OK, people. Here are the latest review responses. Thank you to all who did, you have a place in my heart *Hugs*.

FairElvenMaiden: It makes me really happy that you keep coming back to review! It means that I have at least one person hooked on this story! And yes, I feel terrible for Éara, too, but what the heck? It ads character development to the story, especially for Legolas and Ishleen, showing that Legoals is very kind, and that Ishleen is confident enough to deal with her friend's fire when she tells her Legolas isn't really all that interested in her. I'm also glad you're excited for the Ishleen/Aragorn realtionship, and happy that someone sides with me on my opinion that Legomances are WAY too overused, especially lately.

YuKiOnA-Ga: Holy, that's one complicated username! It took me ages to spell it correctly, and much shifting between windows so that I could remind myself of it. You're very welcome, I enjoyed your story a lot! Keep up that great work and please review again!

Ok, peeps, let's make it three reviews next time…*checks watch*. Oh no, I had better get going, The Next Star is on in half an hour and I don't want to miss it!

A HEART OF GLASS

"Éara, look at me." I whisper sternly. There are tears rushing down my friend's face, "Legolas and you aren't meant for each other. You need to find someone that you can be happy with, and who can make you happy."

"But…that IS Legolas to me! Why doesn't he see that we where made for each other?"

"He is being kind, Éara. Let him go and find someone else who can love you as much as you deserve to be loved."

My friend gives me a look that could break Sauron's heart. Then, she turns and flees down the hallway, golden hair sailing out in a mane behind her. I shake my head. Éara is being too dramatic, unable to let it go. I don't know how I can help her see the truth without beaking her fragile heart into a million little pieces.

"Ishleen."

I spin on my heel, and stand, gaping like a fish out of water. Aragorn has walked up behind me, almost unnoticed. There is no sign of his recent ordeal in his face except for a very vague pallor.

"But…you were poisoned!"

"And I have healed. Tell me what troubles, you, lady. There is a strange quality about you that I have not seen before."

I sigh. He probably won't take no for an answer, so I start my story, hanging my head a little bit in shame that I have probably hurt the young Rohirrim girl even more.

"The young girl who healed you, the one they call Éara," I begin, "she seems to have amorous thoughts about your friend, Legolas. She mistook simple kindliness for a return of her affections and was going to attempt to build a relationship. I tried to explain to her that their hearts are destined to be apart, that they were not made for each other, and I did a poor job. She left more upset than she came. I cannot begin to imagine what sort of horror I have inadvertantly inflicted upon her. But that is not nearly the worst part. Éara still believes that she and Legolas can be together. I don't want her to get hurt, but by trying to save her, I am only hurting her more."

Aragorn nods slightly, appearing lost in deep though. Then he smiles at me.

"Hearts are made of glass, Ishleen. One fell stroke and they will shatter, sometimes never to be pieced back together again. And sometimes, the person refuses to piece their own heart together. You have not hurt Éara, she has hurt herself. You did what was right.

"However, glass can be melded together, become one with another. For those who are fortunate enough, they may have a single entity with the one they love."

And he pulls me into a kiss.

~oOo~

When we break apart, I notice the same golden-haired woman standing at the end of the secluded corridor where we were speaking. When I turn to her, she scowls darkly and turns away, leaving me worried and flustered at what she has just seen.

Aragorn, oblivious to the girl, reaches out and tenderly strokes my cheek.

"My heart has yearned to be one with yours since you won that duel. I was afraid; afraid that you would not return my love. It is not like me to afraid. However, I have a tendency not to face the fears I do have. Do you return this affection for me?"

I smile, not even noticing as the scar on my cheek stretches painfully.

"I would give up a thousand days of my life to spend just one with you."

A call echoes from down the hall, and we both recognize the voice of the king. Both turning , we separate like to roads stretching in different directions, I to my rooms and him to the king's side, probably to aid with the cleaning up of the battlefield.

However, I do not get far before I am accosted by the Rohirrim girl who saw us earlier. She wears the thunderclouds as an expression, but her eyes are sad and lost.

"What do you think you are doing?"

I try to act innocently.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you not know who he is?" she is nearly snarling, "He is the future king of Gondor! He will be forced to marry a noblewoman once he is crowned."

I am sent reeling. This explains the fact that Théoden called Aragorn "my lord", but why didn't he tell me?

The girl's voice softens.

"No matter how much he may love you, he will lose his honour if he marries one of you. I am trying to save you from a broken heart."

"What is your name?"

"Éowyn, niece of Théoden, lady."

"Éowyn, broken hearts can be mended. Glass can be reshaped. Come with me."

I escort Éowyn to my chamber, a circular room near to the very center of the fortress. It is bare, free of any ddecoration, making it all the more obvious that Helm's Deep was constructed for one purpose and one purpose only: war.

We both sit down on my bed, and I am reminded of my dearest friend of my childhood, Elestren. We used to sit on my silky elven bed for hours and tell secrets to one another. But Elestren is gone, dead. I will never forgive myself for her death.

"Do you have my word," I begin cautiously, "That you will never tell another soul about what I am to confide in you?"

Éowyn nods mutely.

"I have to tell someone, someone must know fo this, for fear that I may be killed. Are you sure you want to hear the horrors that I am going to tell you?"

Éowyn nods mutely again, her huge doe-eyes even wider than normal.

"Because of what you told me, I consider you my friend. That is the only reason I tell this to you. When I was a child, I was a daughter of the queen of a now sunken kingdom, Toiréasa. It was broken in a shifting of the world, caused by a great evil malice, whose minions walked often in our lands. I, my mother and my little sister Ashling were the only ones that survived, flying away on the great eagle Gwaihir, whom we had always been close to.

"Gwaihir took us to the realm of Lothlorien, where my mother instructed that I remain. She told me that the elves could protect me, and that she and Ashling had to leave so that the evil that destroyed our people would not find all of us, and that the royal blood of Toiréasa would run on.

"I lived in Lothlorien for a time, and then, on my twelfth birthday, the shadow found me. In desperation, Lady Galadriel tried to save me by sending me away, but I was honour-bound to save my three best friends, Magaihd, Angharad and Elestren. In my attempt to bring them to safety with me, Angharad and Elestren were killed, for the shadow found us. However, Magaihd and I escaped on a boat and we disappeared down the river of Lorien. I cannot even begin to describe the grief we felt, but Magaihd was also of kin to the Lord Celeborn, and we needed to find a safe place to stay. We chose the small village of Kyria, which, by some brilliant coincidence, happened to be the same place my mother and Ashling chose to hide. For three years we lived there in peace, and Magaihd became one of our family. And then the orcs descended, killing all, including my mother and sister. I did not find Magaihd among the dead, so I am lead to believe that se escaped. The only reason I did not tell your uncle of this was because, up until recently, the elves and the Rohirrim have not been on good terms. I did not want to reveal Magaihd's kinship to King Théoden for fear that he would expose her.

"And so I came to meet my destiny here." I finish somewhat lamely. Until the very end, the words flowed easily and freely out of my mouth. Now, I do not have the heart to finish. I very nearly lose myself to the grief of having my mother die, all of the citizens of Toiréasa die, and then Magaihd go missing.

Éowyn's mouth is hanging open slightly.

"You are really from the lost kingdom?"

I nod, not trusting myself to speak.

"I promise, then, that I will not reveal your secret until the day I die. Nor Magaihd's. But I believe that I, too, have a secret to tell you. I did not reveal Lord Aragorn's true identity to you because I wanted to help you. No, I have long loved him also. And now I feel cruel because of what I did."

I shake my head.

"No, Éowyn, love is not something that can always be beaten down by honesty. It was not you that was being malicious, it was your heart, knowing that you and Aragorn are not destined to be one."

A single tear runs down Éowyn's face, and then she gets up and leaves.

I seem to spend a fair bit of my time telling my new friends who doesn't love them. It almost reminds me of Angharad, and her many amorous advances with the soldiers of Mirkwood who sometimes came to visit us. It was more than once that I was forced to give Angharad good advice concerning these men. Perhaps, thanks to her, it has become a talent of mine.

Whoa! This is literally the longest chapter I've ever written on FanFiction, period. It took me two days to write it, so please spare a moment to review. It means the world to me, and I will respond to all of them in the next chapter.

BeautifulCrimsonChaos