Note: a part of "Into the West" has been used at the end

Chapter Twenty-seven: Southern Eryn Lasgalen Grieves

Legolas felt his eyes sting. He knew they were filled with tears. He heard Míriel as she hit the chamber floor. He got to his feet and made his way to her side. She lay next to her sire. Carefully he picked her up. Annarámainen sang softly. To Legolas, it sounded like a mourning song.

He opened the door slowly so not to drop Míriel. The storm outside had vanished. The sun was rising. He felt the rays on his face. He saw the messenger Falathar had killed lying in front of the door. He stepped over him carefully. At least Falathar was finally dead. He would trouble southern Eryn Lasgalen no more. If only Gil-celeb and Aerandir lived.

The Prince made his way to Míriel's quarters without meeting anyone in the halls. Just as he entered her chamber, Amorith and Giliath appeared. When they saw Míriel they stopped.

Legolas laid the Princess on the bed before he spoke.

"They are dead—Gil-celeb and Aerandir." he whispered.

The handmaidens did not say anything. They looked feebly at Míriel. Their eyes shined with tears.

"Did you see them…?" Amorith questioned Legolas.

"I did not. When I arrived, Aerandir was hit. Gil-celeb lay behind the door. I presume he was already dead. Falathar stabbed them both to death. I killed him, though. He will trouble no one no longer." he said.

Giliath choked back a sob.

"What does it matter now, though? He has done sufficient damage already. He tortured my Princess, attacked our kingdom unceasingly, and now he has killed our beloved King and Aerandir!" she wept.

She hugged Celoneth, who lay in her arms, tightly to her bosom. Amorith went to Míriel and misted her face and hands lightly with cool water. The Princess stirred. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You are safe, hiril nín." Amorith replied, her voice quavering.

Míriel rose into a sitting position. She looked around her in a daze. She saw Giliath hugging Celoneth to her bosom and motioned for her two handmaidens to come to her. She threw her arms around their shoulders and drew them close to her. Then they wept softly together. Legolas was glad they were not looking at him. Tears ran down his face.

"I have something to tell you, Legolas." Míriel said when they finished. "I must thank you for killing Falathar. I was too paralyzed with fear to do anything. You saved my life. I am indebted to you."

Legolas shook his head.

"You owe me nothing." he told her. "If only I came earlier."

"Do not blame yourself. It was not your fault." Míriel said.

There was the sound of footsteps outside the chamber door. There was a knock. Amorith opened the door.

"The King is dead!" a grief stricken Elf said. "Aran nín is gone, and so is my dear friend Aerandir! Where is the Princess?"

He pushed his way inside past Amorith. When he spotted Míriel he sighed in relief. Then he collapsed into a chair and wept.

"I feared this would happen! Yet aran nín knew it all along, and he did not quail. I cannot believe that he is gone, and Aerandir!" he said.

Legolas recognized the Elf. It was the advisor who had been with the King when he had questioned him about Avathar.

Míriel looked at the advisor in pity. She did not weep. Her grief, it seemed, was beyond tears now. She needed courage and strength.

"Numbor, they went with honor and dignity. Let us not weep for them as if they were slain unawares. They sacrificed themselves." she said. "Keep your wits about you. I need you now."

Numbor raised his head and dried his face.

"Indeed, hiril nín. I will do as you say. Not all is lost. At least we still have you, and your daughter Celoneth." he said.

"Not all is lost…How true." Míriel whispered. "Listen, Numbor. You must gather all of the people and inform them the news. Tell them the truth, for they deserve it. Falathar killed my sire and Aerandir. And I would be dead, if ernil Legolas had not killed Falathar."

The advisor looked at Legolas briefly. Then he left with a bow.

Amorith closed the door behind him softly before returning to Míriel.

"What shall be done about the bodies?" Giliath asked quietly.

"They shall be buried with my people in attendance." Míriel said. "As for Falathar, he must be burned far away from the palace."

She had spoken the last sentence very coldly.

"Messengers must be sent to the Woodmen, Beornings, Thranduil, and Lórien, since Lord Celeborn is akin to me." she added.

The handmaidens nodded. They left the chamber. Míriel held Celoneth tightly in her arms. She was alone with Legolas.

"How long will you stay?" she asked him.

"I am not sure. I thought of leaving with my sire." he replied.

Míriel looked at him quickly.

"So soon?" she said quietly.

Legolas looked at her.

"Then you do not mind if I stay longer?" he said.

The Princess turned her face away. Of course she did not mind if Legolas stayed. The truth was she wanted him to stay. Her sire and husband were taken from her at the same time, all that was dear to her in this world was now gone. She did not know how she would be able to handle her fear now. She needed someone to understand and help her.

"I do not mind. Only if you wish to stay, though." she said.

Legolas watched Míriel silently. He knew there was something else on her mind. He recalled something she told him the night before:

'You are more to me than the son of my dear friend Celebrindal, Legolas. I tried to stop it, but it was foretold…Yet while Aerandir lives, there is none I will call to my bed except for him!'

He closed his eyes and reminisced on her kiss. Yet even as he did so, he felt a pang of guilt course through his body. Did he think that, since Aerandir was out of his way now, Míriel was his? Was he perhaps secretly celebrating his former mentor's death?

Again, he heard words in his mind, but this time it was Aerandir:

'I know that you love Míriel. My time as her lover is over. I leave her to you. Take care of her well. It is indeed as Lady Galadriel foretold. I only hope Míriel does truly become healed.' he said before dying.

Legolas opened his eyes. Míriel was watching him. He felt torn between his loyalty to Aerandir and his love for her. No doubt Míriel felt the same, but it would be especially hard on her. Yet he would wait.

The inhabitants of southern Eryn Lasgalen were filled with sadness. Numbor had finished telling the late King's subjects about the deaths. It had taken him awhile, as he had to stop because he broke off frequently. The door of the hall opened, and Legolas appeared, escorting the Princess. She held Celoneth in her arms tightly.

"Hiril nín," Numbor said with a bow as the Princess reached him.

She had no need to ask if he had informed her people of her sire and Aerandir's deaths—it was written clearly in their faces. She looked at them fondly, seeing the dire grief in their eyes. Her own grief was many times more. Without her sire and Aerandir, she was lost.

"My dear beloved people, doubtless you have heard the sad news concerning my sire and Aerandir. Falathar killed them last night. They bled to death from knife wounds in their chests." she slowly began. "I would have died, too, if Legolas did not kill Falathar. I owe him my life."

Her subjects stared silently at her as she continued:

"This makes me, my sire's only child, the rightful heir to his throne. Yet I have never desired power. All my time I spent in fighting. I do not understand the art of rule at all. I have thought much about this, and it seems to me that there is only one solution. I will pass the burden of ruling you onto Numbor, my sire's most trusted advisor. He shall rule in my name. And when I feel I am ready, I will take his place."

This was met with a surprised reaction. The once silent audience began to whisper feverishly. Even Legolas stared at Míriel.

"I do this to give myself time to decide what I shall do with myself. A great, heavy shadow lies on my heart, and until it is dispersed, I will not have the heart nor the desire to rule you." she said.

Numbor turned to his Princess.

"Only in honor of the beloved who have been parted from us do I take this task upon me. I hope to please you." he said aloud.

Míriel smiled slightly.

"I trust you." she said, patting his arm. Then, turning back to the audience, she added, "The burials are to take place within the hour. As for Falathar," and her voice turned deadly cold, "he shall be burned."

She turned away from the gathered Elves. Legolas offered her his arm, which she took silently. They went from the hall, followed by the southern Eryn Lasgalen Elves. Amorith and Giliath were waiting for Míriel in the corridor, and with them was Thranduil's messenger.

"Elbereth! What are you doing here? Is my sire well?" Legolas said.

The messenger looked surprised.

"He is well, ernil nín. I am sent here on an urgent message from hîr nín to aran Gil-celeb. Where is he?" he said.

The handmaidens looked quickly at Míriel.

"I am afraid to say that he is dead." she said quietly.

The messenger paled.

"Dead? Oh, woe onto me! Aran nín feared it!" he cried.

Míriel looked at the messenger quickly.

"He feared it? Then Thranduil must have known…" she whispered.

"Your sire sent him a letter about Falathar and everything he did, including," and here the messenger flushed, "what he did to you."

The color from the Princess' face disappeared. A wild, frightened look entered her eyes. Legolas felt her tremble slightly.

"Go," he told the handmaidens. "Lead the people to the burial site. We will join you shortly. The Princess needs to compose herself."

Legolas led the Princess to an empty room. He filled a goblet full of water and held it for her as she drank.

"Le hannon, ernil." Míriel told him gratefully. "I did not expect that your sire would know what Falathar did to me. Do you know?"

"I do not. If you choose to tell me, that is different." Legolas said.

Míriel smiled warmly at him.

"You are very considerate and understanding Legolas." she said. "I will not tell you now, because I have no purpose. But when the time comes, as I feel it surely will come, then you will know."

They joined the Elves who were already gathered outside for the burial of their beloved King Gil-celeb and Aerandir. Míriel stood with Legolas at the front, where they had a clear view of everything. No one spoke a word as the two men were lowered into the ground and then slowly covered with dirt. Míriel did not even weep. She stared blankly at their graves. Only Thranduil's messenger wept openly.

Later that night, after the evening meal was over, Legolas found Míriel standing on the balcony where they had their first kiss, singing:

"Do not say,

'We have come now to the end.'

White shores are calling

you and I will meet again."