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Over the course of the next week, me and Legolas did our best to help Mirkwood recover from the attack. Thranduil was hard pressed in terms of fighting numbers and in terms of help volunteers so it wasn't like he was ungreatful for my help.
Though the Orc siege had been disbanded, there were still a few clusters of the creatures somewhere in the forest. Thranduil wanted me to take a group of warriors and clear the forest before they could regroup.
No doubt he just wanted to get rid of me straight away but if I promised to help then I should keep my word.
Legolas was assigned to creating a new watch over the city with the guards that were left. Patrols needed to be made and vulnerable parts of the city needed to be secured.
While he got straight to work with that, running off to gather guards for the watch, I tracked down one of the captains and organised a small group of elvish fighters.
They seemed puzzled why a stranger was permitted to command them but they would not argue with the decision of their king.
We were gone for three days in total. We had tracked down a group of Orcs and had slaughtered them easily. I doubted that was the only band of Orcs out there but for now, they were beyond our reach.
A few of the elves knew who I was. I didn't know if they knew me because I was Lady Sapphire, great ranger, or if they knew me just because their King hated me. Either way, I didn't care. When fighting with them, I knew they tried to keep their distance because they seemed confused as to why I was fighting with an axe. I paid them no heed.
Upon returning to the gate, I noticed burning pyres of Orc bodies. Legolas had already organised the new patrol around the city, with many guards standing poised by the entrance.
The gate itself was being temporarily patched up, at least until it could be replaced entirely.
I marched through the halls of the city which were being cleaned and repaired where necessary. I saw a few civilians hurrying about, no doubt they were volunteers helping with medics or something.
When I found myself approaching the throne platform, I looked up and saw Thranduil sat delicately in the throne. He still wore some armour but since it was evident the siege was not completely behind him, he looked ready for another attack should it come to it.
Legolas had changed clothes as well. He still was clad in a shade of deep green but he seemed more regal now, with studded leather and light steal scales weaved together for armour.
I knew Legolas was Prince here, that's why I had been trying my best not to insult him or mock him as I usually would. Before, he was just Legolas of the Fellowship, but here, he and his father's word was law.
The elves here loved and feared their leaders, as is right of any Kingdom. Every ruler needs a just rule and a firm hand. Thranduil nor Legolas held a ring of power so they earned their respect from years of experience. Far be it for me to immediately crush that respect.
Don't get me wrong, I loved making a quick joke here and there at Legolas. Heck, it was now my favourite past time. But that shouldn't suggest that I didn't love him more than that to know when I should keep my insults to myself.
"Lady Sapphire," Thranduil said through gritted teeth as I strode towards him and bowed, "You have returned so soon. One could almost believe you did not leave at all."
"Do you doubt my abilities as a warrior? Or perhaps my command?" I said, raising an eyebrow and tried my best to keep a straight and respectful face.
"Legolas was just in the middle of a fanciful tale," Thranduil said, turning away from me as he changed the subject abruptly, "I believe he has mentioned your unmatched skill a few times."
"Did he now?" I said, glaring over at Legolas, meeting his gaze with mine before I turned back to the King, "He flatters me, I assure you, Legolas is just being polite."
I was going to kill Legolas.
I had told him about his father's distrust of me, so what did he do? When I'm not there, he tries to spin tales of me? Not that I wasn't actually flattered by his effort, but I was sure that his efforts would just make Thranduil hate me even more before I held Legolas' favour.
I had hoped to start afresh, forget our feud and try to help Mirkwood. Perhaps then I would hold some kind of favour from Legolas' father.
"How long are you visiting here, Lady Sapphire?" He asked as though it wasn't obvious he was waiting to chuck me out his kingdom.
"As long as I am welcome," I said, choosing my words carefully.
I knew I had trapped Thranduil then. He wouldn't dare turn me away because he knew I was in high regards with Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn.
Thranduil called up some servants and told them to try and prepare a room for me. I knew that since the siege, their last priority was hosting a guest. As much as I had distain for Thranduil, I didn't want to burden his staff so I was close to refusing the offer and suggesting I stay with Legolas, but I knew better than to do that, best not anger him any more at least for today.
Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all, coming to Mirkwood with Legolas. I don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to travel with him. Maybe I had just forgotten the feud I had with his father, or maybe I was just too distracted by my feelings for Legolas to leave him.
I took my leave of the two and followed the servants down the grand hall towards my guest room.
Say what you will about Mirkwood and it's King, but he did know how to how hospitality.
I was given quite a grand room, with lavish furniture. A large king-sized bed stood in the middle of the room, the foundations of the bed seemingly just an extension of the ground. The bed posts were also growing from the ground and continued to the ceiling where curtains of silk hung.
A side room was just a vast rock pool as a bath. A small waterfall flowed from a hole in the wall and trickled down into the carved out rock of the pool. It still amazed me how inventive elven architecture was.
I pulled off my cloak and scarf and dumped them on one of the chairs. I quickly recanted my weapons onto the desk.
I ran up and flopped myself down on the bed, humming softly against the sheets.
It wasn't long until I heard someone knock at the door.
"Come in," I mumbled, my voice muffled by the sheets.
I looked up and saw Legolas walk in. He sighed and knelt beside the beg so he was eye level with me. Though I was tired and comfortable how I was, I lifted my arm and slapped him on the shoulder, avoiding the points of his armour.
"What did I do do now?" He whined.
"Your father hates me." I huffed irritably.
"That hardly seems like a reason to take a swing at me," He protested but I saw his smirk, "Anyways, I thought you wanted me to defend you against him? How better to do that than show him your qualities?"
I mulled this over in my head as Legolas got up and clambered onto he bed next to me so he was now right in front of me. He wrapped an arm around my waist and tucked some of my white hair behind my pointed ears.
"I don't know..." I mumbled, "I should've just stayed at Minas Tirith."
"Then why didn't you?" He mused with a smirk.
"Don't push your luck, Princess," I rolled my eyes but I shuffled closer anyways.
"Look, I promise, once the aftermath of the siege dies down, my father will calm down. You'll see. Remember when you first met me? But I like to think I turned out ok in the end." He beamed a smile at me.
"You're ok," I smirked, giving him a little kiss on his cheek.
"Just ok?" He asked, a little disheartened.
"You're amazing," I sighed as I tried to cuddle him but I couldn't due to his pointed armour, "I love you but seriously, this armour is starting to bug me."
"I would take it off for you but I don't think we should risk that yet," he winked as he sat back up on the bed.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"I'm going to help the volunteers repair the gates." He said as he made for the door.
"I can help as well," I said, hopping to my feet.
"No, we'll be fine. Why don't you use this time to at least talk with my father?" He suggested and he quickly elaborated before I could throw something at him, "If you don't talk, this feud will just continue forever. We hated each other till we began talking."
With that, he left, hurrying off before I could retort or argue. It wasn't the worst of plans, I couldn't fault him on that and he was right, we had hated each other until we began talking like civilised beings.
Fine. I would try talking to Thranduil without my usual passive aggressive tone but if it all went completely wrong, I could blame Legolas. It's a win win situation.
I only took one of my daggers with me when I left my room. I doubted I needed weapons at all but I didn't like being without them. Then again, if things went pear shaped and Thranduil actually had enough of me, I may need it.
It wasn't hard to find the King. From what I had heard, he mostly stayed in the council chambers, on his throne or on his own balcony, overlooking the city.
It was nearing evening so made my way towards his balcony and sure enough, I found him sat there. His armour was gone and he was wrapped in a silver cloak as he sat and looked over the edge of the balcony, a glass of wine in one hand.
He turned and glared at me when I entered his midst but I paid no heed to it. He instead, nodded his head towards the chair opposite him.
I sat down gingerly and watched as he took another glass and filled it with wine before handing it to me. I doubted this was all coming from the goodness in his heart so I assumed there was something on his mind.
We sat there for longer than I cared to admit, sitting in silence. I sipped my wine awkwardly, not sure how to start up a decent conversation with King Thranduil.
"Legolas seems overly fond of you," he mused, breaking the silence into little pieces.
"I- um..." I stuttered, not sure how to work with this, "He does?"
"Do you take me for a fool?" He short me a glare, making me take a sip of my wine so as not to talk and say anything rude, "When he was talking to me earlier, about your efforts in this Fellowship of yours, I could tell he held you in high regard."
I waited in silence as Thranduil took another sip of wine and looked down over the balcony to the city below.
"I shall be blunt with you, Lady Sapphire" he sighed after a while before looking at me, "It is clear we are on bad terms, we both know this to be true."
"That's one way to put it," I admitted quietly as I refilled my glass of wine, "And there is a point to this spontaneous admition of mistrust?"
"You and Legolas are clearly close friends now, and as much as I may dislike you, I will try my best not to cause a rift in said friendship."
With that, Thranduil rose to his feet, took the wine bottle from the table and walked off, leaving me sat there puzzled.
It was nice to know that he wasn't that much of a thorn to try and get rid of me... But then again, I wouldn't exactly call mine and Legolas' relationship a pure 'friendship'.
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