The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings -oneshots II

Duty - Thranduil

Warnings: injuries and threats on one's life
Word count: 2590
Other: Another "role reversal" -fic, reader is royalty and Thranduil is her bodyguard.
Requested: nooope

You didn't like your bodyguard at first, you didn't even like the idea of a bodyguard, but as time passed, you learned to enjoy his company.

Your eyes were glancing around you, taking in the tall stone walls and the bright lines of precious metals that decorate the walls of the kingdom of Erebor. Your father had insisted that you should join him on this journey, as it would show the dwarves that Mirkwood valued the allyship between the two kingdoms. You had agreed (not that you had a choice), and now you were standing behind your father, next to your bodyguard. You had insisted time and time again that you didn't need someone watching over you every waking hour of your day, but your father disagreed, even if you had sword training yourself. So now you were stuck with Thranduil's stock and reticent personality for most of your day. You gave the ruler of the kingdom, King Thorin, a polite curtsey, giving a small smile that was left hanging in the air, the stoic dwarven king just staring at you with cold eyes.

If you were truthful, you had only disliked Thranduil's company for the first few weeks. As you got to know him better, you found out that there was a pleasant and quite educated Ellon underneath the stoic surface. The more time you spent with him, the more attached you grew to him. He was never rude to you, never barked orders at you, unlike the other guards that had a habit of doing just so. He was always patient with you, understanding that the grand dresses your father insisted that you wear, were hard to move in, and never chattered if you changed out of them without your father knowing.

- -

You had been in the kingdom of Erebor for three days now, and your father and king Thorin had come to an agreement in a matter that had been driving a wedge between your kingdoms. The spirit of the feast was joyous, and wine and talk flowed as laughter rang through the hall. You were standing close to your father, having a conversation with princess Dís. She was just as excited as you when you learned that the other could do sword work as well, so your conversation flowed easily. Neither of you had to fake enthusiasm like you had to when talking with other high-blood maidens of other kingdoms about different fabrics and dresses.

You were so tightly engaged in the conversation that you didn't pay attention to the shouts that came from your left. Everything happened so fast. Someone yelled something, Dís froze, and someone stormed towards you. You didn't realize what was happening, there was so much happening around you. Someone shoved you aside, placing their body in front of yours. People were yelling, guards from both kingdoms running towards you. Bodies were bustling all around you, pulling you away from the center of the ruckus, away from the crowds.
"My lady, are you alright?" One of your father's guards asked his arm tightly around your waist, eyes darting around wildly as his sword was drawn out. You nodded numbly, still trying to wrap your head around what had happened.

The realization hit you when you saw Thranduil on the ground, one knee pressed against the floor, a pained grimace on his lips. His hand was resting on his side, pressing tight around the hilt of a knife. You yanked yourself free from the guard's hold, and hurried to him, just in time to break his fall and help him lay on his back. The dagger was still sticking out of his side, the dagger you started to realize had been meant for you. It had found an opening in his armor, just between the two pieces of the breastplate. Blood was pouring out of the wound, dropping to the grey stone wall without a sound, painting macabre art.

You faintly heard the attacher being hauled away by Thorin's guards,  yelling something in dwarvish that you didn't understand or didn't know if you ever wanted to. You hardly paid them any attention as you squeezed Thranduil's arm tighter.
"Why did you do that?" You asked, tears brimming in your eyes. It hurt you to see him like this, his eyes filled with so much pain, his jaw set tight to keep his composure.
"It is my duty, princess. There is nothing I wouldn't do to keep you safe." Your breathing hitched at Thranduil's words. They were filled with such emotion that you were unsure that you could just chalk it up to his dedication to his job. You couldn't respond, and you were pushed aside by the healers that had arrived to help him, and you couldn't see him anymore.