The King's Lost Daughter

The Truth about the Past

"How long will it take us to get back to Mirkwood?" Emarilia asked Aragorn.

"We should be there at night or early tomorrow morning" Aragorn replied

"Really?!" Emarilia asked full of hope

Aragorn chuckled and nodded.

Emarilia smiled, and put her hand on her neck, feeling for her necklace, but her heart dropped when she noticed that it was gone. "No, no, no, no NO!" Emarilia shouted.

Aragorn stopped and asked "What is it?!"

Emarilia jumped off her horse, and got down onto her hands and knees looking through the dirt for her necklace then said "My, necklace, it's gone!"

Aragorn sighed and said "Emarilia, we cannot delay, we must go..."

Emarilia started crying and said "You-You don't understand, that necklace means alot to me, it belonged to my mother"

Aragorn felt really bad and said "Emarilia, I'm so sorry, but we must go" Emarilia nodded, wiped her tears and got back onto her horse.

They rode in silence for the next hour, and Aragorn noticed that she was really upset. "Emarilia, I'm really sorry that we could not stop and look for your necklace, it's just that these forests are very dangerous at night, so we need to exit them before the sun sets" he said.

Emarilia shook her head and said "No, it's fine, I understand. I-I was just thinking."

Aragorn nodded and said "I understand" Soon they were out of the forest, and were riding through a valley. The sun just started to set, and it was truly beautiful. "Wow" Emarilia said looking up at the sky.

Aragorn was looking up at the sky as well and said "It's beautiful, isn't it..."

Emarilia nodded and said "Indeed it is"

Aragorn then said "We should be in Mirkwood within the next two hours"

-°-

Everyone in Mirkwood was frantically preparing a feast for the return of the queen. And they were almost done. Thranduil and Almwen were standing on the roof of the palace where Thranduil had taken Emarilia many years ago when she returned to Mirkwood. Thranduil was standing behind his wife with his arms protectively wrapped around her, and Almwen was leaning back against Thranduil's chest. They were watching the sun set as well, enjoying the silence. Almwen smiled and said "I remember when you used to bring me up here Thranduil"

Thranduil smiled and kissed her cheek. "I brought Emarilia up here too"

Almwen nodded, trying to hold back her tears. She then changed the subject by saying "What happened to Azog....after he stabbed me?"

Thranduil caressed her cheek and said "I killed him..."

Almwen smiled weakly and said "But what about Bolg?"

Thranduil kissed her hand and said "He was killed as well...by Emarilia...our Emarilia"

Almwen stepped away from her husband's embrace "W...What?" she asked.

Thranduil wrapped his arms around her again and calmly said "She was willing to die to save Legolas. It was many years ago, and they were attacked by him, but she stayed and fought him, and she killed him."

Almwen started crying and said "S-She was so brave"

Thranduil nodded and replied "More than you could ever know."

Almwen wiped her tears and said "I wish I could watch her grow up, Thranduil. What was she like, as a young elleth?"

Thranduil froze, he didn't know what to say. He released her, slowly turned Almwen around, and held her hands. "Darling, There is something I need to tell you..."

Almwen's eyes widened and her heart dropped. "W-What is i-it?" she asked trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

Thranduil started crying and said "After the war, Bolg wanted to kill a child of mine, because I killed his father, Azog. Orcs kept attacking Mirkwood, and they kept trying to kill Emarilia and take her away from me. I protected her my love, as best as I could, but then it was just too dangerous, and I had to get her away from Mirkwood. I found her a new, loving family that was willing to take care of her. I've missed the first 100 years of her life. And I've only had Emarilia with me for the next 100. So, I never got to watch her grow up. (Emarilia is 200 years old, and she is about 19 in human years.) My love, I did it to protect her, If I hadn't, Emarilia would have been killed when she was a baby."

Almwen wiped her tears and nodded. She then said "How can I go to a feast when my daughter's funeral was today Thranduil, I cannot go..." Almwen began to walk back to their room. Thranduil firmly grabbed her hand, and pulled her into a hug. He ran his hand up a down her back, trying to comfort her. "Yes you can love, Do it for Mirkwood. They are more than happy that you are alive...please"

Almwen started crying and said "B-But I want to see her Thranduil"

"I know you do darling, Emarilia always told me that she wanted to see you, more than anything, but do you know what I always told her?" Thranduil asked caressing his wife's cheek with a loving smile.

Almwen smiled weakly and asked "What..."

Thranduil kissed her forehead and put his hand over Almwen's heart then said "I always told her that you were with her, in her heart. And that you would never leave her."

Almwen smiled brightly and put her hand over Thranduil's hand that was on her heart. "I'll go...but only for Legolas and you"

Thranduil smiled, kissed her lightly and led her to back to their room. Once they entered their room, he opened their closet revealing all of her clothes.

Almwen gasped and said "My clothes! They're still here!"

Thranduil nodded, wrapped his arms around her waist and said "Of course, I would never get rid of them, not in a million years...alright, now, I'll leave you to change" Almwen nodded and started to go through her dresses. About 15 minutes later, Thranduil knocked on the door, and Almwen opened it.

When Thranduil saw his wife, he gasped. "Y-You look Beautiful" he stuttered

Almwen smiled at him lovingly and said "Thank you".

Thranduil was holding a crown in his hands, and he carefully placed it onto her head. "There, that's better" he said caressing her cheek. They both held hands and made their way to the feast. It would be starting any minute now.

-°-

Aragorn and Emarilia had been riding for the past hour and a half, and they were so close to Mirkwood. Aragorn started to pick up the pace and said "If we go a little faster, we should be in Mirkwood within the next 20 minutes." Emarilia nodded and didn't say anything. She was so scared about what her father would do when he saw her.

-°-

As Thranduil and Almwen made their way through the crowd, everyone stared at her in awe. Many people were crying tears of joy, because their beloved queen had returned. Thranduil had seated her at a table, and several people came up to them and talked to the queen about her return or they were telling her that she looked beautiful.

-°-

Aragorn and Emarilia were now standing at the entrance of Mirkwood, and it was night. Emarilia was shaking uncontrollably, She was beyond scared. "Well, here we are" Aragorn said gesturing to the front gate. Emarilia nodded, and slid off of her horse. "Thank you Aragorn, for everything. I'm just going to put my horse in the stables, then I'll enter through the front gate." Aragorn nodded, said goodbye, then left. Emarilia slowly walked her horse to the stables, the stood at the front gate. Her heart was beating so fast and loud that she felt like it was going to explode. She took the first step through the gate and thought to herself 'This is it...'

I am so sorry for the cliffhanger! I know, she's so close!!!

(The picture above is the dress that Almwen is wearing for the feast)

Any feedback?