Author's note: Thank you for the reviews! I do know that grammar is not my strong point, so any tips would be gratefully accepted.

Also, I would like to say that this story is completely fictional and only the characters belong to Tolkein. This story relates to neither the books nor the films.



4. Pain

The king had been waiting too long, there had to be something wrong. Slowly he rose to his feet and crossed the chamber. When he reached the door he clasped the iron handle and paused, the child had stopped crying.

Surely she would return to him soon, he returned to their bed and climbed in among the linen and furs. Quickly he drifted into a deep sleep and heard nothing of the events that occurred later that night.

In the mean time the Queen had stopped sobbing and her fear had returned to rage. Her duty to protect her daughter overthrew her desire to crawl into a corner and cower. Suddenly she sprang to her feet, she drew herself up to her full height and a fire burned in her crystal eyes. The power exuding from her very being would have been frightening enough for any mortal man, but the intruder was no ordinary man.

"What do want? Why have you returned?" She cared not whether the anger in her voice could be heard, she only wanted answers.

"Arwen, Arwen I only want you. I have only ever wanted you. If you come with me now I will leave your child in peace, indeed no-one need ever know your secret." The voice cut sharply through the thick dark.

"My husband will come after me, wherever you take me he will follow. I will come with you for the sake of my child, but be warned, King Elessar will not rest until he knows the truth."

"Very well, we shall leave tonight but do you really think that your doting husband will leave his only child for any amount of time?"

Arwen's great height shrank and the fire in her eyes fizzled out, she knew he spoke the truth. Her Estel would never leave Legessa, not in a million ages, not while he had his realm to consider. Still, she would leave with the intruder, at least if he was with her he could do no harm to the baby.

"Do you promise? Will you keep your word?" Arwen's voice was no longer Queen-like, it belonged to the pleading child awoken by her memories.

"Yes I will keep my word. I swear on my honour not to harm the brat." The voice turned colder, he was anxious to be on his way but once again the elf's temper boiled. She struggled to suppress the emotion, she could not bear this incessant swinging between passions, it was exhausting her.

"You have no honour." She spat and stood tall. She would be strong.



Some hours later the King awoke once more. He rolled over and stretched out his hand, expecting to feel his wife's silken skin beneath his fingers. Instead he felt the linen sheets. He listened intently, he could not hear his child crying, nor could he hear his wife's breathing. If she was in the room he should have felt her presence but tonight he felt nothing, only the chill of the night air.

Swiftly he rose and threw a warm cloak about his shoulders, he crossed the room and stepped out into the stone passage. Directly in front of him was the door, through which Arwen had stepped hours earlier.

He opened the door and felt the sheepskin rug beneath his bare feet, he could hear his daughter's gentle breathing. A wave of relief swept over his tense body, but he still had to find the whereabouts of his wife.

A thorough examination of the palace told him that the beautiful elf was not in the vicinity. After cross-examining the guards he also learned that no-one had passed the main gates in several hours.

However, he knew his wife well and was perfectly aware that she could slip out of the city un-noticed if it was required of her. Although for her to do so without first consulting him was incomprehensible.

The one thing he did know for certain, was that he could trust her entirely and that she would have good reason for her disappearance.

And with that he returned to his bed. Truly he was worried about his Queen's welfare but there was nothing more he could do, she was independently minded and he loved her so wholly that he would never do anything to hinder her in any way.

Trying to bury his hurt somewhere within his soul, he concluded that if she was still missing at dawn he would organise a search party.



Arwen was somewhere cold and damp. Her hands were bound and her eyes were covered with a course strip of material. Unable to bear it any longer she crumpled like a rag doll to the floor and wept. Her whole being was hurting and she wanted to pour her pain out through her tears.

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