Hearing his wife say that, Sylas looked at Arwen with gentle eyes and said softly,
"My dear Arwen, if you don't wish to leave yet, we can stay a while longer."
Arwen shook her head and smiled.
"No, Sylas. We've already stayed too long."
She laughed lightly, a hint of mischief in her voice.
"If we delay any further, Lord Círdan might come personally to arrest us. If we keep holding him up, he'll never finish his duty, and he won't be able to sail to Valinor himself."
Sylas thought of the long-bearded shipwright and couldn't help but smile.
Círdan's duty was to ferry all the Elves of Middle-earth who wished to sail West from the Grey Havens to Valinor. Only after completing that task could he himself join the final voyage and remain in the Blessed Realm.
In recent years, almost all Elves eligible to sail West had already departed. Only a handful remained, those who had chosen to stay in Middle-earth forever.
As for Sylas and Arwen, they were rather like travelers who already held their tickets, yet lingered endlessly at the platform. The ship waited, but they never boarded.
The problem was that Círdan couldn't simply leave them behind. He couldn't abandon them and sail away on his own. And so, as the years passed, the old shipwright's resentment, though never spoken aloud, had become increasingly obvious.
Since they had finally decided to depart, Sylas and Arwen delayed no longer.
The only unresolved matter lay with their children.
"Elroth, Elseth," Sylas said, looking steadily at them in the quiet waiting chamber.
"Your mother and I have decided to leave Middle-earth soon and sail to Valinor."
"You are both adults now. It is time for you to choose."
"Will you accept the fate of the Elves and go to Valinor with us?Or will you choose the fate of mortals and remain in Middle-earth?"
"No matter what you decide," he added gently, "your mother and I will respect your choice."
Arwen said nothing, only gazing at her children with eyes full of warmth and love. Though she hoped, deep down, that they would remain close to her, she would never make such a choice for them.
Elroth and Elseth grew solemn.
They had clearly thought about this for a long time.
"Father," Elroth said calmly, without hesitation,
"I choose the fate of the Elves. I will go to Valinor with you."
Elroth possessed a gentle and compassionate temperament, much like his maternal grandfather Elrond. His talent in healing magic was extraordinary.
As the third Headmaster of Hogwarts, following Edward and his successor, Elroth was deeply beloved by students. He governed the school for over a century before voluntarily stepping down, choosing instead to devote himself fully to healing.
He became the chief healer and later director of the Magical Hospital, curing countless ailments. He even halted a devastating plague that nearly swept across the entire Eriador region, creating specialized counter-plague potions and spells.
For this, he was granted the honorary title "Saint of Eriador", and was recognized as one of the greatest healers in history.
After another century as hospital director, Elroth resigned once more and joined the Ministry of Magic. Rising from a field officer to Minister of Magic, he played a pivotal role in formalizing the separation between the magical and non-magical worlds.
Under his leadership, the wizarding legal system was refined and stabilized. He ensured the independence and concealment of the magical world, while also welcoming displaced races, Hobbits, Dwarves, Beornings, and Elves, into protected magical territories.
Hobbits, with their natural agricultural talent, became vital suppliers of produce and medicinal herbs.
Dwarves, masters of craft and excavation, traded rare ores, gemstones, and enchanted metals, many working directly with Gringotts as expert appraisers and prospectors.
Beorning shapeshifters, descendants of Beorn, served as invaluable specialists in magical creature handling, sought after by dragon farms, magical creature departments, and private institutions alike.
Though most Elves lived in quiet seclusion within Lórien, they continued limited trade with wizarding cities such as Hogsmeade. On rare occasions, newly born Elven children would attend Hogwarts, though decades or even centuries might pass without a single one appearing.
The Elves were once students, but under the long-term influence of Sylas and Arwen, they gradually integrated into the magical world rather than remaining isolated from it.
Returning to the main point, after serving thirty years as Minister of Magic, Elroth voluntarily resigned, making him the shortest-serving minister in history. Yet this did nothing to diminish his legacy. On the contrary, he was unanimously recognized as one of the greatest Ministers of Magic the Ministry had ever known.
When news of his resignation spread, the wizarding world was filled with shock and reluctance. Many senior officials and citizens pleaded with him to remain in office, hoping to persuade him to continue his leadership.
But Elroth refused, firmly and without hesitation.
He chose to leave the political center of the magical world, retreating instead to a secluded valley where he devoted himself to studying the vast and ancient Elven libraries, pursuing knowledge rather than power.
Despite his long service, Elroth never formed deep attachments to Hogwarts, nor did he wish to accept the fate of mortals and live a finite human life. Therefore, when Sylas and Arwen finally decided to leave the Central Plains and sail to Valinor, Elroth did not hesitate.
He chose to go with his parents.
After Elroth made his decision, Sylas and Arwen both turned their gazes toward their daughter, Elseth.
Elseth did not hesitate either. Her expression was calm and resolute.
"I choose to accept the fate of the Elves," she said.
Before Arwen could voice her joy, Elseth added quietly but firmly,"But I choose to remain in the Central Plains. I will not go to Valinor."
Hearing this, Sylas was not surprised, yet he still asked gently,
"Elseth, my daughter, can you tell us why?"
"Of course, Father," Elseth replied, looking steadily at her parents and her brother.
"I have lived here since childhood. Everything here is familiar to me. I love Lórien, Rivendell, and Hogwarts. This land is part of who I am, and I do not wish to leave it."
She paused, then continued, her voice steady.
"More importantly, I want to give the Wood Elves a place of refuge. If we all leave, where will the Wood Elves who remain here go? They are loyal to me, how could I abandon them?"
At that time, Elroth shone brilliantly in Hogwarts and the wider magical world, but Elseth was no less accomplished.
She had already taken over the governance of Lórien from her mother, managing it with wisdom and resolve. Under her leadership, Lórien not only flourished but also became a sanctuary for Elves scattered across the deep forests of the Central Plains.
Because of this, Elseth earned the love and respect of the Lórien Elves, who believed she had truly inherited the legacy of her grandmother, Galadriel.
Arwen, who had never held a deep desire for power, willingly abdicated her position as Queen of the Elves, choosing instead to live in seclusion with her husband. Yet she had not foreseen that this decision would awaken such a profound sense of responsibility in Elseth, one strong enough to anchor her to Middle-earth.
This filled Arwen with pride… and a quiet sense of regret.
As for Sylas, he had long prepared himself for this possibility. He had seen how his daughter devoted herself entirely to Lórien and to the protection of the Wood Elves. Even so, when the moment came, he could not completely suppress his reluctance.
He reached out and gently stroked Elseth's face.
"Elseth," he said softly, "my precious child… whatever choice you make, I will always respect it."
...
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