#feel-good

“My lord King.” You bowed eloquently, carefully checking your features as you did so. It wouldn’t do to come before the Elvenking with a silly, giddy smile plastered on your lips. 

He nodded his head in acknowledgement, keeping an absolutely deadpan face, but he couldn’t hide the dancing merriment in his eyes. 

“You wanted an audience with me,” he stated.

“I did, my lord, and thank you for accepting me on such short notice. I have come to let you and the court know my choice regarding my judgment.”

The large room went still when everyone pricked up their ears.

“And?” He cocked an eyebrow. 

“I still don’t think the decision to punish my involuntary trespassing was justified, but I understand that the law is rigid in this realm, with no leeway. Therefore, out of respect for you as king, and the long withstanding friendship between my family in Imladris and the fair forest of Eryn Lasgalen, I shall accept the penalty laid upon me and copy the books for your library.” 

Thranduil was silent at first, and you could almost see his mind working. Then a hint of a smile began to toy in the corners of his mouth, and he replied with equal politeness: “I am very pleased by your gracious cooperation, and in fact, so strengthened in my good opinion of you that I have found a minor adjustment of the Woodland Law to be required.” Turning to his courtiers, he continued. “Surely refugees should be able to safely enter our realm, without fear of repercussions?”

Obviously realizing the king’s mind had already been made up, his advisors gave affirmative answers with various degrees of enthusiasm. Many of them cast sly glances in your direction, probably rightly suspecting the cause of this unusual leniency, and wondering what you were to their ruler.

Returning to you, Thranduil continued: “According to the improved law, you are no longer guilty of any charges, but you are welcome to stay here as my personal guest for as long as you wish. It is only fair, after being treated so harshly. Perhaps the reopened royal library holds a volume or two that may interest you for your own establishment?” His eyes conveyed a world of emotions, and your throat constricted with happiness. This was almost becoming too good to be true. 

“I would be honored to visit your library, which according to my sources contains both interesting history books and brilliant art. But I must also insist on copying my own books for your benefit. It would be my sincere pleasure to help you expand your collection.”

“That is settled then.” He broke into a radiant smile, which made your heart beat faster and the courtiers gasp with surprise.

♕ ✧ ♕

Thranduil paused outside a low fence. “This is the herb garden, though much is wilted this time of year. The sage has lovely flowers in the summer.” 

It was already growing dark; the first stop of your tour had been at the royal library, from where he had had a hard time dragging you away to see the rest of the palace, and the next stop in the wine cellars had been lengthy on his account. 

“Beautiful,” you agreed. You were looking at his face in profile, not at the plants, and judging by the slight twitching of his lip, he knew that.

You had been truthful; he really was extraordinarily handsome. In the waning daylight his hair glowed like spun silver, and his long lashes cast shadows on his strong cheekbones. Tearing your gaze away from him was almost harder than walking away from a library full of alluring new books.

Another hardship was keeping up the polite small talk during this tour, when really you wanted to speak of so many more interesting topics. But with Thranduil’s entourage within hearing range, there wasn’t much to be done about it. He was a king and only rarely alone; one who wanted to be his friend must get used to that.

“Here is also a view for sore eyes.” Thranduil indicated an opening between the trees, where the river glittered pink in reflection of the sunset sky, but his eyes were resting on you. 

“Indeed. I can look at it all day,” you mumbled, meeting his gaze with a fluttering heart.

“There is one last place I want to show you,” he said, suddenly turning serious, almost grave. 

You suspected you knew where that was, and when he took you to a secluded, walled garden with unmistakable linden branches reaching out from above the other trees, your suspicions were confirmed. He wanted you to meet his wife.

The guards and attendants stayed outside the gate, and you felt their eyes on your back when Thranduil led you inside. “Nobody but Legolas and I can come here,” he explained in a subdued voice. “Unless they have my permission, of course.”

“Legolas. Your son.”

“Aye.”

“I heard he established a new elvish realm in Ithilien. How do you feel about that?” You took his hand, glad to be alone with him at last.

He entwined his fingers with yours. “I was angry at first. What was wrong with this realm, where he already was prince and heir? But I have come to terms with it now, and in a way, I am proud of his achievements too. He accomplished some great things during the War, and if he is happy down there in the south, then I ought to be happy too. For his sake.”

“But he left you. To a… what was it you called it? Involuntary solitude.”

“He did.” Thranduil gave you a sheepish glance. “But a wise elf once told me I can make new friends.”

“Very good advice.”

You had arrived at the huge linden in the center of the garden. Its leaves were a bright yellow now, and on one branch hung a swing. You had seen it in his drawing, with his young son riding in it.

“This is my wife. Or what remains of her… I have no way of telling how aware she is of her surroundings.” 

You dropped his hand and went closer, stroking the smooth trunk and gazing up into its colorful, autumn shrouded crown. “She’s beautiful,” you breathed. 

Thranduil came up to you on silent feet, and you felt his arm around your shoulders.

“Do you think she would mind, if…” you broke off, suddenly shy about giving words to your thoughts.

“...if I remarried?” He pulled you closer. 

“That, aye.” You looked at your feet.

“I know she wouldn’t mind.”

“How?”

"Because right before she left me, she said I should try to meet someone – for Legolas' sake. So he would have two parents." You felt his fingers in your hair. "But I couldn't do it. There was nobody else for me, I thought. I could only love once – like most of us." He gently turned your face up to meet his gaze. "And then you came... Treating me like a person and not a king, and touching me... I cannot remember when I was last touched by anyone. I always have people around me, as you have noticed today, but they keep a careful distance. They are there, but not there; impersonal and respectful." He stroked your temple with his thumb. "I enjoyed being with you so much that I even had to make up extra errands in town to see you more often."

You placed your palm on his cheek. It was slightly damp. “I’m really happy to hear that I’ve made a difference.”

“You most certainly have. And I want to… I want to ask you something, but I hesitate because I worry for your sake.”

“Me? Why?”

“Who would want a grouchy, moody king on their hands and get nothing in return?” He smiled weakly. 

“Nothing? Having you would be everything. Can’t you see it?” You wiped away a tear from his cheek, and then had to wipe one off your own as well. “You have made me so happy these past months. I love talking with you, and just spending time together. I knew you were married, so I forbade myself to feel anything more than friendship. But honestly… That wasn’t easy.” 

He looked at you, at loss for words but with eyes that spoke all the more.

“I love you, Thranduil. I even loved Ú-eneth though I knew nothing about him.”

With a strangled sob he took you in his arms, and his lips met yours in a needy, passionate kiss which stole your breath away. 

When he finally answered, his voice was husky: “I love you so much. Will you marry me?”

“Aye. I will!” You pulled him in for another kiss.

Taking off one of his rings, he carefully thread it on one of the lower linden branches, murmuring something as he did so. Perhaps a final farewell to his first wife.

A breeze ruffled the tree's mighty fronds, and a single leaf floated down. You caught it in your open palms, admiring its perfect heart shape. Did this mean she accepted you as her successor? You chose to see it that way.

"I will order the rings and announce our engagement, but perhaps it is wise to wait for a while, and let the court get used to you?"

"I agree." You were certain they still thought you were an impostor, but you hoped to be able to change that and make new friends here. You usually had no problem earning people's trust; it came with the job.

Thinking about your job, another thought struck you. "Can I keep my library? I don't want to abandon my friends in town. Poor Liv and Ylva would worry sick if I never returned..."

"I will gladly build you as many libraries as you want. But... Must they be mobile? I want you here with me."

You chuckled at his worried look. "I wouldn't mind making it a permanent library in Dale, and I could hire someone to run it. That way I'd only have to go there once in a while and check on things. Maybe timing it with your errands in town?"

"Perfect!"

"Though... if I wanted to establish a new library elsewhere, perhaps my king and husband could get a vacation for a while and help me out? For example, don’t you think that the lovely Dorwinion country you spoke so warmly of needs one?"

"I am sure that could be arranged." Thranduil rewarded you with his dimples, and your legs turned into jelly. 

You wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed each dimple, and then his mouth, feeling him respond with poorly constrained fervor. 

The kiss lasted for what felt like an eternity. Finally you yielded completely to your emotions, and indulged yourself in him. Thranduil’s scent made you heady, and his muscular warrior’s body under your exploring hands set your own body on fire. For the first time you understood the texts you had read on the subject of love. It was something you had to experience; one of the few things you could not learn from a book.

When Thranduil and you left the garden much later, the sky had already turned completely dark, but in your hearts there was a new light. Soon you would be wed together, body and soul, and after that even death couldn’t keep you parted for long.

Your lonely days were over for good.

♕ ✧ ♕

A/N: This was the final part of this story, that I originally wrote for @raider-k​. Hope the rest of you enjoyed it too!

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