Hope and Memory (A Richard Armitage fan fiction)

An Unexpected Meeting

Eileen Blackwood shivered, tucking her fingers under her armpits as she waited in the freezing room that was 'backstage' for the concert she was currently attending. Her orchestra was doing a production of the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, and she could hear the swelling stepwise theme of the Shire through the ancient stone walls that separated her from the audience. She would normally have been on stage right now, playing the harp, but her conductor had asked if she would do the solo for 'Into the West' to conclude the performance, since she had a decent singing voice. Nerves fluttered in her stomach like trapped birds beating their wings in terror. If she mucked this up, if she failed this performance, she made up her mind that she would never perform again. To anyone. Her friend Emma also played the harp, and was currently onstage with the orchestra, while her other two friends, Lara and Minty, watched from the audience.

The music swelled, soaring toward its heart-wrenching finale, and Eileen took a deep, steadying breath and stepped out of the room, her sanctuary. Heavy red velvet curtains separated her from the stage, and she made her way to one side of it, keeping behind those curtains as she smoothed a crease in her silver-grey dress. As the utterly ethereal music was brought to a close, Eileen stepped onto the stage. She weaved between drums and cellos and clarinets, between flutes and bassoons and violins, careful not to knock any, and made her way to the front where a microphone stood waiting just as the first few notes of 'Into the West' sounded –– not on a guitar, but played as harmonics on the harp. She sucked in a breath through her teeth, forcing herself to remember to keep breathing throughout the song, and fisted her hands in the fabric of her dress to hide their trembling.

Then she opened her mouth.

***

Richard Armitage had found a seat as far back in the audience as was physically possible, praying no one would recognise him, that they would be too enthralled with the music to look his way. Even after having been a part of the production of the other trilogy, even after having experienced first-hand the dedication and minute detail everyone went into during the making of these films, the scope and beauty and power of the music of the Lord of the Rings still blew him away every time he heard it. And this orchestra had done a stunning job of playing it. Even so, part of him still wished he didn't have to be here. He badly wanted just to be a normal guy, for tonight at least, but with the Battle of the Five Armies having just come out, it would be harder than ever to remain anonymous. Harder for all of them, especially with so many fans, especially at an event like this.

He'd blame Martin. It was Martin who had suggested that Richard, him, Graham and Aidan go to this concert for a sort of reunion, and they'd all agreed to it. He glanced at his fellow actors, at his friends, and his heart gave a painful wrench at the thought of not seeing them again except at reunions like this one. He silently cursed himself for being so grumpy. It was bloody annoying being shy.

Suddenly he realised that the lovely music had ceased and a woman was making her way across the stage at the same moment the harpist played the first notes of a song he recognised as 'Into the West'. Yet he barely registered that. He couldn't help staring at the woman. Gods above, she was beautiful. Her long, thick golden hair had been left completely loose and un-styled down her back, hair that caught the light and shimmered like a golden lake at sunset; her face was slender and lovely, filled with a sort of peaceful kindness, and the dress she wore fitted her slim body like a glove, though not in a way that was meant to be at all provocative. The dark silver-grey fabric flowed perfectly over her body, ending pooled around her feet like a circle of lilies floating on still water. She wasn't beautiful in a conventional way, but she had a sort of quiet, delicate grace that was utterly mesmerising, an unconscious beauty that set his heart racing. Almost an elf-like beauty, he thought. Aidan leaned over from where he sat beside Richard and raised his eyebrows at the woman.