AN: I own nothing from The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.

Here I am, with another new chapter! I know it's been a really long time since I've updated; I could give some excuse or another, but let's just say life got in the way.

I've been told that Aragorn in the books didn't have as much difficulty accepting his family's bloodline and who he really was, as he did in the films. I admit, I'm mostly going by the movies and my imagination, as I haven't read the books in many years, so that's why the story is going in that direction.

Anyway, please enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review! Thanks!

Chapter 50: Arwen and Aragorn:

That first dinner with Arwen and Aragorn was just the beginning.

At first, the awkwardness between them, which spread to the rest of the party, was easily explainable, since Aragorn and Arwen had never met before. To keep the conversation flowing, Gilraen and I unofficially took on the task of bringing up topics that interested everyone, so things weren't too bad.

However, after a few meals together, it was clear that something was forming between the two of them.

I, of course, picked up on it because I previous knowledge about their romance. But others were just as quick to notice it.

Gilraen was a romantic at heart, and admitted her dreams for her son to me. "I know that Elves do not unite Men, but it gives me hope that, one day, my son will find a fine woman to wed."

I wondered if it was because she privately hoped that by falling in love and marrying, Aragorn might decide to settle a potential wife in Rivendell, which would cause him to stay here for longer periods of time. I think Gilraen also wanted grandchildren, and was looking forward to having a grandson or granddaughter to spoil.

Not wanting to crush her hopes, I decided not to mention that Aragorn would actually be spending a lot of time traveling the world, fighting in battles and facing dangers that would give any mother nightmares and sleepless nights. I let Gilraen keep her dreams of her son being interested in something other than the fighting and survival training he was always partaking in with the Twins or Glorfindel.

However, even though I did not want to give rise to Gilraen's hopes, I admit that I am a romantic at heart, too. But I had seen the films, and knew that Arwen and Aragorn were destined to be together -according to Tolkien, at least. Since I had received no nocturnal orders from the Higher Powers of Middle Earth, either to help or hinder them, I decided to stay out of their romance as much as possible, and simply observe from a distance.

Lucky for me, outside of mealtimes, Aragorn and Arwen didn't often see each other around Rivendell. Yes, it was a valley, but not a very large one, and they both had other tasks to occupy their time.

Aragorn was often with Glorfindel and the Twins, doing all kinds of Ranger-type things: tracking; foraging for food; fighting on horseback or on the ground; archery; and learning to handle horses who weren't fully tame.

When the weather was too foul, he was with Lord Erestor in the library, learning to read, write and speak different languages from all over Middle Earth. Thus far, Aragorn had learned quite a bit of the languages from Rohan and the Dwarves. He wasn't fluent, but he had enough to get by if he were to visit or live with them for a while.

Meanwhile, Arwen was still trying to settle into a domestic routine after her very long absence. Many of her former tasks had been taken up by others, including me and Gilraen, so she now had a great deal of free time on her hands. Lord Elrond did manage to find his daughter a few things she could do to contribute to the running of his House, such as with the weavers or embroiderers, or even finding herbs for the kitchen or medicine crafters.

But for the most part, Arwen would have large hourly gaps in her day, during which she would go for walks through the valley, or horseback riding, or take a book to read under a tree in one of the gardens.

Inevitably, it was during her quiet hours that Aragorn found her, and asked if she would mind some company.

I discovered the two of them walking one day, while I was gathering flowers for the perfume distillers.

Arwen's hand lay delicately on Aragorn's arm as he escorted her through the lush flora. Brilliant, colorful blossoms danced gently in the soft breeze, filling the air with their light fragrance.

The pair spoke quietly in Elvish, Arwen's voice like music and Aragorn's a deep accompaniment to hers. I could not help but smile at the romantic sight. They were a handsome couple; Arwen in a glorious pink gown that brought out the blush in her cheeks perfectly, while Aragorn was all in dark green, which went very well with his brown hair and blue eyes. Everything about one complimented the other, and no one who saw them could not deny how right they looked together.

Hidden behind the bush where I knelt, I breathed a quiet sigh. Like any romantic, I envied their love, and wished to find something like it for myself.

But I had a feeling it was going to be a long time before I found whomever I was destined to be with.

As soon as they rounded a corner, I went back to my task, and an hour later, I carried my small basket to the perfumery, leaving it in capable hands before going back to my rooms. There, I was surprised to find Ethelwen waiting for me, an anxious look on her face.

"Lord Elrond requires your presence at once," she said, gesturing towards a gown she had laid out on my bed. "Hurry, you must wash and dress. I will do what I can with your hair."

I cleaned myself up quickly, and Ethelwen's skilled hands managed to make me presentable before Glorfindel came to retrieve me. Neither my handmaiden or I had expected him, but I was grateful for his company on my short walk.

To my surprise, Gilraen and Aragorn were there. Gilraen was seated in a chair across the desk from Lord Elrond, while Aragorn stood behind his mother. Both had puzzled looks on their faces, as well as a hint of worry.

Lord Elrond had carefully forced his facial expression to remain neutral, but I could tell he was angry.

"Meluir," he greeted me, before gesturing towards an empty chair. "Please, sit."

I did so, while Glorfindel went to stand at Elrond's right. There was a worried expression on the blonde Elf's face, too, and his broad shoulders were tense. Clearly, he thought this meeting might not go well.

With everyone gathered, Lord Elrond's cool grey eyes settled upon we three mortals. In a voice that was hard as steel, he stated, "It has come to my attention that you have been paying particular attention to Arwen, Aragorn."

All three of us stiffened, though we each had a different expression on our faces. Gilraen looked upset, while I was trying to keep calm. Aragorn was clearly embarrassed, but he also seemed to stand a little straighter under our father's intense gaze.

"I have, my lord," my brother openly admitted. "I wish to get to know her better, as we have never met before."

One lesson I learned very early during my time in Middle Earth: do not lie to the Elves -especially the most powerful ones.

When you're on the receiving end of a fully focused Elven glare, lying is the worst thing you could possibly do. Deep inside, you will feel that they know you're hiding something from them.

However, if you are trying to hide something from them, it was best to do so with a bit of truth mixed in. It was a little like being a politician back in my world: a little bit of truth, and a lot of talking around the issue.

In this case, Aragorn was technically telling the truth. He and Arwen hadn't met before, and he really was trying to get to know her better. I had no doubt that Arwen was also trying to find out as much as she could about him, and privately wondered if Lord Elrond had already given her a private interrogation earlier.

Meanwhile, the Lord of Rivendell was clearly unhappy with where this conversation was going. "Aragorn," he said, in a tone that was turning quite frosty, "I have known you since you were a mere babe. I have taken you into my home and my heart, and treated you as my own son. It is because of this love that I will speak plainly."

Uh, oh.

"The condition I have, should you ask for her hand, is this: I will only allow Arwen to wed you if you take your rightful place and fully claim your birthright."

I saw Gilraen's face go pale, as anger and fear showed upon Aragorn's face. Lord Elrond's words were clear: he would only bless a union if my brother became King of Gondor and united the kingdoms of Men.

Of course, Aragorn had no intention of doing such a thing -at least, not at this point in time. Many deep, negative feelings greatly dominated his heart: first and foremost, the shame of Isildur's weakness within the depths of Mount Doom several millennia ago. Then, there was the fear that same weakness of his ancestor had been passed down through the Ages, to Aragorn himself.

I very much disapproved of Lord Elrond using Aragorn's fears against him, as there were two ways this could go.

In all likelihood, Elrond probably hoped that Aragorn would not become King, and Arwen would never be able to marry him, keeping her safe and immortal.

Or, on the other side of the spectrum, Aragorn might fall so in love with Arwen that he would be determined to wed her. With that determination, he would work to overcome his fears and doubts to take his rightful place on Gondor's throne, with Arwen as his Queen, rendering her mortal.

What no one knew was that the War of the Ring would force Aragorn to do what Lord Elrond demanded of him. Aragorn would become King, and Arwen his Queen.

Destiny was against the ruler of Rivendell.

Reaching out, I put my hand on my brother's arm, giving it a squeeze. Both he and Gilraen turned towards me, all three of us joining hands together in familial support.

After a moment of gathering his thoughts, Aragorn turned towards our foster father. "Is there no other way?" he asked, keeping his tone flat and empty in spite of the chaos of emotions he must be feeling.

Lord Elrond's eyes met his, his gaze hard as grey stone. "There is not," he firmly replied. "Do you think I would so easily allow my daughter to surrender the immortality and Light of her people for a mere Ranger, when there are several noble houses and princes amongst the Eldar still here in Middle Earth who would make a better match?"

That was a bit of an empty threat. As far as I knew, there was only one Elf Prince in Middle Earth, and that was King Thranduil's son, Prince Legolas, who would be Aragorn's greatest supporter and friend during the War. Thranduil was very proud of his son, and since he had never once mentioned to me his heir potentially marrying Arwen, I doubted he had ever considered such a match.

Gilraen, meanwhile, had stiffened in her chair as she took issue with Elrond's words, but a squeeze of my hand kept her from voicing her anger at this slight against her son's worthiness. Instead, the grip she had on my hand tightened painfully.

Aragorn was also angry, but fortunately kept his emotions at bay. Instead, he took a deep breath to calm himself. "Do you mean to keep me from spending further time with the Lady Arwen?" he asked, his voice void of emotion.

Lord Elrond said nothing for a moment, but I knew that he was thinking about it. However, if Arwen wanted to spend time with Aragorn, I wondered if Lord Elrond would refuse her, if she asked.

Aragorn gently pulled himself free of the grip Gilraen and I had on him, and gave a bow. "If that is your wish, then I will depart Rivendell as soon as I can."

"No!" Gilraen breathed, reaching for her son again. "Please, no!"

In a moment, both mother and son had left the room, Gilraen running to catch up with Aragorn as he made his way to his rooms. Since I couldn't bear the thought of one or both of them being in pain because of this, I rose to go after them.

"Meluir," Lord Elrond quietly said, his voice halting me in mid-step. "You know I cannot allow either of my daughters to bind herself to someone unworthy of them."

Though I was touched at being considered as much a daughter to him as Arwen, I could not agree what he had just said. Throwing my decision to stay neutral out the window, I rushed to my brother's defense.

"Ada, Aragorn is not unworthy. He is of noble birth, and is a good man, which you know as you have helped raise him. How can he possibly be unworthy of her, especially when he makes her happy?"

Frowning, Elrond's tall Elven frame towered above me. "Aragorn is a good man, but he could become a great one if he chose. Although his future remains shrouded from me, for the time being, he must travel many paths on his way to that future."

I stood quietly as he breathed deeply, to calm himself down. "Barring any unfortunate accidents, his life will be far longer than a normal man's, but he is still mortal. I will not allow Arwen to fade away as she waits for him to travel those paths."

There wasn't much I could say to that, so I stayed silent as Elrond began to pace the room. Glorfindel, who had stood as silent as a statue during this whole thing, subtly indicated with his eyes that I should leave. Agreeing with him, I very carefully edged my way out the door and around the corner.

Once I was out of sight, I froze, wondering if I should stay and see what else might be said. But if they found out I was eavesdropping, I would be in huge trouble. Retreat was the only option at this point.

Moving as quickly and quietly as I could, I made my way to Aragorn's rooms.

"Aragorn, please listen to reason!" I heard Gilraen plea to her son. "There is no need to leave so quickly. Lord Elrond will not stay angry for long; you merely have to be patient and limit the time you spend with his daughter until he sees reason again."

I entered the room to find my brother packing a large travel sack, the one he always used when he went into the wilds of the world. He had a look on his face that was of both determination and anger, which I knew was a bad sign. Getting through to him would be very difficult, unless I used the right words at the right time.

"Aragorn," I softly called as I pushed the door shut. "What are you doing? Where are you going?"

He turned and looked at me, eyes sparking with not only anger, but sadness and confusion. "Allie," he whispered, coming to hug me. "I'm sorry, but I must go. You must know I cannot do as Lord Elrond has asked me."

I sighed and hugged him back. I couldn't tell if he was talking about Elrond's demand of him staying away from Arwen, or of reclaiming the throne of Gondor, but it didn't matter. All Aragorn knew was that, right now, both of those choices were impossible.

Even though I knew he would one day be a great man and a good king, he was not there yet. There was so much for him to see, to do, and to experience mentally and physically before he was truly the Man he was meant to be.

All I could do was give him a little something to help him get there in the long run.

"Yes, I know," I softly replied as he held me close. "But promise to send us letters, so that we don't worry ourselves sick? Why don't you take a Raven with you? I'm sure at least one would love to trail you on a life of wandering and adventure."

Gilraen's tearful eyes cleared a little. "Yes! Take one of the Ravens, Aragorn! It would ease my heart if you did so."

He sighed and pulled away. "Very well, Mother. I will go speak to the flock and see if one will agree to accompany me."

An idea suddenly hit me. "There is something I must give you before you leave, but it will take a little time for me to fetch it. Promise you will not ride off before I have given it to you?"

Aragorn was clearly puzzled, but agreed he would not depart without a proper farewell. Relieved, I ran for my room.

When my brother left, it was with a heavy heart and a look of sadness on his face. It matched the one his mother wore, as she watched him ride out of Rivendell once again.

One of the few things that comforted Gilraen was the black Raven that had agreed to follow her son on his journey.

The other was a very special letter in his pocket, from me to Bard and Bain in Dale. In it, I asked that they shelter Aragorn, provide him a horse of Shan's lineage if needed, and assist him if needed during his travels. I did not tell them who Aragorn was, to keep his identity safe, but I did mention that I would be immensely grateful if they treated him kindly during his visit. I wasn't sure if Aragorn would ever make it to Dale, but if he did, at least he would be fed and supplied.

When I had explained the letter to him, Aragorn was touched and grateful. "Thank you, Allie," he said, holding me tightly. "I will keep it safe during my travels, and only use it if I must."

I couldn't remember what I said to him in response, but it was probably something along the lines of 'be careful, don't do anything foolish, and try not to get killed.'

He had chuckled, kissed my forehead, and left, riding his mount out of the valley as his mother stood beside me, tears in her eyes once more. Somehow, I managed to keep my own sadness in check as I led Gilraen back to her rooms and persuaded her to eat and drink something before settling her down in a chair.

Once she was seated and somewhat calm, I began telling her about Thranduil's kingdom. It didn't matter that she had heard it all before. I talked about Thranduil's throne room, the grand balls he held in my honor there, and the shimmering, glorious outfits his people had worn to the events. Gilraen loved clothing, and hearing how their styles differed from Rivendell's relaxed her to the point where she began drifting off.

Seeing this, I gently helped her undress and get into bed. "Thank you, Allie," she whispered as she sank into slumber.

It was late by the time I made it to my rooms, but Ethelwen was there, as she always was, waiting. Tonight, there was a cup of warm mulled cider beside my bed. My nightgown and bed had been warmed as well, for a comfortable night.

Exhausted by the long day, I drank the cider, undressed with Ethelwen's help, and was soon sinking into my cozy mattress, drifting off to sleep.

Two days later, I was sitting with Gilraen and Arwen, all three of us missing Aragorn (for entirely different reasons, of course), when I received a summons to Lord Elrond's study.

He was there alone, and there was a very stern look on his face as he motioned towards a chair in front of his desk. "Meluir," he said, retaking his seat, "I'm afraid there is a discussion that you and I must have, an old one I have not troubled you with for some time."

There was only one topic that truly made me uncomfortable, and it had not been brought up in a number of years. I had hoped that Elrond had put it from his mind, but it had been a vain hope.

"Did you know about the possibility of a romance between Aragorn and Arwen?" he asked, grey eyes sharp as steel.

Taking a deep breath, I wondered if I should tell him. He had done so much for me; did I not owe him an honest answer?

'But if it gets me in trouble, what then?' I wondered, panic swelling up inside me as I sent a silent plea out to whichever Powers were listening.

A soft breeze drifted past my ear, and I could swear there was a gentle, feminine voice on it, whispering, It's alright, child. Tell him.

Well, I wanted a sign, and there it was. So, taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and softly replied, "Yes, Ada, I did."

There was a sharp intake of breath. "Why did you not stop it, then?" Elrond angrily demanded. "Aragorn is mortal, and Arwen has the Light of the Eldar within her! Such a love is doomed. And you still did nothing?"

"I couldn't stop it," I whispered, not daring to look at him. "It is their destiny to be with one another. Their love will be the stuff of legends and songs."

At that moment, I swear the air around me dropped several degrees, leaving me shivering in my chair. Suddenly frightened of my foster father for the first time ever, I looked up.

His face hard as stone, Elrond glared at me. "I do not believe you. Leave my daughter here to live and die amongst Men? No, I cannot believe it!"

For a second, I thought he might reach out and strike me, but he did not. Instead, he rose and stalked over to a window overlooking the valley. "I am very displeased with you, Alyssa," he said in a voice that was struggling to keep calm. "You will return to your rooms and remain there until I decide otherwise. Ethelwen will continue to wait on you, and Gilraen may visit if she chooses. You will have no other visitors, or lessons until I decide otherwise. Am I understood?"

My jaw dropped. Was he sending me to my room and…grounding me? A full-grown woman? Did he have the right to do that?

I thought about yelling in protest, or even crying and pleading for him to change his mind, but knew it wouldn't do any good. Such childish antics would not work on an Elf Lord, and it would only make him angrier than he already was.

'Besides, it is his Realm,' I reminded myself. I dared not disobey, and throwing a tantrum would only make me look worse in his eyes.

Rising from my seat, I gave a tiny bow of my head, turned and left, not knowing how long my punishment was going to last.

AN: Review?