Chapter 13 The Awakening: A Proposal Allora awoke with a start to the sweet smell of flowers and the even sweeter music of elven song. ‘Where am I?’ she thought to herself. ‘This does not look like Mirkwood.’ “That is because it is not…” a woman’s voice said… She twisted her head to her right to see the Lady Galadriel standing with a small book in her hands across the room. “You have been out for several days… I thought I was never going to get you to come back into the light of our people… You had relinquished yourself to the darkness too early for your time…” Galadriel trailed off and—as if something so suddenly caught her attention, she glanced out of the window… With a slight smile and a nod, she turned back to Allora. “Legolas has been worried sick over you, you know… It would have been the end of him if you had not returned to us.” Galadriel smiled as Legolas burst through the doors. “Holy Valar! Allora! You are awake! Nae saian luume', Cormamin lindua ele lle! [It has been too long, but my heart sings to see thee.]” He nearly sang as he embraced her. “I shall leave you to your catching up.” Galadriel said, and left just as gracefully as Allora had always remembered. “Legolas… what am I doing here? And why has Galadriel come back from her place in the west?” Allora asked, getting directly to the point. “I asked her to come back… I pleaded with her to come back to help you… I thought I lost you…” Legolas’ face fell sullen and he broke his eye contact with her… “I wanted to go… My job was finished… and then… I felt that there was nothing left for me to do in this world…” Allora admitted truthfully. “And I am nothing, then? For you would have left me to my misery…” Legolas said. He looked at her again then, instantly in the eye; “You have forgotten about the promise I made to you, have you not?” he said, the hurt leaking from his heart and flooding his face. “I… I had forgotten… then… I am sorry…” Allora said… and turned away from him… The emotion seemed to emanate off him and flood the very center of her being. “And, because you had forgotten… that must certainly mean that you have changed what is in your heart?” he asked… (By tone alone, it would have been a rhetorical question… but she answered anyway.) “I have not…my heart remains true to the vow we did not at that time make… It is the reason I returned after all…” With that, Legolas turned her back toward him kissed her thoroughly and when he pulled back, smiles lit both their faces… “Allora… if I may be permitted to ask you… for finally the battle is finished… Will you be my wife? My queen… my companion… until the end of days?” Legolas’ voice shook a little at the mention of wife… and the quaver became worse as his face reddened with the rest of the question… Allora could not help but laugh at the sudden childish embarrassment that flooded Legolas. However, alas she nodded then spake; “Yes…with all of my being… yes!” Galadriel leaned her back against the wall out side the room and smiled to herself. ‘I remember that day very much… as if it were only a fortnight’s distance gone by…’ she thought to herself… ‘I shall stay as far as the wedding… before returning to my rightful home in the west…’ she thought, and standing once again, she turned and made haste down the hallway. She met Celeborn at a corner—nearly ran into him… “Galadriel?! My lady?! I thought surely you had gone to the west!” he cried in disbelief. “You thought properly, dear Celeborn…” she responded… “I returned because Allora needed me… She was falling nearly willingly into shadow… and it was not yet her time… Legolas pleaded for me to return… and only long enough to pull her back into the light of which she belonged…” Galadriel closed her eyes, remembering the overheard conversation just moments before… there was much planning to be done… Celeborn smiled knowingly… “And this accomplished, am I also correct in assuming that you will return to the west?” he asked, already knowing the answer… He was Celeborn the Wise after all… “Eventually, yes… I shall return… However, there are now more immediate matters at hand…” Galadriel said smiling… Celeborn nodded his understanding; for he had sensed something more than a dear friendship between Allora and the King the moment Legolas had brought her to him for care… The look he had on his face… it perfectly mirrored his own… at one time long ago… “Well, the next time you go… I shall travel with you… My work in this world is completed at last… and I long to be with the lady I chose as my queen once again…” He took her hand in his and smiled a smile that held more than a thousand meanings… and they walked away together… Chapter 14 A Royal Wedding: A Special Gift Galadriel made haste in planning the wedding… for she much desired to go into the west once more… She knew well the power and strength Allora and Legolas wielded between the two of them; and, she knew that they would help to mend the Elven world and bring their race back into the light of all Middle-earth. It had been far too long since elves were noticed… much less respected and feared as they once used to be… It was nearly 4 days after Allora had first opened her blue-gray eyes to greet her new world, that the wedding plans were completed… And on the day of the wedding, she sat in her room staring in her mirror blankly… ‘My job is far from over.’ She thought to herself… ‘My job only began with ridding the threat from Middle-earth… Now I must help to rebuild all that has been destroyed… I must awaken in the hearts of men memories easily forgotten in their mortal life spans that which has only become fairytale…’ She ran her fingers through her hair—not noticing the figure that approached her from behind… It was, alas, her grandmother… “Allora… are you not going to get ready for your own wedding?” Galadriel asked a little shocked… and a little worried by her granddaughter’s strange behavior… “Arwenamin… why did you not tell me that my life did not stop when the battle was finished? Why did you not tell me that I would marry… that I would be the one to pull the elven race from out of myth and into reality, where they dwelled once for so long? Why did you let me believe—” However, The Lady of the light hushed her and smiled. “Why did I not tell you that you were an elf? Why did I not tell you that you were a woman? Why did I keep to myself everything about your family and your royal bloodline?” “But, grandmother, I knew all those things…” “Exactly… you knew them and you believed them… just as you believed that your life must end with the great battle… You chose to think that your life was to end there… I only told you of your first purpose… However, there are far greater things you still have yet to do… You, dear one, will become the Lady of Lothlorien, as my heir, but also… the Evenstar of our people, in your sister’s honor and memory, and tonight shall make you officially the Queen of Mirkwood and most importantly, of all the elves… It is because of you that our people are after so long reunited… Mirkwood, Lothlorien, and Rivendell will once again fall under one dominion… As it should be…” Galadriel fell silent for a moment as she heard commotion from somewhere in the courtyard… then; “You must hasten and get ready… You are to be married this evening, or have you forgotten already?” “I have not forgotten…” Allora said, and stood and pulled her dress from its place in her closet… It shimmered in the evening sunlight… and it promised to shine brightly with the light of the stars as well… Legolas could not stand still as he waited impatiently for Allora to appear at the other end of that golden carpet of leaves she was to walk down… He had long awaited this day… and finally… From a time when he had not deemed this possible; he was to be wed. Celeborn was to serve as their justice… and he and the Lady Galadriel took their places in front of the crowd of elves. Soft music could be heard as Allora appeared from somewhere inside and glided down the isle to meet her anxious husband-to-be… The ceremony was brief, but beautiful, and everyone at the feast that followed was quick to say so… Allora was sitting beside her husband at the head table, and was talking to one of the high-guards of Lothlorien when Galadriel interrupted them. “Arwenamin, (she addressed her properly, as she never had before…) if I would speak with you in private a moment…” The guard bowed to the Ladies at Galadriel’s dismissal of him and he so returned to his rank and began to talk to other courtiers. “What is it, grandmother? Is something the matter?” Allora grew a little worried at the Lady of the Light’s hushed tone of voice… “Not at all, I would just… like to have a small chat with you… before I retire…” Galadriel answered… Allora nodded, signaled mentally to Legolas that she was going to talk with the Lady and she stood and followed her down a long dark hallway into a tiny room. “There is one thing that now, as my heir, must belong to you… I have long kept it hidden and safe from the followers of the evil that abided in Mordor; however, since that has at last been demolished, I give it to you now as a most precious wedding present…” Galadriel opened a large wooden box and from within, she pulled a small square piece of the most delicate of cloths. Handling it carefully, as though its contents might disintegrate, she handed it forth to Allora. Allora took the cloth with much curiosity, and, gently unwrapping it, she found there, infolded in the center, a small, gold-sliver type ring… she looked at Galadriel expectantly… “The metal is that of Mithril the dwarf-lords most treasured substance. The flower that forms the head of it was to represent the Elves of Lothlorien. The stone you see imbedded in the very center of the flower is a green pearl; though it is neither green, nor a pearl. Take great care and guard it as you would a small child… for it is the last remaining ring of power, and though the threat of Mordor has indeed vanished, this little ring still contains much of the will of the ancients… the High-elves… and with this ring, you will govern the lands of Mirkwood, Rivendell, and Lothlorien forever…” Galadriel slipped the ring on Allora’s right middle finger; just as it was placed upon her own, so long ago… As she did so, she heaved a great sigh of relief… “Galadriel, I know not what to say… With the receiving of this ring, great trust and responsibility has been placed in me… Are you sure I am right to be the heir to your predetermined greatness?” Allora sounded uncertain of her strengths… even though she had already far surpassed her grandmother’s powers… “My child… I would not have chosen any other than you… with the receiving of this ring… I have allowed myself freedom once again to travel into the west, wherefore I now rightfully and indefinitely belong…” Galadriel pulled her granddaughter into a tight, loving embrace… “Celeborn and I will leave tonight… and we wish to go unnoticed… if you do not mind…” She whispered into Allora’s ear… The Elf-queen nodded; “It is well, you shall travel unmissed. None shall know and none shall mourn until the morrow dawns…” Allora confirmed, and with one final and brief farewell to both Galadriel and Celeborn, who had appeared by her grandmother’s side, and then stood silently awaiting his chance to say farewell; Allora returned at last to the festivities that were held in her and her King’s honor… The night saw both Galadriel and Celeborn off silently, and it was just as well… for everyone that remained at the celebration was bursting with cheer… Chapter 15 (Epilogue) Questions Accompanied By A New Life “How does it feel?” Legolas asked that night, after the feast, while they wandered beneath the stars. “How does what feel?” Allora asked… absently… “To be married, finally.” Legolas clarified, laughing a little… “The feeling is wonderful… like my heart has taken wings and has left my body to dance amongst the stars…” Allora answered… “The feeling is mutual…” Legolas said, and took her hand in his own… “And how does it feel to be the heiress to the Lady of Lothlorien’s position? And further more, the Evenstar of our people?” Legolas answered… obviously otherwise informed as to all that had gone on that night… “It feels as though it was all a dream… Surely it is impossible to come all this way… So far… And so fast… Surely this destiny is not my own…” Allora still could not believe everything that had come to pass… She turned to Legolas and held up her hand… “You see this? This ring?… I know you know what it is… Galadriel let it pass to me… that I might use its power to guide our people into the light once again…” Allora’s voice faltered and she looked away… “Allora… from the day you were brought into this world, this was your destiny… You were destined to fight Gayae… and to fall in love… Destined to marry me and unite our kingdoms… Destined to be chosen as The Lady of the Light’s heir… And… destined to become the Evenstar of your people… For in the end… that’s what you are…” Legolas trailed off, and looked up toward the stars… “What am I, Legolas?” Allora brought his attention back down to earth… “You, my queen, you are The Savior of the Elves…” he replied softly and kissed her. And that day, the sun set on the Elven Myths, and arose anew to truth and newfound glory… For in the years to come… great things would become of the fairest race in all Middle-Earth. “At last, dear friends, the comedy is over” -Mozart ©2003 Fury ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Author’s Notes In the End None of the characters, other than Allora and Gayae, are mine…and full credit is to be given to J.R.R. Tolkein; for without his stoke of genius, this story surely would not have haunted my days and plagued my nights … I, the author, also do not claim any of the places or any of the languages… and if I did, I would NOT have time to sit at a computer for hours on end to type up a story… Thank you for bearing with me… but most of all; thank you for reading… ~Fury