A shadow lies on Thranduil and his forest, and only a power stronger than the darkness of old can save them.
Grief and loss have turned him into a king with a heart of ice, and if he is ever to find redemption, the chains of guilt and remorse holdin...
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"Some truths keep growing taller than giants Some truths take our breath away." (Sleeping At Last: South)
For how long Thranduil had been staring at the piece of paper in his hands he did not know. It contained one single word, Anna, written all over the page in that somewhat crooked but adorable handwriting of hers. He stood completely still like a statue as if he had been struck by lightning, only a slight tremble in his fingers revealing that he was actually alive.
"Thranduil!" Gandalf had caught up with him and came now to stand beside him, slightly out of breath. He glanced at the parchment in Thranduil's hand. "Oh, so it was her," he muttered into his beard and when Thranduil did neither speak nor move, he added, "shouldn't you be going after her?"
"Of course it was her!" Thranduil said gruffly, when he finally broke out of his paralysis. "Who else would follow me down here? She was probably searching for me and found the open door in my study that led her directly to the cave and straight into our conversation." He threw Gandalf an icy glare that barely could conceal the agitation boiling beneath.
"And she heard what we spoke." The wizard's words were more of an assessment than a question.
"Yes, she did and whatever she heard did not sit well with her." With an angry flick of his wrist he folded the paper in half and stuffed it into the pocket of his robe.
"Well, then go and clear it up and don't waste any time." Gandalf vaguely pointed with his hand upwards into the darkening stairs.
"She clearly said that she does not want me to follow her," Thranduil objected.
"You do know that this is not what she really means, don't you? Women sometimes say one thing and mean another," Gandalf stated flatly. "We are prepared to perform the spell whenever she is ready, so I would advise that you get this sorted out quickly."
"I do not think that I have asked for your advice in this particular matter." Thranduil was beginning to feel rather irritated. Why was this wizard suddenly claiming to be an expert in women?
"No, you have not, but I am giving it to you anyway, just one old friend to another."
Thranduil opened his mouth to object, but there was a sincerity in the wizard's eyes that made him reconsider.
"I know very well that you may not think of me in such friendly terms, but I do care for you more than what you may assume. You are a great king, the only true monarch of the Eldar left on the shores of Middle-earth, with powers beyond those of the other Elven lords and ladies. You have managed to keep your kingdom safe and your people out of harm's way even without the aid of a magic ring, which is no small feat. Your people, your forest, all of Middle-earth needs you whole and in full command of your powers, as the darkness is ever searching for a way to take a hold. The evil never sleeps, you know that as well as I do, as a matter of fact it might just have been awakened again and I fear that there is a dark storm brewing on the horizon. You are a bastion of all that is good on Arda, a beacon of hope if you will, but there is no shame in sharing what pains you and in accepting help when it is offered to you. You do not have to do everything alone nor keep everything to yourself. Opening up does not make you weaker, but it will give you more strength, will help you heal that which has been broken. Remember this when you speak to her. Tell her, let her in. She has a right to know about your past, or how else is she going to be part of your future?"
