Thorin stayed in Rivendell for the remainder of the week, during which time he took advantage of every presented opportunity, even some that had been tactfully setup by Lady Arwen, to get to know Briella a little bit better with each passing day and it was during his week-long stay that he began to get at least a sense of what had gone on in her previous relationship and why she had abandoned King Thranduil's kingdom for that of Elrond, who even Briella deemed to be a far more decent monarch, especially in the way he had dealt with persistent troublemakers.
"He is indeed a fine King; perhaps one of the best I have come across in a long time" replied Thorin, not bothering to bore Briella with the stories of Thranduil, who had turned his back on the dwarves when Smaug first attacked, drawn in by the scent of gold and treasure that was far beyond any worth. "I am aware of how King Thranduil deals out justice" Briella responded as if she had read his mind, "It seems he believes that the stronger the punishment the less chance there is of repeat offenders and more often than not he's right".
The day Thorin returned to Erebor was one of the hardest days of his life because it meant that he would be leaving Briella behind in her home of Rivendell and as happy as he was that he'd made a bit of headway in getting to know the young elf, there was still something that told him the whole story had not been told so against his better judgement, he decided to make a stop at Mirkwood to visit Thranduil for the first time since reclaiming his throne and homeland, determined to find out what had made Brielle so visibly terrified.
"I have no idea of what you speak Thorin" was the response Thorin had expected to hear of the Mirkwood king, "Briella chose of her own accord to join Lord Elrond's community and as he too is an elf like me there was no reason why I would not let her go and from what I hear it seems she is thriving under the servitude of the Lady Arwen". Thorin wasn't satisfied with that response, "Why is it then Thranduil whenever YOUR name comes up it looks as though Lady Briella has seen a ghost" he responded, keeping his voice level.
Neither of them knew it at the time but Tauriel had overheard that last little piece and as soon as Thorin was on his own, the young Silvan elf ran to catch up to him. "I believe I may know the answer to your query King Thorin" she said once she had gotten him out of the line of sight of Thranduil and his guards. Thorin sat patiently as Tauriel fought to regain her normal breathing pattern, "One evening when I was on-duty I heard her making all kinds of horrific sounds so I followed and found Thranduil's guards hassling her".
"Just what do you mean by his guards were 'hassling her' Tauriel; that word alone has many definitions" Thorin replied when Tauriel gave him the opportunity to respond to what she had told him. "They were saying all manner of unkind things to her King Thorin and had I not broken it up I hate to think what they would have done to her and not long after that she had left Mirkwood though no official reason was given out except to say that she had gone to join Lord Elrond and his elves at Rivendell where she indeed appears happier".
Thorin had the answer to Briella's fear of King Thranduil as Tauriel had also told him that at the time of Briella reporting the incident to him, the king had quite simply shrugged it off saying that it was their way of having fun then was stunned into silence when Briella told him she was joining the rest of her family at Rivendell and he willingly let her go, and even Tauriel it seemed had no doubt at all that Lord Elrond had been informed by Briella of just what had gone on and why she had finally come to stay.
As he rode his horse back to Erebor, all the dwarf King could think of was what Tauriel had told him, knowing full well what the repercussions towards herself could be if Thranduil did ever find out what she said. "Lord Elrond is a decent enough monarch to his people and she seems happy working for Arwen" Thorin confided in Kili and Fili, both exchanging looks between themselves that said they knew exactly what Thorin was trying not to say: that his long-ago hardened heart had been softened by an elf, one he was determined to bring to Erebor for good.
"Sounds like you're in love Thorin" Dwalin commented after Kili and Fila had left, "And no less with an elf". That was the one thing Thorin was growing increasingly tired of hearing out of his closest friends and former companions, that the King Under the Mountain's heart had been stolen by an elf, and this particular elf seemed to not reciprocate the way he felt for her, "But after hearing Tauriel's story I cannot say that I am really altogether surprised by the way in which Briella acts when someone shows an interest in her" Thorin responded as he quickly left.
That stunned Dwalin into silence; that a Silvan elf would have gone against her king and let a Dwarf king know why someone he was interested in was too afraid to show any real kind of emotion back to him. "I can only hope Tauriel survives the outcome if it eventuates that she had been overheardt elling you" Dwalin thought to himself as he watched his King quickly retreat, wondering what he was up to but not daring to ask for he suspected that it had something to do with this elf and getting her to at least pay a visit.
