Chapter 4- The Dreams (part two)


"Come ahead, Father, we found it!"


Imrahil's small daughter clutched him by the hand and pulled him with her. No one was around to see, so the Prince laughed and ran ahead with the little girl, ducking the tree branches that she passed under with several feet to spare. They burst out of the wood into a clearing, and Imrahil looked about him.


A swiftly-flowing stream cut across a corner of the place. There was green all around them ,except for the sand on the bank. Walking towards them, a lovely woman held out her hand to him, but he disregarded it and took her into his arms.


"Miriel," he said pleasantly, "how nice to see you here. But what would people think if they saw the Princess of Dol Amroth having a picnic in the woods like a child?"


"They would think less of the Princess having fun than of the Prince doing the same thing," his wife replied, with a smile in her eyes. "Husband, ruling the kingdom is an important task, but you very much deserve to set aside one day for your family."


"You're right, of course," he said gratefully. He didn't like to admit it, but his recently acquired duties as the sole ruler of his homeland had begun to take their toll on Imrahil. He had found that there was a lot more to being a king than meets the eye- for though he kept his title of Prince and refused to take a crown, he was in essence the king of Dol Amroth and Belfalas now

.
Pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind, the Prince concentrated on being with his family. His young daughter, Lothiriel, would be as beautiful as her mother one day, he concluded. She was now running about the clearing, picking flowers and weaving them into a crown. Miriel had chosen her name well. Lothiriel- "flower-garlanded maiden" in Sindarin- was almost never seen without a bouquet in her hands and a flower behind each ear.They ate by the stream, laughing and playing childish games. They looked like absolute fools, but didn't care a bit. The daylight was waning by the time they set out back to the castle, Imrahil and Miriel arm in arm while their daughter skipped ahead, singing.


Then Imrahil's life fell apart.


His wife suddenly threw an arm out, stopping him from taking another step. Directly where his foot would have gone was the head of a charachalion. The strongest, most deadly viper in the kingdom. The thing coiled and hissed, moving its head from side to side. Imrahil looked at his wife. Her eyes were large as saucers and terrified.
"On my mark, we both step back," he said, keeping his voice low. "And mark..." they retreated slowly until they were several yards away from the snake.


Imrahil turned and hugged Miriel tightly. "That was close," he breathed in her ear. She nodded and then saw something over his shoulder that made her scream,


"Imrahil,
LOOK OUT!"


and then she was lying on the ground, having fallen when she pushed him out of the way. The charachalion's mate slithered away into the woods. The prince leaped to his feet, knelt on the ground beside her.


"I took it," she whispered, her eyes rolling back into her head. "I love you."


His eyes traveled to her wrist and saw the bite mark, which was turning purple already. She had pushed him aside, and when she was falling the snake had lashed out at the place that had moments ago been occupied by Imrahil's ankle. Miriel had taken the bite meant for him. And now she would die of it.


"No," he whispered, "no, no, no, no, no..." and he gathered her up in his arms. "I love you more than life, Miriel, don't leave, it was meant for me and it should have been me..."


"Namarie, love." she whispered, and her chest rose and fell for the last time. The starry grey eyes he had fallen in love with closed, and the Princess of Dol Amroth passed away.


Imrahil tried to choke back the sobs as tears traced their way down his face. He kissed his wife on the lips. But nothing would bring her back. Lothiriel, still singing, ran back towards them. When she was close enough
to see, she stopped, confused. "What's wrong with Mother?"

Imrahil spoke the words that he would many times regret, the words that made his daughter hate him. "She's dead, and it's my fault."

***

Prince Imrahil woke up with tears on his face for the millionth time in nineteen years. This dream would never leave him alone, not while he lived and his daughter still hated him. By the Valar, she would always hate him, he realized. It was ruining his life, to have his one link to Miriel despise him like this.


'I'm her father!' he reasoned with himself, slamming his fist down. 'She can't hate me completely.' But he knew she could.


'I'll make her love me,' he thought forcefully. 'I'll explain everything. If she's anything like her mother at all she'll forgive me."


Resolute and not caring that it was the middle of the night, he threw on a robe and walked to his daughter's chamber. He'd tell her all and beg for forgiveness. Maybe then they could both have peace.