No Final Goodbye (Lord Of The Rings Fanfiction)

Chapter One

~~O~~

Should I go here?

Sitting on a bench, Thea stared at the flyer in her hands. Leaving her stepfather and moving out of his manor to live in a new place, she thought it would all be easy. Her first few days in the city of Aldburg, she managed to stay in a hotel. Then, she was lucky enough to find a small apartment. There was no turning back, Thea said to herself. Looking over the flyer once more, she took a deep breath.

An hour later, she arrived in front of a building with a Greek architectural design. She let out a low whistle. 'The New Grand Archives' adorned the entrance. As she walked inside, Thea stood in awe of the lobby. With its marble floors and expansive staircases, she had never seen anything more stylish.

Too extravagant for a public library, she thought.

Clutching her portfolio, she immediately approached the reception desk. "I hope I can find a job here. This is my last stop for today. Give this one to me, please." Thea whispered.

There were three female receptionists. One of them finally looked up at her and smiled.

"Good afternoon. Welcome to the New Grand Archives. Can I help you?"

"Hi. I saw this flyer that says the library re-opens today. Do you have any employment opportunities?" She showed her the piece of paper.

"Oh, I'm sorry. We don't have any available at the moment but we will contact you if anything changes. Do you have a resumé?" the woman asked.

"Yes, I have one." Disappointed, Thea pulled one from her bag and handed it to her.

"Thea Wynters. We will keep your application on file. Thank you for your interest."

The day was almost over and nothing productive came from her job search, but it won't stop her from trying again tomorrow. Before Thea decided to call it a day, she grabbed the opportunity to explore the library and climbed to the second floor. There were books about governance and taxation on the left while science and history were on the right. She then ventured to the third floor. There were mostly children's books, but her gaze landed on the sign 'Myths and Folklores'. She did not know why but Thea felt a pull.

The ambiance was soothing and serene. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A man in his mid-forties and a young boy occupied a smoothly polished table beside the shelves. As she passed by, the boy looked up and gave her a light nod, then went back to reading.

Soon she spotted books with titles such as Dwarves of Erebor, Quest For The Lonely Mountain, War Of The Jewels, and The Great Journey. The stories were not familiar to her, yet she found them fascinating. A book called Hobbits and the Shire immediately captured her interest and decided to pick it up.

Thea took a seat and flipped through the pages, noting the colored illustrations. One of them was a painting of Winterhalter. On the description, it said: Peregrin Took. Thain of the Shire, Guard of the Citadel, Knight of Gondor.

The next page revealed more information about them. The everyday lives of the Hobbits, their love of food and all things that grow. She saw the names Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, and read a short description of their adventures about a certain ring. So absorbed in the book she was reading, Thea did not notice the woman now standing in front of her. She lightly tapped the table and sat across from her.

"Hello." The blond woman greeted with a smile. "Our receptionist said you are looking for a job. Are you new in town?"

"Ah, yes. I arrived a few days ago. This place is absolutely exquisite." She smiled and gestured around.

"It's certainly a sight to see. We are trying to preserve its design and architecture for as long as possible. Do you have another copy of your portfolio?"

"I still have one more." She pulled the last copy from her bag and gave it to her. "Do you work here?"

"Thea Wynters. Ooh-kay," the woman said while glancing at her resumé. "No, I don't work here. My father is on the Board of Directors. He's also a major contributor."

"I see." was her only reply.

The woman had deep blue eyes, long blond hair and she was fiddling with the emerald pendant on her silver necklace.

Rich girl. Lucky you. . .

The woman stifled a soft laugh and gave her another smile. "You should consider yourself lucky as well, Thea. I'll keep your resumé, and I'll contact you most likely tomorrow."

She stood up and held out her hand. "My name is Nyssa, by the way. Nyssa Forrester. I am pleased to meet you, Thea Wynters."

She shook her hand. "Same to you."

By the time Nyssa left, Thea suddenly felt a strange sensation. The moment she entered the library, the book she was holding in her hands and meeting Nyssa.

It was different.

She felt like their paths have crossed before.

~~O~~

Thank you for reading! :)