DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters except the ones you don't know…
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THIS IS NOW 57 YEARS AFTER THE ORC ATTACK ON THE PARTY TO RIVENDELL…..
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ALIYA
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Once again, the Lady and Lord of Lothlorien had laid out a most wonderful feast, but in truth I was getting weary of them.
There seemed to be one almost every other day, even more than there had been in Mirkwood….
Mirkwood. Why did I think of that name. I frowned even among all the happy smiling faces. I hadn't thought of Mirkwood in a long time…
I shook my head slowly leaving my thoughts and proceeded in listening to the guests around me. What I heard shocked me.
"…yes, Prince Legolas of Northern Mirkwood…"
My head snapped around to look at the young girl seated next to me, and I shuddered. The first thing I could think of was Kendre. A young Kendre.
The girl's icy blue eyes swept over me as she saw me staring at her, "Are you alright?" she said questioningly, and I could see a bit of surprise on her face.
"Did you mention Legolas of Mirkwood?" I pressed cautiously yet curiously.
"Yes…" she said, just a cautiously, "He is my father…"
I let out a long breath, a dizziness passing over me, "Your…your father?" I stammered trying to gulp down this reality.
"Yes…" she said, "I am the daughter of Prince Legolas and Princess Miama of Mirkwood. My name is Kendre…" she said bowing her head in a sort of respect I have no doubt she was trained to do.
I only blinked at her.
"Your name is Kendre?" I whispered.
"Yes…I was named after my aunt… Legolas's sister…but, alas, she died before I knew her…" she paused for a moment, thinking, and then finally said, "My father says I look like her."
I could hardly breathe. My heart was pounding so fast I thought it might explode. Legolas? Alive?
"I knew your father, once…" I said as calmly as I could, "Would you like to walk with me? I haven't talked to anyone from Mirkwood in a long time…"
We walked silently away from the feast and out along a large wooden balcony. She stopped and we both took a moment to stare out into the beauty of the forest.
"This is my first time to the Golden Wood…" she said, quietly, "My twin brother, Kaede and I were sent here bearing a message to the Lady…Actually, this is my first trip anywhere. Father doesn't trust to let us go very far."
She turned to look at me and once again I could see her eyes flash with curiosity.
I smiled, "What?"
She shook her head, "Nothing important…" she whispered pursing her lips and looking down.
"No, tell me…" I pressed.
"Its just that…well," she said, smiling a brilliant smile, "You just look like someone my father once told me about. An elf maiden... I think her name was Alia, but you can't be her… she died a long time ago…"
I tilted my head a bit, thinking to myself. Legolas talked about me? Legolas, alive, talked about me!
"Tell me about her…" I said as we walked down the stairs to the main exit.
"What?" Kendre said, obviously confused again.
"Tell me about her…it has been long since I heard anything from Mirkwood, tell me of this Elf maiden…" I said, quite insistently.
"Well…she began, "Her name was... Aliya... yes that was it. Father said that one day he was out teaching his brother, my uncle, how to hunt, and by the river, he saw her. She was near death, so he took her back to the palace and healed her. He is the best healer in the palace, but he said it still took most of his strength to bring her back."
Legolas had healed me? I thought while she spoke. And I didn't even know...
Kendre went on, "He said, when she awoke, though, she was very frightened. It took her weeks before she even spoke, and when she did, she told him and his sister, the one I was named after, a most terrible tale. It seems that her village had been raided and she had been taken by Orcs. She spent three years in their foul company, because her brother and father, who went out on a hunting trip, would not rescue her when they saw her."
She cringed at her own words, "Can you believe that?" she said, "Her own family left her!"
"Imagine…" I said, vaguely, not wanting to reveal anything yet.
Again, she went on, "During that time she had been whipped and beaten very bad, and that is why she would not talk to my father, but after a while he earned her trust and they became good friends. Better than friends."
I almost wanted to burst out laughing at these words, but I controlled myself.
She smiled weakly and went on, "Father said that she saved his life in many ways and on many occasions. Once while he was out hunting orcs, his party was attacked and out of nowhere, Aliya came and saved him. She was very brave and very beautiful. That is one of the reasons I looked at you so much. You look just like her…"
I smiled, "Oh, really?"
"Yes!" Kendre said excitedly, "Father said she was the most beautiful woman that he had ever set eyes on. She had deep brown hair and eyes of pure honey. Her lips were like roses and she was slender and graceful. Much like you, Lady…"
"it is lovely to hear such comments from a princess…" I replied quietly changing the subject.
Kendre went on, realizing she wasn't getting anywhere. "He said she even tried to save his sister one night, but Kendre died, and Aliya was sick for many weeks. Legolas wanted to die. He made a room for her, in the Hall of Fire for her. For her body. I have been there once, Father told me where the key was hidden. Behind a bookshelf near the entrance. It is a beautiful room, all white and gold… it would have been befitting to her, but she did not die… and after that they spent many happy days together, then…"
She stopped for a moment and I said, "What happened, then, that he lost her?"
Kendre's eyes turned sad and sympathetic, "Father said that one day, on the way to Rivendell to bear a message, they were attacked by orcs at dusk. Aliya was badly hurt and she told him to go and run while he could. She sacrificed herself so that he could get away. Legolas managed to run, but got hit with an arrow. Luckily, not much time passed before the Elves of Rivendell found him and brought him to Lord Elrond. He was healed. He said he looked everywhere for her, but when she could not be found, he assumed her dead."
So that is what happened…I thought to myself, and he thought I was dead…I felt like crying, but I did not, instead, I spoke, "Why, that was brave of her to do…" I murmured, and Kendre nodded feverishly in agreement.
"Yes…" she said, "I admire her for it!"
"She sounds wonderful…Legolas must have been heartbroken to lose her…" I whispered, for that was all I could say.
"Yes…he was," she agreed, "He often said that the thing he regretted most was not getting to say goodbye. He left her and her didn't even look back… He said he just wished that she knew how much he loved her…"
Kendre looked at me for a long time, expecting a response, and it was a long time before I gave one.
"She knew…" I whispered, tears now clear in my eyes, "She knew and she loved him just as much!"
Kendre looked at me in surprise, "You knew her?" she questioned.
"Yes…" I muttered, looking Kendre in the eye, "I knew her once... it was so long ago…"
"Did you once live in Mirkwood also?" She asked curiously tilting her head.
"For a long wonderful time I did, I had forgotten but now I remember." I smiled for a moment, "How did Legolas describe her to you? Aliya I mean."
"He told me a poem he had made for her. It was beautiful:
Eyes of honey
Heart of gold
A lonely story
Yet to unfold
A heartache in past
A future untold
The present is only
What she beholds
Brave and daring
Quiet and bold
The love we were sharing
Is all that I hold
Where did you go?
My love, Melamin
My lost life without you
I feel I fell in
"And then it goes on to tell about how my father loves aliya. He never told my mother anything like that. In fact he refuses to recite poetry to her. But she doesn't mind much." Kendre looked off into the distance as I sighed. She turned back to me suddenly and spoke. "I believe you are Aliya, and wish not to say it. But if you are, I will not ask because I know you will not answer."
I laughed as I shook my head. "You have your aunt's beauty and insight. You are correct in saying that I will not answer you unasked question. But I will say that I knew Aliya, whether I am her or not. Now I am sensing that you would like to get back to the wonderful feast above so I will say goodnight to you, and good will." We nodded heads and parted as she headed back to the feast and I off into the forest. I was tired of feasts and had too much to think about to attend one. I was not paying any attention to the things around me when suddenly I heard a voice.
"So you have heard of Legolas's new life." Galadriel was standing there, although I did not know where she had come from. I was amazed at her words at the thought that she had not told me that Legolas lived.
"But why did you not tell me?" I asked from the depths of my heart.
"Why, it was not my place." She said as if i should have guessed the answer. "Come with me, I have something I want you to see."
"But where are we going?" I asked in wonder as I followed.
"To the mirror," was all she replied.
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