Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo! EHAB here. Since I am posting this chapter
only a day after the previous one was posted, I can only address questions
raised in reviews submitted in that day's time. However, Phe-Chan and I
will attempt to clear up other questions and respond to other comments in
the final chapter of the fic, Chapter Forty-Three, to be posted next
Tuesday. Lindiel Eryn, we shall not in this fic reveal where Frodo, Sam,
Merry, Pippin, and Bilbo have gone; that question will, however, be
resolved in the sequel, alongside the question about the phrase "Sivi's si-
", spoken by Andrea in chapter Forty. However, in answer to your question
about Gil-galad, he was indeed with them in the Shire, but it is not always
altogether necessary to mention every character in a group when one has
stated that the group is traveling as a whole. I'm glad you were paying
enough attention to catch that, though. ( Thank you to all reviewers for
taking the time to read the story and register your opinions. We love
reviews!! And now, Chapter Forty-Two: Union
Gil-galad stood by the shores of a white ocean. He knew that he was dreaming, but his surroundings were strange. Sivi placed a hand on his arm.
"Is aught wrong, my Love?" she asked softly.
"No, it is only that the sea seems different from before," he answered, puzzled.
Sivi laughed.
"But, my Love, that is because it is not the same one."
He looked at her in surprise and confusion, his amber brows drawn together and his turquoise eyes perplexed.
"This is the Gulf of Lhûn, on the shores of which rest the Grey Havens."
"The Grey Havens..." he murmured, turning his troubled eyes on the glittering waters. The sun, too, was white, white-hot in the palest of skies.
"You are unhappy," she said sadly.
"No, no, I'm not! I just..."
He shifted uncomfortably, then blurted out,
"Are you nervous?"
Sivi blinked at him, and then began to laugh in earnest.
"Ah, my Love! Is THAT what troubles you? Of COURSE I'm nervous. Everyone is before their wedding day," she smiled, relieved.
"I want you to be happy," he told her apprehensively. "I just don't know... I'm not sure how to... to be a good husband, to take care of you. How does one take care of a Vala's child? You could have so much, if you just went home to your parents. Why should you want to stay with me?"
"Because I love you. Besides, you don't have to always think of me as the child of two Valar. I am that, but I'm still Sivi, too," she said softly.
He caught, or thought that he caught, a small note of pleading in her voice.
"I do know that, Melui," he reassured her. "I love you so much," he sighed contentedly. She had her arm through his, her fingers clutching his right hand, and her bronze-golden head inclined upon his shoulder. Then he started to chuckle.
"I still don't really understand... exactly what you are," he said bemusedly. "That is, are you a Vala yourself? Or are you a Maia? Or something completely different?"
"Do you want to know something funny?" she grinned sheepishly. "I have no idea. I think that they consider me a Vala, but I don't feel like one. I'm not as powerful as they are, and I'll never be as lovely."
"Melui, you are beautiful!" Gil-galad cried. "You are the most beautiful being I have ever seen."
"You've never seen my mother," Sivi reminded him.
She was smiling good-naturedly up at him, but there was a pain behind her eyes. Suddenly, Gil-galad found the source of all the insecurities that he had never been able to understand in his beloved. After all, though he had never before considered this aspect of the situation, it must be extremely difficult to live in Queen Varda's shadow. He had heard tales before of parents achieving epic feats or being possessed of legendary attributes, thus setting for their children unattainable, and awfully frustrating, precedents and standards. Still, being the daughter of Varda Fanuilos, the fairest of all created beings, had to top them all.
"Melui," he said gently, "your mother may be Varda and as lovely as a being can be, but you'll always be fairest in my sight."
Sivi brought her free hand up to clutch his shoulder. A single tear slipped down her face, pausing in the corner of her lips and reflecting the light of Eärendil, the morning star.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
There was not so great a crowd at Sivi's wedding as there had been at Andrea's, for Legolas was a prince, whereas no one had ever heard of Sivi, and Gil-galad was generally thought to be dead. However, the turnout was fair, and the majority of the guests were... of high rank and repute. All of the inhabitants of the Grey Havens turned up, including Círdan. All fourteen Valar, a number of the Maiar, and some of the Elves of Tol Eressëa and Valinor were also present. In addition, there were several beings in attendance whose species no one could determine.
Manwë was to give his daughter away, while Mandos performed the ceremony. All of the Ainur had assumed more or less human or Elven fana, though some of the fire Maiar seemed unaware that their burning hair and hands disturbed the Elves and Men. Varda was brilliant, even from within her Elven fana, but Gil-galad never saw her. The only person that he could see was his Ever-love.
She was radiant in glittering white. She smiled at him, and at last her eyes were as glad as her mouth. She took his hands, and hers were smooth and soft. She spoke the vows; her voice was song to him.
Mandos proclaimed them one, declared them husband and wife, and invited Gil- galad to kiss his bride. Gil-galad knew that he had never experienced joy until that one pure moment. She was his, he was hers, and THAT was a union: to belong to one another, protect, provide for, and cherish one another as precious, and to want nothing but God's Sovereign Will for one another and for their marriage as a whole. They could stand against the world; they were finally together.
Gil-galad stood by the shores of a white ocean. He knew that he was dreaming, but his surroundings were strange. Sivi placed a hand on his arm.
"Is aught wrong, my Love?" she asked softly.
"No, it is only that the sea seems different from before," he answered, puzzled.
Sivi laughed.
"But, my Love, that is because it is not the same one."
He looked at her in surprise and confusion, his amber brows drawn together and his turquoise eyes perplexed.
"This is the Gulf of Lhûn, on the shores of which rest the Grey Havens."
"The Grey Havens..." he murmured, turning his troubled eyes on the glittering waters. The sun, too, was white, white-hot in the palest of skies.
"You are unhappy," she said sadly.
"No, no, I'm not! I just..."
He shifted uncomfortably, then blurted out,
"Are you nervous?"
Sivi blinked at him, and then began to laugh in earnest.
"Ah, my Love! Is THAT what troubles you? Of COURSE I'm nervous. Everyone is before their wedding day," she smiled, relieved.
"I want you to be happy," he told her apprehensively. "I just don't know... I'm not sure how to... to be a good husband, to take care of you. How does one take care of a Vala's child? You could have so much, if you just went home to your parents. Why should you want to stay with me?"
"Because I love you. Besides, you don't have to always think of me as the child of two Valar. I am that, but I'm still Sivi, too," she said softly.
He caught, or thought that he caught, a small note of pleading in her voice.
"I do know that, Melui," he reassured her. "I love you so much," he sighed contentedly. She had her arm through his, her fingers clutching his right hand, and her bronze-golden head inclined upon his shoulder. Then he started to chuckle.
"I still don't really understand... exactly what you are," he said bemusedly. "That is, are you a Vala yourself? Or are you a Maia? Or something completely different?"
"Do you want to know something funny?" she grinned sheepishly. "I have no idea. I think that they consider me a Vala, but I don't feel like one. I'm not as powerful as they are, and I'll never be as lovely."
"Melui, you are beautiful!" Gil-galad cried. "You are the most beautiful being I have ever seen."
"You've never seen my mother," Sivi reminded him.
She was smiling good-naturedly up at him, but there was a pain behind her eyes. Suddenly, Gil-galad found the source of all the insecurities that he had never been able to understand in his beloved. After all, though he had never before considered this aspect of the situation, it must be extremely difficult to live in Queen Varda's shadow. He had heard tales before of parents achieving epic feats or being possessed of legendary attributes, thus setting for their children unattainable, and awfully frustrating, precedents and standards. Still, being the daughter of Varda Fanuilos, the fairest of all created beings, had to top them all.
"Melui," he said gently, "your mother may be Varda and as lovely as a being can be, but you'll always be fairest in my sight."
Sivi brought her free hand up to clutch his shoulder. A single tear slipped down her face, pausing in the corner of her lips and reflecting the light of Eärendil, the morning star.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
There was not so great a crowd at Sivi's wedding as there had been at Andrea's, for Legolas was a prince, whereas no one had ever heard of Sivi, and Gil-galad was generally thought to be dead. However, the turnout was fair, and the majority of the guests were... of high rank and repute. All of the inhabitants of the Grey Havens turned up, including Círdan. All fourteen Valar, a number of the Maiar, and some of the Elves of Tol Eressëa and Valinor were also present. In addition, there were several beings in attendance whose species no one could determine.
Manwë was to give his daughter away, while Mandos performed the ceremony. All of the Ainur had assumed more or less human or Elven fana, though some of the fire Maiar seemed unaware that their burning hair and hands disturbed the Elves and Men. Varda was brilliant, even from within her Elven fana, but Gil-galad never saw her. The only person that he could see was his Ever-love.
She was radiant in glittering white. She smiled at him, and at last her eyes were as glad as her mouth. She took his hands, and hers were smooth and soft. She spoke the vows; her voice was song to him.
Mandos proclaimed them one, declared them husband and wife, and invited Gil- galad to kiss his bride. Gil-galad knew that he had never experienced joy until that one pure moment. She was his, he was hers, and THAT was a union: to belong to one another, protect, provide for, and cherish one another as precious, and to want nothing but God's Sovereign Will for one another and for their marriage as a whole. They could stand against the world; they were finally together.