A/N: AU fic.I have used quite a few stretchers in this fic, since i have no idea what marriage customs were like in ME. But I'm sort of basing it on what marriage customs of old apparently might have been like. So forgive me if you don't like the idea of it. Nonetheless, reviews are much appreciated.Elements are borrowed from both the book and the movies. Of course, naught belongs to me. And if anyone notices any part that might sound familiar, probably they unconsciously slipped into my writing from what fic I've read.
Chapter 1
Aragorn looked down absently at the silver pendant that resided on his calloused palm, the thin, slender silver chain dangling off his palm, disappearing like a thin ribbon in the dimness.
The Evenstar glimmered faintly in the weak light, the star of the Eldar. Once it had seemed bright and beautiful, gleaming, a source of hope in the gathering dusk of the world.
Now, though, it brought no welcoming light, no hope in the leaden heart of the Heir of Isildur. It was but a mere dull object that was a weight on Aragorn's palm. The light chain had broken not long before.
The Evenstar was lost, lost from the Elfstone forever.
The huge four-poster bed now seemed too big, without the lady he loved to grace to rest her head in the pillow beside. The palace seemed too big, too silent in the deep of night, though Aragorn Elessar knew well that it was filled with people;the servants,the guards and so on.
He turned restlessly and sighed softly, the hurtful images from the preceding week replaying in his weary, befuddled mind. It was still beyond him to fathom how everything had turned out wrong, so wrong.
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"At last they have come," Aragorn said,his heart rejoicing inwardly,feeling truly light-hearted for the first time in many days.
He stepped forward quickly, his eyes sweeping back and forth in search of his love. The sons of Elrond were at the head of the riding of 'fair folk', as the Men of Gondor were apt to name the Eldar, bearing the banner of Imladris, and behind them were many of the folk of Imladris, as well as the folk of Lothlorien, and the Lord and Lady of Lorien themselves.
Last came Elrond,accounted wise among both the Eldar and Men. Beside him seated upon a palfrey was his daughter, Arwen Undomiel, lovely as ever. Now she looked even lovelier, if that was possible. There was something different about her this evening, a beautiful pink glow to her porcelain complexion.
Arwen alighted gracefully from her mount, as was wont of one of such nobility.
The short distance between him and Arwen seemed terribly long as Elessar Aragorn quickened his pace so that he might be reunited with his beloved, after their long separation.
Aragorn came agonizingly within touching distance of his love...only to come up against a wall. More accurately, a wall of flesh and bone. Only a small wall, but nonetheless a formidable one.
Realizing that his behaviour had perhaps been a tad too brazen and bordering on the inappropriate, he stopped respectfully and waited for Elrond to do the inevitable, to surrender the two most important possessions of the Elfstone that he withheld.The sceptre of Annuminas. More importantly, of course, Elrond still withheld Aragorn's bride.
Solemnly accepting the sceptre from his foster father, Aragorn bowed slightly and waited for him to place Arwen's hand in his.
An expectant silence radiated from the witnesses while they waited for the same thing.
The silence continued to stretch on for what seemed like eternity, like a frame frozen in
time. No one moved or spoke, not even Elrond, and Aragorn's brows furrowed in puzzlement.
The Lord of Imladris seemed to recover from his sudden loss of attention and he cleared his throat.
"O Elessar King of Gondor and Arnor, we congratulate you on your coronation. May your realms be ever blessed, and the Elven realms of Rivendell and Lorien pledges friendship to the realms of you and your heirs."
"As do Gondor and Arnor, and i thank you and the Lord and Lady of Lorien, as well as all your fair folk for journeying thus far," Aragorn was eager to get over all these formalities.
"Allow me to speak to Legolas Thrandulion for a while," Elrond charged in ere Aragorn had even opened his mouth.
The King's bewilderment was mirrored on Legolas's and Arwen's face as Legolas approached Elrond. Ere the Prince of the Eryn Lasgalen could even react, Elrond had placed Arwen's slender white hand in his.
"I give the hand of my daughter to you. I beseech you to take good care of her."
Aragorn beheld all this, his eyes widening.
"I expect you shall wish to return to the Eryn Lasgalen soon with your bride."
Aragorn's eyes grew even wider at this. His mouth opened and closed like a goldfish as he apparently groped for the correct response.
"I beg your pardon, Lord Elrond?" Legolas finally sputtered, his eyes agog.
"Adar?" Arwen's faint question belied her amazement.
"It is but time to honour a troth long pledged," Elrond answered calmly. "I cannot imagine how it is that your sire failed to inform you, but King Thranduil and I plighted your troth on your behalf in times long past," the peredhil explained,"and this is recorded." With a flourish of his hand he reverently unrolled an ancient-looking(or so it seemed) parchment.
"Undomiel plighted her troth with me," Elessar protested.
"Oh?Might I ask if there were any who can bear witness to this?" Elrond enquired with eyebrows raised in a 'V'.
"No, there were none," Aragorn admitted,deflated. His keen eyes scanned the document. All looked in place; it certainly looked authentic, and was dated from the time Legolas was probably but a babe.
"This does come of my sire's seal," Legolas said in a slightly awed voice.
A slight murmur arose from the onlookers; hushed whispers at the sudden turn of events.
"Adar..."Arwen began.
"This is preposterous," Aragorn barked at the same time, decorum and dignity forgotten.
Elrond raised his hand for silence. "Enough said. It is not in either of your places to decide---or argue---to whom I shall place the hand of my daughter. I shall wish to honour this agreement forged long ago, as King Thranduil wishes to."
"Undomiel plighted her troth to me in Cerin Amroth of Lorien," Aragorn insisted, a cold feeling of dread beginning to clot in his heart.
"The written word, the written promise, overrides the promise in speech that cannot be proven. Am I right,Lord Celeborn?"Elrond spoke in answer, turning to the Elf-lord, glibly bringing him into the matter."Furthermore, this troth was made long before this...apparent troth that you mention. As such it should override the latter."
Celeborn looked uncomfortably between the man and the peredhil, unwittingly drawn into the maelstrom of very complicated and delicate matters. "That is true," He gingerly commented, in all fairness. Even the usually serene demeanor of the Lady of Lorien seemed perturbed.
And at that moment Aragorn knew that he was fighting a losing battle. If Elrond was determined not to give him Arwen's hand, then as her father and liege, as surely as the sun rose and fell each day, he could most certainly not agree to the marriage. No matter what, the King of Gondor would never attempt to estrange the Evenstar from her father. He owed Arwen that much, for the love, the light, the joy she had brought into his dreary life, and even more so for the ultimate sacrifice that she was willing to make for him.
His eyes locked with his beloved's, and he saw the longing, the passion, the growing despair that oozed from those captivating sapphire eyes. He shook his head almost imperceptibly. He would not have her defy her father in his wishes.
His gaze turned to Legolas. Legolas opened his mouth as if about to speak, but ere he could do so, Elrond clapped his hands smartly once, as if that settled the matter.
"I believe that will be all," He announced, a faintly satisfied smile on his face.
"Lord Elrond, this does King Elessar and your daughter great injustice," Legolas apparently found his voice once again, but his tone was tactfully lowered.
"Is my daughter thus undesirable?"Elrond's voice was unnecessarily loud, and his brows were plunged into a deeper V.
It was a most effective ploy, an artfully-crafted tactic, carefully calculated. All heard him and their heads swivelled towards Legolas and Elrond.
"No indeed. The Evenstar is great and fair beyond measure," Legolas's cheeks were coloured slightly with embarassment.
"Is then there a problem?"
"No," the prince of Eryn Lasgalen naturally felt compelled to say, his gaze averted.
Elrond favoured him with a nod and smile and gestured that his daughter and his newly-gained son-in-law should follow him.
As all he could do was to watch them leave, Aragorn saw Legolas's eyes pleading with him for understanding and forgiveness. Arwen's anguished and helpless eyes, unusually bright, would leave an indelible mark on his mind.
His eyes were riveted on the retreating back of his love, and stayed there for long after she had disappeared from his vision.
Hannon lle, folks, thank you so much for the encouraging reviews, you have no idea how much they mean to me, especially in light of seeing how other writers receive many reviews(and thinking of the pathetic number of reviews that Ï get :-p ). It really made my day. Please continue with your reviews.
Cathy: thanks so much. Now Ï'm wondering how Ï can make upcoming chapters as good as you think the first was. Ï'm not yet entirely sure of what direction this fic will take, but the twins will likely make at least a brief appearance.
Chap 2
There would be no sleep for him this night, as it had been for the past week. It mattered not how many times he tried not to dwell on this irreversible matter.
He tried to banish the unsavory thought from his mind, tried to push them to the recesses of his mind and cremate them in the fireplace.
Betrayed. That could be the only fitting word for this.