The House of Telcontar

***Part of this scene comes from Appendix A, Return of the King. Arwen's and Aragorn's conversation is quoted straight from the book. Other than my characters (Arya, Ayliel, and Celebrian) this belongs to Tolkien.*** 

The young princess Arya rushed through the palace. Upon hearing the news, she had abandoned her horse, half unsaddled and dashed to her father's chambers. The servant had to be wrong. Her father was fine. Bursting into the room, she came to a stop, only to fall to her knees before her father.

"Ada!" she cried, not caring she had interrupted her sibling's and his conversation.

The king looked to his youngest child. He looked at her and saw her. Saw the soft waves of dark hair and bright gray eyes; innocence written on her youthful face and simply said, "Child, it is my time."

That understanding broke her. She had always known her father's days were numbered. The time he carved out for her would one day run out. However, she never thought of how she would face it. And now, now he was leaving her. "Ada no! You can not go," she cried, biting back tears.

Aragorn saw the pain in her eyes, the betrayal. Of all his children, Arya was the one who would not understand. She was perhaps the most mature, yet she had never known loss, never known pain. "Arya, my dear Arya... be strong. We all must face the end one day, be comforted by knowing this is what I choose."

Eldarion looked on silently; tears streamed down Celebrian's pale cheeks as she clutched Ayliel. Ayliel, watched Arya with wide grief filled eyes, not knowing how to comfort her twin. Words could not describe what they felt or the distance between them. Rising from the worn chair, Aragorn felt the long years of his life in his bones. Looking at his children once more he said farewell and left to the House of the Kings where a bed had been prepared for him.

Eldarion, now held Arya, as violent sobs shook her lithe frame. Suddenly breaking free of her brother, she ran after Aragorn. Eldarion didn't try to stop her. He wasn't ready for this either and knew she'd never be.

"Ada! Ada..." In the House of Kings, she knelt beside the bed she took his hand. "Ada I'm not ready for this."

"Arya, tis alright. You will never be ready for pain... but that does not mean you are not strong enough to conquer it. Let me go now when my mind is strong, lest I wither away."

Queen Arwen entered, beholding her youngest daughter and husband. She knew her time was ending. But first, she would pay her price. She would watch her soul mate die. Aragorn looked to his wife. The love of his life. He knew that she would live in utter misery before mortality would take its toll on her immortal soul. And he could do nothing to save her.

"Lady Evenstar, we have gathered and we have spent, and now the time of payment draws near. I will speak no comfort to you, for there is no comfort for such pain within the circle of the world. The uttermost choice is before you: to repent and go to the heavens and bear away into the West the memory of our days together that shall be evergreen but never more than a memory, or else abide the doom of men."

"No dear lord, that choice is long over. There is no ship that can bear me hence, and I must abide the doom of men," she replied her voice weak.

Taking a last loving look at both his queen and daughter Aragorn said, "In sorrow, we must go, but not in despair, farewell."

The two women watched and waited; and King Elessar Telcontar was no more.

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Arya returned to her father's chambers to find her siblings. When she entered Celebrian and Ayliel looked up from where they held each other, their tear-stained faces full of grief. Eldarion was staring out the window; he was king now, but he wasn't sure he wanted to be.