In the aftermath of the Battle of the Five Armies, Thranduil finds the world within his Halls empty. He struggles to come to terms with the absence of his only child and the loss of the one he raised as if she were his own daughter. He begins to r...
Tensions mount within Thranduils' Halls as Elvändéruil gets closer to uncovering the plot against the throne and Legolas slowly begins to put the pieces together between his father and Tauriel.
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"Why are we meeting in your mothers' chambers?" Ráerû asked curiously as Elvändéruil closed and locked the door behind them.
"It is the safest place to talk. Mother is in a council meeting." He replied as he walked toward her wine cupboard. "She dismissed both Táëglÿn and Tälileá when she left this morning. Which means she thinks it will drag on through most of the day I'm afraid."
"I have no idea why he puts up with half of those buffoons!" Ráerû complained angrily over his shoulder as he went to the hearth to add more logs. "If you ask me everything should go back to old ways and just let the king run the kingdom."
"The council is one of the reasons why the people love him so much." Elvändéruil laughed as he walked toward the hearth, setting one of the goblets on the low table between the two chairs then sinking down comfortably into one of them.
"It seems to me that if they love him so much one would think they would want him to be happy." Ráerû stated flippantly, tossing his head as he stood up sending his long dark tresses flying behind him. "I'm not noble born so I don't understand the need for all of this pretentious courting of a bunch of pompous fools."
"What are you laughing at?" Ráerû asked, narrowing his eyes as he plopped down in the chair opposite him and reached for the goblet. "It's the truth."
"The truth is, my dear friend, the kingdom is still very much a monarchy. Thranduil does have the final say." Elvändéruil stated, still grinning at him. "He created the council shortly after he succeeded his father to give a voice to the people, Silvan as well as Sindar. Something his father would never have considered."
"I don't remember much about King Oropher." He said quietly, a frown creasing his brow for a moment.
"Not many do sadly." Elvändéruil sighed heavily. "We lost so many at the Battle of Dagorlad during the Last Alliance which is why Thranduil is reluctant to pledge the support of our forces outside our own lands save our allies. It was only his pledge of protection to the Master of Lake Town that brought us into the Battle in the Shadow of the Lonely Mountain. But none of us were prepared to face the armies of Azog the Defiler."
Silence fell between them for long moments as each stared into the growing flames of the hearth, lost in their own thoughts. Unlike humans and dwarves, elves had few children during their long lives, often only two or three. It would take years, perhaps centuries for them to recuperate from the lives lost. It was yet another reason that each life was so precious to them and meant to be cherished and protected.
"You did not ask me here to talk of council meetings and old battles." Ráerû said quietly, finally breaking the silence between them.
"Things are getting too complicated and I need your help." Elvändéruil stated, turning his gaze to meet the deep green eyes of his friend. "But you need to keep all of this to yourself, not a word to anyone."
