*I added a music video called 'Moonlight' by Yiruma. A perfect piece for this chapter.
Here we go...
~~O~~
Mirialia lay in her bed, comforter covered her entire body. Her last encounter with the Elvenking two days ago made her tossed and turned. She tried to close her eyes and curled herself in a tight ball. She knew there were too many reasons why she cannot love him but, in the face of her feelings, they meant nothing.
She got off the bed and roamed over her room. Thranduil's robe lay on her table, neatly folded, waiting to be picked up. She lifted the item and held it onto her chest. His scent still lingered in the soft folds of the fabric.
"I must return this." She said to herself.
She wrapped herself in a blanket and, opening her bedroom door, quietly padded her way down the hallway. The silence was broken when an elf called out to her.
"My lady." He was holding a tray with a bottle of wine and a small cup while walking towards her. "The king wants some wine before he goes to bed."
"In the middle of the night?" She asked curiously. The elf nodded and smiled.
"I was about to go to your chamber."
"Why? What is it?"
"The king wants you to bring this to him."
There was a moment of silence.
"Oh... Me?"
The elf nodded again. "But if you are already tired, I will just be the one to bring this."
"Um...no.. I'll just take that." Mirialia hang the folded robe on her elbow and took the tray from him hesitantly.
When the elf left her, she made her way to the king's bedroom doors. The entrance to his personal suite seemed like a mountain, like the doors leading to heaven or hell.
"Here we are again.." She whispered.
She was about to call out when the door opened by itself. The young woman quietly slipped inside and the door closed behind her.
His room was vast and dark. The only light came from the moon that glowed enough for her to walk around without knocking into something. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness as she roamed over the room, the bed that was placed for her when she was imprisoned on that place was still there. Her gaze finally landed on a table a few feet away from his bed. When she saw him standing at the balcony, her heart thundered in her chest, apprehension surging within her in thick waves.
He was...beautiful. His back was facing her as he leaned on the rail of his balcony; his long silver blond hair was unbound, swaying with the gentle breeze.
"Your wine, my lord, as you requested." She cleared her throat, putting the tray on the table. When she did not receive a reply, she poured the small cup.
"Good thing, I am not fond of wine. I'm seeing this now as your addiction than a habit." She whispered as silently as she can.
"More like a guilty pleasure."
The way he said the words on her ear sent chills up and down her spine. More importantly, it signified some kind of game, or flirtation, to which she mostly did not come out as the winner. Thranduil was at an all too different level, using his powers, charm and intelligence in such a way that even she could not decipher his intentions.
She shakily gasped and quickly turned around, only to find him inches from her. A flush rose on her cheeks and chest, her breath escaping in shaky puffs as she stepped away. Deep blue pools caught her eyes, regarding her with interest. A small smile tilted the corners of his lips upwards, making her breath catch in her throat.
So innocent.
"You wish to be with me, yet I am the one you feared the most." He whispered softly.
Thranduil moved closer to her still form, trying to peer at her face behind the curtain of her hair. His fingertips brushed her jaw lightly, letting her eyes fall shut. The touch was so gentle and comforting.
Last chance.
The words flashed unexpectedly in his mind. He affronted the gaze of the one he loved, her own eyes soft and gentle in the moonlight. He stared at her intently, his eyes roving quickly over her features. She smiled at him, tender but a little broken. The silent communication did not escape him. She looked so vulnerable and small near his bed, shivering slightly from the cool air and her too thin nightgown. Her emotions were open, laid out for him to read and touch.
She was beautiful, but a broken girl in the moonlight. A slight quirk of his lips answered her smile, a mere tilt of his mouth, meant to show her that he understood. Thin shine of moisture misted over her eyes, her shoulders shook as she let out a dry sob, biting back the sound to the best of her abilities. The Elvenking then wrapped his arms around her slim form.
"I will not hurt you..." the sound barely above a whisper. He tightened his hold on her and sought her lips silently, catching it with his own in a gentle and careful kiss.
Loved.
Cherished.
He broke the kiss suddenly, taking his hand away from her bare arm to cup her cheek. She felt a slight chill settle over her, leaving and coming. His tight grip trapped her in his arms, her breath left her body in an instant as she suddenly found herself staring at the ceiling before a form blocked her already dim view. Covering her small form with his, he settled between her legs and brought his lips to her in a sweet, gentle kiss. His hand caressing the skin at leisure, until he reached the edge of her nightgown. Bringing the fabric upwards with his hand, he continued to kiss her down on her neck and shoulder. She tilted her head on the side, biting her lower lip as she lay very still underneath him.
For him.
All for him.
As the moon glowed, two souls formed an everlasting bond, making it the only witness of a love that they shared.
~~O~~
The following morning, Mirialia greeted her with the warmth of the sun. Staring at the woods, thoughts about what happened last night did not escape her. It was truly a new feeling, a bit frightening, but also comforting. There had been no pain, no forced entry, only the feeling of being wrapped in a soft warm blanket.
Tender.
Sweet.
She had felt so safe. It had truly been like a healing balm on her emotional wounds.
~
Soft lingering kisses were planted on her neck, from her earlobe to the juncture of her shoulder and neck. The sensations overwhelmed all her senses and blurred her mind, until no other thought but that of the elf king and his touches registered.
"Invite me in.." The whisper was pure unadulterated desire and longing, and brought another shudder out of her.
"Come in..." the soft spoken command was answered in thought.
Her eyes fluttered closed at the touch and she drew in a deep breath. His hands were warm and soft, a sharp contrast to the coldness of the night.
Shiver of delights rolled through her body at the pleasurable sensations. Her pulse quickened as she took short gasping breaths, biting her lower lip at the unknown feelings pooling into her stomach. Letting her head fall to the side, she felt his breathing against her neck, hot and now quickened with desire. As his soft lips pressed against her skin, she moaned softly, burrowing her face deeper in his neck.
Thranduil gently laid her head back on the pillow, looking down to her with something akin to wonder. Who would have thought? For once, his power had not foretold his future. She came in his life as a surprise, stranded in the past by the hands of fate. His thumb brushed against the curve of her jaw softly, jolting her back to reality. She opened her eyes to look at him, but his face was blurry.
"I love you...dearly.."
Mirialia parted her lips to reply but her eyes closed tiredly. Thranduil brushed a strand of hair tenderly behind her ear, while listening to her deep breathing.
~
She shook her head.
As good as the feeling had been, she was unsure whether she wanted to dwell on that particular thought. She did not want to think about what it made her feel, what it could mean. However, the tingles of pleasure she felt had been even more unexpected.
"You truly love my forest." His voice did not surprise her as much as she thought it would. Mirialia turned her head slightly, looking at her host. The latter offered her a gentle smile.
"Were you hoping to surprise me?" She asked softly.
Thranduil only smiled wider, and also giving her a heavy-lidded stare. The intensity of his gaze unnerved her slightly. He was truly a strange character, and thoroughly enjoys surprising people by appearing or disappearing without a word. He also possessed expressive eyes, but seem to sport a constant secretive and mischievous look. However, she now had to admit that, through his strangeness, he was charming.
The Elvenking watched the young woman he had come to love, now silent, looking at him.
"Did I hurt you?"
"No, you did not." She lowered her head.
Thranduil clearly remembered everything.
~
Legolas walked silently across the room, he found his father sitting on a chair near the window. He was about to call out to him, when he noticed the sleeping figure on the bed. He looked at his father, then to the figure, then back to his father.
"Adar, why is Mirialia sleeping on your bed?"
When he did not receive a reply, he realized that something more had happened. "Father..."
"I could not fight it." Thranduil said, almost a whisper. "I want to feel her. I want her to feel me. I love her, my son. May the Valar forgive me."
"Father." Legolas sighed and leaned towards him. "If you did it out of love for her, then there is nothing to forgive."
His son headed for the door, but a question made him turn around.
"Will you allow me to marry her?"
"I cannot question your love for her, because I can clearly see it in your eyes. Go, marry her. Be with her. Your happiness is what I always wanted for you, Adar." With a smile on his face, Legolas turned to leave.
~
"Can you feel me now?" He asked her.
Biting her lip, Mirialia could not think of a straight answer. Whether it was a yes or a no. But something definitely imprinted on her mind.
"The light..in your eyes." She confessed hesitantly. "I could not get it out of my head...I just couldn't."
Smiling gently, he made his way towards her until he was towering above her petite form. He held her hand, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
"I see now." Thranduil said. "The Valar gave me a gift."
Cupping her cheek, Thranduil leaned his face closer to her.
"I will marry you."
~~O~~
*Thank you for reading!