9. Tinúviel
"Arwen! Stop!" Aragorn laughed as she finally stopped kissing his neck and instead cuddled him longingly, running one finger down over the bare part of his chest.
"Arwen, we have to go!" He pried her fingers away, smiling as she tried to kiss him again. He caught her in his arms before she could reach his lips and he firmly steered her towards their door. Arwen moaned and wriggled in his grasp, twisting round to see his bemused face.
"We don't want to be late, meleth," he said, raising his eyebrows as he shut their bedroom door behind. It was halfway through the evening, and the dances had already begun. They had left just prior to the one before theirs starting, when Arwen said that she 'needed something urgently'. Aragorn had worriedly whisked her up to their room, only to find that Arwen's 'need' was to kiss him as hard as she could and let her tongue search his extremely surprised mouth.
She pleaded with her husband, her cloak falling off her shoulders as she pulled out of his hands. Flashing him a very seductive smile, she caught Aragorn off guard, and saying, "just one more" she gave him another kiss, his eyes closing as she took his breath away for Valar knows which time it was now, drawing his love out into her mouth. She knew he could not resist at this instant, not when they were actually kissing, and she leant in closer to him, her hands running through his silky hair, her body pressing against his.
Aragorn ran out of all his breath and he tore away, panting heavily and letting go of her weakly. He leant against the cool stone wall, trying to calm his breathing down again.
"How many times have I asked you not to do that!" he joked, and smiled as she fondled his hair with her soft fingers. "Come on, we really should be down there. So much for your need…!" He tutted and she giggled, walking down the few steps with his hand around her waist. As they reached the bottom, nearing the door into the Hall, they stopped together. Aragorn adjusted her twilight cloak over her properly, making sure it covered her body completely. Then he tied the velveteen cords together on the inside, around her waist, fastening it over her rounded stomach so that it would not fall open.
"It tickles!" Arwen giggled, moving around violently as his fingers moved over her sensitive stomach. Twice he had to start again, dropping the strings as Arwen squirmed about.
"Meleth, stop wriggling!" he sighed, but grinned anyway. He didn't know if she really was ticklish there, or whether she was just pretending. Either way he didn't mind and she was still in a very … good mood, to say the least, from this afternoon's 'activities'.
"Mind my tummy!" Arwen exclaimed, looking down to watch Aragorn's fingers twisting the cords together. Her long dark hair fell forward as she did so, and she tossed it back so that she could still see him. If she tried to stay still, it only made his fingers tickle even more, but Aragorn seemed to be coping, and as he stepped back and pulled the cloak over her large stomach, he looked pleased with what he had done. And if Estel was happy, then she was happy.
Sliding his arm once more around her, Aragorn lead the way back into the Hall of Kings, walking quietly around to the left, watching the present couple coming to the climax of their dance. Everyone was sitting on cushions on the floor, and even Aragorn had insisted that although he was the King, he would sit down there with everybody else. He helped Arwen sit back down next to Éowyn, and then he folded his legs beneath him as he too sank onto an especially squidgy purple cushion.
But they barely had time to look up before the dance finished and the fiddle players struck the last note. The two dancers bowed and curtsied and then walked off the small stage on the far side, going back to their places. Arwen watched Faramir as he walked up the two steps to the long platform and clapped with the rest of the audience. He then signalled for everybody to be quiet and a hushed silence lay all through the Hall. She could feel the anticipation lingering in the air held as Faramir took a breath to begin.
"Well done, that was a lovely dance." He smiled, but knew the people wanted to know they would see next. "Right," he said, pausing slightly. His eyes flickered down to the side and brushed over her and Aragorn. "Umm, now we have King Elessar and his Queen Arwen-"
There was a huge roar, and Arwen smiled as she saw all the eager faces turn towards them and the many hands waving in the air. She suddenly noticed that Aragorn was already standing, and he gave her his hand as she stepped up beside him.
Faramir was struggling to make himself heard over all the noise. He took to beginning every two seconds, but then he just gave up and waited until everyone ran out of breath. Then he smiled at the beautiful couple, and looked back around the hall.
"Tonight they will be doing the dance 'Tinúviel'."
Arwen turned her eyes to Aragorn, and he smiled gently to her, taking her warm hand. Then as the applause ran throughout the building they walked together to the platform and up the small steps, passing Faramir on his way down. She saw him nod to Aragorn as he brushed by, and then everything was quiet. Still holding hands, they stood at the head of the wide platform, seeing it stretch out far before them.
Arwen's heart began to beat slightly faster now as she realised they were nearly there. She felt Aragorn walking her forward, a third of the way down, and then he stopped and she mirrored him. Slowly she turned to face him, her eyes nervously looking at the ground as she felt the butterflies in her stomach. Then she heard Aragorn's soft voice calling her, but whether aloud or in her mind she did not know. She brought her eyes up and locked them with his, sensing their hearts joining together.
"Arwen, no matter what happens, just follow your heart." She held his gaze and nodded ever so slightly, showing that she had heard him. Her lips parted as she took a breath.
And then they started.
As one flute played the first note Arwen brought her hands down, and then as the other flute joined she was off, her feet skipping in time to the quick melody, her eyes closing as she spun around, with her arms way above her head. She opened them in time to see Aragorn also springing in time to the music, but his movements were more purposeful and every step drew him nearer to her. She leapt further down the hall, her hair rippling out behind as she lightly jumped round in circles, whirling her way down on her toes. Everywhere she went, Aragorn followed, chasing her hopelessly as she dodged his grasp, hopping under his arms as he came close, and then she was off again, her cloak fluttering as she ran, her quick feet barely touching the wooden platform as she danced.
She stayed up that end now, doing small steps as she drew in the power of the dance, and steadily bringing it quicker. Her eyes flickered up to see Aragorn coming nearer, echoing her feet as he desperately tried to hold her attention. But she just turned away, arching her back as she held her arms out, leaping round in wavy circles, the flowers in her hair shimmering as they caught the lantern light. Arwen suddenly felt Aragorn's watchful presence behind her and she did him a little pirouette before she pranced around him.
Arwen now looked up and saw him opposite her. This was where things got quicker, and trickier. He held her gaze still for a second, and then they moved. Forward, two, three, four, left skip, left, left, jump… They mirrored each other perfectly, their bare feet like a reflection in water. Arwen felt her eyes bound to his, his caring, loving, and if she dared to say so, very handsome face.
And she did dare to… as they jumped in towards each other, she licked her lips bright pink, teasing Aragorn greatly, and then she just frolicked back. He sighed madly as he refocused his roving eyes on her, and made Arwen feel slinkier. She tossed her hair behind, still drawing in his stare, and pulled him closer to her. Then she quickly ran a few steps backwards, being currently pursued heatedly by Aragorn. As one of the flutes played a long note she twirled elegantly, turning fast as she was encircled by her lover. When the note wavered Arwen fell and danced out of Aragorn's circle, her turn to skip around him.
She found herself looking very intently at Aragorn whilst he did a short dance, enclosed by her. He broke away and his eyes ran down her body, not only making Arwen feel extremely sexually attractive but also she saw him almost set on fire as he finished eyeing her up. He looked so cute when he did that, it was near unbearable for herself. She whirled around him until she was straight ahead of his gaze, which was now actually sizzling the air between them. As the flutes rippled down a scale rapidly she let one of her delicate hands slip down over her body. She danced there in front of him, he following her fingertips over her cloaked figure, with his eyes almost stinging from the keenness there.
Suddenly she felt urgency in his glance and she quickly looked up and saw a faint tinge of fear in his eyes. She ran to his side, her eyes wandering away as she passed him by. He whispered to her as she spun past, still in time to the music which played like a waterfall.
"Don't succumb…" He broke off as they parted, each dodging away from the other's feet for a count of eight beats, and then they shot up close again.
"…to the will-of-the-dance," he murmured to her rapidly as he frisked by. Arwen saw immediately the danger which could happen if she was not careful. She had just placed her hand over her stomach, pressing in the cloak, and, if she did it again, well…!
But she could not help being so happy. The dance slipped discreetly into the third part – their one. She whirled around Aragorn faster, spinning under his outstretched arms, and then sliding away around his body …her heart skipped another beat… he leant forward to touch her but she jumped left, he crept towards her again but she too moved just out of his desperate reach. Smiling, she turned to watch him. He had the same yearning of love in his eyes which she had too. Clearly he was trying to shake it off for the moment, and let it return later, preferably when they were cosily tucked up in bed… but Arwen just couldn't.
She skipped slightly nearer and also so did her eyes. In a very seducing manner she met Aragorn's and she breathed out heavily when they connected. It was almost as if they were touching. She watched him cravingly as he circled her body and approached her cunningly from behind. Arwen turned slyly and flashed him a delicious smile. He drew closer but she stepped back. He ran forward, but she pranced over to the right. Aragorn followed her, but she constantly moved away, her eyes flickering over him far too obviously.
He moaned frantically as he lost her again, and she turned to face him, her face down but her eyes drawing up… up to his beautiful face and his stunning chest, on full show seeing as a lot of his buttons had undone themselves in his body's quick movements. She saw his humid sweat, trickling down the side of his face. She wanted to rub herself against his damp body, wrap tightly around him, feel his hot moist skin touching hers…
They sprang inwards, dancing together as mere echoes of the other. Their gaze as one twirled them round, skipping faster and faster, nearer and nearer. Arwen felt his warm breath, the wonderful scent of his body. She wanted him now, now! Her lips parted as she breathed shakily, her whole soul under the threat of suddenly leaping forcefully on top of his. Their toes traced a single circle together, barely sweeping against the smooth floor. They came closer, but still not touching; always dancing faster, always inducing the other's love. Their connection was searing - she had to touch Aragorn. His body's motion was mesmerising, so tempting, and so mouth-watering to think about what was underneath his thin and very pointless clothes.
Arwen let the dance take her, let it swing her off her feet as she spun around in light-headedness. Aragorn's eyes were so deep, so heavenly; she was being pulled inwards, into those brilliant eyes, coming to his soul… and his love. Ever closer now, always passing over his feet, landing where the ground was still warm from his own. He was so special, so full of the passion which she was overflowing with… She needed Aragorn in the way the dance could not give. Her love was here, and it was ready for his… It was time for him to take it, to take her heart, and everything she had ever had…
She suddenly fell down into Aragorn's arms and felt her heart leap high with joy, higher than she could ever dance. And as the music finally eased away, she gazed up lovingly into Aragorn's beautiful eyes. The gentle power of his love was so overpowering and she just wanted him to be closer to her… closer to her… closer to her lips…
Suddenly Arwen felt a very curious sensation over her tummy and she looked down in surprise. Then she saw that somehow her cloak had undone itself and fallen off her plump, rounded stomach. The shock in the massive intake of breath of the hundreds of people in the hall at knowing she was pregnant was nothing compared to hers. She couldn't do anything except blink in surprise, her exposure under the scorching focus of so many people. Her mind was blank, a great emptiness, and she just had no idea what to do, or what to even think.
Flickering her eyes back up to Aragorn's shocked face, she found him watching her with deep concern in his grey eyes. She wanted to tell him she was okay, that she wasn't afraid, or even just smile at him, but she could do nothing. Her body had ceased up and she couldn't move.
So Aragorn slowly stood her up as she desperately clung onto his sweaty hand, and with the other he pulled her cloak neatly over her shoulders. But Arwen still realised he left her rounded figure showing. He smiled gently at her, and then he turned his head to watch the people in the hall. Not one person was not staring at his wife, every single one had their face turned her way. Arwen too followed his gaze, but the sight just made her tremble. She spotted Legolas leaning against a pillar, with a smirk creeping up his face, as if he was holding back his laughter. Even beside him Gimli's moustache was twitching into a smile. Arwen tore her eyes back, which were filling with some unbidden boiling tears.
Aragorn felt her heated glance on his face and turned back to meet her eyes. He softened when he saw her and smiled again, his other hand falling down to touch her sensitive waist.
"Don't cry, meleth," he pleaded quietly, barely audibly even to Arwen's ears. She blinked painfully, trying not to let her emotions take over. Her gaze was locked tenderly with Aragorn's; and then she suddenly sensed his love for her pouring out of his eyes, wrapping her up like a soft blanket and holding her carefully to him. She felt herself smile and relax, and immediately he drew nearer to her… with everybody else in the room forgotten.
Applause began to break out through the hall, and then it was loud clapping, and very soon it was cheers and shouts of joy calling out to them. The sound echoed all around, constantly getting louder and happier. Arwen smiled even more as she saw her Estel's happy face ever closer. His eyes were fixed on hers and she could feel his desire pulling her closer to him. Now she could see every one of his eyelashes, every tiny tanned speck on his cheeks, and the sparkles in his dark eyes which made her sigh fervently…
Arwen closed her own eyes as her lips touched his. Immediately she felt him hold her nearer to his body, and the applause got louder and even more elated. She brought herself even further into his full kiss and threw her arms over his hard back, her hands brushing against each other loosely. All Arwen wanted right now was Aragorn, and now he was holding her as if he never wanted to let her go. She felt so reassured by his gesture of deep affection in front of … how many people? His hand was now delicately resting on her bump, caressing her pregnant body for everyone else to see. Arwen didn't care. She just wanted him closer. And as the crowds around them screamed out at ultimate volume and giggly enjoyment, Arwen just pressed her scorching lips more to his, a full kiss now with her utterly gorgeous Estel, openly before the all townspeople. It was all she needed, his hot love inside her, and now absolutely everyone could see it completely for themselves.
