Galadriel slid soundlessly from the tree line, following the call of her instincts to a frail looking human that lay mere yards from her. She could feel the girl's suffering, could see the pain she'd been forced to endure for the sake of this world that was not her own, and felt her heart constrict. She would not end here. She would continue on and help to thaw the heart of her distant kin. There were precious few gifts left to her now that her power was bound with that odious creature's creation, but she would use one left to her to save this woman, if she could.
She knelt beside the mortal, trapping her wandering eyes in an endless stare that showed far more than any human of this world could comprehend, only to have a smile spread across her face. The human reached up a hand and rested it on her face, smile still in place as she drew a labored breath.
"I know….it'll all be over…sooner than you think…you'll be reunited with your ancient kin and…see…your home again." She sighed. "I wish…I could see it…Valinor…" Her eyes began to slip closed as Galadriel sat in shocked silence. How had she known? She saw this mortal's mind, and within it was the entire history of this world. She drew a shaking breath as she set her hands upon the woman's chest, using the meager power left to her to encourage healing. She willed the body to repair itself, fueling it with her own power and praying to Iluvatar that she had come in time.
"My lady?" Haldir's voice drew her away from the woman. She'd done all she could, it was up to the mortal now. "Will she live?" He asked, coming up along side her. This was the first time he’d laid eyes on the woman they’d all come here to save, and his heart ached for her. She looked so small, frail and thin from too long without food and warmth. She was covered in bruises and cuts, some old, some distressingly new, and the grass beneath her was stained with her blood. An old anger surged to the surface at the cruelty in the world, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He’d done his part in her rescue, all he could do was join his lady in wishing her well.
"Only she may decide that." Galadriel said, her voice carrying to the distraught Tauriel and Thranduil as they reached Kiva's resting place. The fiery archer couldn’t help the gasp and sob that escaped her at the sight, and if not for Legolas sliding up to support her, she would’ve fallen to her knees. As it was, she turned in his grasp and buried her face in his chest, venting her sorrow and fury in quiet sobbing breaths as tears slowly began to stain his tunic a darker green. His own sorrow was naked for all to see, tears falling freely as he looked down at the woman that had come to mean so much to so many of the people in his kingdom. He couldn’t bear the sight of her any longer and ushered Tauriel away, taking her to the edge of the forest where she could find solace and grieve without fear of judgment.
"What have you done?" Thranduil asked, forgoing the formality in his panic. She was breathing, but she was so still otherwise. He looked from her body to Galadriel’s elegant form, his eyes begging for an explanation to what had happened in his absence.
"I have given her the power to live, but I cannot will the soul to remain." She locked eyes with him, the gravity of her words hitting him like a brick. He nodded, kneeling down beside the sweet human he'd come to love. He was blind to everything but the woman he needed more than he needed his next breath. Every bit of his focus was on her as he thought of the best way to word what he was thinking and feeling.
"Kiva, can you hear me?" He asked, lifting one thin hand, placing a soft kiss to the dirty flesh. "I'm here. I came for you." He felt the tears coming as the guilt and shame closed over him. "I'm sorry I was not here sooner. I'm sorry that I allowed my anger to cloud my mind from the gift you were trying to give me. I'm sorry I chose an old grudge over your safety. Please, do not leave me. Do not take your light from me. I need you Nin dilthen cugu, Nin galad, ceri- ú- glenn- o nin, Rinn- na nin, ben tegi- nin na cin." He felt the tears fall from his face to splash softly against her hollow cheek, creating tracks of porcelain skin through the months worth of grime and dirt. "I need you, silly human. You have my heart." He leaned down, placing a soft kiss against her chapped lips, willing her eyes to open.
Her chest rose and fell in a tremulous pattern. He could hear her heart beating erratically in her chest. Time seemed to stop as he listened to it, going first fast, then dangerously slow before falling into a steady rhythm. He gasped, sitting back to look at her face as her eyes began to crack open. Her mouth opened and drew in a deep breath, free of any obstruction or blood, and she struggled to speak, her throat parched and abused from months of screaming.
"Water! Bring water now!" Thranduil barked, only to have a flask pressed into his hand. He looked up to see Galadriel, smiling with tears glistening in her eyes. Had she been there the whole time? He couldn’t remember, nor did he care, his Kiva was with him now, and that was all that mattered.
"Miruvor?" He asked, catching the distinctly sweet smell of the water. The elven lady merely nodded, drawing a calming breath. It was a precious gift, and one that he would have to think of a suitable thank you for.
Thranduil nodded, lifting Kiva's head to tip the flask toward her mouth. She sighed as the cool liquid slid down her throat, soothing her hurt. She pushed the flask away after a few mouthfuls, knowing that she would be sick if she had too much after having so little for so long. Her eyes felt so heavy, her body exhausted from all it had been through, but she fought to open them, fought to see him again before the darkness took her.
"Thank you." She cringed internally at how rough her voice sounded. She'd probably done irreparable damage to it with all her screaming and dehydration, but she hoped it wouldn't always sound as rough as it did now.
"Of course." He sighed, relief flooding him. Why was she thanking him? What else did she expect him to do? It wasn’t like he could simply ignore her suffering. She was his, he had to take care of her.
"So…tired." She said, her eyes sliding shut again, her mind filled with his smile. He probably didn’t know it, but he was beaming like the sun, and it was everything she’d ever needed. Her heart hurt with happiness as she heard his rumbling laughter, deep in his chest. It was a laugh that was reserved just for her, and she loved the sound of it.
"Rest. I have you." He held her close as her body relaxed against him, his whole body stilled for the sound of her continued breath and heart beat. As both held strong he allowed himself to relax, quiet sobs wracked his body as he held her close. He'd almost lost her. If not for Galadriel's power, she would be gone beyond Valinor to a place he could not follow even in death.
A hand came to rest softly on his shoulder and he knew, without having to look, that it was Elrond, coming to offer his quiet strength as Thranduil finally gave an outlet to all the fear and pain he'd felt for so long.
It took longer than he expected to vent it all, but at the end, as his breath calmed and the tears began to dry, he heard the grass behind him rustle, and felt the robes of his old friend brush his armor. He allowed the elves of Rivendell to take Kiva to a tent that had been hurriedly erected, and felt himself sag with exhaustion.
"She will live. Galadriel has seen it." Elrond's voice sounded both sad and pleased at the same time. He knew the sadness was over the old wounds this whole endeavor must have opened for him. His own love had not been so lucky as Kiva had been, and Thranduil could only imagine the pain he must be feeling at seeing what could have been his fate handed to another.
"I almost lost her." His voice sounded too harsh to his ears, rough and raw from the sobbing he'd been doing. It wasn’t what he’d planned to say, but Elrond had a way of pulling his deepest thoughts from him, whether he wanted them exposed or not.
"But you didn't." Elrond looked over at him, a sad smile on his face. "You will, in time, but for the moment, she is safe, and she is yours." He sighed, lifting a flower that had been knocked from its vine during the battle. "Humans are finite creatures Thranduil. They are like a flower that has been cut from the stem, beautiful, full of life and light, but unable to continue forever. My great grandmother suffered the fate you have taken upon yourself, and in the end, she could not bear the loss. She followed him away from this realm. It is a beautiful thing, to love a mortal, but you mustn't squander a single day. It goes far too quickly." He laid the flower on Thranduil's armored leg and rose gracefully, walking to the healing tent to tend to the girl.
Her whole body was sore, filled with the kind of bone deep ache that no amount of pain killer was gonna get rid of. But she couldn't stop the smile that stretched her face. If she was in pain, it meant she was alive.
Her eyes were like two ton weights on her face, but she pushed them open, needing to verify what her body was telling her. She could feel the soft feather mattress under her back, feel the breeze as it passed over her face, smell the fresh scents of the forest as the sound of rustling leaves reached her ears. It all sang a beautiful song of freedom the she was afraid to trust until she saw it with her own eyes.
As they opened, she saw the familiar carved walls of the healing room, saw the beams of fresh morning sunlight glinting off the stone that had been so carefully shaped to look like roots and felt the happiness swell in her chest. She was really free. She was really out of that place.
"Good morning, are you feeling better?" A deep baritone asked off to one side, making her smile even wider.
"I'm really free aren't I?" She asked, afraid that any moment would bring the dispelling of this beautiful illusion.
"Yes Kiva, you are free." Thranduil leaned over into her field of vision and smiled. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come for you." He said, sadness touching at the edges of his expression.
"I knew you would. Some part of me knew you would." She felt tears well up in her eyes as the months of horror set into her mind. "It was so horrible there, but I fought. Every time I got close to breaking I would see you face, and I knew I couldn't give in. It was so quiet, for so long, but I heard your voice and I knew I had to hang on." She looked up into his eyes, waiting for him to chastise her for being so sentimental, but it never came. His arms encircled her and brought her too thin frame to rest against his broad chest and he simply held her as all the pain and fear came rushing out of her. It hurt to cry, her body was still feeling quite abused, but she couldn't stem the flow of sobs and tears as her mind cleansed itself of the torture she'd been made to endure.
It felt like hours that she sobbed into the soft fabric of his tunic, staining it with all the hurt she'd been holding in, but, at long last, she felt herself beginning to calm. The shadow of what she'd been through would always be with her, this much she knew, it was simply the way human minds worked, but the threat was gone. She'd robbed it of its power over her. Never again would she have to be in that dark place all alone, because he would be there to hold her.
"Kiva. I know you've just been through a terrible ordeal, but I must ask you something." He released her, settling her back onto the bed as he reached to a small table behind him, pulling back a ring that was unlike anything she'd ever seen. It was made of winding tendrils of silver, all coming together to support a bright white stone that shone with a brilliance she'd never seen before. It was flanked on all sides by stones of every shade of blue that seemed to glimmer with their own inner fire as they spilled down over the vines, creating an ocean like wave that drew the eye back to the center stone. "Will you become my one, my queen and my eternal mate?" He asked, looking deep into her eyes as the full extent of that question settled on her.
"But, I'm human. I mean, won't that leave you…" Her words were stopped by a fiery kiss. It sent shivers of heat all through her body, warming her in a way that she'd thought long gone and robbing her mind of all argument. She wanted to be with him, with all her heart, life span be damned.
"Let me worry about that, silly human." He laughed softly, slipping the ring onto her finger and enveloping her in another toe curling kiss. “Im will ú- dab- anand na tegi- cin o nin nin cugu.” He held her close as he breathed in the peace of the moment. “Cin are nin emel, nin galad, nin faer.” He whispered the words reverently against her skin, reciting vows he’d thought long forgotten to time. “Im mel cin.” He pressed a kiss to her temple as he felt happy tears well up behind his closed eyes.
“Im mel cin too Thranduil, nin er, nin hir, nin aran.” She looked up at him with happy tears coursing down her cheeks, whispering the words so softly they were practically silent. They were meant for him, and only him, and the joy she saw shining in his eyes was all she would ever need to know that she was right where she needed to be.
Translations
Nin dilthen cugu - My Little Dove
Nin galad, ceri- ú- glenn - Do not take your light from me
Rinn- na nin, ben tegi- nin na cin - Return to me, or lead me to you
Im will ú- dab- anand na tegi- cin o nin nin cugu - I will not allow time to lead you from me My Dove
Cin are nin emel, nin galad, nin faer - You are my heart, my light, my soul
Im mel cin - I love you
Im mel cin too Thranduil, nin er, nin hir, nin aran - I love you too Thranduil, my one, my lord, my king
Rating: E because apparently I can't stop once I get started, and neither can they...
CW: Breeding Kink if you squint, other than that, just good old fashioned "bonding"
Art found on Pinterest, no artist credit given. If this is your art let me know so I can give credit!
Tasty Smut under the cut
Wonderful Mornings
The morning dawned much earlier than Kiva was comfortable with, and for a moment, she couldn’t remember why she was being woken by its light. Her room didn’t have a dawn facing window, and the healing halls were always shadowed until noon. At first she thought she’d simply dreamed the sound of birds, but as their song filtered in through the open window beside the bed, she was forced to conclude that she was, indeed, somewhere other than she’d expected to be.
It was at that moment that a body, long and lithe, moved against her and memories of all that had happened the day before began to trickle back to her in tantalizing strings of images and sensations that were more than making up for the obnoxious hour. She’d nearly died again, but damn had it been worth the pain.
“Mmm, Man erin nin mel.” Thranduil’s voice, still thick with sleep, was like warm velvet against her ear, and the possessive little pet name pulled an uncharacteristically shy giggle from her as she felt just how good of a morning it was promising to be.
“I didn’t catch all of that, but good morning to you too…I think.” She closed her eyes as his warm chuckle wrapped around her and pulled her back into that hazy warmth that had filled them both in the small hours of the night. She didn’t think she would ever get tired of feeling his hands on her body, or hearing him tell her how much he loved her.
“I will be sure to give you some lessons myself when I return. I will teach you how to say the things no lady should ever say, and test you on them thoroughly.” His voice dropped steadily until it was little more than a rumble against the skin of her neck. His arms drew her back slowly until they were flush from shoulder to shin.
“I already know plenty of those..just not in Sindarin..” Kiva let her head fall back against his shoulder, baring her throat to him as she rolled her hips back against his cock, catching it between her thighs. She’d been too surprised by the newness of everything the night before to really show him what she could do, but this morning was a different game entirely. She was ready for him now, and she was going to pay him back for every last bit of pleasure he gave her.
“Oh?” Whatever he was about to say was cut off by a breathless gasp as she began to rock her hips back and forth, keeping him tucked up between her thighs and her core. She’d gotten very good at this particular move over the years. It was one of her favorite ways to rile up her partner, especially first thing in the morning, when neither of them were thinking clearly yet, and could therefore enjoy all the slow soft touches that usually got skipped in favor of more…effective, activities.
“Mmhmm..maybe I can teach you sometime.” She wanted to add something else, a tease about him leaving that she knew he would be able to see through instantly, but she didn’t want to ruin the peace of the morning with an argument, so she decided to show him what he would be missing out on instead. Perhaps that would be enough to dissuade him from leaving her so soon after truly finding her.
“Shall we..trade then..?” His arms were creeping slowly around her middle, holding her tight as his hips began to match the rhythm she was setting. His breath was puffing out hot against her skin as he let his body guide his mind, enjoying everything she was willing to give him while he woke up enough to do something about the teasing that she was having far too much fun indulging in.
Kiva huffed out a breathless laugh as she nuzzled up against his ear, nipping at it as she tried to decide what it was she wanted to say. She had some ideas, but was unsure of just how mean she wanted to be so early in the morning. A subtle shift in the way his body was moving against her was more than enough to make up her mind for her. If he was going to try and play power games then she was going to show him exactly who it was he was playing with. She ran her tongue up the shell of his ear, sucking at the tip for a moment before she released it to whisper in his ear.
“If you stay with me, I’ll show you just how much treasure this tight little pussy is worth.” She canted her hips back, letting out a soft, helpless moan as she felt his cock slide up into her swollen channel. It had been a long time since she had sex with anyone, and she’d never had the kind of sex she’d discovered with Thranduil. It had left her just a little sore, but damn if the ache didn’t make the pleasure that much more pointed. The broken sounding groan her words earned her was like icing on the perfect cake, and she couldn’t help the way her walls clenched around him.
“You are evil…cruel…perfect…” Thranduil seemed to have lost grip of their game for a moment, or perhaps entirely, as he curled his body around hers, driving himself relentlessly into her until his hips were flush with hers and she was powerless to so much as move. One big hand splayed out over her chest, holding her against him while the other dropped down to grip at her belly, growling as he felt himself, filling her completely.
“Were im na dorth-, im would ú- dár until cin were pant with nin hén .” The way he spoke the words made their meaning all too plain, and she couldn’t help the needy whine that fell from her parted lips as she started to roll her hips, pressing one of her hands over the one resting on her belly so he could feel the drag of himself inside and out. She didn’t know why the idea of him having her completely excited her so much, but it did. She’d never really wanted to be a mother, her own experience with family had left what she thought was an indelible stain on the idea, but as she laid there in his arms, feeling his love for her surround her, it started to look damn good.
“So stay…please…Dorth- nin mel.” The slow drag of him inside her was like the most wonderful torture, and it only got better as he slid their joined hands down between her slick thighs, slipping his hand over hers so that he could control just how she touched her aching clit. The hand on her chest crept up as well, bracketing her throat with just enough pressure to make her head swim as he pressed her head back to capture her lips in an all consuming kiss. He had to shut her up before he lost his will to act.
She didn’t know what it was she offered him, she couldn’t possibly understand the importance of children to the Eldar, and yet she had said it with such conviction. He knew she would do it. She would give him as many children as he asked for, and the thought of watching her grow round with his sons and daughters filled him with an almost feral need to give her anything she asked for. He didn’t need to go to the mountain. Let the dwarves keep the gems. He had all he needed right there in his arms.
“Im will tir- cin gal- round with cuil.” His pace started to speed up as he slowly lost the battle with the wonderfully tantalizing image she’d planted in his head. He could see them both, laying in this bed, locked together just as they were now, only his hands would be holding tight to her belly, swollen with child. She would look so beautiful, full of new life and love. He wanted it so badly he forgot about any other desire. He would do it. He would plant his seed deep inside her and watch it grow, fed with her love and light.
“Thranduil…I’m close…please don’t stop…” He growled at the panting helplessness in her voice. Not even his queen had ever said his name like that. It sent fire down his spine as his fingers danced her own slender digits over her swollen little bud. She was like an instrument that he’d spent centuries learning to play, and he wanted her to sing.
He pressed heated kisses and sucking bites to her throat, decorating it with even more blooming bruises as she arched away from him, grinding down against his hand as he rutted against her. Mewling whimpers and guttural moans fill the bed chamber as he felt her beginning to quiver around him. She was so close, all it would take is one or two more strokes and…
“C..fu…gods…” Each broken word was punctuated with a gasping breath until she shattered around him, keening in unbridled ecstasy as her dripping channel sucked tight around his cock, pulling him in to the base. He growled out her name as he held her tight to him, pounding up into her until he felt himself pass the point of no return.
“Take…my seed…” He sucked in a breath as pleasure shot down his spine, forcing his hips forward, burying himself as deep in her as he could go as rope after rope of his spend gushed out into her gripping walls. In that moment, his mind was full of nothing but the desire for it to take root, to see her swell with child. He could do nothing but cling to her as his hips jerked with each gout of seed, until finally, after a long moment, his body began to calm.
“That was…gods…mmm..” She sagged bonelessly back against him, her whole body pleasantly numb with the intense afterglow of what they’d just done. She didn’t know it could feel like that. After everything she’d felt last night, she thought for sure she knew all there was to know about sex, but that had been different. She used to think people who said sex could feel religious were just exaggerating, but now, she could kind of see what they meant.
“Indeed…and…what I said…” Now that the haze of need was clearing, the doubt was creeping in. He’d said so much, revealed a part of him that had been hidden since his Queen had taken the journey across the sea. He wasn’t sure that he could bear it if she took it back.
“I meant it too…” She hissed as she turned to face him, her shoulder pulling painfully as she rested her weight on it. Thranduil reached out to stop her, but she pushed his hands away gently, needing him to give her his full attention. The open vulnerability in his eyes was heartbreaking and she felt herself fall for him just a little more, if that was possible.
“I know it doesn’t make sense. We barely know each other really, and I’ve never seen myself as a mother but…I meant it. If it’s with you, I want it too.” She kept her voice soft, and never looked away from those painfully beautiful eyes for a single moment. Tears crept up along her lash line that she didn’t really understand, but they were swept away by a single elegant finger before they could fall.
“What did I do to deserve you Nin dilthen cugu? Such precious gifts you give so freely…” His words died on his lips as he watched his own love and devotion reflected back at him. His heart hurt from how full it was. Here, in this one little human, he had managed to reclaim all that he thought lost to him. He would do all he could to repay her, no matter what she asked of him, it was hers.
“Gifts are meant to be given freely silly, that’s what makes them gifts, and I’m not so special, just a woman in love.” She laughed softly, looking down as the pure emotion became too much to bear. She didn’t think she was capable of feeling so much, and yet here she was, heart ready to burst as the man..elf, of her dreams held her close and whispered words she couldn’t understand directly into her heart.
Translations:
Man erin nin mel - Good morning my love
Were im na dorth-, im would ú- dár until cin were pant with nin hén - Were I to stay, I would not stop until you were full with my child.
Dorth- nin mel - Stay my love
Im will tir- cin gal- round with cuil - I will watch you grow round with life
Nin dilthen cugu - My little dove
Summary: We've all seen the "one of us goes there" stories, this is my take on that tale with a few twists. Come on a journey of confusion, trials, intrigue and adventure as we fall just a little out of place.
In which Kiva has a little heart to heart with first a worried son, and then a curious father, and nothing back happens ever.
Series Masterlist
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Rating: Fluff, utter fluff
Family Meeting
"Oh hello Legolas, two visits in one day, don’t I feel special." She said, sitting back up before she could get properly slouchy and settled. She’d grown to really enjoy Legolas’s company. He was always quick with a joke, surprisingly witty, and he was good at helping her talk through her thoughts. He was becoming a true friend and she was happy to have him around.
"Let us hope you still feel so after I have spoken my purpose." He said, stepping into the room. He closed the door behind him, hesitating for a moment before turning back to look at her. His expression was guarded, which was unusual for him, and it put her just a little on edge. What could he want to talk about that would make him feel like she couldn’t be trusted?
"Uh oh, am I in trouble?" She was aiming for a joking tone as she smiled, but the apprehension she felt slowly leaked out into her words. It was subtle, but she knew he would be able to tell that it was there. He was really good at picking up on any emotions she was trying to hide.
"No Lady Kiva, you are in no trouble." He said, returning the smile and moving closer. "Though I do wish to discuss a rather delicate matter with you, if I may." He asked, sitting at the edge of the bed.
"Yeah, what's up?" She asked, her expression open and inviting. If she’d been a little quicker, she might’ve been able to catch herself before letting the idiom pass her lips, but she’d had something of a day so far, and she was forced to bite back a laugh at Legolas looked up at the ceiling and then back down at her as if she’d lost her mind.
"I'm afraid I do not understand your question." It took everything in Kiva’s body not to laugh as his head fell to the side in confusion. There were some days that the Prince reminded her a great deal of a Golden Retriever, and this was definitely going down in her memory as one of the best moments of their relationship so far.
"Oh, sorry, it's a phrase we use in my world. It just means what's the matter." She gave herself a mental pat on the back as she was able to cover the few giggles she couldn’t stop with a simple throat clearing. Normally she wouldn’t have minded to simply laugh, he probably would’ve joined in, but he looked genuinely troubled, and she didn’t want him to think she was making light of whatever it was he’d come to talk to her about.
"Ah, I see. Well, the matter is this. I know you have…coupled, with my father, he has made a passing mention of it to me in response to my questioning why you remained here instead of being taken back to the healing halls. What I wish to know is this. Do you love him?" He asked, his eyes pinning her in place. She'd never noticed before, just how blue they really were, just like his father's. She took a breath, organizing her thoughts as she tried to figure out how best to answer his question. She knew a simple yes wouldn’t be enough for him, he would need something much more…elaborate.
"Before I answer, I want to explain something that I think will help you understand me a bit better.” She took a breath and settled against the pillows a bit as she mapped out what she wanted to say. Legolas nodded, waiting patiently for her to be ready to speak. He’d learned that she wasn’t one to be rushed, and that trying to hurry her along would only make the whole process take even more time.
“Love means something very specific to me. Love is when I feel happier when the person is around. Love is when I can see that I matter to the person, even if I’m not being “of use” to them. Love is when I know I can trust someone with every part of myself, even the ugly ones. I say this because I want you to know what I mean when I say that, in every way I know how to, I love your father, very much. I don't know if that helps, but it’s how I feel.” She smiled at him as she waited for him to respond. She wanted him to know just how much Thranduil meant to her, and that she was taking this very seriously. The soft smile she got in return let her know she’d succeeded.
"That helps a great deal. I feel my father is in very good hands and you have put my heart at ease. Would you care for some company, I find I am not inclined to return to my duties today." He said, smiling at her, the same mischievous glint she’d seen so often in his father’s eyes flashing in his. She couldn’t help laughing as she nodded, more than happy to help him shirk his responsibilities for a little while.
"Company would be lovely." She smiled, "Though, I don't know what we would talk about." She’d gotten by so far with learning everything he had to tell her about his culture and the world he lived in, but even that had its limits. Besides, she wasn’t really up for a language or geography lesson at the moment. Her mind was too full of other troubles to worry about what mountains bordered what countries.
"You do not do yourself justice Kiva, you come from a world outside our own. Do you not consider that worth a discussion?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her oversight. She opened her mouth to say that her world was boring compared to his, when she realized that, to him, it wasn’t. Her world was only boring to her because she’d lived in it her whole life. To him, it would probably seem just as strange and wonderful as his did to her.
"Oh, I suppose I didn't until now. This is the foreign world for me, I keep forgetting that I'm the outsider." She smiled, feeling a pang of homesickness grip her heart. She shook it off, reminding herself once again of all she’d gained in exchange for what she’d lost. Besides, there was no way she ever could have gone home anyway, Gandalf and Radaghast had said as much after she first woke up. Her options had been stay here, or die, and she certainly didn’t want to the latter, so lamenting the loss of her world was a fool’s errand no matter how she looked at it.
"You are not an outsider Kiva. You are as much a member of this kingdom and this world as I am. I hope in time you can see that. Now, tell me of the customs of your people. You act so strangely, running around in nothing but a shift and bare feet. Your people must be quite interesting." He smiled, trying to encourage her to be more open. He laughed outright at the look of offense on her face as he mentioned her state of dress. She knew that in this world she would probably be violating some kind of social code, but that was because their rules were backwards, not because there was anything actually wrong with what she was doing.
"Yes, tell us of your world." Thranduil's voice floated over to them from the door as he stepped into the room, moving gracefully to the other end of the bed and sitting down beside his son. "It occurs to me that we have never spoken of it beyond how it relates to our own." He smiled, making himself comfortable and waiting patiently for her to begin talking.
"Well, I guess I'll go ahead and address the shift thing first. This," She gestured to the shift, "is considered a full dress where I'm from. Honestly, add a belt and some flats and I could walk around in this with no problems. As for the bare feet thing, that's just because I grew up in the country, lots of rough paths and walking without shoes on. There was a great deal of time, in my world, where layers of clothing were needed to be proper, like what you have here, but as life got busier and things got more industrialized, the long flowing gowns and multiple layers gave way to simple dresses and even trousers." She shrugged, thinking this was the most boring thing they could be talking about.
"Breeches, on females?" Legolas gave her a look of pure incredulity. She bristled a little at the tone of pure skepticism, but fought it down before it could form into anything else. It wasn’t his fault that he’d grown up in a world where women and men were so strictly defined. Instead, she decided that she was going to attempt a little mischief of her own in the form of a lesson.
"Yeah, it's common place in my world. Honestly, if you think about the way our various…parts, are constructed, it makes more sense for males to wear skirts that in does females." She grinned, watching the look of sheer horror cross their faces.
"Now I know you are taking us for fools." Thranduil laughed, shaking his head softly as he looked over at his son. Legolas managed to hold his gaze for maybe half a second before he had to hide his face in his hand to muffle his laughter. No doubt he’d imagined his father in a skirt and was quite tickled with the image.
"I'm not, I swear. The women in my world wear pants, and have jobs, and can own land and be single parents and everything else a man can do. We're equal, well, mostly equal, there are still a lot of societal inequalities, but we're working on that." She said, smiling and kicking Thranduil softly.
"Well that certainly explains a great many things about you." Legolas laughed, earning a kick for his trouble. He got his own back right away by scooting over just a little to sit on her foot, preventing any further kicking and earning a chuckle from his father at his antics. The King would never say it, but seeing his son behaving so with his new love was healing a wound he didn’t know he’d had.
"What of this "industrialization" you mentioned." Thranduil asked, his eyes never leaving her face. It was a word she’d mentioned before, almost never in good terms, and he’d been curious about it for some time.
"Well that's gonna take a little while to explain. It refers to the advancement of technology, machines with a lot of moving parts that do the jobs that people don't want to do. Like, instead of having fifty farm hands out tilling fields, you have what we call a tractor, which is a horseless carriage that hauls a massive plow behind it to break the ground. Instead of having people hand weave fabric and hand sew, we have machines that do it for us. It's much faster and you can get a lot more done in a day." She looked from father to son, waiting to see some sign of understanding.
"While I cannot picture these machines you speak of, I do understand the concept. It is a fascinating idea, having a single apparatus do the work of fifty men. But how does it function?" Legolas asked, too focused on the positives to realize the negatives that inherently came along with such advancement. Thranduil was not so blinded, and began to understand just why Kiva seemed to dislike this aspect of her world so much.
"Well most of them run on some form of what we call fossil fuel, which is like coal or oil. We burn the coal to heat water, which creates steam, which is converted into power, or we refine the rough oil into a fuel source we call gasoline, which powers an engine, which I don't even fully understand." She smiled, feeling embarrassed at her lack of knowledge.
"Perhaps we could puzzle it out together some time." Thranduil said, giving her a reassuring smile.
"I have another question." Legolas said, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You speak of women in your world as being equal to men. But if the women do the work of the men, what do the men do?" He asked, grinning at her.
"Well they do the woman work of course." She said, giving him her best dead pan look. He returned it with stoicism to rival his father and, though she gave it a good try, she broke first, grinning and sending both men into a fit of quiet laughter. "I almost had you there. But seriously, everyone does a little bit of everything. Fathers stay home with babies while mothers go to work. Or, more often than not, both parents work while the child is taken care of by a nanny or friend. Things aren't separated out into man or woman anymore in most places." She smiled, leaning back against the bed.
"But what of courtship and wooing. You speak of your world in such stark terms. Are the concepts of chivalry and romance even present?" Legolas asked, leaning forward, clearly taking a real interest. Of course that would be what he wanted to know about. She’d seen the way he looked at Tauriel when he thought she wasn’t looking, and to say that he had a crush was putting it incredibly mildly.
"Oh they are, it's just different. You say courting, we call it dating, and it's much more relaxed than what you do. Here it's all ritual and propriety, but in my world, it's much more personal. When a man and a woman meet, they just talk, get to know each other as people and then they agree to meet at a place, usually a restaurant, and they sit down, have a meal together, talk some more, flirt, and then, sometimes, they go back to one of their houses and…talk." She said, giving as much emphasis to the word as she could. It was clear what she was getting at, and Legolas looked absolutely scandalized at the idea. She couldn’t help giggling just a little.
"They meet and talk, alone." Thranduil's eyebrows were in danger of disappearing into his hairline. "No chaperones, no fathers or mothers, just the two of them?" She’d been expecting the incredulity from Legolas, but hearing it from Thranduil was a bit of a surprise, given all she’s already told him about her world. It was refreshing to know that she could still stump him so easily.
"Yes. Coupling, as you put it, isn't considered sacred in my world. It's special, but you can sleep with whoever you want and still be considered a viable mate for marriage, at least in my country. It's different in some parts of the world, but mostly it's just two people who like each other and want to have some fun." She shrugged, watching both elves struggle to comprehend what she was saying.
"And marriage is done purely for love in your world?" Legolas asked, looking sidelong at his father. There was a not so hidden message in that question, one that she could tell had hit home as Thranduil’s face fell momentarily into the picture of parental annoyance. She couldn’t know for sure, but she had a sneaking suspicion that Legolas had been asking some rather uncomfortable questions of late about a certain Captain of the Guard they all knew.
"Yeah, there's no marrying for status or money anymore. It used to be a big deal, but all that is long gone in my country and now people just get married because they love each other and want to be with each other." She smiled, looking over at Thranduil just as pointedly. He returned the gaze passively, not giving away what he may or may not be considering regarding his son’s future, but she could tell he was close a decision either way.
"What a novel idea." A small smile crept over his face as he spoke, a little tell from him to her that he’d heard them both, and that he was taking everything being said into careful consideration. All he needed, it seemed, was time to think it over.
"You mentioned something, a restaurant, what is this place?" Legolas asked, oblivious to the silent messages passing between the two. It was strange to her, how quickly she come to care about the young elf. She’d never admit it, especially to him, but she could see herself guiding him as a mother would, if he ever needed it. The thought gave her pause, but not in the way she’d feared it would.
"A restaurant is a place where you sit and eat. There are all different sorts with different menus based around different countries or styles of cuisine. Some places are really cheap, the food doesn't cost that much, so it's not usually as good, but I've found that there's something out there for everyone." She tried to stifle her yawn as her brain finally caught up to the rest of her body in exhaustion. Perhaps there had been something to what Thranduil was telling her earlier. She could feel her shoulder beginning to complain, and the thought of doing anything other than curling up under the blankets with her King at her side was sounding more and more exhausting by the second.
"Are you tired my lady?" Thranduil asked, leaning forward. He already knew the answer, he was becoming something of an expert on her body as of late, but he also knew that she hated having such things assumed.
"I'm alright, we can keep talking if you want. It's been ages since I had a decent conversation." She smiled, hoping he would catch the hint and send Legolas away. He shot her a subtle wink as he stood from where he’d been reclining at the edge of the bed.
"There will be time for conversation tomorrow. Legolas, you have early guard." Thranduil said, his voice taking on a fatherly quality. Everyone in the city knew he turned a blind eye to Legolas shirking his duties. He was a dedicated warrior, and more often than not would keep to the schedule he was given, but he was also a Prince, and that gave him certain privileges, so long as he didn’t over use them.
"Yes Father." He stood, turning and taking her hand from the mattress. "It has been a pleasure speaking with you. I look forward to many more conversations." He placed a small kiss on her hand and stepped around the bed, taking his father's hand in a gesture that must've been the elven equivalent of a hug before taking his leave, shutting the door quietly behind him. Thranduil walked behind a changing screen, stripping down to just his breeches before stepping back out into the room.
"I hope he did not disturb you." He said, settling softly onto the bed beside her. He hadn’t even had a chance to fully settle before she was scooting in close to him. It was something they’d taken to doing of an evening, when he would come back from whatever business kept him during the day.
"I was actually happy to see him, my brain was still a busy mess of thoughts." She smiled up at him as he arranged himself under the blankets. She may have been a bit quick to move, and had to support herself a little awkwardly so he could get settled against the pillows on his side of the bed.
"You mind is such a busy place, I blame that world of yours. It sounds so restless." He smiled, clearly trying to get a rise out of her. She stuck her tongue out at him, earning a throaty chuckle before a gentle kiss was pressed to her forehead.
"It is, but there are still quiet places you can go to get away from it. I like busy, it keeps me from getting bored." She hissed as one particular movement caused the muscles in her shoulder to object. "I don't think my excursion was such a good idea, my shoulder is all sore and angry now." She groaned as she moved it, feeling the tender skin slide across the soft sheets.
"It was a foolish thing to do, though I don't think you would be quite yourself if you didn't do foolish things." He smiled, leaning down and pressing a tender kiss to her lips.
"I believe you just insulted me." She laughed, watching his stoic mask break into a playful smile. His rich baritone chuckle joined her own offended little giggles as he bowed his head and refused to meet her eyes for a moment.
"Did I? Or did I merely pay you a compliment on something you view as a negative trait?" He questioned, adopting the haughty look of a man who thinks he's right.
"Oh I'm too tired for mental battles, you win. I'm a foolish little human." She closed her eyes, cuddling up as close to him as she could. It was something he was still getting used to, going stiff for a moment before allowing himself to relax against her. The only time he was able to just accept her closeness seemed to be right after they were intimate, when his mind was too numbed from pleasure to do much besides regulate his body functions.
"Is this common among your people. You have plenty of bed over there." He looked over her shoulder at the whole half of the bed that she was no longer occupying, seeming to prefer laying on him than the mattress.
"This is the cuddling thing we talked about before remember. It makes me feel relaxed and happy." She looked up at him, smiling sweetly as she nuzzled against his collar bone like a contented house cat.
"I see…I do believe I approve of this custom." He sighed, feeling himself truly relax for the first time in far too many years. Even when his Queen had been at his side, there had never been moments like this, where they were simply close for the sake of being close. It seemed to be a uniquely human behavior, and he found that he rather liked it. Feeling his little Kiva in his arms like this, knowing even as she began to drift off to sleep that she was safe, it made his heart ease in a way he didn’t know he needed.
"Mmm, it’s good." She agreed, yawning softly as sleep began to creep up on her. She’d had more she wanted to talk about, his little explosion in the office for a start, but she found that his heart beat in her ear and his warm arms around her was making her concerns vanish rather quickly, and all they left in their wake was a warm tiredness that pulled at her eyelids.
"I heard you talking with my son before I came in." He said, knowing she was already too far gone to really understand. His fingers began to dance over the exposed skin on her arms, soothing her even further into the pull of sleep.
"Oh yeah?" She asked, her words slurring. Each blink was becoming longer than the last, and while she could still hear him, his words were getting a little harder to really understand.
"Yes, and I just wanted to say that I feel the same." He said, fearing her response. She laughed softly and nuzzled deeper into his embrace. The little motion made his heart ache with affection for her, and he couldn’t help holding her just a little closer. How had this perfect little human come to be so much to him so quickly? What had he done to be worthy of such a bright light?
"It's funny, I'm in love with an elf king, and he loves me too." She mumbled, her breath evening out a moment later. Thranduil felt his heart swell at the ease of her confession. This human woman had done what no elleth had managed in over one hundred years. Despite all he'd put her through, all the pain and sorrow he'd caused, she loved him. He would not lose love again, he would not survive it, he knew. He would keep her safe and happy within his halls and pray to Eru and all the Valar that a way was found to extend her life. She had brought light back into his life, more precious than that of the stars and he intended to make sure that light never went out.
Sleep was slow to claim him that night. He found himself comparing his new Queen to different forest animals. She was swift and spritely, like the foxes that once roamed the Greenwood. She was stubborn and hard to move, like the elk that sired his beloved mount. She was small and agile like the forest cats he would still see on his summer hunts. But, unlike the eldar, who could always be compared to the fairer of animals in their entirety, she was too much herself to be anything else. He laughed softly as she burrowed further into the blankets, her hand brushing absently over her face. He stroked her hair back away from her face, a song echoing low in his chest, soothing her mind and sending her off to a deep and dreamless sleep.
He watched her for a while more, tracing the shadows cast on her hair by the fire as sleep slowly stole over him. He knew he would need his rest, there was a much still to plan, but he was loathe to lose sight of her for even a moment. The last image he saw, as darkness crept into his vision, was a soft smile on her face and the shadow of the fire looming tall over her.
