The weeks that followed swept past in a whirlwind.
Thranduil arranged for rooms for Elu, which were right next to his. She smiled when she realised how close they would be. Her smile soon faded as she spent each night yearning for the elf asleep through the walls from her. When she slept, endless dreams of him tormented her, and she awoke each morning feeling drained.
Likewise, Thranduil was fighting the battle of his life. On the surface, his cool, calm façade remained watertight to anyone observing. Underneath, his blood simmered with the need to take her in his arms and make her his in every way possible. She passed him in the hallways and he noticed how her dress hugged her waist, making him want to put his hands on her and lift her from the floor to kiss her.
He noticed her bare feet as she padded around, and wanted to lift those feet onto his knees and massage them.
He noticed the sway of her hair against her lower back as she walked, and wanted to run his hands through it as she moaned with pleasure.
He noticed how her full breasts pushed against the fabric of her clothing, and his hands burned at the thought of caressing the soft flesh.
But his face never changed. His thoughts never showed. No-one had any idea of the lascivious images he had, or the burning need to bury himself deep inside her. Many times a day he mentally thanked the gods for the invention of long, loose robes as he fidgeted in discomfort.
Elu also noticed things.
His strong, confident stance as he made guards and Lords tremble before him without even uttering a word.
The arrogant walk as he went wherever he was going, his long strides full of purpose.
His large hands as he lifted his wine glass, making her wonder what pleasures those hands could bring.
His full mouth as he spoke, making her think of that soft mouth on her skin, wandering over her body, demanding and yet loving.
His long hair that flowed down his back, making her think of what it would be like to tangle her hands in it in the height of passion.
His ice blue eyes, making her imagine gazing into them as they made love.
More often than not, she had a deep ache that just wouldn't be settled. And it was entirely the King's fault.
When alone, they kissed. They cuddled. They touched each other fondly. But she was burning for more, her body almost crying out with need for him. Her thoughts were dominated by images of him possessing her, taking her hard, making her scream. And it was driving her insane.
All she wanted was to feel his hands on her, his mouth kissing and licking her, his hair trailing over her naked flesh. Knowing that he desired her only fuelled her lust even further, making everyday life difficult to master.
Smouldering glances often passed over the heads of others, brief whispers of his hand brushing hers lightly as they passed, and the very faint lift of the corners of his mouth told her that he desired her too, just as much as she did him.
Propriety and standards were as frustrating as hell.
*****
Thranduil grunted in disgust and tossed a pile of documents across the polished desk. "One would be forgiven for assuming that I had nothing else to do with my time," he snapped irritably. "The dwarves seem to think that all I do is read their petty attempts at increasing their trade and sign my name to them. Indeed I do not, and certainly not in this instance."
"No, my Lord, I would agree whole-heartedly," Melderion said as he gathered the strewn papers together. "I myself cannot see where this request for a change to the trade deal would benefit the realm."
"That is because it would not," the King retorted. "They are greedy. They want everything on their terms, and are difficult to reason with. Stubborn. Hard-headed. Obstinate. Tenacious. And they lack personal hygiene. They smell."
The aide struggled to compose himself as he felt laughter bubble up inside him over his ruler's irritation. "Not every race holds our standards, my Lord," he replied as evenly as he could manage.
An eyebrow lifted. "No race could meet our standards," he corrected haughtily. He drummed his fingers on the surface of the desk. "Where is Lady Elu?" he demanded.
"I am unaware of her whereabouts, my Lord, but I shall hasten to find out," he replied, and scuttled off before his laughter broke through. Thranduil was fearsome when in a foul mood, but often he found him quite comical when he was irritated solely for the purpose of being irritated.
He returned to the King's study a short while later, having found where the elleth in question was. "My Lord, Lady Elu is helping one of the maids replace the candles on the chandelier in the dining hall," he informed.
"Very good," he replied, his gaze focused on the scenery outside the window. "I intend on taking these trade requests to the Council meeting- what did you say? She is doing what?!"
Melderion straightened his face with every ounce of strength he had as Thranduil whipped round in the seat at speed to glare at him.
"She is helping-"
"I heard what you said!" he snapped as he rose from the chair. "Good grief! Can I not leave her alone for even a single moment without she is getting up to some sort of dangerous activity? Do I have to put her in the dungeons when I am unable to keep an eye on her?" Long strides carried him across the room and out of the door, and his aide gave in to his laughter as he disappeared.
He marched along the corridors, down stone steps, through archways and back up more steps, his cloak swirling around him as he walked. Reaching the dining hall, he stopped and stared at the sight before him in disbelief.
The large wooden table was in the usual place running down the centre of the massive room. A heavy seat had been placed up on top of it. Balanced on top of that, wobbling precariously as she stood on her tip-toes replacing the candles, was Elu. One hand gripped the heavy chandelier as the other twisted a thick white candle down onto the protruding spike. The maid she was supposed to be assisting stood on the floor with an armful of candles to pass up to her.
Thranduil powered forward with anger in his steps as he closed the distance between them.
Elu squealed in fright as two strong hands gripped her waist and lifted her down as though she weighed nothing. She turned as she was set down onto her feet, anger blazing in her blue eyes.
The look on his face stopped her immediately.
"Take your leave," he ordered the maid, not taking his eyes off her.
The servant vanished promptly.
"Tell me, my Lady...why do I have servants for such tasks when you insist on shouldering the burden?" he questioned. His low voice was soft, warning her of impending danger.
"I...I wanted to...uhm..." She trailed off, not knowing how to answer without causing the spark that would be the catalyst for his temper.
The ice in his eyes started to melt. "Elu," he whispered, stepping closer to her and framing her face with his hands. "Can you not see how precious you are to me? How much the dangerous things you do drives me out of my mind?" His eyes searched hers. "I cannot...I cannot understand...I only wish to protect you. Can you not see that, my love?"
"I was perfectly safe," she told him as she lifted her hands and wrapped them around his wrists comfortingly. "And the candles needed to be replaced. I had nothing better to do."
He gazed down at her for a moment before releasing her. She jumped as he swiped one hand outwards, the side of his hand striking against one of the back legs of the seat which was still on top of the table. The leg splintered and bounced as it broke free.
Ice blue eyes turned back to her. "The chair was not safe. I had ordered for it to be removed and destroyed only yesterday. Someone shall be punished for ignoring my commands as the infernal thing remains. If that leg had given way while you were upon it, you would have fallen."
She swallowed. "I did not know," she admitted. "It is just my luck to pick that one particular seat to stand on."
He offered her a small smile. "I am contemplating locking you away whenever I am not able to be by your side," he told her, humour in his voice. "That way I would know that you are safe and not climbing around my palace as though it was an adventure through the forest."
"I have nothing to fill my time," she moaned. "The day is long."
"There is much you could do," he told her as he slid his arm through hers and slowly walked her out of the dining hall. "You could ride the horses, with guards, of course. You could spend time with the foal that we helped into the world. There are countless flower vases-"
"I do not want to ride with the guards, they make me feel uneasy," she interrupted him.
"They will protect you."
"Yes, I know, and I appreciate that. But it is not the same as being out riding with you," she said. "And I spend lots of time with the foal and his mother. I am not flower arranging."
He laughed at her determination on the flower subject. "So what is left for you to do?"
She stopped, turning her body to face him. "I have nothing to do," she said sadly.
He gazed down at her. "What would you like to do?"
The question hung heavily between them.
Her pupils dilated instantly as her nipples hardened beneath her pale green dress. Her lips parted slightly as she breathed.
Thranduil noticed the subtle changes, his nostrils flaring in his silent acknowledgement. He slowly leaned his head down and brushed his mouth over hers in a soft kiss. She whimpered in response and parted her lips further, silently begging him to deepen the contact.
He did.
Desire and lust swept over her in waves as she slid her hands up over his broad shoulders. His hands settled on her lower back and crushed her body flush against his as he took their kiss to the next level. His tongue explored her mouth and she moaned softly, her own responding in kind. The hard stone wall pressed against her back as he pushed her against it, devouring her with growing passion.
"I cannot take much more of this," she panted as he broke away from her mouth and dived for her neck instead.
Large hands gripped her backside and hauled her against the hardness of his groin. "You do not have to, if you do not wish," he whispered against her skin. "I can always stop."
"That is not what I meant," she said. Her fingers ran through his long hair, holding him tightly against her as she arched her head back. "I need more."
He went still in her arms, then pulled back to stare down at her. The seconds ticked past as his eyes searched hers. His jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth together. "You are aware of what this would mean?" he whispered raggedly. "You would belong completely to me; none other."
She nodded. "I know."
His eyes darkened. "I am jealous and possessive of that which is mine. I will remove the eyes of any other who looks at you in the way that I do. I will take the hand of any who attempts to touch you in the way that I do. I will end the life of any who desires you in the way that I do. You will be mine; once you bond with me, you can never undo it."
"I would never wish to undo it," she told him. "I want to be with you. I want for you to lust after me, to touch me, to have me in ways that none other ever have or ever will. I want to belong to you."
His heart pounded hard in his chest as he read the truth and honesty in her eyes, and heard her soul speak in her answer. Moving suddenly, he swooped down and crushed his mouth against hers, kissing her with bruising passion as he lifted her. She clung tightly to him, returning his kiss as he carried her along the hallway.
Before she knew it, he had reached his chambers and kicked the door open, placed her on her feet and booted it closed again. Swiftly locking it, he turned back to her, his chest heaving as he panted for breath.
"I want for you to be sure," he said. Both hands trailed through her hair as he spoke. "I do not want you to feel rushed, or hurried into anything."
She lifted herself up onto her toes and pressed her open mouth to his, causing him to groan in surrender. "I am sure, Thranduil," she murmered against his warm flesh. "I want nothing else, only this. Make me yours, in every way."
A deep moan rumbled from the depths of his core; one which spoke of his loss in the battle to preserve her purity for as long as possible and to do what was expected of him. Her soft body pressed against his chased away any remaining fragments of logic, any feeble thoughts on how he should focus on their courtship and his impending marriage proposal before bedding her. Warm lips against his and her wet tongue exploring his mouth kicked reality out of the situation as he gave in to her.
"I knew that you would be my undoing," he whispered harshly. His mouth wandered down her neck, hungrily sucking, biting, and licking as he panted hard. Clumsy fingers fought with the ties on the back of her dress in an effort to rid her of the garment. The fastenings seemed to confuse him in his haste, so he gave up and ripped the fabric instead.
Elu pulled away from him and started to laugh. "You only had to say that you could not undo it," she told him as her eyes sparkled. "I would have did it for you, you crazy ellon."
"I cannot wait," he grumbled, diving in for another kiss. "I will have a hundred more made for you. A thousand more. Each one adorned with the most precious gems in Middle Earth." His words came out as a distorted mumble as he spoke into her kiss. "The very best seamstresses will decorate them in such ways that the stars will fade in their beauty in comparison." More hurried kisses as the dress slid off her shoulders and landed in a pool at her feet. "Kings from all over will come to see your beauty." Trembling hands swept up her arms, over her shoulders, and down the smooth skin of her back. "Races will gather from unknown lands. Legions will enlist to protect you and accompany you wherever you go." His head twisted as he dropped hungry kisses back down her neck.
She leaned into his embrace with a sigh of pleasure as she undid the front of his tunic and pushed it aside. Hot skin tingled under her hands as she explored the expanse of flesh she revealed, accompanied by helpless moans as his body reacted to her touch. "You fantasise, my King," she whispered as she licked just below his ear.
A deep shudder rippled through him as he straightened to his full height. "I do not jest," he panted. "There is no other equal to your beauty, or your charisma. Perhaps the daughters that we will have may carry your beauty, but none else."
Her eyes widened slightly as she gazed up at him towering over her.
"I intend to marry you," he whispered. His head lowered until his full mouth hovered a hair's breadth over her own. "I intend on making you my Queen, and if you are willing, to have children with you. I know within my heart that you will birth beautiful babies, and our children will be as strong, courageous, and as pure-spirited as you are, my darling."
She gasped as his lips gently swept over hers, igniting a flame that roared to an inferno. Bursts of energy ripped through her body and spread right through to her fingers and toes. As he impatiently shrugged out of his tunic and gently lowered her onto his massive bed, she felt her soul open up to him. Every cell within her blasted to life in a surge of awareness; knowledge and feelings that she had never known before swept through her and engulfed her.
His body pressed against hers as between them, they freed each other from the remaining garments, until heated flesh met equally heated flesh. Limbs entangled, breathless kisses shared, and pleasure taken as hands wandered and explored.
"Thranduil," she panted. "I need you. I need you now, my love."
"There is so much for me to show you, so much pleasure for me to bestow upon you," he whispered raggedly as he rained kisses along her shoulder.
"And we have forever to experience such delights," she told him. She wound her fingers into his hair and held him still, making him look down into her eyes. "Make me yours, Thranduil. Make me yours in heart, body, and soul. Let me become one with you."
He swallowed as his nerves stretched to breaking point. His eyes never left hers as he lifted her leg and settled it around his waist. "Stop me if it becomes too much," he said hoarsely. "Promise me."
She nodded.
Very slowly, still holding her gaze, he nudged his hard flesh into her soft core. A groan of intense pleasure erupted from the back of his throat as she closed around him; hot, tight and wet for him. His nostrils flared as he fought for the last remaining shreds of control. Her welcoming body slowly adjusted to his intrusion, gripping him and holding him deep within her.
He opened his mouth to ask if she was alright.
"Keep going, my love," she whispered, before he could get the chance to speak. Her hands tugged him down so that his mouth settled against hers, and she kissed him deeply as he pushed the rest of the way in.
His hands bunched into fists on the pillow on either side of her head and the muscles in his upper arms trembled as he struggled to hold his position, allowing her time to accept him and become used to him.
A smile graced her mouth under his, and she lifted her other leg to wrap it around his waist.
"I love you," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers and staring deeply into her blue eyes. "I love you more than anyone would ever be capable. I love you beyond imagination, my little Bluebird."
Her nose brushed his as she tipped up slightly to kiss him. "I love you too; my ruler, my Lord, my King. I give you my heart, my soul, and my body for eternity."
His hips finally started to move, starting with slow thrusts that gradually went deeper into rolling ones. Her body moved in perfect synchronisation with his as though they were made to be together. Harsh, panting breaths transferred between them as the heat between them grew. Passion burned as the skies above seemed to implode around them. Energy and awareness blazed through the two of them as they rolled across the bed together, locked in the ultimate joining of both their physical beings as well as their souls.
Thranduil's hands found hers and he folded his fingers in between hers. She squeezed tightly as the coil of tension within her tightened. Every muscle, every nerve ending, every fibre of her being teetered on a frighteningly sheer drop, and she was almost afraid to let go. Only the God in her arms gave her the confidence to trust in him and to release herself to him.
"Let go, little Bluebird," he whispered in her ear as he felt the changes in her body. "Let go, spread those wings, and fly. I will catch you, I promise."
His soft words sparked something inside her, and the pleasure became unbearable as he continued to thrust into her. Her back arched up off the bed as she clung to him, her desperate begging reaching his ears.
Her body exploded and she screamed his name, tears of passion escaping as everything around her vanished into an endless vortex of bright white. Her arms and legs gripped him as she trembled violently, and his arms locked tightly around her. His body moved faster into hers, and he climaxed with a howl as the pleasure consumed him.
"Breathe, my darling, breathe," he panted. Gentle hands lifted her hair away from her face and soft kisses touched her cheeks and lips as she fought to ground herself. "Breathe, my love."
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she lay beneath him. The tingling sensation she'd felt as they'd began to undress each other continued, sparkling little sensations that flowed through her bloodstream.
"Can you feel that?" she whispered with a sleepy smile.
He smiled back. "Yes. I can. Our souls are truly bonded as one, and shall always be so. Nothing can part us, ever."
She closed her eyes and pulled him down to her so that his head rested on her shoulder. One hand trailed up the smooth skin of his back, and the other toyed gently with his silken hair.
She felt complete.