Kingsfoil [Thranduil] LOTR

Vulnerable

Thank you to all the fabulous people who read and voted or commented on the last chapter: MissSnow26, Elf_and_an_agent, Dreamyn_, earwen_eledhwen, syxhirxhnx, Lostgirl2794, Anna_Sophia, OliviaSmith115, love_live_read_books, debisrum, Tammyt70, Wild_flower15, unkaufkat, 365daysoffeels, CJ_Callahan90, TiedinRed, MavisMcQueen, GG-Dreamer, Livvie99, lilyhb, rose5607, The_Midnight_Fangirl, rottingbells3189, northern_nights, RacquelIrish, dreamer0, princesswithashotgun, Havecouragebkind,  natalia_vegas,  toffee3326,  bre2333,  LilyBlondie,  and niepoprawneslowa.  (I hope I didn't leave anyone off!)

And a special thank you to the readers who added 'Kingsfoil' to their reading lists: IliahOrpilla, love_live_read_books, she-wolf-demon, shadowspinner, areoone, BeyondTheForest, earwen_eledhwen, The_Midnight_Fangirl, OliviaSmith115, debisrum, kyo12345, and dreamer0!

Again, thank you everybody for your support and encouragement!  Special thanks again to CJ_Callahan90, for encouraging me to enter this story in the #Wattys2015!   #TeamSmirkwood (coined by the clever TiedinRed)

Brace yourselves...

November, 2941:

The Elvenking would never trudge down a hallway...but Thranduil felt like it. The Battle of Five Armies had been a disaster. Sure, the goblins had been defeated, and the forces of darkness pushed back, but the cost in elven blood had been too high. He should never have left the protection of his forest realm.

All Thranduil really wanted was to slink into his room, open a bottle of wine, put his feet up, and then stay there for maybe a year or so. Of course, he could not do any of those things, even if he was the king-especially because he was the king. For that reason, he made himself stand on the steps, in silent vigil as his entire army filed past on their way to the armory. He made himself take the time to sit in unending discomfort upon his throne as he heard casualty reports from all his captains. Then he made himself stay there even longer to listen to his elder advisors as they recommended provisions for the families suffering losses from the battle. Thranduil agreed to all of their requests without hesitation; half of his advisors did not know what to make of it. He rarely granted their requests so easily.