Thranduil stood absolutely still in the shade of an ancient tree in the common gardens, his icy-blue eyes fixed on Tinnueth and Esgaron. The sight of them together set his heart on fire. Esgaron touched her cheek gently and pulled her close as he leaned in to kiss her. Pictures flashed through Thranduil's mind, reminding him of the moment he had seen Legolas kiss Esteleth. As he snapped out of his memories he saw Tinnueth with closed eyes, awaiting the moment their lips would meet. The king clenched his hands to fists and his body stiffened. He was foaming with rage. He watched Esgaron closing his eyes as their lips were about to touch...
"No!"
Esgaron and Tinnueth, utterly startled, turned their heads towards the king who had stepped out of the shadows. Thranduil was now standing in the moonlight, his presence proud and intimidating, yet the young elves seemed unimpressed by the king's appearance. The two lovebirds looked up at the king, obviously upset by his interruption.
Thranduil himself was surprised that he had spoken his thoughts aloud. Yet the king did not hesitate a moment, but walked over to them and freed Tinnueth from Esgaron's embrace. His stern glance fell on Esgaron.
"Have you asked her father for his blessings"?
Esgaron was confused at first, but then he shook his head. Thranduil sighed and looked at the ellon with an amused expression.
"Even though an elleth has the freedom to choose her husband, the ellon should always ask her father for his blessings. This is a matter of respect." The king eyed Esgaron from head to toe with displeasure.
"I am sure that your feelings for the elleth have clouded your wit momentarily. I understand that."
Thranduil smiled smugly at the young ellon while he continued to hold Tinnueth by her wrist.
"Take my advice into consideration and ask her parents for their blessings before you try to kiss her again. This will ensure a better relationship between your families in the future."
For a moment the king turned his attention towards Tinnueth who had only eyes for Esgaron. Annoyed by her lovesick behaviour, Thranduil's gaze wandered back at Esgaron.
"I will guide the Lady back to her chambers."
Esgaron nodded and kissed Tinnueth's knuckles gently, before he let go of her hand.
"Please forgive me Tinnueth, but the king's words are full of truth. My judgment has been clouded by my feelings for you. I did not mean to disrespect you or your family in any way."
The elleth shook her head and smiled at him.
"Please do not worry, I do not feel insulted by your attention. And I am assured that my father will give our love his blessings."
Thranduil rolled his eyes in annoyance while his expression was disgusted. He let go of her wrist and took her by her hand, pulling her after him, leading her back inside the palace. When they had gone, Esgaron sighed and sat down on the bench. Fortunately the king had stopped him before he committed a mistake. He did not wish to anger Tinnueth's parents. Esgaron had always been sure that the king did not like him, but in this moment he thought that he might have been wrong with his assumption.
The king walked with Tinnueth along the corridors and thought about her words. She did not feel insulted by his misbehaviour, her father would surely bless their love... Those words had been poison to his ears. Thranduil had heard and seen enough for tonight. He let out a deep growl, making Tinnueth look up to him with concern. Thranduil was still holding Tinnueth's hand while they were walking up the long corridor towards their chambers. Her hand felt very soft and warm in his and he had to admit that her touch felt quite pleasant. She could have been his daughter. This thought brought a dark expression into his face. When they arrived at her door, the king bid her good night and waited until she closed her door. He turned to the direction of the guards and ordered them to guard her chambers. She was not permitted to leave them before breakfast. It was apparent that Belegur's restrictions had not functioned. Mere words did not result in her obedience. Thranduil would have to take Tinnueth's safety at night into his own hands.
*****
Legolas was sitting with Esteleth on the sofa in her parents' chambers, while Belegur paced up and down. They discussed the situation and Belegur finally stopped pacing and looked over to Legolas.
"It does not make sense to me. When I talked to your father, he himself told me that you love Esteleth. That happened before your kiss. I do not understand what made him change his mind all of a sudden."
Legolas took Esteleth's hand in his own and looked at her.
"I do not care about his opinion. I have made my decision, and that is to follow my heart."
The prince looked up at Belegur and Istor.
"With your permission, I wish to travel north with you once you decide to leave my father's halls."
Belegur and Istor were shocked by the prince's words, and Belegur rejected Legolas' request immediately.
"No, no, my prince, you should not do this. Try to speak with your father again and see if he changes his mind. It may be possible to reason with him."
Legolas shook his head. "My father does not change his mind. Not that I know of. I spoke my last words last night and he knows that I do not wish to remain here."
Belegur stepped closer to Legolas. "Legolas, I have known your father for thousands of years and I am glad that we are friends. Frankly speaking, I fear what might happen if you leave this kingdom without his permission. And to marry Esteleth without his blessings..."
He shook his head and let out a sigh. "I don't want to face his wrath, and I definitely do not want to start a war with him."
"It will not come to that." The prince's voice was excited.
Istor felt greatly uncomfortable at the prospect of having problems with the king.
"How can you be so sure? You know your father best. Tell me, what will happen if you leave him without his consent?"
Legolas rolled his eyes and leaned back against the settee's backrest.
"Even if I manage to leave, he will certainly come after me."
Istor's eyes widened and he shook his head in disapproval. Esteleth sighed heavily and seemed greatly saddened. Legolas laid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. He rested her head on his chest and kissed the crown of her head.
"My dear, do not worry too much. My father is very difficult at times and when this happens, he always needs some distance to cool down again. Soon his mood will be better."
Belegur sat down on a chair. "Alright, then let us wait for a few days and see if his mood improves." He looked over to Istor and smiled. "This trip seems to turn out completely different then I had expected. My dear Istor, I guess we will return home as fathers in law."
Istor was surprised. "We? What does that...? Are you telling me that Esgaron has proposed to Tinnueth and she has agreed to marry him?"
"No, no. But I watched her today during breakfast and I think she is head over heels in love with Esgaron. Although it seems strange to me. This is not her nature. In my opinion she has been acting strangely these days."
Riniel smiled at the ellyn. "Such things happen when an elleth loses her heart to an ellon. Suddenly everything he does is perfection. I guess that every elleth goes through this experience."
Istor and Belgur nodded. Tinnueth's behavior might have been normal after all.
*****
"What have you found out?" Barhador looked at his brother in expectation.
"Nothing new. She behaves in an unusual way. Tinnueth followed
Esgaron to his chambers and even when he was going to close his door, she stood there, looking at him in expectation. Her behavior is truly weird."
Barhador nodded thoughtfully while Tuven sat down at the table next to Amathon and Celegon.
"Whatever is going on here is far from normal. Yesterday she spoke harsh words about Esgaron and his behavior towards Esteleth,
and today she does not care about his misdeeds? I say that we should not leave her alone, not even for a second. One of us will always keep an eye on her. There will be no excuse if one of us fails and something unwanted happens to her."
Amathon furrowed his brows.
"What do you mean?"
"The way I saw my sister running after him is sick. What if he takes advantage of her willingness and makes her his wife by taking her to his bed?"
The brothers looked at each other in shock. Tuven was on his feet within a second.
"I will take the first shift. Who knows where she is now?"
"Check the corridor where Esgaron's chambers are. She will certainly be there, waiting for him."
Barhador's words alarmed Tuven, and he left the chamber quickly followed by Celegorn.
Amathon stood up in disbelief. "Do you seriously believe that Esgaron would sleep with Tinnueth without a proper wedding ceremony first?"
"Yes. I do believe this. How long has he been trying to win her heart? For a few hundred years, at least. This is a long time even for an elf, especially when his heart longs for a particular elleth. Let us check her room. Perhaps we will find something of interest."
Amathon and Barhador turned her room upside down in the hope of finding something that would explain Tinnueth's behavior. But they found nothing odd.
*****
Meanwhile, Esgaron was sitting on his bed, grinning with satisfaction.
"My brother, you were right. Now I do appreciate your plan greatly. There are no more doubts in my mind. But what shall I do now? How shall I react to her obvious attention?"
Maldor sat down next to him. "Wait a few more days before you speak to her parents. They need some time to be convinced that their daughter really desires this as much as you do. Until you speak to them, be kind to her and don't do anything that might raise suspicion. Appreciate Tinnueth and enjoy her presence. I am sure that she will grant you plenty of it."
All seemed well, yet there were still some fears within Esgaron's mind. It all seemed too perfect.
"The king, what if he and his son..."
"What about him? Maldor's expression was annoyed as he heard his brother mentioning them again. "His son loves Esteleth and as far as I know, the king has found out about their love. Prince Legolas has not again tried to impress Tinnueth. They are out of our way. Now you have to be just a little patient and the reward will be all yours."
Esgaron nodded, his face still showing doubts though. "I hope you are right."
"Of course I am."
The brothers left their chambers and headed for the practice grounds. The king had stationed guards at the entrance of the practice grounds at night. For the brothers it did not matter anymore. They had almost achieved their goal. There was no more need to battle with Tinnueth. The battle had already been won by them.
*****
That evening the spies returned to their king for the first time. Their report was a lengthy one.
"This is indeed interesting. And you say that Esteleth's and Tinnueth's brothers have begun to spy on her?"
"Yes, my king. At least one of them is following her all the time. Barhador and Amathon turned her room upside down today."
"Have they seen you? Did they find something of importance?"
"No, my king. They did not notice me and they found nothing of interest."
"You may leave now. Come back to me any time if something important happens. Otherwise I will see you again tomorrow night."
The king's spies left his chambers. Thranduil stood up and walked over to his mirror. He adjusted his clothes before he left his chambers, heading down to the large hall to attend the ball. He was late, but he was the king. He could show up whenever he wanted to.
Legolas danced with Esteleth on the far end of the hall, not wanting to provoke his father's wrath tonight. They smiled at each other happily and Legolas spun her around as they danced together.
Thranduil stood far away from them, observing the elves dance while he drank wine. He had seen Legolas and Esteleth already and was greatly displeased at his son's behavior. But then, he was his father's son. Thranduil himself had made some mistakes in his life and had got away with it. His son seemed to truly love Esteleth and she loved him back. It could not be better for them.
The king's eyes fell on Tinnueth who danced with Esgaron. Thranduil had noticed already how Esgaron purposefully touched her body in an inappropriate way. Once the ellon had even touched her butt. This was unacceptable behavior on such an occasion. Something like that should never be done in public. A growl escaped the king's throat as he watched them dance together. At least his son behaved in public.
Thranduil turned his attention back to Legolas. They were now standing near a table, laughing and having a drink together. He sighed and accepted the fact that his plan had been nullified by love. He was powerless against it.
Thranduil's expression darkened and he drained his wine goblet with two large gulps before he requested a servant to refill it. His plan might have failed, but he could make another one. He narrowed his eyes and bit on his bottom lip, while he thought deeply. A smirk played on his lips and he took a large gulp of wine. He fixed his eyes on his target. The new plan would work and if not, he would make it work. In any case, he would have to speak to his son and Esteleth, and eventually give them his blessing.
To the king's delight, Lord Elrond approached him to comment negatively on Esgaron's very inappropriate behavior. Thranduil pretended that this information was new to him and watched for some time Esgaron and Tinnueth dance together.
"I must agree with you, Elrond. You should inform her father about this. And do it quickly before others notice it."
Thranduil watched as Elrond approached Belegur. He walked with him over to Dogion and a wide smirk spread over the king's face as he saw Belegur's eyes narrow and his face darken in anger. Within a few moments, Dogion and Belegur had removed the two elves from the dance floor in a discreet manner and walked them out of the hall.
Thranduil chuckled when he saw that Esgaron looked back at his brother with uncertainty and concern before he was removed from the hall by his own father. Maldor would not be able to save his brother from Belegur's fury. Apparently, the ellon had not heeded the king's suggestion to ask for Tinnueth's father for his blessings. Poor fool. Thranduil drank up another goblet of wine and sat in his large chair. This was all to his liking.
*****
They arrived in Belegur's chambers and he slammed the door shut before he turned to them in anger.
"You were misbehaving in front of everyone, including the king himself! This is a disgrace to our family. We are Sindar. Have I or your mother given you such a bad example?"
Tinnueth's eyes filled with tears, hearing her father's hard words.
Belegur's eyes shot daggers into Esgaron.
"And you! Have you lost your mind? You have disrespected not only Tinnueth by touching her publicly, but her family as well as your own!"
Dogion stepped forward, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You have greatly disappointed me, my son. You should be ashamed of yourself. What shall others think about Tinnueth? Is she some kind of pleasurable item to you? If you want to be taken seriously, you have to act accordingly."
Esgaron swallowed hard hearing their words and Tinnueth's sobs. He looked down at her and felt guilty that he had forgotten his manners tonight. He looked at Belegur.
"I feel truly sorry. Please try to understand me. I have been in love with your daughter since I was a young ellon and have always waited for her to develop similar feelings for me. That had never happened until now. My heart rejoices in the fact that she finally accepts me and this joy and happiness made me forget my manners. Please forgive me."
Esgaron turned towards his father. "I know I should have not done this, and if I have brought dishonor upon our or their family, I'm sorry. I never intended to displease anyone. Please forgive me."
The fathers gazed at Esgaron and Tinnueth sternly. Belegur looked down at his crying daughter and felt pity for her.
"My dear Tinnueth, my shining star, please do not weep."
He embraced her and soothed her by stroking her back. "Do you love Esgaron?"
Esgaron stared at her. This was the moment of truth. Tinnueth looked up at her father and nodded.
"Yes, father. And I wish to marry him."
Belegur looked over to Dogion and smiled. "If that is so, then it will be done. You have my blessings."
Dogion pulled his son into an embrace. "And my blessings, as well."
This was good news indeed. The four elves remained in Belegur's chambers, discussing details of not only their betrothal ceremony, but also of the future life of the two elves.
*****
Thranduil sat in his study with Elrond who had listed the elves that had informed him about their wish to wed. He handed the list to the king who was sitting behind his desk.
"Those elves have decided to live their eternal lives together. More may find their better half as the festival is not over yet."
Thranduil nodded and his eyes flew over the list of names, stopping on a particular pair, Esgaron and Tinnueth. He held his breath and stared at their names for a moment. The night had ended differently than the king had expected.
"Esgaron and Tinnueth. I thought that Belegur would be furious at his inappropriate behaviour. This comes as surprise to me."
Elrond nodded. "Yes. It surprised me, as well. Belegur visited me late last night after the ball was over and brought me the good news. Esgaron and Tinnueth have known each other since their early youth, and it seems that his patience has finally paid off."
"Yes, indeed." Thranduil put the list on his desk and drank two goblets of wine. Esgaron's patience might have paid off, but Thranduil's patience was hanging by a thin thread, a very thin thread indeed. He clenched his hands under the desk as he secretly seethed with anger.
Legolas and Esteleth had different opinions about the upcoming betrothal of Tinnueth and Esgaron. Belegur had informed them about the good news in the morning.
"How can you be happy that she ruins her life?" Esteleth had tears in her eyes.
"She apparently loves him. Why are you so worried?" Legolas could not understand her anxiety.
"I am worried because I have known her all my life, and I am apparently the only one here that has noticed that she is not herself. Tinnueth is not herself!"
Legolas touched her arm gently, trying to calm her down. "You heard the other night what Riniel said, when an elleth falls in love, things change. They change. Please do not worry too much."
"Why don't you share my worries for her?" Esteleth looked into Legolas's eyes with doubt.
Legolas sighed and moved closer to her. "My dear Esteleth, everyone is unique and reacts differently. You have never seen Tinnueth love somebody, this might be the reason why you cannot recognize her now. Let her be happy with him, if that is what she desires. Apart from that, the new circumstances might prove to our advantage. If they have their betrothal ceremony at the end of the festival, my father's foul mood towards you and me will surely fade. It may even be possible that he will give us his blessings."
Esteleth sighed deeply, her face stressed and tired. Tinnueth was going to marry Esgaron and Esteleth could not believe that this would happen. She did not want it to happen. Perhaps her friend's behavior was not as strange as she had thought. Perhaps it only seemed so because Esteleth did not want all this to happen. She had always disliked Esgaron. She sighed deeply and leaned her head against Legolas' shoulder.
"Alright, I partially agree with you."
Legolas smiled happily and claimed her lips in a much needed kiss.
*****
Thranduil decided to change his strategy. He was now looking for his son, who was not in his chambers. He headed to Esteleth's chambers, which he found empty, too. Thranduil knocked on Istor's door. Istor openend it and the king spotted his son and Esteleth sitting on the settee in the back of the chamber. Thranduil looked at Istor and smiled.
"I have come to see my son and your daughter."
Istor let him enter the chamber and Thranduil sat down on a chair, facing Legoals and his future wife. Thranduil cleared his throat before he spoke.
"I have made many mistakes in my long life, and one of them is that I did not accept the love you hold in your hearts for each other. If I could, I would change the way I have reacted. Will you forgive me?"
The king felt slightly sickened by the words he had spoken, but managed to smile genuinely. Legolas and Esteleth looked at each other in surprise. Legolas was the first to get up. He walked over to his father and embraced him, feeling great relief that he had accepted their love. Esteleth hesitantly joined them before she embraced the king. Istor and Belegur smiled happily. Now that the king was alright with Legolas' and Esteleth's relationship, there was nothing more to worry about.
Thranduil noticed their satisfied faces and smiled to himself. His plan was working.