Hearing Sylas's words, Elseth's face immediately bloomed with a radiant smile.
"Thank you, Father!"
Although Arwen was filled with reluctance, she still chose to respect her daughter's decision. As for Elroth, her twin brother, the unique spiritual bond between them meant he had already understood Elseth's thoughts long ago. He said nothing, only stepping forward to embrace her tightly, silently conveying his support and understanding.
In the end, the choice was clear.
Among the family, Sylas, Arwen, and their eldest son Elroth chose to leave the Central Continent and journey west to Valinor.Only their daughter, Elseth, chose to remain behind, staying in Middle-earth to guard Lórien, protecting the Wood Elves as their queen.
After the decision was made, Sylas slowly raised his left hand, gently stroking it with his right. On his index finger was the Earth Ring, Kaia.
The ring, set with a brilliant yellow diamond, shimmered with dazzling golden light, radiating a deep and ancient power.
Sylas removed the ring and placed it into Elseth's palm.
"From now on, we will no longer be at your side," he said softly.
"This ring is for you. Let it protect you in our stead."
"Father…"
Elseth's eyes trembled as tears welled up, her lips quivering slightly.
She understood the meaning of this gift better than anyone.
As long as she possessed Kaia, almost no being in the Central Continent could threaten her. She would stand as a queen equal to her great grandmother Galadriel, wielding both authority and power. More importantly, with Kaia's protection, Lórien and the hidden valley would never decline, remaining an eternal sanctuary for the Wood Elves, unicorns, and forest spirits.
In the end, Elseth did not refuse.
Under the reassuring gazes of her parents and brother, she slowly placed the ring upon her finger.
But Sylas did not stop there.
Fearing that even this might not be enough, he entrusted her with the Crown of Wisdom, the Invisibility Cloak, the Golden Goblet, and countless other ancient artifacts. He formally passed Hogwarts Castle into her care, along with the treasures sealed within its underground vaults.
He even bound the ancient beings, the slumbering dragon Smaug, the thunderbird Thorondo, the Basilisk Herpo, and the abyssal Kraken, to Elseth, recognizing her as their new mistress.
Only after everything was settled did Sylas finally feel at ease.
On the summer solstice of the 500th year of the Fourth Age, Sylas and his companions arrived at Ash Harbor, preparing to sail west.
The harbor was now silent and desolate.
Only the shipwright Círdan, dressed in blue-and-white Elven robes, remained, along with a handful of old Teleri sailors who had stayed behind to escort the final voyagers to Valinor.
Hidden by ancient magic, the harbor had never been touched by human hands, yet time had still claimed it. Only a single exquisite silver ship lay anchored at the docks. No other vessels remained. No songs echoed across the waves.
Once this ship departed, Ash Harbor would truly become empty.
Standing upon the dock, Círdan smiled and joked with a hint of mock grievance:
"You are the last ones remaining in the Central Continent. I had thought I would be waiting here another thousand years before you finally set sail."
Sylas laughed softly.
"We truly did plan to stay that long," he replied.
"But Arwen feared that if we delayed any longer, Lord Círdan might personally come to Lórien to arrest us."
Arwen, dressed in a pure white hooded robe, smiled gently and merely inclined her head in greeting.
Behind her stood Elroth and Elseth, silent and composed.
Sylas then gestured toward them.
"Lord Círdan, these are my children, my son Elroth, and my daughter Elseth."
Both siblings stepped forward and bowed politely.
Círdan studied them carefully, his ancient eyes filled with admiration.
"Truly outstanding," he said warmly.
"Your son, Elroth, not only does he resemble you, but he carries the very spirit of Elrond himself."
His gaze then turned to Elseth.
"And your daughter… for a moment, I thought I was seeing Lady Galadriel once more. Magnificent."
He laughed softly.
"You have been blessed, Sylas. Such exceptional young elves are exceedingly rare in this age."
As parents, Sylas and Arwen exchanged a quiet smile, filled with pride, and love.
Sylas's smile grew radiant, the corners of his mouth lifting in a way he could not suppress.
Círdan, one of the oldest Elves remaining in Middle-earth, might not have possessed power on the level of the Valar, yet his wisdom and insight were comparable to theirs. His keen gaze swept over Elroth and Elseth, and he asked thoughtfully:
"It seems you have both made your choices of destiny. Does this mean you will accompany me to Valinor this time?"
Círdan naturally knew that the half-Elves of Elrond's bloodline were granted the freedom to choose their fate, Elf or mortal. Now that the once-blurred destinies of the siblings had become clear, both choosing the fate of the Elves, his assumption was reasonable.
Yet at his words, the previously relaxed atmosphere grew heavy.
Arwen instinctively drew her daughter closer, her emotions surging. Sylas sighed softly and explained:
"Although they both chose the fate of the Elves, Elseth has decided to remain in the Central Continent, relinquishing her right to go to Valinor. This is her choice, and we respect it."
Círdan was momentarily taken aback.
He studied the tall, beautiful young Elf before him and found that Elseth resembled her great grandmother Galadriel even more than he had expected. At first, concern stirred in his heart, after all, as magic gradually withdrew from the Central Continent, Elves who remained would inevitably be eroded by time, losing their immortality and fading from the world.
But then his gaze fell upon the ring on Elseth's finger.
The Earth Ring, Kaiya.
At once, his concern eased.
As long as she bore Kaiya, time itself would lose its dominion over her. The land under the ring's protection would remain unchanged, preserved in vitality and form. There was no longer any need to fear Elseth's fate, or that of the Elves who chose to remain.
More than that, her presence might become a final blessing for the Elves of the Central Continent.
A queen bearing the Earth Ring.
Perhaps, under her rule, the Wood Elves would finally have a lasting home.
With that thought, Círdan's regard for Elseth deepened.
Thus, Elseth became the ruler of Lórien, the Valley of Darkness, Hogwarts, Eisen, Hill Dorraine, Ash Harbor, and the United Territories of Linton.
Círdan went even further.
He passed down to her his shipbuilding knowledge, blueprints, and craftsmanship secrets, treasures accumulated over millennia. As the greatest shipwright of the Central Continent, his teachings alone were enough to allow Elseth to one day construct fleets capable of ruling the seas.
Even Elseth, ambitious, resolute, and proud, could not refuse such a gift.
Her choice to remain in the Central Continent was never meant to confine her to Lórien alone. Though she harbored no desire for world domination, she had no intention of merely standing aside as history unfolded. She wished to participate, to shape the future, not merely witness it.
Círdan's gifts eased the sorrow of parting.
The group remained at Ash Harbor for some time, waiting until Círdan had fully transferred all responsibilities to Elseth.
Finally, on July 1st, the great silver ship set sail.
At the bow of the vessel stood Sylas, Arwen, and Elroth, gazing back toward the dock.
Under the glow of the setting sun, Elseth stood alone at the harbor, her figure tall and resolute, the Earth Ring glimmering faintly on her hand.
Slowly, the ship left the harbor behind and sailed into the open sea.