The Waiting Game

Title: The Waiting Game
Authors: Gwynhyffar and Danae
Middle Earth/AU
Disclaimer: I do not own Thranduil, Mirkwood, or anything else related to Tolkien's books regarding Middle-earth. I make no money from these stories, I just play with the characters.
Summary: This is a fic involving King Thranduil of Mirkwood and his
lover Aerlinn. Aerlinn is our own character. King Thranduil has
been unexpectantly tied up in meetings with representatives from Lake
Town all week and must keep Aerlinn waiting, depsite promising to
make time for her on the afternoon in question.

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Thranduil eyed the representatives from Lake Town warily. Despite
the long dealings between the two, the elf-king could never quite
shake the distrust he held for them. In truth, he sorely missed Bard.
The only one who had shown himself to be completely above suspicion.
Tilting his head to one side and narrowing his green eyes as they
darkened to a near hazel, he finally broke the silence that had
descended over the council they held.

"Why is it," he asked in an even voice, keeping his face
expressionless, "that every time the Men of the Lake find themselves
in need of things from my forest," he looked from one emissary to the
next, "the price of your goods seems to rise?"

The king was not amused. He had long since seen through their charade
and if their new lord thought he could come into Thranduil's realm
and do as he pleased, he was wrong. Very wrong. He was tempted to
send them away empty-handed, but of course the two realms were
dependent on each other for goods. If that it were not so, thought
the king as he listened to yet another patronizing answer from the
more vocal of the two emissaries. Just as he was ready to cut the
whelp down to size for his tone and manner, the door to the kings
council chambers was opened. Galion bowed and apologized for the
interruption, saying that he had an urgent message for the king.
Thranduil motioned for him to enter and held out his hand for the
memo. His face remained unchanged to any who did not know him, but
to Galion there was a distinct flicker through his emerald eyes. The
king folded the parchment and set it on the long table in front of
him.

"Please inform the sender that I will be with them as soon as I am
able," he said, not quite sure if he found it amusing or irritating.

Aerlinn folded the note and handed it to the waiting butler. She was
not entirely certain she should have called him, but… well Thranduil
had promised her his presence and was failing to deliver. It had
been nearly two years since she had begun to receive invitations from
the king and what had started as cordial evenings spent chatting
quickly became a blossoming love between them. Thranduil had been
reluctant to make their affair public at first and they had quickly
fallen into the pattern of extreme discretion that seemed comfortable
for them both, though at times, like today, made it difficult for her
to explain where she was going or why. Galion, as Thranduil's most
trusted staff member, was the only person outside of the couple who
knew of the love that had grown between the two. He frequently acted
as a courier for the king and his lady, carrying messages back and
forth to arrange meeting times that were acceptable to them both.

"Galion, you will be sure he gets this…" The look she received
stopped her mid-sentence "Yes, I know of course you will." She
sighed feeling restless as she watched his retreating back. She sat
once again at the glass. She had spent all morning getting ready,
bathing in his favourite scent, dressing in the green he loved. The
King had been in meetings for well over a week, but he had told her
this day was to be hers and she had had to do some fancy manoeuvring
to free herself from obligations, but she always would for him and
had yet to regret doing so. She had not expected today to be
different, but the king was nowhere to be found. So she had sought
out his butler, and she now awaited his return.

Galion stepped quietly into the room, a bit entertained by the drama
that was beginning to unfold but of course he would never let that
show to the lady whose message he returned. He cleared his throat
softly and she turned, looking expectant. "He says he will be with
you when he is able my lady." Aerlinn's eyes flashed. This would
not do at all. She penned a quick note, informing the king of that
fact, a bit more politely of course, and handed it to Galion. "You
will…. yes, of course," and Galion, without even a smile took his
leave, interested to see what would happen next.

Thranduil leaned forward to look at the parchments that had been laid
in front of him showing the rising costs of procuring such luxuries
as spices and producing wine, especially the kings favoured
dorwinian. Next to those from the Lake Men, Silinde had lain out
several parchments showing the number of times they had been asked to
pay more for the items. Within the last year alone, the prices had
very nearly risen by 50%. It was unacceptable of course, but the
king had to tread carefully, as his realm was quite dependent on
several things from Lake Town. To himself he thought about how happy
he would be to see the current lord's days end. Perhaps the next
would be an improvement. At the very least he would be easier to
deal with.

"While we can appreciate the need to recoup your costs, we cannot
help but feel that you are attempting to take advantage of certain
situations. The dealings between our two realms have always been
cordial and based on mutual trust. We would hate to see that come to
an end."

He knew as well as the men did that the needs went both ways. Lake
Town was reliant on wood from his forest. They would not last
without it, and in times of need the men found themselves seeking
permission for a hunt in the forest, not to mention aid of other
sorts including medicinal herbs.

"We will pay no more than we are already paying," he said with some
finality.

The more roguish of the emissaries was not prepared to let it go at
that and began to protest just as the door was again opened. The king
found another small parchment pressed into his hand. He glanced at
Galion questioningly, then read the note. His growing irritation at
the gall of the men to ask for more payment for goods, mixed with
Aerlinn's impertinence caused the king to nearly growl. Who exactly
did she think she was speaking to. He waved a hand, dismissing
Galion without a reply and turned back to the business at hand.

Galion retreated without a word, but it was some caution that he
returned to the small sitting room where the Lady Aerlinn waited. He
entered quietly and managed a calm return to her expectant look. "He
neglected to reply, my lady."

Aerlinn blinked twice. Apparently this was to be the king's day of
neglecting things. "Thank you Galion, that will be all." She paced
back and forth across the room seething. It was not as though she
had all the time in the world either. Back and Forth, a hundred times
she went, growing more and more irritated as she walked. The
questions she had dodged… the arrangements she had made! She nearly
screamed with irritation. Finally she rang the bell getting the
butler's attention once again.

Galion did smile when the bell rang. It had taken the lady far
longer than he had expected. She had the poor timing to be in a
mood. This should be interesting. He opened the door and slipped
in "Yes, my lady?"

"Galion would you please bring me my cloak? It seems the king is
disinclined to acknowledge my presence. You may tell him when he
next has a moment perhaps we shall see each other, if I can make
myself free."

Galion nodded quietly. Well this would prove more than
interesting. If she could make herself free, as though she would
not drop everything for the king, as was right. His ability to keep
his face quiet was being well tested this night. He left the room
to retrieve the cloak from where he always put it, quietly away from
unnecessary eyes. Aerlinn sat down on one of the large overstuffed
chairs, her arms folded waiting for his return.

Thranduil nodded to the emissaries in agreement. Finally. After
nearly a week of constant meetings and messengers being sent to Lake
Town when things were not going their way, they had finally come to
an agreement. Mirkwood would not pay more for anything, but had
agreed to increase their orders, allowing the Men of the Lake to feel
as though they were still making a hefty profit off of the wood-elf
kingdom. Thranduil had planned on increasing their orders as it was,
so it was a victory to him. Anxious to be on their way, the
emissaries took their leave, bowing to the king as they left the
council chambers.

"See to it that everything is restored to order," the king called
over his shoulder to Silinde as he left shortly after the men.

I have other business to attend to at this particular moment, he
thought to himself. Moving with a determined sense of purpose, the
king walked down the hall with long strides at a quick clip. Just as
he was rounding the corner to the hall with his private chambers, he
saw Galion from behind. The seneschal obviously heard Thranduil and
turned to bow.

"Your majesty," he said.

Thranduil quirked an eyebrow. "What are you doing?" he asked,
noticing what was draped over Galion's arm.

Galion could barely contain his mirth. `Interesting' was not the word
he would chose just at this moment. For thousands of years he had
served first Oropher and then Thranduil. He knew exactly what the
king's reaction would be and quite frankly, he thought Lady Aerlinn
probably deserved what was surely going to be forthcoming when he
explained this situation. Thranduil was more like his Adar than he
would perhaps care to admit at times. Thranduil's temper was more
than legendary to those who dwelt in the realm, and as much as his
subjects loved him unquestioningly, they held a healthy fear of his
wrath. Galion had already seen the kings irritation when he had been
handed the second note. This new development would only add to that
irritation.

"Sire," he said, bowing his head as Thranduil approached, "Lady
Aerlinn asked me to retrieve her cloak. She said, and I quote `It
seems the king is disinclined to acknowledge my presence. You may
tell him when he next has a moment perhaps we shall see each other,
if I can make myself free.'"

Thranduil felt the crimson colour rise from the depths of his fea to
the tips of his ears. His emerald eyes darkened and narrowed as his
anger built. "Take that thing back where it was," he barked.

Galion nodded and headed back in the direction from which he had
come. He worked hard to keep from chuckling. The king stormed down
the hall and threw open the door to his private sitting room. There
she was. Sitting there with her arms folded across her chest,
pouting. POUTING! With a swift kick, Thranduil closed the door
behind him, sending a rattling echo down the long corridors of his
halls.

"Have you no sense of propriety?" he demanded in a sharp voice. "You
knew full well that I was in a meeting that I could not leave on a
whim."

Aerlinn was about to just leave Galion and the cloak and hang it all,
when the door burst open …then slammed shut. She jumped up surprised
to encounter a blazing king. She blinked trying to think this
through, knowing there wasn't much time. She was angry too, but
snapping back would be the wrong move at this moment, but oh how she
wanted too.

She tried to keep her voice calm and unwavering. "I.." it came out
a squeak. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I put off some
very important people today for you. And I had to try to answer a
lot of questions that I could not answer." Her temper was winning
over her sense of self preservation. He so often had that effect on
her. "So pardon me, if I did not wish to sit here quietly counting
the flecks in the marble all day!"

Thranduil had to keep himself from snorting. `Important people'
indeed. While he was attending to the running of his kingdom,
involved in delicate negotiations with other races, her idea of
important people would be the gossiping warriors wives. "I will not
pardon you, and you will sit here quietly all day if I so desire it,"
he snapped back at her.

Aerlinn felt her own temper rising and urging her to let him have
it, "Shall I sit at your feet and simper as well?" she shot back as
she angrily tossed a long dark braid over her shoulder.

The king quirked an eyebrow, "that is a tempting offer."

"Well...perhaps someday you will have the time to accept it!" It was
taking all of Aerlinn's will not to yell in his face, "but I would
not want to take you away from your precious duties." She stood,
making her way to the door and the king didn't move. She stared him
straight in the eye "I believe I was leaving, now let me pass."

Thranduil could not believe she would dare speak to him in such a
manner. She was more than aware of his dedication to his realm, and
he worked hard to find a place for her in his life. There were some
times, however, when she would just have to learn to wait. He could
not POSSIBLY be expected to leave visiting dignitaries waiting while
he went for a tryst with his lover. Things come up unexpectedly and
she would have to learn to accept that. When Aerlinn approached,
looking him dead in the eye and demanded he step aside, he could take
no more. With a low growl, the king grabbed her upper arm with one
hand and pulled her into his adjoining bed chamber, picking up a
large, wooden oval backed hairbrush as he entered. He pulled her non-
too-gently to the large bed in the centre of the room and jerked her
quickly over his lap.

"You are about to have ample time to count flecks in the marble,"
Thranduil growled as her raised the back of Aerlinn's gown. He
quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and landed a hard blow with
the back of the brush directly centre of her upturned bottom.

Aerlinn was beyond angry she was livid as he pulled her into the
bedroom. "If you had bothered to so much as reply perhaps I might
have felt differently" Before she could go further she was over his
lap her arguments soon silenced as her skirt was lifted. "You are
not being fair" She yelped as the brush came down. "Let me go!"

Thranduil was not concerned with being fair, and was certainly not
letting her go. Raising the brush again, he began spanking hard and
fast, not bothering to lecture as he did, and not concerned with her
cries. The king had had quite enough and when he was finished,
Aerlinn would never think to try to interrupt him during a council
again.

Aerlinn struggled and squealed trying to get free, but the king just
tightened his grip on her waist and held her tighter as the brush
fell time and again. He spanked long and hard moving from the top of
her bottom to the tops of her thighs, painting them a solid deep red.

Aerlinn had long since ceased trying to get away, but her pride still
held strong as she refused to submit even as the pain of the brush
began to build. She gasped at one well laid blow, her whole body
shuddering, but still she bit her lip refusing him the satisfaction.

Thranduil felt Aerlinn fighting him, if not physically, then mentally
and he would not allow her such a victory. Focusing directly on her
sit spot, the king rained down blow after blow, spanking the same
spot over and over.

The heat in her backside continued to rise, but it was more than the
heat. It was the knowledge that he would keep at it as long as he had
to...forever...it seemed it had already been forever, but she could
not... she would not... then she did. One ill-managed gasp, become
a shudder, turning to a sob.

The king felt a change come over his love. Her body language had
changed to that of acceptance and submission. Still he continued the
punishing blows until at last her cries turned to sobs that wracked
though her body. He set the brush aside and held her quietly as she
was, prone across his lap. Her creamy skin now glowed a deep crimson
and he resisted the urge to soothe the pain for her.

After allowing her several minutes to begin to calm herself, the king
gathered Aerlinn into his arms and rolled over onto the bed, holding
her to him, stroking her hair and allowing her to cry it out.

She buried her head in his shoulder her tears darkening the forest
tunic, "I...I'm sorry!" she finally sobbed. Thranduil kissed the top
of her head tenderly, "I know, it is over now and you are forgiven,"
he said in a soft tone. "I trust that we will not need to repeat
this lesson."

Aerlinn shook her head, her eyes wet and red as she looked up at
him. "I just… missed you…"

Thranduil sighed, "I miss you every moment that I am not with you
meleth-nin, but there are times when I am unable to get away to be
with you, and I need you to be understanding. If I am able to be, I
will be with you."

She nodded miserably, this was not the way she had wanted this
evening to go at all....not the event she had gotten all dressed up
for. "I know....I shall try."

"That is all I ask," the king said as he kissed her head again. "That
you try.'

~The End~