Title: No turning back

Author: B-witched83uk (bwitched83uk@aol.com)

Rating: PG

Summary: Sequel to Luthien's flute. Aragorn, Arwen and the family visit Rivendell.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of the Rings. The whole of Middle Earth belongs to Tolkien.

A/N: dum dum dum. Don't you just love cliff hangers.

Chapter 9

Parting letters

Legolas felt slightly woozy after downing his drink. He sat down on the bench and closed his eyes shut. Lothvain came to stand in front of him, a look of hatred on his face.

"Makes you feel as though your touching heaven, doesn't it?"

Legolas squinted up. "What does?"

"Touching my wife."

Legolas's head suddenly cleared and he starred at Lothvain intently. "What do you mean?"

Lothvain laughed and started pacing the floor. "I cannot blame you. No man or Elf in all of Middle Earth could look in to those eyes and not fall in love."

For the briefest of moments, Legolas considered denying it. But Lothvain was not stupid, and he deserved the truth at least.

Legolas stood, his eyes fixed in front of him. "Is this where you tell me to stay away from her?"

Lothvain shock his head. "No, this is where I leave you. This is where I go back to my chambers and to my wife, who is waiting for me."

Lothvain took the glasses and walked away whistling, as though nothing had happened. It was like he wasn't in the slightest bit worried about what would happen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Legolas waited for Elladan to speak. He however simply continued to stare at the wall. "Elladan!"

Elladan shook his head and looked at his old friend with bewilderment.

"But Galadwen is Estel's daughter."

Legolas stood and walk over to the fire place. "Believe it or not Elladan, I had realised that."

Elladan looked as though he had been slapped hard, in the face. "If he finds out, he will kill you."

"I had realised that also."

Legolas came back to sit down, beside Elladan. "I tell you this in confidence. I needed someone to speak with. What should I do? I care only about her happiness. Is me being in her life making things for her worse?"

Elladan looked at him and smiled sympathetically. "You really do love her don't you."

Legolas's icy blue eyes clouded "More then I ever knew I could."

Elladan thought hard for a moment before speaking again. "I see no way for you to be together. She can not leave Lothvain, they are bound to each other. You can not dishonour her and her family by taking her as your mistress. There is no way for this to end well. I think you know what you must do old friend."

Legolas looked away, unable to voice what he already knew.

Elladan placed a hand on his arm. "You must leave her to make the most of her marriage. Let her find some peace."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silmai's hand flew out and smacked Aragorn hard across the face. He awoke immediately and sat up. Through squinted eyes he looked at his wife, sleeping peacefully. He yawned hard, and moved his daughter's arm off of his pillow. She looked such the little Princess that he couldn't help but smile. He snuggled back down and closed his eyes.

Smack!

Silmai's hand flung out and hit him once again. He groaned and got out of bed. If he could get another pillow and place it between them, then she would hit the pillow instead. He walked in to the adjoining room and removed a cushion from the couch.

Aragorn smiled at his own brilliant plan and wondered back in to the bedroom. He stopped abruptly, as he saw his youngest daughter sprawled out over his side of the bed. He smiled in defeat before going over to the bed.

"Very well Silmai, you win." He placed a kiss upon her head, before making himself up a bed on the floor. He lay down and crossed his arms over his chest. It had been a long day, and he looked forward to sleep like a child might look forward to the mid summer festival. He was so near to dropping off now, the last thing he thought off, before entering his dreams, was his wife and children.

Smack!

Aragorn opened his eyes and looked across to the little girl beside him. Silmai had woken up and realised that her Ada wasn't there. She crept down to where he was laying and soon fell asleep. He sighed and rubbed his head, which was becoming a tad tender. The aching was forgotten however, when he looked at her. Her thumb was in her mouth and she was curled up in to a little ball.

He looked towards the bed and thought about joining his wife once more, but soon realised that it would be useless. He pulled the blanket over them both and snuggled up to his daughter, who instantly tangled her hand in to his hair. Aragorn knew he would not get any sleep this night, but he didn't really seem to mind so much anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lothvain watched Galadwen as she slept. Her beautiful form was covered only by a thin sheet. Her dark hair spilled down her bare, creamy back. Lothvain reached for his cloak and pulled out a small phial. He looked at the poison in his hand and sighed. She was so beautiful, she was everything to him. He couldn't stand this. He stood up hastily, tears streaming from his eyes, and placed the phial in a box under the bed. He sat on the edge and stroked her hair softly. "This is for your own good my darling."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Legolas watched the sun rise from the stables. He couldn't believe what he was about to do, he couldn't believe that he was going to leave her again. A single tear fell down his cheek, as he mounted his horse. He turned his head back towards the house. He suddenly found it hard to breath, as though his lungs and chest were constricting.

"Namaarie fair one."

*Farewell*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arwen smiled down at her husband and daughter, asleep on the floor. She gently nudged them, making them both stir.

"How did you sleep?" Arwen's smile was one of mischief.

Silmai opened her big, bright eyes and cuddled up to her mother. "I slept very well." She pulled on her dressing gown and headed for the door. "I am very hungry though, let us go down to breakfast." Her instant enthusiasm for life never failed to amaze Arwen.

Silmai ran off, leaving a very amused Arwen looking down at her husband. "Estel, how did you sleep?"

The sunlight hurt his eyes, which were bleary and red. "Not so well."

He pulled the blanket over his head and closed his eyes once more.

She loved him painfully. She didn't know what she would do, if she could not see him each morning, could not smell him, touch him.

She ran her hand through his dark hair and snuggled down next to him. She cradled him, like a child, and began to sing. His hair was so soft and familiar against her cheek, that she was happy to stay there with him like that all day.

"Naneth, Ada, come on. It is time for breakfast."

They both looked unamused at their little girl, as she giggled in the door way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Galadwen noticed the young ranger walk towards her. He was fair of face and reminded her of her Legolas.

"Thank you." She smiled as she took the letter he had been carrying. Galadwen noticed the hand writing, it was Legolas'. She beamed, as she began to read the love letter.

Galadwen

You are everything that I have ever wanted and for the briefest time I have basked in the light of your love. To have you so near and yet to know that you belong to another is slowly killing me, and that is why I must leave you. You are bound to Lothvain, and although I would wait a thousand years for you, nothing will ever change that. I would do anything to see you at peace, something you will never find whilst I am near. I can not bare to see you every day in the arms of another man.

Giving you up is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Never think that I do not love you, or that I will ever forget you. You have shown me what it is to be a man.

L

Galadwen ran towards the parlour at full speed. "Where is he?" She turned to see her brother and Elladan sitting solemnly. Both eyes instantly pitied her, and she knew that her uncle knew all about it.

"He has gone. Where is he? Where did he go?"

Eldarion stood up and took her hand. "He thought it best to leave, he knew that the two of you could never be, so he left."

Galadwen shook her head violently. "No, he wouldn't, he said he would never do that again!"

She ran from the room in floods of tears, refusing to believe that he would abandon her again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Galadwen stumbled in to her chambers and fell to the floor, tears streaking her lovely face. She sobbed hard in to her hands, her whole body shaking violently. She couldn't breath, no that was wrong. She could breath, but she didn't want to. What was the point in continuing to breath when she could not have him? The fire, that had been running through her since she and Legolas were reunited, had now frozen inside of her. She whipped the tears on the back of her hand and turned to face the bed, looking for comfort, something soft.

Galadwen gasped as her keen eyes took in the image before her. Lothvain was sprawled across the bed, his lips blue. She stood up, shakily, and walked over to him. His hand felt unbelievably cold to touch, like a frozen lake in winter. She stared at him in shock for a moment, before gently nudging him.

His whole body moved slightly, rigid and stiff. She shuddered, opened mouthed. "No. Please no."

The ice inside of her was now shattering in to a thousand pieces. Her body convulsed in pain, her breathing now all but stopped.

On the table, beside the bed, she was there was a note. She knew what it would be, and she was terrified to read it. It was still morning and this would be the second letter she had read this day. She knew it would bring no more good news then the one before.

She unfolded the letter, with trembling hands.

My darling Galadwen

The day you agreed to be my wife, was the day my life began. Everything before seemed to fade in to memory, and all I could see was you. I did everything in my power to make you happy, but in the end it was not enough. When I saw you look at him like that, I felt my heart brake. Not because it was another man, but because you had never once looked at me that way. With such love and adoration; the way I look at you. Your happiness is all I have ever wanted, if this is the only way for that then so be it. I love you with my dying breath. I could not live another day in this world knowing that you do not love me back. I may have had you these past few years, but he has always had your heart.

Live, love and be happy my darling.

Always your loving husband

Lothvain