A Corrupting Darkness

Chapter 1

Rushing to the healer room, Thranduil didn't know what has gotten into him. Why would he insist so much to help a mere elleth he just barely met half an hour ago. That elleth is in his hand now, with closed eyes still, probably didn't know who has saved her life, she's limping in Thranduil's hold and whimpering incoherent words trying to hold on her own life. Bursting into the healing room door, Thranduil found shocked faces of three healer elves, probably shocked by the fact that it is their own king that has come to the healing room by himself but also the fact that their king is holding a dying elleth.

"Oh Lord, My King what has happened?" asked an elleth that seems to be the head of the healer elves while hurrying to her king's side to see the dying elleth more clearly.
"She is wounded, and it's getting worse, you need to mend her fast" answer Thranduil calmly but he cannot hide the worried expression on his face.
"Lay her down my Lord, I will check her." says the healer while guiding Thranduil to where to lay the dying elleth, slowly and carefully Thranduil lays the elleth down on a simple healing room white bed and steps away so the healer can take a look on her.
"Oh, she is so beautiful my lord," says the healer with a small smile, and continues to examine the body until her eyes find the bleeding wound on the right side of the mysterious elleth body,
"Oh no, it is a sword wound, sword of the Orcs." the worried expression now find the healer's face, "This is bad, Adriel go and bring me the athelas now!" screams the healer to the another confused healer elleth who is standing in the corner of the room, probably scared to go near her king. Hearing the command given to her, this Adriel hurryingly goes to the storage room and finding the athelas. The head of the healers starts to undress the dying elleth clothes to get a better look at her wound, but then she remembers that her king is still standing next to the edge of the bed looking confused, shocked, and worried.
"My Lord, I am sorry but I have to ask you to leave, I have to change this lady's attire and mend her wound also possibly searching for other hidden wounds." Says the healer trying her best to not sounds rude. Awaken from his deep thoughts Thranduils nods his head,
"Very well, I will leave her to you." "I will do my best aran nin (my king), I will enlighten you about this lady condition as soon after I mend her." says the healer bowing her head, and with that Thranduil glance one last time to the whimpering elleth in front of him then he leaves the room and heading to his chamber.

            Orodion who was waiting for his king all this time, hurriedly catch up to him, worries that his king may need something, but he cannot help feel weird knowing that his king was actually not such a coldhearted king.
"Orodion," says Thranduil suddenly, "Yes, my King?" answers Orodion ready for everything his King going to say. "Bring the White Gems of Lasgalen to my chamber." Thranduil says sternly, anyone could see that his mind is full and only Thranduil himself know what is it full with. Orodion nods his head then leaves to retrieve the White Gems of Pure Starlight. Passing through the familiar corridor of his own palace, once again Thranduil is lost onto his mind, too many stuff happened these past days, and his head starts to hurt, he stops his track steadying himself on the nearby wall. He breathes in and out calming himself, trying his best to not to think too much, blanking his mind. After a couple of minutes, Thranduil regains his condition and continues his track to his chamber, wanted to have a bath so bad.

            Finally stepping inside his well-made royal chamber, he could see there is a goblet of fine wine waiting for him on his small table near the window. Gazing out to the forest, memories once again consume him, memories with his past wife in this very room, memories with elfling Legolas, memories before his deep lost. Shaking his head Thranduil goes to his bathroom ready to feel the warm nice water. Placing his circlet down, undress the ruined silver robe of his, Thranduil let himself drown in the warm water of his bathtub. This water is always warm, it will clean itself too, it is just another wonderful thing about the Woodland realm. Finally being able to relax, Thranduil hears a small knock on his bathroom door.
"My King, this is Orodion, I have brought the White Gems." Yes, Orodion is the only soldier who can enter his chamber, of course not so freely, only upon his King orders.
"Put it on the table, near my wine then leave." says Thranduil with a slightly irritated tone. He could hear the sound of a wooden box being placed on the table, followed by fading footsteps.

            Now being back alone, he tries to relax more into the warm water, relaxing his stiff muscles, trying his best to not think anything. But his mind racing back to the elleth he just met well more like found, she is a fair elleth, and Thranduil could easily know there's no single elleth from his race, Sindar, would have an appearance like her. That black long hair, only Noldor elves have that hair color, but the race of Noldor live far away in Aman also some far in the west of Blue Mountain, Lindon, and there are just a few left remembering the event of War of Wrath. If that elleth was indeed a Noldo how come she is in Thranduil's land? Far away from her race? Then, her eyes, she closed her eyes all the way to his kingdom, he cannot help but wonder what eye color does she have, will it be brown just like the rest of Noldor elves, or maybe some unique color? Perhaps like his eyes? So many questions about that elleth flooded Thranduil's mind, he really wants to know how she completely looks like, almost everyone says she is beautiful even in that condition and he cannot agree more. It is strange, he thought he will only care and attracted to his past wife, but when he saw that elleth there is something awakening inside him, those feeling that he have been buried in a long time, those feeling rose again with the presence of the mysterious elleth.

            Thinking of the elleth, Thranduil did not realize that his skin started to get a wrinkle, it is been a good couple of minutes he spends bathing in the warm water which now turned murky with all previous dirt on his fair smooth skin. Realizing his condition now Thranduil bring himself out the tub and reach for his bathrobe. Leaving the bathroom while putting on his bathrobe, Thranduil immediately heads to the small table where he could see his wine accompanied by a small wooden box. Wine, it is the first thing he reaches for, pouring a decent amount to the golden glass next to it, Thranduil smells the wine he has been missing for days, he then takes a good sip letting the strong complex taste exploring his mouth down to his throat. Satisfied enough with the taste, he darts his vision to the wooden box, still holding his glass of wine in his left hand Thranduill slowly opens the wooden box, small lustrous light welcome him, he then could see the full display of the White Gems of Lasgalen with a pile of small gems beneath it. He takes the necklace carefully, examining it, he starts to feel the memories of his wife, remembering all memories when he tried to retrieve this gleaming pure jewel, how he got the icky scar on his left cheek which is hidden beneath the illusion of fair skin. He is glad that everything is going to be well from now, but he needs time to recover his mind from awful memories that these days have bought to him. Putting back the precious jewel to its box, Thranduil emptied his glass and refill it again but this time he put it back to the table. He decided to get dress first, putting on his daily silk silver-ish robe, organize his semi-wet long blonde hair, then lastly putting on his red-leaves and berries decorated crown (damn he look so stunning with that crown mfsdhfjshh). Grabbing his glass of wine again he leaves his chamber to go to the throne room, probably going to have more thoughts or hopefully doing his abandoned king works. There is a small corridor on the left of his chamber that leads directly to the throne room, passing through that corridor Thranduil sips his wine and just with 10 steps he reaches the throne room. He could see his awaiting throne with the graceful Elk's-horn-alike thing decorating it. He also could see that Orodion was already there as always, as he is being not only a soldier but also as Thranduil's semi advisor that is why Orodion mostly spends his time in the throne room with Thranduil.

            Climbing up the stairs to his throne, Thranduil's robe sways elegantly before him, he held his head high trying to compose himself back and focusing on whatever going to happen next. Just a mere second after Thranduil finally sit on his throne, Orodion got his attention,
"My Lord, King Thranduil, the head of the healer has been wanting to speak to you concerning the condition of the injured elleth." This immediately reminds Thranduil that he just saved an elleth life and how he seems so worried about her on the way back to this kingdom,
"Bring her in." says Thranduil getting a bit tense, his hold on the wine glass tightening, wondering how is the elleth condition now, getting worried again by remembering how she limps in his hold barely some hours ago.

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A/N
Finally a real chapter yay!! Sorry, this is bad I know, but I tried my best mellon nin T_T
Still, I'll try my best to make the upcoming chapter even better. You'll know more about the mysterious elleth in the next chapter don't worry! Also, thank you so much to all of you who read this crappy story of Thranduil made by me! Love you all!

Márienna, mellon nin!
Farewell, my friend!