Title: Luthien's flute

Author: B-witched83uk (bwitched83uk@aol.com)

Rating: PG

Summary: Aragorn, Arwen and the family travel to Lothlorien after receiving a mysterious letter from Celeborn.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of the Rings. The whole of Middle Earth belongs to Tolkien.

Dedication: Gionareth, thank you for the great idea on where to take this chapter.

Chapter 12

Making up is hard to do

Aragorn's arms tightened around his wife's waist, his finger's sliding under the fabric of her dress. Instantly Arwen twisted out of his arms and moved away from her husband. "We should spend some time with the children before they say good night." She began walking away when Aragorn put out his arm to stop her. The look of hurt on his face was unmistakable as his eyes pleaded with her to let him touch her. Days had passed since he had awoken from his dark sleep and Arwen had barely looked at him since that dreadful night.

"Love, please do not hasten away from me." His voice was low and tortured. At the sound of him call her his love, a sound that would usually bring warmth to her skin, she cringed.

"I do not hasten away from you. I would simply like to see my children. I have spent no time with them since we arrived here." She again began to move away from him but the last few days had really gotten to Aragorn. His usual gentle patience with Arwen was now waning. He was desperate for things to return to normal between them and would not let her walk away, as he had done night after night.

"You retire to bed, purposefully, long before me. You pretend you are asleep or say you are not feeling well. Arwen this is killing me! Having you close enough to touch but not allowed to do so." His voice was shaky. He was scared, truly scared, that things would not be put right between them. Her eyes flew to his and they locked.

"Arwen help me. I know not how to fix this."

Arwen moved his arm from in front of her. "Neither do I." With one last look at the hurt her words had caused him, she walked slowly over to where her children were sat.

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"What if they can't mend what is broken between them?" Galadwen and Eldarion were sat in the hall with Celeborn. The two had sought him out, worried about their parents recent behaviour. Celeborn put his cool hand on his Granddaughter's shoulder.

"Child, worry not for them. They will find their way, they always do." His words were no comfort for them and they continued to stare at each other. Celeborn left the room to speak with a fair, dark haired Elf. The brother and sister were left to their own thoughts.

Eldarion walked up to his sister and wrapped both of his arms around her. She found comfort in her brother's arms but her fears would still not leave.

"They love one another Galadwen. Its like he said, they will find their way."

She snuggled her face in to his tunic, desperately hoping that he was right.

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Aragorn watched his wife move around their chambers. He was stood in front of a full length mirror buttoning up his shirt. He saw her move in the mirrors reflection, tidying things as she went. She was still cold and her words were sharp and piercing. "Why must you wear the dress of a ranger whilst away from Minas Tirith?" Aragorn turned to face her as he spoke, a little hurt.

"You used to love me like this. You once preferred this ranger to all the nobles that looked your way." He was slightly angered by her now. He had gone out of his way to apologise and she was purposefully trying to hurt him, to make him feel worse then he already did. "Or was I just your bit of rough?"

Arwen's eyes flew to his face. She was shocked at what he had just said but even more shocked at the effect his coarse words had upon her body. She cursed the reaction she was having at seeing him dressed that way. Perhaps that was why she was so cross to see him wearing them.

"Was I just your forbidden fruit?" Her voice was higher then usual. Her fists were bawled and for a moment he wondered if she might not strike out at him.

"What are you talking about?" He was slightly miffed that he was having to play this game.

"Well you couldn't wait to get away from me could you. Perhaps I was sweeter when you could not have me. Perhaps the fruit has become bitter to you now. Perhaps you crave for something fresh, juicer!"

Her voice was raised and clearly frightened. Aragorn just looked at her, the woman he loved intensely. Her had never so much as looked at another in all their long years together. "How can you even think that. You taste sweeter to me with ever day that passes." Though his words reassured her she was angry that he was being so lovable. When she was mad at him, she much preferred him to fight back.

"Your words no longer effect me Estel. You silver tongue can not save you now." She moved past him to leave but he grabbed her waist with his hands. With a tone harsher then he intended, he lashed out. "I have grovelled to you woman until my hands and knees bled. I have slept night after night as far away from you as our bed would allow. I would kill for you, I would die for you but damn it woman you are slowly driving me insane!"

Arwen's eyes were wide at his words. She scowled at him and tore herself out of his arms before storming to the door. She stopped then and turned on him, her eyes like daggers. "You would die for me? I already have. I sealed my doom when I cleaved myself to you." Her words cut deeper then any weapon forged by Dwarf or Elf.

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Later that day Arwen was sitting with Luthien on a tree stump in the forest of Lothlorien. "This will one day be yours." She held up the Flute of Tinuviel as her youngest daughter eyed it with wonder. Long had she heard the stories of Tinuviel and Beren, it was one of her favourites. Arwen smiled at Luthien's silence, so in awe of this magic before her. "My Naneth gave me things of hers to keep." Arwen stroked her hand through the girls long, dark hair. Her eyes were wide and deep blue as she looked at her mother, eager to here more about their family. "Like what?"

Arwen's smile temporarily faded as she remembered her mother. "Well like the pendent she gave to me before she left for Valinor. The Evenstar. She told me that it would be my guide. That if I trusted nothing else then the Evenstar would always help me find my path."

Luthien looked at her mother in confusion,. "You mean the jewel that Ada wears?" Arwen snapped out of her thoughts at his mere mention and met her child's gaze. Her mouth was suddenly dry and so she simply nodded. "But if it was from your Naneth why did you give it to him?"

Arwen thought about this for a moment before answering. A warmth now back in her smile. "Because I love him. And because a long time ago I bound myself to him. I turned from everything I knew because he meant more to me then the entire world of immortality." Her eyes were dancing as she spoke of the man she loved, her husband.

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Aragorn's chambers seemed to be cold lately. The room was dark and unfeeling. He sat on the bed, alone in thought. His earlier words with his wife were haunting him. The way she had looked at him, as though she didn't even know him. His chest hurt from it still. He loved her more then life, surely she must know that. He had had his free will taken away from him when he prepared to leave for death. He would never leave her while his will was his own. He couldn't bare the cold that her words had left him in, it was too much to bare. He needed his wife's touch, her mouth, her skin. He needed her.

His eyes flew up as he heard the large oak door open. The look on his wife's face was unreadable. He stayed sat on the bed, unsure what to say. Arwen walked closer to him, coming to stand in front of him. She eyed the Evenstar pendent hanging from his neck. "Arwen I-"

She cut him of with her raised hand. Her look was soft but her tone was still fierce.

"You have hurt me Estel. More then you will ever know. Knowing that I have forsaken all that I once knew, forsaken my immortality in order to be your wife. I did it all willingly, I was happy to do it. I have stood beside you as your wife, and sat beside you as your Queen. I have given you four beautiful children. I have never once given you reason to doubt my love, but you-"

A tear fell from her eye and on to her lip as she tried to regain her composure. "But you were ready to leave me. Alone in this world to live amongst the stars. I know your mind was not your own but my pain is not lessened by the knowledge. What you did haunts me Estel. It tares at my chest. The pain you have caused me will not diminish over night. It will take time to heal, to forgive what you did." Her hands then came down to cup his worried face. She lent over him and looked straight in to his eyes. "But I will heal and I will forgive. You are my husband, my best friend, nothing can ever change that. I am bound to you Dunadan in life and in death." She brushed her lips gently against his as his firm arms tightened around her, forcing her even closer. He held her hand against the Evenstar.

"How can I help you heal?" His eyes pleaded with her. Arwen slid her hands in to his hair, tugging slightly at the dark locks. "You can make love to me."

Aragorn stood and grasped his wife in one fluid motion. His desire for her ever present. "Amin mela lle Undomiel nin."

*I love you my Evenstar*

He kissed her so passionately that if he had not been holding her she would have fallen down. Breathlessly she sighed "And I you, my ranger."