standard disclaimers apply
Chapter Five: The Passing of the Storm
"I have news," the attendant proclaimed.
Aragorn and Elrond stood at the same time, walking a few feet closer to the attendant, anxious looks on their faces. The attendant looked scared as the two stood before her, glaring down as they waited for the news. But she had lost her voice.
"Well?" Aragorn asked irritably. "Speak!"
For several more seconds she stood there with words not escaping her lips. A light stutter came forth, but no more. It was only when she saw Aragorn take one advancing step, his hands clenching into fists that the words came.
"A live babe has just been born to the Queen," she said quickly. "She and the infant lay in your chamber, both quite well and ready for your company."
The girl looked slightly releved at having delivered her message, so she turned and left the room to go back to the chamber and tend to her other duties.
"Alive," Aragorn muttered as he stood dumbfounded for a moment. It was then he realized that he was now being let back in to visit his new family.
Aragorn took two quick steps forward at the same time Elrond took one, and their legs caught together. Aragorn tripped, grabbing onto the elf's robe as he fell. Both met the ground hard and let out equally loud cries of distress. Aragorn struggled to get up, but Elrond had ahold of his wrist and yanked him back down to the floor so that he could have the chance to stand instead.
Elladan and Elrohir watched from the side as their father and brother both struggled over each other to see who would be the first to get up and get to the door. Although they favored their brother since it was his child after all, it didn't hurt them to watch the two fight it out.
"Let me stand!" Aragorn shouted as Elrond held him to the ground.
"That is my daughter, and I will not be kept from her," Elrond said dangerously.
"That is my family," Aragorn said as he pushed Elrond off of him, jumping to a standing position.
Frustrated and resigned, Elrond sat on the floor as Aragorn turned to walk out of the room. Much to his surprise, the king turned back around and offered help to stand up. Elrond took this gratefully.
"All I ask is that you let me be the first," Aragorn said.
Elrond nodded, embarassed that he had acted so childishly in their struggle. It was, after all, Aragorn's right to be the first in the room to see the child, that was with the exception of Arwen and the attendants. So Elrond would wait outside.
Aragorn gave Elrond a thankful look just before opening the door and walking inside the chamber.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Arwen heard the door to the chamber open and looked up to see Aragorn walking toward her. He had a look of absolute wonder on his face as he took a seat on the side of the bed next to Arwen. There were no words spoken and no tension between Aragorn as he accepted the child into his arms.
It felt natural as he held the baby, his baby. And a questioning gaze sent to Arwen asked the gender of the child. She smiled her answered predition of girl back to him and he nodded in response. The head attendant began to usher the others out of the room to give the king and queen their privacy. But she couldn't help but noticed how they spoke words without ever saying anything. It was truly miraculous how well they connected.
Aragorn reached his free hand out to touch the child's palm with the tip of his finger. Her hands were so small, so fragile. She had sharp features already and her radiance glowed from within. She seemed to sleep so peacefully in his arms.
Then she opened her eyes and looked at him. Grey met the clearest blue and instantly he was in love. He could see her soul through her eyes, reflecting back into him everything that he had ever hoped and fought for. Aragorn felt the breath leave his body and his heart stood still at just the piercing gaze. Something reassured him that she knew who he was. And so he smiled at her, reaching up to touch her nose and her cheeks, inspecting that everything was there and in perfect working order. He ran fingertips over her head, feeling the dark hair that was already there. He ran his fingers over her ears, noting that they were not completely elvish ears as he assumed they would be. Although they were pointed, they were slightly rounded off at the top, but it was easy to see who she got them from.
But how the child already looked like her mother. The two were going to be the most beautiful in all of Middle Earth. Aragorn would have to fight the young men off from his daughter when she got older. The thought brought a smile to his face.
"She knows you," Arwen said as Aragorn came out of his trance.
Aragorn gave a stupid, lovesick smile as he gave the child back to Arwen. Immediately the babe closed her eyes and nestled herself comfortably in the arms of her mother. A picture perfect image.
"How did I come to deserve this?" Aragorn asked thoughtfully.
"You deserve everything you have, melamin," Arwen said softly as she reached out to put a hand on his arm affectionately. He covered her hand in his own, drawing it up to kiss her palm.
"The stars shown through the rain tonight as I waited on word of her birth. Just after the rays had hit me word was sent. Perhaps she is truly blessed by the Valar," Aragorn said as he stood to walk to the window. "Perhaps she has brought an end to the worry of the people. The storm is gone."
"Will Minas Tirith know of her presence by the morning?"
"I should like to keep the both of you to myself for at least a day. The well wishers can keep themselves in the dark of this one affair until I decide to share it."
Arwen nodded and looked up as the door opened and Elrond walked in quietly. He looked over at Aragorn and nodded to him in respect and then came to the other side of the bed, taking a seat there.
"Ada," Arwen said as the elf leaned down to kiss his daughter on the cheek.
"My daughter has a daughter. I never thought I would see the day," he joked with a hearty chuckle. "She is beautiful."
Arwen lifted the child up, offering her to her grandfather. Elrond took the child and held her securely in his arms, marvelling over her just as Aragorn had done similarly several moments before.
"What will you call her?" Elrond asked questioningly.
Aragorn looked at Arwen, a look of surprise catching his features. Naming the child had escaped his mind. But it posed a good question. What would they name her?
After several thoughtful moment, Arwen looked at the child as she lay still asleep in Elrond's arms. Thoughtfully and quietly she said, "Ithildin."
Aragorn nodded with a smile and looked to the window the see the moonlight cascading through the window, illuminating everything in its wake. A feeling of pride surged through his body and engulfed his soul. He would protect his family, the most precious thing in the world to him if it cost him his life. This he was sure of.
Elrond gave the child back to Arwen and rose from the bed. He smiled at Arwen and turned to leave the room, but Aragorn was there to meet him at the door. The man rested a hand on the elf's shoulder and said a meaningful 'thank you' before setting him on his way.
Aragorn turned back to Arwen and just stood there with his back resting against the door, gazing intensly at her like he had never seen her before.
"If I thought I loved you before, I love you tenfold that now," he breathed.
Arwen smiled and beckoned for him to join her on the bed. She had been through a very exhausting and intense process and needed sleep greatly. Aragorn laid down across from her and acted as a barrier for the child that now lay sleeping in between them.
"My Ithildin," Aragorn muttered as he stroked her head lovingly. "And my Arwen. What else could I possibly ever need?"
Arwen leaned over, kissing Aragorn fully and soundly on the mouth. She had missed his kiss greatly in the day that she had been in labor. But now that she had him, she was content to just be. And when she would awake the next day, it would be to the feeling of accomplishment and motherly pride. Now she knew the meaning of true happiness.
And true happiness was brought upon the shimmering rays of starlight through the rain.
~THE END~
a/n: thank you so much to all of you who have reviwed. i never thought i'd have this much resposne over a fic. hopefully my next fic will be just as popular, or maybe even more so. a big thanks to barefaced allure for the eye color thing. and in case you're wondering, Ithildin means starmoon, or an elven shiny substance. don't forget to review since this is officially the end of this fic.
Chapter Five: The Passing of the Storm
"I have news," the attendant proclaimed.
Aragorn and Elrond stood at the same time, walking a few feet closer to the attendant, anxious looks on their faces. The attendant looked scared as the two stood before her, glaring down as they waited for the news. But she had lost her voice.
"Well?" Aragorn asked irritably. "Speak!"
For several more seconds she stood there with words not escaping her lips. A light stutter came forth, but no more. It was only when she saw Aragorn take one advancing step, his hands clenching into fists that the words came.
"A live babe has just been born to the Queen," she said quickly. "She and the infant lay in your chamber, both quite well and ready for your company."
The girl looked slightly releved at having delivered her message, so she turned and left the room to go back to the chamber and tend to her other duties.
"Alive," Aragorn muttered as he stood dumbfounded for a moment. It was then he realized that he was now being let back in to visit his new family.
Aragorn took two quick steps forward at the same time Elrond took one, and their legs caught together. Aragorn tripped, grabbing onto the elf's robe as he fell. Both met the ground hard and let out equally loud cries of distress. Aragorn struggled to get up, but Elrond had ahold of his wrist and yanked him back down to the floor so that he could have the chance to stand instead.
Elladan and Elrohir watched from the side as their father and brother both struggled over each other to see who would be the first to get up and get to the door. Although they favored their brother since it was his child after all, it didn't hurt them to watch the two fight it out.
"Let me stand!" Aragorn shouted as Elrond held him to the ground.
"That is my daughter, and I will not be kept from her," Elrond said dangerously.
"That is my family," Aragorn said as he pushed Elrond off of him, jumping to a standing position.
Frustrated and resigned, Elrond sat on the floor as Aragorn turned to walk out of the room. Much to his surprise, the king turned back around and offered help to stand up. Elrond took this gratefully.
"All I ask is that you let me be the first," Aragorn said.
Elrond nodded, embarassed that he had acted so childishly in their struggle. It was, after all, Aragorn's right to be the first in the room to see the child, that was with the exception of Arwen and the attendants. So Elrond would wait outside.
Aragorn gave Elrond a thankful look just before opening the door and walking inside the chamber.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Arwen heard the door to the chamber open and looked up to see Aragorn walking toward her. He had a look of absolute wonder on his face as he took a seat on the side of the bed next to Arwen. There were no words spoken and no tension between Aragorn as he accepted the child into his arms.
It felt natural as he held the baby, his baby. And a questioning gaze sent to Arwen asked the gender of the child. She smiled her answered predition of girl back to him and he nodded in response. The head attendant began to usher the others out of the room to give the king and queen their privacy. But she couldn't help but noticed how they spoke words without ever saying anything. It was truly miraculous how well they connected.
Aragorn reached his free hand out to touch the child's palm with the tip of his finger. Her hands were so small, so fragile. She had sharp features already and her radiance glowed from within. She seemed to sleep so peacefully in his arms.
Then she opened her eyes and looked at him. Grey met the clearest blue and instantly he was in love. He could see her soul through her eyes, reflecting back into him everything that he had ever hoped and fought for. Aragorn felt the breath leave his body and his heart stood still at just the piercing gaze. Something reassured him that she knew who he was. And so he smiled at her, reaching up to touch her nose and her cheeks, inspecting that everything was there and in perfect working order. He ran fingertips over her head, feeling the dark hair that was already there. He ran his fingers over her ears, noting that they were not completely elvish ears as he assumed they would be. Although they were pointed, they were slightly rounded off at the top, but it was easy to see who she got them from.
But how the child already looked like her mother. The two were going to be the most beautiful in all of Middle Earth. Aragorn would have to fight the young men off from his daughter when she got older. The thought brought a smile to his face.
"She knows you," Arwen said as Aragorn came out of his trance.
Aragorn gave a stupid, lovesick smile as he gave the child back to Arwen. Immediately the babe closed her eyes and nestled herself comfortably in the arms of her mother. A picture perfect image.
"How did I come to deserve this?" Aragorn asked thoughtfully.
"You deserve everything you have, melamin," Arwen said softly as she reached out to put a hand on his arm affectionately. He covered her hand in his own, drawing it up to kiss her palm.
"The stars shown through the rain tonight as I waited on word of her birth. Just after the rays had hit me word was sent. Perhaps she is truly blessed by the Valar," Aragorn said as he stood to walk to the window. "Perhaps she has brought an end to the worry of the people. The storm is gone."
"Will Minas Tirith know of her presence by the morning?"
"I should like to keep the both of you to myself for at least a day. The well wishers can keep themselves in the dark of this one affair until I decide to share it."
Arwen nodded and looked up as the door opened and Elrond walked in quietly. He looked over at Aragorn and nodded to him in respect and then came to the other side of the bed, taking a seat there.
"Ada," Arwen said as the elf leaned down to kiss his daughter on the cheek.
"My daughter has a daughter. I never thought I would see the day," he joked with a hearty chuckle. "She is beautiful."
Arwen lifted the child up, offering her to her grandfather. Elrond took the child and held her securely in his arms, marvelling over her just as Aragorn had done similarly several moments before.
"What will you call her?" Elrond asked questioningly.
Aragorn looked at Arwen, a look of surprise catching his features. Naming the child had escaped his mind. But it posed a good question. What would they name her?
After several thoughtful moment, Arwen looked at the child as she lay still asleep in Elrond's arms. Thoughtfully and quietly she said, "Ithildin."
Aragorn nodded with a smile and looked to the window the see the moonlight cascading through the window, illuminating everything in its wake. A feeling of pride surged through his body and engulfed his soul. He would protect his family, the most precious thing in the world to him if it cost him his life. This he was sure of.
Elrond gave the child back to Arwen and rose from the bed. He smiled at Arwen and turned to leave the room, but Aragorn was there to meet him at the door. The man rested a hand on the elf's shoulder and said a meaningful 'thank you' before setting him on his way.
Aragorn turned back to Arwen and just stood there with his back resting against the door, gazing intensly at her like he had never seen her before.
"If I thought I loved you before, I love you tenfold that now," he breathed.
Arwen smiled and beckoned for him to join her on the bed. She had been through a very exhausting and intense process and needed sleep greatly. Aragorn laid down across from her and acted as a barrier for the child that now lay sleeping in between them.
"My Ithildin," Aragorn muttered as he stroked her head lovingly. "And my Arwen. What else could I possibly ever need?"
Arwen leaned over, kissing Aragorn fully and soundly on the mouth. She had missed his kiss greatly in the day that she had been in labor. But now that she had him, she was content to just be. And when she would awake the next day, it would be to the feeling of accomplishment and motherly pride. Now she knew the meaning of true happiness.
And true happiness was brought upon the shimmering rays of starlight through the rain.
~THE END~
a/n: thank you so much to all of you who have reviwed. i never thought i'd have this much resposne over a fic. hopefully my next fic will be just as popular, or maybe even more so. a big thanks to barefaced allure for the eye color thing. and in case you're wondering, Ithildin means starmoon, or an elven shiny substance. don't forget to review since this is officially the end of this fic.