"By who?" Aragorn demanded as the bearer of the parchment cowered away from the angry King.
Imrahil ripped the parchment out of the King's hands and began to read, eyes wide as they scanned the hastily written words.
Faramir stared in disbelief, his gaze shifting from his King to Imrahil and back again. The room had fallen silent at this news as they all awaited the information.
Aragorn held up his hand, stopping the boy from his nervous chatter, and whirled on the nearest guard. "Sound the horns, I want soldiers mounted and ready to leave within the hour."
Warning bells went of in Faramir's mind and he grasped Aragorn's arm when he turned to issue orders to another waiting guard. "This could be a trap. Everything that has happened today. It can't have been a coincidence. We must use caution."
Imrahil scowled and glanced up at Aragorn. "They've got nerve attacking Dol Amroth."
Aragorn, about to answer his Steward, turned to Imrahil, "Who is it?" He turned back to the boy. "What banner did they bear?"
"I-I don't know, Sir. I was just bade to ride here with all haste and deliver this message."
Aragorn nodded and bade the boy to follow. He limped toward the door, his Captains, Imrahil and Faramir following. "To the war room."
So intent were Aragorn, and those who followed him, on reaching their destination, they didn't notice the pair of eyes that watched carefully from the shadows.
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Elladan scowled as night began to fall. He stood atop a terrace overlooking the city, silently praying to the Valar to return his sister to her husband and family safely. Legolas and Gimli stood beside him, offering their own prayer.
"Aragorn will rend them limb from limb," Gimli broke the uncomfortable silence that had fallen. "And if he does not, I will split their heads with every axe I own."
Elladan glanced down at the Dwarf and offered a slight smile. "Thank you, Gimli. I'm proud to have you and your axes on our side."
Gimli huffed. " No one steals the Queen out of her own City and lives to tell the tale, Lord Elf!"
"How fares Elrohir?" Legolas asked, his voice low, calm, compared to that of his Dwarven friend.
"Cirdan and grandfather are with him," Elladan's expression
darkened, if that were possible. "The arrow hit him in the back, was broad and
poisoned. He has a fever but they are working to bring it down."
"We heal quickly," Legolas rested a reassuring hand on the grieving twin's shoulder. "So shall he."
"Have you finished your business?" Elladan asked Legolas, surprising the elven Lord of South Ithilian.
"Yes, I have sent word for our sentries to be on the lookout for trouble along our boarders and aid has been prepared should the White City fall under attack." Legolas said.
Silence fell as they watched the fire from torchlight burn brightly throughout the city. There was no one in the street save the soldiers that looked for the Queen. By order of the King, a curfew was set and anyone found on the streets after the designated time, would be placed in the dungeons until the Queen, and her kidnappers, were found.
"Arwen-" Elladan's fingers were white as they gripped the elegantly carved rail. "If they hurt her….."
"There will be a long line, beginning with the King, to remove each limb from their bodies in every painful way imaginable." Gimli finished for the discouraged elf. His hand moved to his hip and clutched the hilt of his axe, squeezing tightly. "And I can think of many unpleasant ways to exact punishment."
Elladan nodded and forced a small smile. "Thank you, my friend. I must check on my brother. I cannot remain idle."
Legolas nodded in agreement. "It is difficult. I think Gimli and I will check on Aragorn. He was not doing well when last we saw him."
Elladan's eyes flashed. "Having his hands tied is not something that he is used to. I will join you after checking on Elrohir."
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Faramir held his head in his hands, fighting off a splitting headache. Eowyn walked into the war room with a tray of ale and cheese for the men and frowned when she saw the grim look on the faces of the gathered men.
"We cannot send an army to Dol Amroth, not yet." Faramir muttered, for what seemed like the thousandth time. Eowyn set down the tray and rested a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder. He, she noted, looked nearly as bad as Aragorn and Imrahil.
"And let Lord Imrahil's city be taken?!" Advisor Soront slammed his fist into the table.
Imrahil glanced at the man, grateful for the support no one else on the Council seemed to share, save Aragorn.
"We have lingered here too long." Aragorn scowled. "I will not sit idly by and let Dol Amroth fall to some unknown foe."
"At least wait for the scouts to return with news on what we would be up against should we send soldiers to reinforce the city." Faramir stared at Aragorn, impressing patience upon the man.
"Everything that has happened today was not a coincidence." Faramir stared at each man sitting around the table.
"Then we must discover who was behind this!" Advisor Raorn said. "We've opened up the White City to the Haradrim, and on the same day the Queen is abducted and the King nearly assassinated! Don't tell me there is not a connection."
"There may not be." Faramir admitted, ready to stare down the King should Aragorn vehemently disagree. Much to the Steward's surprise Aragorn only nodded.
"Faramir could be right." Aragorn closed his eyes momentarily to collect his thoughts and then continued. "But we must resolve this matter with Dol Amroth first. As much as I want my wife back, if Lord Imrahil's city is under attack, the people within need to be my first priority." Aragorn took a deep breath and continued, his voice much lower, etched with pain. " The lives of the many are more important than the one, be it my life or that of my Queen."
The War Captains, Advisors and Lords simply stared at the King. Some began to speak over one another, vehemently disagreeing with Aragorn's statement.
"But, the Queen-"
"The City is locked down. Only by my orders will the gates re-open." Aragorn said, eyes hardening. "No one is getting out of this City with my wife. No one."
Imrahil rested his hand on Aragorn's shoulder, realizing how difficult it had been for the King to admit that sending aid to Dol Amroth took priority over finding his kidnapped wife. "Let me lead soldiers from the White City to Dol Amroth. You need to stay here within the protection of the City."
Aragorn's eyes flashed. "I will not let-"
"Let me finish." Imrahil held up a hand and Aragorn's eyes narrowed. "If it is a trap, I will ride into it. Loosing me is not nearly as important as loosing our King."
Faramir's prior words about his safety came back like an avalanche and Aragorn scowled.
"Agreed." Came the reluctant response from the King.
"This will leave you free to prepare the City if a war breaks out close to the walls. And you can continue the search for Arwen. Here." Imrahil stared at Aragorn, impressing upon the man to see the logic in his suggestion. "You must remain here."
Aragorn took a deep breath and glanced at Faramir, who nodded to Imrahil. "I agree, My Lord."
Raorn held out his hand to gain the attention of the Council. "Will soldiers rally behind Lord Imrahil more fervently than they would our King?"
"Until we receive word as to who exactly is attacking Dol Amroth, I will not let the King out of this City." Faramir stood to emphasize his point. "And this point is not up for discussion." Eowyn gawked at her husband, at once shocked and proud to see him stand up against seemingly staunch opposition.
Sorant shoved his seat back and stood. "And what of the Queen? We need to find out who has taken her! The reports we have are sketchy at best."
Raorn stood as well, glancing angrily across the table at Sorant. "Question the Haradrim."
"Soldiers stand ready for your call, My Liege," The Captain of Gondor's guard stepped behind Aragorn and bowed.
Silence fell as Aragorn thoughtfully made his decision. "Send five hundred men up the Anduin to Dol Amroth. Lord Imrahil will lead them."
"We should wait for the scouts to return." Faramir said quietly.
"This is why we are sending five hundred only." Aragorn answered. "When you run into the scouts, Lord Imrahil will make the decision to continue on or send back to the City for reinforcements."
Imrahil stood and nodded, grateful to be given command of even a small number of men to reinforce his City.
"We are adjourned here for the time being," Aragorn stood. "I must see how my brother fares."
Aragorn walked out as the men scrambled to their feet and bowed hastily. Two very well armed Citadel guards flanked the King, his shadows until this unknown conflict was resolved.
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When Aragorn reached the Houses of Healing, Elrohir's chamber was already filled with friends and kin all waiting to hear how the elf was faring.
"How is he?" Aragorn asked Elladan, who was at the moment pacing the length of the room.
"Grandfather and Cirdan have not come out." Elladan said, turning slowly to give his foster brother a good once-over. The King looked every bit as pale and stressed as his brother and Elladan pulled the man into a tight embrace. "He will live. I'm certain of it."
Elladan noted the shadow that had followed Aragorn into the chamber and nodded in approval. "What of Arwen?"
Aragorn turned away, heart twisting when he thought of her in the hands of her kidnappers. "There has been no sign. The lower circles of the city have not been completely rebuilt. Many of the buildings were burned and destroyed during the War. It is making the search difficult."
"Are you certain they did not get her out of the City?"
Aragorn looked quickly up at his brother. "Yes." Aragorn's gaze dropped as anger rose in his eyes. "No. No one can be sure. I locked down the City as soon as I heard, but…she was so close already to the outside gate. I just don't know."
"My own people have begun searching the surrounding area," Legolas rested a hand on his friend's shoulder. At Aragorn's surprised look, the elf chuckled. "I sent for help the minute I heard. They will report when they have news."
"Thank you, my friend." Aragorn rested his hand on Legolas' arm and smiled. "I will see to it they are permitted to come and go through the gates of the City."
Legolas nodded and everyone started at the sound of the door to Elrohir's room opening.
A grim faced Celeborn walked slowly through and settled his eyes on Elladan with a quick glance at Aragorn. A chill raced down the spines of the two brothers as Celeborn began to speak.
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A dark figure crept through the candlelit halls, silent, his booted feet making not a sound on the polished marble floor. Guards stood at nearly every entrance, watching carefully for an attack to come from their invisible foe.
Each guard that he could not circumvent, was quietly killed with a deft slash to the neck and the body disposed of in a little traveled section of the Citadel. The figure crept closer to his prey, watching with hawklike eyes for any indication that he had been seen. He scowled at the entryway to the King's section of the Citadel, admitting that it would be suicide to even attempt to take the life of the King within such a heavily guarded area. Instead, the figure crept down the halls to the next best target and easily killed the ornately robed men guarding those chambers.
The figure slipped inside and secured the door. It didn't take long before he found his target – sitting with a man, dressed in rich Gondorian robes, sipping wine. He listened to a few minutes of the conversation, planning the best way to kill his prey without attracting too much attention.
"If they discover that I've been at the heart of this plan, I'll be put to death."
"They will discover nothing," The large, dark-skinned man assured the other. "You have set in motion a great deed that will assist us in overthrowing this Kingdom, however, I did not expect to be the target of a botched assassination attempt."
"That was not in my plan. I am as at a loss as the King when it comes to this assassination attempt." The Gondorian man smiled at his companion, glancing over the King's shoulder toward where the dark figure had just slipped into the shadows.
The King leaned forward and stared at the man, "You are hiding something. The King has not left the City and this assassin still roams freely. Your plan has failed."
The figured unsheathed his ornate knife and rested it against the neck of his prey. "On the contrary."
The King's eyes widened at the man sitting across from him, who merely smiled and leaned back in his seat, bringing the blood red wine to his lips for a long, lingering sip.
"Everything is proceeding just as I have planned." A quick flick of the assassin's wrist and the King's neck was slit, not a sound made as his vocal chords were cut and his life ended.
The Gondorian man stood and smiled widely. "Well done." He returned his glass to the table and stood, staring down at the dead body of the Haradrim King. "Let's see how Elessar deals with the blood of a royal guest on his hands."
"War is at hand, My Lord." The assassin bowed. "I await your order."