"I want to go with them," Ariel said as she walked towards her father and
stood in front of him. Aragorn looked at his daughter only half surprised,
he had figured that when Ariel found out that she would want to go. "You
want to go with the company to Ithilien?" He asked and Ariel nodded. "I can
ride and I can fight," She said and Aragorn's heart fell. Already he was
sending his semi-reluctant son to the battle and now his youngest daughter
wanted to go?
He shook his head. "No, I cannot let you go. You will be better off staying here in Minas Tirith, where it is safe" He told his daughter. But of course, this was not the answer that Ariel wished to hear. "You cannot let me go because I am a woman?" She asked and Aragorn said nothing.
"That is why you will not let me go and fight. I have the skill but I must stay here because of my gender? I want to ride and I want to fight yet I am not allowed. Might I remind you of the Lady Éowyn? She rode with the Riders of Rohan and defeated the Witchking - something that no man could ever do.
"I want to fight and yet you tell me that I must stay," Tears came into her eyes as she spoke. "I must stay in the city but to me the city is a cage. You let Eldarion lead the soldiers though he wishes for no war, no real need to use the skills he has with a sword but you will not let me go - even though I want to?
"Why then did you ever allow me to learn how to fight if it is a skill unused? Was it just because doing so made me happy?" A tear rolled down her cheek and she drew in her breath. "I will not go and watch them leave tomorrow for it will hurt too much to think that I could have traveled and fought with them.
"Instead I ask you to tell Eldarion that I love him very much and will be wishing for his quick and safe return," Ariel said and turned and walked towards the doors. The doors were opened for her and she did not look back as she passed through them and they were shut behind her, leaving Aragorn alone in the hall.
He sat for a long time thinking about this new enemy. It was beginning to tear Middle Earth apart but now it was beginning to tear his family apart. He did not like to see his children upset but he knew that he had probably made the best decision by not letting Ariel go. He hoped he had made the best decision.
He shook his head. "No, I cannot let you go. You will be better off staying here in Minas Tirith, where it is safe" He told his daughter. But of course, this was not the answer that Ariel wished to hear. "You cannot let me go because I am a woman?" She asked and Aragorn said nothing.
"That is why you will not let me go and fight. I have the skill but I must stay here because of my gender? I want to ride and I want to fight yet I am not allowed. Might I remind you of the Lady Éowyn? She rode with the Riders of Rohan and defeated the Witchking - something that no man could ever do.
"I want to fight and yet you tell me that I must stay," Tears came into her eyes as she spoke. "I must stay in the city but to me the city is a cage. You let Eldarion lead the soldiers though he wishes for no war, no real need to use the skills he has with a sword but you will not let me go - even though I want to?
"Why then did you ever allow me to learn how to fight if it is a skill unused? Was it just because doing so made me happy?" A tear rolled down her cheek and she drew in her breath. "I will not go and watch them leave tomorrow for it will hurt too much to think that I could have traveled and fought with them.
"Instead I ask you to tell Eldarion that I love him very much and will be wishing for his quick and safe return," Ariel said and turned and walked towards the doors. The doors were opened for her and she did not look back as she passed through them and they were shut behind her, leaving Aragorn alone in the hall.
He sat for a long time thinking about this new enemy. It was beginning to tear Middle Earth apart but now it was beginning to tear his family apart. He did not like to see his children upset but he knew that he had probably made the best decision by not letting Ariel go. He hoped he had made the best decision.
