Title: A winters night ball
Author: B-witched83uk (bwitched83uk@aol.com)
Rating: PG-17
Summary: Will Aragorn make it back to Rivendell in time for Elrond's annual Winter ball?
Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Lord of the rings' the whole of Middle Earth belongs to Tolkien.
Chapter 3
Verses of mistrust
Elrohir ran the soft tip of his feathered quill under his chin, thinking pensively about where to begin. He closed his eyes and tried to think loving thoughts. The only problem was, he had never been in love. He often wrote poetry, but of nature and life, now he was expected to write of love, something he knew very little of.
He placed the parchment on the desk and walked over to the window, to view the beauty that was Imladris. "Oh course" He smiled widely as he thought of his sister, who did he know that was more in love then she and Aragorn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Can you please pass the honey." Arwen's eyes did not even look at Aragorn as she spoke to him, something they all picked up on. He leant across the table and placed it down in front of her without a single word. The previous night, Arwen had confronted him about his 'friendship' with the lady Gallia of Arnor. Jealousy had taken her, and her usual Elven composure had temporarily left her body.
*Flashback*
"Arwen exactly what am I being accused of? That I spoke to another woman in the thirty years I was away from you?" He threw his hands up in the air in irritation.
"Estel why are you getting so defensive? I simply asked you how you know her."
"You asked me how well I know her! And your tone was less then pleasant." He turned from her and ran his hand over his eyes.
"Yes, and you still have not answered." Arwen felt sick, she hated talking to him like this. He was home for such a short time, a time they could use doing other things.
"I knew her father. They invited me to stay with them whilst I was there." He picked up his cloak from the chair and placed it around his shoulders. "I am going for a walk now, as we planed, would you still care to join me?"
Arwen looked at him with such hurt that he hated himself to the core. She turned and walk out of the door, leaving him alone with his guilt.
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Elrohir soon realised that he would get no inspiration from these two, he leant over towards his brother and lowered his voice. "Which one is she? It may help me to write if I know her physical appearance and her nature."
Elladan smiled, truly grateful of his twin. "She will be in the courtyard after lunch, I asked her to meet me there."
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Elladan walked over to the Elf maiden and took her hand, he turned and motioned to Elrohir. "This is my brother Elrohir. Be nice to him for he already knows I am the better looking one." He winked at his brother before gasping loudly as he remembered something he must do, Elrohir credited him for his display of some truly terrible acting.
"I know, why don't you too get to know each other a little better." He placed Wendele's hand in Elrohir's and bowed slightly to them both.
Once alone Elrohir smiled at the young maiden. "Elladan tells me you like to paint."
She smiled warmly and giggled. "Yes but I do not let anyone see them, they are far too personal and I am far too embarrassed to show them off."
"I know what you mean, I am the same with my-" He suddenly remembered the Elladan was supposed to be the poet, not him. "My rock collection." He grimaced inwardly at his own stupidity.
"Oh rocks. Well yes, I mean rocks are interesting." She smiled politely wondering why Elladan had left her with him.
"Well I find them fascinating. They have lived on this earth far longer then you or I. They have seen everything, I often wonder what it would be like to speak with one, learn what it knows."
Wendele looked at him in disbelief. "You wish to talk with rocks?"
Oh this was not going well. He studied her, waiting for inspiration to hit him, but it never came.
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Aragorn stomped through the forest louder then a rabble of Orcs. Birds flew out of his way as he moved towards the large rocks. He sat down and tried to calm his anger. He had loved that damn Elf for the past forty odd years, how could she ever think he had looked at another woman once. She was the light that guided him, the beat of his heart, she was his everything. He unclenched his fists and closed his eyes, hoping the voice of the forest would sooth him.
As he sat there trying to concentrate on the beauty that surrounded him all could think about was Arwen. The first time he had seen her he knew that his life would forever move around her. Every choice he made, every path he took, it all came back to her.
He let the blissful memory of last years winter ball take him.
*Flashback*
"Quel undome" Aragorn observed Arwen, the image of pure beauty.
*Good evening*
Arwen smiled and nodded to him, her usual creamy skin now slightly tinged with pink. The ball had already begun and Arwen had been waiting for him to join them. He took her hand and brought it to his mouth.
"Lle maa vanima"
*You look beautiful*
His bristled lips rubbed gently over her hand, making shivers dance across her spine.
"Lle merna salk?"
*Do you want to dance?*
Arwen moved closer to him, her hand still in his, and led him on to the floor. Once amid the various dancing couples, Aragorn ran his hands over her bare arms.
"Tess amin" She wrapped his arms around her waist.
*Hold me*
Together they danced, simply holding on to each other. The night was getting late and the hall was fairly dark, lit only by candles. For the first time in a long time Aragorn and Arwen felt a certain anonymity. He rested his mouth by her ear and gently brushed his lips over the tip. Arwen felt an almost painful shudder go through her from the intensity of loving him.
"Undomiel nin." He whispered as her hand slid up to cup his face.
*My Evenstar*
She smiled against his cheek and rubbed her face against his.
"Aratoamin."
*My champion*
*End flashback*
"You know you are extremely fast." The woman's voice sounded out of breath. He opened his eyes and looked at the young woman, a frown set on his brow.
"Gallia, what are you doing here?" He looked around, hoping that Arwen would not find out about this, he was sure she would think he had planed to meet Gallia here.
"I saw you leave and I have been trying to catch up with you ever since." She came to sit beside him, trying to catch her breath. "I called out but you must not have heard me.
Aragorn looked down at the grass growing around them. "No, I had things to think about."
"Oh, such as?" She smiled at him, completely unaware of the trouble she had caused by coming here. He smiled at her, remembering the talks they used to have. It was not her fault that Arwen was being unreasonable, he should not be angry at her.
"Nothing that you need worry on." He leaned back on the rock, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face. "Tell me of Arnor, how is everyone? Tell me all that has happened since my departure."
Gallia giggled, missing her home and family. "Well Fenar asked Cornella to marry him, but she said first he must complete three tasks. Of course the tasks she gave him were deliberately impossible, so you can imagine what a shock it was for her when he did them all. They are to wed in the spring." She laughed gaily and Aragorn felt his heart ease. Her youthful love for life reminded him much of a Hobbit's. If truth be told, she was a nice distraction.
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Wendele laughed loudly and threw a handful of buttercups at Elrohir's feet. "More, more."
Elrohir was stood before her, in the gardens, entertaining her with limericks he had made up to entertain Elladan with when they were children.
"Very well." He thought of one, his face braking out in to a smile. "I think you will like this one." He cleared his throat, and she laughed again.
"There once lived a man named Deriem.
Who invented a bathing machine.
The night that it stroke
The damn thing broke
And washed the wrong parts of him clean."
Wendele held her stomach as she laughed, leaning against the side of a tree for support. Elrohir smiled too, finally finding his first verse for the poem.
'The sound of her laughter was golden, like the rays of the sun streaming through the darkened clouds.'
"How many of these do you have?" She walked beside him and took his arm. "I should very much like to hear more."
"Perhaps we should make our way back, it is late and my limericks will wait until tomorrow." They walked back to the house of Elrond in silence, simply enjoying the twilight that surrounded them.