It was an odd feeling to wake up in the king's bed, knowing that he wasn't in the halls, not even within the realm of Mirkwood. Without him, this place seemed empty, even dead, and I began to better understand why Thranduil was reluctant to travel, that it was perhaps more out of consideration for his subjects, than due to personal aversion against the rest of the world. I also realized that Mary must mean a lot to him, as he had been prepared to leave his kingdom to retrieve her.

And he had done so at a time when his son was not available to rule in his stead. I thought of Legolas, kind and smiling Legolas, and wished he would come back soon to lighten up "the gloom" as the now departed men of the Long Lake would call it. I wondered if the prince with his air of young carelessness could make the realm come alive during the king's absence. These two were so different, and still shared the same bloodline. I decided that Thranduil's life force must be available to his son for the protection of the realm when needed. It had clearly not been lent to his seneschal.

The thought of Thaladir troubled me. I couldn't make up my mind regarding this elf. When I had thought him an old, grouchy, stern scholar who frowned upon all aspects of sensuality, he had proved to be a competent and passionate lover with strong desires under the controlled surface. Still, last night, he had confined himself to watching me, openly refusing my invitation. When he left the room I was so embarrassed I just wanted to disappear, and at the same time desired him enough to have begged for his attentions, if I hadn't known even in my agitated state that it would have proven utterly useless.

Thranduil's seneschal would not budge. Oh no, he would always do exactly what he decided was right and according to orders. But the king had said I could sleep with Thaladir, had even shown that it pleased him. That was a mystery in itself, but as elves were different anyway, I did not even want to think about it, except for the pleasure of remembering how his eyes had glittered when he left. That was only yesterday, but felt like much longer. I wondered how long he would be gone. I did not doubt that he would bring Mary back with him, but hoped that the means of convincing her, or anyone that might try to stop him, would not be more forceful than necessary. I thought about the long sword the seneschal had brought him, and shuddered.

To divert my mind I went to the king's private bath chamber by the secret stairs. While I washed myself I tried to imagine the look on Thaladir's face if he would accidentally come upon me there. I decided that it would embarrass him and it would serve him just right. I almost hoped that it would happen and was startled when the door opened, but it was just Ithilwen, who always seemed to know when her presence was required.

She helped me with my hair and then offered me a floor-length cream-coloured gown with long sleeves. It was beautiful, of course, and I had not worn anything that colour before, but I still asked her to bring me the short-skirted concubine dress instead. I was not going to make this day easy for the seneschal if he intended to ignore me! Ithilwen shook her head at my request, but smiled a little when she returned with the flimsy garment.

"I didn't think I had to decide until morning," I told Thranduil once I had gotten over my initial shock over his unexpected appearance on my private balcony. "Erestor said the eagle would be here at first light."

I managed to turn myself within his arms in order to press myself against him and lay my head on his chest; the sound of his great heart pounding beneath my ear was reassuring to me. The king lifted my chin with his forefinger so that I would look up into his face.

"And have to fight my way through an army of elves and rangers determined to thwart me?" he asked. He was right. Elladan and Elrohir had never believed any of my protests that Thranduil was not coming to Rivendell to bring me back to Mirkwood. They had been training for that day over the past weeks, when they were not huddling with other elves, or the occasional visiting ranger, and asking for advice. "Come," said the king. "We must not tarry."

Too late. I gasped as Thranduil was pinned into place by the points of two blades at either side of his jaw. He lifted his chin slightly, but his calm gaze never wavered. The twin sons of Elrond stood at either side of him, their gleeful eyes sparkled triumphantly in the starlight as they held the Elfking at sword point.

"Why rush off, your highness?" asked Elrohir, his teeth flashing as he grinned.

"Indeed," added Elladan, "what is your hurry, sire?" I watched in horror as the tips of their swords made indentations into the king's neck. He, on the other hand, did not seem to notice.

I did not even know Thranduil was armed. All in an instant, he grabbed me to himself tightly and held me close to his chest with one hand while he made short work of the twin's blades with the other. The king's sword flashed before my eyes in a silvery blur, the distinct sibilant sound of steel sliding against steel whistled shrilly on either side of me, and then two identical swords flew into the air and landed point down in the balcony railing in front of us, where they shivered for a moment before standing still. Only then did he turn about to face my would-be rescuers.

"Nice touch, your majesty," said Elladan nodding respectfully as he held his throbbing sword hand in the other. Elrohir was not quite as gracious, but he begrudgingly saluted Thranduil, too. They both stood before him and held their hands out, palms up, to show they had no further intentions of engaging him in battle. The king sheathed his sword, then turned his back to both of them as he removed his cloak and wrapped it around me to cover the nightgown I was wearing.

"Say farewell to your friends," Thranduil said as he fastened the collar at my neck. "They are good friends to have, even if their courage does sometimes outmatch their wits." He stepped away from us and turned to look out over the balcony as I embraced the humbled twins, whispering good-bye to each of them. I was still wiping away tears when the king lifted me up and carried me down to the eagle, but even though I would miss them, I was not sorry to be leaving Rivendell.

I was in a beautiful mood when I awoke. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I didn’t have to ride a big freaking eagle across a huge freaking mountain range. Duiniel was nowhere in sight, and as much as I liked the elleth, I was happy to be on my own. I grabbed my CD player, popped in my favorite musical, and began to sing along as I got ready to face the day, walking over to the wardrobe to select my clothing.

Two strong arms encircled me from behind, startling me and making me shriek. I spun in Legolas’ arms and leaned back against the wardrobe, chest heaving. His expression was a mixture of concern and amusement. I pushed at his chest, not hard enough to even budge him.

"Damn it, Legolas, have you heard of knocking? You simply lift your hand, make a fist, and rap your knuckles on the door. It’s considered polite." I couldn’t hold onto sternness to save my life and spoiled the entire speech by laughing. He grinned and kissed me lightly.

"I am sorry, Rai. I did not mean to startle you. It did not occur to me that you did not hear me come in." He cocked his head, listening to the CD as it continued. "Those are very odd songs."

"Yeah, but I love them. You know me, if it’s dark, disturbing, or morbid I love it," I replied with a self-deprecating gesture.

"Yet you also love sunshine, flowers, trees, and birdsong. You are a walking contradiction." He regarded me seriously before continuing, "I rather like you that way. Do not change."

"I haven't planned to." I gave him a wicked grin. "I like shocking people, elves especially." He laughed, moving aside so that I could open the wardrobe and retrieve my clothes.

"I had noticed that." He sat down on the foot of my bed. "Have you given any thought to what you might like to do today?"

"After breakfast, you mean?" I asked. He shook his head, chuckling.

"Are you certain you are not part hobbit?" I threw a shirt at him. He ducked it and lunged, grabbing me, tossing me onto the bed next to him and pinning me down. He smiled down into my eyes, amused at my surprised exclamation.

"We're going to eat cold food again, aren't we?" I asked, the beginnings of a grin forming on my lips.

"I believe so," he replied, his lips a breath away from mine. I reached up and pulled his head down, closing the distance between us. His hands worked their way under my nightshirt while mine worked the clasps of his tunic. Breakfast was forgotten as we bared each other’s bodies, each of us doing our utmost to make the other gasp and moan.

I didn't see Thaladir at breakfast, but it didn't matter, as I was sure of where to find him. I entered the throne room with a smug smile, convinced that my choice of dress would at least make him a little uncomfortable, but I was the one who was the most surprised.

I had expected him to be exactly where he was, on that big, hard chair of Thranduil's, but not that I would find Helca there, talking to him in a low voice as if they had secrets together. She cast an icy glance at me when I shut the door behind me, but said nothing. Instead, she bent closer to Thaladir, continuing her whispering as if she couldn't care less about my presence.

The seneschal, however, had noticed me, and the dress, and his frown deepened somewhat as I approached them. "Good morning, Your Excellency," I said and curtseyed, ignoring the advisor just as she ignored me. It clearly irritated her, which made me glad.

"That is not the gown you were brought this morning, my lady," said Thaladir, but he sounded surprised more than annoyed. Helca was not late to jump into the conversation. "I thought this concubine had been here long enough to be allowed to wear a real dress," she said haughtily, staring at me with her cold, dead eyes, but directing her statement at the seneschal. "Dîn," [Silence] he said, and then turned to me, waiting for a reply.

"I thought you liked this one more, Excellency," I replied meekly, and made a deep curtsey so that the thin, veily fabric would stir around my body. It was impossible to tell whether this answer annoyed or pleased him. Probably both. Helca snorted and was about to say something, but the seneschal silenced her again, and when he told her to leave, she did so without protest. I was relieved to be alone with him.

"My personal enjoyment is not the issue at stake, my lady. This garment is unsuitable for wear when His Majesty is not in residence."

"My apologies," I said, just as meekly as before. "Would it be according to your wish that I remove it then?"

"Certainly." Grinning madly on the inside, I made a motion as if to undress then and there, and nearly laughed out loud at the seneschal's shocked expression.

"My lady!", he said sharply.

"You have changed your mind...?" I asked.

He straightened his features again, as if suddenly reminded of his role.

"Why did you seek me out, my lady? Do you seek my counsel?"

"I do," I said. It was almost true, after all. "May I sit, Your Excellency?"

Thaladir nodded, but looked so bewildered when I took a step towards him, that I sat on the floor rather than on his lap, which was what I had planned. The cold, hard stone floor wasn't comfortable at all and I wished these elves could be more normal... use a carpet, or why not a footstool? A chair for visitors would, naturally, have been unthinkable.

Lord Elrond and his sons were just finishing their breakfast when Legolas and I entered the dining room. Elrond gave us a bland greeting, his expression giving no indication of his thoughts. The twins, normally not ones to pass up an opportunity to tease either of us, made no comment beyond a brief greeting. Legolas, on the other hand, was far more smug than our activities should have made him. I looked around, thinking that perhaps Mary had finished her breakfast and left, but saw no sign that she had even been there. Putting together the twins mood and Legolas’ with Mary‘s absence, I was beginning to smell rather large rat.

"All right, spill it. What happened," I asked, catching Elladan’s eyes after his father had bid us good morning and left the room. Elladan grimaced, clearly reluctant to comply. Legolas' grin grew markedly at that.

"How is your sword hand this morning, Elladan," he inquired with a decidedly false sweetness. "Elrohir, I do hope that the balcony rail was not badly damaged." The twins visibly bristled and I felt my eyebrows seeking my hairline.

"Watch where you tread, princeling," Elrohir growled, beginning to rise from his seat. Elladan grabbed his twin’s arm, pulling him back down again.

"Peace, Elrohir. Taking Legolas apart will not change things, no matter how satisfying it might be in the short term. Besides, he amuses Rai and I would not upset her," Elladan added with a nod to me, clearly implying that Legolas was hiding behind me. It was Legolas’ turn to bristle, then. I’d had enough at that point and decided to end the clash of the male egos.

"Look, y'all can go get a measuring stick and settle this phallus-waving contest later. I've seen all of you and don't need to be reminded who's got the biggest one." The looks on their faces were priceless. Man, what I wouldn’t give to have had a camera! "I just want to know what happened last night. Now if y'all won’t tell me, I can leave you to go find that stick and I'll go ask Lord Elrond." Legolas recovered first.

"My apologies, Rai. My father arrived late last night and Mary decided to accompany him back to Mirkwood." He shot an annoyed look at the twins, but then sighed and relented. "She is under no spell, I have told you that. What she does is of her will, for the most part. My father would never harm her, nor would he keep her against her wishes." He fixed both of them with a stern gaze. "May I remind you that you drew blades on him first? Regardless of your feelings about his relationship with Mary, he was a guest of your father and you should not have drawn steel on him. You are very lucky that he was amused rather than angry." The twins had the grace to look embarrassed at that.

"Damn, I miss all the fun!" I exclaimed, my mouth quirking at the looks they gave me. They stared for a minute, but it broke the tension and they all laughed a bit. I returned my attention to my breakfast. I hoped that Mary was happy with her decision and that the twins weren’t planning anything rash because of it, but I was hungry and there was nothing I could do about anything but my empty stomach for the moment.

Conversation was a bit strained for a while, but eventually the last of the tension eased and my companions were behaving like friends again. The twins suggested that Legolas and I spend the day at the falls and I heartily agreed, never having seen them before. We took a lunch basket with us and ended up spending most of the day there.

"The twins always knew you were coming, did you know that?" I asked Thranduil after we had lifted off and began our ascent into the cloudless dawn sky. "I didn't think you were, but they never doubted it."

The king responded with a noise that was half way between a grunt and a chuckle.

"And Lord Elrond," I further informed him, "told me you were sending the eagle, but he never said that you would be coming with it." The king's face hardened slightly, just enough for me to know that I had touched a nerve.

"He was aware of my plan." Then his voice softened as he added, "I think his loyalty to his offspring blinded him. He knew that if his sons could convince you to stay in Imladris with them, then I would not have come. And if you knew I was coming, you may not have given them a chance to convince you otherwise." I laughed out loud at the tangled web of intrigue that had been made out of a simple eagle trip.

"Oh, of course," I told him, "Because Elrond knew you could always tell what I was thinking, even all the way over there in Mirkwood." I waved vaguely off into the air without the slightest idea if I was pointing east, west, north or south. "He knew that before I ever knew."

I pressed myself to the king, happy to be near him again, but I did not want to talk about other elves any more, so I asked, "Why did you come for me? Did you miss me? I sure missed you, even though I think you cheated a little by setting up shop in my head so I didn't really have a choice, did I?"

"I came for you to bring you home safely and without needless delay." The king pulled me closer to him and took my face in one large hand. "And," he said softly, "if you will be quiet for a moment, I will show you how much I missed you." And then he kissed me. Which made it easy to be quiet. For a while. A long while.

Thranduil got an enormous amount of pleasure from the view when we finally flew over the snow-capped Misty Mountains and his beloved forest was spread out beneath us. He pointed out many features of Mirkwood that could only be seen from above but I had a hard time taking my eyes off of his smiling face to look elsewhere.

"In Rivendell," I told him, "they think you never smile, that you don’t even know how to. Aren't you ever happy when you go there? Aren't all elves friends to one another and happy to see each other once in a while?"

"Elrond has his realm well in hand, he does not require either my services or my sword." The king returned his attention to the landscape below us.

"What about being his friend?" I asked. Thranduil snorted.

"Mortals pay lip service to a term they care nothing about," he replied. "To you, a friend is one who is dependent upon you or upon whom you can depend. I seek no such dependencies. Elrond is my ally but there is no reason that I should feel the level of emotional attachment to him that you mortals display for each other, nor do I have the need to be in his physical presence in order to enjoy his company."

"So, you never want to go to Rivendell just for fun? To see other elves, hear some songs, talk about the old days, catch up on all the news that may not make it over the Hotline?" I held a hand to my forehead and wiggled my fingers at him. The king laughed.

"At the present time," he said with a familiar flicker in his gleaming eyes, "I have more than I need for diversion from my duties, right here in my arms."

"I am glad to be of service, your majesty," I whispered before he covered my mouth with his.

"This impudence is appalling and I demand you cease now." The seneschal's attempt at a stern reprimand was more amusing than intimidating, and I didn't stop playing with the hem of his robes, occasionally sliding a hand underneath to touch his leg.

"Or else, what would you do, Excellency? Perhaps... spank me?" I didn't dare look at him, afraid to begin laughing at his distress, but I had no trouble imagining his sour face.

"The impertinent behaviour you demonstrate, my lady, deserves nothing less." He spat it out and I almost thought he would threaten to do it if I didn't stop. As if that would scare me.

"However regrettable," he continued dryly, whether noticing my lack of fear or recalling a certain night, "I do not believe such a treatment would have the desired effect."

"No, Excellency?" I looked up to meet his gaze, a mesmerizing mixture of displeasure and need that made me more determined than ever to follow this through. "Perhaps, then, you would overlook my misdemeanours until a later time?"

The wrinkle between his eyebrows deepened while he seemed to ponder this, and he finally concluded; "I do not find your correction a task of immediate need."

Realizing that would be the most enthusiastic reply I could count on for the time being, I continued my exploration of his thighs, parting the robes and laying open the thin leggings the seneschal wore underneath. The fabric was soft, not shiny or expensive-looking, just velvety like moss or the pelt of a tiny mouse. I patted it a little, stroked my fingertips over the smooth surface, enjoying both the feeling of it against my skin, and the strained look on the elf's face. I ran my hand higher up between his thighs, and then touched, ever so lightly, the base of the significant bulge, hoping to extract a whimper from Thaladir. There was no such sound, and I withdrew a little, to get a better look at him.

He sat still and upright on the throne, as if mimicking the erectness of his member, and with hands clutching the armrests. He was staring straight ahead and kept doing so even when I placed my whole hand over his hardness, but his eyebrow twitched a little. Smiling I resumed my previous position between his knees, in my thoughts cursing the lack of carpet or cushion or anything that might have made it less uncomfortable.

Again I ran my fingers over the soft material, along the elf's inner thighs, and finally cupped the bulge that crowned them. I left one hand there and with my other, I felt for the lacings that were Thaladir's only remaining protection from the final stage of unseemliness. I was surprised of how easily they came undone, having expected some devious design that would hinder all advances. With delight I watched as the seneschal's member became visible inch by inch as I opened his leggings. The proud sceptre I finally saw before my eyes was a worthy steward for the king.

I was trapped between a wish to draw out my sweet torture of the seneschal as long as possible and the increasing numbness of my knees, but had to succumb to the latter. Mortal weakness! After a last glance at the seneschal's stern face with that now furiously twitching eyebrow, I bent over and took him in my mouth. Not slowly anymore, but gulping, greedily, slipping my lips over as much I could take in. Which wasn't very much, to be honest, but I did my best, and let my hands take care of the wronged parts.

I am proud to say that I finally managed to get a reaction out of the seneschal, even if it wasn't the one I had wished. He did whimper, or at least let out a throaty sound, but then he grasped my shoulders and lifted me off his lap. His now glistening member didn't look like it would mind some more of the same, but the look in the seneschal's face was scandalized.

"This can not be allowed to continue," he stuttered between clenched jaws, "unseemliness of this degree... in a public area..."

"Then Your Excellency might wish to move to a less public area," I suggested.

"Retiring from this room before His Majesty's return was not in my intentions," he hissed, struggling to regain control over his voice, "but under the circumstances it would indeed... seem the least reprehensible course of action."

"Will you come to my room, then?"

"That is the logical alternative, my lady. As I seem to have little choice, I will surrender myself to your ministrations, but I will not actively participate in unauthorized unseemliness."

I smiled to myself. No, of course not, he would still not do anything he remotely thought might be against the king's will. But he must have changed his mind a little about that, even if he didn't want to tell me, or he wouldn't have let me go this far.

He let go of my shoulders and I rose from the floor, steadying myself against him. It felt so good to straighten my legs. "Aphado nin" [Follow me]," I said, and began walking towards the door. For a second I was afraid he would not come, but then I heard the soft swishing sound of his robes falling into place when he rose. I did not turn to look, but I suspect he didn't find walking very comfortable.

I led the way to my room and found the ever kind and smiling Anarion there. My sweet door guard did not seem surprised to see Thaladir, but took a respectful step back and stood at attention for 'the General'.

As soon as the young elf closed the door, I stood close to the seneschal. I snaked my arms around his waist, under his robes, and enjoyed the rare moment of closeness. I realized that I felt deep affection for him, even if my motivation now was revenge. And lust. I pressed myself closer against him and was reassured that the waiting had lessened neither his readiness nor my desire. I stood tiptoe and whispered; "Mibo nin" [Kiss me].

"While I allow you certain indulgences, my lady, I will play no active part in this. Your request is denied. Furthermore I am eager to return to my duties and propose you do not delay your actions." For a moment I was taken aback by his indifferent speech, but I brushed the feeling aside, knowing that his body was very prepared to betray him.

"I understand, Excellency," I replied as nonchalantly as I could, but it was impossible for me to remain serious. "Will you at least lay down? It would make the experience so much more comfortable for both of us. And be quicker too," I added with a wink.

Without a word, the tall elf strode over to the fireplace and lay on his back upon the cushions on the floor. He didn't even remove his outer robe, but watched me as I took off my shoes and underpants. Then he closed his eyes.

He didn't open them again until I had straddled his legs and moved all hindering fabric out of the way. I regretted my promise not to draw it out, but wasted no further time as I moved up to position myself. The look on his face when I leant forward to kiss him, instead of taking him in, was priceless and for a second I thought he was going to urge me on. He did not go as far as that, but at least he responded to my kiss, nibbling my lips in a way that drove me crazy.

That was all the encouragement I needed to impale myself on his shaft and I nearly cried out with pleasure when I began moving. Thaladir's self-control was admirable, but I hated it, hated the way it made him deny himself pleasure and contract his face in strain instead of giving in to emotion. But soon I was riding him hard, oblivious to everything except for the feeling of him inside me and the climbing peak of lust. "Thaladir," I moaned at last, desperate now, "please, you know that our king approves."

At last he reacted, so quickly it took my breath away, and his hands seemed to be every where at once. Cupping my breasts, stroking between my legs, holding my buttocks... and then, with a firm grip of my hips, making me bounce wildly, matching his fervent bucks as we both finally screamed out in release.

After we had landed in the courtyard before the great gates of Mirkwood, the king dismounted, helped me down and stayed with the eagle to say farewell as I ran up ahead to find Mal. The ground felt freezing cold under my bare feet and I had to keep the king’s cloak tightly wrapped around me for the temperature was chilly despite the brightly shining afternoon sun and the flimsy gown I wore provided no protection from the nipping wind. I first saw Thaladir, coming down to greet his king, and was not surprised to see a look of relief smoothing his normally frowning features. I stopped in front of him and dipped in a sort of curtsy.

"Good afternoon, your excellency," I said with as much respect as I could muster, which stopped him in his tracks as he was forced to acknowledge my presence. I pointed back to Thranduil and said, "Look, I managed to get the king home to you safe and sound, are you proud of me?" I think I saw the tiniest flicker of amusement within his dark, gloomy gaze but he never had a chance to reply to me for at that moment Mal called out from behind him, and I was instantly swept into her embrace.

"Mal," I whispered into her fragrant hair, "I have so much to tell you, I can't wait to talk to you." We stood apart from each other, each holding the other at arm's length for a moment as we each assessed the other's state of well-being.

"You look the same," she said after she shook her head and clucked her tongue over the sight of my nightgown and bare feet.

"You look happy," I said. She laughed.

"I am," she replied. "And I am happy to see you."

Her smile brightened even more as the king drew near, and she released me with a delighted squeak and threw her arms around him. I could not even feel jealous for her joy at seeing Thranduil was understandable. To be parted with him for even that little while it took for him to travel to Rivendell and back must have been agonizing with only the grouchy seneschal for company.

The king said something in Elvish to her before releasing himself from her arms and then, after saying a few words to Thaladir, he guided me into the dimly lit halls of Mirkwood. As soon as we entered through the gates, I breathed a sigh of relief; I was home again.

It crossed my mind to ask Thranduil where he was taking me this time because there was no guarantee that I was not heading for a dungeon and there was always a chance we were headed for the dining room, or to his study, or possibly the bathing chambers. But I did not ask because I really had no doubt about what his immediate intentions were. Aboard the eagle he would kiss me and let his hands travel gently over my back or through my hair now and then, but he was otherwise respectful of our great feathery transport when it came to giving me a proper, Thranduil-style greeting.

His sentries stood, silent and menacing, at either side of the door to his private chambers just as they had done the first night I had been brought there by the king. I still did not know their names, but I recognized their faces this time. They were the same two elves who had been out with the king searching for me after I had jumped into the river to escape. But there was no time to point this out for the door was opened, we entered, the door was shut and we were alone, at last.

"This is new," I said as I undid his cloak from where it was fastened around my neck and let it fall to the floor at my feet. The king raised a quizzical eyebrow in response to my statement. "For the first time since I arrived here in Mirkwood to visit you," I explained as I pulled the silken nightgown over my head, "I don't need you to help me take my clothes off, see?"

"Yes," said the king, his eyes glittering with appreciation, "I do see. Now, come over here, I want to show you something."

I didn't see Thaladir again until after lunch, when I peeked into the throne room and found him sitting there, as calm as before I had interrupted him this morning. This time I was wearing the long-sleeved cream-coloured gown, presenting myself as a perfect image of seemliness and decorum. The seneschal looked relieved and rewarded me with a rare smile. Palace order was restored. But for how long, I thought, suddenly reminded of Mary's imminent return. The eagle could return already this day, Ithilwen had said when I asked her opinion on the matter. She had never travelled herself, but had heard that eagles could be very quick in good weather. I decided to go outside to wait for my friend and the Elven-king.

Eventually I was joined by Thaladir, who was rather anxious looking. He paced back and forth over the courtyard, wringing his hands and muttering something inaudible. He would have looked funny if it wasn't so obvious that his worry was real. Now and then he stopped, straightened his back and gazed towards the sky. At these occasions I kept my eyes glued to him so I would immediately discover if he saw the eagle. And the king. And Mary.

It was easy to see the very moment in which he caught sight of them. His serene and handsome face was lit up with an inner glow that shone throw his hazel eyes, giving him an air of confident power. I couldn't resist an urge to run to him, clutch his arm and ask, catching my breath, where they were. He looked at me with a mixture of pity and contempt, and then pointed towards the sky. I saw nothing.

With me still on his arm, he turned and walked towards the gates, calmly, stately, as if he wanted to show Thranduil, in case he was looking, how little the return of our king moved him. Silly elf! We stood outside the gate and I let go of his sleeve before he could say that it was improper behaviour.

I held my breath as the tiny spot over the trees quickly grew to a majestic bird that landed almost without a sound. That is, from the eagle itself came only the scraping of its claws against the stones. But I heard Mary squeal as it hit the ground, a happy sound that made me chuckle. Thaladir's reaction was the opposite and I could see his frown deepen, before the sight of Thranduil made him forget whichever thoughts he may have had of her.

He stopped short before he reached the king and I saw that it was because of Mary, who stood before him and was now pointing towards the eagle. I cried out and ran to her, catching her in a wild hug. Then I looked at her and noticed her bare feet. Only my wonderful, crazy friend would make such an entrance to the royal halls! She looked as happy as I felt, and I would have loved to talk with her, but when the king came I couldn't resist throwing my arms around him.

I was immensely happy to see him safely back that I couldn't be disappointed when he released me after just a short embrace and walked towards the gate with Mary. The promising glint in his eyes, and his whispered "I lû lín telitha" [Your time will come], had convinced me that I would not regret waiting for my turn.

The sun was starting to fall below the trees as we leisurely made our way back to our rooms to get ready for dinner. I had promised to dance with Legolas in the Hall of Fire that evening after extracting a promise from him that he would not allow me to look like an idiot while I did so, as I was built for endurance, not grace. We parted at my door and I was glad to see Duiniel waiting for me when I entered my room. I had some definite plans as to my appearance that evening and her assistance with my hair was appreciated.

After a flurry of dressing and hair styling, I stood before a full length mirror, assessing the visual I presented. I wore my red satin corset and a black skirt made from satin overlaid with lace that belled out modestly from the bottom of the corset to my ankles. Around my neck I wore a garnet encrusted silver pendant that hung from a simple silver chain. The cross rested right at the top of my cleavage, drawing the eye there. Duiniel had coaxed my hair up into combs on the sides, leaving the back to hang to my waist. I draped a sheer, glittering wrap over my shoulders and bare arms. The effect was exactly what I had been hoping for and I thanked the talented elleth profusely for her assistance.

Legolas knocked on my door at that moment and Duiniel shot me a knowing grin as she crossed the room to the door. She greeted him respectfully and stepped aside, watching his reaction to me carefully. Neither of us was disappointed. Had he been a lesser being, I believe his jaw would have dropped. As it was, I noticed that his eyes got that smoky look to them that I associated with desire. He paid me a courtly compliment in front of my elleth assistant, but as we walked to the dining room, he touched my arm or my back above the top of the corset several times.

At dinner, he laid his hand over mine frequently as we conversed and even dared to grip my thigh under the cover of the table a time or two. Once we reached the Hall of Fire, he monopolized my time on the dance floor, allowing only Elladan or Elrohir to partner me in his stead. I enjoyed every minute of it, teasing him with glimpses down my top and not so accidental brushes against him.

After a while, we drifted out into the gardens to cool down from the exertions of dancing. I knew he was leading me to a more secluded part of the gardens, but decided to go along with it. I had teased him quite a bit and it was only fair to follow through. He pulled me into a sheltered glade, far from the merriment of the house.

"This garment is very snug," he commented, running his finger along the edge of the corset on my breast. "It pushes these up in the most fascinating manner." His fingers delved under the satin, making me shiver.

"Yes, well when you’re built like a taller version of Mae West, corsets are a great addition to the wardrobe," I replied, despite the distraction of his warm fingers playing on my skin. He stopped and shot me a puzzled look. "Big chest, big butt, smaller waist," I elaborated.

"I like this outfit and I like the way you are made. Ellith do not have such lovely curves for me to explore," he stated, dipping his head to kiss my chest just above the edge of the corset. His lips and tongue drove all ability to speak from me and I melted against him. Deft fingers began to unhook the front of the corset and his lips followed his fingers. Soon, the confining garment was parted and his hands roamed freely over the areas it had covered. He pushed my skirt up, only bothering to remove my underpants before he lifted me and impaled me. We moved together, the moonlight casting strange shadows around us as we struggled not to cry out and alert anyone to our activities.

We snuck back to my room after straightening our clothing, giggling like naughty children. For once, he stayed with me until morning.

"You have learned much in Rivendell," said the king much later as he cradled my head in his great hands and gazed into my eyes. The candles had mostly all guttered out and the faint flames from the few that remained lit made shadows play across the incredibly beautiful landscape of his face above me. It was hard to speak when he plundered my soul the way he was doing at that moment, but I managed.

"I learned a lot from Glorfindel," I said. "He explained a lot of things to me." The king nodded but said nothing. I could not tell if he was pleased to hear me talk about the time I had spent apart from him or highly disturbed. I was only sure that if he did not want me to speak about anything, he would stop me, so I continued. "He was the only one who didn't seem too afraid of you to even talk to me while I was there, and tell me the truth. I guess they all knew you were in my head, peeking out at them. Everyone knew, except me."

"I think, all in all, it was a good experience for you." The king proclaimed before pulling his hands from my head and reclining back onto the pillows beside me on the royal bed.

"Yes, I guess it was, but..." I sat up and looked down at him now, "aren't you supposed to tell me why I left here in the first place? Why I left you?"

"You did not leave me." I waited for several heartbeats for him to add something that would help me make sense of what he had just said. His gaze remained peaceful and calm.

"Okay," I finally said, "then what happened? If I didn't leave you?"

"I sent you away."

"You sent me away? You sent...?" I stopped, shocked, as I realized that this made more sense than anything I had thought of since the moment I walked through the kitchen doors that day after leaving the lunch table. I had felt even then that I was not actually in control of my movements and that I had no destination in mind until I was outside of the gates and saw Legolas aboard the eagle.

"You wanted to leave," said the king softly, "and I assisted you, instead of preventing your departure, as I could have done." He reached up to brush my hair from my face and tucked one corner of his mouth up into his crooked grin, "It was one of the few times that your will was in perfect accord with mine."

"You wanted me to leave?" I thought of how I had been holding on to Master Darek's hand and shouting at him. I covered my face with my hands at the memory. "Was I that embarrassing to you, the way I was acting?"

"No, I was not embarrassed.“ I peeked out from between my fingers at him at those words. He continued, "You were not to blame for your behavior. Unfortunately, you were being assisted to behave that way also, although not by me." The king's face grew hard and his eyes seem to look inward for a moment. "I stepped in to help you decide because I knew you were in danger if you were to stay. I had no choice. And I had to neutralize that danger before I could bring you back."

"Danger?" I exclaimed feeling both alarmed and a little excited by the idea. "I was in danger?" The king did not answer me right away. Instead he drew me down to him and had me lie on his chest while he held me there with his arms around me. His hands traveled over my back, but not with the lusty demands he had made upon me earlier, and I felt relaxed and drowsy.

"You are safe, now," he said. "Have no fear."

"I always feel safe when I am with you," I looked up from his chest and into eyes the color of a stormy sea before I continued. "But I am not always with you when I am here."

"You are safe, do not doubt me on this." He pressed my head gently back down onto his chest. "No harm will come to you here. Now sleep, we will talk more in the morning."

"Do you promise you will be here in the morning?" His body made a hard pillow, but I did not want to move.

"I will be here, now sleep."

And so, I slept.

To be continued...