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Mightier than the waves of the sea is His love for you. -Psalm 93:4
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I am awoken in the middle of the night by Legolas standing from the bed. I squint my eyes. What is he doing? I watch him as he slowly crosses the room, appearing to be headed for the door.
"Meleth (Love), where are you going?" I ask him quietly, careful not to wake Estrith.
He does not respond, and I watch as he opens the door and disappears into the hallway.
A feeling of panic suddenly bubbles up inside of me, and I know that something is not right. I ease out of the bed, quietly racing to the door, but I stop, glancing over at Legolas's twin daggers as they glint in the moonlight like a secret warning. I grab them silently and step out into the hallway. I watch as Legolas turns the corner at the end of the hallway, and I tiptoe after him.
Chills are shooting up and down my spine as I follow him, and I notice that the air around us feels different, just like the last time Morgwais showed up. It is as if she is so powerful that even the air bends to her will.
I follow my husband down several corridors and hallways, my fear for him increasing with every step. He is obviously under the same spell Estrith was that day in the garden- which seems like a lifetime ago. My heart hammers in my chest as his footsteps echo ever-so-slightly down the hallway, and I realize just how eerily silent it is. Tomorrow is the scheduled day for the memorial service for all of those who died today, and I cannot help but feel very creeped out at the silence of the once joyful, peaceful home.
I grip the cool handles of the daggers tightly in my hands as we reach the grass, and Legolas walks in the direction of the gardens. I roll my eyes. What is it with Morgwais and gardens? Does she have a secret love for flowers deep down inside of her blackened heart?
Legolas enters the gardens, and I hang back out of sight. A figure can be seen standing in the middle, and I watch anxiously as he stops in front of her.
"Ah, the prince has finally joined me," she says, stepping closer to him, and she circles him slowly, her dress dragging behind her like a snake's tail.
She looks around the gardens, an evil smirk slowly pulling at her lips. "Where is your wife, hmm? Where is the princess?" she questions lowly, and icy fear shoots through my heart. I should have known she was using him to get me here.
"I am here," I call, emerging from my hiding place.
Her smile grows wider in the light of the lanterns, and her pale skin and sunken eyes make her appear to be a ghost. "My princess," she says, lowering into a mocking bow like one of the dark elves did, "I am most honored to have you here."
"You are being awfully kind, Morgwais," I tell her in a hard voice, "Though, I do recall you telling me I was a dirty whore the last time we met."
She laughs loudly, the sound crawling across my skin like thousands of furry spiders, and I fight to hold onto my bravery. "I would say I am sorry, but I spoke the truth," she says, stalking closer to me.
"Are you finally going to fight me? Last time you cast one spell and disappeared," I tell her, standing my ground.
She eyes the daggers in my hands, the amusement in her eyes telling me that she knows I have no clue as to how to wield them. "All in time, my dear. Why rush your death?" She turns, walking back toward Legolas, and I follow her hesitantly.
I meet the eyes of my husband, hoping that he is no longer under her spell, but the silver/white color that glows from his eyes tells me otherwise. I look at him for a moment, sadness sweeping over me. If I had been prepared last time and killed Morgwais, he would not be here in the heart of danger. I should have tried to break her spell on him instead of following him out here. I could have found the witch on my own. My heart sinks in my chest. I have failed him. Legolas has never once failed me throughout all the months we have known each other, but I have failed my husband in the worst possible way. And now his precious life is in danger.
"'Tis hard to see the man you love under the spell of another woman, is it not?" she purrs, running her fingers down his arm as she passes him, and she breaks into her loud, cackling laugh again.
"You would know all about that, would you not?" I question, brushing past Legolas, and secretly touching his hand even though he is completely unaware of everything around him.
She whips around to look at me, her glowing eyes narrowing. "Unfortunately, I would," she says, "I have your stupid mother to thank for that."
I clench my jaw. How anyone could ever speak that way about a deceased person, I will never understand, but I have something that Morgwais does not. I have my mother and father, the Valar, and Eru Ilúvatar, himself, backing me, and the thought brings warmth to my heart and strength to my spirit. All she has is herself and her pride. I feel a rush of power- of love- pass through me that is so overpowering I almost gasp aloud, and suddenly I am no longer afraid of her. I will not die today. She will die, and evil with perish with her.
"My mother was beautiful and kind, and she had nothing but love in her heart for those around her. She was everything that I strive to be in this life," I state, tears stinging my eyes, and I can almost feel my mother's hand softly landing on my shoulder as I face down the woman who hates her with every last piece of her soul, "You envied her because of this. Your heart is why my father could never love you. You are evil and full of hatred. How could any man ever love a dog like you?" My voice shakes with anger as I stare her down, and I feel another hand on my other shoulder, as real as any person's touch. My father. I close my eyes for a moment, picturing my parents standing beside me with proud smiles. I know if I turn, I would not see them, but they are here. They may not be here in the flesh, but I know without a single doubt in my heart that they are here with me in spirit.
Morgwais practically growls, further proving my statement about her being a dog. "How dare you talk to me that way?" she grates out between clenched teeth, "I have been through so much pain all these years because of your mother. I prayed to the Valar, to your precious Eru," she says his name in a sickly sweet, yet horribly bitter tone, "But I see the truth now. They care for none of us, Eilonwy. The quicker you learn that, the better." She is so overcome with emotion that she is shaking, and she is gasping for breath as she clutches at her chest.
"Everyone must deal with pain in life, Morgwais. You are not the only one to ever suffer. My parents were killed-murdered- because they were trying to protect me. That is true love, which you will never know. If you truly loved my father, you would have accepted that he was happy with my mother, and you would have been happy for him. That is how Elladan felt. He loved my mother with such strong passion, yet he let her go because he wanted her to be happy. That is true love," I repeat, tears flowing down my cheeks as I see the unbearable grief upon her face. She stares at me, looking as lost and pitiful as an elfling, and I feel sorry for her. "Eru Ilúvatar and the Valar love us more than we can ever comprehend. Sometimes what we wish for-what we even pray for- is not what is meant to be. Your heartbreak should have been a lesson for you, Morgwais. You could have gone on to heal and eventually fall in love with the one who was truly meant for you, but you allowed your hatred to consume you."
She stares at me, her eyes wide, and her body is still trembling. For a moment, I almost believe that I have changed her mind. She looks at me, so broken and weary, and I can see the true woman inside of her- the woman that loved and was hurt, the woman who allowed herself to be seduced by evil. Her silvery-white eyes look into mine like a plea for help and love.
But then a shadow falls over her face, and the wounded, naive woman is no longer there, as if she never existed. Instead, a twisted, malicious smile slowly grows on her lips, and she steps forward, shaking her head back and forth. "No," she whispers, "No!" Her scream rips through the silence of Rivendell, and I jump, backing away from her a bit. Her eyes are suddenly animalistic, staring me down like prey. "You think you can waltz in and change my mind. You are such a coward, filling my head with nonsense just to save your sorry life," she says, her eyes searching mine quickly, and her body is shaking like a leaf, "No. You will suffer, just as I did. You will feel my pain."
I channel my frustration, anger, sorrow, and love, and my powers rise within me. As she raises her hand, her eyes dancing with a psychotic light that reminds me of fire, I have no doubt that I am ready for her strike. An agonizingly bright orange and yellow ball of energy forms in her hands, and the hairs on my arms stand up at the sheer feeling of electricity in the air surrounding us. I shield myself, one hundred percent ready for her attack, but what she does at the last second, I could never prepare myself for in a million years.
Her hands move to the right, and the blast of energy I was expecting to come at me, sails right past my shoulder. I stare at her, wondering how she could miss me when we are so close, but with the sudden cackling that rips from her lungs and her wild eyes looking behind me, I finally realize what she has done.
The most overwhelming fear and anguish I have ever felt in my life causes my heart to stop beating. I turn, time seeming to slow itself down, and I see my Legolas, my loving, funny, kind, compassionate husband, lying on his back. My feet are running toward him before my mind comprehends the action, yet it feels like I am moving through thick molasses. Tears are pouring from my eyes, and I cannot breathe, my chest feels empty and hollow. A scream rips through the air, and it sounds so distant, "No!" The word is repeated, and it rips through my body like a knife, causing my head to ache. But the pain in my throat and head cannot come anywhere close to the pain in my heart. The sound is coming from me.
I collapse onto the ground beside his lifeless body, and I pull him to me, sobbing uncontrollably. "Legolas!" I scream, shaking him, hoping he will awaken, but he does not. He is gone. "Legolas, Legolas, you cannot leave me!" I cling to his body, the one that was always warm as he held me. Flashes of our time together come to my mind like a whirlwind of color.
All of a sudden I am back in Galadriel's library, speaking to him for the first time and shaking in my boots with nervousness. I am taking in the sight of his travel-worn appearance, thinking that he is the most handsome being I have ever laid eyes upon. Then I am kissing him for the first time in Gondor, wishing that the moment would last a lifetime. I hear his voice as the evil man grips my waist tightly in the middle of the street, "Unhand my wife." His voice echoes in my head like a dream. My heart aches with love for him, wishing that I truly was his wife. Another scene flashes before my eyes: I am walking down the aisle, our friends and family surrounding us with proud and happy smiles, and his blue eyes are shining like the stars as he looks at me. Then the memory of his touch is washing over me like a tidal wave, and I long for him to hold me again, to touch me with his unwavering gentleness, and to look at me like I am the only person in the world.
I touch his face, the pain in my heart ripping through my body, and I wish I could take his place. I am suddenly begging Eru to take me instead. I no longer care that Morgwais is still here, that she is watching us with delighted eyes. I scream at the sky. "Please, take me instead!" the words almost take all of my energy, I scream them so loudly, "He does not deserve this!"
And then I feel my mother beside me, and when I turn, she is there. Her form is glowing with a warm light as she gazes at me sadly. Her crimson hair is tumbling down her shoulders, and her eyes are as open as the sea. I know that Morgwais cannot see her, but she is real. I know that Eru has sent her to me to help me in my time of need. I stare at her, my body shaking uncontrollably as I sob.
"You must finish this, Eilonwy," she tells me, and her voice echoes in my head, "Use the love you have in your heart. Let it consume you. The love you feel is stronger than any hatred she possesses. End this evil, once and for all. For Legolas."
I nod, uncontrollable cries still pouring from my lips.
"I love you," she tells me, and she kisses my head. I close my eyes, relishing in her warm and comforting touch, and when I open them, she is gone.
I look down at my beautiful Legolas, and I stroke his cheek. He is dead because of me. I truly did fail him, but now I have a chance to redeem myself.
Gasps of terror alert me to the presence of others, and I look up through my blurred vision to see my family running through the gates. Galadriel and Lord Elrond look at Legolas and I solemnly, and then I understand that they knew this would happen. Thranduil and his family stare in shock, as if they cannot believe he is dead. I meet the eyes of the great King of Mirkwood, and instead of a king, I see the horror-stricken eyes of a father who has lost his pride and joy. My gaze travels to Aragorn, who holds Arwen as she cries, and he meets my eyes. His eyes swim with grief, but he gives me a look that says, "Go and beat this."
I look down at my husband one last time, and I kiss his forehead. I then release him, and when I stand, I feel stronger than I ever have. The wind roars around me, bending to my will, and I turn to face the woman who murdered my sweet Legolas. The smile on her face is sickening, and the wind grows even stronger around me.
I close my eyes for a moment, channeling my overwhelming love for Legolas and for the rest of the people I have come to call my family. I feel the love of my parents and the Valar, but most importantly, I feel the love of Eru building up inside of me.
I open my eyes and see that the smile has been wiped from Morgwais's face. Fear shines in her evil eyes, and that is when I begin my walk. I step forward, the wind and power inside of me whipping my hair against my tear-stained cheeks. In my head I see myself walking down the aisle once again, and the power inside of my soul only grows stronger. This time, I am not afraid of the power inside of me. I let it roar and move throughout my veins like a prowling lion. I do not try to control it and keep it inside like I always have. I let it overcome me and strengthen my stride as I approach Morgwais. I feel the heat on my skin and in my veins, and it burns so hotly, like lava bubbling and rising inside of a volcano right before it explodes.
I watch as she backs up, reaching her hand out to throw a spell at me, but the wind around me deflects it, throwing it back at her. It barely misses her, and she shrieks. "Stop this! Stop this right now!" she exclaims, but her back is now pressed against the stone wall of the gardens.
When I stop in front of her, I stare her down, tears trailing down my skin. "You killed him," I say, and my voice is a mere whisper.
She says nothing, her palms pressed against the ground and her chest rising and falling quickly. Her eyes are wide, and she is nothing but a wild beast, now caged and waiting for her execution.
"I have felt your pain," I continue, my voice rising until I am shouting at her, and I hear the roar of my power in my ears, "I have felt it! But I do not feel sorry for you. You brought this upon yourself, Morgwais. You have taken the person who meant more than life to me, but you have failed because you can never take my most powerful weapon. You cannever take my love."
My eyes close as I unleash the power inside of me. It rushes from me like a flood, and I hold my arms out as the air moves around me at all different directions. The sheer power is incredible, but all I can think of is Legolas's face. All I can think of is that Legolas is gone, and I will never get to tell him how much I truly love him again.
I hear her scream, and all at once the feeling of power is gone. The wind dies down, the warmth dissipates, and I stagger backwards, falling down onto my backside. I look at the spot where Morgwais had been cowering, and she is nowhere to be seen. Ashes float through the air in a twistedly satisfying way, and one lands on the grass where she had sat just moments ago.
She is dead.
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A/N: I cried so hard writing this chapter. Please don't be mad at me! I will have the next chapter up soon. And before you unheart this story because of Legolas's death, just remember that Eilonwy has some wicked strong powers. I don't write unhappy endings, and I still have a couple more chapters in mind. :)
Love y'all and God bless,
Josie