Jaynaé Marie

Chapter VI: Son of the King (Part III)

Out of my chambers early, I seemed to walk above the ground. When I saw the doors to my father’s study, the guards opened them immediately. Fear stole my joy as I slowly entered. The slamming of the doors startled me as I walked further within sight of my father. He stood alone, his back to me as he watched the waterfalls.

“Son, is there something you would like to say to me,” he asked.

“Yes, father,” I said walking cautiously toward him, stopping far enough away to avoid his impending anger.

“I am listening,” he said.

“I have asked Êlúriel of Ossiriand for her hand,” I said quietly. “She has accepted.“

He turned around slowly, his face without expression—his eyes full of anger.

“So it is true, then,” he said. “You have courted this maiden without my approval.”

“Mother gave me her approval.”

“I do not care, Thranduil,” he yelled. “I am king of this realm and my judgment is the only one that matters. I will end this right now. You will marry into your class or not at all.”

“If I cannot marry the one I love, then I will freely give up the throne. I do not want it.”

He stared at me for what seemed as hours.

“Get out of my sight, now,” he said. “I do not wish to see your face just now.”

I bowed and left quickly passing Eldôr, Finëar and Sírnên on my way back to my chambers. I could feel tears running down my face as I quickly returned to my chambers. I fell by my bed and closed my eyes. I wanted to be in darkness for I felt that is where I would go if I could not be with Êlúriel.

Hours went by. I found myself pacing here to there. My heart beating so hard, it began to hurt. As I stood looking out the window in my chambers, there came a knock.

“Enter,” I said, without thought.

“Your Highness, your father King Oropher wishes an audience with you.” I turned and looked. It was Finëar.

“Yes, Finëar,” I answered as I walked toward him. “I am to assume this has something to do with Êlúriel?”

“I am afraid so. Your father is somewhat overwrought right now, I must warn you.”

“I suppose he would be,” I said walking out of my doors and down the hall. It was dark and empty. As approached the center of the court beneath my father’s throne, I noticed he sat alone, staff at one side. He gave me such a glare, had it been a sword, it would have ran through me. There was a coldness in his face and for a moment, I found myself struck with fear.

“Do you still wish to take as your wife this maiden from Ossiriand,” he asked intensely, staring harder than before.

“Yes, father,” I began with some courage, as I remembered Êlúriel’s tears in the garden. “I do. I cannot deny my heart, father. I love her.”

“Thranduil, you have this irritating habit of angering me at the most inopportune times. You are a Sindar. An heir to the throne of Eryn Galen and I will see you dead before I allow you to mix our blood with the likes of the Nandor.”

That was it. Something inside me took hold of me and I became overwhelmed.

“So be it, Father,” I began angrily. “Do what you will with me but I cannot refuse my heart no more than you could refuse yours when it came to mother. I do not think this is really any of your concern for it is my heart and not yours and I will give it to whomever I wish. If you do so choose to put down your heir over such a trivial matter know that I will not go down without a fight.”

Oropher stood up and walked slowly toward me, not once did his eyes leave me. When we were face to face, I realized for the first time I had come into my full height and was now as tall as my father.

“Your mother told me of this, but I thought it mere speculation,” he said. “Now, I see that it is not.”

“It never was, Father, not since the day I saw her.”

He continued to look at me, though his face seemed softer than before.

“Eldôr! Finëar! Sírnên! Now!” They rushed in quickly and bowed to the both of us. “Will you please tell Queen Nimeithel that I have made a decision about what to do with my son.”

They bowed and left quickly. His eyes never once left my face and I was determined not to fall back away from what I had to do.

“Very well, Thranduil,” he began. “If this is the one to whom you have given your heart to, there is but one choice I must make.”

Soon we were joined by my mother, Eldôr, Finëar and Sírnên. I feared the worst.

“Yes, Oropher,” my mother began, looking at her husband. “What brings me here?”

“Your son is in love with a Nandor, Nimeithel”.

“Oropher, I have known that for some time. If that is all you have to say about it, I have things I need to do.”

“I have something to say about it,” he said, his eyes still fixed on me. “If our son wishes to be with this young maiden, then there is one choice to make.”

He placed his hand on my shoulder. I heard the rhythm of my heart in my ears as father’s gaze seemed to soften.

“Thranduil, you have me and your mother’s blessing. You have become a man. To come with me with such conviction, I cannot and will not stand in the way of your choice. For many things can change, but the heart in love is not one of them. Go, son. I will speak with her father myself on this matter.”

He waved to Eldôr and he bowed and left swiftly. I could not move. I had gotten what I wanted from my father and the joy in my heart was so great, I thought it might beat out of my chest. Mother smiled at me.

“I do believe your father has dismissed you, Thranduil. Do you not have young maiden to find?”

“Yes, Mother. Father.” I bowed and ran out of the court to find the love of my life.

Walking through the elaborately carved walkway overlooking the gardens, I heard what sounded like a disagreement of some kind. Before me I saw Elranduil, Melros, Fëaluin and Aramír looking over the side in wonder. As I joined them I looked down to see Êlúriel arguing with her father, Nendúril.

“What are you doing here,” I asked them. “Listening to others’ private business?”

“It is about you, Thranduil,” Elranduil said quietly, with a look of worry on his face. So I looked over to hear what was being said.

“You cannot do this to me, Êlúriel,” Nendúril screamed, his face turning red. I was about to go to Êlúriel, but was stopped by Melros.

“No,” he said.

“I love him, Father,” I heard Êlúriel crying, sobbing uncontrollably. “I will be with him. You cannot stop me!”

“No,” her father said. “But King Oropher will and we did not venture all this way for you to fall in love with a Sindar. Not to mention the only heir to Eryn Galen! He cannot be with a Nandor, Êlúriel! It is beneath them. Their ways are not our ways. He belongs with his own people.”

“He belongs to me, Father,” she continued. I could barely find a thought at this moment. “Why must everything have to be this way? Thranduil loves me. I know it.”

“He may, my child, but he cannot go against his father,” said Nendúril, trying to calm his daughter down. “King Oropher has been gracious to us. Should he learn that his son has chosen a Nandor, we will have to find refuge elsewhere.”

I was angry. There was no way I would let my beloved be with anyone else but me. I knew my father would put up a fight, but I did not care.

“Nimlos has found a mate in Sildúriel and Nenloth in Aramoth,” Êlúriel sobbed, throwing herself upon a bench in despair. “Why must I spend my life alone? It is not fair.“

As much as I wanted to go to her, I knew Melros was right. I had to suffer through this. To see Êlúriel in tears was breaking my heart, but I had to know all I could.

“Sildúriel? Is she not a Silvan”, Nendúril asked.

“Does it matter, Father,” she cried. “You would let me be miserable and alone than to be with Thranduil. I can love no other. I love him as you loved mother. Why can I not have what you had?”

“Because, your mother was Nandor, Êlúriel. You are speaking of the heir of Arda’s most noble elven king. He is pure Sindar. King Oropher will never allow his son to be with anything less than a Sindar. You must accept this. I am sorry.”

“No,” she said and ran away out of our sight. Her father began to follow after. Everyone looked over at me.

“Nendúril is right, Thranduil,” Elranduil said.

“Father has given his blessing,” I said. “Just now.”

Motionless, they stood before me in a state of disbelief. My mind was with Êlúriel though their stares confounded me. As we stood there, several imperial guards walked by with Finëar. No one seemed to notice them save for me.

“You spoke with uncle,” Elranduil asked slowly. “And he has given his blessing?”

They stood as lifeless as marble statues, seemingly bewildered. I smiled at them.

“He did,” I said. “I would appear I am to be married.”

“Married,” Fëaluin said. “You are to be married? To whom?”

“A maiden I should think,” I said. “One of my choosing.”

I smiled and left my friends languishing in their amazement. I walked down into the gardens looking for my love. I knew where to find Êlúriel–near a grotto near the gardens. She was sitting upon a large rock facing a waterfall crying.

“Êlúriel, are you alright,” I asked quietly.

“Why do you have to be who you are?”

Taken aback, her question was hurtful. She turned to toward me, eyes full of tears. She was part angry and part sad but all Êlúriel—which meant confrontation.

“Why am I who I am,” I repeated. “What sort of question is that to ask of me?”

“It is a proper question,” she said as she climbed down from the rock and stormed over to me, eyes blazing through her drying tears. “You are a Sindar. You are a Prince. You should have known that before you started to like me.”

“I beg your pardon,” I asked. “I was well aware of who I was when I started to love you.”

“Then you should have thought of me and who I was before you started.”

“What,” I asked.

“Thranduil,” she hissed. “I am very angry. How dare you do such a thing to me.”

“Êlúriel, you think I chose this life for myself,” I asked forgetting why I came to find her. “I hardly find it possible for anyone to choose those to which they were born, much less to the station they were born. How is any of this relevant to my love for you?”

“How can it be irrelevant, Thranduil,” she asked. “You know full well you cannot be with a lowly Nandor. We are beneath you.”

“Have I ever treated you any differently than anyone else? If I have, please, by all means enlighten me because as my recollection serves, I have never thought of you as anything more that who you are, not what you are!”

Her expression softened slightly but I knew she was about to tear into me.

“You let me fall in love with you knowing I could not have you,” she yelled. “How cruel can you be? All of the Sindar seem to think they are above all others.”

“Have you gone mad,” I asked, confused. “I did not let you fall in love me nor did you let me fall in love with you. We fell in love with one another, Êlúriel. Or was it foolish to think as much?

“The Sindar,” she said. “You always think yourself better than than all others.“

“That is not true, Êlúriel and know that,” I said angrily. "You think I have control over my heart? Even if I had there is nothing in all the world that could I have kept it from falling in love with you! So you see, not all Sindar think they are above all others. That hurts me. Are you trying to hurt me because you are doing quite brilliantly! By all means, continue to break my heart because apparently as a Sindar, I have none to break from what I gather!”

There came a deafening silence between us. She looked into my eyes. They were no longer burning but they had not yet cooled.

“I apologize,” she said cooly. “I did not mean to hurt you. But the fact remains, I cannot go on loving you, yet I cannot stop.”

“Why would you want to stop,” I asked. “What makes you think I would let you stop?”

Êlúriel finally smiled at me. It felt wonderful.

“Well, what can be done,” she asked. “I spoke to my father today. He told me the way of things. I do not want to accept them, but what choice do I have?”

“Well,” I began, trying to conceal my smile. “You could accept the way things are which would mean you would have to accept the fact that I am in love with you and that will never change. You can also accept that hardly an hour can go by without me wanting to be near you. You are all that I ever think about, which, in truth does anger my father but I do not care. I suppose that is the way things are and you will have to accept them.”

“Thranduil,” she said, moving closer to me. “What are you not telling me?”

“Nothing at all.” I turned and began to walk away slowly knowing she would not let me go without a word. I heard her following me she jumped in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.

“What are you not telling me, Thranduil,” she said staring into my eyes to the point of melting. “I know you far too well. You did not come looking for me if you had nothing to say.”

“Can I not just enjoy your company without speaking,” I said teasingly. “I think I am quite capable of having a quiet moment beside you. Must I always have something to say?”

“Yes,” she said blankly. “You always have something to say to me. You may fall silent later, but often that involves a kiss.”

“I love kissing you. I hardly see your point, Êlúriel.” I glided by her again, slowly walking toward the palace. Again she appeared before me and stopping me.

“Just say what it is you were going to say,” she said. “You are, by far, the worst liar in all of Arda, Thranduil. Stop teasing me!”

“Fine,” I said. I took her in my arms and I kissed her. When I stopped, I felt a bit faint but I stood my ground. “King Oropher has called Nendúril to a private audience with him and Queen Nimeithel today. I have no idea for what reason.”

I let her go, quite reluctantly and began to walk away. She would not follow me for I know she was quite perplexed. I paused a distance away and turned toward.

“It may have something to do with what I said today.” I turned around and walked away. I knew soon father and mother would come from council and there would be audience. I smiled at myself, for I knew what would be said.”–Excerpt from TKWR:BII The Saga of Thranduil by J.M.Miller 2-7-16

Oh, guess what? A son confronts his father and wins. Seeing Legolas has to be born, I see no other outcome. Aside from Thranduil and Êlúriel's legendary arguments, there is a happy ending to what is by no means even close to complete. But we begin chapter vii soon. Time flies in order.