Unusual Little One

Chapter Two: Wanderer

Thranduil tended to his duties of the day sitting up on his throne, above the rest.  He hadn't expected to see the maid he sent the human child with, standing in front of him.  
"Forgive me, the child she has wandered off" the main noted.  Thranduil glared at her, how could a child that can't even walk disappear?
"Excuse me?" he asked, making sure he had heard her right.
"Well, the child was playing on the ground, I turned around to tend to the bed for her when I turned back she had wandered away, we have looked everywhere for her, but she is small and could be anywhere" the maid tripped over her words, under the harsh gaze of her king.  

Thranduil let out a deep, unsatisfied sigh, stood quickly on his feet and marched off towards the room where the child was last seen, not making any attempt to speak or even acknowledge the elf woman rushing to keep up with his longer determined strides. The room was spacious, and pretty empty even for Elven decor, there weren't many places the child could be hiding.  He had the maid search again, making sure to check all corners. Satisfied that the little one wasn't there, he turned on his heel, marching down the corridor. He would never admit it, but he was a little worried for the child, his kingdom, consisted of many platforms, spiraling stairs, and heights that would kill a child. None of which had any safety precautions in place.  The corridor he was walking should be safe, but there is only so many places the child could go, and at the end of this corridor was a staircase with high steps. Someone crawling couldn't make it. The thought had Thranduil's feet moving faster. Thinking the worst. He had an image in his head of the child laying at the bottom dead. It caused a very uncomfortable feeling to settle in is stomach.  

Thranduil had just reached the top of the staircase when he heard an airy giggle, the sound drifted through a door beside him, his personal chambers, the child was on the other side finding something amusing amongst his room.  With a glare behind him aimed at the maid he entered the room, shutting the door behind him. There at the base of his glorious bed was the little human, playing with a hair piece of his, an old crown that had broken by accident a while back.  
"And why are you in my chambers human?" Thranduil asked sternly, in an attempt to intimidate the child, but all the little one did was turn to him, wide eyed and pleased to see him.  She held out the crown for him, showing off her 'discovery' 
"Yes, that is MY crown" Thranduil returned he watched as the child glanced up to hair, staring intently at the new crown of his. The child turned her eyes to the piece in her tiny hands, studying it a bit before once again looking up at Thranduil.  Both crowns did look similar perhaps she was putting two and two together.  

Sure enough, the little child placed the broken crown on her head and as Thranduil expected it slipped down after all it was far too big for her, and in pieces.  
"What did you expect, it is far to big" Thranduil pointed out. The child tried again, a few more times before giving up, like she knew it would never fit.  Instead she shuffled closer to Thranduil, who had remained a distance from her and held out the crown for him.  
"I'm already wearing one" Thranduil spoke, there was a hint of amusement in his tone.  The child didn't seem to care, she plopped herself down on her bum, still determined to hand over the crown.  With a gentle sigh, Thranduil bent down taking the crown from her rather strong grip. 
"Happy now?" he asked unamused.  The child was in fact happy she giggled and clapped her hands aimlessly, in her fit of amusement the child fell back, hitting her head on the stone ground, with in seconds the child was crying, having hurt herself.  

Thranduil swooped her up, placing his hand on the back of her head.  There wasn't anything there that he could feel, but she still sobbed,
"Oh, stop crying there's nothing wrong with you" he spoke softly.  Yet the child continued to cry. Thranduil pulled the child closer to his chest, comforting her the way he knew humans liked to be comforted.  After some rocking the child settled, her tiny hands gripped hold of his hem. It made him wonder how long it had been since she was held properly.  How long had she been alone?.  
"Happy now?" Thranduil asked, trying to keep his tone even, uncaring, but his heart was slowly opening up to her.  Something so small, innocent and fragile, and human.