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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And what a privilege it is to love A great honor to hold you up. (Sleeping At Last: Two)
Mellow sunlight flooded Anna's eyes. Thranduil's bedroom was gone, no—the entire palace had vanished. Around her there was a tranquil meadow, lush green grass beneath her bare feet, branches of trees swaying in a gentle breeze above her head. In the distance the purling of a small stream could be heard. It was beautiful and so serene that her heart felt instantly at peace. Looking down at herself she saw that she was dressed in a simple white tunic, her hair falling in loose strands over her shoulders.
Thranduil was standing to her left, his hair in its usual state of flawless perfection, the white tunic that matched her own bestowing upon him a truly regal look, despite the absence of crown or rings. Their hands entwined and her eyes shifted to the small flower ring on her finger. So everything had been real, not a dream. They had bonded. She was not dead. Or was she?
But what was this place and why were they here?
To add to her unanswered questions the shape of a female figure suddenly appeared in front of them. Her face was obscured by a hood, the lengths of her dark brown hair falling onto her green cloak. In her hand she held a wooden staff, a gleaming emerald sitting atop it.
"I have been expecting you," she said in a soft voice.
That voice sounded familiar, as if were the voice of a friend. But—this was impossible.
"I understand that this must seem strange to you," she said, her voice polite, yet determined, "but I am here to help you, so I need you both to trust me."
"Trust you?" The words slipped out before Anna could stop them. Her ability to put her trust in people she thought trustworthy had been seriously shaken after her last encounter with Gandalf. What if this was another trick to deprive them of their happiness?
"I can vouch for her," said a low and rumbling voice and then the familiar shape of Gandalf appeared right beside the mysterious lady.
"Of course, I should have known that this is yet another one of your machinations, or is being a master of grand illusions now part of your trade as wizard?" The irritation in Thranduil's voice was palpable.
"Oh no, it is neither a machination nor an illusion and even if it were, creating something so grand is far beyond my modest abilities," said Gandalf. "Only Eru himself holds such great powers. We are but humble servants of his will and have been granted only a few liberties with the layout of his design."
"Are you indeed? It seems that you have been keeping more secrets than what is befitting even of an Istari. I demand that you tell us where we are and what all this is about."
"We are at the Crossroads, of course," the lady said as if she were talking about the most common place in the palace.
"The Crossroads? But this looks completely different," Anna said. The abundant green vegetation looked nothing like the dark void she remembered.
