Cresting the hill my heart feels suddenly lighter than it had in weeks. I was so close to him now, so close to home with him that I my entire body feels lighter, I can feel the relief the hope, the absolute and complete calm wash through me.
"The ceremony has begun," Haldir observes and I look up at the city the top tier full of people and banners easy to see even from this distance.
"But…" I feel slightly crushed at this knowledge, I no longer doubted his love for me, what I did doubt was the influence those around him would have and I was now scared that they would have convinced him that we could not have a life together.
"We were to be there in time to wash and dress and surprise Aragorn with your presence shortly after his crowning," Legolas explains and I look at him in wonder how had he kept that all a secret from me.
"So why?" I am very grateful right now for the fact both these elves can read me well enough for me to understand my question without me having to finish it because I am not sure I could.
"The people need a leader in the aftermath of such devastation and abject horror it was important to move quickly although if the rumours I have heard are true your king and lover have put up a great battle to avoid it until you were with him," he smirks and I feel the blush creep up my cheeks knowing that Legolas would not lie to me.
"Let's hurry then," I say instead and kick my horse into a gallop before I second guess myself or Aragorn or anyone else for that matter.
Clattering through the gates we race up to the sixth level where Legolas stops me before he dismounts.
"But they are on the seventh level," I say in confusion.
"Yes and we are to be there soon my friend, quickly take this banner and walk behind me," he says as he hands me a huge banner which is mercifully light considering so at least I don't drop it despite the slight pain in my wounded forearm.
"Oh no," I murmur suddenly once we are approaching the crowds and I can suddenly see all of the people here.
"What is wrong my friend?" Halide whispers to me from his position beside me and I glance at him quickly before looking back at the banner I am holding which is thankfully hiding most of me.
"I look dreadful, I am covered in orc blood," I answer and I can hear his chuckle.
"A warrior and a ranger through and through it will be strange to see you in a dress of that I am certain," he responds and I send him a quick glare although it is half hearted as pride fills me at his words and I am lost in the feeling once again of belonging and being cared for, that despite how much I have lost I have gained a new family who I knew would care for, love and protect me and it filled me with warmth.
"Peyson…" the voice pulls me from my thoughts and I glance round at Haldir who is trying desperately to get my attention although he looks highly amused by my daydreaming too.
"What?" I ask looking at him in slight concern thinking that something had happened and I had missed it.
"Walk forward and move the banner away from you," he instructs and I do, "here give it me," he suggests but I barely hear him as I spot the man before me. It is Aragorn, at least I think it is my Aragorn his hair is cleaner and shinier than I have ever seen it as it flows down across his shoulders and a crown is sitting on his head as he stares at me in open mouthed wonder. He suddenly seems so much taller than I remember and whilst he had always had an air of grace and regality about him even when he refused his lineage now it positively radiated from him so powerfully I almost stepped backwards but before I could he was inches from me his hand reaching for my cheek as I fight to stop the sob that is suddenly in my throat. Then I am in his arms and his lips have crashed down upon mine and his strength and love are pouring from him and into me. I am breathless and exhilarated and more than a little shocked that he has kissed me in front of an entire city of people and is now laughing his eyes bright with tears of joy his nose still barely an inch from my own.
"My little warrior," he whispers and I can feel the blush flooding through my cheeks with lightening speed.
"I didn't have time to change I'm afraid," I reply and he laughs again before he spots the bandage on my arm and frowns,
"You are wounded?" he asks and I shake my head a little,
"Just a scratch, I faired better than Haldir we had a run in with a small pack of orcs and wargs and one of the beasts managed to nick me," I explain.
"I think sometimes you live to worry me," he says with a shake of his head.
"I think I you do the same," I quip back which makes him smile again before stepping away a tiny bit and taking my hand.
"Come let us greet our friends," he says and I tug on his hand a little in shock.
"I think I should take my leave and at least bathe before I see anyone else I am covered in the blood of our enemies," I exclaim quietly and he turns to face me again his hand on my cheek seeming once again to care little for the crowds of on lookers who I can already hear whispering about who I am.
"You are perfect my love and they will not mind and I just see my beautiful warrior queen," he smiles and I scowl a little at him even as I feel my face flush again but he merely smiles and pulls me towards the edge of the city. As we move I am aware of the people parting for us and I grip Aragorn's hand tighter an apprehension filling me unused to such attention as I was.
"Peyson," a small voice says and I am once again dragged from my musings and I see the four hobbits before me and a smile spreads across my face before dropping as they bow but before I can say anything Aragorn stops them.
"My friends you bow to no one," he says promptly dropping to his knee where I join a second later and hearing a rustling around me I glance to the side and see that the entire city are bowing to them and looking back at their overwhelmed little faces I can feel the tears finally start to make tracks down my face so pleased I am to be back home with them all.
"Oh Peyson you are hurt again, we were so worried when you weren't here in time for the coronation," Frodo says as he darts forward and embraces me suddenly and I hold him back just as tightly.
"I am well my friend and I am so pleased to see you again," I reply smiling at him as he finally pulls away.
"I must steal her from you my little friends," Aragorn's voice says as he kneels once again beside me and feel an instant calm wash over me as I always do when he is close by.
"But we wanted to…" Pippin says immediately before Gandalf steps forward.
"I think my friends that we should get some food and let Peyson go and get cleaned up she has ridden through the night and had to battle to get here, when she has bathed and rested she will find you and you can regain her with your tales," he says and Merry and Pippin pout for all of a second before they rush off to find the feast whilst Sam and Frodo offer me an expression of amused exasperation before they follow behind them leaving me giggling at their antics.
"Come my love let us get you bathed and rested as Gandalf suggested,"Aragorn says as he takes my arm gently in his and pulls me up, his arm protectively on the small of my back as he leads me into the vast halls and down corridors until we reach a room and he leads me inside and into the bathing room where he has me sit on the bench there.
"What are we doing?" I ask in quiet apprehension.
"Do not fear little one I will not do anything to damage either of our reputations, your maids are on their way to draw you a bath," he smiles.
"May I ask you a question then?" I ask and he perches opposite me nodding in response.
"Of course little one,"
"We have always been so careful and yet today you kissed me openly in front of all those people," I say aware that it is more of a statement than a question but knowing that he would understand what I meant.
"I was perhaps a little overwhelmed when I saw you and I confess I was not thinking of propriety when I acted," he replies with a slight blush appearing on his cheeks which makes me smile a bit and I cannot explain how pleased I am that he is finally admitting to being human because there have honestly been moments that I have wondered whether he was really some sort of new perfect race of man, "but…" he continues now, "I do not regret it, I worry for you here you are not aware of your own beauty and I am glad that the men of this city can see that I have your heart," he finishes causing me to blush a little, a lot actually and I am glad when the maids come in and begin to bustle around getting my bath ready.
"You are wounded my lady?" one of them says,
"It is nothing just a scratch really," I reply,
"Do not listen to her she was wounded my a warg make sure it is cleaned and redressed she has a habit of not looking after herself well enough," Aragorn pipes up and I scowl at him which makes him laugh.
"Yes your majesty," she replies and I laugh at the look of shock on his face at being addressed in this way.
"Don't worry he is just not used to being addressed in such a way he shall get used to it," I say to one of the women who is looking strangely at him.
"Well be that as it may my lady I am your head maid and I shall have no man in here, even if he is the king until you are married," she says and I laugh again as I wave him off.
"I'll see you later," I manage,
"I will bring her down to you my king," the older woman interrupts again and suddenly I am alone with three women I have never met before and I am a little nervous. The only woman I have spent any time with since my mothers death had been Eowyn and we had a rocky start and I was definitely not used to being treated as a noble woman. I sigh a tiny bit as I steel myself for all the changes I was about to endure in my life for the first time realising that the end of the war meant the beginning of a very different life to the one I had had before my village had been attacked.
For a moment after the door is shut I stand in petrified silence as they bustle around me.
"My lady…" one of them begins but I interrupt quickly,
"Peyson," I say and they all stop and stare at me in slight wonder which makes me even more nervous.
"I don't understand," the youngest one ventures after a while and I offer a nervous smile,
"My name is Peyson I am not a lady," I say and the older one laughs at this a great bellowing laugh that makes me jump.
"Not a lady, you are to be queen," she wheezes after a while and I don't know how to respond to that because I suppose it was true really I mean we had made no arrangements but Aragorn had told me often enough that it would be so.
"But… what I mean to say is… this is all rather new to me," I finish lamely and her expression softens slightly as understanding seems to dawn on them all.
"I am Marriana and this is Treya and Henriq we are your maids and will look after you now," the older one says and I smile a little although I am still hesitant about it, "I tell you what while in the privacy of your rooms we shall call you Peyson if it makes you more comfortable but you must be get used to being known by your title when outside," she offers and I nod.
"Thank you Marriana," I say and she smiles again sending the other two off to get dresses and bandages while she helps me undress. Not that I'm entirely sure why I need someone to help me undress I mean I had managed perfectly well for the last twenty or so years.
"So Peyson, from whence do you hail that you are not accustomed to titles?" she asks as she turns for a moment to make sure the water was warm enough.
"I am from a village many leagues to the south of here," I say quietly, "I was brought up as a normal village girl, I learnt to fight and track and speak elvish but never to dance or dress like a lady," I add not sure why I am suddenly telling her everything about me, "I'm sorry I should not have said those things," I say feeling myself flush with embarrassment.
"Peyson I am your maid, I am your confidant and you will quickly learn that you can tell me anything and I will never speak a word to another soul, I have worked in the employ of these houses my whole life, I cared for the stewards sons…"
"You looked after Boromir?" I interrupt and she smiles sadly nodding her head and I can read the honest grief in her eyes and suddenly trust her infinitely more. "He was a good man and a great friend to the fellowship," I say and she smiles.
"Always a fighter that one,"
"He saved my life," I say not able to make myself add the words, thats how he died, but I get the feeling she knows and understands.
"I think my lady that we shall become great friends," she smiles as she approaches me again a warm and loving expression on her face and I am suddenly overcome with the feeling of having a motherly influence in my life again so much so that I very nearly cry, although it may be slightly because I'm tired too and I am always a mess of emotions when I'm tired.
"I should like that very much," I whisper thickly instead and she smiles again lowering her voice until it is barely audible as the door opens and I see the other two maids carrying things in and putting things into the bath waters.
"Be careful of what you say in front of those two though I know not whether they are the types to gossip yet," I nod silently and then let her help me out of my tunic and trousers.
"My lady your back," one of the younger maid exclaims and I spin to see what she means when I remember the scar and almost smile until I see her outraged expression at which point my own face falls and for the first time I feel self conscious about how I look.
"What happened?" the other one asks before Marriana can stop her so she just makes a tutting noise and helps me into the bath waters.
"I was hit with an Uruk Hai sword at the battle of Helms deep," I say once I have let the water work its magic on my tired limbs.
"I heard the women and children where in the safety of the caves," Treya says now and I smile at her a little,
"They were, I was not with them though I fought alongside the rest of the fellowship," I say and I see the awe and shock on their faces.
"Did it hurt terribly?" Henriq asks,
"Don't ask such personal things girl," Marriana admonishes and I giggle a little.
"It's okay, it hurt at the time but it doesn't bother me at all anymore," I say,
"I will apply some lotion all the same it looks still red and fresh and I don't want it to scar too badly," Marriana says and I am once again struck by the fact that here I would have to be more observant of how others view me.
It feels like hours later when they have finally finished and I am on my way to see the others. I have cleaned and scrubbed within an inch of my life and my hair has never been so thoroughly brushed and played around with. They have dressed my wounds and packed me into the most complicated dress I have ever seen before piling my hair up on top of my head pinning it in place with flowers. I am told apparently that I must get used to such things as when I marry Aragorn I would have to wear a circlet crown at all times, I was not looking forward to that. They had even made me wear little silk slippers which was very strange, I had never worn anything other than my boots before even in Edoras and Rivendell. All in all I felt very strange and incredibly self conscious and I longed desperately to be with the fellowship where I felt safe.
"This way my lady," Marriana says and I am pulled from my musings as I struggle along beside her, I don't know how women cope with dresses all the time they are an absolute nightmare and a bloody trip hazard.
"You look more beautiful than anything my eyes have beheld," the voice is soft and quiet barely above a whisper and I can feel the crimson staining my cheeks as I turn to see Aragorn staring down at me his whole face slack with shock and I giggle nervously.
"I am not used to wearing dresses and having my hair pulled around so much," I say unable to think of anything else to say and I glance around for support but see that we are alone, Marriana having slipped away silently to give us a moment.
"You are too beautiful I shall have to keep a close eye on you for fear of every man in Gondor and Middle Earth vying for your hand,"
"I think you exaggerate," I say gasping as his arms find their way around my waist and pull me quickly to him crashing his lips to mine and drawing a whimper from me.
"I never exaggerate my love I think I shall like to see you in a dress more often," he smiles roguishly at me and I offer him a little scowl.
"I think, my king that if you are to make me wear these ridiculous outfits all the time it matters not how much I love you, and I do, I should have to run away breaking both our hearts," I say and he laughs aloud at this.
"A bit extreme little one,"
"You have not had to wear one of these things I am already missing my tunic and I feel positively strange without my bow or sword," I sulk.
"It will take some getting used to," he sighs moving so that we are seated on a bench in a small alcove his arms still wrapped protectively around my waist.
"You mean I really shall have to wear dresses every day?" I ask in horror, I was only half joking with him before I really am terrified of having to wear these all the time.
"I would never do anything to make you unhappy and I don't think I could handle seeing my little one without her sword or bow," he smiles and I lean forward and kiss him impulsively.
"I knew there was a reason I love you," I whisper into his lips, "so I may still train?"
"I would spar with no one else," he says before standing and offering me his hand, "come my love let me show off my beautiful bride to be," he says and I take his hand somewhat reluctantly following slightly behind him wishing that we could have just stayed as we were, alone together.