She's On My Mind

Those who lived or worked in the castle of Dol Amroth knew that there was one day in the year when it was absolute folly to disturb Prince Adrahil from his self-imposed confinement. It had become a ritual of Adrahil’s for the last eleven years to seek solitude locked away in his study, undisturbed by the world and left alone with his thoughts.

Many knew or could guess the reason for this annual occurrence and all knew to stay out of his way. The one exception to this rule was the youngest member of his family to whom the circumstance had not yet been explained.

His face drawn and with an elbow propped on the arm of the chair, Adrahil moved his hand away from his furrowed brow hearing the creak of the door to his study. As he opened his mouth to bark a sharp admonition, a small beaming face popped around the side of the door and grinned at him. Adrahil barely had a chance to compose himself before his young granddaughter ran across the room and leapt into his arms.

Having no choice but to catch the four-year-old in case she fell, Adrahil placed her securely on his lap in front of him. He really did not wish for company but even in his current mood he could never chastise the little girl he adored for doing what she was so often welcomed, and even encouraged, to do nearly every other day.

As the painful memories started to encroach on his thoughts again, small arms wrapped around his neck and the soft head of wavy auburn curls rested against his shoulder. The action was simple yet so tender and trusting. Whilst stroking his granddaughter’s hair a tear slid down Adrahil’s face and with a sad smile he remembered another little girl who used to sit on his lap in the same way, in the same chair, listening to the same stories all those many years ago.

Fifty-three years ago to the day he had held that child in his arms for the first time, his heart filled with joy and awe. Fifteen years ago that child, by then a grown woman, had been cruelly taken away from him by her untimely death. Although the years had done much to salve his grief and he counted his life to be a blessed one, the pain of that loss would never wholly disappear. It was on just this one day a year that Adrahil would let his thoughts wander to all those bittersweet memories and allow his sadness to take hold.

"Grandfather, will you tell me a story about the elves?"

Adrahil smiled down at his granddaughter and shook his head. "Not today, little one. Today I am going to tell you about my daughter, your aunt Finduilas."

_{Thanks to Nancy Brooke for the beta.}