see too it she given whatever she pleases." He said as he walked slowly back up the stairs and signalling to the guards to take her.

Helke was escorted (if you could call it that) to the kings room and heard the doors slam behind her. She looked around at the grand room. There was a wooden four post giant bed in the middle of the room against the wall with a large wardrobe made of the same wood. On the bed were red silk sheets that looked rich and soft. Helke could see a slither of sunlight behind a pair of dark red curtain. She pulled them back and smiled at the beautiful sight. She opened the full length window and stepped out onto a balcony. The soft breeze caressed her hair and cheek softly and sent a calming feeling over the iceling. She stopped back into the room shutting the window-doors behind her. She looked around and her eyes fell upon another smaller wooden door. She stepped over and opened it shyly. Inside was a beautiful bathroom with a porcelain bath tub which helke took an appeal to. She shut the door again and noticed another, older door in the corner. When she tried to open if she found it was locked. She scowled and thought about all the secrets a king could be hiding.

Helke soon found entertainment in reading. She took down all the books that were written in man's language as she could not read elvish to save her life, although she found it beautiful too look at, the way each word was delicately written and seemed to dance across the page. She sat down on the luxurious bed and read the books. Some told of mystical tales of fairies and other creatures and some told of trees and plants, others of elvish history. Her eyes widened as she came across as passage from a particularly old book, bound by leather. The page was titled iceling in smooth italic writing. 'Icelers (also know as icelings in younger stages) are creatures of great beauty and power. They can bend the winter weather to their will but their powers can also be taken from them. A special ritual called skazi is to be performed, This ritual is mainly performed by dwarves but human men have attempted the ritual. The iceler is first tied down and left under the moon for two day. They are then placed in a heated room for them to become weak, a knife is the taken-' helke shut the door firmly as tears ran down her cheeks. Is this why the king had showed her hospitality? So that he may take her powers away and leave her to die.

Before she knew it she was crying loudly into the silk pillows of the bed, curled up into a ball. Half an hour later the tears were still falling, the sounds had however stopped due to her headaches. She sniffed quietly as more freezing tears slid down her face. The sheets around her had frosted and iced over in her weeping. She took a deep breathe and began to feel herself calm as the ice melted but this time left no moisture was left. She sat up as she heard footsteps of someone coming closer to the door and opening it....

I'm not sure if I made thranduil appear more evil than arrogant in this chapter? Please let me know what you think and have you have any advice please tell me! Thanks for reading :)