To Live Again: The Road to War {Lord of the Rings Fanfiction}|

22. Force of Will

The dawn of the following morning is eerily quiet. The chaos has stilled long enough for myself and the other elven nobility to gain some sort of stability and sense to our overturned world.

Through the supreme and successful efforts of every healer and apprentice in the Kingdom, the Healing Halls have now resumed to their former order. The injured are being tended, and plans have now been put in place to more effectively deal with any wounded elf we receive. Most of the realm is accounted for, besides those that lived in the outlying districts - the elves that dwell the farthest from the King's Halls. Nearly all guards have returned, and the city secured, but some are still missing and as they day dwindles on I begin to lose my patience and my grip on sanity.

"Galour, is there any sign of the King?" I ask a little more hoarsely than I had intended, so I clear my throat and ask the question again.

Lord Galour straightens up from the hastily erected table that he is bent over in the throne room, and eyes me impatiently.

Our relationship has never really been exceptionally good, of all the King's counsellors and chancellors I dislike him the most. I find him a little too proud; he seems to enjoy his lordship over the Silvan people more than I or Thranduil feel comfortable with. Still he has done nothing to make me question his loyalty to the throne and Oropher's rule.

"Is there a frog in your throat my lady, or is that tears I hear?" He asks with an air of faux sympathy which grinds my patience, but I must not show it.

"The day has been hard for the people," I reply neutrally. "We would all feel better if we knew how our King and Prince fare?"

"War is hard," Galour snorts with a dismissive shrug which I don't quite understand. "The people are used to it. They are versed in the sorrow of battle; you however are new to it? Forgive me for sounding harsh, but you are so young and naive, it worries me that you have seen so much this day. You must be wearied?"

"There is nothing to forgive it is an honest assumption my lord, but I am no precious child that needs cushioned. These are the realities of this world," I answer back in the mildest tone I can manage. I am not entirely persuaded on the genuine talk of his concern for my state of wellbeing. Galour has never hid his dislike for my elevated position. "Don't feel you need to hide news from me; is there any word of the King and my husband?"

"Very well my lady," He replies evenly and bows his head a little; "My squire tells me his Majesty has just returned, he is seeing to the defences first. I have not heard if Thranduil rides with him or not, knowing the Prince I would assume he is on the frontline - where he belongs."

I barely wait around long enough to give Galour thanks or to challenge him on his poor tone, because I must find the King. I need to know if Thranduil is with him, and if he isn't then where the hell is he?

I sprint so fast that I don't think my feet are touching the ground as I rocket through the crowds, apologizing only briefly for any upset or toes that I crush on my way.

I make it to the grand entrance of the cavern city, an entrance we barely use because it is only ever opened for ceremony or for arriving foreign diplomats.

The doors are laced with enchantments, but they are also battle ready and almost completely impenetrable. The vast marble and stone bridges that connect the city to the woods gleam in the rising sun, and beyond them stand the walls of the city, obscured of course by the portion of forest, but I can see the main gate in the distance. I also spy the banner of the King, his horses, and his men.

In the rabble of armed and battered guards I catch the glimmer of armour. Layers of armour I have painstakingly constructed over the months. So far I have only managed to convince Oropher to wear it, Thranduil is a little trickier, he despises being constricted still he understands the necessity. In the moment I am abruptly overcome with the grief of the fact that many of the guards did not have the protection of that armour, simply because it was still in the early stages of development.