Title: "The Fountain"
Synopsis: Aragorn and Arwen have an argument.
Rating: PGSpoilers: Takes place after Return of the King.
Pairing: Aragorn / Arwen.
Disclaimer: I'm not Tolkien. I don't own these characters. (darn!) I make no money. Done for fun.
Additional Info: Movie-verse.
The rest of my stories can be found here:
Archive: If you like, just tell me where. "The Fountain"
"Whatever luck you live by, lets hope it lasts the night."
Aragorn scowled at the Dwarf,
remembering the last time the diminutive creature had muttered similar words.
Gimli chuckled gruffly and took another long swig of ale.
"That she hasn't yet flayed your head from your shoulders is a
wonder."
Aragorn scowled again, this time at his friend and Steward, who'd made the
remark.
"I cannot do anything right nowadays, it seems," Aragorn sighed, eyes
searching for the current bane of his existence - his pregnant, and VERY
moody, wife. "Now I know why elves do not bear many children - their
husbands would either be dead from the punishment inflicted on them during the
9 months of hell, or they'd have all killed themselves."
"When she finds out what you've done - even luck may not be enough to save
your head." Eomer clasped Aragorn on the shoulder and winked.
Aragorn snorted in disgust, knowing they were right, but hoping they would not
be. He risked a glance at his wife, who was merrily chatting with Eowyn and the
other ladies of the court. She laughed at a comment and rubbed her hands
absently over her swollen belly - something she had come to do as she'd grown
larger. His eyes narrowed in disgust, knowing it was an act she displayed for
the good of the Court and the Kingdom. For when they retired to their chambers,
she morphed into another woman completely.
"I want to be here for the birth." Aragorn began, feeling the need to
defend his actions. "This is my
child too. But-"
"No need to defend yourself to us," Faramir nodded toward Arwen,
"Save that for the Queen."
"When she kicks you out, you're welcome to come stay in Ithilian,"
Legolas smiled widely at his friend, who frowned deeply in response.
"She wouldn't dare." Aragorn said strongly as four pairs of eyes
glanced uncertainly at him.
"I wouldn't dare do what you've done." Faramir chuckled. "Eowyn
would kick me out, kneeling like a beggar at the tip of her blade, and lock the
door."
"Lothoriel would scream at me until the entire house knew what was happening, and even then, she wouldn't care, and would continue until I was thoroughly shamed and embarrassed." Eomer added with a slight shiver.
"You've already tried to escape once in the last few months, she would
have nothing of it," Faramir reminded with a wide smile. "What makes
you think you will succeed this time."
Aragorn scowled at his Steward once again but this time leaned toward the man's
ear to whisper, "Because you are
going to help me!"
A look of sheer fear passed across Faramir's eyes. "My Lord, I must
gracefully decline to help you in this endeavor."
"You have no choice, Faramir." Aragorn's voice was unwavering, as was
the steady gaze on which he pinned his friend.
Legolas smiled apologetically at the Steward before resting a pale hand atop
Gimli's shoulder. "Ahh, there are times when I am quite content ruling my
own small kingdom."
"In this matter, I wholeheartedly concur," Eomer nodded and shot a
look of pity in Faramir's direction.
The fiddles began again and the men glanced up to see couples taking the dance
floor. With a heavy sigh, knowing that he would hear it later if he did not at
least ask her for one dance, Aragorn slipped from the relative security of his
friends and approached his wife.
Arwen favored her husband with a wide smile as he stopped before the ladies and
executed a deep, flourishing bow. He extended his hand and said softly,
"Would you care to dance?"
Arwen stood, slowly, and slid her hand into his. "Of course. My size does
not prevent me from enjoying an occasional dance with my husband."
The women exchanged amused
glances, having all gone through the same emotional shift that Arwen was
enduring to bring the King's heir into the world.
"Oh to be a fly on the wall tonight." Eowyn muttered as her husband,
who had followed the King, took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor.
"I'm not sure I want to be anywhere near the King's chambers
tonight," Lothoriel chuckled as she slid her hand into Eomer's and was led
out into the large mix of nobles currently dancing to a very slow ballad.
"Perhaps we can make our escape soon," Eomer whispered to his wife
who laughed happily as he twirled her close.
"And abandon King
Elessar?" Lothoriel chuckled. "Some friend you are."
"How are you feeling?" Aragorn asked as husband and wife fell into
perfect step and began to move as one to the soft, slow music.
Arwen's eyes flashed and Aragorn's insides twisted. What had he done now?
"If you ask me that question one more time, I may forget decorum and push
you into the fountain myself," Arwen smiled happily as Faramir and Eowyn
passed them.
Aragorn shook his head, pulled her close and whispered into her ear. "I would like to see you try."
Arwen's eyes flashed and she leaned back to stare good and long at him. "That sounds like a perfectly acceptable challenge to me."
"Kindly wait until the halls are not filled with guests from all over Middle Earth," Aragorn requested slowly as he twirled his wife around the dance floor.
"To save your precious ego from embarrassment?" Arwen's eyebrow's raised in amusement and when they neared the edge of the dance floor, she twisted out of his arms and walked out the doors leading into the garden, leaving her husband staring after her in shock. "You will not escape my wrath so easily, Elessar." Only the closest guests could hear her parting comments over the music, but those that did, shot the King a look of pity.
"Wrath?" Aragorn made motion to follow and muttered beneath his breath but loud enough for Arwen to hear, "And what, pray, have I done now?"
Faramir winced when he overheard Aragorn's question. "Ohh, wrong thing to say, my friend."
"Hmm, this will be a first." Eomer stepped beside his sister and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I don't think they've ever fought in public before."
"This evening could be more entertaining than I anticipated." Faramir chuckled and cast a look back at guests oblivious to the explosion that was about to happen in the royal garden. "These stuffy, political banquets have become so boring."
Eowyn gasped in mock disgust. "And you will take great joy in seeing your King shamed in front of his guests?"
Faramir pulled his wife out of her brother's arms and dropped a kiss to her upturned nose. "I'll be happy to rescue him – later."
"At least do them the honor of preventing anyone from walking into the courtyard and interrupting them?" Lothoriel begged, her dark eyes pleading with her husband.
"That can easily be done," Eomer motioned for the citadel guard and instructed him to prevent any guests from stepping unawares into the coming explosion. "Simply tell them that the King and Queen are having a private discussion and you are respecting their wishes not to be disturbed."
The guard nodded and the entire group walked out into the courtyard to listen to the argument that they assumed would be worth this entire evening of boredom.
"Arwen," Aragorn caught her before she reached the fountain and the white tree that bloomed prettily in its center. When his hands slid around her wrist and turned her around, the fury in her eyes was unmistakable.
"You promised me, Aragorn."
Aragorn swallowed hard. Did she know?
"You promised you would be here."
Damn. He cursed inwardly. How had she discovered his plans? He'd heard his wife had network of informants that she had managed to spread around the Citadel but he'd never seen proof of such an existence.
Aragorn's eyes softened as he struggled to find the words he had not yet rehearsed to his satisfaction. "I was going to discuss my plans with you this evening."
"After I was so tired from entertaining our guests that I had no choice but to give into your whims? Where I would have no strength left to deny you your escape?" Arwen's voice held an edge that
sent tremors of fear down Aragorn's spine.
"Arwen," Aragorn took a hesitant step towards her. "I-"
"Don't give me any excuses, Estel." Arwen interrupted, twisted her wrist out of his grasp, and took a step towards the fountain.
"We will not be gone long."
"The reason that you are even considering a hunting trip, so late in my pregnancy, is quite clear, Elessar," Arwen's fury grew. It was plain as day in the lines etched into her ageless features and the tone in which she spoke with her husband.
Aragorn opened his mouth to speak, to follow her toward the fountain to explain himself but she raised a trembling hand to silence him. "Go. Just go. If you miss the birth of our firstborn, if embarking on a hunting trip is more important to you than seeing the product of our love for the first time, I have no need of your presence."
Aragorn's eyes slipped shut and he wondered, not for the first time in the last few months, how he was going to get himself out his this mess he'd created for himself.
Arwen seated herself along the edge of the marble fountain and dipped her fingers into the cool water. Aragorn knelt before her and enfolded her dry hand within his own.
"I would not be gone past your due date, Arwen." He began. "You know this babe's birth is as important to me as it is to you."
"As is freeing yourself from my presence for the next few weeks." She snarled and pulled her hand out of her husband's grasp. "I need you, Estel. I've needed you for many weeks now and you've done nothing but avoid me."
Aragorn groaned, knowing, in part, that her words were true. Her temperment had changed as of late and he'd found it quite difficult to remain anywhere near his moody wife. "I'm sorry." Was all he could think to say.
She stood suddenly, with far more agility than woman of her condition should be able, and threw him off balance. When he rose to stop her from walking away, he realized his mistake - too late to do anything about it. He'd placed himself in just the right position for her to fulfill her earlier threat. She knew it and he knew it.
A small smile played across her lips, moments before she flattened both hands on his chest and shoved. With all of her might, and the weight of the baby, in her favor, the King fell ass over teakettle into the cold fountain.
From the shadow's, Eowyn clasped a firm hand over her lips and the men stared wide-eyed at the scene that played out before their eyes. Lothoriel grasped her husband's tunic in shock, eyes wide as saucers.
When Aragorn's head emerged from the pool, he simply sat and stared at his wife. An amused chuckle left his lips as she stared down at the sight the sopping wet King made. She'd caught him. It would do no good to brood about it.
"If you were not so heavy with our child, you would be joining me in this pool." He threatened, eyes twinkling as he took in her radiant, round form. He should be angry, but with such a beauty standing before him, he found it difficult to contain anger of any sort.
"That is a promise you will never be permitted to keep, Estel," Arwen turned on her heel, not bothering to help him up, and walked straight passed the amused eavesdroppers without looking back.
Aragorn snarled as he watched his wife walk away and return to the banquet. As he stepped out of the fountain, he stared at those he knew lurked in the shadows.
"I do so hope you enjoyed the show." Aragorn scowled as he walked toward his friends, wet clothing trailing huge puddles as he walked. "Thank you so much for the help."
"My Lord," Faramir stepped toward his King, Eowyn in tow. "We know better than to interrupt an argument between a husband and his wife."
Aragorn growled as he tried to shake what water he could from his soaked garments and Faramir exchanged a quickly masked look of fear with his wife. Perhaps it would be in the Steward's best interests to help his Liege in this matter.
Faramir glanced at Aragorn and then toward the still closed door through which Arwen had walked and shuddered. No, he would deal with Aragorn's wrath in the morning for not offering aid, rather than risk a scathing tongue-lashing from the Queen.
Lothoriel couldn't help but chuckle at the sight the normally perfectly regal King made and Eomer smiled widely at his wife's amusement, quite happy he was not bound by any formal allegiance to Aragorn at this moment in time.
Gimli guffawed as he stepped into the garden, having noticed when the Queen stormed back into the hall. He took in the bedraggled form of the King with amused eyes. "Humpf, well. It appears your luck has run out."
Aragorn scowled as he trailed a puddle of water down the marble steps and toward the back entrance to the gardens. If he was going to be allowed to sleep in his own bed tonight, he'd best start practicing how he was going to apologize to his wife and set things right.
Aragorn muttered beneath his breath as he stalked through the hallways, ignoring the looks of the guards as their eyes narrowed at his bedraggled appearance. When he came to the entrance to the chambers he shared with his wife, he took a deep breath, repeating to himself like a mantra that it wasn't his fault that he was ill prepared to deal with a pregnant woman – it just hadn't been a part of his training as a Ranger.
And if he thought that excuse would earn him any pity from his wife, he was sorely mistaken.
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