Now since Lillianna's first meeting with Gil-galad, 77 years had passed, in which she had learned much from her devoted adopted parents, and she had now reached an age where child elves ventured into adulthood. Galadriel and Celeborn had told her that she was not their own child, but the details of her parent's life they had wisely kept until they knew she would be able to hear it without great distress. Now that time had come, and so taking aside Lillianna after a great party to celebrate her end of childhood, they told her of her parent's beautiful, yet tragic past. Lillianna took this with wide eyes, for she did not expect to be a daughter to such brave and noble elves. They also told her of her healing capabilities, which she was not totally unaware of, and the high calling her father left to her.
"You understand now, that should you choose to take his place, it will be very difficult for you." Galadriel said with some reluctance, for she grieved at the thought of loosing Lillianna - a second daughter to her, "You will have to travel in secret, for Sauron has become very strong and no doubt war will break out very soon. You must know that Sauron has taken your father's life work and has either hidden them or destroyed them, for he cannot comprehend the power and beauty of the words it contains to use them. It will be your task, to do just what he did - learn and understand each free race so that there will be peace. I wish I could tell you people were more trusting now. Also my dear, your powers are not of the magnification of his, because the noble race he belonged to does not dwell in you as strongly as it did in him. I perceive other means of healing you will have to seek, and that will mean more time and more study for you. But I know the strength your father and mother had, and I believe that if you follow this with your whole soul, you will succeed." Then Lillianna, after pondering this for a long while answered,
"I do not know yet what I may accomplish while on this Earth, and though this is all very strange and unfamiliar, I will take up the burden passed on to me. To know what Sauron did to my family and to many others burns my heart." So Lillianna's doom and long path ahead was set before her at that moment.
Lillianna's beauty had not stayed the same while she was growing up, rather it transcended beyond all others as each day passed. She grew as lovely as the birth of a new morning and all would proclaim the surpassing beauty in her features in song or in lore. Some said she was likened to Luthien, though there has not been a child of Eru who has surpassed the beauty of Tinuviel, who walked the world while it was still young. Many elven lords took notice of Lillianna's fair face and graceful figure and longed to have her hand, one of them being Glorfindol, who had been a long time friend and teacher. Yet she refused him and all others because she did not love them, and because her heart was firmly resolved to never fall in love, so that her mother's tragedy would not be repeated.
"I would not have someone I loved more than myself die because of me and cause my heart to grow numb like my father's did."
This grieved Glorfindol above anything else, yet he proclaimed love to no other and would not rest until she one day said she would be his.
About a year later, talk of an alliance between men and elves to stop Sauron and to take his ring came to the ears of Lillianna and she perceived this a way to exercise her talents. She confronted Gil-galad with the idea of her coming to the battlefield to tend to the sick and wounded. Gil-galad strongly rejected this idea and told her to remain at Lothlorien.
"One day you may be ready for battle, for you are very brave, but you are still very young, and no one, especially one so dear as you, should have to go to battle at such an age." Gil-galad said with increasing heaviness, for his heart despaired at what he might do should Lillianna be slain. Lillianna said nothing in reply perceiving the distress Gil-galad felt, but in the end she resolved to disobey, for she felt the need was greater than herself. So she stole into the place where the armor was kept and fitted herself like she was a male going to war. She took some simple healing herbs and medicines she had made and slipped into the ranks under command of Lord Elrond(A very dear friend of hers as well). No one noticed her.
The Battle raged on and Lillianna fought along side her people with great valor, though her heart despaired at all the carnage she saw. She was summoned by another captain to a different part of the battle and what she saw there caused her heart to stop with pain. She saw Gil-galad, bolding facing the onslaught of orcs, charging with all the might and fire of a Noldor Lord of old. An orc archer took aim and struck the heart of his horse, causing it to fall and dismount its rider. Lillianna barely repressed a scream as the beast rolled its weight on its rider. She turned her now wet eyes with overwhelming grief and sorrow. If she ran to him now, she would be exposed and lives could be lost because of it. She did not know what to do, and the black sky and harsh land of Mordor mocked her pain. She pretended a wound and fled from the battlefield, for she felt she could do no good while her heart bled so.
"And I have brought this upon myself." She sobbed to herself "I being foolish enough to believe I could be of help. Oh Gil-galad forgive me!" Sorrow enveloped her for awhile and utter defeat felt like the only life she would know. But then a deafening roar interrupted her mourning and the ground shook on all sides. So strong was the force that it caused her to fall from her feet. She noticed that all around her, elves and men had fallen also from the unknown disturbance. She looked up and saw in the distance Isildur lying on the ground with a broken sword. She smiled. They had won. Sauron's ring had been severed. She lay over on the ground in total exhaustion and darkness again enveloped her. She was awoken by a shaking and was asked if she was all right. She said she was and then she asked if she could be taken to those who were hurt. She found Elrond lying very still in one of the tents, extremely hurt and she felt now she had to do what she did not know. The elf who had woken her asked her who she was and she revealed the truth, shocking and amazing those around her. But Lillianna did not care, for Elrond's need was too pressing. Taking his hand she prayed over him and something she did not expect happened. His arm which was bloody before, suddenly became whole once more and he awoke from the darkness he was in. All those around them gasped and whispered amongst themselves. Elrond was surprised too at finding her there, and when she had asked his forgiveness, he pardoned her and praised her for the skill in healing his wound.
"I would have been dead, no doubt. Obviously there was a purpose in you coming here however wrong it was. Do not judge yourself to harshly, for you still have much to learn."
But Lillianna did not feel so encouraged, and from then on a shield had surrounded her heart, because the memory of the death of her beloved Gil-galad, who was dearer than a father to her, filled her soul with emptiness. She firmly vowed to stay in Middle Earth and foil Sauron till he was utterly destroyed, and when she returned to Lothlorien, she continued passionately in her studies, and shut the world from her heart.
"Never again will I allow anyone to be so dear."
