Thranduil's POV
Desperation filled me; no matter where I looked I couldn't find her. Both Bard and I moved avidly through the streets but there wasn't a single soul. If Dale had looked dead before, now it looked like the definition of a graveyard. We kept running through the city aimlessly, orcs came at us from every side, Bard and I fought them off easily and I could only hope Caladhiel had the same luck.
Day was now turning into dusk and our surroundings became darker and darker by the second. Where could she be? I asked myself, and then a flash of red hair appeared before my eyes. Instead of waiting for Bard I started to run behind it, I could distinguish that head of hair anywhere, it was Tauriel it had to be and with her Legolas was surely to be found.
I was finally at a close enough distance and I grabbed her arm, when Tauriel turned around her eyes filled with a mix of shock and hatred. She jerked her hand away from my grasp and her expression became blank.
"Thranduil." She said in an almost whisper.
"Tauriel." I acknowledged back. "Where is my son?" I asked, this time more sternly.
"Father." A voice said from behind me.
I turned around and saw my son, it had only been a few days but his demeanor and his look was different. I could almost dare say he resented me. "Where were you? I gave strict orders for you to come back."
Legolas took in a deep breath and his eyes became fire. "You are not serious father! First you exile Caladhiel, then Tauriel and you expect me to come back as if nothing were wrong?" His voice came out as a scream and I drew back for the first time in my life.
"As you wish." I said in the coldest demeanor I could manage.
Legolas stared at me baffled, his blue eyes shone with rage. "I can't believe you." He spat out.
Before I could say anything else Gandalf appeared out of nowhere. "My lord are you leaving?" He was panting and he seemed deeply worried.
"There is nothing else for me to do here." I responded coolly.
Gandalf's eyes opened wide. "My lord the dwarves are in grave danger, Thorin and the rest headed up to Raven Hill."
"Why should I care what those dwarves do?" I asked and managed to smirk.
This time all of them stared at me in disbelief but Tauriel was the only one that knew what to say. "There is no love in you." Her voice was harsh and she managed to get an emotion out of me...rage. How dare she? I loved Caladhiel more than life and here she was accusing me of being insensitive.
"My lord please, they need your help." Gandlaf pleaded, pride is a horrible thing, and part of me thought that if I helped those dwarves Caladhiel might forgive me for what I said to her. But people couldn't think of me as weak.
"Love is weakness." Was all I said and then I turned around, walked away with my heart aching to find Caladhiel.
My feet moved at a speed unknown to me, my heart thumped with such ferocity it was almost painful, I felt my chest contract and my throat close up making it harder for me to breath. Anxiety was taking a hold of me and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Screams from the battlefield came my way, the streets of Dale became gloomier and gloomier and then my heart stopped at the sight before me. It was the market, completely raided, everything was lost and destroyed...it was depressing to see how a place that once had been so powerful had been turned to ashes and reduced to ruins. I scanned my surroundings when my eyes landed on a mass of blonde hair. My heart fell to the pit of my stomach, this couldn't be happening, this could be just another human but I had the feeling it was her. My Caladhiel was on the floor dead.
*
Caladhiel's POV
Darkness...that was all there was to it. I no longer felt pain, I no longer felt anything for that matter. I couldn't remember who I was, where I was or what had happened, all I knew was that I was slowly slipping away. Thoughts no longer appeared, all sound, all light and all life was being drained out of me. I was fading and I was glad. But then I heard something; against all odds a voice was breaking through the darkness. It was a sad voice, a voice filled with pain and regret.
"Don't leave me." I heard. "Please I can't bare to be alone anymore."
Consciousness was slowly coming back to me, my eyes were opening and I saw a blurry figure towering above me.
"Caladhiel I made a mistake saying all of those things to you. I need you...I...I can't bare to loose you again." A hot tear fell on my face, then another and then another. I still couldn't make out the voice but I knew the person was heartbroken.
I tried opening my eyes more, I tried to stir but my body wouldn't respond. Strength was failing me again and I was afraid to this time slip away for good.
"You have to fight, be strong for me...be strong for us please." The voice insisted.
I inhaled and my body moved, the hands that held me tightened their grasp.
"You're alive!" In that moment something in my brain clicked. It was Thranduil.
My body was filled by adrenaline and I opened my eyes completely. I studied him and in his beautiful face I saw an expression I'd never seen on him...he felt pain. His deep blue eyes were sad and Thranduil was at the verge of drowning in regret.
I felt my face press against his chest. "Somebody help!" He screamed. I was fading again, he noticed. "Caladhiel you're too strong, I know you can fight this, don't leave me...not like this."
Before fading away once more I had a moment of complete lucidity and adrenaline coursed through my veins once more. "Give me a reason to stay." I whispered.
Just before drifting I heard four faded words that gave me the strength to fight. "Because I love you."
*
I woke up and dazed I looked at my surroundings. Sunlight entered the room through an enormous floor to ceiling window, I heard birds chirping happily outside and I felt myself resting against a soft mattress and a silk quilt covering my body. I tried sitting up but an unbearable amount of pain overcame me and I shut my eyes and let out a few tears. The sheets stirred beside me and it took all of my strength to turn around. Once I managed to face on the opposite direction I opened my eyes and they met a pair of ocean blue ones.
"Thranduil." I gasped.
"Shh." He hushed and his soft hands cupped my face as he kissed me softly. "Don't force yourself to talk my dear. You're safe now." His voice was like velvet; soft and extremely eloquent.
"How long have I been sleeping?" I asked through the pain.
"A few days." Thranduil responded as his hands slid down my back pushing me gently against him. "I haven't left your side ever since I rescued you from Dale. I thought you weren't going to make it." On the last part his voice cracked.
"The dwarves...where are they?" At the mention of Dale an avalanche of memories overwhelmed me, and my head began to spin. I remembered how I'd saved Bard's kids from that terrible beast but then I couldn't remember anything.
Thranduil's face turned to stone and his eyes dropped. "Caladhiel I'm...I should've helped them." Was all he said before turning away from me. His shoulders motioned up and down and I knew he was crying.
"What do you mean?" I urged.
Thranduil went on and told me what had happened after he returned to Dale and then after finding me he'd gone to find Legolas and Tauriel and all he found was a very dead group of dwarves and a very heartbroken Tauriel. I was at a loss for words, the amount of suffering I felt was taking a toll on me, and my eyes filled with tears. I cried for them, I was shattered and lost. Thorin, Kili, Fili my very good friends were now dead and I hadn't been able to say goodbye.
"They fought bravely. Those dwarves were one of a kind all right. I'm sorry for not helping them. Would you ever forgive me?" I felt his arms wrap around me and I didn't fight it. I loved him so much and he was the only comfort I had left.
"I love you Thranduil. You saved me out there in the battlefield, we might've fought in the past but I can't imagine a life without you. But promise me one thing." I said.
Thranduil looked at me intensely "anything."
"Promise me you'll help them...I mean Bilbo, and the remaining dwarves. Don't turn your back on them." I pleaded.
Thranduil's face didn't give anything away but then his lips curved into a smile. "For you I'm willing to do that and more...my queen."
At first the words didn't make any sense, I wasn't his queen, I had no idea what I was to him. But then something clicked and despite the pain I wrapped my arms around him. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" I squealed.
"You didn't give me time to ask." He smirked.
"Then ask me already." I said as I planted kisses on his cheeks, lips and collarbones.
"Caladhiel, I don't want to live a life in which you and I aren't together. Would you do me the honor of being my queen and ruling by my side?"
"Yes! Yes! I don't want to be without you ever again." And despite the pain and my wounds I let myself be consumed by him, his lips crashed into mine and this time we became one...for good.
Thank you guys for reading! It means so much to me and I enjoyed writing this story so much. I can't thank you enough for the votes and reads this story has recieved. I never thought someone would actually read it and now look how far it's gone. I know I took forever finishing it but I was so busy with college I couldn't even thnk straight, but here it is! Thank you so so much.
THE END