| TOTAL WAR ROME |
"King Thranduil, I am curious as to why you have come and moreso with an army. Should I be concerned?"
Those dark brown eyes were sharp as ever when she stared at him directly and unwavering, especially when she was addressing a King with such a casual tone and manner, it even nerved Bard to hear such a tone being used for speaking with the King of the Woodland Realm. But she showed no regret in her action or conceding to treating royalty properly.
"I bring aid after the sighting of a red dragon, and its downfall, and so I bring aid to the people and to yours..."
The eloquent speech that a royalty uses - that Thranduil uses - to appear benevolent, and charming towards the audience incited the reaction he wanted. Yet it had little effect on the woman he was captivated by as she offered no reaction. Everything aside - the usual egoistic and arrogant side of him - she saw through him. Just like how she used to.
The small smile on his lips slightly turned into a frown before he caught it back up. Replaced with a serious note and authority that which he displayed.
"I am here to retrieve back that is mine. I can only assume that those dwarves have made themselves at home in that mountain. Regardless, I will take back what is mine. To that end, do not stop me when I am denied to take in what belongs to me."
Thranduil had prepared to gaze upon an opposing expression - worn by her - until it shook him by surprise the woman didn't look him with a face that was against him. Instead, it looked simply defeated and tired before the woman said ever so softly to him.
"So would I..."
There was nothing short but an immediate sense to run towards her - to embrace and comfort her - as he looked at her feature contorts into a familiar expression. A look of betrayal - just as he had worn - when she left him in a world without her presence and love, it shook him.
"Then let us confront them - together"
With an extended hand, Thranduil offered her the comfort of knowing that the elves of the Woodland Realm were allies with them. Him - Thranduil; King - would ally himself to her.
But without any means of disrespect, Estelle merely shook her head weakly - her head faced down and away - as opposed to before the present matter. With great understanding, Thranduil retracted his open palm but said out loud for her officers to hear - a testament he wished to announce - as he spoke.
"There will be no quarrel with the elves. I swear on it - by my life."
Then with that, he continued on with a strong face - but with a shattering mask - as he recalled the face that she wore when he caught a glimpse. It tore him up that he must see the face that he cherished and loved once to be a victim of such anguish. 'If only...' he tempted the fantasy to belong to her as would she, but the painful truth let him pull himself back from the abyss.
She was gone - his beautiful wife - and Estelle wasn't her; no matter how eerily similar, yet the emotions he felt denied him and the truth. Regardless, Thranduil kept on as he placed as much distance between herself and him before he took a quick glimpse and he caught her eyes staring at him.
It was only a small nod - nearly invisible - but Thranduil sensed it and he did not nod back.
| TOTAL WAR ROME |
It was unbeknownst to herself as to why she had nodded, but perhaps her emotion was simply honest, as they ever were when she had been in Rome, and then to Britannia, then here on these lands. The emotions that begged her to return to Rome and to her home - to her family - as with each journey and battle she loses a sense of herself.
Despite the strong sense of duty to her family and the respect for her father's honor, and her own will to brace in the storms that intend to swallow her whole. Despite all that which made her strong, Estelle was slowly falling a descent into despair.
The strong face she had put on and the bravery she would often wear - was shattering - and she simply wondered on just how long she could continue to pretend. 'It is an irony' she gave herself a shrewd smile when she recalled a major thing she had been doing all the while - throughout this whole time - when she thought out loud.
'I lead a legion that doesn't even know their leader is a woman...'
Estelle stood idle and unmoving for a time - unknown and perhaps maybe even an hour - until a voice called for her attention. "Legatus - it's Justinian - may I enter?"
Justinian - she barely sees him beside during crucial battles and plannings - that she permitted him in after she had composed herself. "I heard that the elves offered - aid and all sorts - and that their main focus; is on taking back that is theirs in the mountain."
Estelle said nothing and let the silence take its place, and Justinian was not in a hurry to let words be spoken, as he suddenly relaxed the stiff shoulders and composed stance - taking a rather casual pose - and finally asked in about herself.
"You wouldn't have known the dwarves would betray us - you - more specifically."
Perhaps her father never mentioned that Justinian was his confidant among the men he loved, and, second only to Numerius in confiding in personal matters. But Estelle had a strange feeling that the captain shared a similar and if not the same aura she would with her father.
Thus when he had said those words, it clicked with her before she began to feel her mask - of false bravery, and courage, and fearlessness - begin to fall when she felt safe and secure. Justinian was a father.
"You have gone through so much - child - and I am so proud of you. You have made it this far, and there is not a thing in the world that can say otherwise."
At that moment, Justinian had become a father, rather than a soldier as he approached her.
The old worn gauntlet was removed from his hand, and he patted her shoulder reassuringly before he watched on before him a sweet innocent child - still so young and filled with youth - who had never known war and was put directly to the front line. As a father it incited the wrath within him, but also as a father he focused on her which was more important when she was drowning in turmoil.
"How did such a naive child like you, become such quick-witted in such a short time?"
He humored as he began to comfort her - by making her feel safe around him - before she smacked her head on the armored chest of the softly laughing man. Then with that, she grabbed onto him - embracing him like she was terrified to be swept by the ocean - and hugged him like how she would with her family.
Justinian - rather old and not - reciprocated the gesture when he saw within her; his own daughter, as both had the fortune to think back of home and their loved ones.
Both father and daughter - belonging to their own family - shared a mutual longing as they spent a moment.
"Thank you..." Justinian offered as he pulled away, and Estelle looked at him in confusion. "What for?" Estelle wondered until he gave her the answer. "For indulging me the fleeting sense of home - when it is so far away." Then with a sad smile, she responded, "Then it should be for me as well" and gave him a soft pat on the arm.
Again, it struck her that perhaps these moments were also shared between her father and Justinian, always on the edge to return home - to them.
"Do you have perhaps a daughter?"
Estelle knew from the way he had handled her - soft and gentle - but she wanted to know, but it may have been a poor idea when she saw a set of devastated eyes recalling back to the past. With that alone she understood. As the moment between them passed and the day still bright, they soon returned back to the task at hand, though, not without having strengthened a bond between them.
| TOTAL WAR ROME |