For the love of a Dragon (Thranduil fanfic)

Chapter 17

Thranduil P.O.V

I paced nervously around the room, trying to calm myself down. I had declined and shooed away the servants who had all told me to rest and eat - to leave Celegwen's bedside. But I refused to. She still hadn't woken up. It had been just over a week, and she was still asleep.

Her forehead was cold. Her eyes were closed. Her chest would only rise and fall occasionally, but lightly when it did. Her pulse was a whisper and her hairline was turning white.

Things were not looking good for Celegwen.

A knock sounded at the door. "Ada?" I turned briefly to see Legolas' head peeped through the door. 

Slumping down on the small bench that sat next to the bed, I sighed. The one person I could not scold or shoo away right now was my son. "What is it?" I mumbled wearily, not looking at him.

I heard graceful footsteps as Legolas came and sat next to me. "She will wake," he said innocently, scanning over her with a general's stare. I reached out again and touched her wrist.

Fading. Still fading.

"One week," I said, looking to the floor. "Nothing." I felt Legolas' gaze upon me - again with that warrior assessment. A soldier to his king...but a son to his father. 

"She is strong of heart, ada. I do not think she will let this defeat her, out of all the things she has been through." He briefly rested his hand on my arm in comforting, then stood and left the room. 

I thought about the words he said, mulling them over in my head. I smiled slightly. Words of wisdom, coming from of all people my son. My smile faded a little. I hadn't realised how much my little Greenleaf had matured over the past few years. 

Out of all the things she has been through. She had only given me a hint of her experiences. I barely knew anything to say anything. Most of the things I knew about her past were brutal. She had been tortured and manipulated; used, torn, even impaled. She had loved and was loved; robbed, and cursed.

Thinking about it now, my heart began to sink. She had to hide that from me. I tried to force her secret out of her, yet when she revealed it to me, I didn't believe her. Love had blinded me from the truth and drove me to the extreme. And it had almost killed her.

We had one interesting love story, her and I.

I knew she said that she had forgiven me for that night at Dol Guldur, but I still couldn't help but feel immense guilt for what I had done - and almost done. I almost killed her. There were two ways that could have turned out:

She could have escaped by a hair, cheated death and survived by a miracle;  and grow to learn that I loved her. Which she did, thankfully. I was eternally grateful for that.

Or, fate could have decided to be cruel that day, and she could have passed away, never to be seen again on this earth. That gaping wound I bestowed on her could have taken her. Taken her away from me. Forever. 

She could have died by my hand, knowing that I despised her. Which couldn't be farther from the truth.

I guessed it was this situation again. But this time there was barely anything I could hold onto. All signs were pointing to her death. Last time she escaped by a fluke. Last time there was a healer I could turn to. Last time at least there was hope.

This time there was nothing I could do.

I was about to leave the room at last until I heard a stir from the bed.

Celegwen P.O.V

"What...."

"It can't be!"

"She's waking up!"