Dear Readers,

Thanks again for stopping by and I hope that you enjoy this latest chapter. You are going to meet a new character.

Warmly,

~Anariel RR

"Oh you dear little thing…" My mother sighed as she glanced at me. For the moment, she had been studying herself in the mirror, the gown that she wore was so purely white that it was as white and luminescent as the first snow of Rhîw. I was bored that day and, with no siblings about me to occupy my time with, I was very much thrown together with my mother. It was a wedding day of a great lady of Lothlórien, Niphredil Alfiriniel and she was of great lineage. The trees were full of merriment and songs of joy that day. Many a song was sung by bards and many a song rendered by the talents of minstrels.

Niphredil, maiden most pure,

Of snow is her soft silken skin,

The headiness of her allure,

Causes my mind to spin.

But alas she is maid no more,

As he takes up the bridal veil,

Oh but there is much to adore!

Yet I have great cause to wail…

For she loves me not…

She spares not so much as a glance…

Oh lovely maid, please give me a thought…

I beg from thee, naught but a dance!

The bard went on and on and on, sounding like he was desperate with love, but I cared not. I was a sulking child who could scarcely understand the point of weddings. They were stupid in my eyes…I had to dress stupidly in a fancy dress, to feel stiff in my clothing, and everyone acted so stupidly. I mused on the point of marriage and weddings. It seemed all so trivial to me.

"Oh Tauriel, love. Do not be so gloomy!" Mother cried as she wandered away from the mirror and over to me. I was flipping the cover of a book open and close, as if that was some sort of amusement for me.

"I'm…not…going!" I screeched, my temper flaring up. However, the more that I gazed at my mother, I glimpsed the gown that was so infallibly white, almost as if it was shimmering. The gown was constructed of the softest white silk that I had ever seen and it completely hugged my mother's hourglass frame overzealously. The décolletage fell low past her shoulders but was modest enough where it hid any occasion of cleavage, trimmed with pearls that seemed to shimmer a milky white with tints of pink at times. At the hips of the garment was a gold velvet girdle that spanned from the hips to just about midway up the chest, ending below the bust. To fasten the girdle into place was a large but ostentatious gold belt that had all sorts of designs all over it – designs largely of flowery meadows that reminded one of spring. It hugged her lips tightly and the ends travelled down to about where her calves were. Atop her head was a simple diadem, clearly inferior to the majestic diadem one would see grace the head of Lady Galadriel or Lady Arwen. Even in its simplicity, it was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen. The diadem was constructed of white gold and diamonds but it was so delicate. In its very front was the outline of a lily with a single teardrop-shaped pearl that dangled from the lowest point of the lily. It suspended the pearl in the forehead of the wearer. The rest of the diadem was replete with elegant designs, swirls, little flowers here and there, and a seashell or two. Upon my feet my mother wore white slippers of soft silk, the toes peppered with little diamonds and pearls. She was so elegant.

"You will one day wear this dress, Tauriel. One day you will marry…and when you announce the man of your heart to all…you will wear it, too." She beamed. She took off the diadem for a moment and beckoned me over. I dutifully obeyed and meandered over to her. All smiles, she placed it upon my head and when I gazed myself in the mirror, I gasped.

Dearest Book,

I panic…I cannot breathe. There is no sleep to be taken…no respite to be found. I can scarcely think straight and all I want to do is scream. However, screaming is something that I cannot do. I must keep my wits about me. Perhaps there is a logical reason to get out of this. Perhaps there is some way to escape this pronouncement.

Galhanar came to visit me today in my bedchamber. I was busy flipping through a book about the history of the Elves and where they came from. It was something that I read about from time to time but was sometimes boring. This time, I was bored beyond words. When I had heard the door open, I didn't look over my shoulder because I had thought it to be Legolas as he often visited me around that time.

"Tauriel Dûthalioniel…" The largely unfamiliar voice spoke my name as if attempting to capture my attention. Glancing behind me, I saw with astonishment Galhanar. Where Legolas is the luminescence of day, Galhanar is the dusky night with his long blue-black hair and his sharp night-sky eyes. He stood there in his ceremonial armor, inferior to that of Legolas, but it bespoke of his status as well as his ability as a warrior. The chest-plate was spiked in numerous places and his matching gauntlets jut out at the ends. He looked every bit the handsome lord that he was and to other maidens, he would have been desirable. To me? He was utterly loathsome. I could scarcely look at him for I was so enraged. His face long and thin, his eyes intense pools of sapphire.

"Galhanar Helegonion…" I greeted him just a formally, eventually drawing myself to my feet. I could scarcely hide my disgust as much as I tried. I wanted so much to scream, to attack him.

"Man i theled cared?" I studied him coldly, speaking the worlds in the calmest tone that I could muster. "You were ever as brother to me, Galhanar. You know that I love you not. My heart…" I started suddenly but my voice choked in my throat. I was about to say that my heart belonged to another but then I couldn't finish the sentence either. Did my heart belong to another? Was this why I was so utterly broken up about the entire happenstance? For the longest moment, he stood there and studied me quietly, thoughtfully – his sapphiric eyes examining my face as if searching for something.

"Am man ú-gerithon…pedin." He broke off, his deep voice as calm as my own. "We could be very happy together. Love would come…in time. My mother, Midhien loved not my father when she wedded him. Yet in the seven hundred years of their union, their love has grown…deep as roots grow deep…and it bears fruit." I stared at him in horror. He had to have been joking.

"Galhanar, old friend…I am not entirely sure if you understand the words that I speak. I do not wish to marry you…it would be like…I don't know…marrying my brother." I uttered the words as serenely as I could but felt the desire to run off again into the forest. If I had never come back and stayed in the wilds by myself, I believe that I would have been happy. I would probably miss Legolas but I would be happy.

"I see you no more as a sister, Tauriel…but as one whom I have grown to adore thus far. You are so strong…so lionhearted and kind. You saved my very life when I fell under the spell of Orcs." He lifted a hand to my cheek and caressed it gently with his forefinger, a rosy blush rising in my own cheeks. It was not a feeling of happiness that I felt…but dread. Instead of brushing his hand away, I simply took a step back and stared at him aghast.

"I did so because it was my duty. For the love of the stars…I only did it because I am the Captain of the Guard and I was determined to right a wrong." I nearly sputtered, wanting to attack him.

"Oh dear one…" He spoke the words that caused me to flinch (as well as want to vomit). "You know not how much I have esteemed you for many years."

"Lasto…I will not marry you. I think that I can choose whom and when I want to marry. We would be totally wrong for each other. Besides…you are a great Elven lord…me? The King says that I am as common as clay. That is me. Clay." I motioned to myself, clearly determined to make the point, no matter how long it would take. Galhanar smiled at this, dimples forming in his cheeks as his sensual lips curved upwards. I wanted to scream or at least throw something at him. By I recalled with horror that were I to become betrothed to him, the second nicest gown that I owned was that of my mother – the white silk with the pearls. I thought of myself wearing that – the dress that I had dreamt of for years now made me nauseous at its thought. I was enraged when I thought of my mother and how her memory and her dress were ruined by this terrific happenstance.

"Unfortunately for you…the King has commanded this." He declared a matter-of-factly, folding his arms over his chest. "We are loyal subjects to the King and must obey." He paused for a moment before speaking, "Besides…we shall announce our betrothal once Prince Legolas announces his betrothal to the Lady Gilrin Gwathoniel of Lothlórien."

"Out…" I well-nigh shouted at last, pointing towards the exit. "Please leave…I need to be alone right now." Galhanar smiled once more as if amused by this, "Very well then hiril nín. I shall meet you this night at the banquet hall where we will be betrothed." With that, he left and I was alone once more to wallow in the deep despair of realizations. First of all, the only person I could think of was Legolas. The words of Galhanar echoed in my mind, empty and hollow words that conveyed so much meaning. It was during that time that I threw myself on my bed and wept. Two good friends…driven apart by the bitterness of reality…of destiny. Why would the King command my marriage? It seemed so unlike him, because he never interfered much with my life before. Why would he do such a thing when I have ever been a loyal subject to him? Moreover, it seemed like Legolas and I were trapped again…two diverging fates. He, destined to obtain a new princess and me, destined to be the lady of Galhanar. It was just not to be borne. No matter how much I wept, the tears did nothing to alleviate the rage and sorrow within my heart. Had any come to my bedchamber at that moment, I would have thrown something at them. Thank the lucky Stars that I was alone – alone to grieve, alone to wallow in despair.

It was at this moment that the thought finally had dawned upon me…the feelings that I felt for Legolas could no more be called solely 'friendship.' However, I believe that I loved Legolas. Love was such an abstract and strange word to me but I realized that I would rather be with him than anyone else in the world.

Tauriel

Sindarin Translation:

Am man ú-gerithon? – Why not?

Dûthalioniel – Daughter of Dûthalion

Helegonion – Son of Helegon

Hiril nín – My Lady

Lasto – Listen

Man i theled cared? – Why did you do it?

Pedin – I say

Rhîw – Winter