The Prince's Visions

Chapter twenty nine

"When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I." -Psalm 61:2

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"And Cinderella lived happily ever after with Prince Charming, never again to be ridiculed and tortured by her evil stepmother and stepsisters," I finish the tale, brushing my fingers through Estrith's tangled brown locks.

I sigh, fighting back the familiar prickling sensation in my eyes. Estrith lies unconscious on the bed in the Healer's Wing, the covers pulled up to her chest as I look down upon her from my seat by her bedside. She looks so peaceful, as if she is only sleeping, but her chalk-white skin and weak pulse tell a different story. Her breathing is soft, barely able to be heard, and I find myself just staring at her worriedly. I pull the blanket up to her chin thinking of what I could possibly do to make her better. Her body is under the influence of magic, but, thankfully, she only sustained a few minor cuts and bruises.

The door opens, and I look up, meeting the calm, pitying gaze of Aragorn. His eyes are stormy gray, showing just enough emotion for me to tell that he is conflicted. He approaches the bed slowly, his gaze traveling to his youngest daughter for a moment before resting on me once again. He grabs one of the other chairs in the large room and sets it down beside me. I shift a bit in my seat as he sits down beside me silently, and I watch him from the corner of my eye as he opens his mouth to speak.

"I heard the ending of your story," he says slowly, his gaze glued to his unconscious child, "Estrith would love it very much."

I look over at him and study his expression. Relief blossoms in my chest like a single, bright purple flower in a gray, lonely field. He does not blame me for what happened. Not that I honestly expected him to, though. Aragorn would find the tiniest sliver of goodness in any person or situation. That is the kind of man he is. He is true and noble, kind-hearted and valiantly brave. His wisdom is something that I wish I could have even a tiny portion of.

"She does," I reply, "I have told her the story before." I look over at her tiny, frail body, and I feel sad once again as I reflect on the memory. "She was absolutely fascinated by Prince Charming."

Aragorn's lips lift into a small smile. "That does not surprise me in the slightest," he replies amusedly.

The room falls silent.

I wring my hands together in my lap absentmindedly. The guilt still eats at me, and I find it hard to figure out what to say to the wise king. Aragorn always fixes me with his all-knowing gaze- the same gaze that all of the Middle Earth royals seem to possess- and I feel awkward and naive.

"I wish I knew how to heal her," I finally admit, my voice no more than a whisper as I look at Aragorn in distress, "Lord Elrond told me that neither he nor Lady Galadriel know how to help her. They say she is under some sort of sleep caused by my magic." I rub my temples as I feel a headache coming on. "I feel so useless."

Aragorn places his warm, strong hand on my shoulder in comfort and I turn to meet his gaze. For a moment, his kingly facade falls away, and I see just how worried and tired he is. He looks as if he has aged a few years in mere minutes. His eyes droop at the corners instead of crinkling the way that they do when he is happy and smiling. His lips stay pressed together in a thin line. The wrinkles on his face that are usually almost unnoticeable now seem to be engraved in his tanned skin. Dark grey thunderclouds swirl in his troubled eyes.

"Eilonwy," he says, his tone quiet yet stern, an underlying authority laced in his every word, "I will not allow you to blame yourself. There is no time for this. Whoever threatened the life of my daughter, the lady you said you overheard in the garden, is still out there somewhere. We have no knowledge of her whereabouts. She could be in the walls of this castle this very moment, and none of us would know. You saved Estrith's life. This magic that is casted over her right now... it is a passing thing. You will find the answer. I know you will. You will figure out how to help her in time. Everything happens for a reason, Beleger {Mighty one}. Listen to what your instincts tell you to do. No one can help my daughter but you."