To Live Again: Waiting Between Worlds {Lord of the Rings Fanfiction}

27. Beautifully Unfinished

It was the evening of the third day, and only hours after my confrontation with Aradan had ended, that an infuriated and impatient King came seeking his rebellious Queen.

Aradan had relented, and after a slight sulk from Ollie, he had agreed that it was no bad thing to let me stay another night or so until I figured out my plans - as long as those plans involved returning home.

When all my emotions had ebbed away I could see that going home was only logical and reasonable. Ferion needed his comforts and familiar surroundings, and Aradan was right - a Kingdom needed to run regardless of the personal spat between Thranduil and I.

Ollie was dead set against me staying alone - with no feminine back up - with Thranduil in a mood. I laughed off her worries, because Thranduil was a great many things when he was angry, but never once would I have felt unsafe with him. He would be devastated if he thought I felt unsafe with him, he would rather flee himself if he thought himself so out of control.

However, when the front door of Aradan's home was nearly knocked through in the early evening - whilst we all happily ate our dinner together - I did not feel so confident about my earlier statements.

"Open this door!" A very distinctive voice radiated throw the house, and I automatically cringed into my plate. "I swear to Eru, Aradan, open this door! I know she is with you...OPEN THE DOOR!"

"I told you he would kill me," Aradan winced as he rose from the head of the table, gesturing for his two wide eyed youngsters to calm themselves.

"If he thinks, just because he is King, that he gets to act like that in front of my children!" Ollie shrieks and launches from the table, angrily charging for the door with all the fury of an extremely peeved mother, and an exasperated Aradan on her heels.

"No...wait!" I cry as I gesture for Tauriel to make herself useful and continue feeding my perplexed looking son, as I stumble out of the kitchen and throw myself between the door and my friends.

"I am losing what very little patience I have with you, Aradan!" Thranduil snarls bitterly from the other side of the heavy oak door. "You know I could have you arrested for this...you and my wife!"

"Oh, shut up Thranduil!" I snap and thump the door with my fist, "You are not going to arrest me or Aradan, and you are not going to continue to make an eejit out of yourself!"

There is a stunned silence for all of about a minute, and in that minute my extremely forgiving friends both attempt to hide their amusement at my very uncouth retaliation. I give an apologetic grimace and gesture for them to return to their meal...I can handle this...I think?

Ollie isn't easily convinced but Aradan forcibly guides her away from the door, mouthing at me to call if I need him - which I shouldn't - hopefully.

"Clara," Thranduil's voice sounds through the wood, and I hear a tone of irritation in it. "Clara, for the love of Eru, open the door...please?"

"Oh, so you actually remember you have a wife?" I ask in mock disbelief, and sneer childishly when he huffs loudly and hisses out a string of curses.

"Clara..." there is a long pause and his voice sounds awfully close to the wood like his head rests on the door. I cross my arms about my chest and scowl petulantly awaiting his next statement. "Please open the door and speak with me, I do not want to have argument with a plank of wood between us, it is...ridiculous."

I roll my eyes and hiss back my frustration as I lift the latch and yank it open, finding myself face to face with a rather dishevelled and exhausted looking Thranduil.