A/N: Thank you so much to everyone for reviewing, it really means everything to me and makes me very very very very happy! If I continue to receive more reviews I think I will be so happy one day that I will die from happiness! But I don't really mind ;)

Just a note to EbonyBeach: you wondered how old I was. I'm 13, which is Year 9 at school :)

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

6. Intense Heat

Aragorn smiled to himself and hummed along to no particular tune as he walked back to the royal garden where he had left Arwen sitting on the garden bench. He had just collected a basket, laden with aromatic fresh food for their lunch, from the kitchen. Now that she was in such a good mood, he had insisted on spending his lunch break with her alone rather than suffering the company of his council members in the Great Hall for a far less pleasurable meal. He was eager to return to her, but when he passed under the archway and looked towards to stone bench, he did not see Arwen sitting there.

Aragorn faltered and frowned. He hastened closer, wondering where she had gone. Aghast, he turned and looked around him, searching for her.

Suddenly he saw Arwen lying on the grass in the blazing sunlight, her body at a peculiar angle. Her silky hair, splayed out around her, was gleaming like a halo. Aragorn dropped the basket and ran to her, noting with alarm how flushed her face was, how her eyes were closed, and how she gave no sign of movement despite his thudding footsteps. Her hand lay motionless on the grass.

Aragorn fell to his knees at her side. "Arwen!" he cried.

He ran a hand over her forehead and found that she was swelteringly hot, as if with a fever. Still she did not react to his touch. He called her name again, more urgently, all the while scanning her body and passing his hands over her, desperately trying to understand the reason for her unconsciousness. Fearing that something had gone wrong with her pregnancy, he placed both hands carefully on her stomach and closed his eyes, whispering softly in elvish, "No I Melain na le."

He anxiously opened his eyes and saw that Arwen was stirring. But she was breathing very heavily, as if she had just been running. When her eyes flickered open, confusion passed across them, before she recognised his presence and weakly smiled up at him.

"Estel," she murmured faintly, and she sought out his hand. When he squeezed her hand reassuringly she closed her eyes again.

"Arwen? Arwen! What happened?" Aragorn begged for her to speak to him. She opened her eyes wearily again, with her chest still rising and falling rapidly. "Meleth, are you ok?"

Arwen parted her lips so that she could breathe more easily and nodded. "Of course," she whispered, but she promptly coughed. In spite of her assurance, Aragorn noticed how her eyes were beginning to roam around her, as if in panic.

Aragorn sighed in dismay and turned his attention to her bump. He lightly ran his hands over the swell, striving to ascertain whether her baby was alive and healthy. An overwhelming concern and dread took over him whilst he felt for the little child inside and he could hardly breathe out of fear.

"Estel?" Arwen said softly with a tone of astonishment. He saw her watching him in complete bewilderment. "Estel… What in the name of the Valar are you doing?" she murmured, struggling to sit up. Aragorn hastily pushed her back down by the shoulders.

"Arwen, I need to see if everything is fine-" he started.

"Everything is fine," she assured him again. He met her eyes and she hesitated. "Meleth, I can feel… our child is fine," she said more gently. Aragorn sighed and retreated, helping her to sit up. Arwen looked around them in puzzlement.

"Why did you lay me down on the grass?" she asked curiously.

Aragorn stared at her. "Arwen, I did not lay you down here! I found you like this!"

Arwen's breath hitched. "No… but…" She stumbled on her words, her breathing still rapid and shallow. "But I was sitting on the bench, waiting for you. I have no memory lying down here." Her blue eyes fixed upon him questioningly, pleading for him to give her an answer.

"Arwen, something is wrong. You should be able to remember what has happened. Are you in pain anywhere?" Arwen shook her head, looking frightened. Aragorn reached out to caress her cheek reassuringly, but he suddenly jerked back as if scalded.

"Bless the Valar! You are so hot! No wonder… you must have fainted from the heat!"

Without delay he slid his arms underneath her arms and lifted her up, paying great care to her stomach. He carried her over to the shade of the tall beech trees and set her down in the long cool grass. He then fetched the basket, and once he had sat down beside her he searched around inside and withdrew a large pale blue earthenware jug. He undid the catch on the lid and then poured out some water into a glass. Arwen's eyes filled with yearning as she watched the clear water tumbling into the glass, clamouring beautifully and splashing up the sides. He wondered just how parched she was.

Aragorn handed it to her and she slowly raised it to her lips. She drank slowly, but the cool water appeared to help and she drained the entire glass. When she passed it back to him, he saw that her breathing had settled and that her eyes were no longer dulled by the heat. She looked at him and smiled.

Relieved, he poured her another glass, and as she drank it she closed her eyes, savouring its delicious coolness. Aragorn could not help but notice her gleaming pink lips as the water passed through them and into her mouth and he immediately felt a desire to kiss her. Then he scolded himself, reminding himself that he ought not think such things when Arwen had been unwell, but when her eyes remained closed he found himself giving in to his desires, gazing at her perfectly shaped lips, imagining how silky smooth they would feel as they moved against his own in passion…

There was a flicker of blue and Arwen's eyes opened. Aragorn immediately snatched his eyes away, his pulse racing as he quickly ripped the empty glass out of her now-cool hands and began to take out the breads and cheeses and grapes. He could feel Arwen's keen eyes burning into him, but if Arwen suspected anything she did not voice it.

"Thank you, Estel," she murmured. Aragorn stole a glance at her and saw her attention had moved to a group of butterflies dancing around in the sunlight. A peace lay over the garden and aside from the rustlings of food, no sounds could be heard save for the humming of insects and tweeting of birds. They ate in contented silence.

"Estel?" Arwen began, reaching for the knife to cut some cheese, "why did you send Legolas to fetch me? Was there another, more important reason?"

Aragorn looked away into the mid-distance. "A messenger came from Faramir," he said, pausing for a moment to phrase the words in his head. "Something very strange has occurred in the east… not far beyond the boundaries of Mordor, or Lordor as its people now call it… It is most odd, and it does not make any sense…" He realised he was rambling and fell silent. Arwen looked up at him and gently stroked his hair, urging him to continue.

"What has happened?" she asked softly. "Estel? Please tell me."

Aragorn put his face in his hands. "Faramir was with his men, searching the lands just north-east of Mordor. It was at night, not three evenings ago, when they found that their progress was halted. It was too dark to see, so they camped there for the night. When they awoke in the morning, Faramir saw what was really there." Arwen hold on his hand tightened. Aragorn took a deep breath.

"There was a huge river… bright blue and sparkling innocently in the light of the early morning sun. But they could not see the other bank. Not anything at all. They travelled south along the bank, but it did not stop. They rode as fast as possible, galloping down past Mordor even, bearing slightly more west as they went further and further south. It wound its way over the border into Near Harad, and there Faramir stopped. He sent the messenger to me, and he is now riding back north, searching for the source. But nowhere is the eastern bank to be seen. The lands have changed."

Silence filled the warm air. Aragorn turned to look at Arwen but her expression was unreadable as she traced her fingers over the palm of his hand. At first she did not say anything. He wondered if she was afraid, and he pulled her closer to him.

"What do you think has happened?" she said finally.

Aragorn thought about the wide river. "I do not know, meleth nín," he said. "By all realm of reason, it should not have happened. A river that massive does not suddenly form overnight. Even a tiny stream changing its course would take a whole winter, but a river that previously did not exist whatsoever, a river so wide that the other bank is not visible… How can that form overnight? Nothing like that has happened since when the Valar reshaped Arda."

Arwen shifted in his arms and her brow furrowed in thought. Aragorn knew that an idea had occurred to her, and he tried to be patient, but when she still did not speak he said in exasperation, "Fine! Keep your secrets to yourself!"

Arwen turned to look up at him, smiling amusedly, and he grinned, part of him melting at the breathtaking sight.

"Sorry," she whispered. "Estel…" she said slowly, "do you think that the river, do think that it is… that it might be the sea?"

Aragorn gasped. He blinked and looked down at her hand, which was resting on his leg, his mind whirling. Distantly he heard Arwen calling him, but he could barely think he was in such disbelief, let alone speak. There was barely any chance that the body of water could be the sea. But then, there had been even less a chance that it would form right across the hard land, cutting such a profound path. But inside him, Aragorn felt a small recognition of this idea set alight, and if Arwen thought it had happened, then maybe, maybe it was true.

Arwen sat up and her nose brushed against his chin, rousing him from his astounding thoughts. He kissed her lightly on the forehead and she smiled sweetly up at him.

"Arwen," he breathed, looking at her in admiration, "Arwen, I do believe you are right-! You are so – " Arwen pressed a single finger to his lips, silencing the torrent of praise that he was about to unleash, and smiled again, her eyes alight. He gazed at her, feeling his heart crying out for with such boundless love. Her eyes twinkled, as if she knew.

"Estel…" she said softly, her deliberation drawing out his name and raising the hairs on the back of his neck, "Estel… Do you think that Ilúvatar is making your kingdom safer – "

"Our kingdom," Aragorn corrected her, but she took no notice.

" – safer for – for – "

Aragorn looked at her questioningly and she cautiously continued, her eyes fixated unwaveringly on his. " – safer for – our child –?" she whispered, gently bringing his hand to rest on her rounded stomach.

Aragorn's heart leapt into his mouth, urging him to express just how much he loved her, just how much he wished that what she proposed was true, that the Valar were with them. His heart was calling for hers, begging for her touch, willing him to love her with everything he had…

He leant in to lay a tender kiss on Arwen's lips and she moaned into his mouth, beckoning him on. He was swept away in a tide of euphoria. He could feel Arwen's hands creeping up his chest and he lay back down on the grass, pulling her on top of him as their kiss became more fervent. He pulled her more tightly to him, endeavouring to bring her closer than was physically possible, to show just how much he never wanted to be parted from her. He ran his hands down her back, along her thighs, hooking the hem of her dress under his thumbs and slowly teasing it up inch by inch, and he rejoiced in her shudders of excitement. As his hands drew nearer to her hips he anchored her down on his groin, groaning with the thrill of expectant pleasure. How he longed to devour her…

Arwen gasped for a breath, and as their eyes met, suffused with desire, she leant in and whispered against the sensitive spot just behind the angle of his cheekbone, "Let me show you my light…"

She slid her hands under his shirt and tore it off in a trice before lowering herself upon him, her hot mouth pressing tingling trails to his muscular chest. Aragorn cried out and her hands travelled still lower, torturing him in the most exquisite way possible. He was struggling to focus on her face, but when he met her eyes he locked onto them and felt his heart soar. She gave him her most intimate smile and gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Aragorn crushed his lips against hers, elated to know that she, the most beautiful, wise, caring elf in Arda, wanted him – him, a mere mortal. He whimpered as she pressed herself to him, making her intentions even more clear.

Aragorn was suddenly very relieved that they were in their own private garden, where none would disturb them for the next half hour.

Arwen was striving to pleasure him, and though it made Aragorn feel as if he nerves were electrified, more than anything else he wanted to make her feel just as exhilarated as he did. He gently rolled them over, and with one hand he brushed their mingled hair away from her face, so he could kiss her more ardently, and then he let it wind its way downwards, feeling more aroused by the second – over her chest, around her sensitive bump, and then… then she cried out for mercy, and she was only stifled by another kiss.

Their love glowed like fire that summer day in the garden, and all Aragorn needed was Arwen's light to keep him burning.

xxxxxx

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