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━━━━»•» act one. age of ruins

10. anarinya «•« ━━━━

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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ third age ━━ year 2949

𓇻 eriador; imladris {rivendell}

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WITH STEADY HANDS ELGARAIN WRAPPED A BANDAGE AROUND THE NASTY GASH ON ESTEL'S UPPER THIGH. He was seated still as a statue the entire time, as if he feared her touch would burn him. She hadn't looked him in the eye since she'd forced him to take his pants off in the middle of Rivendell's Healing Rooms. Quietly she'd gotten to work on dressing his wound, wanting it to be over as quickly as possible so she could at least look at him without her ears turning red.

After they'd slain all the orcs, they'd returned to Rivendell immediately. Lord Elrond had been waiting for them in the courtyard. He didn't need words to express his discontent, his face said enough. Luckily there weren't any major injuries, just small cuts and a few bruises. But Elgarain knew very well that wasn't the point. Being outside of Rivendell was dangerous, more dangerous than it ever had been. Slowly she was starting to see Gyda's concern might have been well founded after all.

There was one thing about the entire ordeal she just couldn't seem to get out of her head. Something the orc had said right before they attacked. Three heirs...

It simply didn't make any sense, even if it had been meant as a mere taunt. She couldn't think of any reason why the beast had chosen those words. What had made him believe he was standing opposite three heirs. Elladan and herself were indeed heirs but she couldn't figure out why he'd thought Estel was one too.

"Elgarain?" Estel questioned softly, speaking for the first time since she'd started dressing his wound.

She lifted her eyes to meet his and saw he was worried. He was wounded and he was worried about her. Quickly she looked away again, not able to bear the weight of his gaze. She gestured to his leg.

"You have nothing to worry about. Make sure to keep it clean and it will heal perfectly fine."

A small smile appeared on his face. "Thank you, athae."

"Now, the cut on your head," she said, reaching for a clean cloth. She suspected the cut wasn't all the deep, cuts in the head often looked much worse than they were. But she could never be sure and so she carefully placed the cloth against his skin and started cleaning away the blood. It was much more difficult not to look in his eyes this time.

"Are you alright?" Estel asked softly, not willing to let it drop after she just changed the subject.

A soft sigh escaped her lips. "I'm fine."

He didn't seem convinced but understood her need for silence and didn't question any further.

Carefully she continued to clean his forehead, trying to avoid looking at him. It wasn't until she pulled away that she realized her heart was racing. She cleaned the cloth in a bowl of water before getting to work again. But the silence was growing too heavy and she couldn't bare it anymore.

"I meant to apologize," she said. "About Gyda almost murdering you."

A mischievous grin spread on his features. "It seems there is never a dull moment with you."

She glared at him. "Are you suggesting I like to cause trouble?"

"I'm suggesting no such thing. I've merely observed trouble seems to find you wherever you go."

Her movements halted, her eyes finding his. "Have you been observing me, my lord?"

For a short moment he seemed caught off guard, but he quickly managed to find his words again. "I've found you're quite hard not to observe, my lady."

Now it was her turn to be stunned into silence as those grey eyes held her captive. Slowly she lowered her hand and for a moment she wondered what would happen if she leaned in a little closer...She couldn't breathe, couldn't think clearly. Her heart was racing far too fast for either of those things. Never before had she even considered the thought was running through her head at high speed at this very moment. But she wasn't scared by it, not by any means...

She blinked and the spell of the moment seemed to break. She cleared her throat and raised the cloth again, continuing to clean the cut. Out of the corner of her eye she caught the small smile that had appeared on Estel's face. A thousand butterflies came alive within her and she had to bite her cheek to stop herself from smiling as well.

"Please do try not to get hurt next time to observe me," she muttered softly.

His voice was filled with warmth when he answered. "As you say."

She put the cloth down, having cleaned away most of the blood. It took all her strength not to linger so close to him. Instead she got to her feet and started to clear away her medical supplies.

Carefully Estel got to his feet as well. For a moment it looked as though he wanted to say something else but then the door was opened and Lindir entered the room.

"Forgive my intrusion, Aranel but Lord Elrond requests your presence in his study," he said with a small bow.

"Thank you, Lindir, I will be just a moment," she replied, trying her hardest to conceal her nerves. After everything that had happened today she didn't expect her mentor had called her for a lovely conversation.

She turned to look at Estel. "I will see you later."

He nodded at her and watched her leave with a small smile on his face.

With a quick pace she walked through the hallways, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. There were at least a thousand things she could expect to be lectured on and so she tried her hardest to brace herself for all of them. Trying to make excuses never worked, instead she would have to take her responsibility and admit that Gyda had indeed been right. She shouldn't have gone beyond Rivendell's borders. And after what had happened today, she wouldn't be quick to repeat those mistakes again.

Finally she reached Lord Elrond's study. For a moment she paused, taking a deep breath before knocking softly against the door.

"Enter," his voice came drifting through the door.

She opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her before walking further inside. Even after all the years she spent here, the room hadn't changed much. There were a few more books, a few more parchments filled with ink but it still felt like the same peaceful haven it had when she first stepped foot in here.

Lord Elrond was standing by the window, looking out over the valley stretching out in front of him. He was clothed in deep red velvet ropes, painted with golden flowers. Somehow she couldn't help but feel like the color was made to make him look more stern.

She swallowed nervously, clasping her hands in front of her. "Lindir said you wished to speak with me?"

He didn't turn to look at her but still she could feel his burning gaze resting upon her. "I did indeed." He fell silent, taking his time to contemplate his words. "Come to the window, Elgarain," he finally said.

A small frown appeared on her face but she obeyed and walked over to stand next to him. Her eyes wandered over the color palette that greeted her. A golden sun, a blue river, more green trees than she could count, brown buildings littered throughout the entire valley. It was a painting brought to life, so beautiful and serene that it stole all air from her lungs.

"Tell me, what do you see?" he questioned.

His question seemed to hurl her back in time, back to the day before her father left for battle. He'd taken her on a trip through the havens of Mithlond. And that day she'd made the very same mistake she'd made when looking out of the window. When he told her what he was fighting for, she thought he'd meant the earth they were standing on, the buildings they'd built with their very own hands. He'd laughed and told her to look at the people living inside those walls instead. It seemed after all those years she still hadn't learned her lesson.

Her eyes went to all things temporary first. When, as Queen, she should always look to what was supposed to last instead. And so, before she'd even answered his question, she already knew what Elrond had been trying to tell her.

"I see our people," she replied, her eyes spotting two Elves walking through the gardens and another tending to the horses. There was a group seated in the gazebo, heavenly tunes floating from the instruments in their hands. Another group could be found on the training grounds and as she watched their movements she realized, with a stab in her heart, she missed Gyda. "I see our people happy, content and safe."

"And who makes sure our people are able to live that way?" His voice was kind, not at all what she had been expecting, but it still held the same firmness it always did.

She closed her eyes for a moment, a fleeting image of her father painted in her mind's eye before disappearing again, gone but never forgotten. She straightened her shoulders. "We do," she replied.

Finally Elrond turned away from the view, his gaze resting on her and suddenly she felt incredibly small. "Your answer shows me you are ready to return home, to take your place and become who you were born to be."

The walls seemed to close in on her and the urge to start running burned within her. Of all the things she had expected to hear, this was most certainly not one of them. Which, judging by the way he looks at her, Elrond knows perfectly well.

"Do you disagree?" he questioned.

She opened her mouth, only to close it again. In all honesty, she did not know what to think. If she were to judge herself she would never be good enough to be Queen. Which was why maybe part of her expected Lord Elrond would never find her to be ready either. Or worse, hoped.

"I-I did not think I would ever be ready," she admitted honestly. She'd learned long ago Elrond would see through any lie she'd try to sell anyway.

"I know, child," he said. "But it is often those who do not believe themselves to be ready, who are the only ones able to fulfill their destiny."

She turned her gaze back to the valley beneath her, a strange feeling of homesickness suddenly taking hold of her. She wasn't even sure if her heart ached for Rivendell or Lindon anymore. She was torn between two worlds, hopelessly lost in a sea without direction. Maybe Lord Elrond was right, maybe it was because she did not feel ready that she could accept this burden, because she would always strive to be better. But that was a life that had scared her to death as an Elfling and she feared that hadn't changed now that she was a full grown Elleth.

"So, when Gyda returns we are to head home?" she questioned, slightly surprising herself when her voice did not tremble.

"I believe it is time," Elrond said and it did not go unnoticed by her how he didn't actually answer her question. He was leaving room for her to make up her mind, to tell him she wasn't ready and needed more time. She wanted to grab that opportunity with both hands, so desperately that her heart ached, but she also knew she would never forgive herself for giving up.

"Then I will go home," she said, her head held high. "And I will lead our people."

Elrond placed his fist against his heart and she returned the gesture, though it was far too small to express her gratitude for his tutelage all those years. He turned away, back to the window, but she felt one last question burning on her lips.

"What is it, Aranel?" he asked.

"When the orcs attacked us in the woods, one said something strange." She frowned, suddenly wondering if it was right to put so much weight on the words of a monster. But she'd started her question and knew Elrond would expect her to finish it. "He said something about three heirs, all in one place for them to kill. Have the orcs been looking for a human heir?"

It did not go unnoticed by her how Elrond's eyes suddenly seemed to focus on one point in the valley, very desperate not to look at her. "They were words spoken with the means to scare you. It would be dangerous to dwell on them."

It was the answer she'd been expecting, but one she knew to be a lie. Still, she knew it would be unwise to press her luck. "Of course," she said. Then, with a small bow, she left the study.

With a heavy heart she walked through the hallways, heading towards her room to get some much needed rest. The moment Gyda would return, she would be heading home and there she'd descend her father's throne. Of course she'd known this moment would come but now that it was here she felt terrified. What if her guard did not even agree with Lord Elrond's decision? Or what if her mother thought she was not ready after all? Was she ready to face the burden of the crown?

Through the whirlwind of thoughts threatening to drown her, there was suddenly one providing a life raft. She wasn't torn between two worlds at all, because there was one place where she did not feel lost. One place that provided her with certainty and always welcomed her with the same warmth.

She came to a sudden halt in the middle of the hallway and with determined steps she turned around and headed into a hallway to her right. Her pace was hurried, her heart racing in her chest. If she was only going to have to make responsible decisions from here on out, she would make sure she had at least listened to her heart one last time.

She came to a halt in front of a wooden door with ivy carved into the frame. She raised her hand and knocked on the door, then waited with a wild beating heart.

It didn't take long for the door to be opened, revealing a worried looking Estel. Once he saw who had been knocking so impatiently on his door though, he seemed to relax. "You seem to be in quite a hurry, my lady," he teased, a smile growing on his lips.

She shrugged, though her entire body was shaking. "I realized I forgot something important to tell you in the Healing Rooms."

He frowned. "What might that be?"

The smallest sliver of doubt crawled into her mind but she pushed it away with a force she didn't even realize she possessed. One last reckless decision...

She stepped forwards, reached for his tunic and pulled his lips towards hers.

The decision was far from well thought out, she didn't have any idea of what would happen after she'd come charging into his room. But whatever she'd been thinking of, it didn't even come close. It was so sudden and yet it felt like she'd always been moving to this very moment. And if, even for the smallest of seconds, she'd thought he would refuse her, she'd been wrong, oh so wrong.

His arms instantly wrapped around her, pulling her even closer. Her fingers were tangled in his hair, she couldn't even recall moving them from his chest, completely lost in him.

And for one, beautiful, wonderful moment, every single worry seemed to fall from her shoulders. All she was left with was him and she knew for sure, there was no accidental meeting between souls.

It ended only when the need for air burned too bright to ignore, and even then she continued to hold on to him. She feared it would be impossible to ever let go of him again.

"As I said," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "Never a dull moment with you, anarinya."

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𝕬𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝕹𝐎𝐓𝐄 . . .

I LITERALLY HAD THE BIGGEST SMILE ON MY FACE WHEN WRITING THIS.

I don't think there's been a first kiss so fast in any of my fanfics. I gotta say, it's a nice change of pace from my usual slowburns. Though the question now is of course...how long will their happiness last? ;)

I hope you all freaked out as much reading this as I did writing it. Please share your thoughts in the comments. And thank you so much for your endless support.

xx nelly

ELVISH TRANSLATIONS:

Athae ―Healing/healer

Aranel ― Princess

Anarinya ― My sun