Riding easily beside her husband Eowyn knew instantly when they reached the border of the Northern Kingdom. Even though Aragorn ruled both Gondor and Eriador the joining was still too new for them to truly feel like one united kingdom. "Is it good to be home?" she asked. She had noticed the easing of the tension he always carried with him when they traveled. If she had not know him so well she would never have known that he was keeping a more careful eye on the area surrounding them then their guards. Habits developed by years of lonely wandering would not soon fade, if they ever did. But here he was relaxed.

He looked over at her with a smile. "We have fallen under the protective eyes of the rangers."

She watched him carefully for a few minutes, liking the rare ease she sensed in him. It was similar to how he had been when they had visited Rivendell. "This is your home as much as Rivendell is," she commented.

Slowly nodding his head Aragorn tipped his head back and closed his eyes, seeming to drink in Eriador with all his senses. It did not seem right to her to name this the Northern Kingdom. It was clear this was so much more to her husband.

The moment was broken when Estel stirred in her father's arms. The eleven child had been rather subdued since her attempted kidnapping. She had grown even more silent since Elrohir had elected to stay in Rohan to try and find out more about her attempted kidnappers. "We are being watched," she commented.

"By good or bad people?" Aragorn asked.

Eowyn bit her tongue as Estel's young face scrunched up in concentration. She did not think that was an appropriate question for a child her age. Or a child at all, but she had learned when it came to senses to follow her husband's lead. Estel, despite having human parents, was an elf. She needed to learn to use her elven senses, which were stronger than a humans. Still she thought Estel was too young. "Good?" she finally asked. "It does not feel bad." Hopefully she looked up at her father.

With a grin Aragorn hugged her close. "Very good." Handing her the reins he turned to his wife. "Things will be a lot less formal here. I was chieftain here long before I became king." He half smiled in remembrance. "And a distrusted ranger." His gaze moved to his guard. "You will not take offense," he ordered. He turned back to Eowyn. "To many of the people here I am Aragorn, not King Elessar and even though I have always held that title and its duties they are-: he hesitated, not sure how to explain.

"You are a person to them," Eowyn supplied. "Not simply a leader or a king. They know the person behind the titles."

Aragorn nodded, smiling at her. "It is good to be home." His grin widening he whistled. A few moments later five disshelved men stepped into the clearing they had halted in. Aragorn ordered his guards to stand down as he easily dismounted. "Well met."

"Aragorn," the man in the lead stepped forward. "I mean, My Lord," he dropped to his knees, but his eyes were full of mirth.

In response Aragorn laughed and signaled him and the others to rise. "I am sure." He scanned to forest surrounding them.

"Your path is clear to Annuminus and I have rangers along the path to make sure it remains that way. No harm shall come to the royal family while you are in our care." He turned his gaze to his chieftain.

Aragorn easily remounted and took Eowyn's. "Haraland my Lady Eowyn and our children Theorond and Estel. Eowyn, Haraland, captain of the northern rangers."

He bowed. "My lady. It is good to finally meet the lady who has made my chieftain so happy and allowed the line of Isildur to continue." The rest of the rangers bowed as well, giving her a salute she recognized as being elven. "It is our honor to protect your way." Lifting his head he and his fellow rangers melted back into the forest and were lost from sight.

*************************

Restlessly Eowyn paced across her apartment and back again. This was driving her crazy. They had been here for nearly two weeks and she had seen less of her husband than at any time in their marriage up until now. It was not that she was being left out per se, but that he had a life here that she was not a part of. So much of his time was spent with his rangers. Slowly sinking down on a loveseat she realized what was wrong. She was lonely. For the first time since wedding Aragorn she felt alone. Her husband had a life here that did not involve her and unlike when they had visited Rivendell this was not just a vacation but an official residence. What was annoying her even more was that she did not know how to approach Aragorn about his unintentional neglect. They usually got along so well it was not necessary and when they fought, they fought. The door opened and Aragorn strode in. Eowyn did not bother to get up. "Where are you going now?"

Catching the edge in his wife's voice Aragorn moved to kneel in front of her. "Nowhere. I thought we could have dinner together with the children. Tomorrow I have journey I need to make and I wished you to come with me. We will be gone at least four days."

The odd mixture of excitement and sorrow in his voice caused Eowyn to look into his eyes, searching for his thoughts. "Where?"

"The Angle." He rose and walked out on to the balcony. "It will by my first visit since," he laughed slightly, but there was a trace of bitterness in it. "Since at least six months before I met the hobbits in Bree." After a moment he turned back, his king face perfectly in place.

Rising Eowyn walked over to him and lightly brushed his cheek. "Do not hide yourself from me. We promised each other no secrets."

His eyes met her with her smile. "I have been neglecting you," he realized. "I am sorry. It is just, being home, its-"

"I know, but I am here. Tell me."

For a few moments he was silent. Slowly he shook his head. "I can't explain, but, will you go with me?"

Eowyn smiled, giving him a light kiss. "I love you. I will go anywhere you ask."

****************************

"Your Highness I must protest."

With great effort Aragorn restrained himself from rolling his eyes at his guard's constant complaint. "I will be perfectly fine." Lightly dismounting he reached out to help Eowyn dismount. "We will be more than safe with the rangers protecting us."

"Your Highness-" he began to protest again His monarch's sharp glare shut him up. Against his better judgement he remained still as his king and queen walked away from him with no visible guard. "We shall await you here."

As they walked Eowyn could not take her eyes off her husband. She was seeing a whole new side of him. He was dressed in the green and brown of a ranger instead of royal finery and seemed more content than he had at any time other than when they had been in Rivendell. "We do not seem to be following a path," she commented a couple of hours later. Having grown up on the open plains of Rohan she was not good in forests to begin with and Aragorn seemed to be taking a meandering path.

The guiltily amused glance he gave her was all the answer she needed. "Sorry. Old habits die-hard. This was the hidden refuge of the Dunedain of the north for generations. While the name is more well known now the rangers the location is still one of the best kept secrets. There has been talk of opening it more, but-" he shrugged not sure how to explain. "None of us are overly anxious for that to happen. Maybe one day." Stepping closer he slid an arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Be warned, it is not much. If somebody had accidentally stumbled upon it they would never had guessed the secrets her people hid."

They stepped through the trees. Aragorn's words of warning still ringing in her ears she took in the hidden village that had hidden and protected her husband's ancestors as much as Rivendell had. And that was all it was, a village. The homes were well worn and aged. Yards and fences were well maintained and livestock roamed, but there was nothing to point out to how important this place had been to safety of the north. It was not even fenced.

"We lived in secrecy," Aragorn answered her unasked questions almost before she had thought them. He turned to greet the people that were coming to meet them. "It is good to be home."

**************************

"Come with me."

Eowyn looked up from the bags she was unpacking. There were no servants here. That was a first for her. One of the local women had offered but Aragorn had turned her down before the offer was even completed. To her surprise Eowyn found herself looking forward to their weekend stay. She had always wondered what it would like to be a normal person: now she would have the chance to find out, or at least a taste. Looking over she saw her husband looking out the window, toward the back of the small town, to the area she had not yet seen. There was a sadness in his posture that she had not seen since they had bid Elrond goodbye. Grabbing her cloak she nodded. They walked to the edge of the town until they reached an open plain. Her jaw dropped as she saw the row upon row of white stones. "Aragorn?" When her husband did not reply she looked up. His eyes held a sorrow that was deeper than she had ever seen even when Elrond had departed. Lightly she laid a hand on his arm. "My love."

Releasing a shuddering breath he looked down at her. "The funeral plain." His eyes went back to the stones. "I have not visited since- since before the war of the ring." Slowly he walked forward and knelt next a stone at the edge. "This is for the ones that fell at Peleannor." Closing his eyes he bowed his head and lightly caressed the gravestone. "I wish you were here, my friend. Everything we fought for has come true, but it is not the same without you, Halbarad."

Quietly Eowyn moved behind him, laying a hand on his shoulder in silent support. She could not take his grief away but she could be there for him. That was what family was for. "I am here, I love you."

Walking into their temporary residence Aragorn was surprised to see Eowyn almost in tears, staring at the small cooking fire she had kindled. "Eowyn, what is wrong?

In frustrated anger she threw the spoon down. "I have never felt so incompetent in my life," she muttered angrily. "I can not even prepare a meal."

"You were never taught," Aragorn reminded her. "I do not expect you to know something you were never taught."

Her eyes met his. "But your people know. You can live in my world. Valar, you could live comfortably in most any place. I can't even make myself useful with your people."

Quickly striding forward Aragorn pulled his wife into his arms. "I am glad." Gently he tilted her chin up so their eyes could meet. "Yes, the Dunedain of the North are all to self-sufficient. Too often the woman and children were left unguarded while the rangers fought to protect the north. We had no high walls or armies to protect us. Traditional roles faded as generations of necessity taught our women that they needed to be able to defend themselves and their children. It is a hard life that I would not wish on anyone and one some were not capable of facing. You," he gave her a quick kiss. "You, my wife, would have learned, quite happily would be my guess, if you had been born into this life. But I am glad you did not grow up in this difficult life. I know yours was not always easy, but I am glad duty was not the first thing you were taught. I love you, it does not matter what skills you have or don't have. You are my wife and that is all that matters. If I exclude you, or lose myself in being home, come to me. It is not intentional and I do not want to leave you out."

With her first genuine smile in what felt like forever Eowyn stepped closer to hug her husband close. "I love you. I just do not want to lose you, not to memories. I know I am being silly, but I am not used to feeling incompetent at things."

"You will never lose me. You are my life and my love."