Leaning back in his chair Aragorn tried hard not to laugh at the letters of
protest some of the local lords had sent him. You would think after more
than ten years they would have learned that threats and bribes did not get
anywhere with him. Glancing out the window he was surprised Sauron had not
arrived yet, it was past the dinner hour. He was only planning on checking
on Saruman before joining him for dinner. Saruman. Aragorn's stomach
turned at the thought of the rogue wizard who had betrayed the light. News
of the white wizard's betrayal had been the hardest thing for him to
ignore. But he had given his word, to both sides. He would have nothing
to do with the war. No matter what. Not for the first time he found
himself bitterly regretting the sense of honor that held him to his word.
Deep inside himself, in the tiny corner he kept lockded safely away, he
knew that if he broke that trust, in spirit or action, he would lose
himself. Almost unconsiously he leaned into the bracelt he wore, centering
himself. The absolute power granted him was so very seductive. The longer
he held the title of Ruling Consort, the easier it was to fall into the
pattern of Mordor. He refused to allow himself to fall that way. He would
give up his life before he turned evil. But it was the subtle changes that
were the hardest to combat. There was so much evil that it was all too
easy to let compassion slip away when confronted with the hardships and
betrayals day after day and year after year. Decisively pushing those
thoughts away Aragorn rose and walked to the window. There was actually
some weak sunlight, he noted with relief. Leaning against the window he
closed his eyes and centered himself. He knew who he was, and what he was.
That he would not allow to change.
"My Lord?" a hesitant voice called through the door after a timid knock.
Aragorn shook his head in disgust. He absolutely hated the fear so many of the servants held him in. He had never yelled at a single one nor ordered them imprisoned, tortured, or even punished for anything, yet many of them still feared him like they did the other lords of Mordor. That was one of the main reason why he actually had a select few assigned to him for most things. It was easier on his nerves to not have someone who flinched whenever he was near or was petrified of making a simple mistake. "Enter."
The young servant hesitantly walked up to him. "The kitchens would like to know if you are having dinner this evening. They are getting ready to clean up."
Trying to put the young man at ease Aragorn smiled and turned away from the window. He had not allowed himself to notice how late it had gotten. The ranger deep within lauged at the unaccustomed obliviousness "Yes. If you can just have them send up sandwiches for me. Has anyone asked Lord Sauron?"
The fear in the young man grew as he slowly shook his head. "I was going to him next. He is in the tower."
Suddenly understanding the servant's fear Aragorn nodded. "Simply prepare a light tray for him and leave it in here when it is ready. I will tell him."
"Thank you, My Lord!" He dropped to his knees in gratitude.
Resisting the urge to protest the display Aragorn simply nodded. "Get back to work." Once he was gone he rose. If Sauron had gone to power the red eye immediately after talking to Saruman he had been up there for nearly three hours. He had not spent any longer than an hour there since the second year Aragorn had been consort. That was one of the things Aragorn had worked hard on after he had arrived: getting Sauron to remain in his physical form more often. The cruelty of the Dark Lord was lessened somehow when he was an actual being. He was more Sauron and less the Dark Lord. A feeling of foreboding filling him Aragorn slowly climbed the stairs to the uppermost tower of Barad-dur. This was still a place that made him extremely uncomfortable. The evil here was crushing. Stepping into the small tower room he was not surprised to see Sauron's body lying unmoving and pale on the single mattress. He could feel the seeking evil. A shudder went through him before he regained control. Leaning heavily on the bracelet he steadied himself. 'Sauron,' he called mentally, careful not to touch the body.
After a few moments the body blinked and Sauron slowly sat up. "What do you want?" he demanded irritably.
Aragorn did not flinch or blink. "It is long past the dinner hour. Is anything amiss?"
For a few moments Sauron did not answer, looking into his eyes, trying to read him.
With effort Aragorn kept his shields down. "I have not betrayed you," he reminded. "I gave my word."
Rising quickly Sauron strode over to him. "I do not doubt. Give me a few minutes and I will join you."
Aragorn glanced from him to the eye and back. He could sense the longing to return. "You are sure?"
"Yes. I will not be long."
With a quick nod Aragorn gladly escaped the confining room. If Sauron was still called that did not bode well. Aragorn feared he knew what Sauron was searching for, but did not want to admit it. If the ring was found- He cut that thought off before it could continue. That was something he did not even want to contemplate until he had to.
It was actually more than an hour before Sauron joined his consort. Stepping into the bedroom for a moment the Dark Lord just drank in the sight. Aragorn was laying in front of the brightly burning fireplace, which threw the only light in the room. He was dressed for bed in a simple pair of leggings. He had a stack of papers in front of him but they were apparently forgotten as he stared into the fireplace. Not for the first time Sauron wondered where his consort's mind went when he stared into the fire or into the night sky.
"I was beginning to think you were not coming," he commented not turning from the fire.
Sauron came over and sat down beside him, patting his leg. Not needing any more of an invitation Aragorn rolled to his back and shifted so his head was laying in Sauron's lap. "I almost did not. Saruman thinks the ring has been found."
Aragorn's eyes closed and his thoughts veiled themselves at those words. After a moment he looked back up into Sauron's eyes. "When did he decide this? Last he told the White Council he thought the ring was lost forever in the Anduin."
"That was nothing more than a ruse to throw the Council off and allow me to regain my strength." Absently he began to brush back Aragorn's unruly hair. "If it has been found I will search until I find it."
For a few minutes Aragorn was silent. "Are you sure this is not just another ruse? You are not as strong a presence when you power the eye and I do not participate in military matters."
"I had not thought of that," Sauron replied. "Although I doubt Saruman could hide that from me." His gaze locked with Aragorn's. "How long before you leave again?"
Caught off-guard by the question Aragorn had to think a minute before he could answer. "Not for at least a month. And that should only be a short trip-no more than a week."
"Good." Sauron lifted him and then shifted so he was laying half on and half off his consort. "It is much easier to remain corporeal when you are present." Not giving his consort time to answer Sauron caught his mouth in a deep kiss and reveled in the feel of Aragorn's arms wrapping around him. For a time he forgot the One Ring.
***********
Rubbing his eyes wearily Aragorn stared down at the figures in front of him. After more than three hours of trying to make sense of this creative bookkeeping he was seeing double. Tiredly he glanced out the window. It was nearly time for afternoon council. For a moment he felt a rare bout of indecision. There was something odd about these numbers that was not sitting well with him. Forcing his exhausted mind to focus Aragorn ran through the agenda for the afternoon session. The morning session had been devoted to military matters, giving him the time to start researching these finances, which meant the afternoon would focus on internal matters. A quick mental review showed him that there was nothing that desperately needed his attention. The most important thing he was working on right now were these numbers. Mind made up he sent for a servant to deliver a message to Sauron and the council that he would not be attending. Idly he hoped Sauron would not be too upset. Ever since the Dark Lord had started devoting most of his time to finding the One Ring his mood was unpredictable at best. Sometimes he wondered how much good he was still doing here. No, that was not true. He still had complete control of internal matters and Sauron would not hear anything about issues that came up, referring all objections to him. It was Sauron himself who was different. More and more often he was channeling all his energy into the ever-seeking red eye, leaving his corporeal body untended. Now he only came to Aragorn's rooms once or twice a week and lunch together was a rare occurrence instead of a daily habit. Increasingly advisors and councilors were coming to him for all day to day concerns. Twelve years of trying to deny he existed was forgotten overnight. Releasing a breath he forced his attention back to the papers spread across his desk. If he was going to skip afternoon council he had better unravel these numbers.
**********
A tongue tracing the shell of his ear pulled Aragorn to instant alertness. Familiar arms wrapped around him as Sauron chuckled quietly in his ear. "I do not think you skipped council just to take a nap."
Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes Aragorn took a moment to judge Sauron's mood. While he was not angry, he was not thrilled either. "No." He glanced at the papers that now took up his entire desk and the notepad under his hand. Surprised he realized he was still holding the pen. He did not bother to stifle his yawn as he haphazardly stuffed the papers together. "No, but what has been done to these records still eludes me. I know they are wrong but I can not find where."
Once the papers were all stacked Sauron pulled him to his feet, holding him in a loose embrace. "Are you sure?"
Turning Aragorn met Sauron's eyes, surprised that he was here. Most of the time he retreated to the eye as soon as council was finished, if he bothered to attend at all. "I'm sure. And I have not yet been wrong when people are cheating or lying."
Sauron did not reply immediately, hungry eyes eagerly devouring his consort's handsome face and tempting body. It had been too long since they had shared anything more than council conversation. The Dark Lord found that he missed Aragorn's easy conversation and companionship as much as making love to him. In the back of his mind he heard the call of his Ring, clamoring to be found.
"Stay." Aragorn reached up and ran a feather light caress along Sauron's jaw to brush his hair behind his ear. "Stay with me to share a meal and perhaps more." Not stopping the gentle caress Aragorn took another step forward so his body barely touched that of the Dark Lord. The more Sauron sought for the One the more removed from everyday life he became. More often than not evil radiated from him. While Sauron had never had the goodness of elves or even the ambiguity of men, he had never been so cold. At least not since the assassination attempts when he had first been crowned ruling consort. And the evil had been lessening over the years, at least until Saruman declared the Ring found. Now Aragorn found himself having to suppress shudders of revulsion more than half the time when he walked into the Dark Lord's presence. And that was what he was truly becoming Aragorn suddenly realized. Sauron may hold the title of Dark Lord but Aragorn had always been able to reason with him and usually allow compassion to overrule cruelty. The Dark Lord sought nothing but the One Ring and the absolute power it would bring him. If the Ring was found Aragorn doubted he would be able to mediate the cruelty of Mordor's forces over the conquered people of Middle-earth as he could now. No, he admitted to himself in the darkest recesses of his heart. He could not/would not let Middle-earth fall into a darkness it could not recover from. Even without breaking his word he was bound to that. He was Mordor's ruling consoft and responsible for the well-being of the people that lived within his realm. Already Sauron no longer heeded his requests or opinions as often as before. Refusing to give up hope that he would continue to be able to affect events Aragorn pulled Sauron down to him. "Stay for at least a while." Stretching up he kissed him.
All thoughts of seeking his Ring disappeared from Sauron's mind as Aragorn initiated a deep, passionate kiss. He could count on one hand the number of times Aragorn had initiated anything physical. And none of those times had he been fully in control of himself. The first time was burned indelibly on his memory it had been only months after Aragorn had been crowned and to this day Sauron did not know what had set the storm of emotions off. All he knew was that he had walked into Aragorn's rooms to see him curled into a tight ball on the bed, shaking. That was the night Lord Telcontar had truly come alive. Almost desperately Aragorn had pulled him to him. "Show me where I belong," he had almost begged. The second and only other time had been when the Mouth of Sauron had managed to slip an aphrodisiac into his food.
Aragorn's tongue sliding into his mouth brought him back to the present. Quickly stripping off their clothes he carried his consort to the wide bed. "What do you want?"
"You," was the simple answer. Laying back on the bed Aragorn pulled Sauron down on top of him, one leg wrapping around his. "I want to feel you and you to feel me." Eyes still locked with Sauron's Aragorn removed his bracelet and dropped it on the bedside table. Sliding one hand into his hair he pulled Sauron's mouth back down to his at the same time he arched his hips suggestively. "Take me," he whispered a moment before their lips met.
For Sauron everything vanished except for the feel of his consort's lithe body pressed up against his. After it was over Sauron found himself unable to release his consort, continuing the passionate kiss, aware of Aragorn's hand on his neck holding him close. Reluctantly he pulled out and rolled to his side, surprised when Aragorn rolled with him. "Need something?"
"Just some time." He shifted slightly, settling his head on Sauron's shoulder. Sauron found his arm automatically going around him. "Other than council I have not seen you for the last week and very little before that. Tomorrow you have the military leaders all day and the day after I have a tour of the western villages."
Absently brushing Aragorn's constantly unruly dark hair back Sauron settled a little more comfortably. His Ring could wait. "Councilor Nallen claims- "
A/N I want to thank everyone for the reviews. /They are very encouraging. I have never written a story like this before and was extremely nervous about how it would be recieved. Thank you very much. I am very sorry about the update delays but between mandatory overtime and a four year old I do not have as much time to write as I would like.
"My Lord?" a hesitant voice called through the door after a timid knock.
Aragorn shook his head in disgust. He absolutely hated the fear so many of the servants held him in. He had never yelled at a single one nor ordered them imprisoned, tortured, or even punished for anything, yet many of them still feared him like they did the other lords of Mordor. That was one of the main reason why he actually had a select few assigned to him for most things. It was easier on his nerves to not have someone who flinched whenever he was near or was petrified of making a simple mistake. "Enter."
The young servant hesitantly walked up to him. "The kitchens would like to know if you are having dinner this evening. They are getting ready to clean up."
Trying to put the young man at ease Aragorn smiled and turned away from the window. He had not allowed himself to notice how late it had gotten. The ranger deep within lauged at the unaccustomed obliviousness "Yes. If you can just have them send up sandwiches for me. Has anyone asked Lord Sauron?"
The fear in the young man grew as he slowly shook his head. "I was going to him next. He is in the tower."
Suddenly understanding the servant's fear Aragorn nodded. "Simply prepare a light tray for him and leave it in here when it is ready. I will tell him."
"Thank you, My Lord!" He dropped to his knees in gratitude.
Resisting the urge to protest the display Aragorn simply nodded. "Get back to work." Once he was gone he rose. If Sauron had gone to power the red eye immediately after talking to Saruman he had been up there for nearly three hours. He had not spent any longer than an hour there since the second year Aragorn had been consort. That was one of the things Aragorn had worked hard on after he had arrived: getting Sauron to remain in his physical form more often. The cruelty of the Dark Lord was lessened somehow when he was an actual being. He was more Sauron and less the Dark Lord. A feeling of foreboding filling him Aragorn slowly climbed the stairs to the uppermost tower of Barad-dur. This was still a place that made him extremely uncomfortable. The evil here was crushing. Stepping into the small tower room he was not surprised to see Sauron's body lying unmoving and pale on the single mattress. He could feel the seeking evil. A shudder went through him before he regained control. Leaning heavily on the bracelet he steadied himself. 'Sauron,' he called mentally, careful not to touch the body.
After a few moments the body blinked and Sauron slowly sat up. "What do you want?" he demanded irritably.
Aragorn did not flinch or blink. "It is long past the dinner hour. Is anything amiss?"
For a few moments Sauron did not answer, looking into his eyes, trying to read him.
With effort Aragorn kept his shields down. "I have not betrayed you," he reminded. "I gave my word."
Rising quickly Sauron strode over to him. "I do not doubt. Give me a few minutes and I will join you."
Aragorn glanced from him to the eye and back. He could sense the longing to return. "You are sure?"
"Yes. I will not be long."
With a quick nod Aragorn gladly escaped the confining room. If Sauron was still called that did not bode well. Aragorn feared he knew what Sauron was searching for, but did not want to admit it. If the ring was found- He cut that thought off before it could continue. That was something he did not even want to contemplate until he had to.
It was actually more than an hour before Sauron joined his consort. Stepping into the bedroom for a moment the Dark Lord just drank in the sight. Aragorn was laying in front of the brightly burning fireplace, which threw the only light in the room. He was dressed for bed in a simple pair of leggings. He had a stack of papers in front of him but they were apparently forgotten as he stared into the fireplace. Not for the first time Sauron wondered where his consort's mind went when he stared into the fire or into the night sky.
"I was beginning to think you were not coming," he commented not turning from the fire.
Sauron came over and sat down beside him, patting his leg. Not needing any more of an invitation Aragorn rolled to his back and shifted so his head was laying in Sauron's lap. "I almost did not. Saruman thinks the ring has been found."
Aragorn's eyes closed and his thoughts veiled themselves at those words. After a moment he looked back up into Sauron's eyes. "When did he decide this? Last he told the White Council he thought the ring was lost forever in the Anduin."
"That was nothing more than a ruse to throw the Council off and allow me to regain my strength." Absently he began to brush back Aragorn's unruly hair. "If it has been found I will search until I find it."
For a few minutes Aragorn was silent. "Are you sure this is not just another ruse? You are not as strong a presence when you power the eye and I do not participate in military matters."
"I had not thought of that," Sauron replied. "Although I doubt Saruman could hide that from me." His gaze locked with Aragorn's. "How long before you leave again?"
Caught off-guard by the question Aragorn had to think a minute before he could answer. "Not for at least a month. And that should only be a short trip-no more than a week."
"Good." Sauron lifted him and then shifted so he was laying half on and half off his consort. "It is much easier to remain corporeal when you are present." Not giving his consort time to answer Sauron caught his mouth in a deep kiss and reveled in the feel of Aragorn's arms wrapping around him. For a time he forgot the One Ring.
***********
Rubbing his eyes wearily Aragorn stared down at the figures in front of him. After more than three hours of trying to make sense of this creative bookkeeping he was seeing double. Tiredly he glanced out the window. It was nearly time for afternoon council. For a moment he felt a rare bout of indecision. There was something odd about these numbers that was not sitting well with him. Forcing his exhausted mind to focus Aragorn ran through the agenda for the afternoon session. The morning session had been devoted to military matters, giving him the time to start researching these finances, which meant the afternoon would focus on internal matters. A quick mental review showed him that there was nothing that desperately needed his attention. The most important thing he was working on right now were these numbers. Mind made up he sent for a servant to deliver a message to Sauron and the council that he would not be attending. Idly he hoped Sauron would not be too upset. Ever since the Dark Lord had started devoting most of his time to finding the One Ring his mood was unpredictable at best. Sometimes he wondered how much good he was still doing here. No, that was not true. He still had complete control of internal matters and Sauron would not hear anything about issues that came up, referring all objections to him. It was Sauron himself who was different. More and more often he was channeling all his energy into the ever-seeking red eye, leaving his corporeal body untended. Now he only came to Aragorn's rooms once or twice a week and lunch together was a rare occurrence instead of a daily habit. Increasingly advisors and councilors were coming to him for all day to day concerns. Twelve years of trying to deny he existed was forgotten overnight. Releasing a breath he forced his attention back to the papers spread across his desk. If he was going to skip afternoon council he had better unravel these numbers.
**********
A tongue tracing the shell of his ear pulled Aragorn to instant alertness. Familiar arms wrapped around him as Sauron chuckled quietly in his ear. "I do not think you skipped council just to take a nap."
Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes Aragorn took a moment to judge Sauron's mood. While he was not angry, he was not thrilled either. "No." He glanced at the papers that now took up his entire desk and the notepad under his hand. Surprised he realized he was still holding the pen. He did not bother to stifle his yawn as he haphazardly stuffed the papers together. "No, but what has been done to these records still eludes me. I know they are wrong but I can not find where."
Once the papers were all stacked Sauron pulled him to his feet, holding him in a loose embrace. "Are you sure?"
Turning Aragorn met Sauron's eyes, surprised that he was here. Most of the time he retreated to the eye as soon as council was finished, if he bothered to attend at all. "I'm sure. And I have not yet been wrong when people are cheating or lying."
Sauron did not reply immediately, hungry eyes eagerly devouring his consort's handsome face and tempting body. It had been too long since they had shared anything more than council conversation. The Dark Lord found that he missed Aragorn's easy conversation and companionship as much as making love to him. In the back of his mind he heard the call of his Ring, clamoring to be found.
"Stay." Aragorn reached up and ran a feather light caress along Sauron's jaw to brush his hair behind his ear. "Stay with me to share a meal and perhaps more." Not stopping the gentle caress Aragorn took another step forward so his body barely touched that of the Dark Lord. The more Sauron sought for the One the more removed from everyday life he became. More often than not evil radiated from him. While Sauron had never had the goodness of elves or even the ambiguity of men, he had never been so cold. At least not since the assassination attempts when he had first been crowned ruling consort. And the evil had been lessening over the years, at least until Saruman declared the Ring found. Now Aragorn found himself having to suppress shudders of revulsion more than half the time when he walked into the Dark Lord's presence. And that was what he was truly becoming Aragorn suddenly realized. Sauron may hold the title of Dark Lord but Aragorn had always been able to reason with him and usually allow compassion to overrule cruelty. The Dark Lord sought nothing but the One Ring and the absolute power it would bring him. If the Ring was found Aragorn doubted he would be able to mediate the cruelty of Mordor's forces over the conquered people of Middle-earth as he could now. No, he admitted to himself in the darkest recesses of his heart. He could not/would not let Middle-earth fall into a darkness it could not recover from. Even without breaking his word he was bound to that. He was Mordor's ruling consoft and responsible for the well-being of the people that lived within his realm. Already Sauron no longer heeded his requests or opinions as often as before. Refusing to give up hope that he would continue to be able to affect events Aragorn pulled Sauron down to him. "Stay for at least a while." Stretching up he kissed him.
All thoughts of seeking his Ring disappeared from Sauron's mind as Aragorn initiated a deep, passionate kiss. He could count on one hand the number of times Aragorn had initiated anything physical. And none of those times had he been fully in control of himself. The first time was burned indelibly on his memory it had been only months after Aragorn had been crowned and to this day Sauron did not know what had set the storm of emotions off. All he knew was that he had walked into Aragorn's rooms to see him curled into a tight ball on the bed, shaking. That was the night Lord Telcontar had truly come alive. Almost desperately Aragorn had pulled him to him. "Show me where I belong," he had almost begged. The second and only other time had been when the Mouth of Sauron had managed to slip an aphrodisiac into his food.
Aragorn's tongue sliding into his mouth brought him back to the present. Quickly stripping off their clothes he carried his consort to the wide bed. "What do you want?"
"You," was the simple answer. Laying back on the bed Aragorn pulled Sauron down on top of him, one leg wrapping around his. "I want to feel you and you to feel me." Eyes still locked with Sauron's Aragorn removed his bracelet and dropped it on the bedside table. Sliding one hand into his hair he pulled Sauron's mouth back down to his at the same time he arched his hips suggestively. "Take me," he whispered a moment before their lips met.
For Sauron everything vanished except for the feel of his consort's lithe body pressed up against his. After it was over Sauron found himself unable to release his consort, continuing the passionate kiss, aware of Aragorn's hand on his neck holding him close. Reluctantly he pulled out and rolled to his side, surprised when Aragorn rolled with him. "Need something?"
"Just some time." He shifted slightly, settling his head on Sauron's shoulder. Sauron found his arm automatically going around him. "Other than council I have not seen you for the last week and very little before that. Tomorrow you have the military leaders all day and the day after I have a tour of the western villages."
Absently brushing Aragorn's constantly unruly dark hair back Sauron settled a little more comfortably. His Ring could wait. "Councilor Nallen claims- "
A/N I want to thank everyone for the reviews. /They are very encouraging. I have never written a story like this before and was extremely nervous about how it would be recieved. Thank you very much. I am very sorry about the update delays but between mandatory overtime and a four year old I do not have as much time to write as I would like.