A Sorrowful End

by ArwenEvnstr1

Aragorn walks quickly into the room, where his wife, Arwen, sits upon the bed, waiting for him. She was staring at the ground, her breath coming to her few and far between.

“Faramir said you called for me,” he asked her. He walked to her and kneeled at her feet.

“Yes, I did,” she said quietly. She picked up her head and looked into his eyes, her face pale. Arwen then took his hand, her own shaking and cold.

“Arwen?” he asked slowly.

“I am dying, Aragorn. I will not last much longer.”

“No!” he shouted, standing up quickly and turning away from her.

“Aragorn,” she said quietly, her voice quavering. He turned slowly to look at her, tears in his brown eyes. “This was my choice. To spend one mortal life with you, then living forever alone. This was inevitable. Accept it. I will die, soon.”

“How long have you been sick?” he asked.

“A while now, though I have been able to hide it well,” she answered.

Aragorn rubs his hand across his face, tears coming from his eyes. “What do well tell our child?”

“We tell her… the truth. All of it.”

Across the great Pelennor Fields, two children run free. One was a boy with short, dark blonde hair. He had a sturdy build with a small frame, giving people the illusion he was weak. He had dark brown eyes and skin darkened from time spent in the sun. The other was a young girl with long brown hair flowing in the wind. Her frame was small, and she was thin with pale skin and blue eyes.

“Luthien! Theodred!” called the boy’s father, Steward of the city Minas Tirith, Faramir. The two children looked at each other and went through the city gates.

They walked into the Citadel, up to the throne of the King. Theodred wore the colors of the city, green and silver. Luthien wore the same colors, a green dress with silver lining. They walked up to the throne and bowed as the King and the Queen of Gondor were both seated there. They both stood back up and Luthien ran forward.
“Mother! Father! How do you fair?” She held them both close and then backed away.

They both looked at each other with sorrow in their eyes. Luthien looked at them both closely. “What is it?”
“Where is my brother, Boromir?” Theodred asked from behind her, anxious.

“He is fairing well, but he is off with the soldiers of Gondor, keeping the West safe,” said the King Aragorn.
Queen Arwen’s breath began to catch in her lungs and she leaned forward.

“Mother?” Luthien said, rushing to her closely.

“Child,” Arwen said, holding her close. “We need to speak to you.”

Luthien stood quietly in front of her parents’ seats, trying to comprehend what she was being told.

“You are an Elf?” she asked slowly, looking to her mother.

She nodded, tears in her eyes from finally admitting her true nature to her daughter. The daughter she was not supposed to have, the one who was to be a son.

“Why did you not tell me sooner?”

“We did not know that this would happen, at least not so soon,” answered Aragorn. He waved over an attendant, and she took Arwen off to her chamber. Aragorn looked to his daughter. “We must get her to Rivendell, it is the only way to save her. We must read from the book and save her.”

Luthien nodded, and then her father called up another attendant to get horses ready to leave.

Seven days later, Luthien was wandering through the fair fields of Rivendell, Imladris to the Elves, as her father settled her mother in her room and went in search of the book. Faramir and Theodred and went into the land of the Halflings, The Shire, in search of Merry, Pippin, and Sam. Eowyn, Faramir’s wife, had come with them to help with Arwen. She looked off into the distance, wondering the fate of her mother.

Aragorn returned to Arwen’s room, the book of the Eldar in hand. He looked to her and saw she was sleeping. Then he opened the book and read the spell. When he had finished, a light glowed around Arwen and then her necklace, the Evenstar pendent, shone with a bright light once more.

Arwen suddenly opened her eyes and looked at him. “Why did you do this?”

“I could not let you die,” he said.

“Renech I beth I pennen?” Arwen said to him, sitting up.

“ You would bind yourself to me, forsaking the immortal life of your people.”

“One lifetime with you then all the world alone.” She turned her face and looked into the distance. “Now I must leave Middle Earth forever.”

Two days later, the Hobbits, Faramir and Theodred arrived in Rivendell. Luthien ran down the steps and stopped in front of the party, Eowyn at her side. Eowyn ran into Faramir’s arms and they shared a passionate kiss. Luthien turned away from them to look at the three travelers. They were all shorter than her, about 3 feet tall, with curly blonde hair and big feet. They bowed to her and one spoke.

“Hail, fair Lady of Gondor. I am Pippin Took, soldier of Gondor. This is Merry, esquire of Rohan, and Samwise, mayor of Hobbiton.”

She bowed to them as well. She was about to lead them inside so they could rest, when the King and Queen of Gondor came down the steps, hand in hand.

Luthien looked on and saw that her mother looked even more beautiful and older than before. Then she realized what had happened, why her mother looked so grim. Arwen, queen of Gondor, her own mother, was immortal.

They spent three days in Rivendell. In those days, two others came to be there. An elf, by the name Legolas, and a dwarf named Gimli. They were old friends with her parents. They were to be the ones to take her mother into the Undying lands. Luthien felt a cold space in her heart, though her mother was still here, for now.

That night, Arwen and Aragorn were getting into bed, preparing for tomorrow, and the ride to the Grey Havens.
“Arwen, I would only do this because I love you. I would not be able to see you die,” Aragorn said. She turned to look at him, in all her Elven splendor and grace.

“But I vowed my life to you, as long as I should live a mortal life.” She sat down upon the bed and placed her hand to his cheek. “These years have been the best ones of my long and sorrowful life. The most memorable day was when I met you, walking along the bank. I will never forget it. No matter the time I spend in the Undying lands.”

“I hope no, my lady, my love.” Aragorn said this, but he knew in time she would forget him.

Mid-day, the group of travelers stood on the dock of the Grey Havens. Arwen stood before the boat, already holding Gimli and Legolas after saying their farewells. She stood before them, dressed in all white with clear jewels and white flowers in her long, black hair.

Arwen turned from the boat and stood before her friends and family. In turn she said farewell to each of the Hobbits, Faramir and Eowyn. She then reached Luthien and looked at her for a while.

“Luthien, my child, I love you. Know this, I did not want to leave you so soon in your life.” Arwen took her up in her arms and held her close for a long while. When she pulled her away, she looked in her eyes. “Farewell, child of Men and Elves. May you fair well and live long in this world.”

She then turned to Aragorn. They stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment and then she handed him her pendant.

“You cannot give me this,” Aragorn said in distress, thinking she would try and stay with him.
“I can and I will,” she said firmly. “I love you.” They then shared a long kiss that held all their years together in that one moment.

Arwen then pulled away and turned to the boat. Once she was on board, Legolas jumped off and went to cast off. Aragorn pulled him to the side for a final word.

“Go fast, do not let her off.” Legolas nodded. Aragorn put his hand on his shoulder. “Farewell, good friend.”

As he cast off and pushed the boat from harbor, Arwen felt a lump in her dress. She searched around until she found the source. It was the Evenstar pendent, her gift to Aragorn. She looked up to the dock and saw him looking at her. She shook her head with tears in her eyes.

“I will always love you, Arwen Undomiel,” Aragorn called out to her.

“As will I, Aragorn,” she called back. The ship began to pull away, and she shouted back one last promise. “I will come back to you, my love.”

The ship sailed off into the West, bearing away a love greater than time itself.

It was the love of Aragorn, son of Arathorn and Arwen, daughter of Elrond.