Ellaria looked at the mirror; she could no longer see herself the same way. She began pounding on the mirror in anger; it felt like her whole life is a lie. It felt like she was a whole different person, Athena was so different from her past self. Ellaria was polite and graceful while Athena was not. The mirror shattered as she kept on pounding on it, it shattered around her cutting her hands. Fresh blood covering her hands but she does not care.
‘’Who am I?!’’ she yelled as she sobbed finally stopping pounding on the mirror, she let herself fall into the ground. She sat on her knees holding her head, fresh memories started coming in.
‘’How may I serve you my lady?’’ haldir bowed to her.
‘’She has her father’s eyes’’ Galadriel muttered as she looked at her eyes.
‘’Ellaria!’’ she remembered as Estel embraced her and twirled her around.
All these memories was driving her crazy, her head ached.
‘’please make it stop’’ she pleaded to no one in particular, faces kept on popping into her mind. The elves in Lothlorien who greeted her and the ones she met in Mirkwood. She clutched her head and buried her face into her knees, she wanted to go home. She wanted to see her mother, her grandparents and Haldir.
She wanted to shot and scream in pain but she cannot, she can only cry out in pain. The blood was smearing on her face but she does not care, she heard someone came in.
Legolas upon seeing her in the ground ran to her, she looked up to see him in pain as well. It pained him to see her hurt but he cannot do anything about it, he crouched down into her height.
‘’Please make it stop, the memories. I cannot handle it’’ she pleaded; Legolas placed his hands in her shoulder and placed her in his chest. He held her head and embraced her close.
‘’I thought I could handle it, but it’s breaking me Legolas. I just can’t, I want to go home’’ she said hysterically, how long was she gone from home? 30 years?
‘’I’ll bring you home after all of this alright?’’ he promised while wiping all of her tears away. He pulled away from her to look at her hands.
‘’What have you done’’ he muttered while inspecting her hands, there was little pieces of glass left in her hands. She winced as he carefully removed them.
‘’Out of all things I chose a mirror, remind me to find something less painful’’ she playfully said , somehow being with Legolas made her feel better. It doesn’t matter what difficulty she face, as long as he’s with here she can go through it all. He chuckled at what she said, they smiled at one another.
‘’remember when we were children? You would beg me to play with you?’’
‘’ Yeah I do, you were so different back then. You were shy and reserved, now well quite the opposite actually’’ he said while tearing a part of his cloak, Ellaria watched as he slowly wrapped her wounded hands. She silently scolded herself for such a stupid behavior but at the time she wasn’t thinking clearly.
‘’You were so adorable back then, you tried so hard to look intimidating ‘’ she laughed as she remembered the young Legolas pouting at her. his eyes narrowed as he realized that she was making fun of him.
‘’At least I wasn’t a grumpy old lady back then’’ he said and Athena stopped laughing.
‘’Who are you calling old?’’ she said as her eyebrow rose. She tackled Legolas and both of them fell in the ground. They both laughed at their silliness, she was about to stand up when Legolas pulled her back. She ended up falling into his chest; he placed his arms around her keeping her from moving.
‘’ Legolas?’’
‘’hmmm’’ he mumbled while stroking her hair
‘’Who do you love Ellaria or Athena?’’ she asked while looking up at his face, the elf was thinking about what to answer.
‘’You’re both Ellaria and Athena so both’’ he said
‘’ Who do you love more? Personality wise?’’ she asked
‘’ I would say yours, I fell in love with you because of your bright personality’’ he said and she smiled.
‘’ Mela en' coiamin(love of my life), I love you so much’’ Legolas said as he stroked her cheeks , Ellaria leaned into his touch. Legolas waited until Ellaria tell him that she loved him as well. He frowned when she did not however, Ellaria did not know why but saying I love you seems difficult to her.
Suddenly they heard a knock in the door, it opened to reveal Aragorn.
‘’We have to prepare now’’ he said directly to Legolas.
They both pulled away from each other suddenly, embarrassed from getting caught although Aragorn seemed not to mind. He smirked then became serious all of a sudden.
They all went outside to see people preparing for battle, the woman clung unto their husbands who wore armors.
‘’I want every man and strong lad able to bear arms to be ready for battle by nightfall’’ Athena heard the king commanded.
The soldiers began preparing for battle; she was scared but did not show it. They did not stand a chance, she knew it deep inside.
She saw the women and children bidding farewell to their husbands and father crying, it was the most heart breaking sight she ever saw.
‘’Farmer, farriers, stable boys, these are no soldiers’’ Aragon said in a sad tone
‘’Most have seen too many winters’’ Gimli said appearing out of nowhere, referring to the old man that were preparing themselves.
’’Or too few.’’ Legolas said looking at the young boys who were choosing swords they wanted to use.
‘’Look at them. They’re frightened. I can see it in their eyes’’ Legolas muttered quietly.
‘’Boe a hyn: neled herain dan caer menig! (And they should be... Three hundred against ten thousand!)’’ he said turning to Aragorn.
‘’Si beriathar hyn ammaeg na ned Edoras. (They have more hope of defending themselves here than at Edoras.’’
‘’Aragorn, nedin dagor hen ú-'erir... ortheri. Natha daged dhaer! (Aragorn, they cannot win this fight. They are all going to die!)’’ Legolas argued.
‘’Then I shall die as one them! ‘’ yelled Aragorn then walked away.
Legolas was about to go after him when Gimli stopped him ‘’ Let him go, lad. Let him be’’ he said and Legolas nodded.
Athena sat with Eowyn , they were in the cave along with other women and children. She hated how she felt so useless hiding in a cave, she wanted to go out there and fight for the people of Rohan. She only agreed to stay as Aragorn has persuaded her to stay; he said that Legolas would be too distracted trying to protect her if she fought as well. They were talking quietly when she heard a women cry, she turned to see Edith refusing to let go of Arthur.
‘’Don’t, he’s too old’’ She said stopping the soldier from taking his fake father.
‘’ Believe me I do not wish to do this but I cannot disobey the king’s orders’’ The soldier said in a solemn tone.
‘’I will take his place’’ she volunteered the soldier widened his eyes.
‘’but’’ he muttered
‘’I can fight; I am far more useful than him who probably cannot even hold a sword for longer than three seconds’’ she explained, the soldier nodded.
‘’Athena..’’ the old man mumbled.
‘’Take care’’ the elderly woman ran to her and embraced her; it was too hard for Ellaria to resist them. Sure they were not her real parents but they did take care for her and treated her as their daughter though she did not appreciate them lying to her.
‘’I know I am not your mother but I still love you, please stay safe for us’’ she said and Ellaria nodded.
‘’We’ll explain everything after this’’ Arthur said while he held her hand.
Athena made her way out of the cave; she already had armor on and was looking for a sword to use when she saw Aragorn sitting outside.
‘’..There is always hope. ‘’ she heard Aragorn said, he was comforting a young child who was preparing for a battle. The child nodded then left. Athena sat beside Aragorn.
‘’you’re fighting?’’ he asked looking at Athena who was wearing an oversized armor.
‘’yes I am’’ she said and he shook his head.
‘’you know Legolas will not approve’’ he muttered and she nodded.
‘’I know, but it’s my decision’’ she said and Aragorn frowned.
‘’You are in no condition and you know that, you are still weak ‘’ he said but she shrugged it off, she knew they needed her.
She followed Aragorn into a room where he prepared himself to fight; he took some daggers and wore his armor. Legolas came after
‘’We have trusted you this far. You have not led us astray. Forgive me. I was wrong to despair. ‘’ he apologized and Aragorn placed a hand on his shoulder.
‘’There is nothing to forgive, Legolas.’’ He said and they both smiled at each other.
Legolas’ smile disappeared when he saw she was wearing armor, he walked closer to her frowning.
‘’Do you have to fight?’’Legolas asked her.
‘’ There are no words you can say to stop me, I do not fear death’’ she said and Legolas looked at her, he cannot imagine life without her it was too painful thing to think of.
The next couple of minutes were spent of mostly Legolas coming up with new excuses for her not to fight, but she was too stubborn. Finally he just gave up though he made her promise to stay close to him.
‘’We had time, I’d get this adjusted.’’ Gimli rambled and they all turned to look at the dwarf.
‘’It’s a little tight across the chest. ’’ He said and we chuckled, it was too big for him and he looked so adorable Athena thought.
They were laughing when they heard sounds of horn from the outside.
‘’That is no Orc horn’’ Legolas said and they all made their way outside.
‘’Open the gate!’’ they heard a guard commanded, when the gate opened they saw an army of elves armed and prepared for battle.
‘’How is this possible?’’ Théoden said in amazement, there was an elf that came forward.
’’I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell. An alliance once existed between Elves and Men. Long ago we fought and died together’’ the elf said while looking at Aragorn and Legolas.
‘’We come to honor that allegiance’’ Aragon ran down from the stairs and hugged the stunned elf; he muttered something in Elvish .
‘’We are proud to fight alongside Men once more’’ Ellaria removed herself behind Legolas and revealed herself.
She ran down to the stairs and to the elf that was all too familiar to her.
‘’So It is true, Lady Ellaria you are back’’ he muttered and Ellaria nodded, tears brimming in her eyes.
‘’Haldir!’’ she yelled as she embraced the elf.
‘’You’re a lady now, a beautiful lady’’ Haldir said as he pulled away and ruffled her hair.
An elf bowed to her and soon after it was followed by others. She bowed back smiling at her kin. She was looking through the whole elven army , she was disappointed however when she did not found who she was looking for.
‘’Naneth?(mother)’’ she asked Haldir.
‘’I am afraid she is too weak to come, she is still recovering. She knows you are here, she will arrive after the battle.She is very happy to find you at last’’ Haldir said and she nodded.
‘’No worries, we still have time’’ she said understanding that her mother was in no condition, she cannot wait to go home with Legolas and Haldir.