Lim Aear

Author's Note: We had a deal with Marisa and since she kept her promise to post the next chapter of her Alien vs. Elf trilogy (in Fanfiction.net; you REALLY have to read it, it's AMAZING!), I will keep mine and post the next chapter of Lim Aear! I cannot believe I got so many reviews for this story, it amazes me each time I see another one posted! Thank you so much! A big thank you to my Beta Ivy too, I don't know how the story would look without her help!

Disclaimer: See Prologue.

italics: thoughts

[translations]

Chapter 15

Come.

Elaine stirred in her sleep.

Come, child.

She sat up on the bed, startled.

Come to me.

She recognized the voice. She got up and opened the door in a trance-like state. She didn’t know where she was going. Her legs seemed to function on their own, taking her down the stairs of her talan to the soft grass. She kept walking, turning around trees, passing beautiful statues and elegant fountains. Further she went, until she came to a small garden where she saw Lady Galadriel, her white dress a sharp contrast to the dark of the night. She walked down the steps that lead to what looked like a stone basin.

“Will you look into the mirror?” the Lady asked her, filling a silver pitcher with water. She glided toward her, wearing an unreadable smile on her face.

Galadriel’s mirror? Yes, Legolas had told her all about its magic. It was something really alien and unfamiliar for a girl of her time… I mean… magic mirrors? She thought with amusement. Why doubt it, though? She had seen the magic of the elves all around her with her own eyes! But did she dare to look into that mirror? What would she see?

Things that were, things that are and things that have not yet come to pass, the Lady replied in her mind, pouring the water in the basin and waiting patiently for the girl to make up her mind.

Elaine watched her step back and motion towards the mirror with her hand. She took a deep breath. Maybe it was time to start facing the truth; she had been avoiding it for too long. She hesitantly approached and looked at the Lady again, who nodded in reassurance. She took a deep breath and looked into the mirror.

She saw her reflection in the water. She raised an eyebrow. Was this what she was supposed to see?

Suddenly, the surface of the water started rippling and changing colour. She could see a picture forming… an old man, with a pointed hat and a long white beard…

The old fisherman! she realised, excitement filling her.

And the little girl next to him… was it her?

The image changed. She saw herself with Justin; they looked happy. Why was the Lady torturing her so?

“Forever.”

The night he promised her he would be with her forever; she read it on his lips. Then the accident. She saw the car smashing on the tree and catching fire. Her knuckles clenched the side of the basin painfully. She started feeling sick. Her eyes watered and beads of sweat started forming on her temples.

She remembered that night so vividly. It was their one-year-anniversary. She had prepared a dinner for them, candles, champagne and everything. He was two hours away and it was raining hard. He had called her and told her that they had finished late from work and that he wouldn’t make it. He had practically begged his boss to let him leave a little earlier, but he wouldn’t let him. As if that wasn’t enough, the streets were dangerous because of the rain and he was very tired. It looked as if the world itself had conspired to keep them apart that night.

But she wouldn’t listen. She thought she was the most important person in the world. What if he was late from work? What if it was raining cats and dogs and the streets were as slippery as an ice-rink? What if he was tired? She had cooked. She had made all those things for him and their anniversary. He HAD to come for her! She threatened to leave him if he didn’t.

So he got in the car and drove in the rain. He could hardly keep the car on the road and his vision was not clear. That’s why he never noticed the car from the opposite side of the road losing control, until he saw it crash on his own, sending him straight to the tree…

Her cheeks were now wet with tears and she had a hard time breathing.

“I can’t look, please…” she choked out between sobs.

“Keep looking”, the Lady said stoically and Elaine turned her gaze towards the mirror against her will.

The image had changed once more. Now it showed the angelic face of the person that had been haunting her dreams for the past few days. Even partially blinded by her tears, she could easily recognize those bottomless blue eyes everywhere. Legolas had a smile on his face. She saw the first time they met in Lim Aear. Their first kiss. And suddenly red… the mirror filled with its crimson gravity. It took Elaine a few seconds to realize what it was, but when she did, she wished she had never seen it.

Blood! she thought with horror and gasped.

“No…” she moaned squeezing her eyes shut.

It was Legolas’ blood! An arrow was protruding from his chest and she was holding his lifeless body tightly in her arms.

He will die too?? Because of me??

“NOOOOO!!!”

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Legolas’ head shot up and looked to the direction from where the scream had come.

“Elaine”, he said under his breath and got up to run to her.

“Dartho sí. Hen ah Galadriel.” [Stay here. She (is) with Galadriel.]

Lord Celeborn’s firm grip held him in place. Much against his heart screaming to go to her, he sat back down and closed his eyes trying to erase the terrible sound from his mind.

******************************************************************************

The Lady of Light approached the sobbing heap on the grassy floor. Elaine was on her knees, leaning on the ground, crying her heart out. She kneeled down beside her, caressing her back soothingly. Her heart tagged at the sight of one so young experiencing such pain.

“The mirror shows things that MAY come, Elaine. Nothing is certain”, she told her in a gentle voice.

“Nooo… I will… kill him… too…” Elaine managed to say.

Galadriel forced her head up and looked into her eyes.

“It was an accident. It was NOT your fault”, she said in a steady voice referring to Justin’s death, trying to embed her words in the young girl’s mind.

“But… He wouldn’t have died… I insisted…”

“Some things are meant to happen, child, and we cannot do anything to prevent them. He was meant to die that night, whether you had insisted or not.”

Do not question fate, little one. Just meet it.

The same words. Three different people. They echoed into her mind, slowly moving downwards to travel into her veins along with her blood and wrapping around her heart in a powerful shield.

Hope. She hadn’t felt it in a long time. She felt lighter. She was even breathing more easily. So much freedom made her feel dizzy. The heavy burden of guilt and grief slowly lifted from her shoulders and her tired muscles seemed to stretch in relief. It really wasn’t my fault, she realised a small smile tugging at her lips. Ah, oxygen! Her lungs were finally breathing in oxygen, instead of hatred for herself! What a wonderful thing hope is!

The Lady smiled seeing the emotions on the young mortal’s face and wiped the tears on her face.

“Your Prince is here, Elaine. Do not fear to love him and let him love you. Your love could be the one to save him from what you saw…”

“…And kill him later”, Elaine added with bitterness. So much for hope. Darkness came down upon her once more, as she found herself facing a dead end once more.

“Everything has a price”, the Lady replied enigmatically. “A price you will both have to pay.”

Elaine looked at her thoughtfully. She was never good at riddles. The Lady smiled again, looking somewhere far-off.

“Go back to your room. There is someone waiting for you there.”

Elaine nodded and stealing a last glance to the Lady, she walked up the stairs to find Limiel waiting for her patiently. She let out a sigh of relief when she realised the Lady’s thoughtfulness: she would have never found the way back to her room alone!


Legolas was already at the door, before she had time to even knock. She jumped back letting out a small yelp, suddenly finding herself in his arms.

He pulled back and cupped her cheeks, searching her face.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice heavily tainted with worry.

Her smile did nothing to ease his heart. He frowned seeing her red eyes and remembering her scream. He could not even start imagining what could have occurred during her audience with the Lady.

“I’m fine”, she told him, taking his hands in her own. “I… I have to talk to you.”

Legolas simply nodded and pulled her inside closing the door.

Elaine sat on the couch at the other side of the room and looked above her at the twinkling lights. She had thought about everything the Lady had told her while she was walking back to the room. Limiel’s silent presence had allowed her to weigh the situation carefully and put matters in their right order. Yes, she could finally admit to herself she was madly in love with Legolas. He was indeed her Prince. Her stubborn denial of everything that reminded her of her guilt, had kept her from seeing the truth: she had known he was ‘the one’ all along; she had felt it; her senses were screaming the fact but she kept avoiding it. She could love him and he could love her beyond empty promises and pompous words.

But she had to leave him before it was too late. The Lady had said that her love could save him from the fate she had seen for him in the mirror… for what? To let him live for a few years until he faded away from grief when she died? How could she sentence him to such a fate? How could she, after seeing the love of his people towards his person? How could she deprive Lim Aear of the blessing of his existence? How much must they hate me for knowing I will eventually deprive them of their Prince… she thought with sadness. And yet they treat me with so much respect and kindness… Is it the superiority of their race? Of living for thousands of years? How could she ever live up to such models? And who was she to kill their finest sample? Their love had been doomed from the beginning. They would never be able to be together. No matter what they did. At least that way, she would choose the less painful road for both.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when a hand gently touched her shoulder. She brought her gaze from the sky to Legolas. How beautiful he was! The candle light created a halo around his golden hair, his deep blue eyes shining in the dark. He looked so vulnerable sitting there, with his head titled to the side waiting for her to speak.

My angel.

She shook her head and took a deep breath. It was now or never. She had to end it.

“I’m so sorry for not being honest with you. I DO have… a secret, so to speak; something happened a year ago that changed me completely… made me who I am. Made me unable to trust you and your love…” she began and took once more his hands in her own.

So she told him everything. About her relationship with Justin, the accident, and how she had dealt with her guilt and her pain. She had cried so much before, that she had only a few tears left to shed at the memory. Legolas was listening at her speechless, his eyes the only sign betraying his emotions.

“I wish you could have told me earlier”, he said after she had finished. “I would not have pressured you so much, had I known. Forgive me”, he said and looked down, angry at himself for acting so rashly. He should have guessed from her violent reaction that she must have gone through a lot. It certainly wasn’t something easy to talk about, he realised now. Legolas, Legolas… he sighed in his mind. So old, and yet your experience has not taught you that some things take their time… He had expected her to open up her heart and trust him in a few days… something that would take an elf some years to do! The pressure of her mortality rested so heavy upon his shoulders, that he was afraid he wouldn’t have enough time to know her and love her completely!

She slowly brought her hand to cup his cheek and pushed his head up.

“Don’t blame yourself Legolas,” she said gently. “We have both made mistakes.”

His heart fluttered at the sight of her smile. He had missed it so much! It seemed to him so long since she had last smiled at him that he felt as if discovering the dimples on her face for the first time. He leaned in to kiss her, only to be stopped by her fingers on his lips. He pulled back looking at her confused.

Elaine’s stomach clenched painfully at the sight. His eyes seemed to her even bluer if possible. His hair more golden than gold. His lips softer than rose petals. His touch more comforting than a warm blanket on a snowy night.

“We can’t be together”, she said in a small voice and let her hand fall from his lips.

It took a few minutes for Legolas to register what she had told him. He was so shocked, that his mind could only offer one word for him to utter.

“Why?”

Elaine stood up and walked to open side of their talan. She looked down at the Elves walking on stairs and bridges in the distance, talking and laughing amongst themselves. She would miss them so much. She crossed her arms and steeled herself for the flow of lies that would fall from her lips.

“I had a talk with Lady Galadriel, as you know. She made me see some things… She helped me realize that it was all a young girl’s infatuation. I really like you and you have treated me with nothing but respect. I will never be able to thank you enough… That’s why I’m telling you now; because I don’t want to see you hurt.”

She turned around to face him.

“I cannot return your love, Legolas. I’m sorry”, she said refusing to meet his gaze. “I… I don’t love you.”

Legolas stood completely unmoving. Elaine had to wonder if he was even still breathing. He could not believe his own ears. He just couldn’t. It could not be possible for him to have been so mistaken. He had seen it in her eyes, he had felt it! Was he so blinded from his passion for her that he didn’t realize she had manipulated him? He refused to believe it!

“I want you to look into my eyes when you say these words.”

His voice was cold. She didn’t dare to look up. She didn’t hear him get up and walking to her, until a strong grip under her chin forced her to look into his eyes. She froze by what she saw there. His eyes had almost turned black from rage. He was breathing hard, but not from exertion. His grip on her face was so strong that she was afraid he would crash her jaw.

It is for the sake of both of us, she reminded herself and hardened her eyes.

“I don’t love you.”

She almost let her tears escape at the blank look on his face. The painful registration of her words and the hurt they evoked painted his eyes with a baby-blue colour, that threatened to shatter her resolution. His hand loosened its grip and finally slipped from her face. A look close to disgust that turned to rage was wiped away by the stoic mask he usually wore.

“I will not bother you again. I will send for my things tomorrow.”

He crossed the room to the door and got out without looking back. The sound of the door closing sealed all that had happened and somehow made it more real. Her mind finally registered the situation.

It was over. He was gone. She had lost her Prince.

She had lost her only chance to love forever.

Well, her past is finally out in the open... I hope you won't hate me too much...! Please review and tell me what you think!