Nothing is Forever

Chapter 24

Birds chirped and the sun shone through a great archway made of flowers and vines onto the red carpet leading from the changing tents to the altar. People were seated left and right of the red carpet, chairs adorned with more blossoms and various ribbons and bows. A choir of elven angels sang. They surrounded the chairs so that their beautiful harmonies would fill the heads of the guests from all angles. Beautiful stone statues, pillars, and other ornaments sat at the end of each row of chairs, and ribbons flowed from a centre ornament outward to the trees above our heads. The breeze was cool, and it seemed the air shimmered with the fresh, new feeling that surrounded us all. This day was for new beginnings.

Inwe was pacing back and forth waiting to get called, to walk down the aisle to her Love. She saw Merewen, sitting nervously on the bench anxious as much as herself. This was the day that every girl had dreamed of, and now it was coming to pass. And there was no one she would want to walk down the aisle to other than Haldir. She heard the music start playing, and her heart started to beat faster, she was nervous but in a good way. Merewen also stood up at the sound of the music. They nodded to each other, and they knew they were ready!

Merewen's heart beat faster, and she stood next to her best friend. She wanted to peek out through the curtains, like a child acting on stage, but she knew she was no longer a child. She was a woman. She was the woman of the day, well, one of them. The music and harmony provided by the choir reached it peak, and with a small smile at Inwe, she led her friend in the first step through the curtains to their fate.

It first was the girls’ step through the curtains and his breath was immediately stolen. He had never seen anyone more gorgeous than Inwe at that very moment. She looked like an angel, and she was coming down the aisle toward him. He thought she must have sensed his emotions much like her friend Merewen was most likely doing right now, because their eyes locked and she smiled at him. Oh, by the Valar they were almost there! ‘Keep breathing that’s the key just breathe!’

He couldn't help it, he had to hold his breath. This could not be real. This could not actually be happening to him. It was all he had ever wanted. She was the only thing that had ever mattered to him, and in moments, she would be his forever. Legolas realized he had not blinked since they had emerged and he gulped in air now, gaining a smile from his bride. She knew he was full to the brim with ecstasy. She could see it written across his face, and he could see it written across hers. He watched her move, her curves underneath sliding across the material of her dress made his heart race faster, if that was possible. 'How long is this going to take?' he wondered to himself, not wanting to wait any longer to have her in his arms.

Merewen and she were mere feet away from our lovers ‘Dear god, could Haldir look anymore handsome!” she thought to herself, smiling at him as he remembered his need for breath. We were almost there, Inwe could almost touch him now. She saw the love radiating from his eyes, he was so happy she could just tell. This made her happy, to know that she was loved in such a way. ‘Why didn’t I do this long ago?’ she said to herself, ‘when I first found this love. Well can’t change the past now, just look forward to the future!’

Merewen felt her knees begin to shake as she stepped up next to Legolas. She whispered to him, "Amin mela lle, Legolas." He smiled and mouthed the words back to her in return. The other two were engaged in a conversation with their eyes, and Merewen reached out her hand to take Legolas' outstretched palm. His touch made her shiver and the little hairs on her skin stood on end. He kissed her hand and they turned, with Haldir and Inwe not far behind, around to face their mentor and guide, Elrond. Behind him stood Thranduil and Galadriel because they would not consider not being part of the ceremony.

“We are gathered here today, to witness the union of these kindred spirits. Two souls will meet and never part, on this day two shall become one... four shall become two... and until the end of time they will be bound, one life force to the other.” Announced Elrond, ‘This is so weird, I never thought that this day would come, but now its here. I think I am going to collapse, I can see Merewen is also having difficulties standing. Thank the Valar I am not the only one.” Thought Inwe, glancing briefly at Haldir only to see a silly grin plastered across his fair face. ‘I am the luckiest elf of all of Middle Earth! For I have the most gorgeous woman at my side, and we are about to be bound forever. Goodbye bachelor days!’ Haldir chuckled to himself!

Legolas could not take his eyes off her. He was supposed to look at Elrond. He was supposed to pay attention. 'Oh Gods, if I take my eyes off of her, will she disappear?' He wondered. 'I need to listen; if I don't I will never belong to her, nor she to me.' He felt himself smile at her and noticed she was staring as absently back at him. He felt himself speaking, taking his cue, but he could not focus on his words. Luckily he had rehearsed them several times and could have said them in his sleep. “Merewen, of all the things in this world that are precious, of the birds and the stars and the sun and the trees, of all these things you are the only one I could not live without. Your heart, your mind, your purity, your love, I could not live without them if you begged me to. Please take me, Merewen, take me as yours, make me your own forever, if it please the Valar." He could barely hear her response as she whispered it through tears of joy, "Forever and more, you will belong to me, if it please the Valar."

Haldir barely had the control to throw himself at Inwe. He heard Legolas say his vow to Merewen, who was now crying. This meant it was his turn. “Inwe, I will love you always and forever, I will always watch over you and protect you. I will lift your spirit up and set it free, I will lift the weight of the world from your shoulders. I promise to be your shelter on rainy days. You are my soul mate, my other half, you complete me. Please take me as your husband, Inwe, make me your own forever, if it pleases the Valar.” Inwe, unlike Merewen, did not cry, she just smiled the most stunning smile and stated, “Forever and more, you will belong to me, if it pleases the Valar.”

The men bent to kiss their ladies, and the attendants of the wedding all cheered. Legolas picked up his wife, spinning her in his joy. He kissed her again and began to run down the aisle, away from everyone. He wanted to take her away, to be alone with her, he could not wait any longer, not even if they had the rest of their lives. Inwe was not so interested in being picked up, and instead, she allowed Haldir to make her run down the aisle, hand in hand with him. In his mind, Haldir thought of all the ways he was going to make her happy for the rest of their lives, starting with taking her away from all of this, taking her where they could be alone. The girls both smiled at each other, knowing the thoughts of their lovers, giggling as the Prince and the March Warden watched, knowing their emotions were clear on their faces. They left behind the rest of the people to watch them as they spirited away to begin the first day of the rest of their lives.

fin