Chapter 15 Epilogue
Legolas placed the bouquet of violets gently on the grave. It had been six months since he had last been here. Six months since that fateful night when he had sought to end his life. His physical ailments had healed long ago, and while he was now stable mentally, he was different than before. In his heart he still mourned his lost love continually. His laughter, which once rang frequently and merrily throughout the palace, was now almost nonexistent. To see him smile was rare, and his blue eyes carried no emotion. The voice which would sing through the day was silent. He wore an aura of sorrow, and was as an empty mug waiting to be filled. His days were spent alone in the woods, with Estel, or with Elisel. The girl was the only one who could elicit a genuine smile from him.
He sat down cross legged on the grass. He listened to the birds singing in the trees. He felt the warmth of the sun on his flesh. He heard the trees whisper words of comfort to him. He took a deep breath and felt the fresh air fill his lungs. He watched two squirrels chase each other up a tree, then turned his gaze upon the grave. He had so much to say, and did not know how or where to begin.
"I still miss you my beloved. Not a day goes by that I do not think of you and our love. I never expected to fall in love, but then you came." A wistful smile crossed his lips but was quickly chased away by a shadow.
"And then you died and my world came crashing down around me. Due to my errors, you were dead, but I, I was still alive and that was unfair. I had heard that some elves would will themselves to die after their mate died, but I did not truly believe it. Now I do. I came close, very close, but in the end, it was just another broken promise. I promised to keep you safe, and obviously I broke that one. I promised I'd join you, but didn't, although that Was more Estel's doing than mine. As hard as I fought to go, he fought equally as hard to make me stay. If not for him, I'd be lying beside you right now. Stubborn human." He paused to listen to the wind rustling through the trees.
"Estel told me that your last words to him were about me. He said you were afraid that I would blame myself, and that you wanted him to help me. How well you knew both of us. I came here to apologize for my part in your death, but how can I apologize for something you've already forgiven of me?" He laughed, but there was no humor in it.
"I will always blame myself for your death, but I will go on. It is what you want of me, it is what Estel wants, and it's what my father wants. I hope I want it for me again someday." He picked up a handful of dirt and let it sift through his fingers.
"In the morning, Estel and I depart for Evermeet. I want to meet the rest of your family, and see where you lived. They also deserve to know what happened to you. Maybe we'll be able to make sense out of this tragedy." He kissed the tips of his fingers and placed them on the grave. After a few moments he stood. He slowly walked away. At the edge of the clearing he turned back for a last look. The sun shone down brightly. All looked serene. He heard, or thought he heard light laughter on the wind. The heavy burden he had placed on himself eased slightly as he took his first true step towards healing his tattered emotions. For the first time in many months he felt peaceful. He smiled tenderly, whispered "farewell for now beloved," then turned and headed for the palace.