Hey guys, trying something new, a plot bunny turned into a wildfire by my room mate. Give me an honest opinion. Girl on Girl action-Rated for future chapters. You've been warned!
This is VERY A/U and extremely movie-verse based with some twists, totally a new scene for me so just...give it a fair shot. I own nothing-Tolkien, Peter Jackson, those big rich guys own it all. I own..a dog...and some i-pods...No elves. Ok. Here it goes.
Arwen sat at her vanity, her eyes locked on the image she saw in the mirror. She felt old and worn, not used and abused. She titled her head and her luscious dark hair fell in front, obscuring the view. Although no grey hairs specked her once majestic mane, she felt as if it had grown dull and limp over her many years.
With a soft sigh that only slightly broached the silence in the dark and she picked up her hair brush and began to brush said hair.
Desparately trying to ignore the darkness behind her, the vast expanse of the cold and long empty bed sat like a bed of nails, designed only to torture-never to give rest to the body that lay upon it.
Many long years had passed since Aragorn had passed out of her life, she now knew the depths of her father's long held sadness. If it had not been for her son she herself would have faded out of time and memory a long time ago.
She shook her head once and curled her bottom lip between her teeth, trying to bite back the pain and tears that rose in her throat. Her hand moved to join her brush as she worked the braids from her hair and returned it slowly to one plait that hung down her back.
The elven queen took a long deep breath and then stood gracefully to her feet. Her son held the throne and so loved his dear mother he never questioned taking her title, rooms or standing from her. Arwen so dearly loved her son that she never held him back-he was a great king of men and held strong and firm, keeping her alive even as her husband and his father had passed-leaving the throne and respnosibility to him. He knew that his mother was always there for council whenever he needed it, but the baby she'd once held in her arms had grown to such a man, that he rarely needed that.
She turned back to her reflection and found that a serene smile had made it's way to her lips in spite of her previous pain. One's children had that effect upon a mother-particularly when they had grown to be such capable people.
She'd only ever had the one child but that had never deterred her from being involved in his life-the second hardest event in her life had happened only two years past-the wedding of her son, to a great and sweet woman. A perfect match for the fair, hard headed and sure man that the boy had become.
Walking to her window she sat at the bench there and clutched a pillow to her heart as she gazed upon the starry sky above her, unsure of what she should do next. The vast majority of her kin had moved far away, sailed from the lands they'd once called home. So few had stayed, her language was nearly dead. She took a deep breath, and sang-as she so often did-into the dark night sky.
What she hadn't been expecting was the voice from below, deeper than her own but no less rich and beautiful. She stopped singing and a smile once again took her mouth. "Tauriel-you've returned from your wanderings" she said, closing her eyes and waiting for the response from below.
"Yes my lady, I have." The other dark haired elf came into view and bowed a respectful bow.
"Please leave that to the side, come...join me...I am so..." she broke off, the unbidden tears welling in her eyes.
Tauriel nodded once and disappeared from view-it took about 4 seconds, but Arwen noticed with a choked laugh that the other elf had climbed the nearest tree, and leapt gracefully onto Arwen's small balcony. "You are saddened again" she spoke with gentle knowledge and care.
Arwen titled her head to the side and managed yet another small smile. "Alas-I cannot help it" she said, lapsing into her beloved first language.
Tauriel nodded and came to crouch on the floor below her. "I know" she said softly
Arwen reached out a hand to her and pulled her up to sit next to her, once again glancing out the window.
"Why this time?" came the simple question.
"Honestly?"
"Yes"
"Because I am so very alone. It has become so obvious to me..I would not trade my family for anything, but sometimes I long for my brothers, my father..." she whispered and the tears came so easily, slipping down her angled cheeks.
Tauriel frowned and reached out one calloused hand to brush them away. "I understand that. I miss my people, our people, our language...every day." she said softly, offering a lopsided smile as Arwen turned to fully face her.
"How do you keep yourself from fading?" the queen asked, taking a deep breath and forcing an exhaustedly sad smile to her lips.
"Oh my queen" Tauriel whispered, shaking her head, deep sadness coming to her own eyes. "You musn't do that. You have a grandchild on the way-certainly you want to see that" she urged her carefully.
Arwen nodded back and got to her feet "of course I do. I could not let myself drift away in my son's time of need...but..." she broke off and pressed both hands to her face, sobs racking her thin body in a manner that suggested she had been repressing these feelings for a very long time.
Tauriel stood to her feet and took one step forward, one hand held out as if she was offering a rescue line. "Arwen" she whispered and walked behind her, laying that hand on her friend's shoulder.
The queen turned around and looked her in the face. "I feel as if I am drowning...alone, in a dark lake, there is no beauty in the place that I am stuck. He...he..." she broke down again and leaned against the taller elf for support.
The taller woman held the smaller and rubbed her back soothingly. "I know" she whispered and pressed her lips comfortingly against the top of her head.
"I'm sorry..I know you have felt alone all these years-watching Legolas sail away...I shouldn't.." she broke off and took a deep breath, overwhelmed by both her feelings and her desire to be a good friend.
Tauriel shook her head "I have long since shrugged off my sadness. It was never meant to be. So in love was he with another...and I too have been taken with others since his passing...I will never sail away knowing I am to be without him, but at least here I know I have a purpose" she said softly, brushing a strand of hair from a tear stained face.
Looking up into Tauriel's weather-beaten face something overcame Arwen. "Yes...you do" she said and once again took her bottom lip into her mouth.
"Ever have we two endured so much together, the only kin to kin" she whispered with a far away look, a thoughtful contemplative light glowing in her eyes. Something that Tauriel hadn't seen since Lady Galadriel.
"Always, my lady"
"Arwen"
"Arwen."
Arwen put one hand on Tauriel's shoulder and tilted her head to the side. "Alone, yet not alone" she whispered.
Tauriel looked at her, confusion brewing in her eyes. "Wha-"
But her question was cut off when Arwen surged up, and somewhat hesitantly pressed her soft lips against Tauriel's.