THE SWIFT FOX (Kili X Reader X Fili) (RE-WRITTEN & UPDATED)

Extra Ending: Let's Forget (Thranduil)

It was over. There was nothing you could do. And now you were broken, beyond repair. The death of Fili and Kili struck you. Thorin, your friend and newfound father was also gone. Losing the brothers pained you even more than it should have, because you never figured out which one of them you loved. It mattered no longer, for neither of them lived to love you anymore. The lack of affection you received drove you mad - you were not keen on attention really, but over course of the quest you had grown accustomed to it and you felt so lonely now that you were left completely alone.

You were summoned to Thranduil's tent to discuss the situation of losing Thorin and working out a peace treaty with Dain - King Dain, you had to remind yourself. Of course, Thranduil still insisted on getting the white gems and Bard on their share of the treasure so that he and his people could rebuild Dale and restore its glory. Which was absolutely fine with you and surprisingly with Dain as well. At least it seemed like it. You would find that out soon enough.

You were most definitely early for this council and nobody's been there except for the guard who let you in. You sat down on one of the lovely red-cushioned chairs in the corner of the tent - obviously not the right size for you - and dangled your feet. You hated silence because the only thing you could think about was Ravenhill. When there was nothing or nobody around to distract you, you felt vacant and empty with a tinge of dull ache that never seemed to cease.

The silence was suffocating and you soon found yourself gasping for air. Although you knew the reason perfectly well. You chose to ignore the pain and the fact that those two would never come back and you bottled up your grief inside of you, waiting for it to dimish and eventually die down. Only it didn't and with every single breath you took, it grew fiercer and stronger. It demanded to be felt. You didn't know why you broke down at that very moment. Maybe it was the heaviness of the burden you carried every day. Maybe it was the sudden change of scenery or the strange and yet soothing scents of spices filling the air of the Elvish tent. You didn't know the reason and you couldn't care less. You welcomed every tear that rolled down your cheeks because it felt good to finally cry. There is no shame in crying from time to time. After all, we are all just creatures with sensitive hearts. We can't always be strong and it is perfectly fine to just stop for a moment and let it all out. The only things we can't see while we're feeling down are the hands extended towards us to pull us out of whatever troubles we've gotten ourselves in. The very same thing happened to you when you sat on that over-sized chair and let your tears fall. You didn't notice the person at the entrance of the tent who stepped in and closed the flap behind himself quietly.

You looked up at the sound of someone approaching and saw King Thranduil himself. Your hands flew to your face to cover the tears but you knew it was in vain. However, the more you wanted to stop crying, the more tears slid down your cheeks.

"I-I'm so sorry, my King, I shouldn't have..." your voice betrayed you and you could never finish the sentence you started.

Thousands of years seemed to pass as you both stayed silent for long moments.

"My wife was the most graceful creature living in this world. She gave me a son and she raised him to be a finer man that I could ever be. There's no one like her and there never will be. I still know every single detail about her. The softness of her hands, the smell of her hair, the color of her eyes... Sometimes I curse myself for being so sentimental and try to forget her, but in the end, she always wins. She always gets back to me. Now I know that I can't fight it. My lady is meant to be with me.
"All I wanted to tell you with this tirade of mine that you shall never let go of them. But in a way you have to."

Thranduil stepped closer and gazed down at you, shedding a few tears as well. You took in a sharp breath at the mention of letting go. You were not ready for that.

"You have to, even though I know it is excruciating. I know better than anyone."

You wheezed and clutched the table because you were afraid your legs would give in. He poured two goblets of strong red wine and handed you one. Thranduil smiled the faintest of smiles while a single tear, the reminder of his words from earlier traveled down his cheek.

"Let's forget, shall we?"

You lifted the cup to your lips and drank the blood-red liquid. It didn't take more than two cups to numb the pain. What happened next? Only you know.

~Author's note~

Hey everyone,

It's been so long since my last update and I feel so bad for making you wait for so long. But it's finally up.
This update is a bit different than the others and I am well aware of that.

It's not a coincidence that I posted this chapter today. This is a tribute to my beloved literature teacher who passed away this afternoon. She was a great inspiration and my passion for literature is thanks to her. She taught with such fierce devotion and love that none of her students could ask for more. I know my writing is scarcely anything, let alone a real tribute, but I thought that I'd use the way she taught me - the way of painting with words, the art of transforming my thoughts into flowing sentences -  to say goodbye to her. Rest in peace, Miss. You'll be greatly missed.

I want you guys to know that I'm always here and if you're looking for someone to talk to then feel free to message me. I can't stand the thought of anyone dealing with their problems on their own...

Also, I'd like to thank EmilyMaurer for her support! She's an awesome and fun author, make sure to check out her writings as well.

Have a good week!