The power of Love

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of J.R.R. Tolkien's.

MUST READ BELOW AN: I need to say something. First of all this story is not about Araviniel finding the perfect man (or elf) and sailing away into the sunset in her true love's arms. This story is about Araviniel learning to survive on her own, by being taught to believe in herself. The people in this story are those who will give her strength and teach her how to love. For those of you who have seen the Titanic, Araviniel is much like Rose afraid to let go and be herself. Tatharion is like Jack, teaching her how to be herself and not to give in to her obligations. So that she doesn't give up on herself and become what other want her to be but instead what she wants to be. Legolas doesn't fit into the PERFECT guy role in this story. Unlike how others want to portray him, here his faults will be pointed out. Legolas is not perfect and all problems cannot be solved by kisses and hugs. I have been able to write Araviniel's story because it is my own (Without the whole princess thing and being kidnapped.) I myself have dealt with Cúdir in many ways, although that may not be his name. I am bothered by all the stories where Legolas fixes everything by offering love. Love does not move mountains and only that kind of love can be found in dreams and hopes. It isn't that simple. Just keep in mind that Legolas is still my hero but he has his own faults as well. Sorry that was so long but once I type down a thought things get away with me. (That's kinda how this story happened ;) LOVE YA-P.J.

Chapter 10: Trial

Tatharion groaned and snuggled farther under the covers. The sun was glaring through the one window in his bedroom. Suddenly a hand flew across his face and whacked him on the jaw. He sat up with a start and looked down next to him on the bed. Araviniel had a smile on her face, but other then that she appeared to be asleep. He rubbed his jaw and smiled.

He bent across her and tickled her. Araviniel's eyes flew open and she laughed saying, "Ok, Ok, stop!" He laughed, "HA, got you!" She sat up on her elbows and then groaned and fell back to the bed. "OH MY HEAD!" Tatharion's smile grew. "That's what you get for drinking Mirkwood ale."

Tatharion threw the blankets off his legs and jumped out of bed. He went into the kitchen and after searching for a few minutes he found a bottle of clear liquid. He smiled and shook his head. He walked back into the bedroom and stared at Araviniel how was desperately trying to bury her head in the pillow. He said in a healer-like tone, "Here, drink this and don't move around too much or it will get worse. Your headache will be gone in a matter of minutes if you drink only a little of this."

She sat up and grabbed the bottle greedily. She drank about a cup full and then made a horrible face and said, disgusted, "THAT'S HORRIBLE! That has to be the most wretched thing I have ever tasted!"

Tatharion smiled and took the bottle, placing it on the white wooden dresser, while Araviniel continued to complain about the horrible stuff. After five minutes he broke into her complaints and said matter-of-fact, "Your headache is gone." She stopped and paused a minute. A smile spread across her lips and she exclaimed, "That has to be the best stuff I have ever had."

Tatharion turned around and grinned at her while he folded his arms. He laughed and said, "I really do love you Araviniel." She sighed and fell back into the pillows. "I love you too Tatharion, truly and deeply." He smiled and walked over to sit on the bed.

Araviniel scooted over to him and put her head in his lap. Tatharion looked out the window while he absentmindedly stroked her hair. "You have to get ready soon." Araviniel looked up at him curiously. "For what?" He looked back down at her and said sadly, "The trial." Araviniel sighed and snuggled closer into him. "When does it start?" He looked back out the window and sighed. "It should begin in about an hour."

Araviniel closed her eyes and breathed, "In an hour." Tatharion shook himself out of a trance and looked back down at her and smiled. "Come on Araviniel let's get you something to wear." She got up and grabbed a robe from his closet. Tatharion got dressed as she went into the bathroom to wash up. When she got out she was wearing only the robe.

They walked to her talon which was only about five minutes away from his. When they had climbed up the ladder and went inside Araviniel went to her room to get dressed. Tatharion looked around the talon. It was smaller then his but was much more beautiful. Araviniel had done the entire inside herself. It was painted in her favorite color, yellow, and had many different stone sculptures of moons and suns. There were many windows and three balconies, one in her room, one on the outside of the living room, and one in Cúdir's room. The floor was stained a yellow white and the living room held a couch and two chairs all with a golden yellow fabric.

Araviniel came out of her room and Tatharion just stood there looking at her. She was breathtaking. Her hair was done in random twists around her head and she was wearing a scarlet red dress, the color of blood. She had light red lace up boots that went up to her knees. She was looking down at the floor and sighed deeply.

Tatharion shook his head and walked over to her. He put his arms around her shoulders, resting his forehead against hers and inhaled her scent; roses and lilacs. He gave her an encouraging squeeze and then said softly, "You don't have to do this alone you know. Don't push me away." She looked up into his eyes tearfully. "I don't want you to have to go through all this. You don't deserve to always have to come and rescue me. I'm not helpless."

He smiled and said seriously, "Believe me, that I know. But I love you Araviniel and I love being around you. This isn't a job, this is what I want to do. I never want to leave you. I can't live without you. You're like a drug, I'm addicted to you." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead whispering, "I'm never going to leave you whether you want me to or not. We're stuck together, you and me, we're best friends for life and lovers until death."

Araviniel gave a small smile and rested her head on his shoulder. "How long did it take you to get here? I mean from Mirkwood." He asked. She thought a minute and said, "Four days." He shook his head and said slowly, "I found this note attached to a rose by your bed." He pulled out the small folded white piece of paper and handed it to her. She broke away from him and took the note. As she read it Tatharion could see the look of anger and determination come into her eyes.

"By the Valar I swear he will not live." Tatharion looked at her oddly, "What are you saying?" She looked into his eyes and said angrily, "By my own hand may it be that he falls in his own blood. I will kill him myself!" Tatharion took her shoulders and said earnestly, "Listen to me! Do you want to meet the same fate of your mother? He already has received his sentence. You are not a murderer Araviniel. I will not stand by and watch you ruin your life." She tore herself away from him. "RUIN MY LIFE!? What isn't already ruined about it? I will not stand by and watch him do as he pleases when he should be dead!"

Tatharion shook his head and headed toward the ladder. "I'll meet you at the trial. Don't do anything stupid." Araviniel glanced at him as he descended down the ladder. He had never done anything like that before. "Tatharion!" He paused and lifted his head to look at her questioning face. "Forgive me." His expression softened and he said, "There is nothing to forgive. Please be careful. I will meet you at the front gate." She nodded and gave him a small smile.

After he left she stepped into the living room and reached for a small knife under the couch cushion. She pulled it out and slid it into her boot. The hilt was peeking out at the top for easy access. She sighed and was about to head out when she heard something metal bang in the kitchen. She withdrew her knife and flattened herself against the wall. She sneaked around the wall and peered into the kitchen.

There on his hands and knees was her childhood tormentor Elfingarion. She cringed with momentary hatred and carefully snuck behind him. He was rooting through one of her blue satin boxes that kept all her childhood treasures. One minute she was behind him and the next she had pinned him on the ground with her knife held dangerously close to his neck. "What are you doing here?!" He took a deep breath and said carefully so as not to place anymore pressure on his neck. "Your father took something from me, a ring. It was for Rolosiel. It was her engagement ring. My brother found it and gambled with it. Your father won it fare and square but I need it very badly. Please..."

Araviniel sighed and got off him. He stood up and brushed off his tunic. He stopped to admire her and said, "Well don't you look pretty!" She brushed off the comment and said, "Come with me." She led him into Cúdir's room and refused to look at the bed as she entered the room. She went right over to his brown wooden dresser and took a small box off the top. She sifted through it and then brought forth a diamond and emerald ring with a Mithril band. "Is this it?"

He turned from where he was looking around the room and his eyes lit up. "YES! Thank you so much Thaurril." She grunted and yelled, "Get out of here! Now!" He had always called her that. It meant Female, Disgusting Shine. She had only cried twice as a child and both times it had been over her mother. His torment never bothered her until her mother died. She couldn't snuggle into her mother's lap and be comforted now.

He left and she stole a quick glance at the bed. It was a place of torment and a reminder of the one who had slept there. She quickly left the room and shut the door behind her. As she left the talon she made a promise. "No matter what happens," she whispered, "I will never give in again. I'm going to fight this time." She shifted and jumped the rest of the way down.

When she arrived at the gates of the outside court she paused and took a deep breath. She searched around and finally spotted Tatharion by the right gate talking to a she-elf who at this time was batting her eyelashes and trying to get his attention. Araviniel sighed and walked over to the most uncomfortable Tatharion and his stalker. She stood in front of the girl and gave her a small smile. Araviniel pulled out her knife and pointed it at her saying sweetly, "He's taken." The she-elf backed away slowly before giving Araviniel a death glare and heading over to another unsuspecting victim.

Tatharion looked at her and smirked saying, "Why on Arda do you have to drive away all the fun?" She looked at him oddly before saying as smooth as butter, "Watch it or your next." She waved the knife in front of his face and smiled. He put his hands in front of him and backed up a few steps. "Whoa, easy girl." She smiled sweetly and took his arm. With a big sigh she said more seriously, "It's time." He nodded and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and they walked inside the troll-size gates.

As they stepped in Araviniel's eyes locked with those of Cúdir Bowman's. He was standing, with his hands tied and two guards on his right and left sides on a dais. In the center of the platform sat the King and Queen of Lothlorien. Cúdir smiled at her and it sent shivers down her spine. It was as if he had won. 'NO, he didn't win. He's the one about to be locked up forever.' She scolded. Even her words lent no comfort. As she walked into the crowd with Tatharion by her side she unconsciously moved closer to him.

Cúdir stared at her in the most disturbing way she could imagine. To someone else the face might appear like nothing out of the ordinary but to Araviniel it appeared as if he was challenging her to walk one more step. The words seeped into her head and she could hear him whisper, "Happy now are you? It won't last. I will come back for you. You are mine forever and nothing you can do can keep me away from you. Not even your precious Tatharion can keep you away from me. I wasn't finished with you and one day I'll come back to take the rest of you. You're nothing." The words were said in a flat unemotional tone yet somehow they were like sharp glass slicing through her skin. She stopped and stood there rigged. Her mouth went dry and she began to tremble. Deep inside her something stirred. Her heart clenched like a fist and despair ran through her blood, seeping into her bones.

Tatharion looked oddly down at Araviniel who looked as if she had seen a ghost. He followed her eyes and looked to see Cúdir standing there smiling at her. He made a face of disgust and stood in front of her, blocking her view.

Araviniel was cut off from the sight by a kind and gentle face. Her body relaxed suddenly and slowly she let go of a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She closed her eyes and calmed her nerves. Then she became aware of the fact that Tatharion was trying to get her to talk to him. "Araviniel? Are you ok? Please say SOMETHING." She forced a smile and nodded saying, "I think so..." He bent down so that he was eye to eye with her and said slowly and calmly, "This is it. After today all this will be over." She opened her eyes slowly and a single tear ran down her cheek. "It's never over." He shook his head and lifted her chin a little. "Keep your chin up and look at the sky."

She looked up and saw a bright light blue sky and fluffy white clouds. Tatharion nodded and continued, "Now do you see those clouds?" She nodded. "They are constantly changing but after they pass and night falls you can see the stars. They never change. When the sun rises again new clouds fill the sky, sometimes there aren't any at all. Every day is different. Every cloud is different. All these people here are like the clouds. Cúdir is like a cloud and soon he will pass with the night sky. Even though sometimes you can't see the stars they are there. The stars are like me, your grandparents your mother, your father, and your brother. You may not be able to see your brother, father and your mother but they are still there. You can always find me Araviniel."

Araviniel looked thoughtfully at the sky and nodded. She looked back down to his face and whispered, "I love you." He smiled. "I know." Then he kissed her deeply on the lips and led her back into the crowd. As they found seats in front, the trial began.

The Lady Galadriel told all of the crimes done to Araviniel but Araviniel herself was not listening. As the case was presented before the public Araviniel slipped away. She could still hear the lady's voice ring out through the outdoor courtyard and tell of the lost Princess and how the man before her kept the princess' birthright from her. But Araviniel could not hear Galadriel's voice after that. She had snuck past the guards and passed through the gate unnoticed. Her heart was heavy and her soul ached. As she walked she sped up her pace. Soon she was running. The air flew by her face and lifted her spirits. She smiled sadly and kept running.

Araviniel dove into the forest and headed to the pool. She did not cry now for she had no tears left. As she tore through the leaves and trees she laughed. It wasn't the laugh of a small child picking flowers and giggling under the sun. Few of you will know this laugh. It was a sad sound. A sound of someone so hurt and torn that they had nothing else to be sad about, a sound of someone who had reached the point where nothing else could hurt. She ran on till she got to the pool of nightmares, which she decided to call it, and knelt before it. "Come on..." she mumbled.

The pool swirled and she nodded saying, "That's it. Show me his death!" The pool then stilled and showed the death of Tatharion. She wasn't looking at the sorrow she was looking at the surroundings. The trees in the picture were not Lothlorien trees. They were similar to those of Mirkwood. There was no Cúdir in the pool and she wondered if that was just in a dream. The ground she was keeling on in the picture was soft and green with grass. There was no sun. The sun was blocked by thick trees. She stood up quickly and said to herself, "Mirkwood!" With a deep breath she turned around and headed home.

As she walked through the forest she cleared her mind. The birds flew through the branches and followed her as she walked. The birds were singing to her as she went along and she decided to join them.

She lifted her head, stole a glace at the sky, and sang in her clear soft voice; "Call me oh green waves! Call my name oh blue sea. Make me fly over water. Let me see! Bring me to white shores and sun kissed sand. Take me away, away from long trodden land. I want to sail on ships of grey do not take others yet bid me stay. Call me oh green waves. Call me blue sea! Sail me over on thee. Allow me to pass and touch tousled waves. Away from the suffering for all of my days."

She had come to her talon and started her climb. She only had one thing on her mind. When she got inside she grabbed a book on the table with a worn purple cover. She took the book and left the talon. She climbed down the rope ladder and headed off to her favorite place to read. She sat down with her back to the tree and opened up to the last place she had marked. While taking out the now withered flower that marked her place, she began to read. The breeze ruffled her hair and the words on the page seemed so much less interesting then the last time she read them.

Elsewhere

Deep in Lothlorien stood a tall he-elf dressed in a white tunic. He was here on a mission, to find his daughter. His robs flapped against his legs as the wind stirred, next to the tall elf stood a white horse, with a flowing mane, by the name of Rofaen. The horse's name meant exactly what he was; white horse. The horse neighed exuberantly and paced in the soft grass impatiently With a small laugh the elf placed his hand on Rofaen's muzzle saying, "Don't worry good friend, we will go soon."

The elf's features were soft and told of much experience and kindness. He had endured much and had seen almost all there was to see. This elf had walked with the Valar and was sent back from Valinor by their command. He had come with comfort and wisdom for his daughter. There was only one problem he faced; he had no idea where she was. This mission would be harder then he thought...

Araviniel

Araviniel got up slowly. The book fell from her lap but she didn't seem to notice. She had heard a noise in the trees around her. 'Blast you Araviniel! Where on Arda is your bow?' she yelled at herself. Then whatever is was leaped through the trees and landed in front of her. She gasped and fell down. It was a white stag. His antlers were huge and his hooves were sharp. Even though he could have sliced her with his powerful antlers he stood there and cocked his head to one side. He watched her for a minute and then he slowly bent his long legs and lay down next to her on the grass. She stared cautiously at him before slowly crawling over to him and sitting down beside him. He huffed contentedly, laying his head down and closing his eyes gently.

Araviniel stared in wonder at the mighty beast that lay down in the grass alongside her. She smiled and rested against the tree. 'I really miss you Momma.' She said to herself. 'Nothing is the same without you. I will see you one day though, you promised.' "When the moon meets the sun, dearest, when the stars smile and the rain laughs. It won't happen soon, my dear, but when it does you shall know I am with you, always." The voice was hers but the words rang in the trees like magic. "When that happens, Momma, then I will know you are with me always. I will know. When the moon meets the sun, I will know."