Author's note: Since I've had some desperate people demanding me to update,
I thought I'd be nice and do just that.
***
Rion stood staring for a few moments, unable to decide whether he was dreaming or not. In those moments of hesitation, the man had closed the distance between them and flung his arms round Rion. Convinced now that he was awake, Rion hugged his father back. Tears of joy flowed freely down his cheeks as he just held on, afraid that his father would disappear if he let go.
"I've missed you so much," King Elessar murmured in his son's ear.
"I've missed you too," Rion replied.
Elessar released his from the embrace, but kept his hands on Rion's shoulders as he looked his son in the eye. "Have they hurt you, Rion?" he asked, "Have they hurt you in any way?" Rion's thoughts went to the man who had tried to kill him, but he knew that hadn't been the king's intention, and it would take too long to explain.
"No," he said, "they haven't."
"I told you he wouldn't be harmed," King Ramel said. Rion looked at him in surprise, then back at his father.
"He told you? What's going on?"
"The day you went out hunting with Danomir, a messenger arrived. He told me that you would not return from your hunting trip. He said that you had been taken by King Ramel of Tharden, but that you would not be harmed. Naturally, I sent out search parties, but they found only the guards I sent to protect you."
"But why? Why was I brought here?"
"Perhaps we should discuss this over dinner," King Ramel suggested. For the first time, Rion noticed that a table had been spread for them. He allowed himself to be guided to a place beside his father, his head still swimming from this sudden revelation. He half expected to wake up at any moment.
Rion ate little, waiting for King Ramel to explain himself. Across the table from him, Ari looked as confused as he did. Rion saw the sadness in her eyes, and remembered the way she had looked coming to his room. She had known he would be leaving.
"I decided recently," Ramel began at last, "to begin to have more contact with other countries. I hoped to form a trade contract with Gondor, but couldn't be sure if you or your people could be trusted." Elessar's face was calm, and only the slight tightening on the grip he held on Rion's hand betrayed his anger.
"My spies could only tell me so much," Ramel went on, "and I needed more information. I decided that the one who could best teach me what I wanted to know was one who was close to the king." Ramel looked directly at Elessar now, whereas before he had been addressing both of them.
"Your son conducted himself with dignity. He has noble ideals, and his refusal to answer any of my questions about Gondor told me all I need to know about his honour and loyalty." Rion hoped he wasn't flushing at this appraisal of himself before his father.
"You do not need to tell me what I already know," Elessar replied, and Rion was sure he was flushing now.
"I would be interested in opening trade negotiations with your people," Ramel said.
"Why should I be interested in trading with a country that endorsing kidnapping?" Elessar responded.
Before Ramel would said anything to that, Ari stood. "I realise that you have a lot to discuss, and I'm certain you will not want me to interfere," she said with utmost dignity, "therefore I shall leave you now." She turned and walked out. Rion sat stunned for a moment, then stood as well. He couldn't muster Ari's level of dignity, so all he could say was, "Excuse me," before hurrying out after her.
"Ari," he called, "Ari can we talk?"
"I'm sure you're capable of talking," she replied, slowing but not completely stopping. Rion walked beside her, unsure now of what he should say.
"I'm sorry about what Mir said," he said at last, "I never thought of you as a spy."
"I know," Ari said after a slight hesitation. She opened a door and stepped outside. Rain was still falling, and neither had cloaks with the, but she walked out into the garden anyway, stopping by the tree Rion had convinced her to climb.
Rion was wondering what to say, when Ari suddenly began crying. She leaned back against the tree, tears mingling with the rain as the flowed from her closed eyes. "I never asked for this," she said.
"Asked for what?"
"I never asked to fall in love with you." Somehow Ari's comment was more shocking than anything else that had happened today.
"You. . . love me?" he asked, stepping towards her. She nodded. Rion remembered the way she had looked when they almost kissed, the way he felt when she laughed, the despair in his heart when she refused to speak with him. It was clear now, so clear he couldn't understand how he hadn't realised it before. He loved Ari.
Slowly, nervously, he placed a hand on Ari's chin, and kissed her gently. For a moment Ari kissed back, then she pulled away.
"Don't you understand?" she demanded.
"I thought I did."
"Your father's here. That means you'll be leaving and I'll never see you again."
Rion thought about it. He didn't want to leave Ari. He didn't want to leave her when he'd only just realised he loved her. "You. . . you could come to Gondor with me."
"So it's alright for me to be taken from my home to live among strangers but not you?" she asked. Rion knew what she said was true. He couldn't ask her to leave her home any more than he could leave his. The cold rain fell about them, crying with them.
***
Rion had returned to the room that wouldn't be his much longer. His intentions had been to prepare for the journey, but looking round he realised that nothing here belonged to him. The clothes he had worn during the winter were just borrowed, as was everything else.
He went and stared out of one of the windows. He was going home. Excitement rose inside him, but there was still the sadness of leaving Ari. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the knock on the door, nor did he notice when it opened.
"Eldarion?" He turned, and smiled at his father who stood there.
"Sorry, I was thinking."
"No need to apologise for thinking, it's when you don't think I want you to apologise." Rion smiled, almost genuinely.
"What's wrong?" Elessar asked. Rion sat down on the bed, his father sitting beside him.
"Ari."
"That girl?" Rion nodded. "You care for her?"
"I love her. I want to go home, but I don't want to leave her."
"All too often is love mingled with pain," Elessar said, and Rion knew he was referring to his mother. Rion leaned sideways, resting his head against his father and cried, knowing that someone understood the conflict in his heart.
***
Author's note: Sorry it wasn't longer, but it seemed a good place to stop. There'll probably only be one more chapter to go now, maybe an epilogue.
***
Rion stood staring for a few moments, unable to decide whether he was dreaming or not. In those moments of hesitation, the man had closed the distance between them and flung his arms round Rion. Convinced now that he was awake, Rion hugged his father back. Tears of joy flowed freely down his cheeks as he just held on, afraid that his father would disappear if he let go.
"I've missed you so much," King Elessar murmured in his son's ear.
"I've missed you too," Rion replied.
Elessar released his from the embrace, but kept his hands on Rion's shoulders as he looked his son in the eye. "Have they hurt you, Rion?" he asked, "Have they hurt you in any way?" Rion's thoughts went to the man who had tried to kill him, but he knew that hadn't been the king's intention, and it would take too long to explain.
"No," he said, "they haven't."
"I told you he wouldn't be harmed," King Ramel said. Rion looked at him in surprise, then back at his father.
"He told you? What's going on?"
"The day you went out hunting with Danomir, a messenger arrived. He told me that you would not return from your hunting trip. He said that you had been taken by King Ramel of Tharden, but that you would not be harmed. Naturally, I sent out search parties, but they found only the guards I sent to protect you."
"But why? Why was I brought here?"
"Perhaps we should discuss this over dinner," King Ramel suggested. For the first time, Rion noticed that a table had been spread for them. He allowed himself to be guided to a place beside his father, his head still swimming from this sudden revelation. He half expected to wake up at any moment.
Rion ate little, waiting for King Ramel to explain himself. Across the table from him, Ari looked as confused as he did. Rion saw the sadness in her eyes, and remembered the way she had looked coming to his room. She had known he would be leaving.
"I decided recently," Ramel began at last, "to begin to have more contact with other countries. I hoped to form a trade contract with Gondor, but couldn't be sure if you or your people could be trusted." Elessar's face was calm, and only the slight tightening on the grip he held on Rion's hand betrayed his anger.
"My spies could only tell me so much," Ramel went on, "and I needed more information. I decided that the one who could best teach me what I wanted to know was one who was close to the king." Ramel looked directly at Elessar now, whereas before he had been addressing both of them.
"Your son conducted himself with dignity. He has noble ideals, and his refusal to answer any of my questions about Gondor told me all I need to know about his honour and loyalty." Rion hoped he wasn't flushing at this appraisal of himself before his father.
"You do not need to tell me what I already know," Elessar replied, and Rion was sure he was flushing now.
"I would be interested in opening trade negotiations with your people," Ramel said.
"Why should I be interested in trading with a country that endorsing kidnapping?" Elessar responded.
Before Ramel would said anything to that, Ari stood. "I realise that you have a lot to discuss, and I'm certain you will not want me to interfere," she said with utmost dignity, "therefore I shall leave you now." She turned and walked out. Rion sat stunned for a moment, then stood as well. He couldn't muster Ari's level of dignity, so all he could say was, "Excuse me," before hurrying out after her.
"Ari," he called, "Ari can we talk?"
"I'm sure you're capable of talking," she replied, slowing but not completely stopping. Rion walked beside her, unsure now of what he should say.
"I'm sorry about what Mir said," he said at last, "I never thought of you as a spy."
"I know," Ari said after a slight hesitation. She opened a door and stepped outside. Rain was still falling, and neither had cloaks with the, but she walked out into the garden anyway, stopping by the tree Rion had convinced her to climb.
Rion was wondering what to say, when Ari suddenly began crying. She leaned back against the tree, tears mingling with the rain as the flowed from her closed eyes. "I never asked for this," she said.
"Asked for what?"
"I never asked to fall in love with you." Somehow Ari's comment was more shocking than anything else that had happened today.
"You. . . love me?" he asked, stepping towards her. She nodded. Rion remembered the way she had looked when they almost kissed, the way he felt when she laughed, the despair in his heart when she refused to speak with him. It was clear now, so clear he couldn't understand how he hadn't realised it before. He loved Ari.
Slowly, nervously, he placed a hand on Ari's chin, and kissed her gently. For a moment Ari kissed back, then she pulled away.
"Don't you understand?" she demanded.
"I thought I did."
"Your father's here. That means you'll be leaving and I'll never see you again."
Rion thought about it. He didn't want to leave Ari. He didn't want to leave her when he'd only just realised he loved her. "You. . . you could come to Gondor with me."
"So it's alright for me to be taken from my home to live among strangers but not you?" she asked. Rion knew what she said was true. He couldn't ask her to leave her home any more than he could leave his. The cold rain fell about them, crying with them.
***
Rion had returned to the room that wouldn't be his much longer. His intentions had been to prepare for the journey, but looking round he realised that nothing here belonged to him. The clothes he had worn during the winter were just borrowed, as was everything else.
He went and stared out of one of the windows. He was going home. Excitement rose inside him, but there was still the sadness of leaving Ari. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the knock on the door, nor did he notice when it opened.
"Eldarion?" He turned, and smiled at his father who stood there.
"Sorry, I was thinking."
"No need to apologise for thinking, it's when you don't think I want you to apologise." Rion smiled, almost genuinely.
"What's wrong?" Elessar asked. Rion sat down on the bed, his father sitting beside him.
"Ari."
"That girl?" Rion nodded. "You care for her?"
"I love her. I want to go home, but I don't want to leave her."
"All too often is love mingled with pain," Elessar said, and Rion knew he was referring to his mother. Rion leaned sideways, resting his head against his father and cried, knowing that someone understood the conflict in his heart.
***
Author's note: Sorry it wasn't longer, but it seemed a good place to stop. There'll probably only be one more chapter to go now, maybe an epilogue.