The Forgotten Princess

Agony

The tent was filled with orange light when she woke up. She was sitting up, gasping for breath.

Slowly, Gandalf's explanation sank in and Lessien remembered why it had felt so real. She was just glad that the nightmare hadn't gotten too personal. She remembered the night when she had brutally murdered Tom and his companion's hands roaming her.

It would have been too much to bear to have to relive that. That had been something that only Legolas had known about and Lessien hadn't even told him the whole story.

Gandalf was sitting on a stool in the corner, smoking his pipe, smiling, and nodding. "Good, very good," he was saying over and over.

Lessien felt the heat of anger overtake her. She sat up. "You know what, I think I need to go. I think I need to go right now," she said twice to herself.

Gandalf began to interject. His mouth opened and then closed.

Today was supposed to be a good day.

Lessien opened the tent flap and started to run, dodging a few late-night stragglers and the fires they had made. She needed to get some air away from these people. She needed to think, to clear her head of these memories that had been twisted and warped until they were nightmares with a simple flick of Gandalf's fingers.

Apparently, Lessien was running very fast for when she had broken off from the vast sea of tents she was gasping for air. She folded over, hands on her knees and began to cough violently, her body shaking with the effort. Her knee was screaming. When she was done, she stood up straight and wiped her face, taking deep breaths.

Lessien looked around. Her mind began to start whirring again.

Gandalf had said that was a simple exercise. He said that it wouldn't be hard and that it was only the beginning. Did Gandalf know now? About Tom? About what had happened? Lessien's thoughts rushed though her breathing calmed.

Maybe she should go and talk to Legolas about-

Never mind.

She would have to figure this one out by herself this time.

"Wonder how things are working out for you, Eowyn," Lessien muttered quietly.

The sun was setting slowly in the sky. Maybe she should be heading back now but why? What was she to do? Sleep?

Right.

Tonight she would stay out. It was not like anyone would notice her absence. Besides, she needed to get away for a while. She did not feel like running into Legolas again or, quite frankly, anyone. Maybe it would be better for her to stay out.

What she planned to do in the complete darkness for a few hours, Lessien had no idea whatsoever. So, fate would have it, that she would walk.

Lessien began towards the sun on the horizon.

As she walked along in the glow of the setting eve, she recalled the memory that Gwyndolyn had told her years ago one sunset, on the night her husband had died.

Once, in a far off land, across countless seas and hundreds of desserts, was a kingdom called Almarea, blessed with a gentle, gracious king named Rhinvan and his queen, Cadade.

All was well in Almarea. Magic made crops prosperous and people happy.

Despite this happiness, citizens worried. For the king's son, Anithramir, appeared corrupt and his rule didn't seem promising.

One day, the beloved King Rhinvan died under mysterious circumstances, condemning Queen Cadade to a death by heartbreak.

Anithramir took over as king and it soon proved that the citizens had worried correctly.