A/N: LAST CHAPTER! *cries* I can't believe this story is actually over. I
had so much fun writing it - I don't want to stop. But I suppose I have to.
There will be an Author's Note to thank everyone for reviewing and I am
going to start another story right after I've finsihed this one. I just
love writing them :) Promise you'll read my new one too? *begs*
Well guys, here it is, the last chapter.
Part 24 - Poor Aribeth: The Final Chapter
"Aribeth?" Alwyn stepped lightly into the library at Rivendell, her eyes searching the room. They came to rest on the pretty girl sitting at the table near the door, reading a book. Aribeth looked up and smiled at Alwyn.
"Hello Alwyn, come and sit down," she said in a friendly tone. Alwyn's stomach flipped. This would be one of the hardest things she had ever done. "What is it?"
Alwyn took a deep breath. "How are you?" she said, trying to seem free of concern. Aribeth narrowed her eyes slightly.
"I am fine, Alwyn, but you look troubled. What ails you?" she looked a little worried.
Alwyn's gaze traveled down to the floor, and she began to speak. "Aribeth, I have something to tell you...about Legolas and I," she began. Aribeth looked surprised, and a bit agitated. "We have talked and...and I told him that I loved him."
"Oh," Aribeth said, still looking at Alwyn intently. "Is that all?"
Alwyn replied that it was not, and Aribeth's face fell a little. "He told me that...ah...that he returns my love," Alwyn said and her voice dropped to almost a whisper. "We are engaged to be married." Alwyn touched the ring that was on a finger of her left hand.
Aribeth sat in silence, and then swallowed. Tiny tears brimmed in her eyes. "I see," she said, and when she spoke her voice was choked and full of hurt.
Alwyn put a hand over Aribeth's hand, but Aribeth jerked it away. She stood up and nodded once, as of accepting her fate. "I wish you all the joy in the world..." she said, and then walked out. Alwyn lowered her head onto the table and squeezed her eyes shut. A lone tear fell onto the polished wood, and she drew another deep breath. An overwhelming sense of pity washed over her, and she stayed sitting there for a long while.
***
Outside the doors of the palace, Aribeth stood in the wind and light rain. It was quite dark and thick clouds rolled across the navy sky. A breeze shifted her long, brown hair and the rain dampened her clothes, falling onto her tear-stained cheeks.
"Well done to you, Alwyn. You won him fairly. I was just too slow," she muttered. And with that, she hurried lightly down the steps to her waiting horse, never to return to Rivendell or Mirkwood again.
Legolas sat at an upstairs window, watching her retreat. Small rivers of rain ran down the glass, as he got up and closed the curtains.
It was done, and he knew he had made the right choice. Alwyn was the one he loved. Nothing would change that. But that still didn't stop him feeling a wave of sympathy, such as he had never felt before.
Thunder rolled in the distance and the rain fell harder, as Legolas went over to the door and slipped outside, closing it behind him.
THE END
Part 24 - Poor Aribeth: The Final Chapter
"Aribeth?" Alwyn stepped lightly into the library at Rivendell, her eyes searching the room. They came to rest on the pretty girl sitting at the table near the door, reading a book. Aribeth looked up and smiled at Alwyn.
"Hello Alwyn, come and sit down," she said in a friendly tone. Alwyn's stomach flipped. This would be one of the hardest things she had ever done. "What is it?"
Alwyn took a deep breath. "How are you?" she said, trying to seem free of concern. Aribeth narrowed her eyes slightly.
"I am fine, Alwyn, but you look troubled. What ails you?" she looked a little worried.
Alwyn's gaze traveled down to the floor, and she began to speak. "Aribeth, I have something to tell you...about Legolas and I," she began. Aribeth looked surprised, and a bit agitated. "We have talked and...and I told him that I loved him."
"Oh," Aribeth said, still looking at Alwyn intently. "Is that all?"
Alwyn replied that it was not, and Aribeth's face fell a little. "He told me that...ah...that he returns my love," Alwyn said and her voice dropped to almost a whisper. "We are engaged to be married." Alwyn touched the ring that was on a finger of her left hand.
Aribeth sat in silence, and then swallowed. Tiny tears brimmed in her eyes. "I see," she said, and when she spoke her voice was choked and full of hurt.
Alwyn put a hand over Aribeth's hand, but Aribeth jerked it away. She stood up and nodded once, as of accepting her fate. "I wish you all the joy in the world..." she said, and then walked out. Alwyn lowered her head onto the table and squeezed her eyes shut. A lone tear fell onto the polished wood, and she drew another deep breath. An overwhelming sense of pity washed over her, and she stayed sitting there for a long while.
***
Outside the doors of the palace, Aribeth stood in the wind and light rain. It was quite dark and thick clouds rolled across the navy sky. A breeze shifted her long, brown hair and the rain dampened her clothes, falling onto her tear-stained cheeks.
"Well done to you, Alwyn. You won him fairly. I was just too slow," she muttered. And with that, she hurried lightly down the steps to her waiting horse, never to return to Rivendell or Mirkwood again.
Legolas sat at an upstairs window, watching her retreat. Small rivers of rain ran down the glass, as he got up and closed the curtains.
It was done, and he knew he had made the right choice. Alwyn was the one he loved. Nothing would change that. But that still didn't stop him feeling a wave of sympathy, such as he had never felt before.
Thunder rolled in the distance and the rain fell harder, as Legolas went over to the door and slipped outside, closing it behind him.
THE END