Thranduil / Reader (12) - Part 2
It was weird to be back in Lothlorien; the city and its people had not changed but you had. You had fallen passionately in love, something that was very uncommon in the elven society, and then your heart had broken when you had come face to face with the fact that the man you loved, loved you too but there was nothing that either of you could do about it since getting a divorce was considered as an insult in the elven world. The elves married for a lifetime and breaking a union like that was rude, disrespectful and plain shameful for all parties. Besides a divorce was basically impossible to get if the spouse did not want it and therefore, being fully aware of these realties, you did not really have your hopes up and as far as you knew, this was it, the end.
You were sad because you knew that the elves fell in love only once during their immortal lives and as a cruel twist of fate Thranduil, a married man, was the love of your life. There would be no other and it meant that even if you met someone nice, an unmarried elf who was everything you had hoped a man to be, you wouldn’t be able to love him back, not in the same intense, wonderful way that you loved Thranduil… and starting a relationship while knowing that you would only doom the nice guy into a loveless marriage… it just felt very cruel and therefore it was for the best that you took yourself out from the dating game entirely. The elves, after all, traditionally formed relationships that were destined to lead into marriages, which meant that the elves did not date for fun, and that was the biggest reason why it was just better and perfectly justified if you accepted your fate without objections. Besides, it would be unfair, if someone fell in love with you and got condemned into an one-sided love affair.
This was why you walked to the goldsmith the very first day you had few hours to spare and ordered a ring that looked like a wedding ring, a simple silver band and one sparkling stone of starlight, a gorgeous gem that would surely keep any potential suitor away since you wore the ring in your ring finger, proudly, even though seeing it made your heart ache every time; it was a constant reminder that your heart was already engaged to another and love like that could not be undone by any earthly power. It was in the hands of Valar, the mystical being that had been watching over the elves since the beginning of time and granted the breath of life to every living soul.
The ring was very useful and it was quite clear that it was the first thing that new people, both ladies and gentlemen, noticed about you. The elven society was a bit old fashioned that way; the married people had higher status compared to the elves that were still single and now that everyone assumed that you were married too, suddenly your opinions mattered more and your authority over your employees had gone through the roof just overnight. There were only few selected people at the office who knew the truth, Haldir of course being one of them because it was impossible to keep a secret like that from your boss since he had an access to your personal files, and the rest of them did not dare to question what the ring meant. It was a fine ring and surely no one wore an expensive ring like that, especially in their ring finger unless they were married, they assumed.
Time passed again, seasons following each other like days in a week, months turning into years just like that. You were still managing the Mirkwood branch from the distance, including Greenleaf Exports –account, but you never spoke directly with Thranduil, only with his assistants or Legolas, who knew what had happened with his big brother and felt genuinely sorry for you. He told you, although it was none of his business and he had no right to judge anyone, that if his brother decided to get a divorce, Legolas would stand by him 100% because it would be the right thing to do. The truth was that he had never approved the marriage between Thranduil and his wife because it was nothing but an arrangement, based on a business contract instead of love and on Legolas's opinion it had been very foolish of Thranduil to go for it. In fact Legolas had warned his brother on the very day of his wedding. “What if you’ll meet the woman who was meant for you?” he had asked and pleaded Thranduil not to go through with the wedding. “It is not too late to call it off, brother…” he had said and then added, trying desperately to appeal to Thranduil “…Success in business is not worth it.” Thranduil however had never really believed in true love and therefore it had been quite easy for him to just dismiss his little brother’s concerns. “You’re too naïve, Legolas” Thranduil had replied with an amused chuckle. “You’re young. Soon you’ll realize that there is no such thing as true love” he had said and that had been the end of the conversation. Legolas had then just nodded silently and decided that he would never marry for money and status like his brother who, after all, was not the man Legolas had assumed him to be; Thranduil was not the man Legolas had looked up to while growing up and more importantly, he was not the man Legolas wanted to become, that was for sure.
Time passed, it was business as usual until one day; you sent an email to Legolas but for your surprise got an instant notification that the email could not be delivered because the address did not exist. You checked the email to make sure that there was no typo in the address – there was none, so you decided to send the email again… with the same result; another automatic mailer daemon –message. You decided to call Legolas’s work number but it couldn’t be reached and when you called to Thranduil’s assistant, for your surprise you were told that the boss did not want to talk with you. Soon after this Haldir received an email from the boss of the company. It was a very short email, polite but also very formal, requesting the termination of the business account of Greenleaf Exports.
- Do you know what this is about? Haldir asked you and handed you the printed email. You read it through, asking yourself “What?” with a silent mumble. When you had read the short email through twice, you handed it back to your boss, Haldir.
- No. When did you get this? you asked with a deeply confused tone.
- This morning. Haldir replied and asked with a tone that was a mixture of curiosity and confusion “Were there problems or disagreements?” You stared at the blonde elf with widened eyes and your mouth slightly ajar. “You’re the one who managed their account, (Y/N), you should know” he stated with a firm, yet friendly tone. In any other situation he might have, or most likely would have said something sarcastic, he was known for his sharp, sarcastic comments anyway, but this time he decided to refrain from sarcasm altogether. He after all was aware of your feelings towards Thranduil and therefore he had decided to be as considerate as possible. There was no point of getting you upset because of some business deal. “Were there any signs of discontent?” he asked softly.
- No, none as far as I am aware of. you replied instantly and rubbed your forehead. You knew that you should have known if something was wrong but honestly, there had been no signs whatsoever and this termination of their contract had come totally out of the blue.
- Very well. Perhaps you should call them. Haldir suggested casually.
- No point. you commented and shook your head.
- Why is that? Haldir asked, his voice sounding suspicious. Perhaps you knew more than you admitted to your boss. You noticed the subtle change in his tone and regretted making the comment. You should have selected your words better because now you sounded like you were keeping secrets and had been lying when you had stated that you had no idea what was going on.
- I’ve tried calling them, but… you stated, paused and sighed. “…Neither Legolas nor Thranduil is accepting my calls” you explained and folded your arms. It was clear to Haldir that you found the situation just as frustrating and unfortunate as he did and therefore he decided not to ask any further questions, from you at least. He left your office and after returning to his, he called the Mirkwood office and basically found out what had happened.
After a week you got an email from a company called Mirkwood Export & Import Solutions, a new company that was not only specialized in exporting goods from Mirkwood to other realms of Middle Earth but also importing goods from the rest of the Middle Earth to Mirkwood. The company representative was suggesting a business meeting because the owner of this new firm was going to visit Lothlorien and he was more than willing to do business with Haldir and his associates. The representative said that the management had heard many good things as well as high praises about Haldir and also about the right-hand-woman, (Y/N) who was actually the person expected to manage the business account of Mirkwood Export & Import Solutions, if there should be a contract between these two businesses.
You showed the email to Haldir who asked you to arrange a meeting between you and the owner of the company. You were relieved, so profoundly relieved because you had been worried if there had been something you had done wrong and caused the termination of the business relations with Greenleaf Exports and this was a clear sign, hard and tangible evidence that you had had nothing to do with it and if Haldir had ever had any suspicions about your professionalism, now surely you had proved them all, the doubts, wrong. You wrote a draft of the contract, booked a five-star room at a local guesthouse and emailed the details to the contact person. In few hours you got a confirmation that the contract seemed fair and therefore could be signed when the owner arrived to Lothlorien.
It was the day of the meeting. Usually you delegated the practical arrangements, such as buying the beverages and snacks, to your employees but this time you just wanted to take care of everything by yourself just to make sure that there would be no errors that would affect the outcome of the meeting. You had never met the owner of this new company but you had lived in Mirkwood for over a decade and therefore you had a pretty good idea of what kind of business people they, the elves of the woodland realm, were. You got a couple of bottles of refreshing mild wine, different kinds of fruits and salty crackers with cheese. Then you assembled a gift basket for the owner and delivered it to the guesthouse before returning to the office. At the guesthouse you inspected the room, left detailed instructions to the staff, just to make sure that your clients stay was as comfortable as possible; the dinner had to be delicious and the wine had to compliment the food, there had to be a selection of luxurious bath oils in the bathroom and the fireplace had to be lighted before the guest, who needed to be treated like a royalty, arrived to the guesthouse… oh yes, and it was vital that the breakfast was also the highest quality.
You were standing in the conference room when you suddenly got a strange feeling; a familiar tingling in the bottom of your stomach, slowly spreading all over and making your mind fill with excitement, the butterflies were back and you knew without even hearing his footsteps or his deep voice that… Thranduil had entered the building. A wide, hopeful smile appeared on your face instantly when you realized that the man you loved and had loved from the very first meeting had come to find you, like he had promised. It had been many years but the electricity, the spark… the intensely passionate love was still there like nothing had happened… and you still were able to sense his presence from afar.
Thranduil entered the room, looking calm and collected as ever. He was wearing a black buttoned shirt, the two highest buttons open of course, and a bluish gray suit that made his ice blue eyes pop out. His silver blonde hair cascading freely down from his shoulders, no strands where they weren’t supposed to be, almost like he had his locks under a spell. He was ethereal and beautiful, just like you had remembered him, perhaps even more handsome. You tried not to stare too much but it was nearly impossible to shift your gaze away from him, especially now that you remembered that he had wanted to take your hand, to embrace and to kiss you but had not been free to do so. You admired that about him and if he had indeed betrayed his wife back then, he wouldn’t have been the man you loved, hell, he might have done the same thing to you, or perhaps not, but you would have surely always feared that he would. You did not want to start anything, a relationship of any sort, if it was going to be based on deception and betrayal, but surely now things were different… at least Thranduil was not wearing his wedding ring, which had to be a good sign! Yes, Thranduil loved his jewelry, especially his fine rings, and he was wearing the same rings he had worn then, all except one, the ring that had circled his ring finger.
But you had to play it cool; it was a business negotiation after all and you had to be a professional.
Thranduil was followed by Haldir, your boss, and when both of them had entered the conference room, you walked to Thranduil and offered your hand to him for a handshake. He took a slow look at you from your head to toes as you walked towards him and then took your hand. He shook it firmly with a polite yet neutral expression on his face and said “Good afternoon, Mrs. (Y/N)”, his deep voice filling the room and bringing back the previous conversation, the one before you had left Mirkwood.
- Mister Greenleaf, please, sit down. you said, partially mesmerized by the intense gaze of Thranduil’s soulful eyes. “Would you like to have some refreshments?” you asked and presented the selection you had gathered from the food market.
- Yes, please, Mrs. (Y/N). Thranduil said formally and sat down to the chair that had been drawn out for him.
- Please, call me (Y/N). you said and smiled shyly. “Here” you sighed as you handed the tall, broad elf a glass of wine. “Haldir?” you asked and poured him a glass as well immediately after he had nodded to you. You were not a secretary and handling drinks and snacks was not your job but you knew that Haldir appreciated when you did everything that was possible and necessary to assure that the negotiations would go smoothly and the contract would get signed. You poured a little bit of wine for yourself as well and then sat down. It was time for some small talk before getting to business.
- How are things in Mirkwood? you asked casually and offered Thranduil a plate of sliced fruits and some crackers with cheese.
- The same. Thranduil replied, lifted the glass to his lips and breathed in the fruity, refreshing scent. He complimented silently the one who had selected this very bottle, it was a fine wine and perfect for the occasion. “I suppose things stay the same in the elven realms” he commented and took a sip.
- Yes, that is true. Haldir admitted and took a quick look at you. It was apparent to him that you were still completely smitten by Thranduil but he was proud of you that you managed to hide your feelings as well as the heartbreak even though they both were strong feelings that were powerful enough to turn anyone’s life upside down suddenly, without a warning. Haldir took a glance at Thranduil but he had the best poker face ever and it gave nothing away.
- Did you enjoy the new express train? you asked curiously. “I’ve heard that the first class is very comfortable” you added with a smile, hoping to have a smile in return… but there was no change in Thranduil’s expression. Perhaps his trip from Mirkwood to Lothlorien had been miserable!
- Yes, it was very agreeable. he replied and studied your face with his sharp eyes, like he had been trying to read your mind. It made you feel naked and defenseless, especially because you had not seen Thranduil smiling at you, not even once, even though he had smiled a couple of times at Haldir. Very politely and formally but still – smile was a smile… and for some reason he had not smiled at you. You were confused and as the chitchat progressed, the atmosphere started to slide from the friendly and casual to the awkward –side. “These fast connections between our elven cities will make business easier” Thranduil stated and nodded at Haldir who, naturally, agreed. “Yes-yes, so much easier” you mumbled to yourself barely audibly, although there was an undertone of frustration in your tone and when your boss asked you to repeat what you had said because he had not heard you, you just said “Nothing” and smiled at Haldir.
- I’m glad to hear that. you stated, shifted your focus on Thranduil, who was still scanning at you quite mercilessly, which made your courage crumble instantly. Therefore you emptied your wineglass, poured yourself another drink and filled the men’s glasses as well. However your hands were now shaking so much that you ended up spilling some wine on the table and had to excuse yourself to get some kitchen towel to clean the mess up. When you returned to the conference room the topic had already changed and the atmosphere had shifted from the awkward –side back to the casual and friendly. “Just great!” you thought and cursed silently; there was something wrong and it was more than obvious that you were the reason for it.
- Mister Greenleaf, may I ask, why… you began after cleaning the mess and paused to get the wording right. “…Greenleaf Exports-“ you said and then Thranduil cut you off by stating
- I am no longer involved with that company. Neither is Legolas…
- That is most unfortunate. Haldir commented and sipped some wine. “May I ask a reason for it?” he asked curiously, however there was a certain level of cautiousness in his voice; he did not want to pry or open any old wounds by asking too personal questions. He was just curious why this sudden change had taken place and he knew that you were equally interested to know the reason as well.
- I got divorced. Thranduil stated, shifted his gaze from you to Haldir and back to you. You swallowed once while thinking “He actually did it.” “However, as you know, a divorce is no simple matter in our elven society” he said and tilted his head while staring deep into your eyes. You nodded and felt the color disappearing from your cheeks as well as your lips. The statement made your head spin and the feeling was nauseating. But there was one thing that you did not understand; why was Thranduil so angry at you? You had not asked him to get a divorce. Why was it like he was blaming you? Had he not come here… for you? “No, he hasn’t” you thought and felt your heart sink.
- No, it is not. Haldir commented. “Although, I trust you had a good reason to do so” he added and shifted his gaze from Thranduil to you. You swallowed your emotions and smiled politely, like there had been nothing troubling you.
- My wife, obviously, did not want a divorce so I had to settle the matter by transferring the ownership of the house as well as the company to her family. Thranduil explained and after a pause, added “Also Legolas left Greenleaf Exports and no longer works there.” Now it made sense! That was the reason why your emails and phone calls had gone unanswered.
- And… Mirkwood Export & Import Solutions… you said, your tone making the statement to sound more like a question. Your voice was slightly shaky and nearly on the verge of breaking but you managed to bottle your personal and private emotions behind a calm, professional surface, just leaving the small traces in your voice, almost unnoticeable but you knew that at least Thranduil must have heard and been able to dissect the subtle nuances in your tone.
- It is a new company. Legolas is the head of HR-department and I rule the boardrooms. Thranduil replied calmly.
- Well, on the behalf of my team and myself, of course… you started and flashed a polite, yet warm and friendly smile and then continued by stating softly “…We wish you all the success.”
- Yes, of course. The entire company does. Haldir added and raised a toast to a lifelong business liaison and success.
It was time to sign the papers. You had printed the contracts, one for Haldir’s company and one for Mirkwood Export & Import Solutions, on a fine paper and went through the details clearly before handing a pen to Thranduil who signed the papers first. He handed the pen to Haldir who signed them the second and then you signed the contract as the witness as well the future account manager. You put the contracts into two fine folders and handed them to Haldir and Thranduil because they were basically the two contracting parties and you were just a mediator, kind of.
After raising a couple of toasts more, you wished the two gentlemen goodnight and left from the office. You had agreed that Haldir’s chauffeur would drive Thranduil to the guesthouse, then take Haldir home and you would take a bus to get to your apartment. This arrangement pleased both men greatly because they had planned to get few drinks at the office before retiring; Haldir had a bottle of Thranduil’s favorite drink in his cupboard, you knew this because you had bought the bottle and advised Haldir to sweeten the deal with it after the contract had been signed. Haldir extended the invitation to join them to you too, but you politely declined because you were getting ready for a hot bath, a dinner and then sleep. It had been a long day and you needed to rest.
When you got to the bus stop, you called to the guesthouse and made sure that everything was ready for the important guest. You informed that Mister Greenleaf would still have few drinks at the office and then the company’s driver would take the businessman to his accommodation. The manager of the guesthouse confirmed that everything was ready and wished you a relaxing night. It was apparent that you had been stressing out a lot and it was vital that everything would go according to the plan. The manager however assured you that they had the situation under control and you did not have to worry about anything. “Thank you” you said and ended the call.
It had been late afternoon when the meeting had started and now it was early evening, the sun was setting and the weather was getting a bit chilly. “Thank Valar I asked them to light the fireplace” you mumbled to yourself when you reached home. You were feeling tired and cold as the stress started to unravel, sad from the meeting because it had not been anything you had dreamed it to be, but also happy that it had gone well despite the few awkward moments and depressing silences here and there during the informal part of the meeting. The atmosphere had gotten better when the topic had changed from small talk to business, although it really was not that surprising, considering that you all were professionals and knew how to tackle business without getting personally involved.
You changed your formal business clothes into your informal home-clothes, removed your makeup and washed your face. You opened your hair, letting it fall freely to your shoulders and massaged your scalp a little because it felt always a bit weird to have your hair open after having it as a bun on the back of your head for the entire day. Then you walked to the fridge, opened it and sighed because you had completely forgotten to buy food from the store and all you had left were some two-days-old leftovers from a Gondorian takeaway restaurant. You sniffed the container and shrugged your shoulders; the food smelled alright, not fresh by any means anymore, but at least it was still edible and not spoiled. However just as you were about to pour the food from the container to the frying pan, you heard your phone ringing.
- Perfect timing. you sighed when you stared at the unknown number on the screen of your smart phone. You cleared your throat, put on your polite smile and pressed the green “accept call” –icon on the touch screen. “(Y/N)” you said and leaned on your kitchen counter because you got a feeling that this was a work-call. You sighed and closed your eyes as you gathered the bits and pieces of your business-mental state. The thing was that you were tired and very hungry. You had washed your face, changed your clothes and given yourself a right to relax… and now you had to get your game-face on again.
- (Y/N), I need you to get back to the office.
It was Thranduil. You would have recognized his voice anywhere and he knew it. Therefore he did not even introduce himself.
- Now. he added, his voice filled with great urgency. “We have misplaced the contracts and they must be signed again” he said with a serious, assertive tone.
You dropped your head, removed the phone from your ear for a moment as you cursed silently, put your dinner back into the fridge and sighed. You were no longer off-duty.