My Decision, my life
Summary: As Aragorn passes away the words of her father comes back to haunt her. Arwen tearfully leaves Minas Tirith to pass away in Lothlórien but never regrets her decision of choosing a mortal life.
When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain
But in dreams
I still hear your name
And in dreams
We will meet again
When the seas and mountains fall
And we come to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there
I will go there
And back again
'In Dreams' – The Fellowship of the Ring
Prologue
The women wept and the men bowed their heads as the coffin carries lowered the most renowned King of Gondor into his tomb. The whole City moved in a mass of black, mourning and weeping the loss.
Most of the people felt sad for the widow left behind, the magical and beautiful elven maid of Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond of Rivendell.
Elves were immortal creatures living ages long, but they had a choice to sail West when they felt it was time to live, in the Undying Lands where every day of their life turned to memory and life was blissful, but not real. They could only die in battle or of a broken heart many say, and unlike mortal persons elves they do not become sick and they can survive most mortally fatal wounds.
But there is no cure for a broken heart.
Arwen, unlike other elves could choose as her father did before her due to him being half elven she could decide which life she wished to live – an immortal or mortal life.
Her love for the human once a Ranger from the North, the lost and later crowned King of Gondor was so strong and powerful not even the twisted evilness of Sauron could break it. That is what made her choose the life she lived. Her faith in him throughout the fiercest wars of an age never wavered even when Gondor and Aragorn were at their darkest and most venerable hours.
But against all chances they held on for victory and so after all had ended Aragorn was crowned King Elessar and he wed Arwen Evenstar.
One hundred and twenty years later, the longest reign of any King of Gondor Aragorn gave his final breath and passed away.
Their son Eldarion took over the throne, and the younger daughters remained changed since the loss of their remained silent yet loyal at their brother's side. They had all noted the change in their mother soon after Aragorn had passed, she seemed wearily and fragile, as if she no longer had a reason to live any longer now that the love of her life was gone.