One Last Time
Elrond Halfelven crossed the diminutive room, memories flooding past him. Why had his daughter chosen this life? Why? Did she not love him?
No. She hadn't for a long time. He knew this. And it broke his heart. But he couldn't show her. Never could he show her. He didn't know why.
Because he had never told her that he loved her. And she resented him for it.
"Arwen," he whispered, watching his daughter ride off. His heart melted for a moment. "Good bye my darling."
Suddenly, she paused. The horse spun around.
"Father!" she shouted. Elrond looked deeply into her face. She was crying.
He turned away. As usual. ~
The door flung open and there was Arwen looking both distraught and furious. "No Father!" she cried, tears falling from her beautiful eyes. "Not this time!"
"Arwen," he whispered. "Arwen, you must go to him. Got to the one you have chosen."
"Father, you know I love you! Why do you do this to me? Why do you make me suffer?"
He spun around, tears in his own eyes. Emotion. Something Arwen had never seen in her father before. Or rarely anyways. She saw for a moment the happy man he could have been had the Ring been destroyed.
And she remembered. When she was young her father protected her from her fears. Never did he forget to leave a light on in his room in case she got scared and needed Daddy to make it better. He acted in love, but why couldn't he say it? Was she that much of a disappointment?
"I do not mean to, my daughter."
She stared at him hard. "Then why can't you say it?"
"Say what?"
"Do not take me for a fool, Father!" she roared.
"I do not. Believe me you are far from an idiot."
"What about a disappointment?"
He stared at her hard. Elrond became the man he could have been. Not for himself. But for his daughter. He smiled.
"Never."
"Then say it."
"Arwen, my beautiful daughter, I love you."
"I love you too father."
Elrond Halfelven crossed the diminutive room, memories flooding past him. Why had his daughter chosen this life? Why? Did she not love him?
No. She hadn't for a long time. He knew this. And it broke his heart. But he couldn't show her. Never could he show her. He didn't know why.
Because he had never told her that he loved her. And she resented him for it.
"Arwen," he whispered, watching his daughter ride off. His heart melted for a moment. "Good bye my darling."
Suddenly, she paused. The horse spun around.
"Father!" she shouted. Elrond looked deeply into her face. She was crying.
He turned away. As usual. ~
The door flung open and there was Arwen looking both distraught and furious. "No Father!" she cried, tears falling from her beautiful eyes. "Not this time!"
"Arwen," he whispered. "Arwen, you must go to him. Got to the one you have chosen."
"Father, you know I love you! Why do you do this to me? Why do you make me suffer?"
He spun around, tears in his own eyes. Emotion. Something Arwen had never seen in her father before. Or rarely anyways. She saw for a moment the happy man he could have been had the Ring been destroyed.
And she remembered. When she was young her father protected her from her fears. Never did he forget to leave a light on in his room in case she got scared and needed Daddy to make it better. He acted in love, but why couldn't he say it? Was she that much of a disappointment?
"I do not mean to, my daughter."
She stared at him hard. "Then why can't you say it?"
"Say what?"
"Do not take me for a fool, Father!" she roared.
"I do not. Believe me you are far from an idiot."
"What about a disappointment?"
He stared at her hard. Elrond became the man he could have been. Not for himself. But for his daughter. He smiled.
"Never."
"Then say it."
"Arwen, my beautiful daughter, I love you."
"I love you too father."