Post by Admin on Jan 3, 2021 21:17:57 GMT
Author: Kiara Kay
Thranduil walked through the streets of Dale. He had come to discuss trade, and was now just looking around for something interesting. A few hours passed, and Thranduil stopped to get ready to leave. That was when he noticed the stall. It was not unlike all the others, but what it was selling was neither normal, nor good. Slaves! Out of curiosity, he strode over to examine this new prospect. There were strong, young men in chains, sitting silently. Thranduil’s heart broke when he saw the young girl curled-up in the corner. She was so young, only nine or ten, maybe even eight years old. Thranduil knew he had to do something about this. “That girl in the corner, how much?” he ask the slave-seller. “Oh, fourteen gold coins.” Thranduil stared at the man. He was actually putting a price on people! Women and children even? “I’ll pay that much, and. . .” he held out ten mithril coins. “Let the rest go, and do not sell your kinsfolk out anymore.” the elvenking demanded. The seller gawked at him for a moment, then quickly agreed, handing him the legal papers for the girl. He promised to let the rest of the would-be-slaves go free, and Thranduil returned to his tent with a young girl following him. The girl was frightened, and had she not thought she was a slave, she would’ve been clinging to Thranduil. As he entered his tent, the girl reluctantly lingered outside. Thranduil smiled, and called her in. “What should we do with these?” he ask her, waving the papers that signed her fate to slavery. “I think, since you are my daughter, not a slave, I will burn them.” With that he tossed the papers into the small fire in the center of the tent. The girl almost yelped with surprise. “What!?” she gasped, speaking for the first time. Thranduil smiled. “I will adopt you as my child, so the papers are useless. Do you have a name?” he questioned, beckoning her over. “Anaya.” she said, walking over to Thranduil. “How old are you?” he ask, concerned about her future, had he not intervened. “Seven,” she told him nervously.
It was a few weeks later, and Thranduil sat in his personal chambers, wrapped in a blanket. Anaya leaned against him. Thranduil remembered how he had found his new child, and the adventure that followed. The next day, Thranduil measured her, and together they left to buy dresses, shoes and jewelry for her. They had a hard time finding a few dresses that fit her, she was naturally, very skinny. By that evening, little Anaya was already a princess. She had gotten used to the idea that the great Elvenking was her dad, and addressed him as ‘Daddy’. When they returned to Mirkwood, Thranduil’s council was infuriated. They thought it was inappropriate for a ruler of Mirkwood to adopt a human girl, and that she would not live long enough to take the throne, and no one wanted a half-elf ruling Mirkwood. Thranduil fought with the council for days, demanding the right to keep Anaya. Eventually the council gave in, and Thranduil now had a daughter. Anaya made many new friends, and was soon acting like a normal seven year-old girl. She ran about, laughing and playing games with Legolas, who was her newfound friend, as well as brother. As Thranduil sat with Anaya that evening, reminiscing as she slept, he realized something. Anaya, his daughter, was worth more than any gold coin.
Thranduil walked through the streets of Dale. He had come to discuss trade, and was now just looking around for something interesting. A few hours passed, and Thranduil stopped to get ready to leave. That was when he noticed the stall. It was not unlike all the others, but what it was selling was neither normal, nor good. Slaves! Out of curiosity, he strode over to examine this new prospect. There were strong, young men in chains, sitting silently. Thranduil’s heart broke when he saw the young girl curled-up in the corner. She was so young, only nine or ten, maybe even eight years old. Thranduil knew he had to do something about this. “That girl in the corner, how much?” he ask the slave-seller. “Oh, fourteen gold coins.” Thranduil stared at the man. He was actually putting a price on people! Women and children even? “I’ll pay that much, and. . .” he held out ten mithril coins. “Let the rest go, and do not sell your kinsfolk out anymore.” the elvenking demanded. The seller gawked at him for a moment, then quickly agreed, handing him the legal papers for the girl. He promised to let the rest of the would-be-slaves go free, and Thranduil returned to his tent with a young girl following him. The girl was frightened, and had she not thought she was a slave, she would’ve been clinging to Thranduil. As he entered his tent, the girl reluctantly lingered outside. Thranduil smiled, and called her in. “What should we do with these?” he ask her, waving the papers that signed her fate to slavery. “I think, since you are my daughter, not a slave, I will burn them.” With that he tossed the papers into the small fire in the center of the tent. The girl almost yelped with surprise. “What!?” she gasped, speaking for the first time. Thranduil smiled. “I will adopt you as my child, so the papers are useless. Do you have a name?” he questioned, beckoning her over. “Anaya.” she said, walking over to Thranduil. “How old are you?” he ask, concerned about her future, had he not intervened. “Seven,” she told him nervously.
It was a few weeks later, and Thranduil sat in his personal chambers, wrapped in a blanket. Anaya leaned against him. Thranduil remembered how he had found his new child, and the adventure that followed. The next day, Thranduil measured her, and together they left to buy dresses, shoes and jewelry for her. They had a hard time finding a few dresses that fit her, she was naturally, very skinny. By that evening, little Anaya was already a princess. She had gotten used to the idea that the great Elvenking was her dad, and addressed him as ‘Daddy’. When they returned to Mirkwood, Thranduil’s council was infuriated. They thought it was inappropriate for a ruler of Mirkwood to adopt a human girl, and that she would not live long enough to take the throne, and no one wanted a half-elf ruling Mirkwood. Thranduil fought with the council for days, demanding the right to keep Anaya. Eventually the council gave in, and Thranduil now had a daughter. Anaya made many new friends, and was soon acting like a normal seven year-old girl. She ran about, laughing and playing games with Legolas, who was her newfound friend, as well as brother. As Thranduil sat with Anaya that evening, reminiscing as she slept, he realized something. Anaya, his daughter, was worth more than any gold coin.