Lux Aeterna

Prologue

It was foretold that there would be born a child from an Elven Queen that would be the great hope of it's kingdom, that it would defeat an evil that would put Sauron and the battles for Middle Earth to shame.

Like all prophecies, it was put into legends as it passed from one to another until the time that Arwen married her Elessar.

The people of Gondor watched over their Evenstar with careful interest and hoped that she would be the one.

*~*~*~*

"Aye, I cannot take this anymore."

Ravenne looked up from her handwork and saw Arwen looking distressed by the window, her eyes downcast to the people below.

"Arwen?"

She turned and shrugged. "Every day . mankoi?"

The young Queen's lady in waiting and closest friend in court remained silent, knowing her friend well enough to understand that when she slipped into their mother tongue, it wasn't a good thing to interrupt.

Sure enough, Arwen turned to face her friend.

"They watch my every moment, my every appearance and I can't take it anymore!"

In a fluid motion, she reached for her water goblet and flung it against the wall, crumbling to the ground in tears.

With patience taught from years of being Arwen's playmate and then friend and now lady in waiting, Ravenne came to her aid.

"Melyanna?"

Arwen continued to cry. "I want what they want and to know that each time . mankoi?"

Rubbing her back, Ravenne made soothing nonsensical sounds.

"Have you told him of this?" Arwen sat up, shock clearly written on her face.

"Arwen, tisn't fair for you to have this burden alone. It's no wonder there isn't a babe for your arms to hold. Lord Aragorn needs to know!"

Taking a shuddering breath, Arwen dried her eyes. "Nay, he has too much to deal with in council. Taking care of a moody Queen is not part of his duties."

She stood up and tried to put herself into some semblance of order as Ravenne watched her with a worried eye.

"He loves you. Don't keep this from him."

Arwen shook her head. "I'm going riding."

Ravenne watched her go with a shake of her head. "Olinima . Arwen, lle olinima laito."

*~*~*~*

Aragorn sat quietly in the council, listening with increasing frustration at the amount of his councilors on this day that wanted nothing more than to hear themselves talk.

This meeting should have ended an hour ago, an hour he could have been quietly with his wife, making plans for their trip to Ithilien.

He had seen that Arwen had been increasingly quiet of late and with some astuteness, it must have had something to do with the adoration of their people towards their Queen.

Arwen while her father's hostess for functions within the royal court of Rivendell was not used to this type of scrutiny, of people who knew of the maiden who gave up her world for the man she loved.

After a just few months of marriage, a new strain began to tell on his wife and that was when would she give him and Gondor an heir.

He could tell and knew his wife well enough to see this was bothering her, but every time, his stubborn wife would say nothing was wrong.

Which was why he chose that time for a visit to Eowyn and Faramir.

"Sire, is there any final words that you wish to tell the council?"

Aragorn blinked and looked at the reports. "No, just that if there are any concerns I am just three days ride away."

Getting up, he caught sight from the window of something flash quickly by outside in the rolling hills of the family's summer palace.

Aragorn felt a pain in his heart in that Arwen could only find peace in riding with Asfaloth, instead of her coming to talk through this with him.

He spoke softly to the air around him, so quietly as not to be heard by another soul.

"What are you running from Melyanna?"