Fic - The King's Jewel - 1/1

[evandar]

Title: The King's Jewel
Author: Evandar
Fandom: The Hobbit/The Silmarillion
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Gen, AU?
Warnings: Spoilers for The Silmarillion?
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit or The Silmarillion and I am making no profit from this story.
Summary: Thranduil recognises the Arkenstone, and that is why he does not help.
AN: This was written for zedille who is a terribly good influence on me, apparently, and inspired this fic with this comment. Also, this is movie!verse for The Hobbit but I somehow avoided mentioning the goddamn moose.



It is fortunate, he thinks, that the eyes of Elves are sharper than the other races know, as he is able to regain his composure by the time he stands before Thror’s throne and gazes upon what he came to see: the King’s Jewel.

It shines perfectly in its setting, and within it Thranduil sees the light of the world across the see. He sees galaxies born and wonders immeasurable, but most of all he sees death and darkness and a world in ruin. He has seen a jewel like this before, long ago, when he was still young and Doriath still stood. His father had bid him to look upon the arrogance of the Noldor – and their downfall – and he had obeyed. He had never expected to look upon it again.

Apparently, Maedhros had not succeeded after all.

There is pride in Thror’s eyes. Pride and growing gold-lust – that Dwarvish weakness – and Thranduil knows that the curse has already set in. Darkness will grow in Erebor and doom shall fall upon it, and he will keep his distance. So he swears to himself as he nods his head to the Dwarven King, knowing well it is unlikely he will see Thror alive once more.

Even so, he follows the sounds of the screams and the plumes of smoke and fire with his army on his heels. He stares down from the cliff-top, watches the young prince as he waves and calls to him – and he grieves in his heart for the fear and desperation in the young Dwarf’s voice – and he turns away, unable to watch for any longer than a moment. He imagines Legolas crying out with such fear, and what pain it would cause him to hear it, and he steels his resolve: his people will do what they can for the Men of Dale, but they will not interfere with the dragon. They will not fight.

Thranduil has seen what happens to those who fight over the Silmarils, and he will not bring that ruin upon his own.

Comments

[zedille.livejournal.com]

BUT EVERYTHING'S BETTER WITH THE MOOSE I'M JUST SAYING

And yes, I love the angle you took with this, that Thranduil had seen the Arkenstone even before Bilbo brought it out. It fits so nicely with Thranduil's first appearance in the movie, and it makes so much sense to give another reason why Thranduil would have turned away from the dwarves. Though the way you phrase it, "those who fight over the Silmarils" -- that makes it sound almost like Smaug flew into Erebor partly because the Silmaril was there? At any rate, good for Thranduil, who had the strength of will to not pursue the stone for himself.