Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any recognizable characters
or places.
*****
Aralya rubbed her stick of charcoal over the paper, trying to draw a figure properly. With her skills still developing, the picture looked like all right, save the improper porportions and the oval-shaped head. "Does this look all right to you?" Aralya asked her brother.
"Hmm. . ." Boromir said, scrutinizing the page. He took the charcoal from Aralya, and the paper, and drew a few quick lines. When Aralya looked at the paper again, she grimaced. Boromir laughed. Aralya jumped forward, tackling him to the ground. Boromir rolled his sister back to the ground, trying to pin her. Aralya flipped them both, gaining the upper hand. For a while they battled, their nurse knowing too well that there was no point in separating them; they were only having fun.
"Gotcha!" Boromir exclaimed. Aralya had paused, standing completely defenseless, and Boromir took this chance to tackle her to the ground.
"Orc-head," Aralya teased, "look." She jerked her head in the direction of the door.
"By the Valar. . ." Boromir whispered, getting to his feet. Aralya smirked, as much as a three-year-old can smirk, and also stood.
*Who is that?*
*That's Mother, silly.*
*Clearly, but who is he?*
"How should I know?" Aralya asked out loud. "You would know if I knew." Impeccable logic, which Boromir was unable to deny. Still both wanted to know who this stranger was, being unused to seeing people they did not know. "I'm sorry," Aralya said with perfected manners, "but who are you?"
No response came to her question. Elessar was unable to answer, shocked. He turned to Arwen, trying to ask for an explanation, but the words stuck in his throat. "You told me I had a son. . ." he managed to say before words fled. Finally he swallowed hard, then turned and walked away.
"You don't have to be rude!" Aralya shouted after him, angry tears welling in her eyes. What did she do wrong? Arwen stood in the doorway, torn between her daughter and her husband. Aralya made to decision for her, running to a vent in the floor and pulling the cover off it, squirming inside just far enough that she could not be reached. Boromir went to Aralya as Arwen went to Elessar.
"Maybe he did not know any better," Boromir said softly. Aralya choked on a sob, trying to respond in the manner he had approached. She failed.
*He knew better* she said bitterly.
*He looked upset.*
*What did I do to upset him?*
Boromir shifted his weight, and crawled to his sister inside the vent. She was smaller then him, but both could manage to sit in their small sanctuary. By now Idylia, their nurse, was up and trying to get them out, but they were ignoring her. *It hardly matters, anyways. You know how grown- ups are.*
*Yes, I know,* Aralya admitted, cleaning off her face with the long sleeve of her dress. *But it is unfair.*
*I suppose it always will be.* Boromir reached out, his small hand finding Aralya's. *There are two of us against all of them. As long as I am here, you need only be half as strong.*
*You know I love you, do you not, Boromir?*
*Of course I know. You are my baby sister, and always will be.*
Boromir and Aralya tumbled out of the vent, laughing as they sparred again. "Some day you will be big enough to win," Boromir said as he helped Aralya to her feet.
"It will not be long, so you had better gloat now," Aralya replied. "Wait. . ." Boromir laughed.
*****
"What are you going to do?" Arwen asked.
"I am going to write to Legolas," Elessar replied, scribbling angrily. "He had no right to lie to me--"
"I asked him to!" Arwen interrupted. "Estel, you and Legolas have been friends for practically your entire lives. He never wished to lie to you, but I asked him. . .you wanted sons so badly, Elessar. What was I to do?" Tears were forming in her eyes at the memory of that difficult birth. "We never even had a second girl's name chosen! Legolas named her Ariell. It was the most he could do."
"A second name?" Elessar asked. Something was not making sense to him. "Why did you need a second name?"
"There was. . ." Arwen was not ready to tell this story, not to the man who she feared would have her youngest child killed.
"Arwen," Elessar said softly, going to her and lightly touching her cheek. "No harm will come to her. You know I would not do that. But you must tell me what happened."
"There was another child," Arwen whispered, trying without success to blink back tears. "Another girl. It took her so long to come out into the world, more than a day after Aralya. . .I kept thinking, how perfect this little one would be. I just knew that she would be able to light up the world with her smile. When she was born, there was no crying. My child, my perfect daughter, was born still."
Arwen could no longer go on. Elessar held her, knowing all he needed to know, doing his best to comfort his distraught wife. She gave up immortality for me, he thought. Yet I was not enough for her, was I? I lacked. . ."I am so sorry, Arwen," he whispered. She nodded as if she understood, but through her sorrow she had not heard his words.
*****
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.
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I guess there will be some A/A in later chapters. For now, just establishing mood. Longer chapter next time, with a big event.
Good readers review! (please)
*****
Aralya rubbed her stick of charcoal over the paper, trying to draw a figure properly. With her skills still developing, the picture looked like all right, save the improper porportions and the oval-shaped head. "Does this look all right to you?" Aralya asked her brother.
"Hmm. . ." Boromir said, scrutinizing the page. He took the charcoal from Aralya, and the paper, and drew a few quick lines. When Aralya looked at the paper again, she grimaced. Boromir laughed. Aralya jumped forward, tackling him to the ground. Boromir rolled his sister back to the ground, trying to pin her. Aralya flipped them both, gaining the upper hand. For a while they battled, their nurse knowing too well that there was no point in separating them; they were only having fun.
"Gotcha!" Boromir exclaimed. Aralya had paused, standing completely defenseless, and Boromir took this chance to tackle her to the ground.
"Orc-head," Aralya teased, "look." She jerked her head in the direction of the door.
"By the Valar. . ." Boromir whispered, getting to his feet. Aralya smirked, as much as a three-year-old can smirk, and also stood.
*Who is that?*
*That's Mother, silly.*
*Clearly, but who is he?*
"How should I know?" Aralya asked out loud. "You would know if I knew." Impeccable logic, which Boromir was unable to deny. Still both wanted to know who this stranger was, being unused to seeing people they did not know. "I'm sorry," Aralya said with perfected manners, "but who are you?"
No response came to her question. Elessar was unable to answer, shocked. He turned to Arwen, trying to ask for an explanation, but the words stuck in his throat. "You told me I had a son. . ." he managed to say before words fled. Finally he swallowed hard, then turned and walked away.
"You don't have to be rude!" Aralya shouted after him, angry tears welling in her eyes. What did she do wrong? Arwen stood in the doorway, torn between her daughter and her husband. Aralya made to decision for her, running to a vent in the floor and pulling the cover off it, squirming inside just far enough that she could not be reached. Boromir went to Aralya as Arwen went to Elessar.
"Maybe he did not know any better," Boromir said softly. Aralya choked on a sob, trying to respond in the manner he had approached. She failed.
*He knew better* she said bitterly.
*He looked upset.*
*What did I do to upset him?*
Boromir shifted his weight, and crawled to his sister inside the vent. She was smaller then him, but both could manage to sit in their small sanctuary. By now Idylia, their nurse, was up and trying to get them out, but they were ignoring her. *It hardly matters, anyways. You know how grown- ups are.*
*Yes, I know,* Aralya admitted, cleaning off her face with the long sleeve of her dress. *But it is unfair.*
*I suppose it always will be.* Boromir reached out, his small hand finding Aralya's. *There are two of us against all of them. As long as I am here, you need only be half as strong.*
*You know I love you, do you not, Boromir?*
*Of course I know. You are my baby sister, and always will be.*
Boromir and Aralya tumbled out of the vent, laughing as they sparred again. "Some day you will be big enough to win," Boromir said as he helped Aralya to her feet.
"It will not be long, so you had better gloat now," Aralya replied. "Wait. . ." Boromir laughed.
*****
"What are you going to do?" Arwen asked.
"I am going to write to Legolas," Elessar replied, scribbling angrily. "He had no right to lie to me--"
"I asked him to!" Arwen interrupted. "Estel, you and Legolas have been friends for practically your entire lives. He never wished to lie to you, but I asked him. . .you wanted sons so badly, Elessar. What was I to do?" Tears were forming in her eyes at the memory of that difficult birth. "We never even had a second girl's name chosen! Legolas named her Ariell. It was the most he could do."
"A second name?" Elessar asked. Something was not making sense to him. "Why did you need a second name?"
"There was. . ." Arwen was not ready to tell this story, not to the man who she feared would have her youngest child killed.
"Arwen," Elessar said softly, going to her and lightly touching her cheek. "No harm will come to her. You know I would not do that. But you must tell me what happened."
"There was another child," Arwen whispered, trying without success to blink back tears. "Another girl. It took her so long to come out into the world, more than a day after Aralya. . .I kept thinking, how perfect this little one would be. I just knew that she would be able to light up the world with her smile. When she was born, there was no crying. My child, my perfect daughter, was born still."
Arwen could no longer go on. Elessar held her, knowing all he needed to know, doing his best to comfort his distraught wife. She gave up immortality for me, he thought. Yet I was not enough for her, was I? I lacked. . ."I am so sorry, Arwen," he whispered. She nodded as if she understood, but through her sorrow she had not heard his words.
*****
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I guess there will be some A/A in later chapters. For now, just establishing mood. Longer chapter next time, with a big event.
Good readers review! (please)