A/N Yikes, this is the longest I've left between updates. Work is still hectic and I'm usually too tired to write a lot in the evenings. However, my weekend starts on a Thursday so new chapters will probably be up at least on a Friday.. Man, I'm having far too much fun finding quotes for these chapters. If you guys have suggestions for quotes that might suit, send them my way!
Quick explanation as I've had some confusion regarding the chronology of this series.
The original that started it all was called A Day in the Life. In this one, Maggie and Riley were cousins and just ended up in Rivendell. It was awful and has since been deleted from my account.
The sequel was called All Bonds of Fellowship and is still on my account but will be rewritten because as I'm now writing Mélamar it'll be a trilogy. Having recently reread it, ABOF was also terrible and I cannot wait until I get to rewrite it as my writing style and abilities have changed a lot (thank God) since 2012-2013.
Hope that clears it up!
As always, thank you for the kind words, likes and kudos.
This chapter is mainly fluff and a lot of necessary dialogue, but I hope you'll enjoy it :)
CHAPTER TWELVE
"It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth" - Sherlock Holmes
Fili had never seen Lord Elrond quite so furious before. In fact, fury nowhere near the right word to describe his outrage. Even his own sons had seemed frightened when the elf-lord had yelled orders to find Malhas no matter what it took. Elladan and Elrohir immediately set out with Legolas and Tauriel following suit, as well as more guards. Fili had heard the commotion from his room and somehow knew immediately that Maggie was in trouble. By the time he found the others in the hallway, he saw Talathel dead on the floor and Maggie in Elrond's arms, both their hands covered in blood. If the murderous traitor wasn't already dead, Fili would have killed her himself. It seemed as though Elrond had gotten there before him and he couldn't blame her. Elrond quickly got Maggie to the healing room, where he immediately began to work on the healing, while Oin helped.
Thankfully, Theo remained unharmed, but even when Fili tried to soothe his baby cousin, he kept crying. Even though he was barely two weeks old, Theo (unsurprisingly) had a close bond with his mother and all the new impressions around him were no doubt overwhelming. Fili wanted nothing more than to be in the healing room with Maggie. However, he also knew that she was in
more than good hands with both Elrond and Oin's combined healing powers. So, while the commotion around him eventually died down, all Fili could do was patiently wait for news of Maggie's recovery.
The young prince also noticed the timely return of Riley, Glorfindel and Dwalin. He knew from Kili that they had been to Dol Guldur to find some answers Riley had been searching for. It seemed to Fili that those answers had been found in the shape of a man who had come back with them from Dol Guldur. It was strange, Fili thought, because while the newcomer looked like a normal man, he also had something otherworldly about him. It was almost as if he could be both young and ancient all at the same time. Fili also knew that he was important from how the others acted around him. Gandalf had even greeted him with a bow, which the wizard only did for people he revered in some way. Even Dwalin, who was usually skeptical of unfamiliar faces, seemed to respect him.
When Theo finally fell asleep, exhausted from all the crying and intensity of the evening, Fili let out an exasperated sigh and buried his face in his hands. He knew Oin stood in the doorway before he looked up. Having spent so much time with the other dwarves meant that he often recognised them in subtle ways that humans or indeed elves didn't pick up on. Oin, for example, had a very distinct way of walking and usually put his weight on his left foot instead of the right foot like the other dwarves. He also had gained an ever so slight (barely noticeable) limp, undoubtedly due to old age
"How is she?" Fili asked worriedly "When can I see her?"
"Lord Elrond wasted no time and I was able to help some," Oin replied as he entered the room. "Maggie will be fine but she needs rest."
The older dwarf carefully peeked into the crib, as if to double check that Theo was still fine. For being such a small child, he showed early signs of somebody who would grow up to snore, much like his father.
"Thank Mahal," Fili mumbled "How could we have been so blind, Oin? Talathel was amongst this whole time and none of us suspected a thing. We let our guard down and both Maggie and Theo nearly died."
"Talathel was cunning," Oin said as he cleaned out his hearing instrument and put it down beside him. "She also had help. We must not blame ourselves, because we couldn't possibly have known. It is no one's fault."
Deep down, Fili knew that Oin was right. It was nobody's fault and it was likely that Talathel had been under orders for many months. Nonetheless, Fili was still filled with anger because they had trusted her. Talathel had become Maggie's friend and helped her through the difficult birth of Theo. He couldn't understand how someone could have such ill-intent based on the simple fact that Theo was half-human and half-dwarrow. It made no sense and Fili wondered who Talathel had been influenced by. No doubt the same person or people who Mahal so intensely believed in. Rivendell was supposed to be one of the safest elven kingdoms in Middle-Earth, yet on more than one occasion that had proved to not be the case. If they'd allowed a traitor to live as one of them unnoticed for such a long time, what was there to say it wouldn't happen again? Perhaps his mother was right, maybe they would have been safer in Erebor.
Fili shook the doubts of his head and cursed himself for allowing them in the first place. Lord Elrond was one of the most powerful elves in Middle-Earth and Fili had seen more than enough proof of this in the past year. Above all, he knew that the elf-lord would sooner rather die himself than risk Maggie and Theo getting hurt. Fili knew it because he felt exactly the same thing. Even though it was early days in their courtship, Fili had never felt anything like this before. It was both amazing and absolutely terrifying. He couldn't help but wonder if this is what his uncle had felt like as well. The other strange thing was that Fili felt no jealousy towards Lord Elrond. Kili asked him about it and Fili had no explanation about why that was. Rather than jealousy, he felt happiness that Maggie and Elrond were finally able to explore a connection they'd shared for a long time. Sometimes, there was still a bit of lingering guilt from Thorin, but it was getting easier to deal with.
"Who is he, Oin?" Fili asked after a moment's silence, "That man from Dol Guldur? Everyone treats him like he is some sort of royalty."
"That is because he is, lad." Oin replied, his voice more serious. "Our new guest is Lord Amandil of Andúnië; Maggie and Riley's father."
Fili couldn't believe his ears. In all the time he'd known Maggie and Riley, they'd always said that their father died eight years ago. It had caused a lot of grief and pain within their family. Fili also knew that Maggie had known her father under a different name, Alan Spencer and not Lord Amandil. It was only during their first visit to Rivendell when his true identity had been revealed through visions to Maggie, when she had also been near death. How could he possibly be alive after such a long time? Fili also wondered how Maggie would react to it when she woke up, because he knew how much she missed her father from how she always spoke of him. It was a feeling Fili could resonate with all too well. Even though the memories of his own father were very vague as he had been a young dwarfling at the time of his passing, there were still some things he recalled. Such as the sound of his voice, his scent and other such impressions. He hated the fact that Theo was also growing up without a father and had long since swore that he would do what Thorin had once done for him and Kili and raise Theo as if he were his own son.
Fili owed it to his uncle.
When Maggie finally opened her eyes, she felt an ever so slight twinge in her abdomen and winced. It took a while before her surroundings became clearer and she noticed that she was back in her bedroom. The rays of sunlight piercing through the window told Maggie that it was mid-morning. She was lying in her own bed, dressed in her white nightgown and had been tucked neatly under soft sheets. Although she had no idea how long for, she knew she must have been asleep for while because she felt well rested. However, she couldn't remember dreaming at all. The last time she'd woken up like this was during her first arrival in Rivendell, when Elrond had also healed her after a run-in with Azog the Defiler in those early days with the Company. It felt like almost a lifetime ago and for some reason, Maggie realised in that moment that she really missed the Company. A part of her felt bad that she hadn't exactly been amazing at keeping in touch with them, apart from the odd letter to Dis and Balin via raven. Things had been a little busy lately though but she did think about them a lot. Every time Oin, Dwalin and Fili wrote to them, she made sure to have them include her love and ask about how life was going in Erebor.
As Maggie's head began to clear and the blurriness eventually subsided, she began to remember the events in the hallway with Talathel. The last thing she recalled was Elrond's arms holding her and commotion around her. She'd felt a cold, sharp blade piercing through her skin, followed by sensory overload as her system slowly began to shut down. Everything faded away around her and next thing Maggie knew, she heard Theo's screams before falling unconscious. At the thought of her son, Maggie instantly shot up and her heart raced fast .
"Theo!" she gasped
Maggie's eyes darted around the room in panic and her mind began to imagine the worst case scenarios, before a calm voice brought her attention back to the present. It was strange to think that not long ago, Maggie would have laughed at the thought of ever being a mother because she valued her freedom. Now, she couldn't imagine her life without Theo because he brought her so much love and so much joy. She remembered that moment of pure fear when Talathel had so easily taken Theo from her. A part of Maggie thought that Talathel had won, but thankfully, Elrond must have heard her calling out to him.
"It's alright, Maggie." came Riley's familiar voice. "He's fast asleep in his crib."
Her older brother was sitting by the side of her bed and Maggie had a strong sense of deja vu. The first thing that immediately struck her was that this was the first time the two of them had been alone for some time. The second thing Maggie noticed was how tired Riley looked. Not just the kind of tire one was from lack of sleep, but it was a different kind of tired. He had dark circles under his eyes and a worn out expression on his face. Maggie had seen it before and it made her wonder how her brother was coping with everything. It was weird enough that Riley randomly decided to head off on some secret mission with Glorfindel without hardly telling anyone, and now suddenly he was back.
"Riley!" Maggie threw her arms around her brother and they stayed in that embrace for some time. Over the past nearly nine months, they had spent so much time apart that Maggie sometimes felt they weren't as close as they used to be. "You're back! I was starting to worry!"
"Yeah, sorry I took so long." Riley apologised "Things got a bit interesting for a while? How are you feeling?"
From the crib, Maggie could hear Theo's gentle breathing and she exhaled a relieved sigh as her heartbeat steadied.
"I feel okay, I think. A bit disoriented." she said and leaned back against a pillow. "How long have I been out? What happened after I passed out?"
"You've been out of it for two days, it was a pretty bad cut. Elrond was absolutely furious," Riley replied and his voice became more serious. "His eyes turned completely dark and just filled with this burning rage I've never seen before. To be honest, it was bloody terrifying. I think it even scared Gandalf. Elrond really loves you, Maggie. Both him and Fili."
Riley didn't exactly sound surprised, but he said it in such a way that Maggie didn't really know what to reply. The events of that night played over in Maggie's mind and she couldn't believe how blind they had all been. For months, Talathel had lived in Rivendell as one of them and they trusted her. In hindsight, Maggie wasn't sure when it started because she was always just there. In fact, she was one of the first friends Maggie made and there were so many times when she was grateful for Talathel's advice and company because it was nice to have another woman who understood her. Especially throughout the pregnancy and now it made since why the elf-maiden was so keen on befriending Maggie. Theo even liked her because whenever Talathel carried him or helped look after him, her son was always at ease.
"I'm just so shocked, Ri." Maggie said after a while "I can't believe it was her all along. She helped me through so much and she was my friend. I feel like such an idiot."
"It's not your fault, Mags." Riley assured her "We were all fooled. I mean, I know I didn't know her but from how everyone has been talking, nobody saw it coming. Not even Elrond."
"What about Elrohir? How has he been dealing?"
It wasn't news to anyone that Elrohir had been spending time with Talathel and confessed his feelings to her. Maggie wondered if that was also a part of her plan in an attempt to get close to them. What kind of person would fake having feelings for someone, just so that they could try to commit such an atrocious act as killing an innocent child. All because the child was half-human and half-dwarrow. Sure, racism was a very real problem back in their world and people did awful things in its name, but somehow Maggie hadn't expected it in Middle-Earth. Perhaps that was also naive of her.
"You know 'Ro," Riley said "Stoic as ever, but 'Dan and Erestor are keeping an eye on him. You know, sis. He will be fine but it'll take some time."
"I feel bad," Maggie admitted "I was the one who convinced him to pursue Talathel because I was so consumed by my own butterflies and wanted the whole world to feel what I feel."
"There's nothing wrong with that, sis."
Theo suddenly began to cry and Riley picked up his nephew from the crib. Maggie watched as her brother softly whispered and rocked her son back and forth, until he passed Theo to Maggie. Immediately, his small hands reached for her skin and as Maggie fed him, she relaxed. Theo was unharmed, safe and in her arms. She swore to herself that she would never let anyone hurt him again. Soon after feeding him, Theo cooed and stifled the cutest yawn Maggie had ever seen. Not long afterwards, he fell asleep in her arms.
"I need to spend more time with you and this cute little guy," Riley realised as Maggie passed Theo to him and he tucked him back into his crib.
"What's been going on with you, Ri?" Maggie asked "You've been so distant lately. Have you and Bilbo talked? He was pretty upset when you left."
Riley sat on the bed next to Maggie, sighed and buried his face in his hand. Maggie recognised his frustrations and knew there was so much more to his struggles than he was letting on.
"I fucked up, Maggie." Riley admitted. "I really royally fucked up and when Bilbo finds out, he's going to leave me."
"What did you do?" Maggie asked and began to worry.
If there was one thing her brother was good at, it was talking. Even as kids, Riley was always the one to fill the awkward silence with his happy chatter. Now, for the first time in her life, Maggie saw her brother struggling to form words. Then suddenly, tears welled up behind his eyes and Riley began to cry. Maggie immediately put her arms around her big brother and stroked his back, whispering soothingly to calm his breathing. In all her years, Riley was always the one to soothe Maggie when she was upset. She recalled times as a teenager, during one of her first breakups. Riley had called off all his plans, stayed in with her, ordered pizza and watched movies all night, talking about how ridiculous boys were.
"You have to talk to me," Maggie whispered, "Otherwise I can't help you."
Riley tried to steady his breathing and dried his eyes.
"I kissed Glorfindel. Well, it was more like a snog really." he said shakily"We were on our way to Dol Guldur and we had a moment. It was brief and I stopped it but it happened and now I've ruined everything with Bilbo."
"Oh Riley….." Maggie sighed "Have you spoken to Bilbo at all since you've been back?"
Riley shook his head. "No. I know I have to, but with everything going on I haven't found the time. Honestly, I'm not even sure he wants to speak with me after our argument. When he finds out that I did something so stupid, he'll definitely break up me with. I love him Maggie. I know I don't deserve him but, I'm not sure I can live without him."
"You still have to tell him. No matter what happens, honesty is the best way forward. I don't really know what you've been going through lately, but I know Bilbo will listen. He loves you just as much as you love him. You have something real, Riley. One dumb reckless moment isn't going to ruin that."
Truthfully, Maggie had no idea how Bilbo might react. She knew him as a hobbit filled with pride and someone who took time opening up to people. Even during their travels with the company it had taken Bilbo a long time before he was comfortable around any of them or trusted them. That trust was broken, Maggie knew, but she also knew Bilbo had a good heart.
"You're right, I will speak with him." Riley said and sat up again. "I've missed this. Us just talking. I'm sorry I've been so distant and missed...well everything."
"It's okay." Maggie assured him. "We have time now, and we have a lot of catching up to do."
"It's a lucky job that one of your boyfriends is a magical healer." Riley teased, "I mean really, I leave you for a few days and shit hits the fan."
Maggie couldn't help but to chuckle and knew that some part of her brother was still his normal-self. When her stomach made a loud rumbling noise, it reminded her of how hungry she was, which wasn't strange considering she'd been unconscious for a long time.
"You ready to see the others?"
"Yeah, I think so." Maggie nodded "Wait, what about Theo? I don't want to wake him up!"
The thought of leaving Theo alone stirred a mild panic inside Maggie, but her brother took her hand in that same assuring way he always did.
"There's a guard outside your room around the clock." Riley assured her "If Theo moves or makes noise, we will hear about it."
After some deliberation, Maggie made sure Theo was alright one last time before leaving her bedroom with Riley.
Lord Elrond was restless, a quality that seldom showed itself but over the past couple of days, it had been noticeable. He wasn't one to delve into self-pity or complain, but even with his powers of healing he felt helpless. With the help of Master Oin, the two of them had been able to heal Maggie's wounds and steady her bleeding, but after that all they could do was wait. For thousands of years, the Hidden Valley was a safe place to his family and the elves that had chosen to reside there. Now, it seemed like that safety was no longer a guarantee and he wondered if people were starting to doubt his abilities as a ruler. Did they perhaps think his heart had been softened since allowing Maggie and the others to live amongst them? Of course, he knew that wasn't the case and that his people trusted him as they always had. It was more the fact that he was beginning to doubt his own abilities.
Talathel had lived with them for many years and they all trusted her. Elrond witnessed how his son fell in love with her and he had even encouraged it. Unlike his brother, Elrohir took more care with his choice of partners and this was the first time that he considered courting someone properly, with perhaps even the intent of eventually marrying Talathel. Elrond wondered if anything Talathel claimed to feel for his son was real or if it was all just a part of the act in an attempt to get close to them. She had been close to Maggie as well and helped her through the difficult months of settling down in Rivendell after the war. She was a talented midwife and helped give birth to Theo. Elrond knew that Maggie saw her as a close friend and someone she could seek counsel with.
Elves did not handle heartbreak well and Elrond had already seen signs that Elrohir was starting to isolate himself more. He wouldn't speak of Talathel and when asked how he was doing, he simply said that he was fine and then went about business as usual. Elrond had asked Elladan to keep an eye on his brother and he hoped that the sadness would not entirely devour him, but it would be understandable. He had opened his heart to someone who betrayed that trust so easily.
Elrond couldn't help but wonder if Maggie perhaps felt as if he had let her down. She chose to live in Imladris because it would be a safe place to see through her pregnancy and the birth of Theo. Sure enough, in the first few months everything was fine, but now that wasn't really the case. A part of Elrond wondered if perhaps Maggie might consider leaving the Hidden Valley for Erebor now that Theo was born. He couldn't blame her if she did, but truthfully, he wished for her to remain there with him. Perhaps, when there was time, they needed to have a conversation with Fili about their future and to make sure they were all on the same page, as it were.
With Gandalf's help, Elrond had been able to strengthen the magical barriers around Imladris and assured him that they would be protected. The wizard told him about the Alatar, one of the Blue Istari that was being the ongoing attacks and that he had kept Amandil hidden in Dol Guldur. It was likely he was imprisoned there for a long time but there were still many questions left unanswered. Despite the circumstances, it was good to see his old friend again. Amandil had always been kind to the elves and in turn, they revered him. Though long ago, Elrond recalled his disappearance clearly as many of his kin had mourned him as if he had died. In some ways he had died but found a new life in Maggie and Riley's world. There, he had taken on a new name as Alan Spencer and made a new life for himself. He had fallen in love again, married and had children. In another time, Elrond would have been skeptical of the existence of other worlds but he had lately learned that there were many strange forces at work. Elrond hadn't actually had time to speak with Amandil, as he thought it best to give him and Riley some privacy while Maggie recovered. There would be plenty of time for reunions later but he was anxious to find out his side of the story.
Riley seemed to handle the return of his father exceedingly well, which didn't surprise Elrond. When it came to Maggie, he was less sure of how his love would react because as far as he was aware, she had no idea about Amandil being alive.
A knock on the door alerted Elrond to the presence of Lindir.
"Hir-Nin," Lindir greeted "I thought you'd like to know that Lady Margaret is awake and awaiting your arrival in the Great Hall."
"Thank you, Lindir."
The brown-haired elf composed himself and left his study. Despite his age, love still made Elrond giddy and young once again. Whenever he saw Maggie his heart fluttered and seeing her interact with his family, especially young Estel, filled him with the kind of joy he wasn't sure he would ever feel again. The Valar had blessed him with love once more and he would never take it for granted. When he entered the Great Hall, he was relieved to see Maggie looking well. She shared an intimate embrace with Fili, who was just as relieved to see her on her feet. Elrond did not wish to interrupt them so he remained at his place until Riley nudged Maggie and she turned around.
Maggie's lips formed her familiar warm smile. When Elrond pulled her into his embrace, he exhaled a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. Their lips met in a soft, longing kiss and Maggie's hands tugged at his robes.
"Thank Eru you are alright." Elrond whispered. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm alright," Maggie replied "Just a bit tired still. Thank you, for saving my life again."
"Let us try to not make a habit of it."
Maggie laughed at his joke but soon their moment was interrupted by the sound of Estel's familiar footsteps running into the hall. Out of everyone, Estel had been the most worried about Maggie's well-being after the incident and had asked about her recovery every time he saw Master Oin.
"Maggie!" Estel ran right into Maggie's arms, between her and Elrond. "Ada said you were hurt!"
Almost immediately, tears welled up in his eyes as he buried his face in Maggie's clothes and she picked up the small child who buried his face in her shoulders.
"I was scared you would leave us!" Estel sobbed and Elrond felt his own heart ache at the sight of his youngest son so upset. "I didn't want you to die!"
"I was hurt, but I'm here now aren't I?" Maggie said calmly "And because of your ada and Master Oin, I am just fine."
"Vanda?" Estel asked through his tears as he looked up at her. "You're going to be okay?"
"Yes, I promise."
As Estel hugged Maggie even tighter, she looked up at Elrond who was almost at loss for words himself. There was no doubt in Elrond's heart that Estel loved Maggie. As time passed, it became clear to him that their bond grew strong and maybe Estel even saw a mother figure in her. Suddenly, Estel looked up and Elrond saw what caught his attention. Lord Amandil had entered the Great Hall and the room fell silent. Maggie noticed the change in atmosphere and she put Estel back on the floor.
"Maggie…" Elrond said softly and gestured behind her.
Maggie turned around and all eyes were on her. Elrond watched as Lord Amandil stood in front of his daughter and he could almost feel Maggie's conflicting emotions as she tried to make sense of what was happening. For a long while, there was just silence and Estel had taken to standing next to Elrond, as if he was also nervous.
"No…" Maggie whispered. Elrond could hear her voice quivering. "No, this can't be real. You died and people do not come back from the dead!"
"Sometimes they do, Mags." Riley tried to assure her. "This is real."
"No, I won't believe it."
Elrond should have predicted Maggie's reluctance to believe her father's return. It was no doubt overwhelming, frightening and unexplainable. So when Maggie stormed out of the Great Hall, he did not stop her.
"Well," Riley sighed. "That went about as well as I expected."
iNo, No, No, No, No.
As Maggie stormed out of the Great Hall, Maggie wasn't sure where to go. She just needed to get out. Her head was spinning and her heart was beating out of her chest. What she saw in the room could not be real. Her father, Alan Spencer or Amandil or whoever he actually was, had been dead since she was eighteen years old. For almost eight years, Maggie had gotten used to a life without her father. She accepted and mourned his death, no matter how much it hurt. His death had caused her family a lot of trauma but they had survived it together. Of course she missed her dad every day but once someone died, they stayed dead. It was a natural part of life and it couldn't just be reversed as though by magic. Even by magic, books and movies had told Maggie that bringing people back to life usually did not end well. Even so, she saw her father standing in the Great Hall. He wore the same kind and gentle expression on his face and his appearance had not changed.
iNo, no, no, it can't be true, I won't believe it.
A dizziness took over and Maggie began to feel an overwhelming nausea inside her. She was outside now and managed to just about steady herself against one of the stone pillars of the Homely House. The nausea clawed at her throat, and she tried her best to force down the bile but it was too late. Her stomach kept on contracting violently and forcing everything up and out. Her face was white and dripping sweat, and tears. Eventually, she lurched forward and sunk to her knees. After a while, the vomiting stopped and Maggie's panic stopped. Her mind was still filled with thoughts she couldn't make sense of. In the vicinity of her eyes, Maggie saw Gandalf's staff and the wizard put a gentle hand on her shoulder. He helped Maggie up on her feet and just like Estel had cried into her arms, she cried into Gandalf's.
"Dear child," Gandalf said soothingly, "I know it's all rather overwhelming, but your brother is right. Your father has been returned to this world and he is very much alive."
"How is it even possible?" Maggie asked "I saw him die, Gandalf. I was there that day."
"They are always watching us. They know of everything you and Riley went through during the Quest to Erebor with the Company of Thorin Oakenshield, It would seem that they decided that in return for your sacrifices, your father would be reborn."
Maggie still didn't understand because to her it seemed so impossible.
"Can they even do that?" she asked
Gandalf chuckled softly. "They did create this world and you forget that Glorfindel was once granted the same gift of rebirth."
It was true, Maggie realised, Glorfindel died during his battle with the balrog and it was well-known that the Valar sent him back to Middle-Earth. A part of Maggie was still too afraid to believe that her father was actually there, in Rivendell. It seemed almost too good to be true and she was worried that it would just be some strange dream and that she was actually just unconscious from the stab wound.
"Now then," Gandalf said "Shall we go and see your father? If you'd rather take your time, he will understand but I think perhaps he is also anxious to see you and then you can talk."
Maggie decided that if it really was true, it was better to rip off the bandaid now and get it over with. She followed Gandalf back into the house and he led her through the corridors to her bedroom, where Theo was no doubt still asleep. They stopped just outside the doorway and Maggie turned to Gandalf who just smiled at her warmly, while gently stroking her cheek.
"You will be alright." Gandalf assured her "Riley is in there too. If you need me or anyone else, we will be nearby."
Maggie nodded and as Gandalf left, she stood in front of the doorway for a few moments, trying to gather enough courage. After inhaling and exhaling a particularly deep breath, she carefully pushed the door open. She stood in the doorway to her bedroom and saw both Riley and her father there. Riley was holding Theo in his arms when he noticed Maggie and he took a couple of steps back, as if to give her some space to figure out what to do. For a moment, there were just silence between them (apart from Theo's gentle cooing) until finally Maggie walked up to her father. She studied him carefully, examined and every wrinkle and dimples in his face. His eyes were still the same shade of amber they had always been, and his dark brown hair still didn't have a single strand of grey hair. The only significant change, was the Maggie thought he looked a bit thinner than she remembered, but then if he had been held imprisoned, perhaps that wasn't so strange.
"It's really you?" Maggie asked and realised her voice quivered. "This isn't some trick or hallucination? I'm not actually having a nervous breakdown?"
"It's me, Maggie." Amandil replied calmly "
Carefully, she touched her father's face. His skin was soft and his beard had the same texture as always. Amandil gently put his hand on his daughter's and when Maggie was finally sure that he was actually real, she threw her arms around her father who pulled her in for a long awaited embrace. Suddenly, Maggie felt as though she was a small child again, who was seeing her dad after being a way for ages. She wasn't sure when she'd started crying by Amandil dried away her tears.
"I don't understand how this is possible?" She asked "Gandalf said the Valar granted you life but, how?"
"The Valar decided that you and your brother's feats during the Quest to Erebor were worthy of a reward. So, just like they once did with Glorfindel, they granted me life again." Amandil explained
"Except, as is our usual luck, something didn't go right." Riley added "Somehow, the Blue Wizards were made aware of this and dad's arrival in Middle-Earth was intercepted by their magic. They captured him and imprisoned him in Dol Guldur. Those visions we had during the quest? It wasn't actually dad's ghost, it was just dad tapping into the wizards' magic somehow. They were always watching us."
"But why?" Maggie asked "What did we ever do to them?"
"You are my children," Amandil told her. "The Blue Wizards are allies with Sauron himself. He has long since turned their will to his. Ever since I found out that he manipulated Ar-Pharazon in Numenor, it has been his wish to destroy our family's bloodline, no matter what it takes. I believe he has been able to foresee the future and knows that if both Estel and Theo grow up to follow their destinies, he will suffer. That's why he used the Blue Wizards to persuade the Nameless into killing you."
"Pack mentality," Riley said "Convince enough religious fanatics that their world-view is being threatened and they will do whatever it takes to preserve it. Even if it means killing an innocent child. Theo and Estel are going to grow up together, imagine what a bond like that between men, elves and dwarves will do to Sauron?"
"Sauron holds a grudge, huh?" Maggie joked. "At least, now we know why a cult has been trying to kill us."
In one way, Maggie was relieved that they now had answers to everything that had been going on. She wasn't sure what the news was on Malhas, but at least with Talathel dead, perhaps things would begin to calm down and they could get back to normal for a while.
She looked at her dad who studied her with a smile on his face. A smile she hadn't seen in many years.
"Look at you," he whispered as he cupped her cheek. "You have grown into such a beautiful woman. And you have a son! He is precious."
"Yeah, you've missed out a lot." Maggie replied "We have some catching up to do."
"My Lord Amandil."
It was Elrond who spoke from the doorway and Maggie let go of her dad. Both Elrond and Glorfindel greeted her father with respectful bows. Then, to Maggie's surprise, Elrond walked up to Amandil and hugged him.
"Elrond, my old friend," Amandil said "It's wonderful to see you again. Long years have passed since our last meeting."
Maggie reached for Elrond's hand and he put his arm around her.
"Oh," Amandil teased "You're right, I have missed out on a few things."
"Why don't we all retreat to the Hall of Fire?" Elrond suggested "I will have some supper prepared and we can all catch up, as it were."
"Yes, I'd like that."
"You guys go ahead." Maggie said, "Riley and be right there."
Amandil kissed her on the forehead and left the room with Elrond and Glorfindel. Maggie turned to Riley who sat on the bed with Theo.
"You knew he was in Dol Guldur?" Maggie asked "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Honestly, I wasn't sure you'd believe me." Riley replied, "Besides, you had so much else going on, I figured you could do without my drama."
"Speaking of your drama. I think now might be a good time for you to find Bilbo."
Riley sighed unhappily and Maggie could tell he was nervous.
"It'll be alright, Ri." she told him. "You can do this and whatever happens Bilbo will listen. You know where I'll be afterwards."
"You're right." Riley agreed and carefully passed Theo back to Maggie. "Wish me luck."
Maggie knew that Riley didn't need luck, but nevertheless she hoped his conversation went well. She could tell he regretted kissing Glorfindel and it wasn't a mistake he was likely to do again. While things were better, she could still tell something was slightly off with her brother. She couldn't quite tell what it was but she hoped he would figure things out with Bilbo because he deserved to be happy.
"Come on Theo," Maggie said "Let's go spend time with your grandad."
She left her bedroom, feeling for the first time in a long while that things were going back to normal.
To be continued…
There we go! Whew! It wasn't the most exciting chapter, sorry about that! But we found out why the Nameless have been trying to kill Maggie and Riley. We had some Maggie and Riley moments and some Maggie and Estel moments.
Next chapter will be Maggie's surprise birthday party planned by Bilbo! What will happen there? Will Bilbo and Riley reconcile? Let me know what you think!