Title: A Night to Remember
Author: Leiasky
Synopsis: Mischief abounds on the evening of Arwen and Aragorn's wedding. The couple receive special gifts from the fellowship.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Yes Return of the King
Pairing: Aragorn/Arwen
Disclaimer: I'm not Tolkien. I don't own these characters. (darn!) I make no money. Done for fun.
Additional Info: I've strived to portray the characters herein as I see them. This story was written with the characters from the movie and their expressions and voices in mind.
With luck, my Quenya translations are accurate, if not, we'll, I did my best with the limited knowledge that I have. If you notice any mistakes, e- mail me and I'll correct them.
Archive: If you like, just tell me where.
Many thanks to Kayla for the beta!
1 A Night to Remember
The loud crackle and spark of fireworks exploded in the evening sky and a great roar rippled across the gathered crowd. Laughter followed by ohh's and ahh's came from every corner of the castle and courtyard as people of all shapes and sizes gathered together to celebrate a most momentous occasion. Peace had at last returned to Middle-Earth as Elves, Dwarves and men celebrated together for the first time in their history. The Ring had been cast back into the fires of Mordor and Sauron had been destroyed. Their King had returned.
Banners hung from the white towers and flapped loudly in the breeze. The city and courtyard had been decorated in the royal colors of Gondor with the ethereal colors of the house of Elrond draped across the terrace on which the new king and queen stood.
Aragron slipped his arm around Arwen's waist, his gentle touch a pillar of strength, dedication and love. The terrace upon which they stood was made specifically for this occasion and would be dismantled in the morning. For now, they simply stood and watched Gandalf sail spectacular fireworks into the air.
As Arwen gazed sidelong at her new husband's face, she noted the bright, wide eyes of the newly crowned King staring into the night sky, a wide smile playing across his lips as the children below cheered and trembled with each resounding boom.
Arwen rested her hands on the balustrade and leaned gently against her husband's side, taking warmth and comfort from his mere presence. His grip tightened around her waist, and his hand flattened against her abdomen in a gesture of affection, but his gaze remained transfixed on the sky, occasionally glancing at crowd below.
To any onlooker, their new king and queen were simply enjoying the festivities, and the dancing and the revelry that surrounded such a momentous occasion. Elven Lords and Ladies had traveled far from their homes to witness Aragorn's crowning and his marriage to the elven princess. And it was those same elven Lords who could sense the excited tension that filled his shoulders now.
"Marriage to an elven woman is not a task one undertakes lightly," Aragorn remembered Gandalf's words as they waited at the front of the great hall for Arwen and her father to appear.
"Marriage to any woman, be she elf, dwarf or Halfling, is not to be taken lightly," Aragorn whispered moments before the grand doors opened and his wedding began….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Pip, we are NOT stealing those again," Merry whispered urgently when he noticed the mischievous gleam in the Touk's eyes.
"Why? No harm was done last time!" Pippin bounced to the music and cheered with the crowd, ever so slowly creeping closer to the wagon of unlit fireworks.
"Gandalf would skin us alive!" Merry whispered."Besides, we can't make trouble on Strid- Aragorn's wedding day!" He, along with the rest of the Hobbit's would have to work on remembering the correct name.
"It's Elessar now." Sam leaned toward the two, grinning as another blast lit up the sky. "and you'd do well to remember it."
"Hi Sam," Pippin nearly came out of his skin,"What are you-you doing down here. Where's Frodo?"
"He's up with the King," Sam nodded in the direction of Aragorn and Arwen, squinting to see the smaller figure of his charge standing several feet away from the couple. "I knew you two would be up to no good."
Pippin frowned. "We know how to do it right this time."
"No." Sam crossed his arms.
An arrow whizzed across the sky, lighting the night with a green trail as it sailed into the air. With a resounding BOOM and crackle, the tip exploded into rays of silver light, twinkling like stars in the sky….falling toward the ground like fairy dust. Another followed and then another, the very sound of the arrows flying into the night quieting the crowd.
Legolas grinned down at Aragorn from his perch on the highest tower wall. Saluting the king and queen with his elven bow, he drew two arrows from his quiver faster than the eye could see, and fired them over the new King high into the sky.
Aragorn nodded to his elven friend and saluted him, touching his hand to his forehead and to his lips, then raising it in honor of the elven prince of Mirkwood.
As Elrond stepped beside Aragorn and raised his arms, the crowd quieted, allowing the Elven Lord to speak. They knew he was the father of the new queen, and afforded him the respect of that position. "It warms my heart to see the races of middle earth together, celebrating the defeat of a mutual enemy. It is my hope, with the crowning of a new king," Elrond smiled warmly at his adopted son and rested a hand on his shoulder, "that you will all continue to live in peace."
Aragorn nodded to Elrond and then to the crowd, "I will see it done."
"Nyë vanda."{This I promise} He added in the noble elven tongue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They walked slowly down the long hallway, hand in hand, talking in quiet whispers. The celebration continued within and outside the city walls but the king and his new queen had finally found the opportunity to take their leave.
Aragorn stopped in front of a large, ornately carved door, grinning as his eyes scanned the thoughtful decoration that covered the entrance. Long vines fell from the ceiling in front of the door, obscuring it from view. There were gifts wound through the vines, and Aragorn nodded to Arwen, who reached for one of the gifts delicately wrapped and covered in elven script. She un-wrapped it slowly, under the watchful and piercing gaze of her husband. A wooden flute slid out of the wrapping and Arwen smiled warmly. Carved into the ent-wood were delicate vines and leaves, depicting scenes of a far away place: A gift from Legolas. A quiet voice whispered to her along the wind, "Play for your children, the songs of the elves. Never forget."
Aragorn reached for the quiver of arrows, untangling the vines which held it above the floor. Scenes similar to those on Arwen's flute were carved into the polished wood and along the shaft of the arrow Aragorn removed from the quiver contained the elven script, "You have my bow." Depicting a time when a fellowship of nine stood around a small hobbit and pledged their allegiance to his quest.
Whispers more faint reached his ears and he concentrated so as to understand them. "The elves of Mirkwood stand ready for your call. Should you need us, fire the arrow into the sky and we will be by your side."
Tied farther down on the door of vines was a small bag, pulled closed with a simple string. Attached to the string was a dark amber-wood pipe, the best a Hobbit could offer. Aragorn chuckled as he lifted the bag from the vine. Scribed on the side of the pipe, in barely readable script was, "The best pipe-weed is Hobbit weed!"
Twined into the vines were also two circlets of gold and silver, shimmering in the candlelight. Arwen reached for the smaller circlet, turning it over in her hands, minding the delicate and intricate craftsmanship that had obviously gone into its creation. Inside, she noticed, was an inscription written in the dwarven tongue. "Queen of Gondor, Elven Princess."
Aragorn turned the larger circlet over in his hands and noting the inscription within, he smiled , "King of Gondor, Elven Prince."
A large silken pouch hung tied to two vines to support its weight, the first letter of each of their names scripted delicately into the material. A note attached to the pouch implored that it be read before the gift opened. Parchment crinkled and stretched as Aragorn began to read, aloud, the words written on the paper. "Sam and I thought to give you a ring to remember us by but thought better of that choice and decided on something else instead." Aragorn carefully folded the parchment and set it aside. With great care, he removed the heavy bag, and set it in Arwen's hands while he unfastened the ties.
Arwen gasped when he pulled the leather-bound book from within the silken bag and Aragorn looked fondly upon the cover. It read, "The unfinished tales of the Fellowship of the Ring," in the common tongue at the bottom, in the elvish script at the top. In the center of the book, painstakingly tooled into the leather, was a 3D image of a golden ring hanging from the winged feathers of the crown of Gondor, depicting the two-fold quest of the fellowship.
Arwen slowly opened the book and on the inside cover, written in the elegant script of Bilbo Baggins was an introduction. Following that, was a page of dedication, where every member of the fellowship had written words to the couple in their own tongue.
They stood reading for several minutes, flipping through the book which chronicled the adventures of the fellowship up until Aragorn's crowning. Included were maps and detailed drawings of every location the Fellowship had traveled, everyone they had met along the way, and those who had died during the long, arduous quest to destroy the ring of power. As they reached the end, the handwriting changed to that of Frodo. It was a simple sentence, written into the middle of a paper bordered with elvish script, but one that humbled the newly married couple. "Our tale is finished. 'Your' tale is just beginning – together." There were many blank pages that followed.
Arwen glanced at her husband as he brushed gentle fingers over the words, lost in thought. "'Our' tale," he whispered as Arwen slid her hand into his and squeezed it tightly. She nodded wordlessly and leaned forward to brush her lips lightly across his own, feeling relieved, as he did, that their time had come. They had waited long enough and they were finally together.
Several moments of silence followed and there were two more gifts to be opened. Aragorn reverently set the book aside and reached for the knife that hung from the very top of the door of vines.
Arwen bent slightly to pick up the pillow from where it rested against the door. As she opened the attached note and began to read, she chuckled, drawing her husband's attention away from the knife, and the inscription engraved deeply within its blade.
"I believe this is for you," Arwen held out the pillow, her face a mask of hidden emotion save the small smile that curled the end of her lips.
"Oh?" Aragorn handed the knife to Arwen and took the note that had been attached to the pillow. As she began to read, the knife in her hand began to glow gold. The markings on the blade changed and became readable. "Should the road be perilous, you have only the need to draw the blade and blinded the enemy will be." Well known was the story of the death of her mother, riding from Rivendell to Lorien. This blade was meant to keep her safe in her travels. An elven blade forged by the last living wizard in middle-earth.
Aragorn chuckled as he read the letter attached to the pillow. "For use when you find yourself kneeling at her feet begging forgiveness." It was signed only with a 'G'.
Aragorn finally opened the door and the couple stepped into the rooms in which they would live out the rest of their days. Incense burned in each corner and candlelight illuminated their way as they set the cherished items on a nearby table. More items had been gathered and piled on another table, but they were ignored as the couple turned to one another.
Arwen's eyes sparkled in the candlelight, lips parted in a wide smile, as Aragorn took her hands in his and fell to his knees.
End Chapter 1
Author: Leiasky
Synopsis: Mischief abounds on the evening of Arwen and Aragorn's wedding. The couple receive special gifts from the fellowship.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Yes Return of the King
Pairing: Aragorn/Arwen
Disclaimer: I'm not Tolkien. I don't own these characters. (darn!) I make no money. Done for fun.
Additional Info: I've strived to portray the characters herein as I see them. This story was written with the characters from the movie and their expressions and voices in mind.
With luck, my Quenya translations are accurate, if not, we'll, I did my best with the limited knowledge that I have. If you notice any mistakes, e- mail me and I'll correct them.
Archive: If you like, just tell me where.
Many thanks to Kayla for the beta!
1 A Night to Remember
The loud crackle and spark of fireworks exploded in the evening sky and a great roar rippled across the gathered crowd. Laughter followed by ohh's and ahh's came from every corner of the castle and courtyard as people of all shapes and sizes gathered together to celebrate a most momentous occasion. Peace had at last returned to Middle-Earth as Elves, Dwarves and men celebrated together for the first time in their history. The Ring had been cast back into the fires of Mordor and Sauron had been destroyed. Their King had returned.
Banners hung from the white towers and flapped loudly in the breeze. The city and courtyard had been decorated in the royal colors of Gondor with the ethereal colors of the house of Elrond draped across the terrace on which the new king and queen stood.
Aragron slipped his arm around Arwen's waist, his gentle touch a pillar of strength, dedication and love. The terrace upon which they stood was made specifically for this occasion and would be dismantled in the morning. For now, they simply stood and watched Gandalf sail spectacular fireworks into the air.
As Arwen gazed sidelong at her new husband's face, she noted the bright, wide eyes of the newly crowned King staring into the night sky, a wide smile playing across his lips as the children below cheered and trembled with each resounding boom.
Arwen rested her hands on the balustrade and leaned gently against her husband's side, taking warmth and comfort from his mere presence. His grip tightened around her waist, and his hand flattened against her abdomen in a gesture of affection, but his gaze remained transfixed on the sky, occasionally glancing at crowd below.
To any onlooker, their new king and queen were simply enjoying the festivities, and the dancing and the revelry that surrounded such a momentous occasion. Elven Lords and Ladies had traveled far from their homes to witness Aragorn's crowning and his marriage to the elven princess. And it was those same elven Lords who could sense the excited tension that filled his shoulders now.
"Marriage to an elven woman is not a task one undertakes lightly," Aragorn remembered Gandalf's words as they waited at the front of the great hall for Arwen and her father to appear.
"Marriage to any woman, be she elf, dwarf or Halfling, is not to be taken lightly," Aragorn whispered moments before the grand doors opened and his wedding began….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Pip, we are NOT stealing those again," Merry whispered urgently when he noticed the mischievous gleam in the Touk's eyes.
"Why? No harm was done last time!" Pippin bounced to the music and cheered with the crowd, ever so slowly creeping closer to the wagon of unlit fireworks.
"Gandalf would skin us alive!" Merry whispered."Besides, we can't make trouble on Strid- Aragorn's wedding day!" He, along with the rest of the Hobbit's would have to work on remembering the correct name.
"It's Elessar now." Sam leaned toward the two, grinning as another blast lit up the sky. "and you'd do well to remember it."
"Hi Sam," Pippin nearly came out of his skin,"What are you-you doing down here. Where's Frodo?"
"He's up with the King," Sam nodded in the direction of Aragorn and Arwen, squinting to see the smaller figure of his charge standing several feet away from the couple. "I knew you two would be up to no good."
Pippin frowned. "We know how to do it right this time."
"No." Sam crossed his arms.
An arrow whizzed across the sky, lighting the night with a green trail as it sailed into the air. With a resounding BOOM and crackle, the tip exploded into rays of silver light, twinkling like stars in the sky….falling toward the ground like fairy dust. Another followed and then another, the very sound of the arrows flying into the night quieting the crowd.
Legolas grinned down at Aragorn from his perch on the highest tower wall. Saluting the king and queen with his elven bow, he drew two arrows from his quiver faster than the eye could see, and fired them over the new King high into the sky.
Aragorn nodded to his elven friend and saluted him, touching his hand to his forehead and to his lips, then raising it in honor of the elven prince of Mirkwood.
As Elrond stepped beside Aragorn and raised his arms, the crowd quieted, allowing the Elven Lord to speak. They knew he was the father of the new queen, and afforded him the respect of that position. "It warms my heart to see the races of middle earth together, celebrating the defeat of a mutual enemy. It is my hope, with the crowning of a new king," Elrond smiled warmly at his adopted son and rested a hand on his shoulder, "that you will all continue to live in peace."
Aragorn nodded to Elrond and then to the crowd, "I will see it done."
"Nyë vanda."{This I promise} He added in the noble elven tongue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They walked slowly down the long hallway, hand in hand, talking in quiet whispers. The celebration continued within and outside the city walls but the king and his new queen had finally found the opportunity to take their leave.
Aragorn stopped in front of a large, ornately carved door, grinning as his eyes scanned the thoughtful decoration that covered the entrance. Long vines fell from the ceiling in front of the door, obscuring it from view. There were gifts wound through the vines, and Aragorn nodded to Arwen, who reached for one of the gifts delicately wrapped and covered in elven script. She un-wrapped it slowly, under the watchful and piercing gaze of her husband. A wooden flute slid out of the wrapping and Arwen smiled warmly. Carved into the ent-wood were delicate vines and leaves, depicting scenes of a far away place: A gift from Legolas. A quiet voice whispered to her along the wind, "Play for your children, the songs of the elves. Never forget."
Aragorn reached for the quiver of arrows, untangling the vines which held it above the floor. Scenes similar to those on Arwen's flute were carved into the polished wood and along the shaft of the arrow Aragorn removed from the quiver contained the elven script, "You have my bow." Depicting a time when a fellowship of nine stood around a small hobbit and pledged their allegiance to his quest.
Whispers more faint reached his ears and he concentrated so as to understand them. "The elves of Mirkwood stand ready for your call. Should you need us, fire the arrow into the sky and we will be by your side."
Tied farther down on the door of vines was a small bag, pulled closed with a simple string. Attached to the string was a dark amber-wood pipe, the best a Hobbit could offer. Aragorn chuckled as he lifted the bag from the vine. Scribed on the side of the pipe, in barely readable script was, "The best pipe-weed is Hobbit weed!"
Twined into the vines were also two circlets of gold and silver, shimmering in the candlelight. Arwen reached for the smaller circlet, turning it over in her hands, minding the delicate and intricate craftsmanship that had obviously gone into its creation. Inside, she noticed, was an inscription written in the dwarven tongue. "Queen of Gondor, Elven Princess."
Aragorn turned the larger circlet over in his hands and noting the inscription within, he smiled , "King of Gondor, Elven Prince."
A large silken pouch hung tied to two vines to support its weight, the first letter of each of their names scripted delicately into the material. A note attached to the pouch implored that it be read before the gift opened. Parchment crinkled and stretched as Aragorn began to read, aloud, the words written on the paper. "Sam and I thought to give you a ring to remember us by but thought better of that choice and decided on something else instead." Aragorn carefully folded the parchment and set it aside. With great care, he removed the heavy bag, and set it in Arwen's hands while he unfastened the ties.
Arwen gasped when he pulled the leather-bound book from within the silken bag and Aragorn looked fondly upon the cover. It read, "The unfinished tales of the Fellowship of the Ring," in the common tongue at the bottom, in the elvish script at the top. In the center of the book, painstakingly tooled into the leather, was a 3D image of a golden ring hanging from the winged feathers of the crown of Gondor, depicting the two-fold quest of the fellowship.
Arwen slowly opened the book and on the inside cover, written in the elegant script of Bilbo Baggins was an introduction. Following that, was a page of dedication, where every member of the fellowship had written words to the couple in their own tongue.
They stood reading for several minutes, flipping through the book which chronicled the adventures of the fellowship up until Aragorn's crowning. Included were maps and detailed drawings of every location the Fellowship had traveled, everyone they had met along the way, and those who had died during the long, arduous quest to destroy the ring of power. As they reached the end, the handwriting changed to that of Frodo. It was a simple sentence, written into the middle of a paper bordered with elvish script, but one that humbled the newly married couple. "Our tale is finished. 'Your' tale is just beginning – together." There were many blank pages that followed.
Arwen glanced at her husband as he brushed gentle fingers over the words, lost in thought. "'Our' tale," he whispered as Arwen slid her hand into his and squeezed it tightly. She nodded wordlessly and leaned forward to brush her lips lightly across his own, feeling relieved, as he did, that their time had come. They had waited long enough and they were finally together.
Several moments of silence followed and there were two more gifts to be opened. Aragorn reverently set the book aside and reached for the knife that hung from the very top of the door of vines.
Arwen bent slightly to pick up the pillow from where it rested against the door. As she opened the attached note and began to read, she chuckled, drawing her husband's attention away from the knife, and the inscription engraved deeply within its blade.
"I believe this is for you," Arwen held out the pillow, her face a mask of hidden emotion save the small smile that curled the end of her lips.
"Oh?" Aragorn handed the knife to Arwen and took the note that had been attached to the pillow. As she began to read, the knife in her hand began to glow gold. The markings on the blade changed and became readable. "Should the road be perilous, you have only the need to draw the blade and blinded the enemy will be." Well known was the story of the death of her mother, riding from Rivendell to Lorien. This blade was meant to keep her safe in her travels. An elven blade forged by the last living wizard in middle-earth.
Aragorn chuckled as he read the letter attached to the pillow. "For use when you find yourself kneeling at her feet begging forgiveness." It was signed only with a 'G'.
Aragorn finally opened the door and the couple stepped into the rooms in which they would live out the rest of their days. Incense burned in each corner and candlelight illuminated their way as they set the cherished items on a nearby table. More items had been gathered and piled on another table, but they were ignored as the couple turned to one another.
Arwen's eyes sparkled in the candlelight, lips parted in a wide smile, as Aragorn took her hands in his and fell to his knees.
End Chapter 1