A shadow lies on Thranduil and his forest, and only a power stronger than the darkness of old can save them.
Grief and loss have turned him into a king with a heart of ice, and if he is ever to find redemption, the chains of guilt and remorse holdin...
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"You came here to save my soul," he said.
It was not so much a question as it was a statement. Suddenly his chest seemed too constricted and breathing became increasingly difficult. Could it all be true? Was there indeed hope for him to heal? And was this woman in front of him the one to make him whole again? His scar had already broken through the glamour and if he wasn't careful, the meticulously constructed dam around his heart might collapse anytime under the oncoming flood of emotions.
"I was searching for a broken soul, but found a loving heart instead," Anna said.
The steady beating of her heart against the palm of his hand was the most beautiful gift the Valar had given him. With his thumb he wiped away a solitary tear that clung to her lower lashes, while what he really wanted to do was pull her close and kiss her to make sure all this was not just a cruel trick his mind was playing on him.
"For centuries I have been waiting, listening to the song of the trees that whispered of someone coming from the other side to bring unrest and love, someone unlikely and altogether unexpected. I could not make any sense of these words until I looked into your eyes that day under the tree and it was like gazing into a mirror. I know now that what I saw was that piece of my soul you are carrying. I am eternally grateful for the choice you made, for coming here and giving me hope when I had none left."
"Gandalf advised me to follow my heart, and so I did. When I awoke under that tree and I first saw you, I was terrified. Y—you were like nothing I had ever seen before, like someone out of a fairytale. I was trying to make sense of everything, but I couldn't think straight anymore. Apparently death isn't too kind when it comes to messing with one's mind. But then you looked at me and the grief and sorrow in your eyes stirred up something inside me. Perhaps it was that piece of your soul responding, or perhaps it suddenly reminded me of what I had left behind when I died."
Shadows darkened the bright green of her eyes, and her face suddenly paled.
"Can you remember what you left behind?" He needed to know, even though it might be something he didn't want to hear. It would be foolish of him to assume that there hadn't been anyone in her life before him. She was a grown woman after all, and a beautiful one too.
"I don't think you want to know," she said, avoiding his gaze. "And it doesn't matter now. I am dead in my old world. It means nothing." The trembling in her lower lip was proof enough that she did not believe her own words.
"I want to know," he said. "I told you about my past. I think it is only fair that I should know about yours too, even though you have left it behind. It still means something to you and therefore also to me."
Anna's shoulders sagged, as if the weight of her past was crushing her.
"Was there someone you loved?"
"Yes," she said in a small voice.
"Tell me about him," he said, even though it pained him to hear her speak about another man.
