All His Fault
So, this idea hit me literally at 3am this morning. I felt absolutely compelled to write it despite the need to study for upcoming exams. For the sake of the story, I will pretend that Faramir and Éowyn had a daughter in addition to Elboron. I'm sure most of you would prefer that than Legolas suddenly having a daughter yes? =P
Please excuse the overly-emotional teenage girl. Think of it as a mid-teenage life crisis for her. ;)
And also excuse the over-use of "wailing" and the lame attempt at humor.
This was written on a whim so please don't expect some well thought out plot. ^^;;
Other Notes: Arien means Royal One or Noble One.
Now onto the story!
Arwen held her daughter's hand tightly. Her daughter took a deep breath and braced herself once more for the coming pain. She cried out once more as a flash of sharp pain raced across her senses. The attending governess worked quickly, wishing to end the young princess's pain as quickly as possible. She also did not know how much longer she could bear to see the pained face of one she had cared for since her birth nor her queen's. Arwen kissed the top of her daughter's head once more, murmuring words of encouragement and healing to her.
Her daughter's dark brown hair was loose from its braids. Her grey eyes that were usually filled with delight and adventure were blinking rapidly to keep tears of pain away. Out of all of her daughters, it was this daughter that took after her husband's features the most. She was truly Aragorn's daughter from her sense of humor to the way she carried herself, proud and dignified when need be. Princess Arien of 16 summers had never experienced this kind of pain before in her young life. She cried out again as she felt another wave of pain.
"Nana, it hurts," she cried.
"I know Arien, I know," soothed Arwen, feeling helpless. She could not offer her daughter any means to elevate her pain. Her daughter would have to bear the pain on her own. Another flash of pain and Arien cried out once more.
"This is all ada's fault!"
Indeed, agreed Arwen silently. It was all Aragorn's fault though he could do nothing to prevent it. She did not begrudge Aragorn but it still pained her heart so to see her eldest daughter in such pain. Arien whimpered as the governess continued her ministrations. Arien was in excruciating pain, and it was her father's entire fault. All of it. If only she was not a daughter of Elessar… She gasped once more as she felt a terrible burning sensation on her leg once more and wondered mildly just how it had come to this… It had started one week ago…
Elessar had brought Eldarion and Arien to Ithilien. The trip was part diplomatic and part vacation for their father King desired knowledge of Ithilien's current status as well as desired to be free of his kingly duties in Minas Tirth for a short period of time. Wishing to not be left behind on a chance of adventure, Eldarion and Arien had capitalized on the opportunity, begging both their mother to allow them to accompany their father on his trip. With the assurance that they would make up the lost time from their studies and to refrain from mischief, Arwen gave them permission to go with Aragorn.
Once the diplomatic duties had been taken care of, her Uncle Legolas had suggested they go fishing for the fish were gathering in the river at this time of year for breeding. There was also a glint in his eye that Arien had caught which could only mean her father would be coming out of the river wetter than he had entered it. So there they were, in the river on a glorious warm summer day. As her older brother and Elboron splashed in the waters with their fathers and Legolas trying to catch fish, Arien had rolled up her pants to above her knees, exposing her bare legs. She and the Princess of Ithilien strolled through the waters casually, attempting to catch the fish in a more subtle way. Éowyn too was also in the waters, pants rolled up above the knee as well, standing near the men, net in hand.
It was then that Legolas had taken a notice of the Roharrian woman's legs. Éowyn, noticing the elven prince's stare, beckoned him to speak his mind plainly. Legolas politely declined but the lady was naught the Shield Maiden of Rohan for nothing. After much persuasion, including encourage from Aragorn, Faramir, the two young princes and against his better judgment, Legolas spoke plainly. It would be a decision he would regret.
"Forgive me Lady Éowyn for my bluntness… but I had taken notice of your… legs… and had noticed that they were far more… hairier than those of the women of the First Born." Legolas quickly bowed his head in both in apology and embarrassment. "Forgive me my Lady for I meant no insult." His apologies fell on deaf ears, as the Shield Maiden of Rohan turned scarlet from both rage and embarrassment.
Aragorn had done well to conceal his laughter but the corners of his mouth twitched ever so slightly and his eyes danced of mirth. He wondered mildly on the danger scale where Éowyn would rank at this very moment. Probably near Sauron, he thought. Nay, scratch that, closer to Arwen's level. Women of any race were truly terrifying creatures. Eldarion did not fare any better than his father and had to cover his mouth with his hands, turning away from the angry lady. Elboron on the other hand, had openly laughed to his heart's content at his mother. It was only Faramir who showed any kind of fear. His wife had that look and Faramir knew that look well. Faramir how learned long ago that one did not insult Éowyn and remained unscathed. Though Éowyn by no means was obsessed with her vanity, she too, was a woman and by birthright, a Princess as well. She did have some pride in her appearance too.
"Are you insinuating that due to my hairy legs that I am not as fair as those of the First Born?" hissed Éowyn as she froze Legolas in place with her glare.
"Nay Lady Éowyn," replied Legolas calmly though his heart raced. He had a foreboding sensation that this would not end well, regardless of what he said or did. "I was merely observing a difference between the races of Men and Elven. I intended no insult." That appeared to be the wrong answer as Éowyn stormed towards Legolas, murderous eyes locked upon him.
Arien and the Princess of Ithilien had witnessed the whole exchange and had clearly heard everything. The Princess of Ithilien giggled but Arien found no mirth in the situation. She self-consciously looked down at her legs and to her horror, found them quite hairy. She looked upon the Steward's daughter's legs and to her dismay, found that they had little if any hair upon them. Choosing to speak plainly to the Steward's daughter, for they had known each other since childhood, Arien questioned the Princess.
"Princess of Ithilien," Arien addressed. "How is it that you do not have any hair on your legs?" The Steward's daughter blinked for a moment and then looked at her legs.
"I do not know exactly why my Lady," she replied. "But I do take after my father they say. Perhaps it was do to this that I lack hair for my father is quite hairless in comparison to my mother."
The girls shared a small laugh and turned their attention back to Legolas and Éowyn, who was currently shouting at the Elven prince as he backed away while attempting to not look like he was fleeing from the irate woman. Arien was sure if it weren't for her uncle's quick reflexes, that the furious Shield Maiden would've flayed and skinned the Elven Prince alive before beating him to a bloody pulp. With her keen eyesight inherited from her mother, Arien's eyes strayed from the scene before her to Farmir's legs. Indeed, in comparison to his wife's legs, the Steward did have considerably less hair on his legs. Arien then remembered what the people of Gondor said about her, that she took after her father. Reluctantly, and ever so slowly, she gazed upon her father's legs. To her absolute horror, it was covered… completely covered in hair.
"Do not tell me that a woman's legs are more beautiful when they are hairless!" they heard Éowyn hissed in anger. Arien looked upon her legs once more with a vague hope that she had imagined the hair earlier. To her utter disappointment and shame, they too, were covered in hair.
It did not help her uneasy feelings later that Eldarion and Elboron discussed the finer points of women later that evening as the four teenagers enjoyed each other's companies in the parlor. Arien only mildly paid attention to the boys as she tried to focus on her conversation with the Steward's daughter but found it difficult to do so. By the end of the evening, she was convinced that men were disgusted with women who had hairy legs. What would Arien do if she were to meet her true love? Would he love her despite her hairy legs? Would he think any less of her? Would he stay or flee upon sight of her disgusting legs? Horrendous thoughts plagued Arien for the rest of the trip.
When she finally returned home to Minas Tirth, she fled to her mother's room. After an awkward moment, she had requested to see her mother's legs. Arwen confused but seeing the distress of her daughter, complied. Upon sight of her mother's soft, smooth and completely hairless legs, Arien burst into tears.
"Ion nin," soothed Arwen taking her daughter into her arms. "What ever is the matter?"
"It's all ada's fault!" she wailed. Arwen narrowed her eyes. Whatever had her husband done to cause her child this great distress? She would definitely speak with Aragorn later. She would rectify whatever had wronged her daughter, even if the wrong doer was her very own husband.
It took several minutes for Arwen to sooth her daughter and finally get a comprehensible explanation of her distress: Body hair, on her legs in particular.
"Nana, what am I going to do?" she wailed. Arwen offered her daughter a comforting smile. Arwen had never had an issue with body hair before and had difficulty answering her daughter but surely, there was a solution somewhere. Arwen's curiosity was also perked; just how did the women of Gondor, nay, women in general deal with body hair?
Receiving no answer from her mother, Arien wailed louder. Suddenly, the door burst open with a frantic Aragorn all but running into the room.
"Meleth, Arien, what is wrong?" Aragorn had heard his daughter's cries, dropped everything and ran. Arien took one look at her father before wailing:
"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! I HATE YOU!" before burying her head into her mother's robes, crying uncontrollably. Aragorn was flabbergasted by his daughter's proclamation of blame and utter hate of him. What had he done? Arwen smiled wanly at her husband before gesturing for him to leave. Aragorn began to protest but Arwen narrowed her eyes and gave him that look. Aragorn visibly deflated, confused and hurt, he reluctantly bowed his head conceding to his love's wishes and quietly left their bedroom chamber, but not before casting one last sorrowful look at his sobbing daughter's back.
With her husband gone, Arwen soothed her daughter once more, and called for the governess. After much discussion, a solution was available but a painful one. Arien, adamant in her decision, decided she would go through with the procedure, no matter how painful.
And that is how, Arien was screaming in pain once more as the governess ripped merciless away the piece of clothe that held the once attached hairs to her legs, was in this situation. It was all her father's fault for being a hairy man. Why couldn't her mother have married a man that was less than hairy? Using hot bees wax, the governess was waxing away the hairs on the teenage Princess's legs. It was indeed a painful experience but the results were wonderful: perfectly soft, smooth and most importantly, hairless legs.
"Come now Princess, just a little more," encouraged the governess. "After this, we will only have to do this again next month once the hair grows back." Arien looked bewildered at her governess.
"Grows back!" She squeaked. The governess nodded.
"But it will become less painful over time," reassured the governess. "And for most girls, we usually only repeat it once a month, sometimes they may be able to forgo for even longer periods." Arwen gave her daughter and the nurse a weary look. Her daughter had her Elven blood in her veins too…
"Arien, my blood flows through your veins," began Arwen gently turning her daughter's face towards her. Arien nodded, indicting her understanding. "and with that blood comes the gift of the First Born… though I do not believe you will call this a gift…" Arien looked at her mother and felt uneasy immediately. "You are blessed with superior regeneration-" Before Arwen had finished, Arien had deduced what her mother was going to tell her and burst into tears once more.
"WHY ME?" came the wails. With her superior regeneration thanks to her mother, it meant her leg hairs were going to grow back faster which meant she would have to endure this pain much more often than necessary. Arien continued her wailing as the governess ripped another waxed covered cloth away from her leg.
Arwen sighed. Arien was her eldest daughter… she still had six more daughters… This is all Aragorn's fault!
Nana – Mother
Ada – Father
Ion nin – My child
Meleth – (My) Love
The things women will do to look beautiful... Well, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I writing it. Thanks for reading! =)