A/N . Thanks to those who reviewed and to my beta reader Jessara.
IMPORTANT NOTE: During this chapter and the next one I have followed some other authors in having a time difference between the two worlds. For each day that passes in Harry's world, four days pass in Middle Earth. It seemed to suit the story best. If it does become confusing please let me know and I will rework it.
Part 3 – Confessing
Next day in Minas Tirith
The next day the king went about his business a lot stiffer and even more tired than usual, but he made time to go to the Houses of Healing where he procured the herbs he required, deciding that he should keep an assortment in his chambers. He was collecting the final ones required for the sleeping draft when he was startled by Legolas's voice beside him.
"Mellon- nin my friend your senses could not be so dulled by your new duties as king, that you were not aware of me," he laughed.
The look of guilt on Aragorn's weary face told him that it was the task he was about that caused him to be so easily startled, not the lack of skills. Aragorn quickly placed the herbs in the last of the pouches that he had lined up at the table before stowing them in a satchel he had over his shoulder.
Legolas placed his pale slender hand upon his friend's shoulder, surprised by the flinch that this action caused. He then turned the man so he could see into his eyes. Aragorn for his part tried to feign nonchalance, but could not keep it up for long as Legolas stared into his eyes.
"Are you well, Mellon- nin my friend ? A burden is much lighter when it is shared amongst friends," he said quietly.
Aragon smiled back although it did not reassure Legolas, "Ai Ah , you have caught me, I confess that I have missed not having my herbs and remedies near me and thought to keep a stock in my private study. I hoped it would make me feel less longing for my traveling days."
Legolas nodded, realizing how hard it must be to stay put after such a life. The elf's musing was interrupted by Aragorn's voice. "Faramir has not informed me of any appointments for this afternoon, care to join me in the King's gardens for a while?"
When Legolas happily agreed to the plan his friend continued, "Good, just let me put this satchel away and I will meet you there. Perhaps I could visit with the rest of our companions as well. I'd better order a grand picnic so we won't have the hobbits complaining about not having enough to eat." That thought made Aragorn smile despite his weariness.
The afternoon turned out to be very pleasant and Aragorn seemed to be almost like his old self, but still Legolas felt a growing doubt that not all of Aragorn's earlier explanation rang completely true. He wondered also if his friend was hiding an injury. But Aragorn appeared to improve for the next seven days as though he had finally shaken the mysterious malady. The Fellowship was now hoping that the problem was over and that they could begin leaving in the next couple of days, but it was not to be.
Around midnight of the seventh night there was an urgent knock on Gandalf's door, and when Gandalf did not stir immediately, the door was opened and a figure walked quickly to the bed calling as it went, "Gandalf, please wake, you are needed most urgently." As the wizard started to wake, Faramir quickly grabbed Gandalf's robes and slippers before pulling the old man out of the bed.
Gandalf's eyes shot open to the sight of Faramir holding his robes in front of him. "What brings you to my chamber at this hour, my Lord Steward?"
"The Queen bid me bring you to her without delay, she said to tell you the king has need of you", Faramir replied breathlessly.
Gandalf stood up relieving Faramir of the garments and finished getting dressed as he was heading for the door. "Well lead on then, my Lord Faramir." He remarked gruffly.
When they arrived at the royal bedchamber they could hear sobbing coming from inside, Faramir knocked on the door and waited for permission to enter. To their surprise the Queen herself opened the door and beckoned them both inside, before gently closing it again.
Gandalf made straight for the bed wherein sat a distraught Aragorn, while Arwen guided Faramir to a chair in the corner and whispered to him. "Please wait here, I suspect we will require more aid from you this night." Faramir nodded as the Lady turned with a heavy heart to comfort her beloved.
Gandalf sat down on the bed next to his friend of so many years they were too numerous to count. "Aragorn, my dear friend, what ails you so?"
Aragorn looked up at hearing his name. Through haunted eyes he recognized Gandalf and with that his hands latched onto the front of the wizard's robes. The Kings started to speak in a broken voice, "Harry is only a boy and practically being kept in captivity. He told me tonight, that he no longer has the strength to write the letter that he must, that will keep them away. If he doesn't write the letter they will come for him and take him to a much darker place of holding where he fears to go. He is also afraid that I would not be able to come to him again if he was taken there. I fear it is my fault that he has grown so weak. I started to take the sleeping herbs to ease everyone's concern for my health but Harry just used up much more power to bring me to him."
To those in the room, the King seemed to gain relief as he spoke; finally laying down the weight of the secret he had been hiding.
"I know some of what he is going through. He has nobody to help or guide him, no one he can trust, not like I did. I, at least, was an adult when my destiny was presented to me, he is not even sixteen. When we first made contact on Faramir's birthday, I began to worry that he was withdrawing into himself or, worse, going mad because of his heavy burden. But tonight I also realized that Harry is ill equipped to fight and, even if he could, he is so weak he has no strength to do so. I now fear that his enemies could easily overcome him. I must do something now or I will most likely lose this child I have come to love as a son. I have given my oath to protect him. Please, Gandalf, help me save him." Aragorn entreated.
Arwen gently reached out and gently pried Aragorn's fingers from Gandalf before moving Gandalf off the bed and easing Aragorn back against the pillows. "We will get help for Harry I promise, but you must rest a little or you will be no use to him when he seeks you out again. Rest easy now and I will make you some soothing tea. Faramir will stay here with you until I return if you will agree."
At his slight nod she indicated to Faramir to sit on the bed and placed his hand on top of Aragorn's. At Faramir's look of surprise, "He just needs the touch of another to keep him focused here please, Faramir, I know how much you love your king, please do this for him not as his Steward but as his friend."
Arwen led Gandalf to a small sitting room off the bed chamber where everything was set up with all the herbs needed to make various medicinal teas. There was a small fire already going and she placed a water filled pot upon it. She did all this in silence as though pouring all her love into this activity that it might flow through into the finished tea.
While the water heated, she turned to Gandalf who knew she would tell him what happened when she was ready. She took a deep breath while opening a package of herbs that was labeled in elegant elvish script, SLEEP. "He didn't take it tonight; I believe he knew it was important that he receive the dream tonight. It would seem he was correct. He still needs to rest, so he can think clearly but he is determined to help Harry. From what he has told me, the boy is a direct descendant of ours, many generations into the future. His name is Harry Potter and his life has been ruled by a prophecy, which is a subject dear to Aragorn's heart as you can imagine. The boy is in danger constantly and has been tortured in his body and a fact that Aragorn can vouch for personally, in his mind for quite some time. He feels totally alone and that he is responsible for many deaths. Aragorn feels that the child is an innocent, who some are using as a pawn."
She went to the fire to retrieve the water and made some ordinary tea for herself and Gandalf and then added a small amount of sleeping herbs to the third cup that was Aragorn's. "Wait here and I will complete my story when I have seen to him." She left and he could just hear her encouraging Aragorn to drink the warm brew.
A few minutes later she returned and took up her own drink before sitting down on the old leather couch along one side of the wall, Gandalf went to join her.
She took a sip of her tea before beginning her own story. "As Aragorn already mentioned, it started the night that he missed Faramir's birthday dinner. As I was just completing my attire, Danir, the King's squire brought me the message that he would be delayed and to begin dinner without him. This I duly told to the Fellowship. However Danir also informed me that Aragorn had commanded that he was not to be disturbed until further notice and that he had returned to his private study and locked the door behind him. The boy also observed that Aragorn seemed to have difficulty with his speech. I immediately sent for Lord Faramir when I discovered that apparently Aragorn had the only key to the study. However, when we got to the study Faramir produced a second key and opened the door. We found Aragorn lying on the floor unconscious and talking to someone and then he began to sing an Elven song about Rivendell.
The first few contacts started out as just dreams until the fifth night when he experienced Harry's pain for himself. My heart broke that night for the child and for my beloved husband. After that night he promised to start taking the sleeping draughts out of duty to his position because people were beginning to speculate that he was ill. Although he believed that Harry may not be able to contact him as easily."
She took another sip of her tea before placing her delicate hand over the Istari's, "Please Gandalf you know much of magic, apparently it was Harry's own magic that helped seal the bond between himself and my beloved. Aragorn was told as much by those who came to him and asked for his help. In fact, I believe the bond is now so strong that Harry was still able to contact Aragorn even with the sleeping draughts, although my dear husband managed to keep this from me. Gandalf, he promised to speak to you, but I think he felt that it was a private family matter and he should take care of it himself. Can't you use your magic to bring Harry to Arda?"
Gandalf sat thinking on all he had heard and pondering what he could do to help. His mind told him that if it had been the boy's own magic that had brought Aragorn to him, he was probably too young to know or understand the immense amount of power he actually had. He agreed with Aragorn's assessment that it would also explain why the boy had grown weaker suddenly, by having to use so much more power. That being the case then it should be possible to somehow connect to that magic and bring him all the way to Middle Earth although he wasn't sure his magic would be compatible. But they would have to hurry as it sounded like the boy's magic was ebbing away quickly. Perhaps with the help of the Lady of the Golden Wood they could achieve this, and his instinct told him that she probably already knew of the trouble.
"Lady Arwen I believe the solution to this problem lies with your own grandmother, Lady Galadriel. I have a theory, but the first thing to do is to get Aragorn to Lothlorien as soon as possible. If you will give me leave, I will consult with Faramir and then Legolas on the best way to achieve this without alerting Minas Tirith to the real reason for the King's absence. You, however should go be with your husband until it is time to leave. How long will those sleeping herbs last for?"
"It will be a few hours before my beloved awakes," she replied in a self-satisfied tone.
"Very well then he will have to be carried to Shadowfax. Please provide Faramir with Aragorn's longest and thickest traveling cloak along with a pair of your husband's boots and gauntlets to bring to me." He said thoughtfully as a rudimentary plan began to form in the old istari's head.
The knock on the door brought Gandalf back to the task at hand and he beckoned the Steward into the room. As Faramir stood in front of his old friend, the grey haired old man looked him up and down and stroked his beard contemplating the man in front of him.
"Yes, Yes I believe that you and the King are around the same height and build enough for you to fool most at this time of the day. Faramir is there a secret way to get to the stables from these rooms?"
Looking a little apprehensive Faramir nodded. "There is a set of steps that lead down to that level hidden behind a panel in the king's study. It leads to a secret corridor that runs behind the horses' stalls. It will lead you to the king's and his most trusted guests' horses. This is a secret that is only passed on from a Steward to his King."
"I will assume that any sudden absence by King Elessar will worry his people, so we must think of a reason that none will question." He paused to see Faramir once more nod in agreement with this statement.
"Very well this is what we shall do, in a few moments I will go to Prince Legolas and ask him to feign an illness so bad that it will require his immediate removal to Lothlorien. When I come back I will be carrying the seemingly unconscious prince and be escorted by a guard to act as a witness to the events. You will meet us in the corridor and have us escorted to the King's private study, then leave us to supposedly alert the King of the situation. While I am gone place this cloak, boots and gauntlets in the study behind the door.
When I come back have the guard go and alert those on the gates to the city to be ready to allow the travellers to depart within the hour. Make sure you tell them why. I will go down and personally saddle Shadowfax. While I am away take the King down to the passage behind Shadowfax's stall, then return here dress yourself in Aragorn 's traveling attire then carry Legolas down to the stable. Have Arwen accompany you to make it more realistic. Once there Legolas and Aragorn will simply change travelling clothes, with the hoods up no one will know the difference. Then it is simply a case of us seeing Aragorn and Legolas off to Lorien. Once they are safely away I will let the rest of the Fellowship in on the plan and we can make arrangements to follow as soon as dawn breaks." Gandalf finished, feeling quite pleased with himself for coming up with such a simple plan so quickly.
"But Gandalf, it is a crime to impersonate the King," Faramir was staring at the old man in some consternation.
"Fear not, young Faramir, no one will ever find out and I am sure that Aragorn will be grateful for your service in this matter." The Istari waved away this possible problem with a sweep of his hand. It was then he thought of another, " If you will provide me with a messenger I will send an explanation to King Thranduil, Legolas' father so that he does not worry unduly."
The Valar themselves seemed to be smiling on their venture for the plan went off without a hitch and as predicted, within the hour Legolas and Aragorn were on their way to Lorien.
As Gandalf made his way back to tell Gimli and the Hobbits of these unexpected events, he prayed that this latest quest of Aragorn's would also have a positive outcome.