Chapter Nine
Understanding Duty
By Vane Alasse

"There was a time," he said, "when I imagined myself as a great warrior. There was a time, growing up in the woods, that I imagined myself as one of the kindred of the elves. There was a time when I imagined myself married to a beautiful woman. But never, not even in my wildest ponderings, did I imagine myself as the father of the Queen of the Free Lands."

The steward smiled and held his daughter close to him.

"And so," he continued, "I have never thought to prepare for the shock or the honor or the pleasure which this position in life would give me."

Theodwyn giggled softly and with contentment as her father wrapped his arms tighter around her waist.

"But," he said while smiling mysteriously, "I believe I have finally thought of a way to express my excitement for you. Come with me."

Together father and daughter rose from where they sat in the couch and left the room. The steward led the way down the hall, up a stairway, through a passage of doors with creaking hinges, until they had arrived in a circular room roofed with ornate glass stained in many brilliant colors. The walls themselves had no windows, but from the ceiling fell the warm, rosy light of filtered sunshine. In the center of the room sat an ancient chest.

Barahir advanced toward this chest. He knelt before it and gingerly brushed the dust from its intricately carved lid. He pulled a key from a chain around his neck and placed it into the golden lock. In the intense silence Theodwyn heard the lock click open. He lifted the lid. Gently he pulled out some sort of fabric which seemed to be very heavy and deep blue. Barahir smiled at his daughter.

"Come here," he said in a low voice.

She came, and when she stood before him Barahir walked around behind her and placed the fabric over her shoulders. A spark of excitement sprang up her back, and she felt as if the folds of blue which now cascaded all around her were filled with wisdom and courage and dignity. She fingered the edges which fell at her sides with interest, noting now that it was not merely blue fabric, but blue with threads of glittering silver and tiny sparkling jewels arranged skillfully in a beautiful pattern.

"What is it?" she breathed.

Her father walked around to face her, and looked at her with the face of a man who is so indescribably pleased and amazed that he is not sure which reaction to chose.

"Don't you know?" he answered, but did not wait for her reply. "It belonged to your great-grandmother, the Lady Éowyn of Rohan. The Lord Faramir gave it to her as a gift during their courtship while they were recovering from the Battle of Pelannor Fields. She wore it during her position as the Lady of Ithilien, but before her it belonged to Faramir's own mother: Finduilas of Dol Amroth who became the Stewardess of Gondor."

And now Theodwyn's face flushed and her hands tingled as she ran them against the lush material. She knew this was the Blue Cloak which she had heard of only in stories, and she felt so overcome with emotions that she could merely manage to smile softly.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Her father smiled, and pulled her into a gentle embrace. He kissed her forehead.

"You may be a queen," he murmured, "but you will always be my little girl."

"A dinner party? Of course! How exquisite!"

"You see, Gilrean, I told you I had a wealth of brilliant ideas," sang Luthien.

"Brilliant indeed. It's positively radiant!"

"And the ceremony must be in the evening, so the sun will set and the stars will begin to shine. Imagine it: a blue horizon filled with tiny sparkling stars," Luthien continued.

"A wedding at night?" Celebrian questioned.

"Of course not, Clebby. Aren't you listening? In the early evening or late afternoon. The party is to be held in the twilight. Even I wouldn't think of having a wedding at night; how absurd."

Celebrian sighed, but made a few notes in the book she was using to make plans for the upcoming wedding of her brother. The four children of Aragron and Arwen were assembled on the balcony of the palace this evening to discuss the preparations which needed to take place for the grand occasion.

"Alright," said Gilraen, "what other ideas was your little mind so busy playing with?"

"Lights. We must have many twinkling lights. Candles everywhere. Very elven, you know. And banners. Silken scarves draped tastefully."

"You talk as though they were edible," muttered Celebrian.

"Clebby!" said the younger sisters together in exasperation.

"But I'm writing it all down!" said Celebrian, showing them the paper. Her eyes twinkled at her sisters' romanticism despite her practical struggle for composure.

Suddenly Eldarion sighed, though he had until now been silently and aloofly leaning against the banister while staring distantly into the night.

The sisters looked at him, concerned.

"What ever is the matter, Eldarion?" asked Luthien.

"I'm just frustrated, that is all," he answered.

"About what?" asked Gilraen.

"The whole business. I know nothing about wedding parties or candle-lit dinners. I don't know why you wanted me to be here. I just manage trivial matters, such as encroaching evil or the downfall of the kingdom."

"Well, if sarcasm could kill…" said Celebrian, letting her voice trail into the awkwardness of the growing silence.

A door creaked as Theodwyn stepped out onto the balcony, the blue cloak draped over her shoulders. Luthien ran up to her and grabbed her hands, bouncing ridiculously up and down.

"Oh, Theodwyn, you must hear all the grand plans we have made for your wedding. Of course, you must tell us if you approve, but I'm sure you'll be delighted!"

Theodwyn laughed, and agreed to hear the plans some other time adding, "How giddy you are, Luthien!"

"It's the wine from supper," Celebrian replied knowingly. "Does it to her every time. Come, girls, I think we had best finish inside. It's getting a bit dark out here."

"But it will help the imagination so much to experience the real environment," protested Luthien.

But Gilraen good-naturedly took her arm and followed Celebrian indoors, saying as she glanced at the blue cloak, "How very royal you look tonight, Theodwyn."

The balcony became suddenly very quiet as the girls voices faded into the palace. Theodwyn turned to look at Eldarion, who was leaning against the railing.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," she said timidly.

He shook his head nervously. "No, not at all. You saved me, actually, from a rather painful ordeal."

He gazed at her a moment longer, entranced. Then, suddenly, he collected himself and held out his hand to invite her to stand beside him. She walked forward happily and took his hand.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Never when you're here," he answered.

"Why so quiet tonight?"

He shifted his weight. "Gilraen was right. You look like a queen tonight. So very lovely, Theodwyn."

She smiled.

"I'm so glad you have this cloak now. It is a tradition, you know."

She nodded. "My father gave it to me today."

"Perfect timing," he replied.

"Yes, four weeks till the wedding now, isn't it?"

He nodded.

She quietly turned away from him and released his hand.

"It's funny, really, when I think about it."

Eldarion smiled. "What do you mean?"

Theodwyn looked out over the velvety purple landscape as the last tremble of sunlight vanished on the horizon. "I never would have imagined I would be standing here, with you."

"I always did."

"Always? Even when I was such a little girl and I would run and jump on your knee after supper?"

"Well, not quite then. I knew you were very special – you were my favorite little friend – but, granted, you couldn't even say my name properly."

Theodwyn smothered a laugh. "I do remember that. What did I call you?"

"Dawen, if I remember correctly."

"Yes, that was it. And I remember when you would come for visits in Ithilien I would show you my kitten and she would always, without fail, scratch you or bite you. I used to think it was hilarious. You never did understand cats. But later..."

"Later, what?" asked Eldarion, stepping behind her and slipping his arm around her waist. She leaned her head back against his shoulder.

"I don't know. I changed, and I thought you changed, too."

"You grew up, that was all," he said with a low voice.

"All of a sudden you weren't just like a cousin anymore. You were stronger, braver, more confident. You wanted to become something."

"I don't think I ever did, really, Wen. I'm not sure how you could have seen all that."

"Because I understood your heart. I don't know why. I must be a special privilege for people destined to love one another. You were handsome then –"

"But not now?" he interrupted teasingly, looking into her face.

"Of course now. Even more now." Her voice faded into a delicate whisper as she turned her eyes gently away, and Eldarion was satisfied.

"You have always been beautiful, my Wenny. But that isn't why I love you so much."

"Isn't it?"

"The world is full of pretty girls and stunning girls and flashy girls. But that is all they are. Beauty shouldn't be everything, but for them it is. They have never had to work for recognition in life, so they don't try to become anything. But for some wonderful reason you never noticed your own beauty, or perhaps it never mattered to you, and now you have a beautiful character and a beautiful face."

And for the first time, Theodwyn did not counter the compliment, but sighed contentedly as Eldarion leaned down to kiss her cheek.

They stood in silence as the stars began to weave a glittering canopy above their heads. The soft chirping of birds rose and fell in the deepening night, and a silken breeze rippled on the air.

"There is so much to live for," she said faintly.

"Yes, so much. But there will be bad along with the good, melda-nin."

"All the better, then, that I can share my happiness when we pass through good times and run to cry in your arms during the bad."

"And it will be such a pleasure, and not a duty, to catch you when you come to me."

She turned to face him and placed her arms around his neck.

"Duty? Yes, I think it will be a duty. For not always will you be so pleased to see me."

"Oh, but I think I shall."

"What does duty mean to you, Eldarion?"

"I suppose duty rings in my ears with bitterness. It is what I am forced to do. It is everything I cannot avoid. That is duty to me."

"But, don't you see? Duty is pleasure, for it is what you have been chosen to do. You have been chosen to rule your country –"

"Our country," he corrected her.

"Yes, I guess it is, or soon will be," she replied. "But you have been specially gifted with the ability to do your duty. To rule our great nation with confidence and wisdom. To love your wife and, eventually, to be a caring father for your children. To rest in the knowledge that your parents are at peace and to respect their legacy. To be a considerate brother to your sisters and to be concerned for their welfare. To be content in your position. To serve the One who gave you all this, who gave you life itself, who gave you hope for the future and consolation for the past. These are your duties. And I know you will honor them."

Eldarion leaned his head down so their foreheads touched.

"And so happy am I, then, that I may pursue my duty with you beside me. For, I could not have wished for a better friend and better counselor than I have found in you. As you said before, you understand my heart, and I am so blessed for that. I hope that I may understand yours equally as clearly."

"Oh, but I think you do," she whispered, her face slightly blushing.

He smiled in reply, and suddenly the world around them melted into insignificance. She felt her heart beating quicker as brought his hand to the back of her neck and so gently folded her into his embrace. He closed his eyes as their lips met, and they both became lost in the moment.

High above their heads the flag of Gondor unfolded in the gathering breeze, its heavy folds resisting the warm air. Below its base, in the heart of the city, the tomb of Elessar glowed in a shaft of starlight. Far to the north, in a hushed glade, the last flowers of the elves smiled for one final night and the trees murmured to one another. And out of sight, in a palace bedroom lit by fidgety candles, three girls sat on the floor, gossiping of love, of life, and of weddings.

THE END

Author's Note:

Thanks so much at all my readers! I really appreciate all the praise, comments, and constructive criticism. Please continue to tell me what you thought of this story after reading it. I highly value your opinions!

So, please review!