Upon Earth's Opening

Chapter 17 : The Bells of Rivendell

The bells of Rivendell tolled for two reasons: to signify death and to signify exile. These were bells that were seldom heard and when stricken, they were not welcome. It was not that there were few reasons to toll bells. Bells were rung frequently in other areas of Middle Earth to represent births and marriages. But, as ever in Rivendell, things were run a little differently.

Caen desperately did not want to hear those bells.

The image of her father, dead, finally dead, was imprinted on her mind. It was liberation for her, her childhood dream of being saved by her prince had never really faded, and yet it was a condemnation. His lasts words to her echoed through the caverns of her memory: "I will live on, daughter of mine. Through you."

As Caen sat on the cold floor, she wanted to be angry at Legolas… she wanted to curse him for his foolishness and his pride. But even as she wished that he had not gone, how could she curse the elf who had set her free? What fault was his when she was the one who was foolish, in the end?

It was bitter and ironic to think that she was rid of the elf who had enslaved her for centuries… and even more ironic to think that his life was ended, his very essence snuffed out. He was the one who had taught her to kill… and yet he was the one who was dead.

Caen shut her eyes and closed her mouth and breathed deeply through her nose. Today should not be the day to dwell on her father. However, she would have to do exactly that. Today was the day of her trial. Today would be the day that decided what would happen to her life. Exile? Death? The bells would only tell.

Legolas was not with her. He was pleading with Elrond in the corridor outside on her behalf. Pleading to let her go, to release her from this cell and wipe her record clean. Caen could hear their voices through the stony walls.

"Lord Elrond, I beg of you. She was not accountable-"

"In the beginning she was not. However, there came a point in time where she voluntarily performed such actions, and it is that elf who stands today before the jury."

"You speak of her as if she is two beings; she is one elf! And she does not deserve…"

"I understand. But her trial still stands today. Morthen is dead but that does not nullify her deeds."

There was a long and heavy pause. "She was once your daughter, Lord Elrond. I beg of you," Legolas whispered. "I will do anything for her."

"It will do nothing. I am sorry."

Legolas did not return to her after their conversation had broken.

Caen knew very well how horrifying the deeds of elves could be, for she had lived and breathed that horror for so long. Would she have a chance to even begin to purge herself of her misdeeds?

There was movement outside of the chamber, and Caen knew that the time was now to face the truth: She would not live past today. With some difficulty, for her new wounds were hindering her, she stood, and faced the two elves that were entering the cell. She faced them, resolute, holding her head high even though she felt that she no longer deserved any sort of status.

Somewhere in her soul, her intuition told her that her presence in the world would fade, and fade quickly, like a snuffed candle. She was not content with this; far from it, but not for a reason she could apply to selfish desire or self-preservation… but instead to the fact that after today, she could not be with Legolas.

Oh, Legolas.

The door opened and two guards entered, warily observing her. Despite her weakness, they still remained cautious of an elf who had committed such terrifying deeds. She thought she understood: She had been terrible for so long. But she let them bind her hands together and walked silently through the halls that she had lived in for almost her entire life. The world was silent. There was no one in the halls.

The trial was to be held in the courtyard. A public trial, she knew, as were all trials in Rivendell. As she entered the courtyard and was escorted to an empty area at the front, some people stared with open contempt, and very few with compassion in their eyes. Atop the dais at the front of the crowd stood Elrond and four other Rivendell lords. The guards left her in front of the dais and left.

Alone now, she sank to her knees, as a sign of remorse. She bent her head to the ground, and when Elrond spoke, she did not raise her head, but bent lower to the ground. ‘I don’t want to die…’

“Caen Mortheniell, you are brought to trial under the accusation of aiding the Dark and for the murder of the following elves:” Here he listed some twenty names. With every name, Caen cringed and regretted every fall of her sword or drop of poison she had ever administered. “Do you deny these crimes?”

“No, my Lord.” A gasp rose from the crowd surrounding her.

“Caen, raise your eyes and offer your case,” Elrond said in his booming voice. Caen knew there was sympathy in the tone, but few others could hear it.

Caen looked up at Elrond at last, and his stern face revealed no emotion. As she looked upon him she recalled the years of welcome and trust that Elrond had given her. This made Caen’s stomach clench even tighter. Without standing, she told her tale, and with every misdeed she revealed, she could feel the hatred of the crowd behind her swell and boil. She heard the wails of widows of elves she had killed, and that nearly drove her to tears. She deserved it, she knew. When she finished her account, she paused for a moment, and then quietly added, “But my lords, hear me out. I regret everything that I have ever done, though I do not think a thousand apologies would do any justice to my remorse. I now face my fate with a clear conscience, having confessed to my wrongs. I deserve everything given to me.”

A silence greeted her final words unlike any silence before. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the Lords to deliver their judgment.

From the deep silence, a voice rose, loud and clear. “I will bear her punishment.”

Caen whirled around and saw Legolas emerging from the crowd. Her heart fluttered and she smiled for a moment, but the smile fell soon after when she realized what he had said. There was an outraged cry from the onlookers and Caen pled with her eyes for him to step back and disappear.

“I will bear whatever sentence you deliver to her,” Legolas repeated straight to Elrond’s face.

“You will? Even if the punishment is death?” Elrond raised his eyebrows.

“Yes. Even if the punishment is death.” Legolas sank to his knees beside Caen, who stared at him, bewildered.

“Legolas, you cannot-” she whispered heatedly.

“Marry me.”

“What?”

“Bind yourself to me and be my wife.” Legolas stared at her with his intense blue eyes. She knew that he meant this, and he would not surrender easily.

“Legolas, this is hardly the place.”

“You would bind yourself to an elf surely sentenced to death…” This came from Elrond. It was more of a statement than a question.

“I would, my Lord. Without hesitation,” Legolas answered in a strong voice. “I love her, and cannot live without her.”

There followed yet another silence that seemed to go on endlessly. The lords on the dais stared at the pair of elves on their knees, their eyes not entirely devoid of emotion.

“There will be a short interlude, while we come to a decision.” With this statement, Elrond and the Lords stood and went into the palace, presumably to Elrond’s study. The crowd released its silence in a whoosh of whispers and speculations.

Caen felt a hand in hers and knew that Legolas was waiting for her answer. She glanced up at him, on his knees beside her.

“I love you, Legolas, but I cannot let you do this,” she said quietly.

“I know, but I cannot bear being without you.” He squeezed her hand. “So I will either live with you, or die with you.” He took her hand and kissed her knuckles lovingly. Caen shivered, wishing that this could be another way; that they could perhaps love and live.

They knelt there, fingers entwined in an apprehensive silence until Elrond and the others emerged at last.

“We have at last come to a decision,” Elrond said, and once again the silence reigned over the courtyard. “There was much dissention among us, and at last we agree:

“First, to Lord Legolas’, you have a duty to the Fellowship that is of great importance, and so we reject your plea to bear the punishment in Caen’s stead.”

Caen bowed her head, and a tear fell from her eyes to the ground, knowing what would come at last.

“However, we cannot ignore the love that exists between you. To remove one of you from this earth would surely remove the other, and that is not the intention that we have as a jury.

“And so, Caen Mortheniell, you are hereafter exiled from Middle Earth to forever exist in the Undying lands, never to return.”

And the bells of Rivendell tolled.

The End.