Ada—
I know you worry. You are afraid of the choice I have made, to join my life to a mortal man's. You have loved Aragorn like a son, but I do not think that you intended for him to have your daughter.
But I love him, Ada. And I know that much of the inner strength that I see in him is because he grew up around Elves like you. He has learned wisdom through our people. And perhaps his mortal rashness has rubbed off a little on me. I have searched my whole life for someone like him—he has a fierceness, an inner drive-- that I have never encountered in another being. Our long lives give us greater perspective, but his joy in the sheer act of living helps me to recapture the thrill of first discoveries. He is trying so hard to be true to both parts of his life—Elven and mortal. His fight in the great battle was partly to prove himself to you – to show you that while you were there when the strength of men failed, and although you now leave these shores, you are not leaving a world to darkness and ruin. He craves your approval, I think, almost as much as I crave his love.
I will miss you, Ada, every day for the rest of my life. When I see trees wrapped in their autumnal glory, I will think of Rivendell and of you. When I look inside myself to make a difficult decision, I will hear your voice guiding me. I know that you will look into the heavens and hope that your Evenstar has made the right decision. And I will gaze across the Western Sea and hope my father is proud of me because he has helped to make me who I am today.
Men, because of their lifespan, have learned to better cope with grief than we Elves. I feel quite certain that your absence will leave a hole in my heart that will never grow smaller or ache less. And I accept that, for I give immortality up for love. I look forward with a full knowledge of what I am accepting as my fate. But there will be days that I will think of the path I could have taken instead, of my father, and all of my kin in the Undying Lands.
I will join with Aragorn. Together we will take the wisdom of Elves and the passion of Men and forge a better future. We will have children, and teach them to love nature and to listen deeply. We will teach them that knowledge is to be treasured and that goodness is to be fought for. And we will teach them that there is always hope.
I will think often on what you have named me --Undómiel—the Evenstar. Such a star burns brightly and without wavering. And my star burns for the man that you called Estel -- Hope. There is a beauty in that, that Hope will forever be linked with an undying Star.
We will make you proud, Ada. Such a world we will create.
Always,
Arwen
I know you worry. You are afraid of the choice I have made, to join my life to a mortal man's. You have loved Aragorn like a son, but I do not think that you intended for him to have your daughter.
But I love him, Ada. And I know that much of the inner strength that I see in him is because he grew up around Elves like you. He has learned wisdom through our people. And perhaps his mortal rashness has rubbed off a little on me. I have searched my whole life for someone like him—he has a fierceness, an inner drive-- that I have never encountered in another being. Our long lives give us greater perspective, but his joy in the sheer act of living helps me to recapture the thrill of first discoveries. He is trying so hard to be true to both parts of his life—Elven and mortal. His fight in the great battle was partly to prove himself to you – to show you that while you were there when the strength of men failed, and although you now leave these shores, you are not leaving a world to darkness and ruin. He craves your approval, I think, almost as much as I crave his love.
I will miss you, Ada, every day for the rest of my life. When I see trees wrapped in their autumnal glory, I will think of Rivendell and of you. When I look inside myself to make a difficult decision, I will hear your voice guiding me. I know that you will look into the heavens and hope that your Evenstar has made the right decision. And I will gaze across the Western Sea and hope my father is proud of me because he has helped to make me who I am today.
Men, because of their lifespan, have learned to better cope with grief than we Elves. I feel quite certain that your absence will leave a hole in my heart that will never grow smaller or ache less. And I accept that, for I give immortality up for love. I look forward with a full knowledge of what I am accepting as my fate. But there will be days that I will think of the path I could have taken instead, of my father, and all of my kin in the Undying Lands.
I will join with Aragorn. Together we will take the wisdom of Elves and the passion of Men and forge a better future. We will have children, and teach them to love nature and to listen deeply. We will teach them that knowledge is to be treasured and that goodness is to be fought for. And we will teach them that there is always hope.
I will think often on what you have named me --Undómiel—the Evenstar. Such a star burns brightly and without wavering. And my star burns for the man that you called Estel -- Hope. There is a beauty in that, that Hope will forever be linked with an undying Star.
We will make you proud, Ada. Such a world we will create.
Always,
Arwen