To Hide a Princess

Chapter Eighteen

guess who's back ;)

Chapter 18

I've been thinking about the change that's coming. It's a strange feeling knowing that you are going to have to leave behind everything that you know and have ever known and travel into a new world where life and the everlasting future is uncertain. I've started to accept it though because honestly when I think about life on middle earth so far? It's not been all that amazing. However I have now found a new family, slightly dysfunctional but I belong somewhere now. The new world will give me a new life that won't be constantly undermined by death of my blood family and a constant running fear.

Today Legolas, Elrond, Arwen and I are going to read the old maps and prophecies to find out how we leave this dimension to go on to the next realm. The maps are in a strange mystical language and it can only be read at a certain time under a certain moon. As a child and princess, my mother had taught me how to translate the language however I have never actually experienced the magic because it is so powerful and I was too young. However I should still be able to read the words written.

I pull on a warmer autumn cloak and start to make my way to the deep cavern in the middle of the cliff where the magic must happen. I run through the twisting maze that leads to the centre of the cliff where the magic is. It's a winding journey and it is easy to get lost however Legolas showed me the way the other day and also gave me a normal map to find it.

The cave is exceptionally beautiful. It's a fairly dark room with no particular shape but it has some silvery vines that climb up the walls and various white statues of the princessas, knights and wizards of old.. The most obvious element of it is the perfectly circular shaft that goes strait up from the centre of the cave into the outside world. It lets very little light in and no air which makes it even more peculiar as it has no obvious purpose. The vines seem to originate from the spot directly under the shaft but it is not clear where they go from there.

As I arrive I see Legolas and Elrond are already there only waiting for Arwen and I. Thankful that I am not last, I approach Legolas and stand by him, just looking at my surrounding which are far more exciting at night instead of in the day like when Legolas showed me. Arwen arrives soon after me and our full attendance spurs Elrond into action.

He takes a shining blue pointed stone from his pocket and, unrolling the first stuff parchment map, he draws a symbol in every corner of it. He then lays it on the centre of the vines on the floor under the shaft to the outside. A silvery light is cast on the walls as the full moon begins to rise. At its highest point, it perfectly fits the circular shaft and the whole room is bathed in a silver light.

Then everything starts to happen.

The symbols on the map glow and seem to pass the moons energy on to the vines beneath. The vines pulse with a silver energy and begin to glow brightly. The light spreads along them until the vines themselves start growing at an accelerated pace. Each tendril stretches and reaches out, twisting over other tendrils, interlocking over every door. I gasp as one reaches over the door followed by more and more until our exit is blocked. They keep growing up the walls and over the ceiling of the cavern, glowing brighter and brighter all the time, steadily pulsing with a silver blue energy. Electric blue flowers bloom all over the walls and ceiling as vines make their way across the floor towards us. Everything glows brighter until it's painful to look at.

I am strong but I cannot deal with small places in which I can hardly see. I stumble back into Legolas chest as he wraps his arms around me and brings his head down towards mine.

"sssh my love it's ok your safe" he murmurs. I just shake my head, close my eyes and bury my head in his chest. He tightens his arms around me, pulling me even closer.

"don't worry now it's going to be ok, shush, I'm here, nothing is going to happen." but the light just gets brighter until it's unbearable.

And then it's all gone.

"you can open your eyes now love"

But I don't want to. Not after all that.

"It's ok, beautiful, you know I'll always keep you safe." he unwraps one arm from around me and lifts my face up so I'm not hiding in his shirt. He delicately kisses me and slowly I find that I can open my eyes.

It's strange though. Not unpleasant but definitely strange. Everything pulses with a soft silver light and when anything moves you can see the air warp to fill any space. The vines have formed a circular room that encloses us and is filled with a blue light. Arwen turns to look at me and smiles to ensure I am ok.

Legolas and I walk over to Elrond who is studying the map. Where there was empty paper before , the silver life force that seems to be the energy in this strange realm has formed lines and shapes that shows a three dimensional representation of middle earth. The hills and cities are all formed on the map along with the mountains and plains. A small group of travellers can be seen travelling over the plains. Elrond speaks several phrases in a language unknown to me and a blue path appears. Legolas tells me that this is the path that we will take to reach our eternity.

I move closer to the map and can now see all the cities, some which glow brightly and some which do not glow at all. I pass my hand over my home which is barely lit.

"Eldarwen" I whisper and it flashes brightly.

"Rivendell" I mutter, passing my hand over the village. It glows brighter again.

Elrond continues to mutter and move around the maps, clearly planning in move depth as we just stand and watch him. The maps are so beautiful and whole. I can see all the village people hurrying around the market place and even manage to pinpoint the cottage I lived in for a brief while. But mostly I look at my home. It's no longer whole and perfect. It's tragically beautiful with only four towers still standing from the palace, a corridor of archways and a church steeple. The city prided itself on its architecture but that's now gone. Just like everyone else who lived there.

My city is dead. But I'm not. And I am going to move on into a new life with my new family by my side.