Only Time

Ch. 36 ~ Letter (Thranduil's POV)

I lay awake staring into nothingness. It was daylight once again. Day in and day out; I was right all those years ago when I said a century is but a blink of an eye to an elf. Now who had I said that to? I turned over in my bed and stretched. Thorin Oakenshield. Ah yes, it was Thorin. And it had happened a century before. But why was I thinking about it now? I have not thought about him or any of that in such a long time. I had not the gift of foresight so could not tell if my thought process actually meant something. Just as I was finished thinking that, there was a knock on my door.

"Breakfast my King." One of my servants called out.

I got up with a sigh and put a robe on. I walked slowly toward the door of my bed chamber and opened it. The servant bowed to me and I nodded at him and let him in. I did not need to tell him where to put the tray with the delectables as well as my favorite morning wine. This was a routine that had been gone over many a time. I knew he would let himself out as I went into my bathing chamber and stripped of all of my clothing. I got into the warm water and washed myself with a new profound vigilance.

My hair was longer than it had ever been and I had to admire it a bit in the mirror even though it was washed. I never braided it as that would look foolish on any King. Stepping out of my bath, I walked around nude for a while just letting the water drip off of my lean body as I flexed my arms to get some tension out of them. That was quite strange. I was not exerting myself at all. I would go for walks with the head of my guard Tauriel on occasion but not much else. Yet my limbs felt tense and uncomfortable. Perhaps later that afternoon I would request a full body massage.

I walked back into the room where my food tray was standing and partook in my meal and wine before I got dressed. My hair was completely dry by then; that was the beauty of elven hair, can get soaking wet and still dry in minutes. I almost always ate in the nude in the mornings as no one ever saw me and it satisfied some form of animalistic freedom inside my chest. I could be free of the invisible restraints that held me both inside my head and my soul. Those that I never spoke of and perhaps never would.

After getting dressed, I took one last look at myself and thought about asking Tauriel to go for a walk with me. Maybe that would help with the muscles. As I thought about her, the image of her face was as clear as day in my mind. The last century had aged her in ways, I had not expected and yet how could I not? She had suffered the same grief I had. She barely ever smiled; her eyes were sullen and sunken in. Sometimes when she did not think I was around, I still heard her weeping especially on the eve each year of the day the only man she ever truly loved was killed; Kili the dwarf relation to the Durin line and heir to the throne of Erebor. He and his older brother Fili were killed the same day as Thorin and the lonely mountain was forever abandoned.

Time may heal the wounds of humans but not elves. I doubt Tauriel will ever be the same again and I am partially to blame though I did get it right in the end; but only through the help of another. My mind lost in thought, I ascended my throne wearing my golden dress and burgundy shawl. Just then I heard voices outside and my thoughts came back to the present. Tauriel came walking swiftly in, bowing lightly, and meeting my gaze she said:

"There is a human on a steed outside the gate saying he has come to deliver a letter to the King but he will not give the letter to any of us; his instructions were explicitly to hand the letter to you directly, sire."

"Oh really? Well bring him in." I said, my curiosity outweighing my usual boredom. This was new. Humans never ventured this close to the Woodland Realm.

The human soldier that was let into the royal chamber leading his horse was wearing full armor and watched the elves distrustfully. The same could be said for the elves as they watched him suspiciously; though what could one human do against so many armed elves. When he saw me on my throne, he stopped and bowed. At least he knew his manners. I waved away the guard; surely, he had not come here to harm us.