'Elthríel listened with rapt attention as Finrod, laying on his back and staring at the clear sky above him, spoke about the beauty of the Trees of Valinor. He rarely spoke to her now, not that he had ever made a habit to talk with her, but this was...
The sun shone lazily in the west when Finrod and Amarë at last returned to Nargothrond. Both were quiet, but the joy written on their faces expressed the love and happiness that words failed to do.
They arrived just before the evening meal, the two riding in together through the gates and alighting in the main courtyard. Many stopped and stared at them, but no one said anything to them.
Finrod called for someone to stable his horse and then turned to Amarë as together they walked to the staircase that led in two directions to two separate wings where each of them slept.
"So, I shall see you tonight then? I wish you to sit with me."
"Why?" she asked smiling. "Won't someone question?"
"In the event they do, I shall tell them that I have suffered decades without you; now that we are together, I wish to be in your company as much as possible to we are wedded--and then I shall never leave your side."
"Alright then, I shall see you tonight," she laughed, her grey eyes shining.
He smiled and kissed her before leaving her company.
Amarië turned away and went to her own chambers, her heart as light and free as it had been so long ago in Valinor. Perhaps one could still be happy in Middle-earth, amidst the sorrow of banishment and evil of Morgoth.
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"Aiee, what do you think you're doing, smiling as if all was going your way, Elthríel?" a snobbish voice interrupted Amarië's thoughts.
The elleth looked up. "I have been made very happy and cannot help but smile," she replied simply.
"Happy? Why would you be so happy?"
"Because that which I have so wished for for so long has now happened and just a little longer and all my wishes shall be fulfilled. Why should I not be rejoicing?"
Amtharel stared at her as if Elthríel was completely mad, but said nothing, turning away and muttering something underneath her breath.
Amarië brushed it away and continued, a fragment of a song escaping her lips.
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That evening, Amarië did sit indeed with Finrod, ignoring the shocked and surprised stares of many.
After the meal was over, Amtharel approached Amarië and demanded, "What do you think you are doing, Elthríel, sitting with the rule of this realm of Nargothrond?" her words were sweet, sweet as honey and as sour as vinegar.
Finrod, who had never left Amarië's side, answered for his sweetheart. "I asked my lovely Amarië to sit by my side."
Amtharel's mouth fell open and she stammered, "A-Amarië? You mean, the Amarië?"
"The same," he replied firmly. "I would wish you to treat her with the respect that she deserves, Amtharel. Is that understood?"
She masked her shock and smiled, curtsying. "As you wish, my lord." Then she turned on her heel and left.
"I do not believe she means it," Amarië mused.
"Nay, she does not. But at least she should leave you in peace. I have noticed her treatment of you, but I did not think it as important as I did not know you to be Amarië then. Come," he added, changing the subject. "They are beginning the singing for tonight. I know you have often absented yourself from the evening songs, but I wish you to come with me to them--if you want to."
"I do," she smiled, taking his hand in hers as together they walked to the firelit hall and sat down with the others, listening to the harpsong being performed.
The singer, a young, dark-haired elleth, was singing a sad song, full of melancholic longing for the days of Valinor.
When she finished and the audience applauded, she took up her harp and walked to the outskirts of the brightly lit circle and sat with the others in the shadows.
Another elleth with long golden hair like the Lady Galadriel, walked to the center and sat down, her eyes closed.
She was silent for several minutes, but then she opened her mouth and began to sing. Like the singer before her, her song was of the days in Valinor, but this one was sadder and deeper in emotion than the previous. Her voice rose melodiously up and down, lamenting the fall of the Noldor and tracing their journey across the Helecarxë, eventually ending with the spreading of the Elves. The song ended as it had begun, in sorrowful beauty, but beneath the lamenting melody there was a sound of hope, hope that all would one day be restored to that which once had been.
Silence followed the song's ending.
The singer rose and walked back to her place, the silence remaining--not because she had not performed well, but because the audience had grieved with her and that grief could not make itself heard, even to applaud the beauty of the girl's music.
Then Finrod rose, taking his small harp with him, and sat down in the center. After fiddling with the strings to make sure they were all in tune, he began to play a melody on the strings, lit by the firelight, dancing shadows in rhythm to the music.
Unlike the others, his song was joyful, for his song was from the days before the Darkness, the days of bliss that he had once shared with Amarië.
When he began to sing, Amarië felt chills shoot up her spine. She had forgotten how unearthly beautiful his falsetto voice was.
His song was of the beauty, now long passed, of the days before Morgoth's treachery, when he and Amarië had been young, barely more than children. While he did not speak of them by name, the two of them knew who he was singing of and when their eyes met when he sang, tears were visible.
Too long had the darkness triumphed, but no longer.
Guys, I'm so so sorry. I promised I would update this awhile back and I never did. My deepest apologies. I was busy working on other writing projects and then I had writer's block with this, but I finally just pushed through and wrote this chapter. Hopefully I'll be able to update more quickly...
If you enjoyed, please leave a vote and a comment! Love you guys!
~ Gwynnedd
P.S. What do you guys all think of the new cover made by TheRegularRavenclaw? Amazing, isn't it?
