I reforged the glory of the magic ring in Middle-earth

Chapter 95 Thranduil and Thorin

Tanes made no secret of his admiration, his eyes gleaming with appreciation: "What an amazing place! Of all the buildings I've seen, this one is definitely one of the most magnificent."

When Legolas heard his hometown being praised like this, the corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a subtle and proud smile, silently responding to the praise.

Thorin looked at Legolas' smile unhappily, frowned, and was about to sneer coldly, but was grabbed by Balin by the corner of his clothes.

Balin blinked vigorously, signaling him to control his temper.

Thorin took a deep breath, swallowed the sarcasm on the tip of his tongue, and said stiffly: "When you reach the Lonely Mountain, you will understand what true grandeur is."

Although his tone was still harsh, at least he did not directly provoke Legolas.

Balin breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took over the conversation, saying to Tanes with a smile: "Yes, the magnificence of Lonely Mountain is definitely worth seeing."

His tone was warm and sincere, trying to lighten the mood.

Legolas turned a deaf ear to Thorin's words and turned his head away with a cold expression, as if the other party did not exist at all.

The elf's eyes were calm and distant, as if silently saying that the dwarf's words were not worth his emotional waste.

Seeing this, Thorin's face became even gloomier, his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force, and he was obviously irritated by this disregard.

“Holo in ennyn (Close the door).”

As the last elven archer stepped lightly into the palace and disappeared between the magnificent columns, Legolas whispered in Elvish to the elven warriors guarding the main gate of the palace.

Two elven warriors in silver-gray armor immediately nodded in response when they heard the order.

As they moved, the heavy stone door slowly closed with a low rumbling sound.

Finally, the stone gate was completely closed, completely isolating the noise and disputes from the outside world, leaving only tranquility and solemnity inside the palace.

Led by Legolas, the group set foot on a stone path carefully carved from rocks.

The stone paths are both sides carved with intricate and exquisite patterns, and gorgeous oil lamps are hung on both sides of the stone paths. The warm lights sway in the lampshades, casting soft light on everyone's faces.

As they continued to move forward, the road beneath their feet became increasingly strange.

Bilbo and the dwarves looked down and found that they were no longer standing on ordinary stairs, but on thick and winding branches.

The branches have smooth surfaces yet natural textures, as if they were originally part of the palace.

Egon and Millicent couldn't help showing surprise, their eyes wandering around, trying to take in every detail of the forest elf palace.

Except Tanes and Bernal.

They walked leisurely, their eyes indifferent, as if they were already accustomed to everything in front of them, and appeared exceptionally calm.

After all, they had set foot in the border city of Rodel and entered the magnificent palace entangled by the huge roots of the golden tree.

There, some roads are simply made up of the incredible branches and trunks of the golden trees, which are magnificent and breathtaking.

Therefore, in this territory of the forest elves, the two of them were the only ones who were unfazed by this road woven from trees.

Legolas walked in front, occasionally glancing back to see everyone's reactions.

His gaze lingered on Tanes and Bernal for a moment, as if he felt a hint of interest in their indifference, but he quickly turned forward and continued to lead the team deeper into the palace where he had lived for many years.

"Here we are."

I don’t know how long I walked, but Legolas’ voice was soft but clear, like a breeze blowing past my ears.

The dwarves were already a little impatient and were muttering complaints, but now they were shocked by the scene before them. They couldn't help but hold their breath and swallow all their complaints back into their stomachs.

They stood in the center of a magnificent space that seemed like a temple to nature.

A huge ancient tree was cut off, its trunk was as wide as a platform, and its surface was as smooth as a mirror, obviously it had been carefully polished.

On the platform is a antler throne carved from top-quality wood. The lines of the throne are smooth and elegant, and every detail of the antlers is lifelike, as if it will jump out of the wood grain at any time.

Behind the throne, huge tree roots cascade down like a waterfall, blending with the surrounding rocks to form a natural mural.

Surrounding the throne are towering stone pillars, each carved with intricate elven patterns. Patterns of vines, stars, and flying birds are intertwined together to form a building that resembles a royal court.

A slender figure sat quietly on the antler throne, facing Tanes and his group.

It was an elf, his posture graceful and calm, as if blending in with the surrounding nature. His silver hair flowed like moonlight, draped over his shoulders, and the ends of his hair shimmered with a faint light.

He wore a crown of wild berries and crimson leaves, for it was autumn; in spring he would have worn a crown of forest flowers.

The elf lowered his head slightly, as if in deep thought, and the lines of his profile were soft and deep.

Tanes' gaze lingered on the throne for a moment, then he slowly scanned the surroundings, finally landing on the six elven warriors standing quietly.

They were wearing the same silver-gray armor as the guards at the main gate, the surface of the armor had a cold luster, their postures were as upright as pine trees, and their expressions were solemn.

Tanes withdrew his gaze. Judging from the performance of these elven warriors, at least he could feel that the other party was not hostile.

The elf sitting on the throne slowly came back to his senses from his contemplation, his silver-gray eyes like cold stars in winter.

He first glanced at the dwarves, a trace of undisguised disdain and indifference flashing across his eyes.
That cold gaze was like a blade, cutting through the air, causing the dwarves led by Thorin to tense up, with a look of displeasure and vigilance on their faces.

However, when his gaze fell on Tanes, his icy eyes melted quietly, revealing a faint smile.

"Welcome, guest from afar. May the blessings of the forest be with you. My name is Thranduil, King of the Woodland Kingdom."

He spoke softly, his voice flowing like a spring, carrying a natural majesty. Tanes nodded slightly, his tone gentle and calm: "Greetings, King Thranduil. I am Tanes, Lord of the Golden Tree. I am honored to hear that you and your people have a special liking for the fruits produced in my territory. It is an honor for my territory to bring a little joy to Mirkwood."

Thranduil's lips curled up slightly, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes. "After all, fruits that contain a hint of magic are indeed rare, and the fact that these fruits are produced from the barren land of Minsilias is even more unforgettable."

However, his gaze immediately turned to the dwarves, and his expression became cold and distant again.

"However, I'm sorry," Thranduil's tone was filled with a hint of apology, but also revealed an unquestionable majesty, "If it were just you and me here at this moment, I would be happy to discuss the possibility of cooperation with you in depth. But now——"

His eyes swept across the dwarves like a knife, and his voice was low and cold: "We should solve the problem of these dwarves first."

Thranduil's words were like an invisible barrier, instantly breaking the originally harmonious atmosphere.

When the dwarves heard this, their faces turned ugly. Thorin even frowned and clenched his fists, obviously extremely dissatisfied with Thranduil's attitude.

Thorin was about to open his mouth to retort when Tanes stepped forward and stood in front of him. His tone was calm and sincere: "Regarding them, King Thranduil, we did not intend to offend your territory. We had only planned to pass through Mirkwood quickly, but we did not expect to lose our way in the forest."

"Is that so? Legolas, my son."

Thranduil did not respond immediately, but tilted his head slightly, a trace of thought flashing in his silver-gray eyes. His gaze first fell on Legolas, and then slowly turned to Tauriel standing behind the dwarves.

Legolas noticed his father's gaze and immediately looked away. He looked straight ahead calmly and said in a calm tone, "Tauriel, you answer."

Thranduil frowned slightly, but his expression remained calm, without much fluctuation.

However, this subtle change was keenly captured by Tanes.

What's going on? Aren't they father and son? Did they have a recent argument and things are sour?
He couldn't help but feel a little doubtful.

At the same time, Tauriel, who had been named by Legolas, stepped out from the elf group behind the dwarves and walked towards the throne with light but firm steps. She was tall and elegant, and her brown archer leather armor gleamed in the light.

"Hey, you, tall one! You can prove that we really entered your territory by mistake, right?" Qili suddenly shouted among a group of dwarves, with a hint of urgency and expectation in his voice.

Upon hearing this, Tauriel turned her head slightly and glanced at Qili, with a hint of confusion and coldness in her eyes.

Although in her eyes, the dwarf was indeed tall and handsome among his compatriots, he was still a dwarf after all.

Tauriel did not respond to Kili's call. Instead, she walked straight to Thranduil's throne, knelt on one knee, and said respectfully, "Lord Thranduil, although these dwarves seemed panicked when they were discovered by the sentinels, this does not prove that they have no malicious intentions, because these dwarves somehow bypassed the sight of their compatriots and broke in."

Thranduil nodded calmly, his voice calm and majestic: "I understand. Tauriel, you should lead your compatriots to continue the hunting mission."

"Yes," Tauriel responded briefly before rising and leading her group out of the throne room.

The relationship between her and Thranduil seems a little subtle?
Tanes watched Tauriel leave, and a hint of doubt arose in his heart again.

After all, she had just returned from a mission, and not only did she not allow people to rest, but she also drove them out. Thranduil was somewhat dissatisfied with her.

As for the reason for the dissatisfaction, Tanes did not know.

Thranduil's voice brought him back from his thoughts: "You also heard that based on what my men said, you can't prove that they didn't break into my kingdom with malicious intent, right?"

Tanes frowned slightly, his tone calm but firm: "With all due respect, King Thranduil, this is just one-sided speculation. If we really had malicious intentions, we would not have entered your palace in such a quiet manner."

Thranduil laughed kindly, his voice tinged with admiration. "Of course I know that. After all, your deeds have been sung even by the Men of Dale. How could I not know that you are different from other wizards? Compared to Gandalf the Grey, Radagast the Brown, and Saruman the White, you are more offensive and aggressive towards your enemies. The poems that reach my ears sometimes even make me wonder if you are a wizard after all, rather than the slayer of Orcs."

His laughter lingered for a moment, then gradually faded, and his tone became serious again: "But please don't misunderstand, Lord of the Golden Tree. I don't mean to harbor ill will towards you, your three friends, or the hobbit, but these dwarves."

Thranduil's voice grew completely cold by the end, his gaze like an icy blade directed at Thorin: "I know their faces, especially the dwarf standing in front. When I asked King Thror of the Lonely Mountain for the jewels that rightfully belonged to my race, he was standing beside the greedy dwarf's throne. Thorin Oakenshield, heir to the royal line of Durin."

Thorin strode up to Taneth and looked Thranduil in the face without flinching, his eyes burning with suppressed rage.

His voice was low and cold, filled with undisguised hatred. "My compatriots painstakingly repaired and recast that jewel. Why should it become yours?"

As Thorin finished speaking, Balin in the dwarf team slowly closed his eyes, and a deep despair appeared on his face.

His brows were furrowed, his hands hung limply at his sides, his fingertips trembling slightly, as if he felt helpless and heartbroken about Thorin's impulsiveness, as if he had foreseen the inevitable conflict and disaster with Thranduil.

Thranduil chuckled in anger, "I do not wish to engage in pointless arguments with you dwarves. You have trespassed into my territory without permission, and have spoken rudely to me from before my throne. This is an unforgivable sin in itself. If it were not for the Lord of the Golden Tree, I would have imprisoned you the moment you entered the palace, until you, such rude and stubborn creatures, learn the true meaning of courtesy and respect!"

Thorin refused to back down. A sarcastic smile played on his face, and his voice was as cold as ice. "Is that all you have to say? Do you think these words can humiliate me? Or can words of this magnitude conceal the fact that you elves left us dwarves in vain?"

Tanes looked at Thorin and Thranduil who were on the verge of a fight and showed a headache.

But the anger on Thranduil's face soon disappeared, replaced by a playful expression. He slowly walked down from the throne and said: "You dwarves have mobilized such a large force for this trip, even calling on a powerful wizard and his friends to escort you. Your purpose for going to the Lonely Mountain is obvious."

He raised his hand, stopping the other elven warriors who were on guard and drawing their swords, and came in front of Tanes and Thorin.

Thranduil was mainly targeting Thorin. He pretended to be gentle and said to the dwarf who was glaring at him, "You know a way into the mountains. You want to find the treasure that will give you the right to rule - the king's crown jewel, the Arkenstone."

Thorin immediately withdrew his gaze and subconsciously dodged, but soon realized that his expression would confirm Thranduil's guess, so he raised his head and looked at him again.

But Thranduil had already caught his small movements, causing the Elf King to smile as if to predict the outcome. He continued, "It is a priceless treasure to you. I understand very well."

Thorin said in a deep voice: "So? What do our actions have to do with you? Are you still planning to help us return to the Lonely Mountain?"

Thranduil gracefully returned to his throne and sat down, looking at Thorin. "I had intended this, for within that mountain lie the jewels I long for—white gems, imbued with pure starlight. These are the jewels you dwarves have appropriated. It is time to return them to their rightful owners."

Tanes noted Thranduil's choice of words: "Originally?"

"Yes, originally..." Thranduil nodded lightly, and then revealed a terrible piece of information.

"—If the evil dragon in the Lonely Mountain hadn't awakened and flown out again, snatching beautiful young human girls from Lake-town as its food, I would have turned a blind eye to your actions, and even offered you weapons and food to travel to the Lonely Mountain."

　PS: Thank you all readers for your monthly tickets, recommendation tickets and rewards ~ I wish you all a happy Chinese New Year ~
　　In the previous chapter, Legolas should have been talking about Lake Town making a deal with their Woodland Kingdom, not Dale Town. I made a mistake and have corrected it.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)