"My lord?"

Thranduil opened a bleary eye. The face of Harune, his personal attendant, swam into focus. "What is so important that you must wake me from my sleep?"

"Forgive me, my lord," Harune apologized, "Healer Jailil bids you come at once to number twenty-four. There have been some urgent developments."

Thranduil flung on a robe and raced to Asmeril's room, halfway across the palace. Was the boy dead? As he neared his destination, he began to hear terrified screams and pleas and sobs. "No! No! Please do not hurt me! Please, please, please do not hurt me! Go away! I hate you!"

Thranduil entered healing room twenty-four. A tired Healer Jailil was trying to calm a hysterical, sobbing Asmeril. "I am not going to hurt you, Asmeril. Come here. I—"

At the sight of Thranduil, Asmeril shot across the room and burrowed deep into Thranduil's arms. Thranduil frowned at Healer Jailil. "What is the meaning of this behavior?"

"My lord," Healer Jailil bowed respectfully to his king. "Forgive me for waking you, but Asmeril was awakened by nightmares of horrible abuse. He begged for you. When you did not immediately come, he thought I was the person from his dream and he began to scream. I sent Harune to get you before he did something rash."

"Asmeril called for me? For me! What, does he think I am his father or something? I have had a long, tiring day! I need my rest! Could you not have done something else to calm him?" Thranduil snapped. He shoved Asmeril away from him.

Healer Jailil looked hurt. "So you would ask us to suffer so you could sleep, my lord?"

Thranduil sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead, his anger quickly fading. "I am sorry. Forgive me." He went and knelt beside Asmeril. The boy was huddled on the floor, weeping.

"I am sorry, Asmeril. It was not my intention to hurt you," Thranduil said gently.

Asmeril looked at him with tears streaming down his face. He crawled back into bed and curled into a tight ball. Thranduil slid an arm under the elfling's neck and placed a pillow under his head. As he pulled the blankets over Asmeril, the child looked at him with haunted blue eyes. "Please stay with me," he whispered.

Thranduil yawned. It was a long walk back to his chambers. He was tired. Asmeril would have a fit if he so much as took a step towards the door. Thranduil slid into bed next to Asmeril. At first, Asmeril cringed at his touch but he calmed as Thranduil murmured repeatedly, "You are safe. No one is going to hurt you . . ."

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