Weaving a Song

Chapter 34

c. 2510 TA

It was a long time before Almiel stirred again, her exhaustion lulling her into a deep sleep. Thranduil waited like he said he would, right now there was nothing urgent enough that would take him away. Not when she had been gone a quarter of a century and had only barely made it back.

When she did stir, it was a slow thing. Thranduil watched silently as she started blinking slowly before her eyes finally became aware, and to his relief they looked a little brighter than they had been. She slowly sat up, silent as well, and neither spoke as both readjusted slightly.

Her eyes looked around the room, as if newly curious before they found his again. He smiled gently before kissing her forehead. Hello.

She smiled for the first time since the incident and wrapped her arms around her father. "Come on, there is food awaiting you." He said. She seemed to be aware it had been the same amount of time since she had eaten and she frowned at the thought. He laughed softly. "Come," he insisted. She followed him out of his bedroom and into the antechamber where food waited for both of them.

She ate carefully, even if she was starving, but she did not want an upset stomach on top of everything else. Thranduil watched her quite observantly, feeling his anger resurface as she tried so hard to look better. Then again, his anger had never really gone away, it had just been pushed down for Almiel.

He was about to speak when he felt a tentative presence near the door. Come in, he said. She is better.

Legolas slowly pushed open the door and came into the room. Almiel looked up and her face brightened again. All thoughts of food gone she stood as her brother caught her with his arms. Thranduil watched for a second before standing and moving to the window where he stared out, wondering how to end this situation. There was an option of simply moving on, pretending like nothing ever happened, but Thranduil had never really been known for doing anything of the kind. Particularly when the wrongdoer appeared to go free.

"I am so glad you are home." Legolas was saying to Almiel. Her answer was a smile. She seemed to sense that both father and brother were still smoldering beneath the surface.

"Then why are you so angry?" Almiel asked him softly. Both Legolas and Thranduil froze in place, before Thranduil turned back towards them.

"I told you why."

"We are not angry at you." Legolas added.

Almiel looked between them for a second. "It was not his fault." She said softly, lowering her eyes. "He had no idea…"

"What he was doing?" Thranduil ended. Her eyes darted up to his. "Almiel, he would have murdered you. Why do you insist on being so forgiving toward them all?"

"Them all? None have yet succeeded."

"That is what we are afraid of." Legolas said quietly.

"Need I remind you that you chased after a Spider, one that was ready to eat you. You have run into a Nazgul's arms, and now this… and you defended all but one." Thranduil said, an odd coldness to his voice.

Almiel lowered her eyes. "The first two maybe you are right. I never let this happen. It was, for one, my idea to return home. I knew what was happening. I also continually outright told him it was not a good idea though he was blinded to what I said. It was not his fault though either." She raised her eyes again, this time meeting her father's gaze. "He had lost his mother, the same as Legolas and I did. I touched him once on the shoulder, the same as I have done to many an Elf in the healing wards and even those completely fine. He thought the warmth he felt from me was a sign that he loved me, encouraged by the fact that he had liked me before his mother was hurt. It all could have been avoided if I had been able to tell him why he actually felt warmth from me. Once we got to Lórien, he saw how deep my bond with Haldir was, though once more I could not tell him why and this hurt him. In that final week, he thought it was his only chance without Haldir there. The last day, he somehow got wind that I was leaving which only hurt him more that I never told him."