Ch. 22
Later that day, Elrond checked on Amy. A servant was just coming with food for her. Elrond took the tray from the Elf and took it up himself, but Amy was asleep when he came in. He set the tray down quietly, then stood over her for a moment. She was sleeping peacefully, far more peacefully than he had for many years. It was good to see her recovering from the poison. Eventually, he touched her hand to wake her. Amy blinked a few times, then smiled up at him.
"How are you, Elrond?"
"I am well, for now…" Amy cocked her head and looked up at him, not convinced.
"What else?"
"Frodo has succeeded in destroying the One Ring."
"And Aragorn has taken the throne of Gondor." She finished for him. Elrond nodded. "And so Arwen will go to marry him."
"Yes. Galadriel has sent for her."
Amy took his hand and squeezed it. There was nothing she could say that wouldn't sound contrived or cliché. After a moment, Elrond turned and picked up the tray again. He brought it to her, and they shared a short meal. The servants knew Elrond spent most of his time there, so they usually included a meal for him with what they brought for Amy. After they had eaten, Amy and Elrond spent a couple hours talking, but she tired quickly. He left early that evening so she could rest.
The next morning, Amy was feeling much better. Galadriel came in to help her get dressed, both of them laughing at the role reversal, then Galadriel helped her down the stairs to the ground. Elrond was waiting at the bottom. The humans soon surrounded them, and Galadriel walked a bit away, staying nearby and watching, a smile in her eyes. The humans asked about Amy and her health, then dropped into small talk. Pete listened to the chat quietly, a thoughtful look in his face.
"Pete, what's up? You look like you've got something to say." Amy looked over at him.
"Actually, yeah, I do have an announcement. Beth and I have been talking a lot the last few days, and, well, she's agreed to marry me."
That brought a chorus of congratulations. Amy added her congratulations to the rest. The conversation moved to minor things, and after a couple minutes, Amy excused herself and walked over to the Lady. They walked a little ways away from the group, but not far enough to tax Amy's strength.
"It is good to see you healing, Almare." Galadriel smiled.
"I'm glad to be recovering. Right now, Elrond is the one I'm worried about."
"Yes. This will be a difficult time for him, but not impossible. He has accepted what will happen, but not without pain. It is good that you will support him through it."
Amy looked over at Galadriel. "You know?"
"I know that the two of you are close. Beyond that, I can guess. Are you planning marriage?"
Amy nodded. "Yes. I figured you knew already."
"I suspected as much. Congratulations. I had hoped this would happen." She smiled, then hugged Amy briefly. "You are tiring. Come. Let us go back." The two of them walked back to the rest of the group. Everyone saw the tiredness in Amy's eyes, but she didn't move to go back up.
"I have been sleeping for weeks, guys. I'm tired of sleeping!"
"Sick of being sick?" Mattie quipped.
"Yes!" There was a chorus of chuckles. The group found places on the ground. Amy managed to make it most of the morning before she had to go back and rest. Her talan was near the ground, but after she'd gone about halfway, she was panting, and Elrond picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. The sensation of being carried was a strange one. She resented the weakness that required it, but being held in Elrond's arms felt wonderful. Her head resting on his shoulder, he walked so gently that she felt as if they were gliding rather than walking up stairs. He set her down once they were in the sitting area, but walked with her into the bedchamber.
"Thank you for putting up with me, Elrond."
"And if I would not?" He smiled, baiting her, and his eyes seemed to light up with mirth.
"I think we'd both be in trouble."
"Why both of us?" He grinned, then grew serious, though, and answered his own question. "Because I don't think I would have the strength for the coming time alone."
Amy smiled sadly, her heart breaking for him. She hugged him. "You'll get through this." The words were muffled against his shirt. He rested his chin on the top of her head for a moment, then pulled away and kissed her lightly.
"Thank you, Almare." With that, he turned and left the talan.
After resting for a few hours, Amy was able to get up and go to dinner with the others. She retired early, but everyone could see that she was getting stronger. The next day was a little better, and the one after that better yet. The following day, she walked down on her own, surprising Elrond, who was approaching her talan.
"Good morning!" She was feeling good, and her voice reflected it.
"You seem cheerful." Elrond smiled at her.
"I'm feeling better than I have since I got hurt. A little restless, maybe, but good."
"Restless? I might be able to do something about that."
"What did you have in mind?"
"Would you like to go riding?"
"That sounds wonderful. I got to look around a little on the way here, but I haven't really gotten to explore Lothlórien much."
"I'll get things ready."
A few minutes later, the two of them were riding out into the forest. Elrond's horse had had plenty of time to recover from the journey there, and Amy rode one borrowed from Celeborn. They rode for a few hours, then ate a picnic lunch Elrond had brought. He spread a blanket out to sit on, and after they ate, Amy fell asleep for about half an hour. Refreshed, they rode for most of the afternoon, returning to Caras Galadon just before dark. Amy was exhausted, but the day had been worth it.
Later that day, Elrond checked on Amy. A servant was just coming with food for her. Elrond took the tray from the Elf and took it up himself, but Amy was asleep when he came in. He set the tray down quietly, then stood over her for a moment. She was sleeping peacefully, far more peacefully than he had for many years. It was good to see her recovering from the poison. Eventually, he touched her hand to wake her. Amy blinked a few times, then smiled up at him.
"How are you, Elrond?"
"I am well, for now…" Amy cocked her head and looked up at him, not convinced.
"What else?"
"Frodo has succeeded in destroying the One Ring."
"And Aragorn has taken the throne of Gondor." She finished for him. Elrond nodded. "And so Arwen will go to marry him."
"Yes. Galadriel has sent for her."
Amy took his hand and squeezed it. There was nothing she could say that wouldn't sound contrived or cliché. After a moment, Elrond turned and picked up the tray again. He brought it to her, and they shared a short meal. The servants knew Elrond spent most of his time there, so they usually included a meal for him with what they brought for Amy. After they had eaten, Amy and Elrond spent a couple hours talking, but she tired quickly. He left early that evening so she could rest.
The next morning, Amy was feeling much better. Galadriel came in to help her get dressed, both of them laughing at the role reversal, then Galadriel helped her down the stairs to the ground. Elrond was waiting at the bottom. The humans soon surrounded them, and Galadriel walked a bit away, staying nearby and watching, a smile in her eyes. The humans asked about Amy and her health, then dropped into small talk. Pete listened to the chat quietly, a thoughtful look in his face.
"Pete, what's up? You look like you've got something to say." Amy looked over at him.
"Actually, yeah, I do have an announcement. Beth and I have been talking a lot the last few days, and, well, she's agreed to marry me."
That brought a chorus of congratulations. Amy added her congratulations to the rest. The conversation moved to minor things, and after a couple minutes, Amy excused herself and walked over to the Lady. They walked a little ways away from the group, but not far enough to tax Amy's strength.
"It is good to see you healing, Almare." Galadriel smiled.
"I'm glad to be recovering. Right now, Elrond is the one I'm worried about."
"Yes. This will be a difficult time for him, but not impossible. He has accepted what will happen, but not without pain. It is good that you will support him through it."
Amy looked over at Galadriel. "You know?"
"I know that the two of you are close. Beyond that, I can guess. Are you planning marriage?"
Amy nodded. "Yes. I figured you knew already."
"I suspected as much. Congratulations. I had hoped this would happen." She smiled, then hugged Amy briefly. "You are tiring. Come. Let us go back." The two of them walked back to the rest of the group. Everyone saw the tiredness in Amy's eyes, but she didn't move to go back up.
"I have been sleeping for weeks, guys. I'm tired of sleeping!"
"Sick of being sick?" Mattie quipped.
"Yes!" There was a chorus of chuckles. The group found places on the ground. Amy managed to make it most of the morning before she had to go back and rest. Her talan was near the ground, but after she'd gone about halfway, she was panting, and Elrond picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. The sensation of being carried was a strange one. She resented the weakness that required it, but being held in Elrond's arms felt wonderful. Her head resting on his shoulder, he walked so gently that she felt as if they were gliding rather than walking up stairs. He set her down once they were in the sitting area, but walked with her into the bedchamber.
"Thank you for putting up with me, Elrond."
"And if I would not?" He smiled, baiting her, and his eyes seemed to light up with mirth.
"I think we'd both be in trouble."
"Why both of us?" He grinned, then grew serious, though, and answered his own question. "Because I don't think I would have the strength for the coming time alone."
Amy smiled sadly, her heart breaking for him. She hugged him. "You'll get through this." The words were muffled against his shirt. He rested his chin on the top of her head for a moment, then pulled away and kissed her lightly.
"Thank you, Almare." With that, he turned and left the talan.
After resting for a few hours, Amy was able to get up and go to dinner with the others. She retired early, but everyone could see that she was getting stronger. The next day was a little better, and the one after that better yet. The following day, she walked down on her own, surprising Elrond, who was approaching her talan.
"Good morning!" She was feeling good, and her voice reflected it.
"You seem cheerful." Elrond smiled at her.
"I'm feeling better than I have since I got hurt. A little restless, maybe, but good."
"Restless? I might be able to do something about that."
"What did you have in mind?"
"Would you like to go riding?"
"That sounds wonderful. I got to look around a little on the way here, but I haven't really gotten to explore Lothlórien much."
"I'll get things ready."
A few minutes later, the two of them were riding out into the forest. Elrond's horse had had plenty of time to recover from the journey there, and Amy rode one borrowed from Celeborn. They rode for a few hours, then ate a picnic lunch Elrond had brought. He spread a blanket out to sit on, and after they ate, Amy fell asleep for about half an hour. Refreshed, they rode for most of the afternoon, returning to Caras Galadon just before dark. Amy was exhausted, but the day had been worth it.