The King's Heart (Thranduil Fanfiction)

Chapter 38

(Thranduil)

Celeborn vanishes when the door opens and Galadriel steps in. I feel my heart racing at his warning. How can I abandon Rhovanel? How can I leave her to the hands of these mercenaries that seek her destruction?

"Thranduil, you seem upset," Galadriel muses.

"You know what is on my mind. Why do you ask what you already know?"

"Why do you? I know your desires, why do you question them? There are ways to find the lost and recover the stolen. You need only ask."

"I have a solution. Thank you, my lady, but I must take my leave now," I say, bowing.

I run to the guest house to rouse Annoneth and tell her of my plan. She is already awake though. She paces along the walls, twirling her knives. She does not stop when I enter.

"How was your meeting with Galadriel?" she asks.

"It was more revealing than I expected it to be. Celeborn joined me before Galadriel was in the room." Annoneth raises her eyebrows at me. "Rivornor is going to try to dethrone me, and I intend to stop him," I finish. Annoneth twists her blades to a stop, then sets them on the bed.

"What do you need me to do?"

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Aras and I thunder from the stables with Annoneth and her dappled mare right behind us. Legolas, Tauriel, and the three other guards will follow me home at first light. Fornor is at the edge of the trees, waiting to lead Annoneth to Rhovanel.

I ride for Greenwood, clad in the armor I brought to search for Rhovanel. Haldir is going to lead some of his company to Greenwood later to assist me. Rivornor is going to be sorry he ever tried to dethrone my line.

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The forest has gone dark. No leaves decorate the trees; a cold breeze shakes the branches; nothing moves in the undergrowth; the forest is silent. I have only lived to know this forest to be brimming with life and sound; it was not silent during the war, the orc invasions, or the death of my father. What has Rivornor done?

The gates are shut with a chain around them. No guards are posted outside. I slash the chains with my blade and shove the doors open. I run through the empty halls to the throne. It is untouched and vacant.

I run to the great hall next. I pull on the door, but it doesn't move. I nearly dislocate my shoulder throwing myself against it, but manage to break the lock that kept me out. I see thousands of eyes look to me as I stumble into the room. The most surprised pair belong to Tarawen, not to a doomed advisor.

She tries to motion me over to her, but I have dealings with the filth upon the platform first.

"Rivornor! You are a liar and a coward, and you are not fit to speak to my people any longer. Show yourself out of Greenwood, or the guards will show you to a cell," I thunder from across the room. I expected to see guards running to surround Rivornor, but no one moves a muscle. As I stride across the room, every elf moves to make a path for me. I walk strait up to the raised platform and grab Rivornor by his coat.

The guards start moving closer to the platform, but they all seem very anxious. Rivornor has a small bronze circlet around his head, it looks like the one I wore a prince.

"What exactly are you doing, addressing my people like you are their king?" I snarl. He grins back at me.

"Showing them who their next king is," he whispers. "Because you are dead," he whispers in my ear. I gasp as a blade slides between my ribs.