Tauriel
She gazed at her refection in the gilded mirror decorating her private chamber; the regal image standing before her was one she scarcely recognized. Her dress, the one crafted solely for her, draped elegantly around the curves of her body. The fine cream colored silk was made all the more exquisite by the thin lines of interwoven threads of pure gold and the tiny emerald beads meticulously hand-sewn in by Dis and Bona.
She could never have imagined this moment possible; she was the orphaned child, the outsider in The Woodland Realm and the exiled mortal woman. But after tonight, this was to be her home, Kili was to be her husband and she would never again be alone.
"You are quite the vision." Dis exclaimed as she laced the back of the dress tighter. "Still too damn thin, but that is an easy remedy."
"Thank you for doing all of this for me, Dis. I do not know what I would have done without you." Tauriel replied softly, tears welling in her eyes.
"Don't get all soft on me now, girl. Besides, without you, there would be no reason to celebrate. I haven't forgotten what you've done for my family, for my son." Dis steeled her gaze at the hem of the gown. "Look now, such a perfect fit! Thranduil may have made something pretty, but it took dwarven hands to make it truly shine."
"That it did. I feel like…" Tauriel began.
"Like a Princess of Erebor. Yes, that is exactly what you look like. Turn round now, let me check those braids. Cannot trust Ionè's maids to get them right." Dis fussed and Tauriel obliged.
"Are they to your liking?" Tauriel humored the woman; given that only hours earlier, Dis had been barking orders at Foretè and Misane while overseeing the complex process of braiding.
"There now, you're ready. Dwarf or elf; never before has there been a more radiant bride." Dis's eyes, now misting over, shone with pride.
A gentle knock at the door disrupted them and Bona's head came into view. "Forgive me, love, but you have a visitor." The kindly dwarf woman smiled.
"That is my signal to make certain the Great Hall is ready." Dis said as she scurried out of the room.
"I have a visitor? Is it Kili?" She asked hopeful.
Bona shook her head no. "Shall I send her in?"
Her? She wondered. "Yes please." She said as she anxiously turned towards the door.
She did not have long to wait, as a tall shadow came into view; her hair, the darkest and deepest black, looked utterly unearthly in the candle light. Her long flowing gown, a rich purple trimmed with flecks of silver, highlighted her soft and pale skin; shrouding her in a heavenly glow.
"Light shines upon you, Lady Tauriel. My heart is filled with gladness upon our meeting." The luminous vision spoke with a quiet peace.
"Arwen Undomiel, the Evenstar of our people." Her voice wavered as she gazed upon the celestial being before her. "I am humbled by your presence." She bowed her head in respect.
"And I am humbled by yours." Arwen smiled. "I have journeyed alongside my father with the intention of meeting you."
"You have come to see me? Why?" She asked.
"All elves sing of your sacrifice, of your gift." Arwen said as she touched her hand to her heart.
"Elves sing of me?" She remained confused; stunned over the prospect of being revered in song.
"Yes. The love between you and Prince Kili shall pass into legend." Arwen's eyes shone with admiration. "Your story is remarkable and so are you. May I ask you a question?"
"You may ask me anything." She nodded to the renowned beauty.
"Were you afraid? When you made your decision and the light left you, were you afraid?" Arwen whispered; desperately trying to conceal a tremble in her voice.
She considered her words before giving her answer. "In that moment, I knew that my decision was right and because of that, I knew I had no reason to fear."
"Did you suffer any pain?" Arwen's eyes grew wide as she posed her question.
"No." She said, remembering the stillness that came over her that day on Ravenhill; the surge of memory ignited in her heart. "I felt only love."
Arwen seemed comforted by her words, and reached out to touch her hand. "I am honored to have met you, and on such a special occasion. I wish you happiness all the rest of your days."
"The honor is mine, Evenstar." She said as she released Arwen's hand.
"Forgive me, Tauriel, but I did not come alone. There is someone else who is waiting to see you." Arwen bowed her head and a second shadow appeared in the doorway. "I bid you farewell."
"Tauriel, how I have…" The familiar voice caused her heart to thunder in her chest.
"Legolas!" Her words caught in her throat. "Mellon, I did not think that you would come. Seeing you fills me with such joy."
"I thought you dead." He said in a hushed voice. "In Rivendell, I heard a tale of the elf maid and how she defied death."
"I do not know if that is accurate." She said as her cheeks grew red.
"Yet here you are, alive. Are the dwarves treating you well? That is, are you happy here in Erebor?" Legolas asked softly.
"I do miss the smell of the forest and the feel of the sunshine through the trees. And I miss you, my friend." She said as she placed her hand upon his shoulder. "But this is my home now, and while the dwarves are quite different from us, I am welcome among them. And I am most loved. Please, tell me, are you well?"
Legolas sighed before giving her a faint smile. "I am. I have been many places, Tauriel, and through my travels, I have had time to think. I am learning to let go the things that are not meant for me."
"I am sorry." She said sadly; a pang of guilt washed over her.
"There is nothing to apologize for, mellon. We were not meant for each other. I see that now. Knowing that you are well and that you are happy, fills me with happiness."
A lump caught it her throat. But we were meant to be betrothed. Lord Elrond's words rang in her ears, reminding her that she was the reason why her family was in the woods that fateful day; she was intended to become his bride in order to make amends for the terrible wrongs of the past. How can I possibly tell him now? She opened her mouth to speak; uncertain of what she would reveal, uncertain of what she should reveal when the door once again opened.
"Everything is prepared, have you finished dressing?" Bona's voice interrupted the moment.
"I have." She cleared her throat, pushing aside her thoughts before turning towards Legolas once more. "Please, will you stay for the ceremony?"
"I would not miss such an important event." Legolas responded. Before he took his leave, he turned around and glowed warmly. "Tauriel, you look beautiful." He said as he swiftly left the room, his long blonde hair flowing behind him.
"Come on now love, let us get you married." Bona grinned.
"Wait! There is one last thing I need." She raced towards her dressing table and retrieved a small box, inside it held her most prized possession. She lifted the cover and traced her fingers over the humble object. Her fingers closed around the treasure; remembering the first time she held it in her hand, the first time her hand brushed against his. Now was the right time for her to return the precious gift.
The Wedding
She stood at the doors and took a deep breath in; the thought of being presented before all the dwarves of Erebor filled her with a fearful dread. A mighty roar thundered from inside the Great Hall causing her to clench her fingers around the small treasure; feeling its warmth gave her a moment's peace. Steady. She thought to herself as she breathed out. Suddenly, the sounds of singing- elvish singing, surrounded her and lifted her heart. The song was one she had not heard before. The words…she thought to herself as she listened carefully. They…they are singing about me! She gasped and took a step backwards. A song for me?
The gates swung open, and she stood alone before the enormous gathering of dwarves, elves and men. She took a step, and then another. The long train of her gown followed behind her, the emerald beads glittered and sparkled, casting thousands of delicate beams of light throughout the Great Hall. She looked up to see the massive cavern was lined with the elves, standing and singing as she walked.
Faces all blurred together; they became shapes in the shadows as the light reflecting from her dress caught in her eyes, overwhelming her senses. She closed them in the attempt to refocus; allowing her eyelids to flutter rapidly before opening them once more. And then she saw him. He stood atop the platform at the end of the aisle; a most handsome vision in Durin blue and trimmed with gold and deep green. His black hair, usually a straggly mess, was combed and neatly braided with intricate patterns and dazzling gems. Their eyes met, and she could see that his were brimming with tears, but he caught himself before they fell. He smiled at her; his familiar grin lit up his face and sent her heart racing. I love you, she thought. Oh how I love you.
He nearly leapt off the platform to greet her in eager fashion. Reaching his hand towards hers, she linked her fingers between his and grasped his hand tightly.
"Ready, amralime?" He whispered to her. She nodded and smiled back at him. Together, they climbed the steps towards where Gandalf stood facing the assembly. He gave her hand a quick squeeze, unwilling to let go, and she was thankful for his strength.
"We stand here today, elves, dwarves and men, to witness a truly remarkable event; not only a marriage uniting two beings, but uniting two races. Love blooms in mysterious ways, and occasionally, such a rare and special love gives us occasion to reflect upon our own lives; how we can strive to be more understanding, more tolerant and most of all, more open to find the joy in our own lives." Gandalf began.
"In my experience, such a miraculous love is meant to be shared with the world. Today, we collectively become part of this remarkable story as we offer our support, our friendship and our wishes for a long life together."
"Kili and Tauriel, the journey that brought you both together has not been easy; each of you have faced grave challenges, adversity from those closest to you and have had to make terrible sacrifices, but your love shone brightly through it all. Do not ever allow that precious beacon to fade; let your love for each other be the light to guide you should all other lights go out."
"I ask you now, Kili, son of Vili and a Durin Prince Under the Mountain, and Lady Tauriel, daughter of The Woodland Realm; do you come before this assembly with the intention of declaring your desire to enter into marriage?"
"Yes." Kili said excitedly.
"Yes." She swallowed hard, attempting to keep her composure.
"Please say your declarations together." Gandalf nodded to them.
In unison, they turned to face each other and said aloud:
"Until my final breath
Until the stars no longer shine
I will hold you in my heart
You, and no other.
Hear my promise:
I will love you and keep you always,
For I am yours and you are mine."
Kili winked to her as he said the last line of the marriage vow.
"Prince Kili, now is the time to offer your gift to your new bride." Gandalf said as he looked to Thorin.
Fili, who was standing beside his brother, handed a wrapped package to Kili, and he promptly pulled back the wrappings to reveal a spectacular necklace.
"For you, amralime, I offer this gift as a symbol of my undying love." Kili said as he held the necklace before her.
"I accept your gift." She said breathlessly.
She lowered her head and Kili, with trembling fingers, nervously fastened the gift around her neck. The weight of the gem took her aback, yet the necklace seemed to conform easily to body and felt warm against her skin.
"Lady Tauriel, you may now give your gift to your new husband." Gandalf nodded to her, and the dwarven assembly stirred, puzzled by the addition to their ritual.
She reached for Kili's hand before summoning the courage to speak. "You gave this to me once, as a promise. I give this back to you with my promise, that I will love you all the rest of life and that I will always be with you." She could not contain her tears any longer as they slipped from her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. She gently placed the rune stone in Kili's hand, her fingers sliding across his as they had done so many months before. "Please take this as a symbol of my love."
His lip quivered and two tears spilled from his eyes as he looked upon the stone in his hand. He cleared his throat and squeezed her hand. "I accept your gift." His voice breaking as he spoke.
She remembered what Bona had told her about dwarven marriage ceremonies, and that she was expected to signal the end of the wedding by giving her new groom a kiss. She leaned in towards Kili and placed a modest kiss upon his lips. Kili brushed her cheek with his hand and pulled her closer and kissed her deeply, intimately, causing the dwarves to roar with approval.
"Let us raise our voices together in celebration!" Gandalf called out and the assembly cheered. "Announcing Prince Kili and Princess Tauriel of Erebor, now untied as husband and wife."
Kili tugged her hand and together they made their way into the crowd that had gathered around them. She caught sight of King Thranduil, who silently nodded to her. She looked around for Legolas, but was soon scooped up and lifted into the air by Dwalin. Her head whipped around in panic, but she watched as Thorin and Fili hoisted Kili up on their shoulders. He was laughing and his eyes filled with happiness as the dwarves around him began singing in their native tongue while they were paraded throughout the Great Hall. These dwarves have such strange ways. She thought to herself. Strange, but wonderful. She smiled and laughed as Dwalin, who was usually so cold towards her, burst into a laugh over nearly dropping her after tripping over her long gown. Such a powerful joy swelled in her heart as she looked around the room and caught sight of her husband; she knew without question that Erebor, with Kili, was where she belonged. They were married now, and there was nothing to stop them from filling their days and nights with unending love.