The Curse

In Doriath, the daisies and aster flowers sprang up from the mellow birds sang and tweeted happily. The trees swayed their branches and created a song that resonated through their beloved country.

A little more than a year after Merelindel's birth, Melian decided to move for a few seasons to a settlement near the river of Esgalduin. Merelindel had grown normally as would be expected of an elven child. Her body was in perfect health condition and her mind was far from inactive. But there was something that worried Melian about her second born.

Merelindel's fëa, her spirit. Ever since birth, Merelindel had shown signs of a thin, slightly tenuous spirit. Unable or unwilling to bond with her mother, father, brother or any other elf in Doriath. The child was not evil, of that Melian was sure. But there was something that overshadowed the child's fëa in a way that concerned her mother.

That was why Melian now took her children to the lands near the river. The effects of nature were promising. Melian hoped to bring strength into her daughter's spirit by providing her the simple and pure core of the woods.

Their days in the settlements fell into routine. Melian would sit beneath a tree, teaching the blue jays and the scarlet tanagers a new song to sing, after the winter passed. Daeron would listen closely to his mother's lesson and finger the notes on his flute. Merelindel would crawl, or walk a little further away from her mother and brother. She would humm silently to herself as she watched the sun rays filter through the forest. She would play with the grass and the little insects that came her way.

The day before winter, Melian had brought Daeron and Merelindel out to a little greenwood to enjoy the breeze of the last days of fading.

"Meril! Look at the blue jay!" Daeron said, pointing at a little bird that was resting on his mother's hand.

Merelindel turned to see what Daeron was talking about, her dark hair (which was dark and wavy as her mother's) waving in the gusts of fresh air. She smiled at the sight of her mother and brother, and extended her arms towards the bird,

"Nana! Wann bir-ie!" she exclaimed excitedly. Her voice was still childish, but it held a distinguishable pitch, noble as her father's and musical as her mother's.

Melian brought the bird close to her mouth and whispered something so soft, that only the little blue jay heard it. The bird seemed to nod at the queen's words and then it spread its wings and flew towards Merelindel. It came round the child, twirling and doing all sorts of aerial acrobatics. All while he sang a cheerful tune that would bring joy even to the most sorrowful heart.

Merelindel laughed, and clapped with delight. Daeron came to dance around her sister, mimicking the bird's wings with his arms.

Melian also laughed. What she would give for this moment to last forever, for it to be perpetual. But she knew that wouldn't do. Her little ones had to grow, to mature, to become princes of the kingdom of Doriat. And hopefully they would be able to lessen the darkness around their land.

The children's shouts brought the queen back from her musings.

"Nana, he's gone!" Daeron said with a sad tone in his fair voice "The blue jay is gone!"

Merelindel didn't say anything but she was clearly displeased with the departure of the little bird. She pouted in an adorable fashion, before standing up, with little trouble, and walking further towards the trees. Determined to bring her little friend back.

Daeron ran back towards his mother, he wanted to pick his flute back to see if he could coax the bird to show himself again with some music.

As she watched her children, Melian was suddenly aware of danger nearby. Her heart began to beat faster and it seemed to get cold. So cold that she shivered slightly. Daeron noticed his mother's expression and halted before he grabbed his flute.

"Nana?" he asked in confusion and child-like worry.

Melian barely heard him. Her mind had drifted to the girdle that surrounded the woods of Doriath. It made no sense that orcs or any other creature would be roaming about this side of the river, she knew no monster had crossed the perimeter she had established to guard the lands of the Sindar elves. Whatever was causing her anxiousness, was already inside the realms of Doriath. She stood up abruptly, and concentrated on what her senses told her.

It did not take long for the weather to change its mood as well. The clear skies swiftly turned of a dark grey, the pleasant wind became harsh and violent.

Daeron shrank back and clinged to his mother's dress.

"Nana, what is happening?!" the child asked, his voice faltering from fear.

Melian didn't reply but pressed Daeron against herself. She could hear it now, the sound of roaring water coming towards them. In a terrible moment of realisation she was able to identify what was causing this sound. There was a flood coming from the mountains of Ered Gorgoroth. But it was nearly winter, the floods took place in spring, after the frost.

No matter when the floods came, there was one coming straight towards them at that very moment.

With frantic eyes and haunting fear, Melian searched for her daughter, who seemed to have disappeared from sight.

"Merelindel!" the queen called out in hopes that the child would hear her and would come to her, "Merelindel!"

The water was coming, advancing rapidly through the land. Melian desperately tried to seek her daughter's fëa, to see where she was. But the child's spirit slipped out of her grasp, oblivious to the danger that came closer by the second. The queen's heart was split in two. She wanted to get both of her children to safety, but there was not enough time to find Merelindel and also place Daeron in a secure location, safe from the flood.

Suddenly, the wind brought back an unpleasant memory:

Maglantir.

Melian realised in horror that this was the curse her brother had placed upon Merelindel. A weakened spirit that resulted in a short life. Her brother's words resonated in her mind,

'Stay then and despair! Know that thine future holds no happiness or freedom. Ye shall rue thine choice greatly in the ages to come.'

Now she saw why Merelindel was unable to bond her fëa with anyone in Doriath. Maglantir cursed the child, so she could no longer live in her home.

With her last attempt before despair, Melian called out to Ulmo, the lord of waters. She knew it was too late now to save Merelindel. A curse was something difficult to take away. But she could still plead to one that would be able to help her. Melian raised her voice, mighty and powerful over the sound of the coming flood,

"Oh king of seas and rivers, heed my plight! Have mercy on my child!"

The queen of Doriath picked up her weeping son, pressing him against herself and ran to a nearby tree. With an aching heart, Melian climbed upwards into strong, safe branches that would hold them while the water swept the country below them.

Daeron squirmed in her grasp,

"Wait Nana, wait!" the boy shouted through his tears, "We have to get Merelindel! We have to save my sister!"

Just as her feet found a steady branch, the water came. As the current crashed with violence against everything on its path, the queen's heart was ripped open. She was helpless to do anything. Silent prayers and whispers escaped her lips as tears trickled down her cheeks.

Melian pressed Daeron against her chest,

"Forgive me…" she said into the child's ear "forgive me…please…I couldn't…"

Daeron was not listening to her, he shouted for Merelindel until his throat hurt too much to do so. Then he threw himself into his mother's arms and wept.

—- ✧ —-

As soon as word reached the palace of Menegroth of the princess' disappearance, Thingol sent scouts to trace the child. But their efforts were futile. The princess was gone, the water carried her far, towards the Meres of Twilight.

The kingdom of Doriath mourned long and bitterly for the loss of the princess. But the Valar were merciful and gave the king and queen another daughter. Whom they named Luthien.

Her birth consoled their hearts. Though they never forgot the flower that they had once held.

Author's note:

Ok…I know this is bad…

Idk about this chapter, I had no idea on how to write it…it took me forever!

And I'm still not satisfied! But anyway, the point is that Merelindel was not able to return to Doriath because of the curse that her uncle Maglantir had put on her, before she was born (Chapter 1).