CH IX. Living a lie
After two days of walk, Undowen and Aldaron reached a clearing and in front laid a river. Aldaron kneeled down to refresh his face and neck with water, Undowen standing there on the rounded stones looked around. She saw old and dead tree branches laying a few steps from her. They could start a fire and rest here. She thought of the night she had spent with Aldaron and felt pain in her stomach, she felt remorse for her vulnerable attitude towards his determination to make her fall for him. She had admired his courage and the flames of passion had rose to fill in the empty feeling of Aregnor's departure. No one could feel as sorry as she did for the man to whom she had promised her life and given her heart along with her angel-shaped pendant representing her immortality to remind him of her love. Aregnor was probably thinking of her right now as Aldaron's hands, tightly closed and folded in the shape of a cup filled with water, went to her lips. She drank his poison. Her face hid the real expression of guilt, anxiety, fury and sadness behind a gentle smirk. Her father had told Aldaron to stay and protect her but it wasn't the Otarcs she couldn't handle, she was battling against Aldaron. After all, she was a strong courageous woman with the only desire to be with Aregnor. Nothing in the whole world could replace how she felt about Aregnor.
Later that night, Undowen was wrapped in a cloak and felt someone lie behind her. She opened her eyes in despair. All she felt like doing was running in the forest until she would be too weak to continue; to wherever her legs could get her. Soon the hands that touched her became familiar. She turned and saw Aregnor's face in the faint moonlight. She thought, at first, she was dreaming but she wasn't. Aregnor had a dimple in his chin and Aldaron did not. She placed her finger on his lips and traced down into his dimple. She felt relieved when she realized that all of this was a dream and that Aldaron had never existed. She was with Aregnor, her love along with Legalos, Amaranth, Glomli, Belemir and the Hobbits resting some distance apart. She dreamed while lying next to Aregnor that they were together in Havendell and he had come to wake her, during the night, to bathe in the waterfalls. Aregnor came to Undowen's bedroom and took her hand.
'Come with me' he said in a steady voice. They slowly passed Narond's room in the hall of Ancestors and tiptoed out. The wind whistled through the trees as Undowen and Aregnor, hand in hand, walked slowly along the pathway. Undowen's gown lightly kissed the ground as she moved. Havendell was quiet. Its entire kin resting in their thoughts. Later in the night, Narond walked onto his balcony and had seen their clothes spread out on the shore as he heard whispers and laughing. He finally saw what he had refused to see, their happiness and their love for one another. His heart was pumping as he remembered doing the very same thing with Undowen's mother, Celebria. He smiled silently. Undowen heard birds chirping and the sunshine on her cheeks. She woke slowly coming out of a dark tunnel and reaching the light at the end. Her eyesight was blurred but when her eyes finally focused, she was looking at the horizon and she felt footsteps approaching as the ground trembled under her ear. A hand was given to her and she hesitated to put hers in it at the sight of the beautiful hand. She looked up and saw Aldaron smiling. Undowen had fallen asleep the night before and only in her dreams had she reached Aregnor.
After two more days of walking, Undowen and Aldaron reached Havendell. There, Narond waited with Amaranth. Amaranth ran towards Undowen and hugged her dear friend.
-'I'm happy to see you, Amaranth' said Undowen. She looked at her father, remembering the dream she had about his comprehensiveness towards her love for Aregnor.
Narond walked over and opened his arms to the new arrivals, 'Welcome home!' he said.
Aldaron bowed his hand and placed his right hand on his heart. As he did so, Narond placed a hand on his shoulder and said 'I'm pleased to see you, my son.'
At the sound of those two last words, Undowen walked quickly by her father. The moment she dreaded the most had happened, her father refused to accept her will to wait for her love.
'Undowen, please' Narond shouted as she rushed to her room in sobs.
'I will go speak to her' said Narond to console Aldaron who seemed confused.
-'Please, Lord Narond, let me' said Amaranth. And he nodded 'Very well, then. Come Aldaron, we have much to talk about.'
-'Indeed, sir' said Aldaron and they left to go inside Narond's home.
Amaranth ran up the stairs to Undowen room and when she arrived the door was closed. She pushed the handle but something was blocking the door preventing her from entering.
-'Tis me Undowen, may I come in?' asked Amaranth.
A large creak was heard, like someone pushing furniture, Amaranth tried to enter once more and when she came in, Undowen was walking towards her bed but she fell to the ground before she could reach it. Amaranth rushed towards her to help her up.
She took her hands but Undowen resisted and cried out 'I need to speak to Aregnor, find Aregnor! Please help me! What have I done!' Amaranth sat on the floor with her and took her in her arms.
-'Everything will be fine, I promise. I'll ask someone to reach Aregnor. Tell me what happened? You can trust me.'
Between cries Undowen told her what she had done 'I gave myself to him. I was weak and I hate myself!'
-'You haven't become anything to hate. You're Undowen, a fearless, gorgeous, lovable woman and any man would do anything to be with such a person, even trick you into it. I'm sorry it was my brother.'
-'What?'
-'Yes, your ears didn't elude you. I fear that he has already begun his plan to deceive us. I saw it in a dream.'
-'What did you see?'
-'If you marry him, he will kill the king. Your King. Aregnor.'
A devastated look took over Undowen's face -' What shall I do?'
-'The only thing you can do. live the lie to try to postpone the marriage, somehow. At least until Aregnor arrives.'
-'Tis foolish to think that someone could reach my love, isn't it?'
-'Unfortunately, yes.'
-'But, I am certain he will return. You believe it too.'
-'Yes, you must be strong.'
Undowen walked in the gardens and picked up on her painting skills. When no one was watching she continued a secret portrait of Aregnor she hid under old drawings. She would stare at it pretending he was right there with her. She placed a hand on her curved belly. The baby was growing and moving more and more in her womb. She pretended to love Aldaron and it worked but as she kept pushing back the date for their marriage, Narond became more and more upset and Aldaron questioned her feelings. She tried to explain to her father that rushing the marriage would only upset her and the pregnancy while he informed her that she had to marry before the baby arrived as this was the conventional way. She stayed long days in bed telling her father she wasn't sick just tired. He sympathized with her nut knew something was going on. She cried a lot and Aldaron blamed himself thinking he had made her a child she didn't want. They argued as he poured his flames of passion on her and she convinced him it was best to leave for a few days. He was a yielding man, deeply in love and all he could do was obey her when she needed a few days apart from him. He tried desperately to make her happy. Weeks passed and Aldaron still travelled back and forth from Havendell for days at a time but no one questioned his whereabouts. He served Narond like the best, soon to be, son-in-law. Narond stayed silent. He finally accepted to let her daughter run her life and they agreed to go through with the marriage after the baby's birth. Amaranth soon became extended family and Narond was thankful that Undowen was close to him. Months passed and she still waited for Aregnor arrival.
On a sweet day of June, the seventh to be exact, Undowen gave birth to a healthy little boy. She had lost a lot of blood but recovered quickly in her father's mending hands.
Aldaron wasn't there for the birth but when he saw the baby, he exclaimed 'He has your big blue eyes! He's delightful.'
Undowen stayed observing in silence as he held the small child in one hand. Amaranth convinced Undowen that the infant had blue eyes just like his father, Aregnor. It pained Undowen even more to think so. She began to worry that Aregnor would arrive too late, or if he would come at all. She doubted him now. He had been gone so long. She held her child, oblivious to his crying, as anxiety ruled her. Amaranth watched from a distance. She felt sad because she had been pregnant also but hadn't made it to term. She had lost the child when she had been gravely wounded in Nebula. At moments, she would retrieve the baby from Undowen and take care of him.
After two days of walk, Undowen and Aldaron reached a clearing and in front laid a river. Aldaron kneeled down to refresh his face and neck with water, Undowen standing there on the rounded stones looked around. She saw old and dead tree branches laying a few steps from her. They could start a fire and rest here. She thought of the night she had spent with Aldaron and felt pain in her stomach, she felt remorse for her vulnerable attitude towards his determination to make her fall for him. She had admired his courage and the flames of passion had rose to fill in the empty feeling of Aregnor's departure. No one could feel as sorry as she did for the man to whom she had promised her life and given her heart along with her angel-shaped pendant representing her immortality to remind him of her love. Aregnor was probably thinking of her right now as Aldaron's hands, tightly closed and folded in the shape of a cup filled with water, went to her lips. She drank his poison. Her face hid the real expression of guilt, anxiety, fury and sadness behind a gentle smirk. Her father had told Aldaron to stay and protect her but it wasn't the Otarcs she couldn't handle, she was battling against Aldaron. After all, she was a strong courageous woman with the only desire to be with Aregnor. Nothing in the whole world could replace how she felt about Aregnor.
Later that night, Undowen was wrapped in a cloak and felt someone lie behind her. She opened her eyes in despair. All she felt like doing was running in the forest until she would be too weak to continue; to wherever her legs could get her. Soon the hands that touched her became familiar. She turned and saw Aregnor's face in the faint moonlight. She thought, at first, she was dreaming but she wasn't. Aregnor had a dimple in his chin and Aldaron did not. She placed her finger on his lips and traced down into his dimple. She felt relieved when she realized that all of this was a dream and that Aldaron had never existed. She was with Aregnor, her love along with Legalos, Amaranth, Glomli, Belemir and the Hobbits resting some distance apart. She dreamed while lying next to Aregnor that they were together in Havendell and he had come to wake her, during the night, to bathe in the waterfalls. Aregnor came to Undowen's bedroom and took her hand.
'Come with me' he said in a steady voice. They slowly passed Narond's room in the hall of Ancestors and tiptoed out. The wind whistled through the trees as Undowen and Aregnor, hand in hand, walked slowly along the pathway. Undowen's gown lightly kissed the ground as she moved. Havendell was quiet. Its entire kin resting in their thoughts. Later in the night, Narond walked onto his balcony and had seen their clothes spread out on the shore as he heard whispers and laughing. He finally saw what he had refused to see, their happiness and their love for one another. His heart was pumping as he remembered doing the very same thing with Undowen's mother, Celebria. He smiled silently. Undowen heard birds chirping and the sunshine on her cheeks. She woke slowly coming out of a dark tunnel and reaching the light at the end. Her eyesight was blurred but when her eyes finally focused, she was looking at the horizon and she felt footsteps approaching as the ground trembled under her ear. A hand was given to her and she hesitated to put hers in it at the sight of the beautiful hand. She looked up and saw Aldaron smiling. Undowen had fallen asleep the night before and only in her dreams had she reached Aregnor.
After two more days of walking, Undowen and Aldaron reached Havendell. There, Narond waited with Amaranth. Amaranth ran towards Undowen and hugged her dear friend.
-'I'm happy to see you, Amaranth' said Undowen. She looked at her father, remembering the dream she had about his comprehensiveness towards her love for Aregnor.
Narond walked over and opened his arms to the new arrivals, 'Welcome home!' he said.
Aldaron bowed his hand and placed his right hand on his heart. As he did so, Narond placed a hand on his shoulder and said 'I'm pleased to see you, my son.'
At the sound of those two last words, Undowen walked quickly by her father. The moment she dreaded the most had happened, her father refused to accept her will to wait for her love.
'Undowen, please' Narond shouted as she rushed to her room in sobs.
'I will go speak to her' said Narond to console Aldaron who seemed confused.
-'Please, Lord Narond, let me' said Amaranth. And he nodded 'Very well, then. Come Aldaron, we have much to talk about.'
-'Indeed, sir' said Aldaron and they left to go inside Narond's home.
Amaranth ran up the stairs to Undowen room and when she arrived the door was closed. She pushed the handle but something was blocking the door preventing her from entering.
-'Tis me Undowen, may I come in?' asked Amaranth.
A large creak was heard, like someone pushing furniture, Amaranth tried to enter once more and when she came in, Undowen was walking towards her bed but she fell to the ground before she could reach it. Amaranth rushed towards her to help her up.
She took her hands but Undowen resisted and cried out 'I need to speak to Aregnor, find Aregnor! Please help me! What have I done!' Amaranth sat on the floor with her and took her in her arms.
-'Everything will be fine, I promise. I'll ask someone to reach Aregnor. Tell me what happened? You can trust me.'
Between cries Undowen told her what she had done 'I gave myself to him. I was weak and I hate myself!'
-'You haven't become anything to hate. You're Undowen, a fearless, gorgeous, lovable woman and any man would do anything to be with such a person, even trick you into it. I'm sorry it was my brother.'
-'What?'
-'Yes, your ears didn't elude you. I fear that he has already begun his plan to deceive us. I saw it in a dream.'
-'What did you see?'
-'If you marry him, he will kill the king. Your King. Aregnor.'
A devastated look took over Undowen's face -' What shall I do?'
-'The only thing you can do. live the lie to try to postpone the marriage, somehow. At least until Aregnor arrives.'
-'Tis foolish to think that someone could reach my love, isn't it?'
-'Unfortunately, yes.'
-'But, I am certain he will return. You believe it too.'
-'Yes, you must be strong.'
Undowen walked in the gardens and picked up on her painting skills. When no one was watching she continued a secret portrait of Aregnor she hid under old drawings. She would stare at it pretending he was right there with her. She placed a hand on her curved belly. The baby was growing and moving more and more in her womb. She pretended to love Aldaron and it worked but as she kept pushing back the date for their marriage, Narond became more and more upset and Aldaron questioned her feelings. She tried to explain to her father that rushing the marriage would only upset her and the pregnancy while he informed her that she had to marry before the baby arrived as this was the conventional way. She stayed long days in bed telling her father she wasn't sick just tired. He sympathized with her nut knew something was going on. She cried a lot and Aldaron blamed himself thinking he had made her a child she didn't want. They argued as he poured his flames of passion on her and she convinced him it was best to leave for a few days. He was a yielding man, deeply in love and all he could do was obey her when she needed a few days apart from him. He tried desperately to make her happy. Weeks passed and Aldaron still travelled back and forth from Havendell for days at a time but no one questioned his whereabouts. He served Narond like the best, soon to be, son-in-law. Narond stayed silent. He finally accepted to let her daughter run her life and they agreed to go through with the marriage after the baby's birth. Amaranth soon became extended family and Narond was thankful that Undowen was close to him. Months passed and she still waited for Aregnor arrival.
On a sweet day of June, the seventh to be exact, Undowen gave birth to a healthy little boy. She had lost a lot of blood but recovered quickly in her father's mending hands.
Aldaron wasn't there for the birth but when he saw the baby, he exclaimed 'He has your big blue eyes! He's delightful.'
Undowen stayed observing in silence as he held the small child in one hand. Amaranth convinced Undowen that the infant had blue eyes just like his father, Aregnor. It pained Undowen even more to think so. She began to worry that Aregnor would arrive too late, or if he would come at all. She doubted him now. He had been gone so long. She held her child, oblivious to his crying, as anxiety ruled her. Amaranth watched from a distance. She felt sad because she had been pregnant also but hadn't made it to term. She had lost the child when she had been gravely wounded in Nebula. At moments, she would retrieve the baby from Undowen and take care of him.