An iceling in mirkwood ~ thranduil love story

Chapter 28 - ringa

Thranduil gets a little...naughty in this one later on, nothing too bad but here's your warning! Enjoy :)
The traitor had nothing constructive to say to thranduil. Just a few garbled noises of pathetic crying that did not impress the elven king.
"Take him away" thranduil called coldly and the guard was dragged away. Thranduil went back to his study and looked through some books and parchment about icelings and icelers, eager to learn more about helke.
As he read through parchment after parchment of elvish he began to become tired. It was dark outside and many of his guards and servants had retired to their chambers already. Just as he was about to leave. Something caught his eyes on a page. It was a drawing of a beautiful, winding silver circlet with a single clear white gem in the centre, shaped like a droplet. He scowled on concentration as he picked it up and read through the paper. His eyes widened as he read through the paper. This circlet could be the answer to one of helke's biggest problems. When placed on the head of an iceling it safely prevented an iceling using their powers (without hurting them). No ice would jet out when helke became too nervous or even overly exited in the bedroom. He closed his eyes deeply, he remembered seeing this exact circlet somewhere long ago. He sat at the desk as he tried to think. He remembered holding it himself, giving it to someone. He had no idea of the power it possessed.
Suddenly he remembered. He had given it to caladwen on their wedding day and he had a strange feeling he knew where it was. He quietly crept up to his chambers, being careful not to wake the sleeping iceling (or her noisy bird) and unlocked the bottom draw of his chest of draws. He smiled as he opened the draw out. Inside where memorabilia from his wife. Letters, jewellery, pictures. He rummaged round quietly and finally picked up the circlet carefully. He shut and locked the the draw and stood. The answer he had been desperate for had been locked away in his owm room. He couldn't help but feel fate was toying with him. He placed it on helke's bed side table, stripped and slipped into bed next to helke. She stirred slightly but soon relaxed and drifted off again.
"I hope this helps" he said softly and kissed helke's forehead with the circlet in mind and draped his arm over her waist.
When helke woke up she was met by the sight of a round, winding silver contraption on her bedside table. She wriggled out of the kings grip and picked it up. As she did she felt a small tingle up her fingers. She remembered seeing other elleths wearing such things on their heads and did the same. A sweeping feeling of calm and the closest thing to warmth helke had ever known swept through her body.
Suddenly malima cawed loudly from the bed, making helke jump. Yet no ice. No danger. She looked down amazed that the king was still sleeping warmly in bed. She jumped out of the red sheets and ran over to the window on the balls of her feet. To her delight The land was still covered in snow.
"Sssh. You'll wake the king" she whispered as melima cawed again and thranduil stirred slightly. "Here" she said, taking some grapes from a tray and offering them to him. He took one and swallowed it whole.
"No! Spit that out, you'll choke!" She whispered as the bird wretched and coughed up the grape. Helke sighed and took a clean grape then bit in half, eating one half and giving the other half to melima. He seemed to be able to manage this so she continued to do so until he couldn't eat anything else. "Better?" She asked and he burped in reply, making her giggle. "You greedy bird" she laughed, then collected him into her arms and kissed his head. She went back over to the bed and slipped into the sheets and found the warmth...nice for once. Melima settled at the foot of the bed as helke watched the king sleep. He looked so relaxed, so effortlessly handsome and felt unworthy to love him and have his love in return. She gently touched his hair and his eyes shot open quickly. His gaze relaxed when he saw it was just helke and smiled at her gently.
"I am sorry I woke you" she apologised.
"I am glad I have you to wake up to" he cooed and she huddled close to him. "I see you have found the circlet" he stated, admiring the white silver circlet placed on her head.
"Yes it is beautiful!" She chimed "but it is strange. Earlier, no ice appeared when I was scared" she confessed.
"Them that means it is working" the king said to himself, making helke tilt her head in confusion.
"This circlet is very precious helke. It will help you to control your powers and is the only one of its kind. It is also...very precious to me" he confessed. "Do you promise to keep it safe?" He asked and she nodded obediently.
"Can I take it off when I go into the snow?" She asked
"If you wish" he agreed. She smiled and pressed her lips to his as he put his arm around her sleek, unusually warm shoulder. He said nothing but enjoyed the sweet moment of tasting her, touching her and not freezing to death for it. He sat up and leaned over her, their lips still connected as she pushed his hair back so it did not tickle her. Her hand traveled to his muscular shoulders and felt his shoulder blades flex as he kept himself over her. As he kissed her neck she became nervous. She did not want to make love this morning but worried she would anger him by saying so.
"Thr-thranduil" she said nervously and he looked up. "I- I do not feel like I want to..." She trailed off, not being able to find the right words but he understood.
"I do not expect you to every time. I am glad you feel comfortable telling me" he praised and lay down with her so her head was under his chin, her small torso resting on his. There was a knock at the door but thranduil ignored it, longing for some peace and relaxation. There was a long pause, then another knock.
"Father?!" Called the familiar voice of legolas.
"Please, return later legolas! Leave me in peace!" Thranduil called to his son making helke smile.
"Very well father" legolas sighed and left thranduil in peace.
"A little bit of peace and quiet is all I ask" he sighed grumpily
"And you have it" helke pointed out "so enjoy it while you can" helke settled down in the warmth and allowed herself to become dozy
Helke woke again a few hours after, but this time she was alone. She sighed and read the note in thranduil's place.
Helke,
I did not want to wake you, you looked far to at peace. I give my expressed permission for you to go out alone today but please be in by nightfall and keep to mirkwood lands.
Love thranduil.
Helke dressed in a plain blue dress and pulled on a matching cape before heading out, liking the taste of freedom. She walked barefooted along the lands and by the frozen river. She had read that this river was magic. It was certainly beautiful but she had never noticed anything else about it. She smiled as the wind blew her hair and skirt and her feet delved deep into the snow. Suddenly she saw a little creature struggling on it's back. She slowly approached it to find a little hedgehog, attempting to get up.
"Aw, it's alright!" She hushed and she gently picked it up and placed it on it's tiny legs. It shook the snow off it's spines and chortled a purr of content before heading off. Helke felt happy at her good deed until...a growl like nothing she had never heard. It sounded guttural but also like a shiver.
"Oh!" helke jumped at the strange noise from under some logs. She got on her hands and knees and bent down to look underneath the logs. Under It was the strangest creature helke had ever seen. It was lizardy, with leathery but beautiful dark green and blue skin and a very large well built body. It's head was like a wide semi circle or triangle with two tiny black horns. It's eyes glowed yellow and it's nose was black. It had four stocky short legs with three tiny toes on each one. To others it probably looked terrifying but to helke it looked sad and cold. "What's wrong?" She asked as she outstretched a hand to the creature. She gasped as it's teeth clamped down on her and but stayed still. When helke made no attempt to pull away or hit the creature it let go of her hand and she retracted it quickly. It guiltily crawled out of it's hiding place and licked the wound it had just inflicted onto helke. "You are cold?" Helke noticed when she saw the furless creature shiver. "Well you cannot go around making friend by biting people" she scowled and it made a quiet snorting sound. She lifted the creature up, surprised by it weight and wrapped It in her cloak. "The king will love you" she sighed as she headed back to the halls.
Once she arrived at the kings chambers she almost threw the creature onto the bed. "You are heavy" she panted as it scuttled around on the bed, trying to get acquainted with it's new home. "You look a bit like a wingless, fireless-" but before helke could finish the creature burped, producing a beautiful purple-blue flame.
"Wingless dragon" she corrected as it licked around it's mouth. Melima suddenly flew down from his perch to look at the introducer and landed on helke's shoulder.
"What do you think sweetie?" She asked kindly and it cawed loudly. In return the wingless dragon made a low, growling, hissing noise.
"Stop it, that's no way to welcome a guest" helke scolded melima and it cawed sadly. Helke went over to the book shelf, melima still on her shoulder, and looked until she found a book of elvish creatures. She took it down and sat infront of the wingless dragon, trying to figure out what it was.
An hour later helke had finished the book and still not come to any conclusion as to what it was. It rolled lazily onto it's back and helke scratched it's tummy. His legs twitched as she scratched and she smiled as it moaned.
At that moment thranduil came in, having forgotten some reports he needed and stopped at the sight in front of him. He slowly came over as helke watched him nervously, not sure if he would be angry or not.
"Well." He started, examining the creature which was now the right way up. "It appears you have found a land dragon" he mused. "What is this?" He asked, seeing the reddened bite marks on helke's hand.
"It's nothing" she brushed off, taking her hand out of the King's grip.
"It bit you?" He concluded.
"I would have bit someone to if I was cold and frightened" she said as the land dragon lazily dragged itself onto helke's lap and lay down.
"It's not staying" the king said shortly.
"He is" helke argued. The king had never seen helke go against his word before. He had seen her ask, but never argue.
"Beg for it" he said simply and she scowled.
"What?" She questioned, not quite knowing what he was asking.
"Get on your knees and beg your king" he said simply an helke flushed a very pale pink. She took the dragon off of her lap and slowly got down to her knees as the king stayed tall.
"Please?" She asked and he raised an eyebrow.
"I am not convinced" the king replied shortly.
"Please my king" she begged and he smirked.
"I am still not convinced" he smirked, enjoying the feeling of power he had over helke. He gasped as she nuzzled into his leg, very close to his crotch.
"Please" she wished. The whine in her voice went straight from his ears and traveled south in his body, He composed himself and took her chin so she looked up at him.
"Very well" he granted and she smiled a big smile before straightening up and hugging him.
"Thank you" she thanked gratefully.
"Do you even know how to care for these creatures?" He asked and she shook her head honestly. "A scolding hot bath at least once a week. A fresh cut of meet everyday, no greens. He replied and she smiled.
"I can do that" she promised and he nodded.
"I am sure" he replied and pressed a kiss to her forehead."I am afraid I will have to leave you again" he sighed as he collected his papers.
"That is okay. I have company" she smiled, referring to the bird and land dragon she had recently acquired.
"Very well".
"Wait!" Helke called and the king turned to face her, just as he was going out the door.
"What is the elvish word for cold?" She inquired.
"Ringa. Why do you ask?"
"That's his name" she announced proudly and the king chuckled and left.