Kingsfoil [Thranduil] LOTR

Tender

Two hundred and fifty years ago...

It was still early in the morning when Narylfiel found her sister hunched over in the sitting room of the Royal wing. A cup of tea sat untouched on the tray atop the ottoman, and so Narylfiel sat down beside her sister, tucking the loose end of the blanket she had wrapped over her shoulders back into place.

"Not sleeping well?" Narylfiel asked. It was an insipid question, of course, but what else could one say?

Thaliniel looked up with dark eyes, her skin pale. "No, not tonight," she said, and then looked back down. She picked up the cup of tea as an afterthought, but it merely stayed in her lap. She did not drink it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked the younger sister after a beat. Rarely had she ever seen her older sister so despondent.

Thaliniel shook her head dully and set the cup of tea back on the tray. "Not really."

Narylfiel thought for a moment. "Did Legolas do something?" she tried.

Thaliniel shook her head again. "No," she said, but her voice sounded funny, off key.

"Is it about Legolas though?" hedged Narylfiel. She put her arm around her sister, pulled her in closer. Although Narylfiel was the younger of the two, now that she had reached her majority, she passed her sister in height, so it was very easy for her to nudge Thaliniel in closer.

A sigh, and a swallow, and then Thaliniel swiped at her eyes. "I worry about him," she said. "I can't help it! When he's gone—" she sniffed and took a deep breath. "I dreamed orcs ambushed his patrol. I watched him die. I know it's only a dream, but—"

"Shh, now. I am so sorry, Thaliniel. I cannot even imagine how hard that must be," Narylfiel said lamely.

"No, I let myself get carried away. 'Tis just a dream," Thaliniel said firmly, more to herself than to her younger sister.

"What, a late night party and no one thought to invite me?" the Elvenking's voice sounded from the doorway.

Thaliniel looked up, her lovely eyes red from crying. "No, I—I just had an unpleasant dream. That's all. I am sorry if we disturbed you."

"Of course not, I was already up." Thranduil waved his hand as if late night excursions were a regular occurrence for him.

Narylfiel turned her head toward the king. "Bad dream," she mouthed. "Legolas."

The king's eyes softened then. He hesitated and then backed out of the room; surely Thaliniel would rather be alone with her sister for comfort. He suspected his daughter-in-law was still rather intimidated by him at times.

He stopped at the end of the hall where Elfir kept his nightly watch.

"King Thranduil," the guard said with a look down the hall, for he had heard the sisters earlier. "May I be of assistance?"

The king's eyes drifted toward the sitting room, where he could plainly hear Narylfiel tell her sister that Legolas was one of the finest warriors in the Forest Guard and not to worry.

"Yes, Elfir," the king said, his mind made up. "Send a messenger to the Rowan Talan, where the Prince is stationed."

Elfir nodded just once. "And the message, my lord?"

"Tell him," Thranduil paused, "Tell him the king requires his presence and he should return with haste, by the morning if possible."

Elfir smiled a little then at the thought of the usually stern Elvenking making arrangements to console his son's wife.