I Am My Own (Reader x Thranduil)

Chapter 24

The warm water welcomed me as I dipped my body into the tub. Different petals of flowers floated close to me, it's fragrance filling my nose and calming me immediately. I had become more accustomed to being unclothed in front of certain people so I didn't mind Saevel going about her business to tidy things up a bit and set out my clothes.

"I must offer my thanks to you, (Y/N)," she said while smoothing out a bit of fabric on the bed, "My sister was thrilled to have been invited to your wedding. It was all she talked about after the ceremony was over."

"Well I hope she enjoyed herself," I said while keeping my eyes shut to enjoy the water even more, "She basically saved the day with her beautiful work. She deserved to be there."

"Please forgive me (Y/N), but I really don't think you realize what an honor it was for her to attend the royal wedding. I was expected to attend as help, but for her to attend as a guest was quite out of the ordinary."

I sat up from the tub and smoothed my hair back before turning my attention to Saevel, who was beginning to pour a cup of tea for herself and I.

"What are you talking about Saevel?"

She handed one of the cups to me before sitting down in a wooden chair that she pulled up next to the tub. My usual urge to hide my body underneath the water was distant.

"I'm sure you already know this, My Lady, but royalty and common elves here live quite seperate lives. Of course the royal family has treated our people well. We can't complain about our circumstances since most of the kingdom are so well off but there is still a distance between them and us."

There was something in the word "them" as she said it that made me think she wasn't just talking about Thranduil and his family, but me as well. It was as if she didn't know what to do with the word as it rolled off her tongue.

The comfort I had felt quickly disappeared and I diverted my eyes from her to look back into the creamy white water.

"I've overspoken," she said, quick to pick up on my change of mood, "Please, forgive me. I don't mean to speak ill of your husband or his family. They just seem distant, almost like strangers to the people."

I nodded and tried to wrap my head around the idea. A ruler being distant from his people? The concept seemed almost foreign to me. My father and mother always made it a point to speak to the people of the city.

"And you seem most exclusive from this characteristic," Saevel continued, "Upon meeting you, you immediately insisted that I call you by your first name. I knew you were going to be different than what I had imagined."

"What had you imagined,"  I asked, probably too quickly.

I could see her biting the inside of her jaw, thinking of how to answer.

A knock broke the drawn out silence.

Saevel looked back at the door before turning back to me with a weak smile.

"That must be your mother. Let's get you dressed shall we?"

I held back the words forming on my tongue, which had something to do with me telling her that I am fully capable of dressing myself. I pulled myself out of the water and allowed Saevel to quickly wrap me with a towel.

Once in a lavender dress, my mother, Maewin and her mother were let in and each of them made themselves comfortable in the available seating.

Saevel made me sit on a low footstool so she could braid my wet hair and I listened to the conversations that fluttered the room, mostly about how wonderful Greenwood was and how different it is here.