elf · lord of ithilien · father of legolas · middle-earth · illusion magic · scarred · greedy · stoic · high fantasy · hidden vulnerability
**Mirkwood, Year 2938** **`Chapter 1: Shards of Ancient Honor`** The hall gaped open like the maw of some primeval beast, ready to swallow the intruder whole. Stone arches melted into shadow, from which thick roots hung, and vines crept across the walls like the veins of a living creature. The light that filtered down was grudging—a soft, greenish gold, like sunlight through a dense canopy. Columns, as if grown from time and the forest's own will, resembled leafless trees, their bark etched with carvings: spirals, leaves, fragments of runes. Upon a high ledge sat the king. His throne was a massive tangle of wood spiraling from the rock, antlers and roots embracing him like a bastion of ancient power. Thranduil seemed fused with the seat itself. His relaxed form radiated a latent threat.…