Disclaimer: All characters, etc., etc., were created by J.R.R. Tolkien and
do not belong to me.
To the reviewers: Thank you so much for reviewing my story! I'm glad you've liked it. Here's the last chapter. (To the reviewer called Nenya: I hope you like this and that it lives up to your username.)
***** Nenya's Story *****
Galadriel! Galadriel!
Nenya saw how others admired the Lady of Lorien. But Nenya's heart was full of resentment for Galadriel.
And why not? Nenya felt like nothing more than a pawn in a power struggle, never free to choose what destiny might be worth pursuing. Nenya was bound to Galadriel. And that bond was the product of an arranged union that Nenya had no control over.
"Why Galadriel?" Nenya thought. "For all she is so beautiful and wise, my heart lies elsewhere."
For thousands of years, Nenya had been with Galadriel. For thousands of years, Nenya had lived in Lothlorien. For thousands of years, the Golden Wood had been graced by Nenya's presence. It was a place where one could cast aside grief and feel at peace . . . for all but Nenya.
Nenya sighed but could not voice such thoughts aloud, for the Lady was always there. Galadriel could divine others' innermost thoughts, but Nenya's thoughts were secret, so long as they remained unvoiced.
Silently Nenya cursed Celebrimbor. What was the point of existing in this world only to suffer so? Was there any torture as cruel as being bound to one whom one does not love and forever sundered from the heart's true desire?
Nenya's power brought grief, too. Nenya shuddered, thinking of the Second Age. Sauron greatly desired Nenya. He sought until his fall, but Nenya remained safely hidden.
But Nenya was hidden from all, not just Sauron.
"Why must I be so sheltered?" Nenya wondered. "I am no child! I have been in this world for more than four thousand years."
Nenya had understood the need to keep hidden from Sauron, but not the need to remain secret from anyone other than Galadriel.
"She wants to keep me for herself alone," Nenya thought. "Why can she not let me be free? All I desire is to live in the beautiful woods of Lorien with my one true love at my side."
~*~*
Galadriel walked gracefully down the stairway. She filled her mirror and looked into it, and Nenya looked, too.
Eight figures were approaching the borders of Lorien. Nenya saw two men, a dwarf, four shorter creatures and an elf. Nenya looked closer. He was very attractive. But he was not nearly so attractive as . . . Nenya pushed the thought aside. The pain was just too great.
Nenya was with Galadriel and Celeborn when they welcomed the travelers. Haldir led them in, and Nenya felt the mingling of joy and pain at the sight of the elf. Curiosity bade Nenya listen to the Fellowship's tale. But Nenya could not wholly cease gazing at Haldir.
"Haldir . . ." Nenya sighed.
How many years had it been? "Too many," Nenya thought. "Too many years of this heartache. Too many years of wanting someone who can never be mine."
Nenya was deeply, unconditionally in love with Haldir.
"And he's never even noticed me," Nenya thought.
~*~*
When the Fellowship had been almost a month in Lorien, Galadriel found Frodo and Sam and beckoned for them to follow her and Nenya.
Nenya watched as the hobbits looked into the Mirror of Galadriel. As Frodo gazed, the Ring about his neck pulled his head downward, and he began slipping forward.
"Do not touch the water!" Galadriel said.
"I know what it was that he last saw," Nenya thought, "for that is also in my mind."
Nenya had perceived the Eye, rimmed with fire, watching and searching.
As Galadriel spoke to Frodo, the hobbit suddenly became aware of Nenya. He gazed in awe. Nenya's beauty and power were truly something to behold.
~*~*
Later that night, Nenya thought of what Galadriel had said to Frodo.
"If you succeed, then our power is diminished, and Lothlorien will fade," she had said.
Nenya knew it to be true. After thousands of years, Nenya's end was close at hand, whether for good or for ill.
"Many times have I prayed for the end, to finally be free," Nenya thought. "Yet I cannot leave this world and have Haldir not know of my love for him."
The risk was terrible, but Nenya must do it. Summoning as much power as possible, Nenya called out in thought to Haldir.
"Haldir!" Nenya cried. "Haldir of Lorien, I love you!"
Exhausted from the effort, Nenya felt the flickerings of response in Haldir's mind. He did not know who called out to him, but his heart was stirred to love.
~*~*
Nenya next saw Haldir when it was almost time for the Fellowship to depart. As always, Nenya's heart was full of love, gazing on the elf.
"I love him, and I may never be with him," Nenya thought. "Yet, I find peace in having revealed my love to him, though he knows me not. Now there is little time left for me until I fade and go with Galadriel into the West."
Even as Nenya thought this, Haldir did something he had never done before. Without knowing what impulse drove him, Haldir bowed and kissed Galadriel's hand and kissed Nenya.
***** Author's Note *****
Nenya's story was inspired by the notion of arranged marriages in bad LotR stories. (Also inspired by the angst of unrequited love and of having power desired by Sauron.) I refrained from assigning gender to any of the rings, in order to keep the conceit going. (It's a very tricky thing to do.)
And now this fic is at an end. I hope you liked it. I had fun writing it, anyways.
To the reviewers: Thank you so much for reviewing my story! I'm glad you've liked it. Here's the last chapter. (To the reviewer called Nenya: I hope you like this and that it lives up to your username.)
***** Nenya's Story *****
Galadriel! Galadriel!
Nenya saw how others admired the Lady of Lorien. But Nenya's heart was full of resentment for Galadriel.
And why not? Nenya felt like nothing more than a pawn in a power struggle, never free to choose what destiny might be worth pursuing. Nenya was bound to Galadriel. And that bond was the product of an arranged union that Nenya had no control over.
"Why Galadriel?" Nenya thought. "For all she is so beautiful and wise, my heart lies elsewhere."
For thousands of years, Nenya had been with Galadriel. For thousands of years, Nenya had lived in Lothlorien. For thousands of years, the Golden Wood had been graced by Nenya's presence. It was a place where one could cast aside grief and feel at peace . . . for all but Nenya.
Nenya sighed but could not voice such thoughts aloud, for the Lady was always there. Galadriel could divine others' innermost thoughts, but Nenya's thoughts were secret, so long as they remained unvoiced.
Silently Nenya cursed Celebrimbor. What was the point of existing in this world only to suffer so? Was there any torture as cruel as being bound to one whom one does not love and forever sundered from the heart's true desire?
Nenya's power brought grief, too. Nenya shuddered, thinking of the Second Age. Sauron greatly desired Nenya. He sought until his fall, but Nenya remained safely hidden.
But Nenya was hidden from all, not just Sauron.
"Why must I be so sheltered?" Nenya wondered. "I am no child! I have been in this world for more than four thousand years."
Nenya had understood the need to keep hidden from Sauron, but not the need to remain secret from anyone other than Galadriel.
"She wants to keep me for herself alone," Nenya thought. "Why can she not let me be free? All I desire is to live in the beautiful woods of Lorien with my one true love at my side."
~*~*
Galadriel walked gracefully down the stairway. She filled her mirror and looked into it, and Nenya looked, too.
Eight figures were approaching the borders of Lorien. Nenya saw two men, a dwarf, four shorter creatures and an elf. Nenya looked closer. He was very attractive. But he was not nearly so attractive as . . . Nenya pushed the thought aside. The pain was just too great.
Nenya was with Galadriel and Celeborn when they welcomed the travelers. Haldir led them in, and Nenya felt the mingling of joy and pain at the sight of the elf. Curiosity bade Nenya listen to the Fellowship's tale. But Nenya could not wholly cease gazing at Haldir.
"Haldir . . ." Nenya sighed.
How many years had it been? "Too many," Nenya thought. "Too many years of this heartache. Too many years of wanting someone who can never be mine."
Nenya was deeply, unconditionally in love with Haldir.
"And he's never even noticed me," Nenya thought.
~*~*
When the Fellowship had been almost a month in Lorien, Galadriel found Frodo and Sam and beckoned for them to follow her and Nenya.
Nenya watched as the hobbits looked into the Mirror of Galadriel. As Frodo gazed, the Ring about his neck pulled his head downward, and he began slipping forward.
"Do not touch the water!" Galadriel said.
"I know what it was that he last saw," Nenya thought, "for that is also in my mind."
Nenya had perceived the Eye, rimmed with fire, watching and searching.
As Galadriel spoke to Frodo, the hobbit suddenly became aware of Nenya. He gazed in awe. Nenya's beauty and power were truly something to behold.
~*~*
Later that night, Nenya thought of what Galadriel had said to Frodo.
"If you succeed, then our power is diminished, and Lothlorien will fade," she had said.
Nenya knew it to be true. After thousands of years, Nenya's end was close at hand, whether for good or for ill.
"Many times have I prayed for the end, to finally be free," Nenya thought. "Yet I cannot leave this world and have Haldir not know of my love for him."
The risk was terrible, but Nenya must do it. Summoning as much power as possible, Nenya called out in thought to Haldir.
"Haldir!" Nenya cried. "Haldir of Lorien, I love you!"
Exhausted from the effort, Nenya felt the flickerings of response in Haldir's mind. He did not know who called out to him, but his heart was stirred to love.
~*~*
Nenya next saw Haldir when it was almost time for the Fellowship to depart. As always, Nenya's heart was full of love, gazing on the elf.
"I love him, and I may never be with him," Nenya thought. "Yet, I find peace in having revealed my love to him, though he knows me not. Now there is little time left for me until I fade and go with Galadriel into the West."
Even as Nenya thought this, Haldir did something he had never done before. Without knowing what impulse drove him, Haldir bowed and kissed Galadriel's hand and kissed Nenya.
***** Author's Note *****
Nenya's story was inspired by the notion of arranged marriages in bad LotR stories. (Also inspired by the angst of unrequited love and of having power desired by Sauron.) I refrained from assigning gender to any of the rings, in order to keep the conceit going. (It's a very tricky thing to do.)
And now this fic is at an end. I hope you liked it. I had fun writing it, anyways.