NOTE: there are lines from The Two Towers and Pirates of the Caribbean.
Chapter Thirteen: Míriel Tempted
At last the merry making ended, and the Elves dispersed on their various ways. Only Gil-celeb, Aerandir, Míriel, and Legolas remained.
"You ate little during the feast." Gil-celeb said, with a smile.
"I had lembas on the way." Legolas replied.
The King nodded.
"Do you desire to rest now?" he asked.
"Only if you are going to rest, hîr nín." Legolas answered.
"I think not at this moment. If you excuse me now, I wish to speak with Aerandir alone. Míriel, stay with Legolas."
Aerandir kissed Míriel tenderly before going out of the hall with his King. Míriel watched them.
"You love him dearly?" Legolas asked her.
"I cannot live without him." Míriel replied.
There was an odd moment of silence.
"Tell me, Legolas, of everything that occurred to you since last we met." she said at last.
They went out a balcony. Legolas felt content and peaceful with the Princess at his side.
"So much has happened, Míriel, if I may call you so." he began.
"You may, Legolas." she told him.
"Since you last saw me I was but a young Elf, not yet of age, but close. Mother died, which you know, killed by the large spiders. Curse them! I have never recovered from her loss. Then I learned archery to avenge her death, and my people have waged endless war on the spiders ever since. So troublesome they are."
He was gripping the balcony railings tightly in his hands. His teeth were clenched together as he fought to gain control of himself. The last thing he wanted was to break down in tears in front of Míriel. She placed her hand on his arm gently in a comforting manner.
"There are certain wounds which can never be healed. The loss of a loved one is chief among them. I know what you feel, for I lost my mother as well, but not from spiders." the Princess said soothingly.
Legolas turned to her.
"I never knew." he said.
Míriel laughed softly.
"And why should you know? Of what benefit is it to you? You make me feel old, Legolas, as I listen to you. Ai, for the beauty of innocence and ignorance! At times I regret knowing certain things. Knowledge can be a burden. It signifies the one who knows to act accordingly to what
one knows, face it, challenge it, and defeat it, if necessary. And if one
quails from what one knows and cowers away from it, it will come back to haunt one in the dead of night, so that one cannot find any rest. If nothing is done to suppress it, it may drive one mad, or even cause one's death." she said. "Or it may cause regret and remorse."
The Princess stared in the direction of Dol Guldur, eyes burning.
"Love," she exclaimed suddenly.
"Man?" Legolas said, puzzled.
"Love is the cause of everything here. My love for Aerandir destroyed many things, and I even almost destroyed myself. Do you know what I fear?" she whispered.
"I know not." Legolas replied.
"I fear knowledge, my knowledge concerning the love Aerandir has for me. It will destroy him one day, and possibly me as well. Great evil lives yet, a sleepless malice."
Legolas did not know how to respond to her. It seemed to him that she spoke concerning a great matter that troubled and pained her greatly. He sensed it was deep within her very soul, shaping her.
"Be wary of what you know and whom you love, especially whom you love, for it may ruin you utterly." she said. "Now, tell me of this Quest. I have heard only rumors of it from my soldiers."
"Your soldiers?" Legolas asked, surprised.
"I am a captain in our army." Míriel said with a smile.
"I marvel at you, Míriel."
"Why?"
"How can one so fair as you
fight? It needs courage and strength."
"Or motive."
Legolas stared at her.
"Motive?" he repeated.
"Legolas, did not the Quest you joined have a motive?" Míriel said.
"It did: to destroy the One Ring. Rather, we volunteered to accompany Frodo, a Hobbit from the Shire, who was appointed by the Council of Elrond to do so."
"Very
well. But why? To stop the Dark Lord Sauron from
regaining his Ring and controlling all of Middle-earth. Am I right?"
Legolas nodded.
"My motive to fight was revenge, like yours. It was not so in the beginning, when I fought to protect my people, though that was a reason, but it became secondary." Míriel told him.
"Revenge for what?" Legolas asked.
"I was imprisoned in Dol Guldur and…I was tormented there."
Legolas would have questioned her further, but Míriel trembled.
"Goheno nín, hiril nín. you must excuse my curiosity. I meant no harm." he told her softly.
"Ú-moe edvad, Legolas. I was once a strong, proud woman, but
now I am broken. My soul is terribly wounded and hurt. I seek ever for
healing, and find it not." the Princess said quietly. "I have no hope."
Legolas faced her. He placed his hand under her chin and raised her head. Míriel looked deeply into his blue eyes, noting their clearness.
"What you told me I will not repeat to any other ears, not even to my sire. Something mysterious enshrouds you, and I feel some great evil has befallen you. One thing I learned is never to give up hope. There is always hope, because to give up hope is to the great advantage of your enemy. It signifies weakness. Even though I do not know your pain, nor the cause of it, in time you will be wholly healed." Legolas told her.
Míriel stared at him.
"Truly, Legolas, you are your the son of your naneth Celebrindal. She was always hopeful. Nothing ever dampened her spirit. Despite your age, you speak wise words." she said to him.
Legolas smiled at her. She was so close to him now. He could clearly see her breasts as they rose and fell with each breath she took. Her eyes, he noticed, were gray-blue.
"Míriel…" he whispered.
He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly on her lips. He caught her completely unprepared; his tongue was in her mouth before she even realized it. Míriel's pulse quickened as she tasted him, a sweet fire. Then as realization awoke in her, she broke away from him.
"What have I done?" she cried bitterly.
"I am to blame, Míriel." Legolas said.
"Do you not understand? All my pain and torment comes from being loved. Aerandir loves me, and Falathar, and now you as well! I am troubled and hurt by it, and do not need to make it more complex, or even harder on me. I have only one heart, and it cannot be divided."
Legolas stared at the balcony floor. How foolish and rash he had been, to kiss Míriel when he knew she was married! Yet his desire for her led him to what he had done, which he regretted very much.
"My heart has ever been turned towards you, oh Míriel. Ever since I last saw you, you have been on my mind and in my thoughts. A day did not pass when I did not think of you. You are the reason I survived the Quest; I hoped to return and wed you. I should have told you every day since the first day we met, I love you." he said, weeping quietly.
Míriel did not move. The young Prince's words touched her, and something stirred within her. She went to him, and laid her hands on his shoulders as he knelt on his knees, his face in his hands.
"Legolas, I never knew. My heart is with Aerandir, and unless fate parts us, I will remain with him. Weep not." she said soothingly. "Who knows, Legolas, your dream may come to pass. Remember what you told me earlier? There is always hope. You are no doubt tired from your journey. Go now and rest, ernil."
Then, bending down slowly, she kissed his forehead.
"Maer fuin, Míriel." he said quietly, rising slowly to his feet.
"Elei velui." the Princess smiled.
She watched him leave, walking slowly with his blond head bowed. Míriel then turned and stared out into the night.
"How you have complicated my life, Legolas. You have broken my heart as well." she whispered.
Annarámainen flew to her suddenly from the trees.
"You are not what you appear to be, aew nín. Legolas said he saw you in Lórien the day he arrived, and when he came here you were singing, 'Your heart lies here! Come near, come near!', and I feel you were singing to him. What is your purpose here?" Míriel said to her.
Annarámainen gazed somberly into her eyes, as if reading her soul. Míriel was suddenly reminded of the Lady Galadriel. Something she had said into Míriel's mind the day of her arrival returned to the Princess.
'Your love for Aerandir is strong, but it will be tested. Another will come, and your heart will turn towards him. Aerandir in the end will be parted from you, and you will wed the other. His arrival will signify the beginning of the end of your pain.' Galadriel told her. 'You know him.'
'Is there a sign that will tell me when the other arrives?' Míriel remembered asking the Lady.
'I shall send to you, from the Golden Wood, a small gift. That is your sign.' the Lady had replied.
Míriel opened her eyes. She could still hear Galadriel's deep voice in her mind as she stared at Annarámainen. Then the Princess knew.
"You are the sign! Annarámainen, your name means gift on wings! 'I shall send to you, from the Golden Wood, a small gift.' You are the gift! Did not Legolas say he saw you there upon his arrival? Yet—that can only mean—I will wed Legolas when Aerandir and I are parted…"
The small bird did not reply. She looked intently at the Princess before taking off, singing sweetly as she did. Míriel watched her go.
"Míriel, meleth nín!" Aerandir said.
He turned her around, noticing a troubled expression on her face.
"Something troubles you?" he questioned.
"Nothing, Aerandir." Míriel told him.
"Where is Legolas?"
"He went to rest."
Aerandir noted she had hesitated in her reply.
"Let us go then as well." he said.
As they lay later that night in bed, Míriel said to her beloved husband, "I am glad that you returned to me safely!"
Sindarin Translations:
Naneth: mother
Maer fuin: goodnight