DISCLAIMER: I only own the characters you don't recognize…the others belong to Tolkien…….
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TRANSLATIONS:
Melamin - My Love
Amin dele ten'lle - I am worried about you
N'dela no'ta - Don't worry about it
Amin hiraetha - I am sorry
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The poems in this chapter ('Sing to Me' and 'To One') were written by me.
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ALIYA
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I followed Legolas slowly back up to The Silver Room, silently berating myself the whole way. What was I thinking? I asked myself miserably. I had to leave, I had to get out of Mirkwood, but it would now be almost impossible. Legolas would have the whole palace on guard for me. There was no easy way.
I was surprised as all of the sudden, Legolas came to a dead stop at the doorway back into my room.
"Miama?" he said, looking ahead of him. I slid myself so I could see who he was looking at.
A beautiful Elven woman stood at the front of the passage, staring sternly at Legolas, arms folded. She was tall and willowy, with gold hair that could rival even Galadriel. Her ice green eyes swept behind Legolas, to what appeared to be an empty passage. I was hidden in the shadow i quickly realized and grinned.
"A secret passage…in a room I've never entered?" she said questioningly, "Where does it lead?"
"To the Main Hall…" said Legolas simply with a hint of suspicion.
"Ahhh…I see…" she said, obviously not seeing, "This is such a beautiful room. Who did it belong to? Is it a new room for our day?"
She asked it as an innocent question, but I knew it wasn't. Though I had only been in the palace a few hours, I could already see their unspoken strains in the marraige.
"It was my mother's room," said Legolas, his voice slightly strained, "Then it belonged to Aliya. When she…it has been empty for a long while…"
"Oh, yes. Aliya, of course." she said pursing her lips, "Legolas, you have to stop-"
But her speech was cut abruptly as I stepped out into the light. I wasn't her height, and didn't have her looks, but nevertheless, she stepped back, weary of me, with her mouth slightly open.
She turned to Legolas and tilted her head with angry surprise, "Will you not introduce me to your friend?" she said, clearly unhappy that Legolas had been alone in a passage with anybody else but her.
"Princess Miama Greenleaf…I would like to present to you Lady Aliya Clearwater." he said, obviously not wanting us to meet under these circumstances.
"Lady Aliya?" she said in obvious surprise, but she hid it and replaced it with contempt, "I thought you preferred orc company to that of civilized Elves…But then again, we thought you were dead, so in truth you are full of surprises."
Her words cut into me like a knife, but I held my gaze.
"Princess Miama?" I said, mimicking her tone, "I thought you just married Legolas for his title, but by the contemptuous look you are giving me, it actually seems that you love him. So in truth, it seems you are full of surprises as well…"
She pursed her lips, looking stricken. Legolas's eyes flashed in the direction of me and then in the direction of her.
"Miama…I know Aliya must get ready for the feast later, and I know you must as well, so why don't we take leave?" he offered neutrally.
"Another feast?" I said, looking at him, "What is this one for, pray tell...."
He looked hesitantly at me, his eyes filled with doubt.
"What?" I questioned.
"Oh? Didn't you know?" Miama said, boastfully, "The feast is to celebrated our anniversary. 47 years…"
To both her and Legolas's surprise, I smiled, "Well, I'm happy for you!"
Legolas looked as though he wanted to wipe the smug smile off of Miama's face, but said instead, "Go for a moment, Miama, I shall follow…"
She turned reluctantly, leaving Legolas and I alone in the room.
"Melamin, Amin dele ten'lle…" he said sadly.
"N'dela no'ta…" I said dismissively.
He took my hand in his, "Amin hiraetha…" He said, and pressed something into my hand, "Find my love…find it…"
~~~
He had given me a small key. It was silver and old-fashioned. I knew immediately where it was meant to go.
Where had Kendre said that room was? I thought, sitting down on the edge of my bed as Legolas left. She had said the 'Hall of Fire'. Did that mean this hall? The fire wing?
Wait… I left my room and went out into the light passage happy that there was no one there. I looked at the corridor lined with stone doors. Except for the door at the very end of the hall. It was obsidian. Black obsidian. I had seen it before, but had never paid interest.
Now I did. I walked slowly to the door and found it to be unlocked. I pushed on it and is swung open gently. I walked inside. It was light, as though someone had been in here recently. The torches on the wall burnt bright. I looked up and down.
The large hall was defiantly empty. Its walls only had 3 doors. All 3 were locked and would not open with my key.
I sighed. I had come to a dead end. But then I saw it.
A single diamond inlayed in the wall, opposite one of the doors. I remembered that diamonds were Legolas's favorite gem, for they were clear, as other things were not.
I moved closer, inspecting it eagerly. Yes. There was a keyhole directly under the diamond. It was hidden from sight if you did not look closely. I inserted the key and turned. I watched in amazement and apprehension as the wall pushed in and slid to the side, revealing another brightly lit room behind it.
The room's torches were scorched, meaning they had been burning for a while. I had no doubt who had lit them.
I stared in amazement and sadness at the beautiful room. It was pure white and silver, with gold and white hangings. The only thing tainting the pure colors was a single slab of Black onyx resting in the center of the room.
A tear rolled down my cheek as I realized what the black stone was for. It had been there for me. For my body, had they ever found it.
I moved closer to it and read the inscription on the side of the stone.
To One who's heart was true
To One who's smile was bright
To One who's self was loved by all
To One who bound all together
To One who stood alone
I felt more tears roll down my cheek as I moved even closer to the platform. Resting on it was a single red rose. Undaunted by age, it was still perfect after what I could tell were many years of resting in that spot.
Under the rose was a piece of parchment. In blood red ink was written a poem.
Sing to me a place
Where anything is possible
Sing to me a place
Of beauty unimaginable
Sing to me a place
Where I can live my life again
Sing to me a place
Where to love is only to begin
Sing to me a place
Where all of time is lost
Sing to me a place
Where cries of pain are past
Sing to me a place
Where I can once again be free
Sing to me a place
A place of trust
A place of hope
A place where I am loved for me
Sing to me my life again
I put the parchment back down my chest heaving with sobs. It was written for me. Legolas wrote that for me. And it was exactly how I felt. I kneeled down and rested my head on the dark stone holding my arms around my waist.
"For me…" I whimpered, "And I didn't even realize. I didn't even care…"
I lay there for a long time, not even noticing when Legolas came into the room, not surprised to see me there, gave me a quick kiss and left as silently as he had appeared.
If Galadriel told me not to do what was not in my grasps, I would just have to raise myself higher.
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