Into the West (A Lord of the Rings Fan Fic)

Chapter Twenty Six

The next morning the cheers of the inhabitants of Minas Tirith drifted up to the halls at the top of the city; they were distant cries which did not stir Amaruil as she slept for everyone who was up and wished to welcome back the triumphant king and the men who accompanied him had gathered at the gates of the city on the first level of streets and buildings. Ever since the eagle had returned to the city and spread the news that victory had been won the people had been waiting desperately to greet Aragorn and celebrate the hope which he had brought.

Amaruil, however, was completely unaware of this and slept on as all the members of the Fellowship except Frodo and Sam, who had already been borne to the Houses of Healing by the eagles, rode through the streets, showered with praise and flowers like rain which brings new life. When she did rise she descended gracefully to the dining hall and found a large meal laid out before her but no sign of Faramir.

“My lord begs that you will eat my lady,” one of the servants said as he watched her look about questioningly.

“Where is he?” she asked as she sat down and picked up a bread roll.

“I believe that he went first to the Houses of Healing and then to meet with the lord Aragorn,” he replied.

Amaruil’s fingers froze and she stopped tearing the bread apart, chewing slowly as her mind flitted between the many questions she wished to ask. “Aragorn is back?” she whispered.

“Yes my lady, he, his party and the army which went with them returned this morning.”

“Where are they?” she asked quickly, gathering her skirts about her and standing up swiftly, breakfast forgotten.

“The gardens of the palace I believe,” he said, barely finishing his sentence before she ran out of the room, following the way Faramir had taken her when he had shown her around the day before. Her feet echoed through the empty corridors as she sprinted through them, the skirts of her dress conspiring against her as they tried to wrap around her legs; holding them in one hand she raced up the stairs and burst out of a door at the top which led into the gardens. Patting her hair self-consciously and hoping that she didn’t look too dishevelled she walked through the gardens slowly, catching her breath as she admired their beauty, both that of the view which they afforded, being at the very top of the city, and of the peacefulness which surrounded their verdant plants; although different from the gardens of the elves Amaruil couldn’t help but admire the way in which they were laid out and in which the brilliant bursts of the flowers and the many green hues of the trees contrasted with the white stone of the rest of the city, making it gleam all the brighter and seem all the purer while the stone made the colour of the plants seem all the more vivid and the greens all the more intense. Just as she bent to examine a flower which she particularly admired, its deep violet petals seeming to shimmer in the sunlight, so dark that it looked like they absorbed the roaming rays; against the bright white background it appeared nearly black and yet each angle Amaruil looked at it from a new shade of purple was revealed, she heard voices emanating from around the corner. Staying perfectly still over the flower, her fingers lightly tracing its velvet petals, she inhaled, shutting her eyes tightly as she savoured the scent of the fresh air, the flowers and the new day, while the happiness which threatened to explode inside her curled up tightly in anticipation.

“Amaruil!” she heard a voice cry in delight as Legolas caught sight of her and she straightened up gracefully, tucking errant strands of her hair behind her ear as she smiled and approached the group.

“Oh!” Faramir exclaimed as they neared each other. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here Amaruil,” he smiled as she came to stand with them.

“I heard from one of the servants that everyone had returned,” she explained, “so I found out where you might be and came here as swiftly as possible. ‘Twas lucky he was correct though,” she grinned as Legolas embraced her tightly, clutching her to his chest as if he was afraid a Nazgûl would suddenly appear and snatch her away from him, and Faramir tried to hide his amusement with a cough. Held tightly against Legolas’ chest the knowledge that they were all safe and that the Ring had been destroyed finally sunk in and she closed her eyes, breathing in deeply and tightening her arms around him as she was overwhelmed by relief and a few stray tears clung to her lashes before rolling down her cheeks.