An Arwen/Aragorn story.
"And again she sits at twilight, watching the western sky, her thought a mystery, even to her devoted lover."
"Devoted and nosey," Arwen responded without turning from the window. "I believe, perhaps, her lover has spent too much time with the curious Hobbits."
"Perhaps," Aragorn said. He touched her hair softly. "Or perhaps her lover is afraid he has kept his queen from where she wants to be."
Arwen turned her eyes from the window. She surveyed Aragorn, who stood in his old, worn Ranger dress, which he liked to wear on the long lonely rides he took often when his mind was troubled. She saw in his eyes the guilt that he had tried so hard to hide from her, and himself. She took his hand and he knelt before her.
"Then her lover fears needlessly," she said softly, placing her other hand on his face. "For she does not regret any choice she has made. His queen is right where she wishes to be. In the White City, with her Estel."
A smile crossed Aragorn's lips at the mention of the elven name given him by Arwen's father. Elrond had helped his mother, Gilraen, raise him after his own father was killed. She had taken him to Rivendell, the last homely house, with the hope that her son would become more than just another casualty of the curse Isildur had brought to his line. In this she had succeeded. Aragorn was king of a new age, one without the threat of darkness. But it was also a sad age, for the Elves had passed over the sea, never to return to Middle-earth. All but one.
"Estel," Aragorn echoed. "Much time has passed since I heard that name."
"It is my favorite," Arwen said with a smile. She brushed away the hair that hung in his eyes. "For it means hope, and that is what you have brought into this world."
"And you have given it to me, Undómiel." Aragorn reached up and took Arwen's hands in his own. "I wondered why you loved me. We are so different. Your skin is so soft, you hands." He let go and looked down at his hands. "Mine are so rough, worn. I am unworthy of such a beautiful, fragile-looking creature."
"I am not fragile," Arwen said stubbornly, pouting. Aragorn laughed and kissed her cheek. Her eyes saddened then, as did her voice. "You sound like my father."
"You miss him," Aragorn said. "I see it everyday. And I wonder if you don't wish sometimes that you had gone with him. I also wonder why you didn't, even after I asked you to."
"You told me to," Arwen connected. She rose and went to the mirror, adjusting her gown and hair. "Because my father told you it was best for me. Neither of you seemed to understand that the choice was mine and mine alone. I am not a child, I was not then. I've always had wisdom and knowledge enough to make that decision."
Aragorn came up from behind and wrapped his arms around his wife. He kissed her neck as she reached a hand up to his face. "And what made you stay when all hope was lost?"
"I never lost hope," she answered. They looked at each other in the mirror. The King of Men, rugged and worn, with eyes that burned with wisdom and passion; and his Queen, innocent and lovely, with a hidden strength and spirit stronger than any of Middle-earth. "I love you, Estel."
"And I love you, Evenstar," Aragorn said and kissed her forehead. He smiled, betraying relief. "I'm glad you stayed with your unworthy lover that is now your husband. The world changed the day I saw you waiting still for me. But there is still some mystery in your eye. Why are you so distant lately? Have I done something to push you away?"
"Oh my Estel." Arwen smiled. She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. Aragorn looked at her in the mirror with confusion. "I amar prestar. Ná i onnad."
{The world is changed. It is the beginning}
Suddenly Aragorn understood and Arwen laughed at his expression. He could not speak, only laugh joyfully. She faced him and put her arms around his neck. He lifted her gently and spun her around. He placed her down on the bed and they sat holding each other for a sweet moment.
"How long have you known?"
"Not long," Arwen assured. She was wiping tears from his face. "I wanted to be sure. There was no need to distract your mind unless necessary. I'm sorry for worring you. Do you think we are ready?"
"We are ready," Aragorn said with an adoring smile. He looked into Arwen's eyes, he'd always loved her eyes. "As long as you are here, I am ready for anything."
"Now there is only one problem," Arwen said thoughtfully. Aragorn's eyes questioned her. "We need to agree on a name."
"I'm sure it won't be the biggest problem we deal with," Aragorn laughed. There was a knock on the door and a knight entered.
"Sire, Lady," he said as he bowed. "Lord Faramir and Lady Éowyn have arrived."
"Take them to the dinning room and tell them I will join them shortly," Arwen said and dismissed the knight. Aragorn rose and kissed his wife softly. "I must go change.
"I amar prestar, Estel," Arwen said lovingly as Aragorn approached the door. He turn back and smiled.
"And for the better," he said. The excitement in his eyes was bright as he resisted the urge to leap down the halls announcing their surprise to everyone. This was the end of their newly wed life, now a new life would begin. Just as he exited he heard Arwen whisper:
"It wasn't a dream, it was more."
"And again she sits at twilight, watching the western sky, her thought a mystery, even to her devoted lover."
"Devoted and nosey," Arwen responded without turning from the window. "I believe, perhaps, her lover has spent too much time with the curious Hobbits."
"Perhaps," Aragorn said. He touched her hair softly. "Or perhaps her lover is afraid he has kept his queen from where she wants to be."
Arwen turned her eyes from the window. She surveyed Aragorn, who stood in his old, worn Ranger dress, which he liked to wear on the long lonely rides he took often when his mind was troubled. She saw in his eyes the guilt that he had tried so hard to hide from her, and himself. She took his hand and he knelt before her.
"Then her lover fears needlessly," she said softly, placing her other hand on his face. "For she does not regret any choice she has made. His queen is right where she wishes to be. In the White City, with her Estel."
A smile crossed Aragorn's lips at the mention of the elven name given him by Arwen's father. Elrond had helped his mother, Gilraen, raise him after his own father was killed. She had taken him to Rivendell, the last homely house, with the hope that her son would become more than just another casualty of the curse Isildur had brought to his line. In this she had succeeded. Aragorn was king of a new age, one without the threat of darkness. But it was also a sad age, for the Elves had passed over the sea, never to return to Middle-earth. All but one.
"Estel," Aragorn echoed. "Much time has passed since I heard that name."
"It is my favorite," Arwen said with a smile. She brushed away the hair that hung in his eyes. "For it means hope, and that is what you have brought into this world."
"And you have given it to me, Undómiel." Aragorn reached up and took Arwen's hands in his own. "I wondered why you loved me. We are so different. Your skin is so soft, you hands." He let go and looked down at his hands. "Mine are so rough, worn. I am unworthy of such a beautiful, fragile-looking creature."
"I am not fragile," Arwen said stubbornly, pouting. Aragorn laughed and kissed her cheek. Her eyes saddened then, as did her voice. "You sound like my father."
"You miss him," Aragorn said. "I see it everyday. And I wonder if you don't wish sometimes that you had gone with him. I also wonder why you didn't, even after I asked you to."
"You told me to," Arwen connected. She rose and went to the mirror, adjusting her gown and hair. "Because my father told you it was best for me. Neither of you seemed to understand that the choice was mine and mine alone. I am not a child, I was not then. I've always had wisdom and knowledge enough to make that decision."
Aragorn came up from behind and wrapped his arms around his wife. He kissed her neck as she reached a hand up to his face. "And what made you stay when all hope was lost?"
"I never lost hope," she answered. They looked at each other in the mirror. The King of Men, rugged and worn, with eyes that burned with wisdom and passion; and his Queen, innocent and lovely, with a hidden strength and spirit stronger than any of Middle-earth. "I love you, Estel."
"And I love you, Evenstar," Aragorn said and kissed her forehead. He smiled, betraying relief. "I'm glad you stayed with your unworthy lover that is now your husband. The world changed the day I saw you waiting still for me. But there is still some mystery in your eye. Why are you so distant lately? Have I done something to push you away?"
"Oh my Estel." Arwen smiled. She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. Aragorn looked at her in the mirror with confusion. "I amar prestar. Ná i onnad."
{The world is changed. It is the beginning}
Suddenly Aragorn understood and Arwen laughed at his expression. He could not speak, only laugh joyfully. She faced him and put her arms around his neck. He lifted her gently and spun her around. He placed her down on the bed and they sat holding each other for a sweet moment.
"How long have you known?"
"Not long," Arwen assured. She was wiping tears from his face. "I wanted to be sure. There was no need to distract your mind unless necessary. I'm sorry for worring you. Do you think we are ready?"
"We are ready," Aragorn said with an adoring smile. He looked into Arwen's eyes, he'd always loved her eyes. "As long as you are here, I am ready for anything."
"Now there is only one problem," Arwen said thoughtfully. Aragorn's eyes questioned her. "We need to agree on a name."
"I'm sure it won't be the biggest problem we deal with," Aragorn laughed. There was a knock on the door and a knight entered.
"Sire, Lady," he said as he bowed. "Lord Faramir and Lady Éowyn have arrived."
"Take them to the dinning room and tell them I will join them shortly," Arwen said and dismissed the knight. Aragorn rose and kissed his wife softly. "I must go change.
"I amar prestar, Estel," Arwen said lovingly as Aragorn approached the door. He turn back and smiled.
"And for the better," he said. The excitement in his eyes was bright as he resisted the urge to leap down the halls announcing their surprise to everyone. This was the end of their newly wed life, now a new life would begin. Just as he exited he heard Arwen whisper:
"It wasn't a dream, it was more."
