“Evening Star” Original Painting

Arwen remained in Rivendell, and when Aragorn was abroad, from afar she watched over him in thought; and in hope she made for him a great and kingly standard, such as only one might display who claimed the lordship of the Númenoreans and the inheritance of Elendil.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King

Reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time, I was surprised at how small a role Arwen played. Like many people, I watched the movies first, and I was used to Arwen getting a lot of screen time. And in the books… Very, very little.

Is it wrong? Just like in real life, not every person is ready to hit the road, fight the battle, and direct full attention to themselves. Perhaps by staying home and waiting, we can also contribute to victory.

I depicted Arwen embroidering Aragorn’s standard. At first glance, one might think that the banner is just a pretty symbol with no real meaning. But is it really?

Sometimes a small thing is enough to restore hope. The glow of a star shining from among the clouds. Child’s smile. A nice word from a loved one. Or a kingly standard, a work of art, uplifting the spirits of warriors and being a token of great heritage.