Light in the dark

SEVENTEEN

Thranduil stroke a strand of my hair out of my face as he looked into my eyes. We were laying in his bed after we had returned from the waterfalls, where he had kissed me so passionately I still hadn't fully recovered from.

"Didn't you trust me?" he suddenly asked. "When I was leading you?"

I knew he was talking about the moment my body had tensed up; the moment I thought he would lead me to the dungeons. "It was just an irrational fear that gripped me," I answered, hoping he would be satisified with this.

"What fear?" he asked, his fingers now playing with another strand of my hair.

A part of me told me to just be honest with him. Another part of me didn't want to tell him what I was so afraid of. I knew it would hurt him, because I didn't trust him. After all that happened between us, I should be trusting him. Even I thought my fear was irrational.

"Really, it was nothing," I said, deciding to go with the lie.

"I can't do anything for you if you don't tell me things," he said softly.

I felt my eyebrows crease in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if there is anything I can do for you to not make you that tense, I would."

This man. At moments like this, I wondered how I could've ever hated him. He was so sweet and warm and the thoughts of the cold and merciless King in the beginning seemed only distant memories.

"Thank you," I said, hoping he understood how much I appreciated it.

The rain fell from the sky as if someone up there was crying his or her heart out. I was standing with Tranduil in the doorstep of the palace, with a lot of Elves next to us.

The Elves from Lothlorien were getting ready to leave, and taking their horses out of the stables.

Haldir came my way, leading his horse with his right hand. Before he even had reached us, I almost ran towards him, into the pouring rain.

"You came," he said happily.

"Of course," I said. "I had to thank you for everything you've done for me here."

Haldir showed me that kind smile I now knew so well. "I should say that to you, small one. You made this visit a special one."

I couldn't hold myself back any longer, and I wrapped my arms around him, snuggling my face in his soaked coat.

While the rain kept pouring down on us, everything else seemed to stop. Time, once passing so fast, stood completely still.

That was, until the sound of a horn being blown brought us back to reality.

"I should go," he whispered. "Take care, small one."

Before Haldir got on his horse, he pressed a kiss on my forehead, and rode away with the other Lothlorien Elves with Galadriel in the front.

I watched them until I couldn't see them any longer. When I turned around to go back to the gate, I saw that all the Elves except Thranduil had left already. He welcomed me in his warm arms and pulled me towards him.

"Let us go inside," he said.

Once back inside Thranduils room, I put on another pair of clothes that weren't soaked, and warmed myself a little. I was still shivering, but the cold didn't bother me as much as Haldirs depart. I couldn't help but feel a little sad, and I knew that Thranduil noticed I was upset.

"Don't be too sad, little one," he said, his voice pulling me back to reality. "You'll see him again."

"I hope so," I said, and snuggled in his welcoming embrace. I would never get tired of his touch.

A silence fell upon us, and he was the first to say something again.

"Little one," he said. The tone of his voice made me look up at his blue eyes. "I want you to know that I am not letting you go." He lowered himself on his knees so that it was easier for me to look at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked hesitant.

"I love you, Roan. You're my personal Star of Estel, my light in the dark, and I don't want to live without you anymore."

His words filled my heart with warmth, and left me completely speechless.

"I'm telling you this because I felt how you tensed up earlier. I don't want you to be uncomfortable around me, and I'll do everything to help you lose that feeling."

I finally found my voice back. "Thranduil..." I whispered, but was interrupted by his lips on mine.

Yeah... I could definitely live with this.