Chapter Ten - Gift of Friend or Enemy

She returned to Gondor, with a heavy heart.

It was time to return to the realm of her kin, where time seemed to stand still.

Faramir stood waiting for her. He noticed the sadness in her eyes.

"My lady is there something amiss?" he asked.

"I would seek counsel with you captain, and with your father, please fetch him for me". Faramir nodded and went to do as bid. She sat down on the throne chair. For the last time would she sit here.

"Your heart is heavy". Came the soft masculine voice. It was away in the shadows. She nodded but did not answer.

Faramir came back with his father, the steward.

They stood silently, waiting.

"The time has come for me to leave Gondor in the hands of her heir". She said softly. Both men gasped.

"Who is this man you speak of my lady?" Faramir asked.

"Don't call me that captain, I was never your queen".

"Perhaps not to Gondor, but to your people you are royalty".

"I am all that is left of my people in these lands, they have since moved on, the heir of Isildur is on his way, as sworn to my father I will uphold my promise to him and will relinquish hold on her". She told them.

The steward reached for a chair. The son of arathorn was alive? "And where would you go my lady?" the steward asked.

They watched her; she looked over into the shadows. A figure stepped forward. An elf warrior. Blonde, and armed with his weapons of bow, arrows and knives. He wore a forest green tunic and an Elvin cloak with an Elvin Lorien brooch at the neck.

"Who is he my lady?" Faramir asked. Jealousy tainting his voice.

"He is legolas, Prince of Mirkwood, also all that is left of his people, it is our time to move on, and leave middle earth to the mortals". She stood up and walked down to them. "I would wish that this meets with your approval, he needs a captain and a steward to assist him in leading gondor into what she once was".

The steward nodded. "as you would wish my lady, it is after all for the good of gondor, and god knows you have saved us from death numerous times, when will the ceremony take place?" she looked at him. He seemed to have aged a lot in the past months.

"you have served her well steward, and I know you will continue to do so until the blood in your veins no longer runs warm, her people would see her live once again in her glory, the ceremony will be in 3 days, Aragorn shall arrive then, with Mithrandir". They looked at her in confusion.

"Mithrandir?" they asked in unison.

"Gandalf the white of the istari". Legolas spoke breaking his silence. They nodded at him in acknowledgment.

Isilme turned away. "That will be all; I thank you both for your counsel". She heard only one pair of feet leave. She knew that Faramir stayed behind.

"So it is not to be?" he asked. She looked at legolas who had taken one step forward, but she shook her head slightly.

"Lle ista kel legolas". Could you leave legolas? Faramir watched as the elf nodded and left the room, but noticed also that he had left the door ajar, so he could be available if Isilme needed him.

She turned her attention back to Faramir. "No it is not meant to be, Faramir we never spoke words of love to each other, all we had was a bond of what was right, friends no more, we both served gondor for the same ends, my path is different from yours, the shield maiden is your destiny".

Faramir took a step back. "The shield maiden?"

"I have seen her, both in flesh and in my dreams, the white lady of Rohan, you will win her heart, it will a struggle but in the end you will win". She told him. She took a step to him. "Faramir, I count you as one of my own mortal friends, elves do not have those, even for legolas, he has only placed his trust in Aragorn, legolas and I share a common purpose".

"And do you love him?" the room spun.

"I do". She answered.

"And what of the other elf, Haldir you called him". Faramir asked.

"Haldir died in battle, he is no more, he is resting with my people, I will leave after the ceremony, faramir you have served gondor well, I do hope you will not give up faith because I am no longer here, Aragorn is a good man, he knows what is right and fights for a just cause, gondor will recover and become the beauty she once was, and your brother will be proud". She touched his face.

He reached inside his hauberk and pulled out a chain, on it there was a little figurine made of silver. It looked like an angel.

"you are this angel to me Isilme, I would give her to you as a gift, so that you remember me".

"I would never forget our friendship faramir". She argued. But he put the chain and angel in her hand.

"take it, if ever you are in gondor, you are welcome here with us, we are your family, even though we are mortals". He told her.

"Amin harmuva onalle e' cormamin" she said softly opening her hand and looking at it. She looked at him. There was a confused look on his face. Then she realized that she had spoken elvish. She quickly amended that by repeating it in English. "I shall treasure your gift in my heart". He smiled.

"your language is beautiful, I should have learned it years ago". He replied.

"thank you faramir, for everything you have done, for me, for the people and for gondor". She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek then silently left. Legolas opening the door for her which he closed as soon as she had gone through.

Legolas turned and faced her.

"you have not lost Isilme, if anything you have gained".

"depends on how you look at it legolas, I have lost twice in a matter of days". She replied.

"Haldir will live on in all of us who knew him for who he truly was, as for gondor, she was held in trust, she was never yours". That stung but she knew he was right, sooner or later she would have to give gondor to Aragorn.

The future king would arrive soon, and he had made his decision with a clear head and a light heart.

He was ready.

She nodded and led him away from the hall.

"take a walk with me legolas?" she asked him.

"I will follow you wherever you go my lady". He answered. She turned on him, bringing up short and very very close to her.

"I am not your lady, I am Isilme, please do not address me as such otherwise I will have to call you your highness for your rank". She told him. He nodded.

"in that you speak the truth Isilme, I shall enjoy our walks and conversations together".

They reached a hill that looked all over the country and gondor. They stood silent for a moment.

"would you always stay with me legolas?, no matter where I went?" he didn't answer right away. She looked at him finally.

"I would stay with you Isilme, in all ways, if that is in agreement with you". He sounded like a emissary, she thought.

"very much so legolas". She replied. "but we will sort that out later, for now, let me enjoy this gift you have bestowed upon me". She walked over to him and into his arms.

"Amin mela lle legolas".

"Amin mela lle Isilme".