She poured herself another goblet of wine and picked a grilled strawberry to eat when she heard her name to be called. Usually, when the King called her, the blood froze in her veins but now it was boiling instead. She snapped her head and spotted the King in the group of his generals. His silvery white robe was shining in the light of the lampions, the crown on his head made him even taller and more ethereal among the Silvan elves.
His eyes bore into her and her knees melted. Tauriel scolded herself silently and walked to the group of older elves.
"Tauriel." They acknowledged her and as soon as she straightened herself up Thranduil cared to explain why he called her over.
"We are just discussing the spider nests on the south, it seems that you are not the only one who is trying to convince me to assemble a party to clear the forest." The end of his sentence was dripping with annoyance, so usual of him, and he pierced one of the generals who probably suggested it with his glacial gaze. Tauriel smiled despite the coldness of the King.
"I bet it is." He said, rolling his eyes and he sipped the dark Dorwinian wine, his favourite. Tauriel was watching him, her smile even broader.
"Your joy is sickening me, right now. Keep it formal, Captain." He scoffed again and she chuckled.
She engaged in the conversation easily despite the fact that she was never before asked to speak so freely with so high ranked elves about her work if she didn`t count the King and the reports for him.
Talking about the King, she felt his eyes constantly at her during the discussion and her cheeks blushed a little. It was hard to keep her attention on the topic rather than the handsome King next to her. The discussion about clearing the forest from the spider nests south of the stronghold was absolutely different from when it was just the King and her. They argued, every time like they weren`t capable of normal conversation anymore. But now, in the atmosphere of merry celebrations with wine in their hands, it seemed that they could be reasonable. Also, she has never heard the opinions from Generals, which were almost the same as the King`s but at least they cared to explain them.
Thranduil sighed at the end, after a long convincing monologue of not just Tauriel but one of the Generals as well.
"Thank you, my King." She tilted her head with a smile. Her eyes were shining. It was for the first time in ages he let himself to be swayed. Thranduil just nodded and with a last look into her eyes, he left the group to greet other guests.
Tauriel was glad when she could dismount the horse and stretch her body. The journey was long and long was the mission. They were gone for a week to observe the nests and she decided to come a day earlier than it was settled. Too many nests in the forest on the south made her uneasy and it would be a certain death for ten soldiers if they will be spotted or smelled. So she decided to go back and report to the King, to demand to assemble not a party but an army and clear the nests until it is not late yet.
She left the soldiers who were heading to the kitchens and decided to meet the King right away. It was late in the evening but she hoped he will not be retired yet. He often worked till the late night.
A shiver of an excitement ran down her spine when she remembered him. But she rather shook her head to dismiss the thought of him on the battlefield and halted in the corridor. There was no light under the door indicating he would be inside. She felt somehow disappointed that she will have to wait till the morning.
Tauriel turned on her heels and headed to the armory, to clean her weapons. She was tired, yes, but the false hope she would see the King distracted her from tiredness. She walked in the darkness, remembering the way too well that even blind she would still have a sure pace.
Her heartbeat quickened. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, and turned around the corner.
There he was. She watched him from the dark shadows. The training place for sword fighting was lit just with one porch and there, under it, the King was practicing with his two slender swords. His steps were confident yet soft, the motion of his arms was slow and calculated, adding the power just at the end of the swing and yet the shining swords were cutting the air so quickly.
Tauriel held her breath. Her gaze fell over the King himself. He was dressed plainly, just in pants and a light, white tunic. No jewelry, no crown. His robe was thrown on the ground carelessly.
She bit her lip and stepped closer, one step after another until she was standing behind him and with one, fast motion she blocked his attack from behind. He turned immediately, a surprise written all over his face but just for a second. The next second she had to block another of his attempt to attack.
They started sparring without a word. She felt the sudden tiredness coming back to her, to her sore body from the traveling. But she wouldn`t give up, not against him. Their fight was fierce and she was giving all her remaining strength into it.
He was one of the best warriors in the Middle Earth, she knew that. He was like a wizard with his swords. Nobody fought with two swords. She had no idea who taught him to fight. She had no idea how he can be so fast when he was taller, heavier than her. It was incredible. She both admired him in the moment and hated the fact that he didn`t give her a chance to attack, she was just barely blocking his attempts. And yet she knew, frustrated, that if he will want to, he would defeat her in a second.
He swung his sword and turned in its direction with it. He ended up in front of her, smirking with hair all over his face and shoulders. Tauriel widened her eyes. There he was again. Entertained, alive, wild. Those eyes…oh Valars, those piercing eyes, challenging her.
That damn elf used it against her. This little hesitation of hers. He attacked again fiercely, disarming her. He pushed her towards the wall of the armory with the edge of his blade to her neck.
Tauriel gasped, shocked from such sudden movement and also from the feeling of his body, pressed against her. Her eyes locked with his. Her heart skipped a beat. Even the coldness of the blade didn`t keep her from blushing, her blood from boiling.
The desire was burning higher and higher.
He was about to pull away when she took him by his tunic and drew him close.
None of them could tell who kissed the other first, if it was she or he, but the kiss was passionate.
Suddenly he broke the kiss.
"Tauriel!" He frowned and she crouched, hearing his reproach. Her heart sank and she fought the urge to cry. He is mad…It was wrong.
He pulled away, frowning even more when he put away the blade from her neck. He sighed at the sight of a couple drops of blood where the blade lightly cut her skin.
"It`s nothing." Her voice was shaking.