Star-Crossed

Chapter 54

"Hold her steady!" Celeborn shouted as Beuren struggled against them. Haldir and Celeborn struggled to hold her arms and legs. Arwen held Beuren's head still, cringing as she began to scream incoherently. 

"ADA!" Beuren screeched. 

"Hallucinations?"

"It has to be." Arwen said. "Her Father is dead, so is Arathorn. I am unsure of who this Frerin-"

"Steady!" Haldir nearly lost control of her kicking legs. "We need to bind her!" Celeborn ordered, two healers gave nods, rushing from the room to find something that would secure her. 

"My lady-" Haldir looked conflicted, unsure of how he was going to bow. 

"Mithrandir sent her." Arwen groaned, her grip slipped as Beuren began flailing her head about. 

"She's very sick-"

"This is not sickness." Galadriel placed a gentle hand on Beuren's forehead. Her writhing stopped, her breath slowed a bit, her heart quite racing. "This is an invasion." 

"Galadriel?" Celeborn watched her, confusion evident. 

"Radagst was right." She reached into her robes retrieving a small vile. She uttered something no one could hear and pressed the vile to Beuren's chest. Beuren's eyes flew open and she screamed loud enough to cause those in the room to cover their ears. Gladirel stood unflinching. "I release you!" Her voice deepened, became booming as the room darkened. "Follow the light. The light of Eärendil will bring you home." Beuren's body seized up and she silenced. Then with one more shrill cry, her body arched, a dark shadow rushing from her small frame. She collapsed back onto the table with a thud. There was a long awkward moment where Arwen and Haldir shared worried glances at the half elf. Carefully, Haldir poked her foot, jumping when she sat up right with a gasp. 

"Beuren, Beuren, it's me." Her eyes were wiled when she looked back at Arwen. 

"Hi." She panted for air, looking about the room in utter bewilderment. "Who are you?" She shouted looking at Haldir. Celeborn moved beside her, catching her attention. "Who are you?" A hand rested on her shoulder, her head spun again to face a fourth body. "Milady?" Galadriel offered a concerned smile. "What the fuck is going on here? Where am I? Gandalf! Where is Gandalf? What's going on?" 

"Easy, easy." Arwen seated herself on the table beside Beuren. "You were taken over. Can you tell us what you remember?" Galadriel stood quietly behind her, eyes trained on the door. 

"Um, I got attacked in the mountains by Azog the Defiler. He told me his Master had plans for me then beat me unconscious." She motioned to the cuts on her face and broken nose. "When I woke there was a man, tall, dark hair, looked elvish. He called himself Mairon, then Annatar." Galadriel whipped around to face Beuren. "Then Saruman sensed I was in danger in the mountains, and came to my rescue and called me crazy and I got chased by a bear-"

"Focus." Celeborn said sternly. 

"Right, erm, we were going to the Greenwood and saw a statue. Something was painted on the statue and I touched it and all I remember after that was seeing dead people and feeling like I was drowning." 

"Can you tell us about who took you over?"

"It was him." Beuren turned to face Galadriel. "It was him, milady, it was Sauron." She remained silent. 

"Sauron is dead." Haldir scoffed.

"I know what I saw!"

"I believe you." Galadriel said, her voice echoing in Beuren's head, lips unmoving. "There was a myth," She continued, looking from face to face. "It was said that by taking the One Ring, Isildur cursed his entire bloodline. It is said that they could be used as a vessel of evil, that Sauron could take them over."

"But that was just a myth." Celeborn said. 

"What we had here," Galadriel looked back at her husband. "Was real." Celeborn and Haldir immediately began conversing of securing borders and doubling watches. "If this is as I fear, your friends are in danger, as is your kin." Galadriel looked to Beuren, speaking with her mind. Beuren clenched her teeth. "You must choose." 

"Choose?" She stood, looking at Galadriel fully now. "I have to choose between my husband and my brother son?"