The grand hall of Minas Tirith was filled with the sounds of celebration—laughter and music echoed through the stone walls as the newly crowned King Elessar and his beloved queen Arwen were showered with praises from their people. Maedhros stood at the back of the hall, his figure half-hidden in the shadows as he watched the couple, his thoughts tangled in a web of emotions. There was a heaviness in his chest as he thought about the choices Arwen had made and the love that now flourished between her and Aragorn, the King of Gondor.
It was then, amidst the festivities, that a voice—a voice he hadn't expected to hear—cut through his thoughts.
"Maedhros."
He turned to find Azura standing before him, her silver eyes glinting softly in the torchlight, her silver hair cascading down her back like a shimmering waterfall. The gentle smile on her lips seemed to hold some secret, some understanding that only she could know.
"Azura," he said, his voice hoarse, as though a weight had been lifted from him in the moment he'd turned and saw her standing there. The last time they'd spoken had been filled with pain—his anger, his pride, her rejection. But here she was, standing in front of him, and the weight of his regret seemed to lessen just slightly.
She took a step closer, her presence overwhelming in its beauty and grace. Azura, daughter of Galadriel, was everything Maedhros had ever imagined—a vision of the stars themselves. And yet, it wasn't just her appearance that struck him; it was the sincerity in her eyes, the same sincerity he had seen before, in the moments when they had sparred and shared words in Lothlórien.
"I never thought I would see you here, Maedhros," she said softly, her gaze lingering on him, the smile in her eyes as warm as a summer's sun. "It is good to see you, despite the... trials you've faced. It seems as though the weight of your past no longer hangs over you."
Maedhros couldn't help but feel the faintest hint of warmth creeping into his heart at her words. Yet, he also felt a pang of uncertainty, a lingering thought at the back of his mind. What is it you truly want from me, Azura?
Azura's expression softened, as though she could read the thoughts that clouded his mind. She stepped even closer, her voice lowered, so only he could hear. "Maedhros, there's something I've wanted to tell you... something I should have said long ago."
He raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "What is it?"
Her silver eyes shimmered with a softness he had never seen before, as though she was weighing every word. She took a deep breath, then spoke the words that Maedhros had never expected to hear.
"I love you, Maedhros," she said, her voice a quiet confession that carried all the weight of her heart. "Not Haldir... you."
The words hit Maedhros like a sudden storm, his breath catching in his throat. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond. She loves me? After all that has happened? After everything I did to push her away?
His heart fluttered with a mixture of relief and disbelief. His thoughts swirled, and for a long moment, he was silent, staring at her in stunned silence. It was as though the world around him had fallen away, and only Azura stood before him—her eyes earnest and full of love.
But despite the joy that threatened to bubble over, there was a heavy weight that lingered on his mind—something he couldn't shake. "But Haldir..." he murmured, his voice a little rougher than he intended. "He loves you. I saw it in his eyes, Azura. You were together... I couldn't have—"
Azura placed a finger gently on his lips, silencing him with a soft but firm touch. Her eyes were full of understanding, her smile serene. "You don't need to worry about Haldir, Maedhros," she said. "I care for him, but my heart belongs to you. He has already moved on. There's someone else now."
Maedhros's brows furrowed in confusion, but before he could speak, Azura continued, her voice gentle. "He found his own happiness with someone else—someone who understands him, who has a place in his heart. And for that, I am happy for him."
"But you—" Maedhros began, still not entirely able to make sense of her words.
"I have loved him," Azura admitted. "But it was never the same as what I feel for you. You, Maedhros, are different. You are a part of something much greater than either of us. And in your heart, I believe you can find the same truth that I have found." She smiled then, a soft and wistful expression on her face. "I've learned that sometimes love requires us to face the darkness, to confront what we fear most. And I was afraid of it. But I am no longer afraid of you, Maedhros. I never was."
The admission settled in Maedhros's heart like a weight lifting. He gazed at Azura, a thousand emotions running through him at once. The mix of regret, love, longing—emotions he had buried for so long now surged forward. She had rejected him once, and now, here she was, offering him everything he had longed for.
But it wasn't just her love that was so powerful—it was the fact that she had been brave enough to face her own heart, to cast aside the fear that had once kept them apart.
In that moment, Maedhros realized something else: he had been consumed by his own insecurities, by the fear that he was too much of his ancestors, too proud, too broken. But Azura had seen through that, had chosen him despite all his flaws.
For the first time in many years, he felt truly seen, and the truth of her love brought him to a place he had never thought possible.
Maedhros stepped closer to her, taking her hand in his. The connection between them was palpable, electric—a spark that he had never imagined would burn so bright. "Azura," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, "I've done terrible things. I've hurt people I care about. But I promise, I will not let that darkness define me anymore. I will choose you—this."
She smiled up at him, her silver eyes full of warmth and understanding. "You don't need to be perfect, Maedhros," she said softly. "I don't need that. I just need you to be you."
And in that moment, Maedhros realized that he didn't need to carry the weight of his ancestors or his mistakes anymore. For once, he could be free. Free to love, to embrace the future, and to build something new with Azura at his side.
As the celebration continued around them, Maedhros and Azura shared a quiet moment, one that belonged only to them. The world outside would continue to turn, but for now, they were the only two souls in a place untouched by time.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, Maedhros finally believed that there was a future—his future—waiting for him.