Three days later Lorin, Aidyn, and Legolas arrived in Gondor. The royalty
of Gondor greeted the royalty of Mirkwood.
"Ailin, cousin!" Lorin exclaimed running into her cousin's arms.
"It is good to see you, Lorin. I have missed you terribly," Ailin replied.
Pulling back, Lorin turned to her aunt and uncle, "Aunt Arwen, Uncle Aragorn, I have missed you as well." She embraced them both.
"How fares my favorite niece?" Aragorn asked.
Giggling Lorin replied, "I am your only niece, uncle."
"That makes you even more special, princess," Arwen said smiling.
Legolas and Aidyn talked to Aragorn and Arwen, as their daughters went off to speak of other matters.
As Lorin and Ailin walked among the gardens of Gondor, Lorin noticed something different about Ailin.
"Ailin, are you alright? You do not look well," Lorin asked worriedly.
"I am fine cousin. What are you talking about?"
"I mean your glow has faded and your voice is different. Is something the matter?"
Ailin turned away from Lorin knowing of what she spoke. She had promised her mother and father and aunt and uncle that she would not tell Lorin of the choice she made and the choice Lorin would have to make very soon. Five days from now.
"Don't be silly, cousin. I am perfectly fine. Perhaps the changes you notice are from the love I feel in my heart."
"Ah, yes, how is Kalin?" asked Lorin smiling.
"Absolutely perfect. He is in training right now, but we shall see him later at dinner."
"How I envy you. I wish I could find love like that."
Ailin tucked her arm through Lorin's; "You will find it one day. I promise."
Legolas, Aidyn, Aragorn, and Arwen walked around the palace halls discussing Lorin.
"You must tell her Aidyn. You cannot wait until her birthday and expect her to make a decision right away," Aragorn said.
"I know this, but I am afraid. I do not know what of and I don't know why I waited so long," replied Aidyn with sadness in her eyes.
Legolas laced his fingers with his wife's and squeezed gently, "We will tell her tonight. All of us. She will need her family."
"I agree. She will notice sooner or later that Ailin isn't immortal though she has every other elven trait," said Arwen.
Nodding, Aidyn laid her head on her husband's shoulder and fought back the tears that desperately wanted to fall.
"It is good to see you again, Lorin. It has been too long," Kalin said embracing his friend.
"I hope Ailin is treating you well. Everyone knows she can be quite stubborn at times," Lorin said smiling.
"Very funny cousin," Ailin replied taking the arm that Kalin had offered.
"I thought so. Tell me Ailin do you know of what everyone wishes to speak with me about?"
"I am not sure," Ailin said lying. Kalin looked at her and she met his gaze. He knew the truth and patted Ailin's hand reassuringly. Ailin was afraid that her cousin would be extremely angry with her for not telling her.
"Oh well. I'm not going to worry about it now. Let us eat"
A few hours had passed and Ailin had gone to walk Kalin out of the dining hall. Everyone was waiting for her return and Lorin could feel the tension in the room. It was becoming hard for her to breathe. Moments later, Ailin entered the dining hall and sat in her seat beside her father.
The silence was deafening. Finally, Lorin spoke, "I want to know what is going on. I can feel the despair in this room. I can sense a shadow and I know it has to do with me. Someone please tell me what is going on."
Legolas sighed heavily and decided he would begin first; "Lorin, your mother and I have something very important to tell you. In five days time you will turn 18 and you must make a very important decision. Before we tell you what the decision is about, there is something else that must be brought to your attention."
"You, my darling daughter, not only have elf blood running through your body, but human blood as well. My father was an elf and my mother was a mortal. They died when I was very young. Your grandmother and grandfather, Niere and Valon of Kalwood took me into their home for they knew my parents very well. They raised me and were my parents in every sense of the word. Knowing that I was a mixed blood, your grandparents knew that when I turned 18 I would have to choose between being mortal or having the gift of immortality. And that Lorin, is the decision that you have to make," Aidyn said keeping her eyes away from her daughter's face.
Lorin's face showed no sign of emotion. She was hurt, angry, and shocked. Why had they kept this from her?
"I don't know what to say," she whispered.
Silence once again filled the room. Realization finally set in and Lorin turned her head towards Ailin.
"You are mortal. That is why your voice is different and your glow is gone. Because Aunt Arwen has elf blood and Uncle Aragorn is human, you had to make the same choice. You chose mortality to be with Kalin. How could you not tell me?" Lorin asked with tears in her eyes.
"Do not be angry with Ailin. It was an agreement between us and your parents that we would not tell you. Your mother and father wanted to be the one to tell you," Arwen said.
"Yet they waited until I am five days away from turning 18 to make the most important decision of my life," Lorin replied glaring at her parents.
"We were afraid and didn't know how to tell you. It is my fault. Do not blame your father. I was the one who waited so long to tell you," Aidyn pleaded.
"Everyone I love has lied to me. You have all kept a secret from me that will change my life." Lorin stood and looked into the eyes of everyone at the table.
"Lorin, please, we're all here to discuss this with you so that you can make the right decision," Aragorn said.
"Yes, cousin. We want to help you," said Ailin.
"As of right now I do not want to speak to any of you. All of you have betrayed my trust. I will hear no one's opinion on this matter. It is my decision. And as of right now," Lorin said turning to face her parents with complete anger in her eyes, "I would choose mortality then to spend eternity with parents who would lie to their own daughter." With that Lorin ran out of the room in tears.
"Ailin, cousin!" Lorin exclaimed running into her cousin's arms.
"It is good to see you, Lorin. I have missed you terribly," Ailin replied.
Pulling back, Lorin turned to her aunt and uncle, "Aunt Arwen, Uncle Aragorn, I have missed you as well." She embraced them both.
"How fares my favorite niece?" Aragorn asked.
Giggling Lorin replied, "I am your only niece, uncle."
"That makes you even more special, princess," Arwen said smiling.
Legolas and Aidyn talked to Aragorn and Arwen, as their daughters went off to speak of other matters.
As Lorin and Ailin walked among the gardens of Gondor, Lorin noticed something different about Ailin.
"Ailin, are you alright? You do not look well," Lorin asked worriedly.
"I am fine cousin. What are you talking about?"
"I mean your glow has faded and your voice is different. Is something the matter?"
Ailin turned away from Lorin knowing of what she spoke. She had promised her mother and father and aunt and uncle that she would not tell Lorin of the choice she made and the choice Lorin would have to make very soon. Five days from now.
"Don't be silly, cousin. I am perfectly fine. Perhaps the changes you notice are from the love I feel in my heart."
"Ah, yes, how is Kalin?" asked Lorin smiling.
"Absolutely perfect. He is in training right now, but we shall see him later at dinner."
"How I envy you. I wish I could find love like that."
Ailin tucked her arm through Lorin's; "You will find it one day. I promise."
Legolas, Aidyn, Aragorn, and Arwen walked around the palace halls discussing Lorin.
"You must tell her Aidyn. You cannot wait until her birthday and expect her to make a decision right away," Aragorn said.
"I know this, but I am afraid. I do not know what of and I don't know why I waited so long," replied Aidyn with sadness in her eyes.
Legolas laced his fingers with his wife's and squeezed gently, "We will tell her tonight. All of us. She will need her family."
"I agree. She will notice sooner or later that Ailin isn't immortal though she has every other elven trait," said Arwen.
Nodding, Aidyn laid her head on her husband's shoulder and fought back the tears that desperately wanted to fall.
"It is good to see you again, Lorin. It has been too long," Kalin said embracing his friend.
"I hope Ailin is treating you well. Everyone knows she can be quite stubborn at times," Lorin said smiling.
"Very funny cousin," Ailin replied taking the arm that Kalin had offered.
"I thought so. Tell me Ailin do you know of what everyone wishes to speak with me about?"
"I am not sure," Ailin said lying. Kalin looked at her and she met his gaze. He knew the truth and patted Ailin's hand reassuringly. Ailin was afraid that her cousin would be extremely angry with her for not telling her.
"Oh well. I'm not going to worry about it now. Let us eat"
A few hours had passed and Ailin had gone to walk Kalin out of the dining hall. Everyone was waiting for her return and Lorin could feel the tension in the room. It was becoming hard for her to breathe. Moments later, Ailin entered the dining hall and sat in her seat beside her father.
The silence was deafening. Finally, Lorin spoke, "I want to know what is going on. I can feel the despair in this room. I can sense a shadow and I know it has to do with me. Someone please tell me what is going on."
Legolas sighed heavily and decided he would begin first; "Lorin, your mother and I have something very important to tell you. In five days time you will turn 18 and you must make a very important decision. Before we tell you what the decision is about, there is something else that must be brought to your attention."
"You, my darling daughter, not only have elf blood running through your body, but human blood as well. My father was an elf and my mother was a mortal. They died when I was very young. Your grandmother and grandfather, Niere and Valon of Kalwood took me into their home for they knew my parents very well. They raised me and were my parents in every sense of the word. Knowing that I was a mixed blood, your grandparents knew that when I turned 18 I would have to choose between being mortal or having the gift of immortality. And that Lorin, is the decision that you have to make," Aidyn said keeping her eyes away from her daughter's face.
Lorin's face showed no sign of emotion. She was hurt, angry, and shocked. Why had they kept this from her?
"I don't know what to say," she whispered.
Silence once again filled the room. Realization finally set in and Lorin turned her head towards Ailin.
"You are mortal. That is why your voice is different and your glow is gone. Because Aunt Arwen has elf blood and Uncle Aragorn is human, you had to make the same choice. You chose mortality to be with Kalin. How could you not tell me?" Lorin asked with tears in her eyes.
"Do not be angry with Ailin. It was an agreement between us and your parents that we would not tell you. Your mother and father wanted to be the one to tell you," Arwen said.
"Yet they waited until I am five days away from turning 18 to make the most important decision of my life," Lorin replied glaring at her parents.
"We were afraid and didn't know how to tell you. It is my fault. Do not blame your father. I was the one who waited so long to tell you," Aidyn pleaded.
"Everyone I love has lied to me. You have all kept a secret from me that will change my life." Lorin stood and looked into the eyes of everyone at the table.
"Lorin, please, we're all here to discuss this with you so that you can make the right decision," Aragorn said.
"Yes, cousin. We want to help you," said Ailin.
"As of right now I do not want to speak to any of you. All of you have betrayed my trust. I will hear no one's opinion on this matter. It is my decision. And as of right now," Lorin said turning to face her parents with complete anger in her eyes, "I would choose mortality then to spend eternity with parents who would lie to their own daughter." With that Lorin ran out of the room in tears.
