Sacrifice
Sauron led Galadriel down the tower, without saying a word, but this time he did not bring her to the big room, but to the subterranean, where the cells were.
"What are we doing here?" asked Galadriel.
"You will see…"he answered, and took her through a corridor, to a new place of cells.
"Celeborn!" she cried, and she rushed to a cell, and kneeled there. Celeborn was there, pale. Blood was spilling from his forehead. "What have you done to him? Let him go!"
"He is not welcome here. He is not my guest" answered Sauron, taking Galadriel from the forearm, and forcing her to stand up. "The floor is not the place for my future wife"
Galadriel escaped from Sauron´s grip. She squeezed the bars. "He has nothing against you! He has never harmed you!"
"He has the woman I want" answered Sauron. Then he took out his sword. "For that reason, he must die"
Galadriel grasped Sauron´s hand, before he could hurt him. "No!" she cried "Do not you dare to kill him!"
"There is only one thing Milady can do to prevent his death" he announced, putting down the sword and putting out the emerald ring again. "I desire a Queen. You want this man to stay alive… Maybe we can arrange that. There is only one word you need…"
"Do you promise to let him go in peace?" she asked, a tear running down her cheek. "Do you?"
"No!" a weak voice shouted. Celeborn was in his feet, though he was staggering. "Galadriel… no… I would rather die…"
Galadriel took his hand, and looked into his eyes. "Yes" she accepted, closing her eyes. "I promise myself to you, Sauron. I will be your wife and queen"
Sauron took the lady's hand, took out her engagement ring, the one that Celeborn had given to her, and threw it at Celeborn's feet. Then he took the emerald ring and slipped it in her finger. "And I promise myself to you, Galadriel. With this, our marriage is sealed, for I will not wait until the next star alignment" he added, and then he forced his lips on hers. Galadriel felt repugnance, but she realized she must keep Sauron in a good mood, to ensure Celeborn´s departure, so she corresponded to the kiss.
"Drop her… you…"whimpered Celeborn, his fists pressed against the bars. "No…"
When they finally separated, Sauron took Galadriel's hand, and began to walk, but Galadriel stopped. "You have made a promise" she said "Celeborn must be released in this very moment, for I will not be in peace, until I see him in a horse, and riding out of here"
"Indeed, that was my promise, my Queen" he confirmed, in a harsh voice. "He shall be released tomorrow morning. First hour in the morning" he added, and then, he caressed Galadriel's cheek. "I must make sure that this night, you will be mine, at last"
"No…"panted Celeborn, grabbing Sauron's cloak, from the cell. "Don't you dare!"
"Get your dirty fingers away from my cloak" roared Sauron, pulling away his cloak. "She is my wife now. And she will be the greatest Queen she deserved to be, she will have everything she desires, whatever you could never dream to give her. She will be better at my side: The most powerful king the world has ever seen"
Sauron did not expect Celeborn's answer, and dragged Galadriel from the cells. They went to the larger room, where Saruman was sited in one of the chairs. He stood up when he saw them.
"Make all the arrangements, Saruman" announced Sauron. "Mordor has a new Queen. She must be presented to her subjects"
"As you wish, Milord" he said, bowing. "If you please, I will take the Queen to her room, so that her maiden can dress her"
"But I am already dressed" Galadriel replied, looking at her dress. "It is fair enough"
"Galadriel, dear" said Sauron, and Galadriel felt a lurch in her stomach. "The dress is indeed fair, but is not appropriated for a celebration like this. You must look radiant"
Galadriel nodded; she was not in the mood to argue. Saruman took the Queen's hand, and Sauron stood there, looking at the map.
They climbed the stairs to the room Galadriel was before. "You knew it" she muttered. "And you did not tell me. Besides, you put Celeborn in a cell"
"Of course I knew it" answered Saruman. "I was not going to tell you, Milady" he opened the door, and Myra stood up. Galadriel entered in the room. "Girl. Take the golden dress. We are celebrating"
Myra nodded, and Saruman closed the door. Galadriel fell on the bed, crying.
"Milady!" exclaimed Myra. "What happened. Did he hurt you?"
"No. He did not" Galadriel answered. "Not physically. But my soul is dead"
"I don't understand, Milady" said Myra.
"They put my husband in a cell. Sauron said he was going to kill him" answered Galadriel, miserably. "So, I accepted to become Sauron's Queen. I am his wife, now. I am frightened, scared of this night… for he will… he will…" but she could not continue, she was bathed in tears.
Myra put an arm around her, trying to stop her weeping. "Milady… Do not cry, please. You must be brave. It can be that bad… he will not hurt you… He will be kind with you"
"Kind? He is a monster. A monster under a handsome mask!" whimpered Galadriel. "I do not want to be with him. Not now, not ever! But I do not have another choice if I want to keep the man I love with life"
"Milady… I am so sorry. I if could do something… but I cannot" Myra said, going to the wardrobe "Please…let me dress you. If I do not, they will be very upset…"
Galadriel stood up, and wiped her tears away. "You are right. I must face this. There is no other choice"
Myra helped her to get in a magnificent golden dress. It has almost the same design that the blue one, but the sleeves were transparent, and also transparent was half of the down part, and it was a lot more elegant. Myra took a golden ribbon, and she did the same hairdo, with the new ribbon. The lady looked radiant. The dress allowed to see her body shape, covered with the golden silk.
Nearly two hours had passed, when Saruman knocked at the door, and Myra let him enter, and he looked at the lady with different eyes. He scrutinized her, with a strange smile.
"My Queen…" he stammered. "Please… come with me"
Galadriel took his hand. He led Galadriel to the Meeting Room (that how it was called the big room).
They arrived, and Saruman opened noisily the door. Sauron turned, and walked to them.
"Definitely" he began, taking her hand "You are the fairest queen the world has ever seen"
Galadriel was beginning to get tired of all the compliments, but she remembered then Celeborn in a cell, Myra…
"Thanks" she said, feeling her stomach contorting.
"All is settled now, Milord" announced Saruman.
Sauron led Galadriel through the stairs. They reached a dark corridor, and Sauron opened a door.
When Galadriel entered to the room, she heard a lot of noise. Voices. Sauron took her to the balcony, which was in the corner of the room. She looked down, and there were hundreds of orcs; they were acclaiming them.
"Mordor is celebrating today!" shouted Sauron to the crowd. "We have a new Queen! The fairest of them all! You must serve her, as you have served me!
The orcs started to applaud, cheering. Galadriel was impressed. All those creatures were under her command. Sauron was fulfilling his promise: All middle-Earth was hers… No…she thought I cannot… the power is corrupting me…
"Milord…"she breathed, pulling his hand "I am not feeling well… I would like to retire to my room…"
"But Galadriel… your subjects are acclaiming you… It is not appropriated to go…"
Galadriel really wanted to go. The cries of the orcs…. she looked at them… they were elves before the evil tortured them… she felt dizzy…
"I insist, Milord…"she said, and then, she fainted…
Cold… something cold was on her forehead… she opened her eyes: Myra was there.
"Thanks to heaven…!"she breathed. The girl was passing a handkerchief on Galadriel´s forehead. "You are back…"
"Where am I?" she asked, looking around her. This was not her bedroom, she was in another one.
"It is… your new bedroom… your wedding bedroom" said Myra "You gave us such a fright… Your husband was very worried…"
"Myra… please…"said the Lady "Tell him I am fine… and… he can come to me whenever he want…"
"But… Milady" Myra had lowered her voice, until it was a whisper "This is your opportunity… you are fine now… but you can fake illness… he will not touch you if you are not plainly well…"
"I made a promise…"Galadriel refused. "After this night, Celeborn will be free… If I wait… he will probably…"
"Yes… Milady. As you wish…"Myra said, and she walked to the door, and left the room.
Galadriel cleaned her forehead, and combed a little her hair. She also tidied up her dress. Five minutes later, there was a knock in the door.
"Who is it?" asked Galadriel, and she felt her heart beating harder.
"It is me, Milady" Sauron´s voice answered.
"It is open…" Sauron entered to the room, and closed the door. He walked to his wife.
"I was worried about your health…"
"But I am feeling perfectly fine now" she said hastily. The sooner the night finished, the better. Sauron touched her cheek.
"You cannot imagine how I have been desiring this moment…" said Sauron. "Desiring you… Will you be mine tonight, Milady?"
"Yes… I will" she said, a tear in her eye. She had no other option… and he knew it…
Sauron approached his lips to hers. She felt the impulse of turn her face… but she didn't do it. She felt his cold hands on her back, while his lips were kissing hers. Then he started to kiss her neck, at the same time he was taking her to the bed. He pushed her gently on it.
It will finish soon… she thought… Soon… will be over…
