The gardens of Armenelos or the beginning of the end.

She looked at me, without uttering a word; yet, her clear eyes seemed to ask me for forgiveness and she replied with an ancient saying, which the Numenoreans use in very serious situations: “I gave hope to the Dunedain, but I have not kept one for myself”. She was silent for a few moments, finally she sighed and took my hand so she spoke: “Would you like, then, to break the orders of your sovereign? Do not lie to me, Erfea, for I see in your gaze the doubt and fear that my words have aroused in you; and yet, if the loyalty of my commanders were to fail, I would perish and others would suffer immense suffering ”. I watched her, coldly, because, although my heart was bleeding profusely, yet I could not ignore how much her words had, in vain, tried to conceal: “You are deceived, Miriel, if you believe that our loyalty to Numenor has come less; know, however, that we will only respond to it, when the time has come and no other”. Then she dropped my hand and her soul went cold: “Go, son of Gilnar and may your loyalty not fail when the time comes”.

In lingua italiana:
Nei giardini di Armenelos – illustrazione definitiva