For the love of a Dragon (Thranduil fanfic)

Chapter 6

(Two weeks later...)

I assumed I wouldn't be here this long.

It had been two weeks. The dragon was due at sunset - I had to be out of here in the next hour to transform. Thranduil surely wouldn't have appreciated it if he found a dragon in his library.

Especially not the dragon who had scarred him long ago.

Needing a distraction while I figured out what to do, I grabbed a book off the shelf without looking at the title and began to read.

Long ago, King Thranduil had a wife. Her name was Loneth. The entire realm of Greenwood loved and cherished their Queen, their King, and their little Prince.

Loneth was an elleth of luminous beauty. She was known all over Greenwood as a kind, loving queen who made time for her citizens. She was the daughter of Cirdan the Shipwright, the great Elven lord of the Teleri. He used to call her 'the Light of the Sea.'

One day, she was playing with their young son in the forest and Thranduil was chasing them. But when he suddenly heard the terrified scream of his son somewhere far in the forest, he knew something was wrong.

He caught up to them, and to his horror, his queen was holding a dagger to their son's throat. He couldn't believe it. His beautiful, fair queen, was only a second away from murdering their boy. He had no choice. To spare his son's life, he had to fight his beloved wife.

But he could not bring himself to kill her. They fought until Thranduil lay on the ground defeated, his son cowering beside him. Loneth disappeared into the forest, never to be seen again.

The King searched in vain for his beloved queen, but as the sun set he could no longer search, for there was another threat at hand.

A dragon.

Believed to be the work of evil forces, the Dragon killed many Elves that fateful night. But the King, alas, stood against the great worm, and got burnt by the fire. It is said that the Dragon's wrath is terrible, and it is out there still, waiting to strike again. And is also said that when it does, Thranduil had vowed to get revenge.

But a mysterious and unknown elleth healed the King; fluttering in like a nightingale and healing him of his horrific wounds. The realm of Greenwood is said to be 'forever in her debt' as if it wasn't for her, their King would surely be dead.

Assumed to be dead, the Queen of Greenwood was never seen again. Thranduil gave up searching for her long ago. He now viewed her as a traitor, a murderer; a betrayer.

I snapped the book shut, trying to take it all in. Betrayal...in my debt...revenge. Thranduil had vowed to get revenge on me.

My heart sank as I recalled the moment we had shared that night. He had seemed so caring, so gentle. It was almost...nice. Untainted by our pasts.

But it wasn't to be. He could never trust me. How could he? I couldn't keep such a big secret from him, but I couldn't tell him either. He was in my debt yet he vowed revenge. How did that work?

I didn't need to think about it for long though, as an all-too familiar growl sounded from the door, interrupting my thoughts.

Unsheathing my sword, I slipped to the door, waiting.

Suddenly, a snarling Orc pounced at me from the shadows and I quickly sliced off its head. Kicking down its body, I jumped over it and swept into the hallway. There would surely be more.

Another jumped out, it's blade dripping with poison. I blocked it and stabbed it in the stomach with ease, knocking it to the floor.

I thought it was dead but it lunged at me, grabbing my ankle and pulling me down to my knees. The shock of the fall reverberated through my body as it pulled my hair back and held a dagger to my throat. The poison on the dagger seared the skin on my neck, burning like acid. "Get off!" I choked out, my voice raspy and cracking.

It cackled gleefully. I was going to die, but no way was I going down without a fight. The poison was beginning to seep into my breathing pipe, making me wheeze.

But then, the Orc slumped, dead. Its body crumpled to the floor, the hand holding the dagger flopping to the ground. I gulped in huge gasps as hands frantically helped me on to my feet.

"Are you alright?" I looked up into the eyes of Thranduil.

"I'm fine," I panted, running my finger along the seared skin on my throat. It'd probably scar.

Then I remembered. I had to leave.

Tearing myself from Thranduil, I ran with all my remaining strength to somewhere, anywhere, where I could escape. "Wait!" Thranduil called, trying to run after me. He grabbed my arm but I shook it off as I lost him in the hallways, and jumped out of a nearby window. The last thing I saw was his disappointed stare before I transformed.

A dragon-sized tear fell from my eye, plummeting down into the forest. I didn't want to leave him. He had been so hospitable. I almost liked him. A few weeks ago I would have never had these feelings for a Silvan Elf, let alone their King. But he was...different.

I flew to a nearby cliff top, curled up into a ball, tucking my wings over my eyes and wept.

~~~~~~~

I shifted my wings to peer at the sky, The sky was beginning to purple. "Thranduil," I whispered. I got up and took flight towards the Woodland Realm.

Sunlight shone on me as I went tumbling down towards the garden. I landed with an 'oomph' and realised I had fallen directly between the two benches where me and Thranduil had sat that night. Touche.

I tip-toed inside the hall. No one was there. My heart beat fast as I held my breath, almost making it across safely before I heard light footsteps echo behind me, and stopped.

"Why did you leave?" Thranduil asked simply, his words bouncing along the walls towards me.

Willing my heart to steel, I turned to face him still as a statue at the other end of the hall. "If I left," I stated, taking a step towards him. "If I stayed." I straightened my shoulders. "What's it to you?"

He only lifted his chin. "Tell me, King Thranduil," I prompted, taking another step closer. "Why do you care if I leave your precious borders, if you imprisoned me for crossing them in the first place?"

It was something I had been wondering. The kindness he had showed me; surely this wasn't the sort of hospitality his dungeons were famous for. The stories whispered in inns and along the old roads.

Thranduil stepped closer. The tension was nearly tangible in the air between us. "I don't let just any prisoner into my library," he said quietly.

I looked into those empty eyes, looking for something, anything. "Why me?" I dared to ask. "Who am I to you?"

We stood so still, we could have been a painting. Everything that wasn't us seemed to fade into the background. A muscle flickered in his jaw. "Someone who came here after hundreds of years for a reason," he said, never breaking that stare. "Someone who came here knowing the danger that this kingdom held for them, but came anyway. Forgive me if I was curious."

With that, he turned and walked away, his heavy crimson cloak sweeping around his feet as he left the way he came.

Author's note May 2018: I had to re-edit the part where she came back because I really didn't like the whole Thranduil-literally-strangles-her part and didn't think it was the right way for their relationship to blossom. I hope you like the new (and less violent) version!

So many FEELS!!! I felt sad while writing this. Does anyone else see their relationship growing? Ya feel me? LOL

Three years later I am editing this and can slowly feel myself deteriorating 

residenthobbit49 <3<3<3