Not Long Enough {Thranduil x Reader}

{Sequel to Far Too Long}

___ believed Thranduil’s confession of love. She agreed to give him a chance as a partner, not in royalty or business, but in love. She grew to admire the elf even more as the weeks went on. He seemed to truly care about the girl. It seemed that Thranduil had been true to his word...for six months. During those months, Thranduil devoted his time to making ___ happy. He focused on her every day, and she had to admit it, ___ enjoyed it. She had never been treated so well in her entire life. It was all smiles, passionate kisses, and whispers until that one fateful day.


Legolas had become infatuated with a young elf guard. True she was not a noble, but she was extremely beautiful and courageous. ___ found the girl quite charming, so she encouraged Legolas to continue seeing her. Thranduil did not approve of this. He wanted his son to marry a noble she-elf, one who would provide legitimate heirs to the throne, and he made this very clear to Tauriel.


“You do understand that you and Legolas can never be together,” Thranduil began. “Don’t you?” He sat on his throne, twirling a piece of blonde hair between his fingers. He glanced at Tauriel, who remained emotionless. Throughout everything, she never cried or yelled at the elvish king. For some reason, this infuriated him. He wanted to see some sort of emotion in her. “You are a simple elvish guard. You do not have the status needed to wed my son.”


___ had heard enough. During the six months, she had become brave. She did not cower in front of Thranduil. She confronted him as an equal.


“Darling,” ___ started. “Perhaps you are being too hard on Tauriel.”


Thranduil turned to the woman sitting beside him. He could not believe she would speak out against his wishes. He was to wed this woman. They were betrothed, and she chose to treat him this way? He would not allow it.


“You will remember that you are not the queen of Mirkwood.” Thranduil turned his gaze back to Tauriel, though he continued to speak to ___. “I did not ask for your opinion. It means nothing to me here.”


___ stood to her feet, stepping down from the throne. She walked to Tauriel, who glanced at the she-elf in a concerned manner. “Then perhaps you should treat me the same way you treat Tauriel,” ___ stated coolly. “I was but a servant when you expressed your interest in me. You are a king, and I am not of noble blood.”


Thranduil narrowed his eyes. “How dare you make a fool of me? I have treated you as if you were a queen. I relieved you of your service to me. I have given you the finest clothing, food, and wine in Mirkwood. I rescued you, and this is how you repay me?”


___ felt a lump form in her throat. The fight had become personal, and Tauriel did not need to witness that. “You may leave, dear,” ___ whispered as she showed the elf to the exit. Once she returned, Thranduil was still seated on his throne. He still had that cold look in his eyes, but he slowly lowered his head to rest in his palm.


“What has happened to you, Thranduil?” ___ knelt beside the elf, reaching for his hand, though he jerked it away. “I thought you missed the warmth of another being. You have never behaved this way before. Have I done something to upset you?”


Thranduil glanced down at the elf below him. He did not want to hurt her. He wanted to love her, comfort her now more than ever. He simply did not want to lose her. It was the main reason for his sudden coldness. He was afraid of becoming too attached. What if something happened to her? He would never recover.


“You do not understand,” he stated plainly. He stood to his feet, walking away from the elf. He stopped when he reached the middle of the room. He couldn’t turn around. He couldn’t look at ___ or the helpless look on her face. It broke his heart.


“What don’t I understand?”


“Everything!” Thranduil yelled. He couldn’t control himself any longer. “Every day I worry about you. Every second I think about the day I found you, dying beneath those horrible creatures. Of course I did not have the feelings for you then that I do now, but nonetheless it was terrible. One does not forget images such as those. I will never forget.”


___ walked to Thranduil, wrapping her arms around his torso. She leaned her cheek against his back and closed her eyes. “You do not have to worry about me. I am capable of taking care of myself.”
Thranduil’s gaze hardened. “How can you say that? Should I remind you again of the day I saved your life?”


The she-elf could handle no more. She pulled away from Thranduil, clenching her fists by her side. “If I did not know better,” she began. “I would suspect that you regret saving me! Perhaps I should leave Mirkwood and travel back to my little village, which is most likely overrun by orcs. Would that put your mind at ease, Lord Thranduil?!”


It was then that Thranduil understood the pain his words had caused ___. He reached out to her, a saddened gleam in his eyes. “Hiril vuin,” Thranduil whispered softly. “I am sorry. I do not know what came over me.”


___ glanced at the king, finding no signs of dishonesty in his piercing stare. She refused to succumb to his power, though. He had hurt her greatly, and that hurt could not be erased by sorrowful whispers. Without saying anything, ___ turned away from the king, her lover.


“Please!” Thranduil’s voice cracked with sorrow. He gripped ___’s arm, gently pulling her back to him. “I do not want to lose you. If you leave, then I will follow you. I can’t let you go, not now.”


“I never asked you to let me go,” ___ sighed. “I just do not want to be treated with such disrespect and coldness. Among all else, I only desired your love and respect.”


Thranduil pulled ___ closer until their chests touched. He felt her heart pounding against the fabric of her clothing. With a sad smile, he traced his thumb over her cheek. “I do love you,” he stated as he cupped her cheek in his hand. “How can I prove this to you?”


___ stared into the king’s eyes, searching for an answer she did not yet know. She knew what she wanted though. She wanted him. All of him. “Kiss me,” she whispered.


Thranduil hesitated even when the woman in front of him closed her beautiful eyes. He had kissed her before, but this time it was different somehow. He felt the desire, no the need, to simply mold with her into one being. A simple kiss could not show her how much he cared, so he gently pressed his lips against her cheek.


The she-elf opened her eyes, confused. Thranduil brushed her hair out of her face and smiled. “A kiss cannot show the full extent of my love for you.”


___ blushed, understanding the true meaning of his words. “Are you certain? We are immortal after all. We can wait. I do not want to pressure you…”


Thranduil pressed his finger against her lips. “Do you doubt my judgment? I have never been more certain of anything.” He began to lead the she-elf up the stairs to his private quarters. Once they reached the door, he stopped. “And even eternity is not long enough for me to love you.”