Mary Goes to Mirkwood

Mary Goes to Mirkwood

Chapter 18/?

Authors: Mary, Mal and Sheraiah

Disclaimer: Just playing with Tolkien characters, for fun, and not
profit, do not claim to have created them. Thaladir, the king's
seneschal, is our own creation. Anarion, Mal's private guard, is
just that. Her own.

Warning: Sex, nudity, genteel elf-torture (Properly administered.)
(And well deserved, too, I might add.) Corset fondling. Sword play
(Pun intended.) Did I mention nudity?

Summary: The storms have passed and each mortal female finds a way
to weather the sudden change in their seperate climates.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~

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.n hen 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 rememng hng 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.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mary ~


"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 lookintointo 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 tticetice.

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 silvelur,lur,
the distinct sibilant sound of steel sliding against steel whistled
shrilly on either sid me, 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.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Sheraiah ~

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 youand,and, 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. Jekyll and Hyde is my favorite musical. 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 d our our utmost to make the other
gasp and moan.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~

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 her 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 taketake, my lady. This
garment is unsuitable for wear when His Majesty is not in residence."

"My apologies," I said, jus mee 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 hadnnednned. 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.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Sheraiah ~

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. Leg' g' 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 ofm wim 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 dout out anything butemptempty
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.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mary ~

"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 scappcapped 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.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~

"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 mesmeng
ng
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 esivesive-
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 myet tet 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.

"ringring 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 uphe che 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
ins of 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.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mary ~

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 nightgown 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 scapscape. 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."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~

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 imm 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.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~
~
~ Sheraiah ~

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 and marcasite encrusted silver cross
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 he 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\builbuilt 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.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mary ~

"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 oud thd 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 ped,ped, 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 betweenfingfingers
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 Ild bld bring you
back."

"Danger?" I exlaimed 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 soon 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.

t b c

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